Soccer may not be as big a pastime in the United States as it is in the rest of the world, but that doesn't stop the World Cup from being one of the biggest and most exciting events in the American sports universe once every four years. The tournament — which will begin properly in June 2010 but whose draw was unveiled today — should be especially exciting for the U.S. team, as they had an incredible run in the qualifying rounds (including a pair of great upsets over Mexico) and are fielding one of the best teams they've ever had. Plus, they've managed to get themselves into a group where they can be competitive against the likes of England, Algeria and Slovenia.
The 2010 version of the World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, and the official song (which was just selected this week) is Somali rapper K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag." The track comes from Troubadour, K'Naan excellent album that dropped earlier this year. When MTV News caught up with him back when the album was first getting heat, he noted that people often perceived "Wavin' Flag" as one of the heavier tracks on the album, though the spirit is quite positive. The "Celebration Remix" created specifically for the World Cup (which you can listen to here) is even more positive, featuring the joyous chorus "When I get older/ I will be stronger/ They'll call me freedom/ Just like a waving flag."
K'Naan busted out a version of "Wavin' Flag" at a very special performance celebrating Black History Month earlier this year. Check out a clip below, and get yourself prepared for the international showdown on the pitch.
When I started at MTV News eight years ago, I often felt uncomfortable. After all, everyone else was so smart and creative. I, on the other hand, was the same age as some of our interns. One of those interns way-back-when was a Notre Dame student named Kate Sobrero.