From the Publisher: Watching With the World

I’m happy for the coincidence of the United States turning 250 and the quadrennial pursuit of the FIFA World Cup. The largest sporting event on Earth has a way of putting things in perspective. I view it as a reminder that we are one of many countries sharing this planet and that people in myriad places are just as patriotic as we are — more so, arguably, when it comes to soccer, which everyone else in the world calls football.

At a garden party before the Burlington fireworks last Friday, all eyes were on the match between Cape Verde and Argentina. Against all odds, the tiny island nation held its own into extra time against the country that produced Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

On Saturday, I was rooting, and then crying, for Canada, the underdog against victor Morocco. Two hours later, my partner, Tim, and I tuned in to watch a not-so-beautiful game that worked out better for France than Paraguay. Colorful explosions from Shelburne Bay and across the lake reminded us that it was somebody’s big birthday.

On Sunday, which was gorgeous, the two of us were inside again, witnessing a dramatic upset: Norway beat Brazil. One friend was texting about it from Boston Logan International Airport. Another was part of a watch party at Wake Robin in Shelburne.

The largest sporting event on Earth has a way of putting things in perspective.

A few hours later, the Mexican national team broke the hearts of almost 80,000 spectators in a home game it lost to England.

There’s no overstating what it takes to play a 90-minute soccer match; the combination of athleticism and emotion on display is comparable only to the Olympics. But unlike that multisport event, with its frenetic, sampler-style coverage, this FOMO-free contest lasts more than twice as long and rolls out one competition at a time. You have only one choice to make: to watch or not.

Those who do are connected in a way that only people witnessing the same thing at the same time can be. Such shared experiences have become increasingly rare in a world of endless options.

Yes, three and a half weeks into the 39-day World Cup, I’ve finally caught Soccer Fever.

The contagion was inevitable; I live with a super-spreader. Almost everything I’ve learned about soccer has come from Tim, who started playing as a young boy and hasn’t stopped. Nothing makes him happier than running around all night — sometimes the games start at 11 p.m. — with his teammates. At 49, he’s one of the oldest guys on the field.

On the couch, he’s a soccer encyclopedia. Beyond the rules, Tim is versed in player bios, cool moves and team relegation history. He can distinguish fake falls, injuries and tears — here’s looking at you, Neymar — from the real thing. And when the camera zooms in on some soccer legend, such as Colombian goalkeeper René Higuita of “scorpion kick” fame, Tim looks online for video to accompany the history lesson.

A team USA flag at Rí Rá Irish Pub Credit: File: Owen Leavey

I couldn’t ask for a better guide to the sport — though, despite his efforts and those of others, I still don’t understand when a player is “offside” and probably never will.

There were no close calls in the match between the U.S. and Belgium on Monday night. The latter won handily, despite a controversial last-hour reinstatement of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun after some high-level intervention by Donald Trump. No one could dispute that the Europeans played better — not even our poor-sport president.

As predicted, all three World Cup host countries got knocked out before the semifinals.

Our local teams are faring better. The Vermont Green FC, aka the Boys in Green, have already qualified for the playoffs. In their inaugural season, the Girls in Green haven’t lost a game and play North Carolina’s Asheville City Soccer Club in the USL W National Semifinal on Saturday, July 11, at the University of Vermont’s Virtue Field.

Conveniently, Vermont soccer fans can catch that contest between two World Cup games: Norway and England face off at 5 p.m., and at 9, Argentina meets Switzerland.

The high-stakes international matchups continue for another week after that. Too bad we can’t resolve every world conflict on the sports field — peacefully, with heart and mutual respect.