Mazal Tov, Ghana!

I haven't been ignoring the World Cup. I just assumed there are better sport-oriented blogs out there and no need for me to mention it. But soccer is indeed Israel's national sport and the World Cup is deeply ingrained in my cultural upbringing. In fact, I still recall with fondness the small statue my grandmother bought for my brother from the world cup in Germany 1974. It was a tall lanky soccer player next to a short muscular soccer player. I should ask my brother if he still has it and maybe I could post a photo.

I don't watch the games, but I follow the results and the stories when I can. On weekends I get the full detail play-by-play from my husband.

Congratulations are in place to the team from Ghana for their spectacular win over the second best team in the world from the Czech Republic. For those of you who missed this game, then you missed another important moment in the World Cup where no Israeli team qualified - somehow our flag was displayed in pride by a soccer player from... Ghana!

Yes, Israeli soccer teams and basketball teams often import players from other nations such as Ghana, Nigeria, US and many others. I mean com'n how often do you hear of Jews excelling in Sports?!

Now I'm in a dilema because I'm about to become a US citizen and as a Patriotic citizen I should probably root for the US team when they play Ghana on Thursday. But oh, how I long to see that Israeli flag flown again on Thursday. Hopefully the immigration officer will forgive me, given the dual citizenship I will hold.

For those among you wondering which team I hope wins the World Cup - I have no favourites. But I'm now leaning towards Ghana for obvious reasons.

PS For those of you who watched the US game this weekend and were as outraged as my husband at the referree - don't worry other countries felt the same way about this referree. I've received messages from Israel, Poland and Australia congratulating the US on a game well played. One of them went to the extent of claiming the referree should be hung and spit on in public. Let's hope he gets fired from ever working as a referree.