At long long last The World Cup Is Here and like a large proportion of the world's population (that is not living in the United States), I am fucking stoked. I'm probably not you'd generally call a sports person, and certainly when it comes to soccer, my footie-obsessed anglophile roommate's got me beat hands down. But something about the world cup turns me into a one-track-minded soccer robot for a month every time it comes around.

A few weeks back, I offered a pre-emptive apology to the ladyfriend for any moments at which my attentions may wander during the span of June 9th-July 9th. I actually woke up early this mornign to try to catch the Germany - Costa Rica match at a bar down the street from my office although as it turns out I'd read the schedule wrong and that game doesn't start until noon. But still! I got up early for work! Clearly my life's priorities are shifting around somewhat.

Interlude 1: Go watch Tyskarna Från Lund's Global Fussball Okay video. You'll thank me. Easily the best faux-german synth soccer anthem of all time.

There's also something deeply exciting about being able to cheer Sweden on in an arena where they're actually likely to do alright for themselves. I've never gotten quite serious enough to go out and get myself a proper Blågul soccer jersey, but who knows, maybe this is the year? I do get kinda sad when something like this rolls around though; a lot of the other countries in the cup have whole NEIGHBORHOODS of their immigrants with multiple bars showing the matches and no doubt all night street parties should they happen to win. As far as I've been able to deduce, nominally Swedish bar Good world's going to be rolling out a TV and a bunch of yuppie Swedes are going to watch the whole thing at some hoity toity martini and foie gras pool hall in Chelsea called Slate. Against my better judgement I think I'm going to go to Slate on saturday for the Sweden Trinidad match, but I can't say I'm happy about it. Not one bit.

Interlude 2: Why the World Cup is Better than The Olympics.

I guess we'll have to see how well the Swedish team actually does for itself. Apparently our starting golie's going to be out for the first game at least on account of one of our own players nailing him in the face with a ball. I get to thinking we're our own worst enemies sometimes. Regardless, this is one of those times (like back durring the olympics) when I start to feel kind of guilty for where my international sporting loyalties truly lie. Certainly I wish nothing than the best for the US team, but I can't see myself re-arranging a whole day's schedule to go watch them somewhere. Then again maybe if they do really well for themselves, America will stop having such a low opinion of the game? Maybe that's overly optimistic.

And Finally: Crazy Frog's We are The Champions. Easiliy the worst World Cup song I've ever heard, and we're talking about a genre not hurting for shittiest mix tape competition fodder.

Anyway, I fear for my productivity over the next month, what with all of the games being played durring work hours. Of course the worst part is that I can't seem to find anywhere online where I can actually listen to the games as they're happening, not even on Swedish radio... damnation... Maybe I'll have to buy a satelite radio? Probably getting ahead of myself. Crap, distraction setting in already!
posted by Robotpolisher 9:50 AM ::