I’m not a sports fan. I don’t follow sports nor watch sports. The only sport I actually play is table shuffleboard (some might say that’s not even a real sport). Yet, every four years, I turn into the biggest soccer fan ever.
The World Cup tournament is the one time in which I go crazy for sports. The best of the best compete on behalf of their countries for the coveted FIFA cup. Americans seem to lack the deep appreciation for soccer that is true for the rest of the world. Many argue that it is random and just luck. Yet out of the many years of tournaments and the 34 countries that participate each time only 8 countries have ever won the cup, many of them several times over.
Soccer is a sport that requires incredible skill to control the ball and get it into the goal. When you watch the World Cup, you are seeing the world’s best players. Some amazing stars rise, but the teams that are real winners are those who work as a team.
The whole world plays soccer. The whole world participates in the cup. Unlike other “world” championship titles Americans like to proclaim as theirs, this one tournament is the only one that truly encompasses the world. Perhaps it is time the US take the plunge and really try for a true “World Champion” title.
Unlike other sports, soccer requires endurance plus foot control. It is a beautiful dance taking the ball across the field. Precision in passing as well as laser targeting to get it past the goalie are required skills. The human body is honed to a physical perfection unattainable in other sports.
The US ladies team has won the women’s tournament repeatedly. Yet, it is the men’s tournament that is still the focal point for the world. The women’s championship is still not as popular nor well attended by all the countries of our planet. This, hopefully, will change as the tournament grows.
As I watch the Qatar 2022 World Cup, I have my favorite teams. France, Germany, Spain, Argentina, and England are top of my list. The teams of Japan and S. Korea have joined these as well. But USA and Mexico are the games that become gut wrenching. If the other teams lose, well it’s sad, but not a tragedy. BUT when USA or Mexico lose, I’m in tears. These are MY teams.
The real star of the show is the ball. Watching it make its way down the field is a pleasure, but seeing goals, that’s the glory. Goals are beautiful. Each and everyone a majestic display of skill. And the goalies are the most important players. They have to guard their nets with amazing reflexes. At the level of the world championship, these men are the very best. Watching the ball pass through into the net is a satisfactory feeling when it’s your team scoring. When it isn’t, the pain is almost physical.
I suppose those who love and follow other sports feel the same tension, joy, and pain when they watch their teams. My biggest hope is that soccer can become a significant part of the American experience, just as it is in the rest of the world. One day, the US men’s team will hold up the cup and that will be the best day of my life — as a sports fan anyway.
Maybe that will be on the next four years round. The World Cup will be played here at home and with Mexico and Canada as well as US co-hosting. Houston will be a city where some games will be played. So don’t be surprised if you see me at the stadium in 2026!
