Jogo Bonito
Andrew O’Hehir has a very nice World Cup wrapup in Salon that talks about what an amazing feat Ronaldo’s performance was. For someone like me who basically watches soccer every four years, it just seemed like he picked up where he left off in 1998 (except for the final that year), but O’Hehir does a nice job of making the point that Ronaldo had basically been out of action for almost the entire past four years between World Cups, and had been largely written off as washed up at 25 due to injuries. His performance in the World Cup was a marvel, and if the Brazilians weren’t always playing the Beautiful Game, they were certainly more fun to watch than just about any other team out there.
There was no goal that I saw in this World Cup to match Michael Owen’s amazing 40 yard dash in 1998, but no matter, this World Cup was one for the ages, from the very first game. Strange, though, that a World Cup noted for its upsets and the progression of unheralded teams should end in a final match between the two countries that have won it the most times. Ah, it was a fun run; I’m going to miss getting up at 2:30 in the morning....
Posted at 7:45 PM