I don't have any comments on the England game, after another extremely underwhelming performance against an inferior opposition that they somehow managed to scrape a win from. I'm actually looking forward to their next game playing at altitude against Mexico in front of 90,000 Mexican fans at the Azteca. That should be a great spectacle, and a great atmosphere. Instead, a few comments during the US game:
- Hilarious that they continue to play a sped up version of the Star Spangled Banner as the national anthems
- It's not just extra commercial breaks, but I noticed during the US game that they had a sideline reporter. This is very common in US sports, but weird during "soccer" games and an example of the further attempted Americanization of our game
- I notice that when Alexi Lalas is not in the studio, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovich are SO much more relaxed and happier. I thought it might just be an act for publicity, but no I think they genuinely don't like him (which I can thoroughly appreciate - I have to mute the telly or change channels whenever he is on)
- It seems like David Beckham appears in every other advertisement during the World Cup (especially during the hydration breaks) - advertising everything from Home Depot to Bank of America. It's bewildering since he has so little personality.
- I still don't like the expanded format of this World Cup. But I fear it is going to stick around, because it has made for some very tense and very enjoyable matches. While some of the bigger teams like England and Brazil flatter to deceive, a number of the "smaller" countries have really shown up. And the host countries have done surprisingly well to all still be alive. But I'd be really surprised if it isn't another France-Argentina final.
- 3 knockout games in 1 day is way too much. It should be 2 matches a day at most, featuring the games where the winners play each other in the next round.
- Seattle will now host its biggest ever sporting event, and the biggest "soccer" match in US soccer history, on Monday. And another reason to enhance its reputation as the best World Cup atmosphere in the US.
