October 11 is a FIFA Date

October 11 is a date for qualifiers 

Soccer fans around the world will be glued to their TV sets watching their respective national teams in another FIFA World Cup 2014 qualifying game. A match between one country against another is very meaningful. Both countries playing against each other represent their people, the color of their flags and their pride. It is indeed a battle on that pitch.

This is where fierce rivals unite for the same cause to qualify for a significant spot in the world’s game. For instance, Barcelona and Real Madrid players who battle against each other competing for trophies in Spain’s La Liga will be a unified team representing their country.

A Qualifying game is far from being just a game. At this stage, footballers representing their country have to sweat blood if necessary in order to successfully go through and earn a ticket to Brazil 2014.

A soccer match between two national teams makes a regular league game look cute. 

That is because representing a country brings more pressure in the players. Representing the colors of a country means representing the heritage, history and culture and everything else that gets tangled in one nation.

Every one is watching and for that reason a mistake could last for a long time. At this level the ball is rolling faster, the players are running back and forth, counterattacks happen as well as long range shots. The defenders can’t make mistakes because it could cause them a goal, the midfield has to be accurate with their passes, and the strikers can’t waste opportunities to score.

However, one team usually makes a costly mistake and the rush of that gooooaaaaL is unforgettable for the fans. 

The popularity of soccer is growing in the United States either with EA FIFA 13 or with the use of social media and the business deals made by television networks to broadcasts the elite leagues of Europe. Whatever the case may be, the USA has been consistently showing up to the World Cup tournament and playing really well. It will be nice to see the red white and blue go far next year.