Upsets, underdog stories, VAR: I am loving this

Aman: Ah! what kind of a world cup it has been. The US not being involved and I’ve had the pleasure of watching this world cup from an even vantage point, as a neutral. And it has delivered all I could have asked for. Drama in every form possible, from managerial changes at the last minute to last-gasp goals.  From energetic, end-to-end play; to upset exits from some of the beautiful game’s greatest giants. Argentina, Spain, Portugal, Columbia, and Germany have all gone home. This world cup has had 6, 7 goal games. It’s had the upsets, the underdog stories, and even established the effectiveness of the latest technological addition to the game: the VAR system. This world cup has had its share of late goals and excitement, and as a neutral fan, I’ve been happy to lap it up. But one thing has bothered me about this world cup, and that is the resounding lack of class. Cheap fouls and antics have been too common, with more than a few penalties having been awarded as a result of needless roughhousing on set pieces. Despite all the excitement and drama, it seems we still have work to do as a sport. So as we brace ourselves for the whirlwind that the quarter-finals promise to be, let us take a moment to make note of Japan, whose fans, after witnessing a loss at the last minute, a come-from-behind winner against Belgium, stayed behind after the final whistle to help janitorial staff clean up the stadium. The Japanese players, after the soul-crushing experience of having the world snatched from them, left their dressing room spotless, and with a note written in Russian reading “Thank you for having us.” Now that’s class.