China's soccer craze

Football fans cheer for Germany at a screening of the World Cup final at the German embassy in Beijing early Monday morning, Beijing time. Photo: Li Hao/ GT

Football mania sweeps China

The last goal was scored in the World Cup in Brazil in the early morning of Monday, Beijing time. Despite the fact there was no Chinese team, over 100 Chinese reporters traveled there to cover the event, and millions of viewers throughout the country tuned in, despite the fact the games nearly all took place after midnight in China.

For the estimated 600 million football fans in the Middle Kingdom, the month-long games have been the occasion for celebration. Whether they were dedicated fans or just attracted by the buzz, the occasion has provided opportunities for both merriment and networking.

Bars, sidewalk food stalls and public sites with TV screens were all occupied by fans. Some even set up small theaters at their homes, inviting friends to watch the games with them. Some found excuses to avoid work, such as being sick, some even quit their jobs.

Other numbers also revealed the extent of the football craze across the country. In Shanghai and Beijing, up to 80 tons of crayfish were consumed every night during the games. Just five days after the games started, four people died suddenly while watching the games. In Chongqing, a woman who was three-months pregnant had a miscarriage believed to be caused by excitement while watching the team she supported kicked its third goal. Some hospitals even opened clinics to treat "World Cup syndrome."

A July survey targeting college students by renren.com, one of China's largest social-networking websites, showed that 96 percent of respondents said they would watch the games and six in 10 said they would choose to watch the games with classmates and friends.

About 79 percent said they were watching the games because they were interested, while others said they just followed the trend because of friends.

Opinions regarding the Chinese craze for the World Cup were as diverse as the various teams that Chinese fans supported. Some said it was because of a lack of homegrown sporting events of such scale, while others said it was simply a chance for merriment. Some pointed out that the charm of the game often lies in its uncertainty.