FIFA World Cup

[jpr9954]

I'm really not a soccer fan other than cheering my 8 yo granddaughter's team on.

However, I was most pleased by the way the US did against Paraguay in their World Cup opener.

https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/us-team-ease-4-1-victory-over-paraguay-2026-06-13/

Other than that, what intrigues me most about the World Cup are the reactions of European tourists as they road-trip across the USA.

 

[Scott CWO]

It was a great start for the USA. My younger brother and I played soccer throughout school and he played D1 college soccer and is now a high school coach and an Olympic Development Coach. He is also a D1 referee . Both his kids played in college and one played professionally and is now coaching. My brother and my parents are going to the World Cup game in Kansas City. I will be watching on TV. I’m not as obsessed as him. I got more into hunting and motorcycles but still enjoy watching the big games or his kids when they played.

I don’t expect the USA to win the WC but I hope they go far. My brother says he thinks The Netherlands team will go deep, if not win the WC but there are lots of variables.

 

[Drywaller44]

I’ve gotten into soccer more as both of my kids are obsessed with it. I’m enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would. It helps when you start understanding the ins and outs of the game.

It was nice to see the USA start strong and they should get out of the group stage after that win. I doubt they go deep but you never know.

I’m taking my son to Kansas City for the Netherlands vs Tunisia match for his birthday. Should be quite the experience for him and I’m hoping the Netherlands makes a deep run, they have a lot of talent.

 

[odonata]

Like a lot of parents, I became a big soccer fan when my daughter became an enthusiastic player. Traveling around the southeast USA going to tournaments & living out of hotels was a major form of weekend entertainment for almost a decade. We had a lot of fun & some great memories. Over time it's easy to develop an appreciation for the game & to understand why so much of the world is fanatical about it. My fellow Americans often favor the sports that were invented here (football, baseball, basketball...), but for me, soccer is tops. I think part of it is I've always enjoyed country vs country competition so events like the Olympics or World Cup turn into a binge-watching session. I was hoping to go up to Philadelphia to see a game with my son but I balked at the price scalpers wanted for the tickets. I've just been streaming the games on my laptop while hanging out on my sailboat (Switzerland is beating Qatar 1-0 at the moment while I'm typing this post).

 

[Killo]

Cheering for Mexico over here!!!