Word Cup: All of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums in the host country South Africa are ready now for the football tournament.

I first watched football on the occasion of the 1994 World Cup. Still being young that that time, I was just impressed by the pony tail of Roberto Baggio and doping scandal of Diego Maradona in which he had tested positive for the banned substance, ephedrine and was kicked out of the tournament. Two years later, watching the final round of the Euro 1996 taking place in England, witnessing painful defeat of the Czech Republic by vigor spirit Germany, I started to love football.

It’s unarguable that nearly all of people feel the heat of the World Cup. Motion of the ball causes so many hearts miss their beats, changing lifestyles of many families. Football, at any times, is always attracting and interesting. Those who can’t keep vigil to watch overnight live matches closes their doors to watch them in the rebroadcasted television programs.

Although the 2010 World Cup has kicked off yet, its heat is about to spread. The males all hunt for information, pictures and the match schedule. The females prepare foods and drinks to take care the health of their husbands and children. When the World Cup officially take place, all hot topics of discussions are about the soccer game.

Everybody try to finish their tasks quickly to watch the full matches night time. Every night, at sidewalk cafés, night shift workers, students, manual laborers, etc., some standing some sitting, some young some old, all keep their eyes fixed on the matches on TV.  Watching the football games, one and all men argue, one and all families shout in for joy. All of them are crazy for the “King” sport.

Such frenetic passion doesn’t spring from nationalism but from pure-minded ardent love for the football games in hearts of millions Vietnamese football fans. That phenomenon is very interesting and hard to see in normal days of life. Furthermore, many people consider the World Cup an occasion of “getting rich” from series of games prediction programs with prizes. Amateur writers take advantage of the World Cup event to show their writing talents and their personal comments through articles of many daily newspapers. They don’t represent purely subjective comments or viewpoints but keep a close watch on the interesting event of the world football. As in a simple rule, “the football links souls with same favorites, bringing people closer.”

The biggest football game in the world is the event in which each person lost in his own emotions of sublimating pleasure, of pitifulness. One’s happiness is another’s sadness. The phenomenon of “living with the football, eating with the football” can be seen everywhere. In spite of varied shades of the tournament’s enjoyment with different levels of over enthusiasm, fervent cheers are commonly found. People seemingly forget all of their tiredness after tense hours of studying and working. Owing to the World Cup, they get closer and unite together for a good trait of culture.

• Thien Truc