by Anita Verma
For the past month the whole world has been fixated on the game of soccer. FIFA World Cup is held once every 4 years and united new, old and diehard soccer fans throughout the world. A total of 64 matches would take place between the best 32 teams in the world throughout various cities in South Africa. Not only has the 2010 FIFA World Cup given an economic boost to the country but has also had many of us asking just what exactly is a vuvuleza anyway?
The vuvuleza is basically a 65 cm (2.13 ft) plastic blowing horn that produces a loud, distinctive monotone note. The intensity of these outputs depends on the blowing technique and pressure exerted. The vuvuzela was traditionally used to summon distant villagers to attend community gatherings. As we have all heard, the vuvuleza has become a symbol of South African soccer as the stadiums are filled with its loud and raucous sound that reflects the exhilaration of supporters.
Now, let’s do a quick recap of the sport that sparked our interest. First and foremost, South Africa by virtue of being the host country got to compete in the games despite not being ranked in the top 32. The usual suspects all favoured to win include: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and England. Fans react in different ways once their home country does not advance to the next round. These reactions range from sadness, disappointment to complete and utter rage – depending on your level of passion for the sport. One of the most notable coaches during the games has been Diego Maradona for Argentina. He is notorious for being aggressive, controversial yet comforting to his team particularly when they lost against Germany.
The final game will be held on July 11, 2010 between the Netherlands and Spain. I bet on Spain to take the World Cup for a number of reasons. It is the first time that Spain has played in the World Cup and advanced to the finals. In my view, victory is always sweeter when the underdog team wins as they worked hard to get there and deserve all the success that comes there way.
Over the next 4 years, Brazil will have to train harder than ever before to get to the top. The pressure for them to advance to the finals will be on as the next FIFA World Cup being held there in 2014.
For a complete list of the scores leading up to Sunday`s final game, please check out the following link: http://www.timesoccer.com/worldcup