Soccer Doesn't Have to be a Yawn

Filed in archive Sport on August 27, 2007

While Soccer (Football to those who inhabit the non-North American regions of the world) has yet to become popular in the U.S., it is followed like some sort of pseudo-religion by the rest of the world. For myself, the excitement of soccer is not in the game itself, but in the way it means so much to its fans. Despite David Beckham bringing his skills and high-pitched cockney accent to Los Angeles, most Americans still see "the beautiful game" as a tremendous bore.

Most of the fun of soccer is simply experiencing the atmosphere surrounding it. In Asia, I have seen whole cities shut down because everyone was watching the national team play in the knockout stage of a regional tournament. Here are some great places to take in a match and the atmosphere surrounding it.

Mexico's First Division is well respected and entertaining. Any football game in Brazil or Argentina is akin to a religious experience. Europe's top leagues offer the world's best (and highest paid players). This is especially the case in Spain where Valencia, Madrid, and Barcelona house consistent powerhouses.

In most cases, the euphoria a country experiences when their national team plays can reach dangerous levels. It might be wise to avoid these events as feeling run quite high.