There is something about a World Cup that gets under your skin in a way that is very hard to explain to someone who has never felt it. It's not just the football. It's the whole thing. The commentary building to a crescendo. The roar of a crowd on the other side of the world bleeding through your television speakers at some ridiculous hour of the morning. The sharp intake of breath when a striker lines up a shot. The collective chaos when the net ripples.
