Now that I am officially working on my master's thesis, what did I do last weekend. Honestly, absolutely nothing - I did zip, nil, nada, diddly-squat this weekend. My time this weekend (Thursday to Sunday) was spent watching the World Cup, playing computer games, and partying with the boys: Fernando, Nick, Serge, Sorin, and Will.

Speaking of the World Cup, I am becoming quite a World-Cup junkie these days. I try to watch every game whenever I can. Last weekend was no exception. I watched every game that was televised. For the Argentina vs. Mexico game, I suggested to the boys that we watch it at the Phoenix Landing. I expected the place to be crowded but not jam-packed with people. We were one of the last few people to get into the pub and we barely found standing room to watch the game. We love it though. It's like being in the stadium. There was a large contingent of Argentinian supporters, all wearing the Argentinian national football jersey, chanting throughout the game. Surprisingly, the Mexican contingent was not as lively but nonetheless enthusiastic. The atmosphere was definitely spirited. I think all 6 of us agree that the Landing is now our offical location to watch live World Cup matches. The Argentina vs. Mexico was an excellent game. I have to compliment the way Latin Americans play the game. They really play with a lot of passion and energy, and all their moves are so fluid. It was always fun watching them play.

Here are other football matches that I watched last weekend. The England vs. Ecuador match was just plain boring. The English players played a tepid style of football - the players look tired and unenthusiastic. Even the Germans who are traditionally boring, mechanic, and stiff on the field played a more interesting game in their matchup against the Swedes last weekend. The Germans seem to be playing very well as a team. They have good team dynamics and have been playing consistently well so far. I like this German team and I am looking forward to the quarter final game where Germany plays Argentina.

Last but not least, there is the Portugal vs Netherlands game. I got one word for that game: tragic. I have never seen so many yellow and red cards given out in a single game; 16 yellows and 4 reds. Sure, FIFA rules may have been changed in this year's World Cup and consequently led to more yellow cards being issued; but I think that the referee ultimately did a terrible job in officiating this game. After the first goal by Portugal, the game was marred by the erosion of sportsmanship. With tension mounting on both sides, the referee can't just issue yellow and red cards and expect to clam the situation down. Especially, not when it is not done in a inconsistent manner.

6/26/2006 11:46:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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