After this FIFA World Cup come to a close, my eyes have been opened to so many different experiences. 

For example, the good in the World Cup is everyone’s pride for their own country. I saw so many homemade t-shirts, posters and body paint it’s not even funny. I was at a restaurant the other day eating a USA game was on and the joy on everyone’s face when the US team scored was so amazing. Pure enjoyment and the thrill of competition drove everyone to yell, stand up and cheer. Tables that didn’t even know each other ending up high fiving and getting excited about the game together. Also, it’s amazing to me to see the athletic abilities of the players. I played soccer in the third grade and I remember being so tired from watching butterflies and doing cartwheels on the field I can’t even image how exhausting it would be to actually play the game. Props to them… 

The bad in the World Cup is the agony of losing. Every 4 years countries pour their heart and souls into wanting to win the prestigious worldwide event.  We end up relying on the 11 players on the field to bring a trophy home. Sadly, when 31 countries fail to do so, millions of hearts are broken. No one likes loosing, especially in front of the whole world but it's part of the game; unless of course you are in the group stage and tie which is another form of bad. For example, when the US team tied with Portugal they only got 1 point instead of the 3 they could have gotten from winning the game. If they had received the full 3 points they would have clenched a spot in the knock out stage. As Americans, we love winners and losers so even though we won the war, we "tied" the battle.  

Lastly, the ugly in the competition would be the riots on the streets following big losses. There is losing a game and then there is losing your mind. After not bringing the high expectations to a reality, Brazilians rioted throughout the country and even set buses on fire. The high hopes of the Brazilian fans wanting to win the global tournament on their home soil got the best of many.