Italia 90 was my first World Cup, with each one since then eagerly looked forward to and anticipated. The current edition is the first one which I am yet to buy the hype. The optics and politics can’t have helped, as have Nigeria bungling the opportunity of a life time to be at an expanded event and the timing (I do recall enjoying the 1994 World Cup in similar time zones though), and the “quarterisation” of the beloved game for the sole purpose of eking out more ad revenue by stealth.
Cape Verde, and the Vozinha story in particular, is the first time excitement around the World Cup has “threatened” to bubble to the fore for me. There is something about the guy who only got into professional sport at 25 being man of the match in a true David v. Goliath matchup on the biggest of stages. A stirring performance from Ben Doak for Scotland also came close, thanks to the Liverpool connection.
I am still holding out though. As a certified card carrying member of the ABE crowd (I identify as Scottish :)), I will be keeping an eye on England v. Croatia.
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