Copa Fever

I don't remember what the last World Cup was like in the US - in 2006, I was in Argentina, where I caught Copa fever, but in 2002, I was in high school and I don't think I even knew it was going on. So I've been surprised by just how excited Americans are by the World Cup and how it has become ubiquitous, at least in New York, and sometimes inescapable. In fact, today one of those video ads on the entrance of the subway was showing a live scoreboard of the Brazil game, not to mention the surprising amount of people who snuck out of work to watch the game. Plus, the amazing ESPN posters have been up all over the city for weeks.

Granted, it's a far, far cry from Brazil - it's still soccer, and it doesn't have the same influence as American football or even basketball. But it's still surprising and refreshing to see how many people are really getting into and following the games, and how there seems to be a perceptible shift in how Americans view the Cup. In a global game that the US has traditionally ignored, it's really heartwarming to see Americans trying to take part in an international event that connects so many people. It's especially fun to see Americans more interested in Brazil, too.

Plus, it's amazing to see how the World Cup brings people together. Walking down the street in a Brazil jersey on game day, people stop you to comment on the game or make friendly conversation - even Argentines! To be a Brazilian in New York during the World Cup is especially fun to see - people are always eager to chat with Eli about soccer, and almost always ask why Ronaldinho was left off the team. I've noticed that foreigners tend to be interested in talking football no matter what time of year, but now that Americans are getting into the game more, they seem to have taken more interest in Brazil in general, at least temporarily.

What about you? If you're in the US, do you notice an increased interest in the World Cup? If you're a Brazilian abroad, do people seem to engage you more during the World Cup?

World Cup Reading

ESPN World Cup posters (all teams)

Why Brazil Will Win the World Cup, Poder 360

When Kissinger Calls, It's World Cup Time, NYT

Tweets of Fictional Galvao Birds Echo Online, The Lede

Galvão Bueno se diverte com o movimento que ganhou a internet, Globo

Comments

[LG]

One thing is that in many places US wide, so-called soccer started being called "futbol", with the Spanish spelling. Maybe it's a sign.

I do think that US will be the next member of the "champions club", in 4 or 8 years. Their team is improving quickly, there started clubs around USA, it will be a major thing to see another power in football, as is in sports such as volleyball and basketball.

[brazinglish]

are we whiny?
because I loved, loved, loved the ESPN posters, except ours.
it looks so... uninspired.
and uninspiring.

*sigh*

I guess we are whiny.

[Adam Gonnerman]

I live in New Jersey and work in Manhattan. A lot of folks I know are from other countries, which probably accounts for all the interest I see and hear in the World Cup. If I were back in my home state of Missouri I doubt I'd hear about it except on the evening news.

Then again, given that my wife is Brazilian-American, I doubt I could escape futebol entirely....

[Rio Gringa]

hey marina - you're not whiny at all. compared to some of the other posters, it's really bland, and like you said, uninspired. i got the feeling the artist was even doing it on purpose!

[Germano]

The other day, I was crossing the street in Times Sq, hundreds around me, I was wearing the blue brazilian soccer team jersey, and a guy crossing on the reverse direction came to me shouting "stupids, stupids, why you left Ronaldinho out?" (he had an accent and gestures like, let us say, italians). I had to laugh....

[Simone]

Hey, Rachel! I finally have some time to read your blog. Nice to see you are enjoying your time in NY. :)
You have no idea how frustrating is for a Brazilian to watch the World Cup there... especially if a Brazilian have been there for a while. I agree things have improved but in reality is not that much... maybe it is "a lot" from the time you were in the US. I guess NY is better only because there is so much culture from everywhere... and you know how Germans, Italians, etc. and Latin Americans are crazy about soccer.

[RogerPenna]

and then, there is the other side.

for some reason many americans feel "threatened" by soccer, just as they are by metrics! Its "foreign". Its for poor brown people (funny that is so popular with europeans).

These people will ALWAYS draws comparassions between soccer and the traditional american sports. I dont understand why they dont do that with poker, or mountain biking, or volleyball or aquatic polo. Its always SOCCER that is the target of their stupid nationalistic anger.

I can only think they are really feeling their beloved childhood sports are in danger, as more and more americans play soccer as kids and more adults are getting into it.

the MLS already has an average match attendance that is almost surpassing (by a few hundred only) NHL, NBA and MLB, at about 16 thousand for each one. Only NFL is far ahead, at over 60k. Of course when you consider the number of home games played (only 8 for NFL plus some playoffs, but more games for NBA and MLB than MLS) you get different numbers, but still, MLS is doing well and slowly growing.

The soccer haters apparently are most from the extreme right... Glenn Back just the other day was bashing the World Cup and comparing it to Obama... "we dont want the World Cup, we dont want Obama", etc. Some other extreme right wing fools have also been bashing soccer and the World Cup...

[RogerPenna]

yay, what happened to my post about Glenn Beck and other right wing extremists bashing soccer?

[Rio Gringa]

hey roger, comments have been moderated for awhile so i have to approve them before they appear on the site, and usually I check the comments at night, so it may not appear for a few hours after you post it.

[Ebarteldes]

Well here is my take on the whole World Cup thing

http://ebarteldes.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/my-world-cup-fever-in-an-almost-oblivious-america/

[RogerPenna]

so Gringa, what do you think of Glenn Beck bashing soccer with his ridiculous antics? What are these guys afraid of?

[Rio Gringa]

Hey Roger,

To me, Glenn Beck is a psychotic f---wad who should be ignored because all he spews is total BS and flat out lies intended to misinform not very intelligent people, so I prefer not to even comment on that whole "soccer is a leftist conspiracy" thing. I'm so sick of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and all of these guys, but I prefer not to buy into their little game--if more people ignored them, they'd have a lot less power.