July 01, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 4, 1427

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BERLIN, June 30: The pleasure and pain of World Cup soccer on the field is no secret to spectators watching the tournament in the stands or the fans who have gathered in front of giant viewing screens across Germany.

For fans worldwide who couldn't make the trip to wave their national flag or join in the chants that have permeated game day, emotion runs high — and low — as each mighty win or devastating loss is cheered, jeered and moaned about on hundreds of Web sites, blogs and discussion boards.

Soccer is dubbed the world's sport and its each reach across the World Wide Web is similar in scope. Since the month-long tournament started, scores of blogs have appeared — some professional, some decidedly less so.

It's all part of a large swath of unprecedented technology that has surrounded the tournament, brought on in part by the expanding reach of the Internet and the ease of setting up video, audio and text blogs.

Even casual fans can get a free account with Google Inc.'s Blogger, transfer digital photos to Yahoo Inc.'s flickr or another image-sharing site, and even record short dispatches from a fan fest in Nuremberg or inside the Fritz Walter Stadium in Kaiserslautern.

For others, it's a chance to meld their passion for soccer, a love of technology and rapid reporting of the day's events.

Bob Kellett, of Portland, Oregon, is a blend of all three.

The managing editor of www.worldcupblog.org, the 31-year-old former journalist took the helm of the site last year, building on the blog's beginnings from the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

“It was four guys who stayed up late at night and (got) some random traffic,” he said.

“In 2006, they decided they wanted to do it right. They recreated the site, with 32 team blogs, and hired me as the managing editor.”

Unlike the blogs favoured by the hordes of traditional media covering the World Cup, which use content from paid staffers, The World Cup Blog uses volunteers to cover each country before, during and after the event.

“We've got designated bloggers for each team. These are all fans ... not journalists,” he said. “They are just people who love the team. Some are in the country, some are scattered around the world.”

It also offers up written and photo essays on fans and the 12 cities hosting the games as well as biting commentary about everything from the bikinis worn by female spectators to the hairstyles sported by some players.

“The World Cup is such a fun event and there are so many odd stories. A dog named Rommel from Japan? You can't beat,” Kellett said.

There's also the matter of sport.

The site, like those maintained by The New York Times, Britain's The Guardian and dozens more, offer live coverage of games for those who can't watch.

Each game has been blogged in real time with shots, cardings and goals tracked along with failed plays and balls gone out of bounds.

“It’s kind of an interesting phenomenon,” Kellett said. “When I live blog, it’s stream of conscious. If I see a player and he's got really bad hair, I write about it.”

Readers can comment as the action takes place, making for a lively discussion, too.

“It's like this virtual pub from around the world of people who don't know each other ... and they are all chiming in,” he said.

Others merely take to the Web to post their musings on the beautiful game and the disruptions it causes.

One, Limey's World Cup Blog, reminds readers that the “world is like a football ... round and constantly being kicked around by a bunch of fanatics in short pants.”

He wrote about throngs of Italy and Portugal fans in Lausanne, Switzerland, celebrating their teams' victories.

“For the second week in a row, depending on who is playing, I have had to fight hordes of street paraders armed with air horns and flags on my way home.

“Specifically Italy and Portugal fans. If this goes on much longer, I will start spending the night at work. That is all.”

Others tout the virtue of watching their teams, and favourite players win. While others dissect each match, raise the issue of how the referees are making decisions and opine as to how specific teams should have done.

“One of the truisms of this World Cup is emerging: if a referee can damage and deplete a game, they will,” wrote Alex Ooms on The Denver Post's soccerbawl, part of its Bloghouse feature.

“Both the reduction of Sweden to 10 men for 55 minutes against Germany, and the absurdity of the 16 yellow cards and four reds given by Russian referee Ivanov in Portugal and Holland — two teams not exactly renown for fierce physical play — were scars on the beautiful game.”—AP