The FIFA World Cup 2014 is only a week away! My calendar is locked and loaded with important games throughout the middle of the night. The following are some #WorldCup related videos to help you warm-up for the greatest sporting event in the world:
Best Goal of 2011?
It’s been almost a year since my last football (soccer) blog post… This goal is amazing! Mexico beat USA in the Gold Cup this weekend. Here is the final goal from Dos Santos:
Flippin magic!!! Joga Bonito!!!
Best goal of 2011? If not, show me what you think is better in the comments…
(h/t Craig Foster)
FIFA World Cup Review Show with Jeff Vuvuzela
I said here that I’d do a FIFA World Cup 2010 wrap. Here it is. Will Ferrell plays the role of Jeff Vuvuzela, the inventor of the Vuvuzela. No violence. No language. No nudity. But part of it is slightly crude. If you’re under 15, check with your parents.
When we went to the Sydney FC vs Everton match the other night they were confiscating Vuvuzelas from people on their way in. I’ve also heard they are being banned at lots of English Premier League clubs. Good decision!
See you in four years time World Cup!!
Maradona is not God
Argentina struggled to qualify for the World Cup, they’ve now been dominating each of their games. During qualification, the impression I got about Maradona (their coach and one of the greatest players, like ever!) was one of a has-been-crack-pot incapable of doing much with the team! But, so far so good. One of the fascinating things to observe is how much the people and players of Argentina treat him like god. Literally. Here’s a crazy throng of photographers snapping him singing the national anthem!
Check out a whole bunch of brilliant photos from boston.com.
If you don’t know the true and living God… check this out.
Praying for the World (Cup)
I used to worship soccer. That’s dumb. Worshipping soccer is as foolish as worshipping a scarecrow in a cucumber field. I’ve been getting fairly excited about the 2010 World Cup. Almost too excited! To help keep things in perspective I make it my aim to pray for both countries at half-time of each game I watch. The World Cup is an opportunity to learn about 32 different countries and work out how to best pray for them.
If you’re a Christian. Here’s some ideas for prayer during the World Cup
- At half time. Pray for both teams. Don’t pray for one team to win, pray for stuff that matters in the big picture of eternity.
- If you’re on twitter use this hashtag #Praying4WorldCup to share what you’re praying and encourage others to pray with you.
- Spend some time on Wikipedia learning about the countries
- I’m currently preparing a very brief guide with one thing to pray for each team. I’ll post it here when it’s finished. EDIT: It might take a bit long, so maybe not.
- If you have Operation World, keep it near the TV
- Check out The Joshua Project for stats on unreached people groups in the world.
- If you know missionaries or some of the needs in any of the countries, share them in the comments below.
- EDIT: New idea – check out the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students website www.ifesworld.org
GROUP A: France | Mexico | South Africa | Uruguay
GROUP B: Argentina | Greece | Nigeria | Korea Republic
GROUP C: England | Algeria | Slovenia | United States
GROUP D: Germany | Australia | Serbia | Ghana
GROUP E: Netherlands | Denmark | Japan | Cameroon
GROUP F: Italy | Paraguay | New Zealand | Slovakia
GROUP G: Brazil | Korea DPR | Côte d’Ivoire | Portugal
GROUP H: Spain | Switzerland | Honduras | Chile
Check out the Latest #Praying4WorldCup tweets:
Pinch + Punch // June 2010
During summer, I had an “embracing summer” policy. It just meant I wouldn’t ever complain about the heat, but rather seek to enjoy it. I’m doing the same (or kinda the opposite!) this winter. I’m “embracing winter”. This means I won’t complain about the cold, wet or darkness; but rather enjoy this season in its time. If I complain about something to do with winter and you hear it – you have permission to slap me. Deal?
The high light of June will definitely be the FIFA Football World Cup held in South Africa. During the 1998 World Cup, my trial HSC was significantly impacted by late nights watching soccer matches. This year I have 2 exams at college during the world cup… good luck studying! This month’s Smashing Mag Wallpaper is the better of the 2 soccer related ones (see above). Australia for the win!
Here’s the best of May (according to clicks) and some other stats:
Nike Football – Write the Future
The FIFA World Cup is coming oh so soon!! Bring it. Nike’s Football promo vids are one of the off-field highlights of the World Cup every four years. From the iPhone app I’ve seen and this vid below, they’re off to a good start! Click full-screen for HD goodness.
Joga Bonito.