The 2010 FIFA World Cup is already half-way through and the tournament is anything but exciting to-date.
We have witnessed how the top teams like England struggled to survive in the Group matches and the biggest shocker must be the elimination of Italy and France who are the defending champion and runner-up respectively in the last World Cup. Then there is Spain, which is the favourite to win the Cup by the pundits, is hanging precauriously for survival in the last group match. These countries are supposed to be the top teams in the world and they have the biggest and richest professional leagues. The players are being paid incredulously high which at times looked so outrageous that I wonder if football is being played by one or two players only. And it is for this reason, where monetary rewards overtake pride and dignity for the game, that I am never interested in any of the professional leagues, especially the English Premier League.
In the United States where the American football and basketball supersede all other sports in popularity, one cannot help but wonder how they managed to qualify for two consecutive World Cups and has now qualified for the Group of 16 round by beating Algeria. It is indeed delightful and exciting to watch the Americans attacking relentlessly in the match against Algeria with their never-say-die attitude. Ultimately the winning goal came, at the last minute of injury time. If only luck is not against the Americans, the score could be easily 3-0.
If the United States wins the World Cup, the booster dose for the popularity of football will be tremendous: both in the US and the world. Maybe for once, the cup should be won by an 'outsider' team so that it can breathe new life for the next World Cup.
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