i’ve never really appreciated football or the world cup in general until i’ve started watching games at the george and dragon with a bunch of crazed football hooligans.

i know what you’re thinking, “dude, you said you finalized your cardinals season tickets.”

i’m talking about the type of football that we call soccer here in america.

on saturday, i headed down to the pub at around 11 to catch the us/italy match. it was busy, but not as busy as what it was when i went at six in the morning to watch england and paraguay. 300 people at six. isane. even though the place was packed, i ended up with a seat at the bar. i was sitting next to some avid fans, but it was this black dude from ghana who kept rooting on italy that kept the game more interesting. when italy first scored, he cheered. a british dude looked at him and said, “oy, wha’ par’ o’ italy you from?” we all just laughed.

i really got into the game. the fact that’s there’s very little scoring didn’t matter when compared with the way the players handled the ball. i felt myself holding my breath on very pass and shot attempted on goal.

could i watch football by myself in the comforts of my own home? nope. i need to go to the pub to truly enjoy the sport.