The Final

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Well, it’s almost over, though I haven’t posted much lately. I’m gonna go ahead and spoil it: Brazil will play Germany in the 2002 World Cup final on Sunday.

It was heartbreaking to see the US and England lose, but the US would have been doomed anyway, and both teams were impressive and got farther than expected. It was harder to see Turkey and Korea lose, because I was really hoping for a dark horse in the final. Now it’s just two football superpowers. I’ve never been a Germany fan, probably because of Victory, the movie where WWII POWs Michael Caine, Bobby Charlton, Sylvester Stallone, and Pele have to play the Nazi national team, featuring Franz Beckenbauer. Seriously, it’s a real movie. Check it out.

I never liked Brazil much either, other than the Terry Gilliam film. But during France98, my friend Jon took us to his uncle’s house to watch the Brazil/Holland Semifinal. I kept my mouth shut, being a Holland fan, and was rewarded with maybe the best party of my life. There was a dead animal on a spit, endless amounts of alcohol, and a dozen hoochie mamas in spangly blue, green, and yellow bikinis. It was like Carnival, compressed into a backyard in Rogers Park at 3pm on a weekday. As I was chatting with a hoochie mama and Tracie was being sexually assaulted by a drunk Brazillian stud, All I could think was “they’re going to kill us if they find out I like Holland.” Luckily, Holland lost, and I gotta admit, I kinda like Brazil now.

I’ll say Brazil 2 1 Germany. May the best team win.

Korea plays Turkey on Saturday for third place, that might be a really good match as well.