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World
Cup: Full of Fun and Flops
The
World Cup is almost over. Only the consolation and championship
games remain. It has been a spectacular month of matches. Here's
what I've been thinking as I watched all the flying tackles, red
cards and bicycle kicks.
- I love the
traditions of soccer, such as when players trade shirts at the
end of a match or kick the ball out of bounds on purpose because
a player is hurt.
- But I hate
when players flop to the ground to try to get a penalty call.
These guys are tough, but some of them act like they have been
hit by a bus when another player barely touches them.
- Isn't faking
a foul cheating? Players who do it should be ashamed.
- With so many
teams from so many countries speaking so many languages, what
language do the players use to complain to the ref?
- I wish the
Netherlands and Ghana had stayed in the tournament longer. They
were fun to watch.
- The goalkeepers
are cool. A great save in soccer is much more exciting than even
a great save in hockey. The keepers look like they have wings.
- Who picked
Croatia's uniforms? Their red-checked shirts look like restaurant
tablecloths.
- England's
David Beckham may be the world's most famous player, but there
are better ones, including Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Zinedine
Zidane of France. Still, Beckham had a super goal to beat Ecuador,
1-0. Nobody can "bend it like Beckham."
- The U.S.
team was a big disappointment. In three games, the Americans put
four shots on goal. That's terrible.
- Face it:
The American players are not very good. There isn't a single U.S.
attacker or midfielder who could play for a top international
team.
- Of course,
the best athletes in America don't play soccer. If all of the
American kids who play soccer at age 8 stuck with the game --
instead of becoming shortstops in baseball, point guards in basketball
or wide receivers in football -- the United States would be a
soccer power.
- You know
who was an all-state soccer player as a kid? Baseball legend Cal
Ripken Jr.
So who do I
think is going to win the big game on Sunday? France will edge Italy,
1-0, on a goal by lightning-quick striker Thierry Henry -- a thrilling
end to an exciting month.
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