World Cup 2010 Blog: “FIFA World Cup 2026: Colombia!” plus 2 more

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• FIFA World Cup 2026: Colombia!
• World Cup 2010 National Anthems: South Africa, France, Mexico, Uruguay
• World Cup Moments: Philipp Lahm Kicks Off The World Cup Properly, 2006.

FIFA World Cup 2026: Colombia! Posted: 18 Mar 2010 04:40 AM PDT There are many things which FIFA isn’t very good at. One of them is putting anyone in the organization in front of a microphone, or allowing spilled words onto a page into the hands of the media. Another is running the world’s football organization. So FIFA, after handing this year’s World Cup to the country with the second highest per capita murder rate, are looking to outdo themselves by sponsoring a World Cup bid by the world’s most dangerous country, Colombia. Hip hip. Jack Warner – ever a maestro with words and speaker of such classics as “England invented the sport but has never made any impact on world football” , and “Nobody in Europe likes England” - sat in front of some microphones and urged Colombia to bid for a World Cup spot in 2026. Warner formed part of a FIFA delegation that visited Colombia in order to inspect the venues for next year’s Under-20 World Cup, which is by some considered a final test ahead of a senior World Cup bid. “In 2014, the World Cup will be in Brazil. Twelve years later the World Cup will once again be for South America. I think this will be a good start for Colombia in order to place a bid for the 2026 World Cup as they will have first class venues by then,” Warner stated. Colombia’s earned a World Cup bid once before, in 1986. The same tournament which was held in Mexico because Colombia couldn’t scrape up enough cash to improve facilities. Colombia’s also the same country which allowed a player back onto the pitch 6 months after he murdered a fan. Of course this won’t stop FIFA from doing everything possible to get the World Cup in Colombia. Jack Warner lives there, you see, and by the time the vote happens for WC2026, enough envelope ballot stuffing will have occurred to get his wish. Unless a cryogenically frozen Sepp wants it in his living room.

World Cup 2010 National Anthems: South Africa, France, Mexico, Uruguay Posted: 17 Mar 2010 04:40 PM PDT Seems like the most popular part of our World Cup 2010 preview podcast was the national anthems segment. I would agree, in that any segment where we’re not talking is instantly preferable to the segments where we are. But since those podcasts contain only 10-15 second lyric-less samples, I thought it was worth expanding the idea into a full series of posts about national anthems. As you hopefully know, the national anthems of each team will be played before every World Cup game, adding to both the atmosphere and the sense of occasion. For this first post, may I present the national anthems of Group A: South Africa, France, Mexico and Uruguay. South Africa National Anthem From 1957 to 1997, South Africa had two national anthems. Broadly speaking “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (which means “God Bless Africa” in Xhosa) was the black anthem, while “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika” (which means “The Call of South Africa” in Afrikaans) was the white anthem. Which The current South African national anthem was adopted in 1997, three years after the end of apartheid. As a result, it carries a strong element of integration and national unity. Not so much in the lyrics, but in the way it was constructed. The new anthem combines elements of both “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” and “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika” and throws in a new English language verse too. The anthem also features not one language, not two, but five of the eleven most widely spoken languages in South Africa. Which puts Wavin’ Flag’s multilingual credentials in the shade. Here are the lyrics to the South Africa national anthem in English: God [Lord] bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions God bless us, Your children. God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation, South Africa – South Africa Ringing out from our blue heavens, From our deep seas breaking round, Over everlasting mountains, Where the echoing crags resound. Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land. France National Anthem The French national anthem is titled “La Marseillaise”, and was apparently the rallying call during the French Revolution. It was written/composed in 1792, and so seems to be mostly about the French defeating invading armies. Easily the most stirring rendition of “La Marseillaise” (for me anyway) occurs in the movie Casablanca, where it’s sung in defiance of the occupying Nazis: The lyrics to “La Marseillaise”, in English, are: Ye sons of France, awake to glory, Hark, hark! what myriads bid you rise! Your children, wives and white-haired grandsires. Behold their tears and hear their cries! (repeat) Shall hateful tyrants, mischiefs breeding, With hireling hosts, a ruffian band, Affright and desolate the land, While peace and liberty lie bleeding? To arms, to arms, ye brave! The avenging sword unsheath, March on, march on! All hearts resolv’d On victory or death! Now, now, the dangerous storm is rolling Which treacherous kings confederate raise! The dogs of war, let loose, are howling, And lo! our fields and cities blaze! (repeat) alt: And lo! our homes will soon invade! And shall we basely view the ruin While lawless force with guilty stride Spreads desolation far and wide With crimes and blood his hands embruing? To arms, to arms, ye brave!… With luxury and pride surrounded The vile insatiate despots dare, Their thirst of power and gold unbounded, To mete and vend the light and air! (repeat) Like beasts of burden would they load us, Like gods would bid their slaves adore, But man is man, and who is more? Then shall they longer lash and goad us? To arms, to arms, ye brave!… O Liberty, can man resign thee Once having felt thy generous flame? Can dungeons, bolts or bars confine thee Or whips thy noble spirit tame? (repeat) Too long the world has wept, bewailing That falsehood’s dagger tyrants wield, But freedom is our sword and shield, And all their arts are unavailing. To arms, to arms, ye brave!… Mexico National Anthem The Mexican national anthem was chosen after poet Francisco González Bocanegra’s lyrics won a national competition. A second competition was held to find suitable music, and so the “Himno Nacional Mexicano” (also known as “Mexicanos, al grito de guerra” (Mexicans, at the cry of war!) was established in 1854. Like the French anthem, it’s all about defeating invading armies. Popular theme. Lyrics to the Mexican national anthem, in English, are: Mexicans, at the cry of war, prepare the steel and the steed, and may the earth shake at its core to the resounding roar of the cannon. Gird, oh country, your brow with olive the divine archangel of peace, for your eternal destiny was written in the heavens by the hand of God. But if some strange enemy should dare to profane your ground with his step, think, oh beloved country, that heaven has given you a soldier in every son. War, war without truce to any who dare to tarnish the country’s coat-of-arms! War, war! Take the national pennants and soak them in waves of blood. War, war! In the mountain, in the valley, the cannons thunder in horrid unison and the resonant echoes cry out Union, Liberty! Oh country, ‘ere your children defenseless bend their neck to the yoke, May your fields be watered with blood, may they trod upon blood. And may your temples, palaces and towers collapse with horrid clamor, and their ruins live on to say: This land belonged to a thousand heroes. Oh, country, country, your children swear to breathe their last in your honor, if the trumpet with warlike accent should call them to fight with courage. For you the olive branches! A reminder for them of glory! A laurel of victory for you! For them a tomb with honor! Mexicans, at the cry of war, prepare the steel and the steed, and may the earth shake at its core to the resounding roar of the cannon. Uruguay National Anthem “Himno Nacional Uruguayo” (National Anthem of Uruguay) is apparently the longest national anthem in the world at 105 bars. Or, as Wikipedia calculates “about five minutes”. The lyrics are by Francisco Acuña de Figueroa, who may also be the author of Paraguay’s national anthem, which would make him pretty prolific in the “number of different national anthems written” category. Lyrics to the short version of the Uruguayan national anthem, in English, are as follows: Orientals, our nation or the grave, Liberty or with glory we die. Orientals, our nation or the grave, Liberty or with glory we die. Its the vows that our souls pronounce and which heroically we will fulfill. Its the vows that our souls pronounce and which heroically we will fulfill. We will fulfill. Its the vows that our souls pronounce and which heroically we will fulfill. We will fulfill. We will fulfill. We will fulfill. We will fulfill. Liberty, Liberty, Orientals. This is the outcry which our nation saved and its braves in fierce battles of sublime enthusiasm enflamed Liberty, Liberty, Orientals. This is the outcry which our nation saved and its braves in fierce battles of sublime enthusiasm enflamed This Holy gift of Glory we deserved Tyrants: Tremble ! Tyrants: Tremble ! Tyrants: Tremble ! Liberty in combat we will Cry Out! And even dying, Freedom we shall also Shout ! Liberty in combat we will Cry Out! And even dying, Freedom we shall also Shout ! And even dying, Freedom we shall also Shout ! Freedom we shall also Shout ! Freedom we shall also Shout ! Orientals, our nation or the grave, Liberty or with glory we die. Orientals, our nation or the grave, Liberty or with glory we die. Its the vows that our souls pronounce and which heroically we will fulfill. Its the vows that our souls pronounce and which heroically we will fulfill. We will fulfill. Its the vows that our souls pronounce and which heroically we will fulfill. We will fulfill. We will fulfill. We will fulfill. We will fulfill.

World Cup Moments: Philipp Lahm Kicks Off The World Cup Properly, 2006. Posted: 17 Mar 2010 07:00 AM PDT When discussing the history of any sport, any talk of the “greatness” is bound to be met with a quick hop in a time machine, going back into the annuls annals where myth and storytelling often displace fact and reality to the back seat. And this was necessary in a time when most could only follow sport through the words of others; words which were often embellished, contorted, polished, creating an aura which far superseded the event. Similar to the children’s game which starts with a simple sentence at one end of the room and morphs into something entirely different by the time the exercise ends. A lot of times, great moments are much simpler than we think. Sometimes great moments are just that: moments. Moments without grand results, without a decisive impact, without parades, and without babies being made on the streets. Merely a single moment in time meant to be enjoyed. And equally as often, these moments are right underneath our noses. Philipp Lahm had been injured in the buildup to the World Cup, you may remember, and he was still in a cast when Germany met up with Costa Rica to kickoff the 2006 World Cup in Munich. This never put his spot into doubt, really, but you also didn’t meant you would expect that, a mere five minutes into arguably the biggest game of his life, he would send the crowd into an uproar. His crowd in his country. It was the perfect opening to what would become a wonderful World Cup run for Germany. It was also a brilliant goal from a mite of a man who’s long been mentioned in the discussion of the world’s best fullbacks. And it was proof that great moments don’t need to end with a trophy. But perhaps greatest of all are the opening seconds of that movie, in which Lukas Podolski hurries to throw the ball in five minutes into a group game, yet acting like it was the last minute of injury time in the final with Germany down a goal. And this would be the part where we open up the forum to German fans for jokes, potshots and everything in between. [The genius stroke of photographic timing above found on flickr.] - You can find more World Cup Moments here.

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