Anticipated eagerly by millions worldwide, June has arrived. June! The month when all expectations are to be met, all questions answered, all wishes fulfilled. 64 times 90 minutes of excitement, joy, and cheers, spanned over a month, are just about to start. Ah, the exhilaration! The energy! And the competition: every four years, now for 80 years, all play to become the one nation reigning over the six FIFA continental zones.

Cartoon by Rossana Henriques

Starting June 11, 2010, the world will witness what it has been longing for these past four years: the strategy, the technique, the stamina, the rivalry. Will Messi live up to his potential and help bring back the title Argentina hasn’t held in 24 years? Will Italy repeat 1934 and 1938’s double-win? Will England’s performance prove it deserves its place among the competition’s favorites? Will Brazil break its own record? Will Spain become European and world champions? Are we in for a surprise-win?

Sadly, it won’t be all bliss. Disenchantment looms. After the game, many will be left to doubt and wonder: questioning the coach’s choices, reflecting on the referee’s decisions, pondering again the possibilities offered by video-assisted refereeing. Yet, whatever the result of the match, it is always fun and critical to the game-watching experience to enjoy and analyze the play with friends. There is no better way to exult and release the tensions of the game—read, frustrations—than by commentating it with your fellow supporters (chauvinism encouraged). And for those getting tired of the actual sporting event, there will be sponsors, ads, and charities, from the ubiquitous and standard Coca Cola to One Goal¹. Let’s not forget the official song and various items to be purchased, with the most important being to proudly wear and defend your country’s colors—and loathe your opponent’s.

June is here. It’s time for labs to empty every afternoon. Bring on the World Cup!

Reference:
1. http://www.join1goal.org/