skip to main |
skip to sidebar
high point of yesterdays game was a goal by juninho pernambucano.. since hes from this state everyone feels a connection to him, and the place just erupted when he scored... the celebration was a bit more intense for him.. most people seem to be coming around to "forgiving" ronaldo for whatever they were mad at him for, scoring two goals seems to have that effect.. and most everyone was happy to see rogerio ceni get some playing time once the game was in the bag.. brasil wins the group and everyone is awaiting the knockout stages.. at this point, you win, you advance, lose, you go home.. for most fans here, this is when the copa "really" begins.. tomorrow is "festa de são joão" which is a really big deal here in the northeast.. tomorrow after a meeting with the kids parents regarding the tourney i talk about here, i will go to união dos palmares, in maceio, a state just south of here to see a friend.. probably wont update till late monday..
The Onion takes a kick at the World Cup
Devastated By U.S. World Cup Team's First-Round Loss, Nation Grinds To Halt
June 15, 2006
NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, and WASHINGTON, DC—With the Dow Jones average down over 600 points, factory productivity in a downward spiral, and workplace attendance down by nearly a third, experts say the U.S. World Cup team's heartbreaking 3-0 defeat at the hands of Czech Republic on Monday has brought life across the soccer-crazed nation to a virtual standstill.
"What happened in Gelsenkirchen has indeed dealt a grievous blow to the morale of the American people," said President Bush, who had promised his constituency a swift and speedy victory in the World Cup this year and whose popularity has taken a 9 percent hit since the U.S. team's loss. "I want the citizens of this great nation, the world's only remaining superpower, to know that I grieve alongside them and urge them to be strong in our hour of darkness, and urge them to return to their jobs and schools despite their heavy hearts."
Mere days ago, the feeling across the nation was one of great joy, eager anticipation, and optimism for the prospects of the most talented American team to ever take the field. It is estimated that over 85 percent of U.S. households were watching the USA–Czech Republic matchup. And going into the game that most Americans have been waiting for, analyzing, and all but living for during the past four years, schools, offices, shopping centers—everything, in fact, except vital services—closed their doors as the game began.
Now, days after the end of penalty time, many of those doors are still closed.
"I take full responsibility for losing the game," said Claudio Reyna, whose shot off the crossbar of the Czech goal as the U.S. trailed 1-0 in the opening half of play has been shown to coincide with a significant bump in the suicide rate, a momentary increase in reports of domestic violence, and a $0.45 increase in the per-gallon price of gasoline. "But we still have games to play in this opening round. I realize that the United States, more than any other country, loves this game. But that is no reason for so many people to cancel their weddings."
The general feeling of hopelessness may be felt across the United States, the nation the rest of the world thinks of as Pelé's adopted home, the land that popularized the term "soccer," and Americans are finding many different ways to voice their despair.
Hundreds of yards of black bunting hung over the head and arms of the Statue of Liberty has yet to be removed by the New York City Parks Department; similar shrouds have appeared on Mount Rushmore, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Hawaii's Pearl Harbor Memorial. Las Vegas casinos are running skeleton staffs at the tables and doubling the size of security shifts, at once worrying over their empty floors and fearing retribution at the hands of World Cup gamblers who bet on the U.S. out of loyalty. And the House of Representatives, which traditionally remains closed throughout the World Cup, called a special session for the specific purpose of introducing a bipartisan bill that would change America's national sport back to baseball.
"This cannot last," said Bruce Arena, coach of the U.S. World Cup team and by extension effectively the second-most powerful man in America, in an address televised simultaneously on every national channel Wednesday night. "We cannot have crops unharvested in the fields, the doors of our churches sealed shut, the Stars and Stripes fixed at half-mast, all because of our dishonorable standard of play. We cannot ask you to forgive our loss to the Czechs, as that must be left to the wisdom of the God of our fathers. We have always been a nation blessed with strength, not only in our love for our soccer teams, but in our love for one another, and we must call on both now if we are to endure these dark days."
At press time, the U.S. team is scheduled to play Italy on Saturday and Ghana the following Thursday, and the National Guard has reported moderate casualties while attempting to contain hooligan activity in the nine largest U.S. cities.
Mad Thai monks too tired to take alms
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Buddhist monks in Thailand are too tired to receive early morning alms because they are staying up late to watch the World Cup, a Thai newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The Nation quoted a woman in the northern city of Chiang Mai who said her birthday celebrations were ruined because monks at a city temple were not awake to receive her morning offering, a mandatory religious ritual in the predominately Buddhist country.
The woman, who declined to be identified, said she was told by a senior monk that most of his young colleagues were still asleep because they had stayed up to watch the games which can go on well past midnight.
The Sangha Council, which oversees the tens of thousands of Buddhist temples in Thailand, has not banned monks from watching the World Cup but said it should not interfere with religious activities.
Chiang Mai chief monk Phra Thep Wisuthikhun said he had received complaints about "inappropriate behavior" at seven temples in the province. "It is the duty of the abbot of each temple to supervise the behavior of young monks, making sure that their religious activities will not be affected by the games," he told Reuters.
In neighboring Cambodia, some 40,000 monks have been warned they could be defrocked if they became too excited while watching the games.
"If they make noise or cheer as they watch, they will lose their monkhood," Phnom Penh patriarch Non Nget told Reuters this month.
there are few rivalries like the one between brasil and argentina.. right now during the copa there are ads poking fun at the argies.. they do the same thing.. here is an example of the ad wars.. back during "eliminatorias" (qualifying) an argentine condom company produced the first ad, the blue one.. after brasil won the game, they gave a "measured" response
this pretty much sums up how i feel about being here..
People say I'm crazy doing what I'm doing,
Well they give me all kinds of warnings to save me from ruin,
When I say that I'm o.k. they look at me kind of strange,
Surely your not happy now you no longer play the game,
People say I'm lazy dreaming my life away,
Well they give me all kinds of advice designed to enlighten me,
When I tell that I'm doing Fine watching shadows on the wall,
Don't you miss the big time boy you're no longer on the ball?
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,I really love to watch them roll,No longer riding on the merry-go-round,I just had to let it go,
People asking questions lost in confusion,
Well I tell them there's no problem, Only solutions,
Well they shake their heads and they look at me as if I've lost my mind,
I tell them there's no hurry...I'm just sitting here doing time,
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round,I really love to watch them roll,No longer riding on the merry-go-round,I just had to let it go.
~john lennon~
Doctors probe heart attack risk for football fans
COLOGNE (Reuters) - World Cup football causes joy and despair and even ends marriages but now doctors are studying whether the thrill of it all can be literally heart stopping.
Previous research during international football tournaments has found an increase in the general incidence of heart attacks, particularly on days when tense matches have had fans on the edge of their seats.
In the new FIFA-approved study researchers will receive blood samples from heart attack victims all over Germany watching football at the time of the attack, allowing them to look for traces of stress hormones which can clot the blood.
Doctors will also receive samples from anyone who collapses in a stadium during a World Cup match and whose blood may show higher levels of hormones then those fans watching at home.
"Patients are asked precisely what they were doing at the time of the attack -- whether they were following football on the radio or television, or even watching the pundits after the game," David Leistner of Munich's Ludwig Maximilians University told Reuters.
"So far, on the days when Germany has played we have received a lot more blood samples," he added.
First results are due in October.
A study in 1998 found the number of heart attacks increased by 25 percent on the day and in the two days after England lost to Argentina in a penalty shoot out at the 1998 World Cup
In the new FIFA-approved study researchers will receive blood samples from heart attack victims all over Germany watching football at the time of the attack, allowing them to look for traces of stress hormones which can clot the blood.
Doctors will also receive samples from anyone who collapses in a stadium during a World Cup match and whose blood may show higher levels of hormones then those fans watching at home.
"Patients are asked precisely what they were doing at the time of the attack -- whether they were following football on the radio or television, or even watching the pundits after the game," David Leistner of Munich's Ludwig Maximilians University told Reuters.
"So far, on the days when Germany has played we have received a lot more blood samples," he added.
First results are due in October.
A study in 1998 found the number of heart attacks increased by 25 percent on the day and in the two days after England lost to Argentina in a penalty shoot out at the 1998 World Cup
Researchers in Switzerland also found heart attacks in the country increased by 60 percent during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea -- even though the Swiss team was not even competing.
The findings prompted calls for emergency heart attack equipment to be installed in stadiums during Euro 2004.
"If it really is the case that higher stress levels can increase the chance of a heart attack then attending football games may have to carry a health warning," said Leistner.
Doctors advise those football fans who may be at greater risk of heart attack anyway due to obesity, high-cholesterol or diabetes, to refrain from drinking excessively during the World Cup tournament.
ok one of the small things i really enjoy about this town.. 6PM, 1800 hours... the Ave Maria... this town is small enough that no matter where you are, youre within hearing distance of the churches, and their bells.. and every night, at 6PM, they play the Ave Maria.. no matter where you are in this town, you cant help but hear it.. and its kinda soothing and peaceful and nice.. add that in the small things i really cant explain but really make me enjoy this place column..
we made a change for the copa event.. we just werent getting a crowd for the games that didnt involve brasil, so we will only run the big screen during their games.. the replacement bulb for the projector is expensive, so it became cost prohibitive to run it for every single game.. once the second round starts we will see if there is a demand, and it is enough to warrant running the projector.. i get the feeling that for the quarter, semis, and 3rd place and final match we will be running the full card, provided brasil makes it to the final.. if they lose in the knockout rounds, there wont be much interest.. the other big project i have is the tourney i mentioned earlier, and i have TONS of stuff to put together and not much time.. im gonna be really busy with that so if i dont post much, you guys know why..
yay brasil won.. yay brasil advances to the next round.. people are dancing naked in the streets and splashing around in the fountain.. imagine what the scene willbe like if the win the copa.. BUT... all is not well in the land of futebol and samba.. the fans are upset because ronaldo fenomeno had a bad game.. they cheered when he left the game.. and if he doesnt improve his game, an angry mob with torches and pitchforks will be waiting for him.. all you hear in the streets is not that brasil won, or advanced, but that ronaldo played lousy and should be benched next game.. oh well....
ok guys in addition to the copa, our school is entering a copa of their own, III copa ouro, in arauá, sergipe, the first month of july.. this has me running around as well.. the good thing about this tourney is that lots of scouts from pro teams go, so it gives exposure to the kids and the school.. im gonna be busy juggling both i may not be able to post all the time..
today is the brasil v austrailia, and everyone is excited for the game.. if brasil wins they automatically qualify for the next phase, so expect a huge party if they win.. i dont want to think what will happen if they lose..
