We've just had a shock, upset result. Spain on the brink, some people think. England's in crisis. Italy is under-performing Two Asian countries, South Korea and Japan, have nailed down victories and are likely to feature in the Round of 16. All good drama, all intriguing.
Still, there are complainers. On TV, online and in many newspapers there is the rumbling of discontent. It's not a good World Cup. There are too many problems associated with staging it in South Africa. The quality of play is poor, not as good as the European Champions League. Whine, whine. It's all nonsense. The World Cup lasts for a month, a real four-act drama that shocks, and surprises, disappoints and exhilarates. It's not a movie. South Africa isn't a theme park. The typical complaints (below) are mostly ridiculous.
One: Balls. I read in an online British paper that Ivory Coast manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has suggested "a summit" of concerned parties to discuss the alleged deficiencies of the Jabulani World Cup ball. This is hilarious and lends credence to the international belief that Eriksson is an airhead with more ego than soccer nous. The ball is fine. Players in the United States, Germany and Argentina, to name just a few countries, have been using it for months without complaint. Germany had no problem, did it?
Unlike most people droning on a like a vuvuzela about the Jabulani ball, I've actually kicked one around recently. (It was a gift from the president of the CBC, who is a very nice man, and it will soon be passed on, as promised, to a deserving child.) At first it feels lighter, but it isn't. What it is, actually, is faster - it travels with awesome speed. And it takes about ten minutes of stroking and caressing the ball with the foot, to get a feel for it. Then, it's just the ball. What you do with it is your problem. Ask the Germans.
Two: The vuvuzela. Yes it is profoundly irritating distraction for TV viewers. It drowns out the singing and chanting of the supporters in the stands. But, it's a South African thing and FIFA can't and won't stop it. It is the sound of soccer in South Africa. If you're going to have a World Cup there, then the place and local flavours come with it. Me, I've sat in stadiums in Europe and heard Verdi being sun by thirty or forty thousand people during a slow period in a game. It was lovely. I've also been in the Air Canada Centre where thousands of people chant "Go Leafs Go." That sounds a bit moronic when compared with Verdi, actually. Something for people who only understand sentences of three words and words with a maximum of four letters. There's Verdi and there's this: Boom, boom, boom. It takes all kinds. The world isn't a monoculture. Put up with the vuvuzela for a few weeks.
Three: Too many tied games and much defensive play. Nonsense. There have been more than the usual number of drawn games, but that actually makes for a better World Cup as the tournament unfolds. Each game now matters more - points must be gained from a win in order to move to the Round of 16 and beyond. England will have to score and win decisively against Algeria. In Group F, Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia, all capable of extravagantly attacking play, need to do the same. It's going to be a great World Cup weekend.
As for the defensive play, the game between Brazil and North Korea was an illumination of how compelling a well-organized, defensive team can be. In contrast to Japan's often desperate (but successful) defensive smothering of Cameroon, which mainly involved surrounding Eto'o to the point of holding him hostage, North Korea looked supremely tidy, relaxed and committed to hard work. Their use of the space on the field to limit Brazil - without resorting to fouls and physical intimidation - was sublime. It was a master class, and exhilarating to watch. Quit complaining.