I wonder if they celebrated in Belgium like they did in the U.S., in advance, partying in the streets with maybe rioting coming later, prior to the win of the former over the latter in the mere — but still highly publicized, even here — quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup that would continue on for another two weeks or so, then bow out soon after killing the U.S. hopes. The Elite Eight, if I can borrow a term from NCAA basketball, can be a bitch. First term, not second one. Wait, isn’t that a political reference?
Anyway, they are doing something of the celebration sort here in little ol’ Hudson, which has now — roughly, like those going down to the turf because of a well-analyzed ankle kick, more on that later — home grown to somewhere near the size of Belgium, or at least the city holding its soccer matches, at our local sports bars and byways.
The cup, and not the one not named Stanley, has produced this time around on our viewership-fixated and entertainment-based society, as that’s what sports essentially are, ratings that are off the charts high — and not the one’s on the coach’s clipboard. Here and across the sea. They all have fireworks, and in this country the mentor might be the latest one to be given the boot.
If you have been living under a rock, the underdog, I think I can safely say, kicked the butt of the U.S. early on, and it created an uproar here.
I was not aware of that until I was on a short jaunt with my brother in his van, which could house most of a starting lineup, and he first mentioned the Milwaukee Brewers stellar pitching — OK it’s likely I brought it up, as on my end of the state getting ESPN-style info on The Crew is not as easy as ordering two-for-one Minnesota (Twins?) beer, and I had looked at the latest stats but only as they flashed across the screen, so I misread them. Then he asked me if I had tipped The Cup, so to speak, and knew of the debacle.
I probably should have, because there are some really knowledgable sports bartenders locally, far from Belgium or even host city Seattle, where the U.S. essentially sucked. At least one egg, as they did manage a single goal — as did the eventual Cup winter — not a goose egg. (This time around. It was four-to-one, as seen in the bar quarters.) I’d say one goal per quarter, but this is soccer. Bro, who never has played soccer and is not a full fan, said it was obvious from the get-go that the United States was totally outclassed, back on their heels while Belgium attacked. And I’ll bet they came out of the gates raring for bear. So this is not to diss the U.S., but to praise its opponents here, and say that once you get behind and the foe (was this one a friendly?) can just play defense, it’s maybe a little easier for them to keep that introductory adrenaline up, or drop it a notch and still get by. Soccer is not a good come-from-behind sport. Like hockey, but where there a hot goalie can more easily carry you.
I gotta get analytical here, because I got schooled on soccer superiority, and the like, by those on both sides of the bar at Dick’s Bar. Wait, wait, I have a new complaint. That was the mantra as a patron and a pourer of Patrone did their own lengthy, independent review of a tripping soccer call, or the lack of. Consensus is that the foot that was hit was on the ball, or at least very near, and the defender was going for the ball, so it wasn’t a trip but playing the ball, not the player or his leg. “Get caught up in his trip,” sings Judas Priest. Then there was criticism as a defense broke down — not the U.S. one — and basically didn’t get back in time, and one player did not go out to contest the dribbler, if that is a term, while another let someone cut past him for the inevitable pass. Fours goals and 20 years ago, one famous bassist had still fashioned switching careers and being a footballer, also on defense I think, and he would never let that happen. His own country, England, took third place by wracking up a tally against France, 6-4.
Meanwhile, stores and even the Dems are cashing in on the World Cup and its ratings, the television kind, and pols who can’t win at the polls try to do so in the locker room. Some liquor stores in Hudson are advertising a Red, White and Booze specialty edition, forego the blue. That would be on top of an RW and B drink at Buffalo Wild Wings, just a spritz that looks cool as it trickles down like PBR, and better than done in economics. The Wings innovators also are prevalent with various other — here’s where The Cup really comes in — additional drinks and also special soccer sponsorships and key Cup players shown in their promos, aired on behalf of distillery and brewery clients, don’t know about wineries, who also help hawk the booze that is offered as a special at the bar, in a symbiotic relationship. Grocery stores and others earlier put up arches, not golden, not quite yet. Bridging the gap between the fruits and vegetables.
The Democratic Party has used the Cup, which involves teams from all over the globe, as a place to advertise the idea of a joint not disjointed world stage, not isolationism, and send reps and everyday volunteers into sports bars and the like to work to get out the vote.
To wrap up, Spain beat Argentina 1-0 on Sunday to claim the crown.