World Cup Fever

It's hard not to get caught up in the World Cup fever when you live in a place as international as New York City (and it's not just about catching a glimpse of Ronaldo). Even though I played soccer as a kid, (most U.S. kids in the suburbs do), it's a sport that has never seemed to grab this country's attention. Yet now, my neighborhood has transformed into Puma City.

I find myself waking up every morning and turning on ESPN to watch countries such as New Zealand and Slovakia battle it out on the field. Things get really exciting when my adopted home team, Argentina, is in motion and not just because of the Maradona/ Messi controversy. This weekend I watched a morning game at home, went to a bar with friends for one of the afternoon games and then went to Puma City to catch part of a third game. Even if I'm not rooting for a specific team, it's such a rush to watch the players open up for shots at the goal.

The World Cup 2010 is going on until mid July. Things will start to get quite heated when the quarterfinals get underway on the 2nd. I'm looking forward to the excitement and energy you can feel in the NYC air as the city comes together as a community to celebrate the largest sport in the world. 

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net