MIAMI — The World Cup, the amazing event that has a big portion of the world going crazy for a full month, had its origins in the Olympic football (soccer) tournaments. After the popularity of the sport was noticed, FIFA decided to start its own international football tournament back in 1924. On July 13th, 1930, the first FIFA World Cup took place on the Centenary Stadium in Montevideo, Uruguay. The first World Cup was held in Montevideo because Uruguay had already won the two previous Olympics football tournaments in 1924 and 1928. Uruguay won the first World Cup after an amazing final match against Argentina: the final score was 4 — 2. After the enormous success that the FIFA World Cup brought to the world, the Olympics decided to get rid of their football tournaments. Although they brought the games back in 1936, the ratings weren’t nearly as good as previous years or as good as the FIFA World Cup ratings were, and still are. After that Italy won the following two world cups that took place during the World War II in Europe, where the only South American team willing to travel was Brazil. The FIFA World Cup was cancelled for the next twelve years because of WWII. In 1950, it was restarted, taking place in Brazil, and again Uruguay won its second World Cup in an intense match against Brazil beating them 2 — 1. From that date, countries have been getting together for one month every four years to enjoy of the FIFA World Cup, giving all the support to their corresponding countries people can possibly give.

The Miami Impact

Miami is a city with an abundant, thriving culture, a place where people from all over the world reside and develop an attachment towards their home countries. After a long football season, we are currently down to the quarterfinals: out of the eight countries left, four are from South America. Miami is known to be the capital of Central and South America; therefore this has understandably created a lot of impact. People go crazy in the streets every time a game goes on. One starts to realize not only how many individuals care deeply about football, but also how many want to show the world their pride toward their home countries. It’s a time when neither politics nor teams matter: people are simply from a country no matter what supporting them from wherever they are to be able to take the World Cup home, forgetting about any possible differences. Whether it is by flying a fluttering flag out of the windows of their cars; or the hosting of parties to watch games; going to bars and restaurants serving foods typical of a particular country to have a meal and/or drink to give a stronger support to their fellow brothers who are now in South Africa playing for the World Cup, everyone finds a way to let their rivals know there are there supporting, and also to let their own realize they’re not alone. Living a party.

Now in South Africa

This past week a lot of important games took place: Uruguay beat South Korea 2 — 1; the Netherlands beat Slovakia 2 — 1; Brazil beat Chile 3 — 0; Spain beat Portugal 1 — 0 and Paraguay beat Japan after having to go to penalties 5 — 3. After those games FIFA South Africa 2010 became a battle between South America and the world. The quarterfinals look like this:

Brazil vs. Netherlands

Uruguay vs. Ghana

Argentina vs. Germany

Paraguay vs. Spain

Whoever wins the game of Brazil against Netherlands goes against whenever wins the game of Uruguay against Ghana for the semi-finals, and whoever wins the game of Argentina against Germany goes against whoever wins the game of Paraguay against Spain.

Then, the moment that we’ve all waiting for, the final, the most important game of all, is reached: the game that will define who deserves the World Cup. Although all the countries remaining are already considered the best football players in the world, they are all already winners.

Still, for those who do not know who to cheer for, cheer for Uruguay.

AIG, the global insurance giant that has fallen on hard economic times to say the least, has informed Manchester United of the English Premiere League that they will not be renewing their sponsorship. The four-year, $100 million deal expires May 2010 and AIG says they are already trying to re-work that last year.

“In October, AIG told Manchester United that it is not renewing its sponsorship,” the company told Reuters.

One the world’s largest insurers, AIG had to accept $85 billion from the United States government to avoid bankruptcy. That number soon ballooned to $152 billion.

So now, the company is trying to cut costs and ending their sponsorship of one of the world’s most popular sports teams is one way to do it.

Some might argue that taking an executive retreat to the tune of $443,000 shortly after the bailout isn’t a frugal way to do business, but that’s neither here nor there.

The replacement for AIG? It could be India-based real estate and financial services giant Sahara.

“The process for the 2010 season has already started,” Man. U. spokesman Philip Townsend said. “Sahara is one of a number of companies who have expressed an interest.”

The Euro Cup is getting hot and heavy as we charge towards the June 29th final game. I’ve watched a great deal of it and thought I’d share some thoughts so far:

-France looks old. They didn’t get out of the group round for a reason. They just don’t look like they have much firepower. Eric Abidal’s moronic red-card, in-the-box penalty in the first 22 minutes of their game against Italy sealed their fate. It sounds stupid and obvious to say, but they really miss the glue between the front and back that was Zidane.

-The Dutch peaked too soon. They mopped up France and Italy in the group round, but were taken down 3-1 in extra time on Saturday by the Russians. Big, big disappointment.

-Can someone explain what Italy’s Luca Toni does other than constantly sport a flabbergasted look of disappointment on his face? Italy got bounced by Spain on Sunday in penalty kicks and got zero help from Toni, who was supposed to be considered the world’s best target man (that means he’s a finisher up top. Send it in to him and he’ll put the biscuit in the basket…in theory). He failed to register one goal in the entire tournament, and I’m glad that Italy is out just so that I don’t have to look at that stupid face he makes after he botches a crossed ball in the box.

-Despite not having Fabio Cannavaro in the back, Italy’s defense is simply filthy. They lock up the back like not many others can do. If Toni was worth a damn, perhaps Italy is on to the semi’s.

-How about those Turks! Congratulations to Turkey for making the semi-finals. They were left for dead down 2-0 against the Czech Republic and not only tied it with a minute remaining, but closed the deal with a follow-up goal to win in regulation 3-2. It was cute. They did the impossible to move into the next round. Every dog has his day, right?

Against, the Croatians, the hammer fell on the Turks. With one minute left in extra time, the Croatians scored to seal the fate of the Turks and send them home. The dream was over…but wait! Here comes Turkey! With about zero seconds left on the clock, the scrappy, never-say-die Turkish team put one home to send the game to penalties. And they pulled it off on the spot kicks to find themselves in the semi’s.

These were games that made non-believers into soccer fans. You don’t need to love soccer to appreciate what the Turkish players have done in this tournament. I’m not kidding when I say if they can find a way to at least get to the final, they may have a movie deal.

-Spain’s keeper, Iker Casillas, was phenomenal in the penalty shootout vs. Italy Sunday. The two misses from Italy were more due to Casillas guessing correctly and keeping the net clean. Anyone that has ever been a goal keeper in soccer knows that you are left to die in penalty kicks.

-Spain needs to learn how to shoot during the regular game. They have some nice players, but they don’t finish well at all.

-I’m not a huge fan of Germany’s squad, but I will say that I’m releasing my hatred towards their big striker Miroslav Klose. I have bashed him in the past for being a “me guy” that plays with his head down. I will admit, he seems to be more of a team player than he was in the 2006 World Cup. I even saw him pass the ball in the box!

-Keeping it with Germany, check out Bastian Schweinsteiger. The 24-year old is finally getting to start and he really brings the heat. He’s fun to watch and it’s fun to say his last name in a loud, German accent.

-So, what’s next? Germany takes on those tough-as-hell-despite-not-having-much-talent Turkish team on Wednesday, June 25th. Spain will try to dispose of Russia on Thursday, with the two winners meeting on Sunday the 29th.

Stud winger Cristiano Ronaldo, considered by many to be the best soccer player in the world, continues to try to work his way out of Manchester United and into Real Madrid of the Spanish league. He talked to the media after his Portuguese team got ousted from the Euro Cup by Germany on Thursday.

“I will talk with Manchester and we will try to reach a deal,” said Ronaldo, who has insane talent yet dives more often than Greg Luganis. “The possibilities to go to Madrid are great, but it doesn’t depend on me.”

Ronaldo also mentioned that he would “need surgery” for a “small problem” on his right foot.

Manchester United won the Champions League recently in a shootout against Chelsea, which is another team lined with studs. So, of all the reasons he would want to leave, it’s not because Man U. stinks. Whether you like soccer or not (and chances are, if you are an American, you don’t), this would be the biggest sports transaction in recent memory.

The deal would most certainly have to exceed the world transfer record $90 million that Real paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

Petr Cech is among the best goal keepers in the world, but his mistake Sunday was unbelievably costly. The Czech Republic was up 2-1 in the final minutes of their game against Turkey, and it looked like the Turks were done.

That is, until Cech put his signature on the game. The 26-year old went out on a cross around the 88-minute mark and let a ball he catches 99 times out of 100 slip through his fingers. Nihat Kahveci was right there to put an exclamation mark on the screw up. 2-2.

“The only positive thing about this season is that it’s over,” said Cech. “When you make a mistake, you have to admit it. … It was my mistake that decided that we have to go home.

“The ball was all the sudden too far away from me and as I tried to control it landed just in front of Nihat. Football is played by 11 players and unfortunately, every time it happens that some do well and some do worse.”

But, it wasn’t over. About a minute and a half later Nihat was at it again, firing a ball that bounced under the crossbar and into the goal. It wasn’t Cech’s fault, but the damage was done. Turkey had recovered from a 2-0 second-half deficit to beat a superior team.

“To lose like that is just incredible,” said Czech Republic head coach Karel Bruckner. “We were three minutes from the last eight!”

Now, thanks in large part to Cech’s huge error, it will be Turkey moving on to the next round.

The United States soccer team began its quest for a berth in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa the right way Sunday. Scoring their first goal just 53 seconds in off the foot of Clint Dempsey, the U.S. tacked on seven more in a downright thrashing of Barbados, whose team looked wildly over matched.

“It’s good to get the whole thing underway," said U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley, whose son Michael netted the second goal in the 8-0 destruction. "We spent a lot of time thinking about just getting off on the right foot, and a goal early like that certainly is getting off on the right foot. From there, it’s just an exercise of staying sharp, trying to play the right ball, the right timing, and finish off some of plays so we could have a margin. We were able to do that, so in those ways it was a definite success.”

Granted it was Barbados, who looks terrible even to a novice soccer fan, but the U.S. answered some critics who were concerned that they couldn’t score after they were blanked in their last three friendlies.

Dempsey’s goal was the fastest goal ever scored by the U.S. in a World Cup qualifier and the 8-0 rout was their largest margin of victory ever in the qualifying round.

The team travels to Barbados for a re-match on June 22nd. Barbados should just pray to keep it under a five-goal differential.

After getting their heads handed to them in the first game of the Euro Cup by Holland 3-0, Italy inched closer to elimination Friday with a 1-1 draw against the Romanians.

The Italians should consider themselves lucky. Zambrotta made a bone-headed play in the second half, heading the ball back to his netminder while allowing Adrian Mutu to slip in and score. Not too bright.

With the game tied at one and destined to be a draw, Panucci committed a terrible penalty in the box. The announcers called it questionable, I say no way. In most sports, it’s a foul to wrap your forearm under another player’s neck and drag them down. You do that in the box in soccer, and it’s a PK.

But, as has happened numerous times in the past, Jean Luigi Buffon saved the day, punching and then kicking the ball out of the net to save the tie.

Still, Italy is in trouble.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sat down recently with Armen Keteyian to talk about the whole Spygate mess. Check it out here: