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Peru: Watching the World Cup from Afar

Categories: Latin America, Peru, Sport

It’s been years since Peruvians have seen their national team playing in a FIFA World Cup; 28 years to be exact. That means 7 editions of the Football World Cup. In spite of that, football is still the king of all sports in Peru.

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Peruvian children play street soccer in Barrio de Belén. Image by Flickr user Jorge.Delprado and used under a Creative Commons license.

Let’s hear what some Peruvian football fans have to say about watching the games of the World Cup from afar.

The blog [2]Fútbol desde Ayacucho [es] [2] writes a post titled ¡Y que viva el Mundial Sudáfrica 2010! [3] [es] (Long Live The South Africa 2010 World Cup!):

Faltan horas para dar inicio a lo que es el evento deportivo futbolístico más grande del mundo; la Copa del Mundo Sudáfrica 2010, será el evento en el que todo el mundo estará inmiscuido, y pese a que el Perú no vive esta fiesta asistiendo a dicha cita, igual para los que gustamos del buen futbol nos queda seguir apreciando este evento por TV con todo lo que se vivirá en este lejano país, y alentando como debe ser a los países que representaran y sacaran cara por el futbol sudamericano.

We are hours away from the beginning of the world’s biggest sport event: the Southafrica 2010 World Cup. This will be the event where the whole world will be involved, and although Peru won’t be present in that appointment, those of us who like good football can still appreciate this event on TV with all the experiences from this distant country, and cheering, as it should be, those countries representing and sticking up for South American football.

From the Southern city of Ilo [4], Moquegua, PPGOL dedicates [es] [5] a moment to housewives:

Hoy arranca el dolor de cabeza para las amas de casa; si tienen la suerte de contar con otra tv en casa bacán, verán tranquilas sus tele cebolleras de lo contrario serán desplazadas; por los seguidores del deporte más popular del planeta e invasiones; que durante un mes miraremos fútbol y solo fútbol; deporte que genera cualquier cantidad de billete a la FIFA.

Today the headache for housewives begins; if they are lucky enough to have another TV at home, very well. They can easily watch their soap opera. Otherwise, they will be displaced by the followers of the most popular sport of the planet and invasions, who for a month will be watchin football and only football; a sport that generates lots of money for the FIFA.

Omar Velarde, from the blog Tiempo extra [es] [6], analyses the World Cup songs, the players who wear the number 10, the most expensive teams and the so-called favorites; he ends his post writing about the injured African players:

Sin embargo, las selecciones que más han sufrido las lesiones han sido las africanas. Ghana ha tenido que ver cómo su mejor jugador, Michael Essien, tuvo que dar un paso al costado al igual que el recientemente lesionado Didier Drogba, cuyo cúbito se rompió hoy jugando ante Japón.

Nonetheless, the national teams with more injuries are the African ones. Ghana has seen how its best player, Michael Essien, had to step aside, as well as the recently injured Didier Drogba, whose ulna got fractured today in a game against Japan.

The blog Fulbito y fullvaso [es] [7] raises the issue of security, saying:

Pero el gran temor en este Mundial es la seguridad y este jueves se conocieron tres incidentes que han hecho encenderse la luz de alarma.

Cuatro periodistas chinos fueron víctimas de un robo, el martes en Johannesburgo, llevado a cabo por hombres con armas de fuego que atacaron su coche, sustrayéndoles dinero y una cámara de fotos, informó este jueves la prensa del país asiático.

Además, tres personas, entre ellos una agente municipal, resultaron heridos este jueves por un tumulto de gente que quería entrar en la plaza del ayuntamiento, donde la ciudad inauguraba un ‘fan park’ para el Mundial.

But the biggest fear in this World Cup is the security and on Thursday three incidents were reported, which caused alarm.

Four Chinese journalists were mugged on Tuesday in Johannesburg, by men with firearms who attacked their car, and took away cash and a camera, as reported by the press from that Asian country.

Moreover, three people, among them a city agent, were injured on Thursday by a crowd that wanted to enter city hall, where the city was opening a ‘fan park’ for the World Cup.

It will be a month full of football and nothing else but football. And football fans will surely be delighted.

From Peru we say: May the best one win.