The temperature is around the 50s and 60s again, and I have summer fever already.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup will be held in South Africa this summer. The event is unique because it is the first time the World Cup will be held on the African Continent. (FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association.)
The word “football” here refers to soccer, which is known internationally as football, except in the United States. (It makes sense.)
March 1, marked one hundred days to the start of the 2010 World Cup, the premier international football tournament. 204 countries have been competing for three years for spots to compete in South Africa.
People around the world are very excited about it. Sadly, however, Americans show the least interest in the game, even though the United States soccer team has managed to secure a spot in the tournament for the past five World Cups and have again secured a place this year in South Africa.
This is the United States’ ninth participation in the World Cup. It might also be noteworthy to know the American team won third place in 1930.
I can remember watching the World Cup final match in 1998; I was very young and perceived very little about the sport itself. But I was noticing people’s attitudes to the game – their passion, excitement, pride and nationalism. Even if your country did not get a spot in the cup, you still cheer for some other team you like, or you just cheer for the team playing against the team who secured the bid instead over your own nation’s team.
There were 28.8 billion viewers of the competition in 2002. There were 64 games with an average of 450 million viewers per match. The numbers were much larger in 2006, with the final game attracting more than a billion sports fans.
This year, FIFA is expecting the number to increase and break records for number of viewers. Hopefully reading this article will entice you to join other soccer fans in support of your own team in the World Cup.
After attending my first American football game, I could clearly see how exciting it is. I was even one of the 106.5 million who watched the Super Bowl this year on television. I loved the game, but that does not mean I despise soccer now. Loving football just meant adding another sport to my list of favorite sports I am keeping up with.
As you now consider the possibility of watching the 2010 World Cup, think of all the excitement, love and pride associated with soccer. Soccer is not just a game – it is a peaceful way to bring all the countries of the world together, because no matter who wins or loses, the game is always fun and each is to be proud of his own country and team. Soccer is a global tradition and language.
Try listening to “Olé Olé Olé” and feel the enthusiasm (no pun intended – no cheering for Ole Miss). Watch the game, and you will definitely fall in love with it.
It is important to watch the game and support South Africa in hosting its first FIFA World Cup. The country is turned upside down trying to finish everything and to get ready for the tournament. South Africa is winning for just hosting the competition. All the other teams won to get there and compete against the world’s greatest teams for the most acclaimed title in the world of sports.
The whole globe has been waiting for this, so hop on the train and support your team. The world’s focus of entertainment would be South Africa for a whole month and you do not want to miss it. It is time to celebrate all of Africa.
Abdallah Abu Ghazaleh is a freshman majoring in electrical engineering. He can be contacted at [email protected].