11 Jul 2010

World Cup Fever: TODOS CON LA ROJA!!!

Today's THE day! Today's the World Cup FINAL... and Spain's in it!!! :o) We made it!!!


        ESPAÑA!
                           ESPAÑA!
                                               ESPAÑA!


Spain and I have gone completely football crazy!!! (that's soccer for you yanks! lol!) I wanted to share memories from these past several weeks of celebration and let some of you who've never seen World Cup Fever experience at least a little bit of it vicariously. ;o)


1st Round - Match 2: Spain vs Honduras 2:0


Saw it on a "giant" screen outdoors in a park in San Vicente (next town over), overflowing with very excited people, kiddies to oldies all praying for a decisive victory (since we had lost the first match against the Swiss)


Here's a taste:




1st Round - Match 3: Spain vs Chile 2:1

The decisive match! We needed to win to be first in our group and avoid playing Brazil in the next round!

Friends preparing the "ambiance" (there were three flags hanging on the walls, one of them mine!):


Everyone mostly ignoring the food and concentrating on the match:


Happy!



Round of 16: Spain vs Portugal 1:0


At my place, with a bunch of local crazies and a couple imported from Belgium!


GOOOOOOL!!!!!


VILLA! VILLA! VILLA MARAVILLA!!!


(that's what everyone's yelling this year as striker David Villa has scored 5 of Spain's 7 goals)

Celebrating:



OLÉ!!!


Quarter Finals: Spain vs Paraguay 1:0

Back at my place, fewer people but just as crazy! :p


A penalty shot leads to GOOOOL!!!


OHÉ! OHÉ! OHÉ! OHÉÉÉÉÉÉ!!!


Damn!!! The referee cancelled the goal 'cause apparently some players moved to soon! Back to 0:0 and talk about feeling bummed out!


But wait!


Halleluya:


GOOOOOOOL!!! Villa again!!!


Impatiently waiting for the referee to blow the whistle and end the match before the Paraguayans get a chance to score and get a tie:


V for VICTORY!!!



And finally, home from celebrating the Semi-Final against Germany. 1:0 for Spain!!!! YAY!!!!


And now I'm going to don my shirt, paint my face and head off to watch the historic final against Holland (neither country has ever won the World Cup) with my friends in a crowded bar in San Vicente. I fully hope to come home honking my horn like crazy and waving a lag out my window! Wether they win or lose.... as long as they play well! Being finalists would still be a big accomplishment... but I'm trusting Paul the Octopus who has granted Spain the VICTORY!!!




Ha! I got this in an e-mail forward yesterday, Spain's new flag:



So I'm fully counting on "La Roja" to bring this little gadget to its new home in Spain for the next four years:


 

        ESPAÑA!
                           ESPAÑA!
                                               ESPAÑA!

8 comments:

  1. Hi Cris,
    Very exciting, its just started hope they all play well.
    May the best team win.
    Love,
    Herrad

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Cris,
    Congratulations the best team won.
    OLE OLE OLE!
    Love
    Herrad

    ReplyDelete
  3. CONGRATS!!!!! Fantastic blog!! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Watched the game today! Fun times and congrats! I bet the entire country went nuts over the win! My fiance is now worshiping the octopus for predicting the win - and I'm trying to convince him that the octopus doesn't just predict, but *causes* the team it chooses to win. What do you think? ;)
    Love the new flag for Spain, too. xD

    ReplyDelete
  5. What happened to my comment? Oh well, Cris, congratulations to all of Spain for the incredible game!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks guys!

    Last night was really crazy! Got to bed late with the celebrations and had trouble sleeping with the adrenaline rush! I still can't believe it! I wish I could be in Madrid now... all this afternoon all the TV stations are showing the "victory tour" of the team in Madrid with stops to visit the King and the President and emotional speeches... and me trying to get some work done... useless! :p

    Was a great and thrilling match, but I thought the Dutch played a bit too dirty! That kick to the chest... ouch! deserved a red card not a yellow!

    Nicky... I don't know! The octopus was supposed to be Germany's good luck charm, this was the first non-German match they gave him! I'm just glad he hasn't gotten it wrong yet! I hear the newspaper is going to put out a special octopus poster tomorrow... I'll have to get it and see what they've got planned! :p

    And as soon as I can I'm get a post up on the final and the celebrations! ;o)

    CAMPEONES! CAMPEONES! OHE! OHE! OHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!
    QUE VIVA ESPAÑAAAAAAAA!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Cris,
    The Dutch team were dreadful, as a commentator said they managed 20 minutes football the rest was taking chunks out of the Spanish team.
    Nigel de Jong should have been sent off for kicking Alonzo and Van Bommel should have been sent off after what he did to Pujol and others.
    I like the Spanish team, used to enjoy watching Alonzo at Liverpool,occasionally Pujol in European games and just 'discovered David Villa he is good, I am an Arsenal
    fan and love Fabregas.
    Hope you are enjoying.
    Love,
    Herrad

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thx Herrad! Yeah I've been VERY much enjoying the World Cup this time! :o) Even the first match which we lost to Switzerland... and glad I got to see a few other matches (Mexico beating France was wonderful!). But I'm kind of glad it's over so I can catch up on some sleep and get a bit more work done! :p

    ReplyDelete

Hey there! Yes you! The quiet one in the back... I'd love it if you hung out for a bit and shared your thoughts!

I might stop by your place with an answer, but I'm more likely to reply right here so click on "email follow up comments" if you'd like to see what I and others have to say and come continue the conversation! ;o)