Makes you wonder what he'd write the first time he saw a giraffe. When the victors and losers jet home next week to their respective adulation and opprobrium, America will be left with baseball, football training camps, a little tennis, a smattering of golf - and a void. For those who gave it a chance, the World Cup turned out to be a refreshing breather from the standard summer fare. Nothing against harness racing or the fellows who drive steroid-injected cars in circles, mind you. Italy's improbable comeback against underdog Nigeria left supporters of both teams drained.
Officials make mistakes every day.
It's the nature of their calling. And the nature of the game was difficult for Americans to capture. We're used to players carrying a ball toward pay dirt or jamming one down through the basket. All results, minimal process. The essence of soccer is more elusive, although the objective of scoring one more goal than the other guys is easy to understand.