Thirteen reasons why the World Cup scores over club games

1. In the World Cup, you represent your country. In club games, you represent your club, which may not even be your home, come next season. Makes a big difference, commitment-wise.


2. The shot of the Japanese player's closeup fading into the blood red Nippon flag as the national anthem is played.


3. How you always end up supporting a team -- usually the underdog -- no matter how detached you are the start of the game.


4. How your legs involuntarily kick out to take possession of the ball as you see the striker either overhit the ball or run out of steam as he approaches the six-yard box.


5. How you can sort of understand how things like ethnic cleansing happen, when you look at the supporters of the opposite team crowing after their team scores a goal (just kidding).


6. You want your team to escape defeat so badly that it doesn't matter how the goals come -- your team's witch doctor could have put a spell on the opposite team's goalie, for all you care.


7. The sheer relief of hearing the final whistle, as the underdog hangs on by the skin of its teeth for the last ten minutes, defending with only ten men against the hot favorite.


8. There is not a single empty seat in the stadium.


9. You know it has something to do with the Stockholm Syndrome, but you still feel stupidly sentimental as the opposite team give the ball back after your team sportingly put it out of play so that one of their players can receive treatment.


10. Every game -- even at the group stages -- is do-or-die.


11. You'll never forget the sight of Ronaldo being overcome with emotion in the substitutes' bench, as he waited for the whistle to blow in the 2002 final, after he had more than paid back for the ignominy of France '98, including two goals in the final itself.


12. The agony and the human drama associated with a penalty shootout.


13. The 24-pass goal.