lawn darts not included

the word from a peculiar source down under is that the world cup has been cancelled and that the whole thing will be decided by lawn darts.

i'll just pretend i didn't hear that (especially once australia pips japan and croatia from their group and, along with brasil, makes it through to the knockout rounds and all aussies are roaming the streets in hideous giddiness, claiming to be from THE futbolling nation on earth!!! well, they do need something to cling to after their humiliating 'ashes' defeat to england in cricket several months ago...)

this will be the third straight world cup i've witnessed in korea and, my, what a difference eight years makes. back in '98, koreans could hardly give a monkey's nipple for the world cup because their team sucked like said monkey on a ripe banana. of course, there was the requisite patriotism and flag-waving during games, there was gathering at pubs and bars for korea games, but it was generally low-key. i was still living in singapore at the beginning of the particular world cup (and only moved to korea right in the middle of it) and singaporeans--who, as a nation, have a futbol-crazy mentality, though as a world futbol superpower, they have more of a minnow-in-the-caspian-sea capability--were mad for it. the contrast between the two countries in futbolling fervor was vastly different.

in fact, at that time, koreans had very little expectation about their team. i remember in that '98 cup how koreans were mad with happiness at their team's consolation goal in a 1-3 drubbing to mexico and how ecstatic they were to get a 1-1 draw with belgium. this level of expectation continued in the leadup to the '02 world cup, which was co-hosted here in korea in conjunction with their hated rivals across the east sea, japan. i remember thinking, as late as a month to go before the tournament started, at how lame koreans were in getting excited for the world's maddest month. i was living in seoul at the time and it was difficult to tell that korea was hosting such a large international sporting event. it really didn't occur to me that korea might actually be ready for the event until about a week before the opening game when korea drew, 2-2, with defending champ france in seoul.

people will try to tell you that, these days, korea is a futbolling nation, but, in truth, korea is not. what seemed like a futbol-mad nation to the rest of the world four years ago on korea's glorious run to the semifinals--when images of 10 or more million people sitting in city centers and millions more pouring into the streets in euphoria with each successive korea victory was really just this: in a country where it's not hip to be too individualistic, it was just a matter of everyone following everyone else in going delirious at the team's advancement. back then, i was less cynical about korea as a futbolling nation, but that's because in the four years since, koreans have gone from being innocently euphoric over their team's successes to stridently expectant of their team's prowess--even if it's not there--and belief that korea belongs in the rarefied pantheon of futbol immortality. suddenly, every park, kim, and jung thinks (s)he knows futbol and that korea should take care of "lesser" teams with ease. it would be humourous if it weren't so damned irritating.

so, as we stand on the cusp of another tournament, i find myself staring at my third straight finals here and pondering how differently, yet similarly, i look at it. i can't remember a time in the last 20 years when i've not been looking forward to the world cup--and this time is no different. however, including this world cup, i've never had the good fortune to be in a country where the average citizen actually knew a fair bit about footie. and, it may not be until 2014 (brasil) that i'll have the chance again because the 2010 world cup is in south africa, more a hotbed of rugby and apartheid than futbol. of course, this is not to say that i've not watched the world cup without knowledgeable people around nor is it to say that i won't watch this one without knowledgeable people, but it's just humourously aggravating to sit in a packed pub in this country watching a match and hear people shout, "shoot!!!", once their team gets withing 50 yards of the goal.

just as four and eight years ago, i realise that pubs here are really only going to be full when korea plays, regardless of the time of day (10pm for korea's first one and 4am for their next two)--and if korea flame out against togo in the opener and france in the second one, then the pubs will be empty for the third match against switzerland. for most other games, regardless of the kickoff time or the calibre of team involved (like, say, when england, brasil, holland, germany, or argentina play), there probably won't be much jostling to get a good seat in the local pub because the game doesn't involve korea. that's just the way it is.

as much as i can't wait for the world cup to start, as much time as i've already devoted to keeping updated on it, and as much time as i'm going to spend watching, analysing, agonising, and cheering over it, it is just a game, after all.