Inaugural Viva La FIFA

FIFA 2006

I am not a soccer fan by any means. I played when I was very young and I was that kid that ran up and down the field wandering and wondering when I could stop, because the soccer mom that just brought the sunkists arrived with the cooler.

I've watched a little bit of each World Cup that I have been alive...haha, ok, that is a lie.

This year is a little different though. My best friend is stationed in Germany right now. Jeanne is in Spain, right now. My friends here are very interested in the World Cup, right now. What can I say, I have become interested by association, right now.

However, this is a great time to become interested. There are some very exciting games and commericals. Come on, you have to admit the Addidas commerical of Jose + 10 is very cool. You don't even have to turn to Telemundo to see the commerical in Spanish!

What can I say about the US match against the Czech. Nothing. This isn't what got me excited about soccer (Yes, I just said excited about soccer, er, futbol). I watched the Brazil vs. Croatia game and I have to say this was perfect timing. I watched a few games last week with some interest. Like any other "playoff" watcher, I was intrigued by the best of the best playing. Then, the team from heaven stepped on to the field and demonstrated a skill that doesn't exist in any other team. The Brazilian team functions as one organism.

It's unbelievable.

They will make anyone a believer in soccer. Their precision in passing the ball can be compared to an orchrestrated play or a choregraphed video. You cannot imagine that 11 individuals work together so well and look like they are doing it with such ease! They had to be the model team for the Addidas Jose + 10 commerical.

As I began to watch the game and their shear brilliance when it comes to teamwork on the "futbol" field, it sparked my first true interest in enjoying soccer. I want to see more. I want to see how other teams stack up against the Brazilians.

For you religious "futbol" fans, forgive my ignorance in making Brazil the pinnacle of perfection. This will be my only disclaimer regarding socccer, so live with it.

Kind of an oxymoron when I put it that way, eh? ;)

Oleeee, ole, ole, ole, oleeeee!