This World Cup will be a little less thrilling for me this year because the three teams I usually root for - the United States, Italy and Ireland - didn't qualify. Isn't it peculiar that the world's two largest economies (economic strength is usually an indicator of international soccer success) couldn't make the 32-team field? It happened to be right during the World Cup, which unfolded in Spain that summer. (After three games, the top two teams in each of the eight groups move to the Round of 16). And although they're facing 30-1 odds, imagine the media conspiracies that would surface if the host Russians won the World Cup?