Wednesday, June 16, 2010

2010 First Round

So every team played their first game, and they saved the biggest upset to the last. Spain, the current Euro champ and a favorite to win this World Cup stumbled in the first block. Soccer experts quick to point out: no team ever win the cup when they lost the first game. So all bets are off for Spain? Isn't there's a saying said "All records are make to be broken?" There's gonna be a first time for everything, so hang on Spain. It's only one game, and it's only the first game. Switzerland was a bit lucky, but people seem to forget quickly, the Swiss was actually a group winner only 4 years ago!

And after the first games, I can't help but feel disappointed. There weren't too many excitements, and it's almost evidence that we just lack world class players. And this must be the worst start for any World Cups, because they seemed to be incapable of scoring goals. There are only 23 goals after every team played once, that's 16 games! So we don't even have an average of 2 goals per game! Four years ago, there were 39 goals at the same stage. That's a drop of more than one third! And this is supposed to be the best of the best?

I don't know, but I am convinced the first round is just exhibition, and I am not going to waste a lot of my time on players that can't even make a decent pass that's longer than 10 yards? I don't know if it's just me, but three games a day is really too much, especially when the quality is not that good. You can have all your fancy big screen and even 3D technology, but it's not gonna help these players play better.

And just a thought. After so many years, we still use yards, inches on soccer field. When I heard the commentator said, "a couple more inches and it could go in." I can't help but thinking what if he said, " a couple more centimeters and it could go in." Would that make more senses? It's much closer! Don't you think? But than, I guess, we will never get used to say "the 11 meter" penalty kick!

Have fun!

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