Watch It In a Bar
Shout-Out to Where I Watch Soccer: The Globe Pub in Chicago. Over 100 Types of Beers!Advantage: Nothing makes boring things fun like drinking. And soccer, if nothing else, is a great excuse to drink in the morning. I've had a few 8 AM pints to go along with the game and it can take the edge clean off. Most soccer bars in the USA are run by English/Irish ex-pats and have quite the variety of beer at decent prices. Bars will be PACKED during the World Cup. It's one thing to watch it alone at home, but you can feel the tension of an entire nation inside a bar--and it's rather contagious.
Pick a Side
Like North Korea, If You're Feeling ControversialAdvantage: I used to be apathetic towards The Beautiful Game--until I picked a team. Let me tell you--when you are invested in a team, soccer is the most nerve-racking game ever. With every goal ridiculously important, every pass towards goal, every mistake is amplified so much that it makes the anticipation almost unbearable. Being invested in a team--even if it's just gambling on them--can make soccer go from a bore to a game of heart-attack inducing excitement.
Embrace the Controversy
God, I Hate FranceAdvantage: Soccer gossip is pretty much the same as celebrity gossip--shameful, unrelenting, and zooming in on EVERY. LITTLE. THING. It's part of how soccer can get so addicting. For women who love gossip, there's a little bit of everything. A player sleeping/impregnating with a teammate's girlfriend? Got that. Argentina reccomending their players get hookers on off-days to stay fresh? Check. Racism? Conspiracy Theories? Stampedes Outside the Stadium? Oh yes...there's all that. Chances are, especially since it's in the mildly-unstable, massively crowded South Africa, that there will be deaths of fans. Usually, in soccer, there is more drama off the pitch than there is on it.
Hate On Others
Well, Not THAT Hateful...Advantage: I'm not condoning racism. But for me, I'm distraught over France's ousting of the Irish team, and will be loudly cheering against them forever and ever. It gives you a chance to cheer against douches--like North Korea for being communist. Maybe you hate Switzerland for always being neutral? Maybe you live in the 19th century and hate Mexicans for "ruining our country" or some lame crap? I suggest cheering against England. They believe it's their god-given right to win the World Cup. They write the USA off like we're a joke team that they will roll over. Cheer against pompousness. English people suck. After all, they fucked Ireland too. By trying to own them. Eff them. HARD.
Learn About Culture
Yes...Culture...Advantage: Chances are you will hear quite a bit about the World Cup being in Africa during the month. All the African teams (Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Nigeria, and South Africa) will be magnified. These are countries that nobody knows anything about, besides maybe South Africa. What a great chance (for those that are interested) to see how important this game is to their culture. Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast's best player, has a beer named after him in his country. Also, during the last World Cup, while his country was in turmoil, he called for peace and to let soccer stand as a symbol for peace....and his people listened. The power to unite an entire nation, just for kicking a ball around.
US Pride
Pride: It's What's HotAdvantage: If nothing else, support your country. It would be a massive achievement to beat a team like England or get far in the Cup. Whether or not you really care, it's still a matter of pride. People talk shit about USA soccer like it's their job--don't you want to defend your country? It's like the Olympics: you may not really care about the actual events, you just care if your country does well. So grab a pint, cheer on the USA, and wait--soccer is a much more beautiful game than you think. Maybe--just mabye--you'll get sucked in.
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