Is It Wrong to Cheer for Russia?
We all love an underdog. But what if that team is Russia? Is it alright to cheer for them in the World Cup? I found myself rooting for them this week.
Russia is hosting the FIFA World Cup and apparently not much was expected from their team. Then they went out and sailed through the group stage and scored a big upset of Spain in the round-of-sixteen to reach the quarterfinals.
Those following the biggest event in the world of sports know that defending champ Germany didn't make it out of the group state and that Argentina, with Lionel Messi, was bounced by France over the weekend.
I suppose part of my cheering for the host team and underdog is knowing the World Cup is coming to North America in 2026. My hope is the United States, which didn't qualify for this year's event, can be relevant in eight years.
I'll admit that going to a World Cup match has been added to my bucket list. There's something about the flow of a game and how quickly a scoring opportunity can develop that keeps me mesmerized. The skill that these players exhibit is fun to watch. And, sure, they way they flop is occasionally amusing.
I attended a MN United game at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium recently and enjoyed the atmosphere and crowd knowledge and enthusiasm. My excitement for the World Cup is apparently the exception as Yahoo Sports reports viewership for the current tournament is down significantly from 2014 on American television.