World Cup vs NBA Finals

We don't have a TV. But before you cry for me, Argentina, it's actually not that bad. First of all, I didn't have to buy a TV. Second, I didn't have to buy a cable subscription. Third, TV here really isn't that great. It's mostly commercials. Sure, some of it is good language practice, but then my language would consist of Chinese commercial clichés. It would be like someone saying "Set it and forget it!" every time you started talking about cooking. Or they would always insist on paying everything in 10 easy payments of $19.95. And then quietly add that shipping and handling were not included. The only reason I would want to get TV is for sports. The NBA Finals, as we are speaking, are going on right now. Even though I'm kind of interested (and I could watch) I find it surprising that I'm much more interested in the World Cup. Part of the reason, I think, is that I've seen many Lakers vs Celtics NBA Finals. True, there is a desire for me to see Kobe denied again, but I've seen these two teams win it before. The World Cup on the other hand, is a completely unknown quantity to me. I played soccer in high school (translation: I rode the bench on varsity and got some garbage time as a senior) so I have an appreciation for the game, but I don't really follow American soccer. It's mostly because:

1. American soccer is played poorly. By poorly, I mean MLS soccer is pretty boring. The players aren't that skilled.
2. The best American players go overseas to play. Which increases the quality of MLS soccer, obviously.
3. The national team doesn't get together to play that often, because of individual professional obligations, so it's often difficult to follow. Usually the best mediocre American players are on the national team because all the best American players are away making money. But when the Olympics and the World Cup comes around, they somehow free up time to play. Probably because all their teammates are playing for their own national teams.

I think that's why I find the World Cup much more compelling. While I find Kobe crying about losing pretty significant, I'm more interested in some of these national rivalries. I mean, if you think about it, sports are just a proxy for war. We live in a more civilized age now; it's much better to embarrass other countries by kicking a ball into a net than dropping a bomb on their capital. Don't give me any of that "Friendship and Harmony of Countries Playing the World's Sport!" (I think that was the original motto for the first World Cup played in China). If they were really interested in that, they'd take all the players and randomly create teams from them. That would be awesome.

So while the Lakers/Celtics match-up bores me, here are some World Cup match-ups that totally spin my wheels:

1. North Korea vs South Korea. At half-time, I heard they are planning to a re-enactment of the sinking of the submarine. Complete with a giant parade balloon of Kim Jong-Il fighting Godzilla.
2. North Korea vs USA. If North Korea wins I can see the Pyongyang headlines now: "Dear Leader's urine-laced sports drink enables defeat of evil imperial forces!"
3. New Zealand vs Australia. It's like Eli Manning vs Peyton Manning. You're either happy because you know one of them has to lose or you are happy because you know one of them has to win.
4. Algeria vs Egypt. Egypt's not in, but that doesn't mean I can't dream. There's this bitter rivalry between the two. This makes for a more exciting game because that means the players will be more focused on fighting one another rather than playing the game.

If you're looking for a good primer to the teams, Jeff Blum's World Cup Preview is a great start.