World Cup 2014: Ahearn Alley goes to Brazil

So how about this World Cup thing, huh? I’ve been obsessively watching the world’s favorite sporting event since Zinedine Zidane led France to glory in 1998, and this may be the most exciting first nine days ever. We’ve seen plenty of goals, surprises (ola Spain! Cheers England!) and of course, mind-bogglingly stupid decisions by players and referees alike.

Our tireless leader has given us ample coverage of the action on the pitch, made all the more impressive by the fact that he (presumably) hasn’t left the Hellhole that I assume is wherever he lives in Oklahoma. Hopefully, we’ve inspired some readers (and specifically Derek Smith) to look at soccer in a new light and actually enjoy watching the beautiful game.

Now it’s time to kick our coverage up a notch with the trip Jon alluded to in that very first post nobody read, though if you follow me on Twitter you are surely aware of my trip by now. I typed this post on a plane headed to New York Saturday afternoon, because Nashville to NY to Miami to Brasilia is obviously the most direct route.

I do have tickets to three games (Brasil-Cameroon, Portugal-Ghana and France vs. Group F 2nd place) and may offer some thoughts on those results, but really, Jon and everyone else have that part pretty well covered. If all goes well, my reports from Brasil will focus on the benefits of actually attending what seems to be the world’s biggest party and really, anything else you might want to hear about. Just let me know.

As long as nothing went wrong, I should have arrived in Brasilia by the time you read this, giving me several hours to find a place to watch USA-Portugal and more than a day to prepare for Brasil-Cameroon at Estadio Nacional, which has the potential to be the highlight of the trip or a total disaster if something crazy happens. Expect to see a post about that early next week, then some other things before I leave for Rio on July 1.

My four days in Brasil’s most vibrant city will be without a computer, and I’ll be within walking distance of Copacabana Beach, the main one you’ve seen on your TV screens. As long as I don’t die or decide to stay there and marry a beautiful Brazilian woman, there will probably be a long, rambling post about all the things I can remember while keeping in mind my dad reads this blog.

That’s about all there is to report for now, as this long day of flights and missing soccer sadly continues. But I have no doubt it will all be worth it, and I’ll do my best to offer a window into the experience of a lifetime, which officially ends July 6.

One final note: If the US can somehow finish ahead of Germany (a more likely scenario now after Saturday’s draw with Ghana) and win Group G, then win a Round of 16 match (likely against Russia or South Korea), we would play a quarterfinal while I’m in Rio. On the Fourth of July. Do you believe in miracles?