It’s 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday(Sunday) and I’m still awake. Many people will ask why, many wouldn’t understand, most wouldn’t care(at least in America). In 4 hours England play Germany in the Round of 16 of the World Cup. Thousands of miles away 22 men will step onto the pitch representing their countries with pride and honour. While in the middle of Las Vegas at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning I will be willing on England to win. I can’t sleep. I don’t think I will sleep. I don’t want to sleep. I want it to start. I can’t wait for this match. If England progress they will go to the quarter finals. If they lose they’ll be going to the airport. Who stands in our way? Our oldest rival. The team we had to overcome on home soil to win in 1966. Germany. Another great and proud footballing nation. Why should I care? It’s just a game. No! It’s more than that. Here people watch baseball or basketball or American football, but it’s not the same. The Lakers play the Celtics. The Yankees play the Red Sox. The Patriots play the Packers. But this is different. People support those teams, and there are diehard fans, but many drift from team to team bandwagoning, as in any league. This is different. This is the reason that over 200 million people in England and Germany will sing and chant and roar their hearts out. This may be a game, but this is bigger than an NBA final, a Superbowl, the Premier League, Stanley Cup, Champions League, NCAA tournament, whatever. This is the World Cup. Nation pitted against nation. Pride is on the line. Emotions shall soar like an eagle. People will literally stop their lives to watch tomorrows match. Millions of people at the same time. Yet only one can triumph. One can progress. The other must be defeated. A rivalry 60 years in the making football wise, but this isn’t about the past. This isn’t about that final at Wembley, 44 years of hurt, the 3 titles Germany has. This is now. And now sees two rivals face again. Face off across the pitch. The crowd will sing, the vuvuzelas will blow, and one shall prevail. This is when it becomes more than a game. People try to tell me Yankees - Red Sox or Patriots - Packers, Lakers-Celtics, Manchester United- Manchester City, whatever are a big deal, and they are. But nothing compares to seeing your national team go onto that pitch and bare it all for the honour and pride and glory of their nation. Nothing compares. In 4 hours I will be there with those 200 million+ wherever they may be, watching, praying, hoping, shouting, that my country, my team, can do me and my fellow countrymen proud, and win. This is the World Cup and it’s worth the sleep deprivation, to watch them play. COME ON ENGLAND!!!!