Friday, June 20, 2014

The two faces of the World Cup


I had to wait until my girls went to bed before I could finally sit down and watch the Uruguay-England match from the World Cup. Watching Luis Suarez put those two balls in the net was well worth the wait. I haven't much doubt that Luis Suarez is the best striker in the world. Just watch what this team did against England and compare that to the debacle that was their opener against Costa Rica and you can't help but think Suarez is the best.

But the story of this World Cup isn't just what's happening on the pitch. The real story is what's going on away from the cameras and media. The Brazilian government has sold its soul to host both the World Cup and the Olympics and it's the poorest of Brazilians who are paying the price.

For those of y'all who have been enjoying the football, here's an interview Dave Zirin gave to Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! on Thursday in
which he puts the World Cup in its proper perspective.

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