Soccer Won - the 2014 World Cup

After Germany beat Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final today with Germany being crowned the champion of this monthlong competition in which 32 countries competed with their soccer teams, I took a walk.

I needed to process this World Cup, which I think was the best ever in terms of the drama, athleticism, surprises, and outcome. I have written two previous posts on this World Cup.

Seeing Gotze score with an amazing goal for Germany with the result that Germany won 1-0 against Argentina in overtime was quite special. The ball he bounced off his chest and then kicked it into the net.

During my walk I ran into one of my wonderful colleagues at the Isenberg School of Management, Professor Mzamo Mangaliso, with whom I always enjoy conversing. After discussing the game and the outcome he said to me: "Anna, soccer won!"

I thought that was such an astute comment that it inspired me to write my third and final post on this World Cup.

It kept us mesmerized and in suspense for a month. I watched games while in Europe - in Sweden, Italy, and Greece, and then many more upon my return to the US.

What also impressed me today was realizing that the three heads of governments of countries who were so visible today - Germany, Argentina, and Brazil, the wonderfuul host of this World Cup, are all women. Now, isn't that terrific?!

It was great to see Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany,  supporting the German team from the stands in her bright red suit jacket with gold buttons and then congratulating the players and the coach when they received the 18 karat gold trophy and individual gold medals. Also, the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, was present at the award ceremony today, and Brazil deserves congratulations on the success of this World Cup. Finally, the President of Argentina is Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and although Argentina did not win, its team captain, Lionel Messi, received the Golden Ball award and others were honored as well.

The fireworks following the final game were magical in Rio.

The World Cup brought the world together for a month and kept us entertained and surprised.

That is the power of sport and of soccer.

Until the next World Cup.

We Still Love you, Brazil!

Today's semifinal 2014 World Cup match of Germany vs Brazil, will go down in sports and soccer history  and I suspect it also congested the Twittersphere.

As the announcer stated, we watched with morbid fascination, with Germany scoring goal after goal, effortlessly, until the score reached 7-0 in Germany's favor.

Gratefully, and with a relief to all spectators (even my German friends), Brazil finally managed a goal with the result that today's final score was 7-1. Germany moves on to the final game which will be played on Sunday. As for who it will play against, we will find out tomorrow whether it will be Argentina or The Netherlands. A Dutch vs. Germany final would be a bit strange on Brazilian soil but we will see!

I liked the above graphic featuring the results for the most recent games with 16 teams remaining from the Bleacher Report and article.

I am sure Brazilians are in mourning, "or worse," as my colleague Professor David E. Boyce emailed me.

Many of us were glued to our TV sets watching the game and are shocked by the outcome. I have several Brazilian friends who were at that game and I do not have the heart to email them my condolences and sympathies (yet).

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Brazil for being such a fabulous host of this 2014 World Cup, which has kept many soccer fans around the globe transfixed over the past almost 4 weeks with the extraordinary athleticism, drama, and surprising outcomes. Of course, we also feel for the injured players, especially Brazil's Neymar and I suspect the fact that two of their players were out for the semifinal game played a role in Brazil's loss - it certainly did not help psychologically. It seemed as though the Brazilian players had lost the pep and energy they had in the previous game at which Neymar towards the end of the game got kneed in his back and suffered a fractured vertebra.

Brazil, despite your team's loss today, we thank you for this World Cup and don't lose the spirit!

Best of luck in the consolation match and perhaps you will medal!

Tomorrow we will be watching Argentina play against The Netherlands.

I have been to Argentina, The Netherlands, and Germany, but have yet to make it to Brazil.

World Cup Fever and Operations Research

The 2014 World Cup has been thrilling, dramatic, and awe-inspiring with the marvelous athleticism of the globe's top soccer players engaged in games that are simply riveting.

Brazil deserves our congratulations for uniting the world as we watch the beautiful game being played at its venues.

I know of two colleagues in Operations Research who have tickets to several of the games in Brazil and I hope to catch their faces on TV at upcoming matches, Dr. Celso Ribeiro, the Editor of the journal, International Transactions in Operational Research (ITOR), and Dr. Mauricio Resende, of AT&T.

This year, as in 2010, 2006, and even 2002, I have been spending weeks during the spring and summer out of the USA, and those have also been World Cup years.

In 2002, I was living with my family in Innsbruck, Austria, where I held a Distinguished Fulbright at the SOWI Business School at the University of Innsbruck.  Brazil won the tournament that year, beating Germany.

In 2006, which was my sabbatical year at Harvard, I traveled to Limassol. Cyprus,  to speak  at the 12th International Conference on Computing in Economics and Finance, June 22 - 24, 2006 and then to Iceland, for the 21st European Conference on Operational Research, Iceland, July 2-5, 2006, and, finally, to  Erice, Sicily, to give an invited talk at the INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS  G. STAMPACCHIA 44th Workshop: VARIATIONAL ANALYSIS AND PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS, Erice, Sicily, July 5-14.

I was with many operations researchers in Erice, when Italy beat France in the 2006 World Cup, an experience we will never forget because of the celebrations that followed and somehow I made it back the next day via Alitalia to Boston and with my hearty congratulations to the staff got upgraded to Business Class!

The below photo is of several of the Erice workshop participants, including Professor Panos Pardalos of the University of Florida, watching the final game!

In 2010, we were in Buenos Aires, Argentina,  for the great ALIO-INFORMS Conference. The World Cup that year was taking place in South Africa. Buenos Aires was replendant in celebrating its team.   Spain won that year (and got eliminated early in 2014). Coincidentally, Dr. Celso Ribeiro gave a tutorial on sports scheduling at this conference, with a focus on soccer, which I enjoyed very much. A special issue of ITOR  was edited on the tutorials and I also had one with Q. Qiang.

I have spent almost 2 of the past several months in Europe, being based primarily in Sweden (which did not, however,  qualify for the 2014 World Cup). I have also been going to conferences in Erice (deja vu), in Taormina, also in Sicily, and in Greece. I have met up with may operations researchers at these venues and together we have cheered on many teams. I enjoy listening to the announcers in different languages.

The photo below was taken in Italy about 2 weeks ago, shortly before Italy was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup, and we commiserated with our many Italian friends.

 

I was disappointed that Greece lost last night especially since Greece was the most recent country at which I was at an operations research conference and it was a truly special one - as readers of my blog know. We recently celebrated Professor Pardalos' 60th birthday with a conference in Chalkidiki, Greece, at which I took the photo below, from the ferry. Many more photos are here.

The Costa Rican goalie, Keylor Navas, who was instrumental in Costa Rica beating Greece in last night's game,  has made headlines with his amazing plays. Afterwards, I enjoyed his quotes, in which he emphasizes his family (and how he kept on thinking of them during last night's game against Greece): I try to be a good father. I tried to be a good friend and in such a beautiful sport as football, I always try to have my kids happy so when they grow up, they can look back and they can see a father who did important things for their country.

It is great that the USA has made the round of 16, although it lost to Germany in its latest match,  and tomorrow it will be very exciting to watch the USA team play against Belgium.

Congratulations to all of the teams that qualified for this terrific 2014 World Cup in Brazil!

Brazil Knocked out of the World Cup by the Netherlands

I caught the last half hour or so of the Brazil vs. The Netherlands World Cup soccer game and my heart is still beating fast. The goal scored by the Dutch team using three players' heads as though they were playing a volleyball game with their heads was breathtaking.

For Holland to have beaten the number 1 ranked team, Brazil, at the 2010 World Cup speaks to the continuing drama and surprises taking place at this fascinating World Cup in South Africa.

Thanks to Brazil and to its players, coaches, and fans for bringing their special skills in soccer to the world stage, despite the loss today.

I hear from my academic colleagues in The Netherlands that the country is experiencing a very serious case of soccer frenzy, and justifiably so. I send my condolences to my colleagues in Brazil for their team's loss today which must be very painful since it was so unexpected.

Brazil vs. North Korea and Celtics vs. Lakers

********Update to the first story*************

Brazil beat North Korea 2-1 in the World Cup today, which is probably a score that few would have predicted. The announcer stated that the red garbed "North Korean" fans in the stands were actually paid Chinese "actors."

*********************************************

**********And to the second********************

The Celtics lost to the Lakers last night and will play against them tomorrow, Thursday, June 17, 2010 in LA.


Professors are very "active" individuals with their teaching, research, and service.

Every once in a while, though, there comes a day, when just being a spectator, and the associated anticipation, bring special delights.

I have been following the World Cup, beginning with the first matches while I was in Argentina and since returning to Amherst, MA (where even high schoolers missing school to watch the World Cup games at restaurants made the front page of the local newspaper, much to the chagrin of their parents, I am sure. Plus, I was told that little work has been done in the local high school since the TVs are on to the World Cup games).

Today, will be a fascinating game between Brazil, the top-ranked team at the World Cup, and North Korea, the polar and very mysterious opposite, at 2:30PM ET. The excitement is palpable in Massachusetts and beyond and, in addition, tonight is the Celtics vs. Lakers basketball game in Los Angeles, with fans in eager anticipation. If the Celtics win tonight, they will have won this year's NBA championship.

So today, besides reviewing proposals and academic articles, and trying to catch some time to do some research, it will not be all "work" but also some spectating for the pure joy of sport!

As a faculty member at the Isenberg School at UMass Amherst, I am privileged to be part of a school that also houses one of the top Sports Management departments in the US, so, of course, any sports-related discussions are "work-related."