Getting Their Vuvuzelas Ready for the World Cup Final

The World Cup final is on Sunday, and everyone is taking sides. Spain will play the Netherlands, and opinions on who will win are not exactly hard to come by. But how are people in Chatham dealing with the mounting excitement of the big game?

Some have found the best way to deal with such a high-stakes event is simply to ignore it completely. Vince McDonald had no problem saying he "doesn't give a rat's hindquarters who wins."

He elaborated, "But if you're forcing me to pick a team to root against, I guess it would have to be the Netherlands. I haven't an ax to grind with the Spanish for a few months now, and the Netherlands has the largest percentage of any national population with people taller than I." He continued, "I have a real problem with people who are taller than I am."

Others were able to put their personal vendettas aside and will tune in on Sunday for the fun and the camaraderie, even though they haven't been following the World Cup religiously.

Tom Paulson admits to not following soccer or the games very much but has fallen in league with his co-workers, who are all supporting Spain.

He added, though: "If Spain loses, I'll be OK."

As far as the World Cup experience as a whole, Paulson said: "[Seeing] the nations come together in such excitement is really nice. America needs more of that."

Morgan Smith is excited to see who, exactly, will come out on top.

"I can't wait to see who the dominant world soccer team for the next four years will be," she said. "I don't really care which it is."

Then there are the fans that are deeply invested in the outcome of the final. Alex Ciaramello's enthusiasm for the games is heightened because "the World Cup only comes once every four years."

He placed his full support behind the Netherlands, declaring, "I think the Netherlands is going to reign."

There is one person in Chatham who has a particular affinity for the Dutch. Galal Galal of Arminio's Pizza has lived in Holland for 12 years and feels an obvious connection to the Netherlands team.

"After what they did for this World Cup, they deserve to win," he said.

He added, however, that he wouldn't be too upset if Spain wins.

"At least it's not the Germans," he surmised.

Whether the fans are in it for the love of the game, love of the country, or the desire to never hear the sound of a vuvuzela ever again, Chatham residents throughout town will tune in for the finals Sunday at 2:30 p.m.