FIFA World Cup 2014

For those of you who a) hate sports or b) "don't do soccer," feel free to read another post (how about THIS ONE or THIS ONE? Oooh, maybe even THIS ONE!) or head on over to another blog that has awesome non-soccer-related content. Because today, we 'bout to talk some football. And I'm not talking about what we Americans call football. I'm talking about real football (aka soccer).

SIDE NOTE: Why do we Americans even call it soccer? Wouldn't it have been easier to call soccer football and then come up with a more apt name for what we now call football? I mean, come on... "Handball" would have been better being that the majority of the time the ball is in someone's hands as opposed to being kicked by someone's foot. America is weird. Read THIS for a pretty good explanation from The Atlantic. I still maintain that Americans are weird and like to be contrary just because we can be, but that's another post for another time.

Stage 1 of the 2014 FIFA World Cup has come to a close, and boy... has it ever been a doozy. From the shocking upset of Spain to the US scoring the fifth fastest goal in World Cup history (29 seconds into the 1st half... with his left foot), this year's Cup is really shaping up to be a good show of some really great playing and some exemplary sportsmanship (I'm NOT looking at you, Luis Suarez).

I, of course, am rooting for my home country, and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by our performance in the 1st stage of play. While I'm not a big fan of the individualization of specific team players simply because that's not what soccer's about, I feel it necessary to point out Mr. Clint Dempsey who, as mentioned above, scored the US's first goal of the World Cup 29 seconds into the first half of the game.

That, my friends, is the look of victory.

It was lucky. He was in the right place at the right time, and his teammate, Jermaine Jones, had the wherewithal to flick that ball right where it needed to be. Dempsey pulled a stepover, edged his way past Ghana's John Boye, and, with his left foot, tipped it just out of reach of goalie Adam Kwarasey and into the net.

With his left foot, people. 

I may be left-handed, but when it comes to athleticism, I am all right. Most of my strength is in the right side of my body, and my fine motor skills are on the left, so I can't even imagine shooting with my left foot. Just picturing it makes me giggle a bit. So mad props to him. I mean, it's his job to be good at soccer, but still... job well done.

I was also rooting for South Korea (obviously), but they sadly didn't advance to the next level. Unhappy tears all around. They played valiantly, however; it just wasn't in the cards this time around. Maybe 4 years from now... 화이팅!!

Who are you rooting for? Did your team make it to the 2nd Stage?
What was your favorite part of the Cup so far? Sound off in the comments below!

Peace.
Stef.