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.

Thank You, South Africa, for a Great World Cup

Wherever you may have been this weekend, it was hard not to notice the excitement surrounding the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

I was in cosmopolitan, gorgeous NYC this past weekend, which was filled not only with locals who weren't at the Hamptons, but also with many tourists from around the world.

Yesterday, the scores during the Spain vs. The Netherlands final match were relayed from taxi driver to taxi driver (these we saw parked) and from tourist to tourist so one could always catch the score even while walking.

As the German octopus named Paul "predicted," Spain beat The Netherlands and the final score was 1-0. Neither of these teams had ever advanced to the finals so it was a great achievement for both. The day before Germany beat Uruguay to receive third place in this 32 team World Cup.

Thank you, South Africa, for a month of great sports in the form of the game of soccer that brought fans around the globe to focus on the exciting games in your country. It was the first time that the World Cup was hosted on the continent of Africa and South Africa should be congratulated for the success of this month-long sports event!

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.

FIFA President apologizes and goal-line technology

The FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, has apologized for the refereeing calls at the 2010 World Cup, and has acknowledged that both England and Mexico were shortchanged a goal each in their elimination games recently.

We, as spectators around the world, have also been stunned by what our eyes perceived to be erroneous calls by the referees even against the United States in two games.

The idea of goal-line technology is getting increasing credence according to The New York Times. Interestingly, before this World Cup started, Blatter was adamant against video replay — and other forms of in-game technology.

“We want to keep football as a game of the people with a human face, so we don’t want technology on the field of play because we want to maintain the spontaneity of football — played, administered and controlled by human beings,” Blatter said.

Now that the 2010 World Cup has identified the top 8 remaining teams, Blatter is now quoted in The Times as saying:

“It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup,” “it would be nonsense not to reopen the file on goal-line technology.”

At least he apologized and is willing to admit the (obvious) oversights by the referees in several games.

The damage has been done but Sepp Blatter had the courage to admit that errors were made. I wish that some heads of professional and even youth sports organizations would do the same.

From the World Cup to the World Expo

After the painful loss today of the US soccer team to Ghana's at the World Cup in South Africa, resulting in the US team being eliminated, I thought that I would offer some distraction by posting the above photos taken at the World Expo which is now taking place in Shanghai, China.

But, first, I would like to congratulate the US soccer team and their coaches for their extraordinary efforts. You won the hearts of our country and we are tremendously proud of how well you played.

Congrats to Ghana for being the only African country left representing this continent at this stage of the World Cup.

The above photos were taken recently by relatives of a doctoral student of mine who visited the World Expo in Shanghai and I thank them for allowing me to share them with you. Several of my collaborators are now also in Shanghai and I hope that over the summer I will be able to post additional photos.

The first photo is of China's pavilion (and interestingly in yesterday's New York Times there was a two page photo spread and ad for this World Expo). The second one is especially lovely at night, I am told, and the color and images change. The third photo is of Estonia's pavilion. The fourth photo is of the World Exposition Museum. The fifth is an artwork with four monkeys, which is a symbol of families' happiness. The bottom photo is the Qatar pavilion.

Although China did not qualify for the World Cup I am hearing marvelous things about its World Expo.