Soccer, like all sports, is more than just a game. However,
there is something quite distinct about the sport best known around the world
as “football, futbol, or even fute-ball.”
The aspect that makes soccer different from all other sport
is that its history and connection to mankind is second to none.
The earliest form of the game for which there is scientific
evidence dates back to the second and third centuries B.C. in China. The Han
dynasty created the sport called “Tsu’ Chu” as a military exercise in which the
player kicked a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through a small net
fixed onto bamboo canes. The point of the game was for the soldier to use his
back, chest shoulders and feet while trying to withstand the attack of other
opponents.
Essentially, the Chinese gave birth to soccer in their
efforts to create a full-body workout.
England then further advanced the game by establishing the
first set of rules in 1863 and limiting the game to 90 minutes.
The first World Cup came in Uruguay in 1930 and the worldwide
competition has been held every four years; the only exception being the
12-year stop to the tournament due to WWII.
My point being… football/soccer is the sport most engrained
into our blood as a human race. There is something about the simplicity of the
game.
Just one spherical ball and two goals.
Just like life, soccer’s simplicity is what makes it so
imaginative and complex.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup didn’t disappoint in showcasing the
game’s beauty and passion. 171 goals were scored, tied for the most all-time
with the ’98 World Cup in France. Germany led the way with 18 goals. Ironically,
that is the same amount of goals that players from Bayern Munich had. This just
goes to show how dominant Germany has become as a football powerhouse.
Everyone has to tip their cap to Germany as they were truly
the class acts of this tournament and never hesitated for a moment to take what
was rightfully theirs. The Germans are my favorite going into the next World
Cup in Russia because they have youth and an extremely disciplined youth
academy that produces star after star.
As I sit back and reminisce about the World Cup I’ll be left
with many memories.
The USA’s incredible opening game win against rival Ghana. How
about Tim Howard’s historic game against Belgium in which he had 16 saves in a
heartbreaking 2-1 loss. From an American perspective, this World Cup was special
because it truly felt like our entire country was behind our boys whether you
liked the game or not.
How could anyone forget Luis Suarez’s biting incident? Or
Messi’s late game heroics against Iran in stoppage time?
Though, the thing that I’ll remember most about this World
Cup is how much I got to observe the passion and energy exuberated by the fans
and people of the countries in this tournament. From seeing little children to
even grown men sobbing like babies, I truly appreciated the gravity of the
situation taking place right before my very eyes.
This was more than just a game. This was as close to a
religious experience I’ve ever been a part of, and what was surreal was that I
was thousands of miles away. Yet, I could still feel the energy from the fans
of every nation.
My friend Cody Sanchez taught me an ancient saying regarding
soccer that goes, “Faith, Family and Football.” I’ve been baptized by the game
of soccer again in 2014 like I was when I watched my first World Cup in 2010.
I wasn’t born into the sport of soccer, but I’ll gladly be
adopted into this mysterious game that continues to fascinate me.
