Go to bed!!!!

I finally succumbed. Monday was the first day I hadn’t made it to the end of the 4th game of the day. We’d pretty much seen about every minute of every game so far. But at half time of Portugal Uruguay I gave in and went to bed. The World Cup is exhausting!

The day started out quite well with a trip to the fan zone. It’s much quieter when Brazil isn’t playing! But Korea Ghana and Cameroon Serbia served up two great games – 11 goals in total. For anyone that thinks in American Football money the scores were 14:21 and 21:21 (although the NFL would never allow a tie like that. It’s un-American ba-gawd!).

Surprisingly, this ball, in the FIFA store, was the only one I kicked in Qatar. With all the open spaces you’d have expected pick up games to break out everywhere. But not a one. Maybe we should have taken the initiative

The football is great but i just love the opportunities to talk to people you would otherwise never meet. This Arsenal fan from Sudan for example. For all America’s problems, people around the world want to talk about the USA. For many it’s the land of opportunity and the place they dream of going. Later in the day I had a similar conversation with our Bangladeshi Uber driver. And then again with a random fan from Baluchistan. Having a passing interest in that part of the world, he was surprised that I knew where Baluchistan was. It’s the tribal region of west Pakistan bordering on Iran. My new friend was eager to tell me about their struggle for independence from Pakistan. (Football? What football?)

But after over a week of wall to wall football, we’re in need of our creature comforts. We stumbled across this fan fest in the Holiday Inn near to our apartment. Comfortable couches, big screen TV, waiter bringing us beer (albeit crazy expensive) and subdued lighting. Just the place for Brazil Switzerland. The Brazilians are a joy to watch. They are strong in every department and ping the ball around in a style reminiscent of that 1970 Brazil team. I still have them to win the cup. I just hope they don’t have so much fun in the way they play that they forget to win.

The subdued lighting was fine, but soporific. Back at the apartment, I settled in for Portugal Uruguay, but no! For once, I was in bed and asleep the right side of midnight!