Tag Archives: WorldCup

Will the U.S. Ever Truly Master the ‘Art’ of Soccer?

In Soccer in Sun and Shadow, Eduardo Galeano proclaims the United States to be “the home of baseball” and sarcastically describes efforts by the American media to herald soccer as “the sport of the future” during the 1994 World Cup. Americans, however, do not necessarily appreciate soccer to a lesser extent than others. As of… Read More »

Univision, Latino (Dis)Unity, and the World Cup

In this past month of World Cup football, I have seen my facebook stream lit up by “friends” claiming that they are loving to watch coverage in Spanish. In many cases, these friends speak Spanish as a second language; I even have friends who don’t speak Spanish well at all, yet watch the Spanish coverage… Read More »

Domenech becoming international political outcast

World Cup 2010: Raymond Domenech fails to take blame for France fiasco | Football | guardian.co.uk This article from the Guardian highlights the extent to which the French football crisis is becoming one of international proportions, now being taken up at the highest levels of the French government. At first glance, one might think: why… Read More »

FIFA, Long Descended into Tyranny, Erects Façade of Democratic Legitimacy

World Cup 2010: Fans, robbers and a marketing stunt face justice, Fifa style Fascinating piece from the Guardian echoing my recent sentiments on FIFA becoming more like the WWF than a legitimate sporting regulatory body. With the organization spiraling for decades now into its demagoguery, recent World Cups have showcased farcical refereeing and an intangible… Read More »

From Underacheivers to Overwhelming Favorites: What Could a World Cup Win Do for Spain?

As Spain prepares to take on Switzerland on Wednesday, the world is abuzz with anticipation. Not only are Spain joint favorites with Brazil, but the tournament needs the Spanish team like a fish needs water. After one of the drabbest opening rounds in memory, fans everywhere are looking for reasons as to why things are… Read More »

World Cup Stereotype and Myth Update, Part I: The German Machine; African Chaos

We all know that with the thrill of the World Cup comes an astonishing array of national, racial, and cultural stereotypes. While we are not yet through the opening round of matches, we are taking a look for posterity’s sake at some of these, seeing how they’ve held up (or not) so far and what… Read More »