Soccer?

The World Cup Extravaganza is over and I have found a new appreciation of the sport. Up until yesterday I had never watched, played or, if possible not talked about, soccer. It was right near the top of my"List" along with hockey and liver. But yesterday, while visiting my sports expert son, I caught the final moments of "extra time". I guess I never really understood the nuances of the game before. I'm so impressed with these guys as kickers. Man, they are so accurate that almost every time they kick the ball far down the field, (or it may be called the pasture) they manage to hit one of the other guys in head with the ball. Sometimes they'll hit him in the chest but most of the time it's right on the old bean. No wonder so many soccer players become field goal kickers for the NFL. Luckily they can kick because they could never play any other position because if some one brushes against them they fall down and lay there until, either the games over or a referee gives them a note for their coach. An interesting thing that I noticed was the notes that the refs hand out. I'm not sure of the reason for writing little colored notes instead of using flags like in auto racing of nice hankies like the football (the real football) refs and umps use. Well maybe if they used those hankies, which are weighted they would probably hit some guy writhing around on the ground causing them more agony making it necessary to lay there even longer. After I realized that almost everyone at the game (match?) was from some other country I surmised this reason for the yellow and red notes (those are the only two colors I saw. Don't know if they come in different colors for different occasions or to match the uniforms being worn for that particular game) These notes are like citations and depending on the severity of the infraction, your note can send you home, have you stand front of a guy who's going kick the ball at you at close range, or, the most serious infraction (I guess a red card) you get sent to Arizona with only a sweaty jersey and a can of refried beans. Even though I came away with a whole new appreciation of soccer, it's still not coming off my "List". As I said I am no expert but I have a son, a couple of grandsons, a granddaughter and a son-in-law who are authentic soccer persons and will probably send me little red notes for my birthday. But, for real poop on the sport and most others, I have still another son who has most of the answers (and opinions). See - http://www.cubbiedoc.com/

A soccer guy about to take a direct hit by a ball that some one a quarter of a mile away just kicked at him. The other guy seems a little quicker and manages to get out of the way in time.

One of the most prestigious kicks in all of soccerdom, a doubleheader. Unlike baseball, it's still only one game but it can have extra time. Right after this kick the guy on the far right fell down and layed there until he got a colored card to take home to the wife. (it was a Hallmark) I think the kicker got a special lime seafoam green card for the two beaner.