…and 4 other great things about the opening games of the 2010 World Cup.
Let’s start with the titular moment of my list.
The crying North Korean player
Not much is known about what goes on in land of North Korea. Because of government restrictions on just about everything, even less is known about what goes on in the hearts and minds of North Koreans. Even the North Korean supporters in the stadium who were not hand picked Chinese fans for hire seem reticent to discuss anything, for fear of punishment from their government. Secrecy, seclusion, and suppression are the modus operandi for this country.
But, on June 15th, 2010, the human heart betrayed all of that. While the team has isolated itself from the other countries by holing up in it’s hotel, avoiding as much contact as possible with the media and other teams, it is impossible to do such at game time. At the prelude to the kick-off, in front of tens of thousands of people, each team must face the crowd, and listen while their country’s national anthem is played. Some players sing along, some look straight ahead with faces of stone, and in the case of Jong Tae-Se, the significance of the moment broke the hold that the fear had over him. See it yourself:
For whatever faults the North Korean government has (and they are numerous), they were not able to break this man’s spirit. Truly a touching moment.
Drogba getting subbed in with a broken arm
After breaking his arm in a vicious challenge less than two weeks prior:
Didier Drogba stepped on to the pitch, showing little effect of the injury. You could see the determination in his face throughout the first half as he watched the game from the bench. No real danger from him in the few minutes he played, but it’s amazing that he was able to play at all. Looking forward to seeing him back in form.
Georgie Welcome
Honduras has a player named Georgie Welcome
Forget Kaka, Herculez, or even Tshabalala. My favorite name of a player in this year’s World Cup has got to be Georgie Welcome. It just sounds so wonderfully ridiculous. I love the idea of a star-struck fan meeting this player and saying “You’re Welcome?” ”Thank you, I am.” would be his response, for sure. I love it.
I’m also bemused by the thought of teammates greeting him on the field with a smiling “Welcome, Georgie!”
Odd thing to be entertained by, I know. But so be it.
Not much can keep the Danes from being happy
When Denmark’s Simon Paulsen broke a 0-0 tie with his head, he could hardly contain his ear to ear grin. After all, Denmark is purported to be the happiest country on earth, so why wouldn’t he be smiling?
Well, Paulsen happened to put the ball in the back of his own net, as you can see here:
I love the look on his face at :15. To be fair, he’s probably more incredulous than anything. But still, sometimes you just have to smile when the ball bounces like that.
Americans actually do give a crap about soccer!
If your Facebook and Twitter feed hasn’t been disrupted by passionate soccer fans this past week, you may just find yourself in the minority. In fact, the 17 million people who tuned in to the USA v. ENG draw was more than each of the first four games of the NBA finals. The Celtics and the Lakers are arguably the best teams that the NBA could hope for in drawing viewers in, and still the lowly sport of soccer won out.
Now, it should also be noted that a substantial number of people hated that the game ended in a tie, and many especially despised the sound of the vuvuzelas throughout every second of the match. But hate is a step above indifference, and that is a step that most soccer fans are willing to accept, even with an awkward sense of satisfaction.
I’m deliriously happy with the World Cup. I’m almost intoxicated with joy for this month and I’m sure that I’ve left a few things out. Any favorite moments that I missed?
