Photo by ep_jhu.

Good morning, Washington. So Spain won the World Cup final yesterday, putting to end a joyous month of getting to work late, taking long lunches and skipping out of work early to embrace — as this country seems to do every four years — the world’s most popular game. (Yes, I’m going through withdrawal already.) Of course, the real test of American interest in the game — regardless of what the shoe companies want you to believe from their incredibly polished, feel-good ads that don’t feel like ads — is whether or not people actually decide to carry over their interest and show up and support the league where American players play for relative peanuts. You remember that Donovan fella? That one who scored the latest, most important goal in U.S. soccer history? He’ll be in D.C. next weekend, when his Los Angeles Galaxy come to RFK Stadium for a game against D.C. United on the 18th. If United can’t draw a good crowd then, I’ll know that the general public’s casual saunter into football insanity was just another case of temporary nationalism and nothing that will have me concerned about losing my favorite stool at my favorite pub when this fall rolls around. In any case: productivity levels at the office should be higher this week.

At Least He Was Polite About It: The Post has more details on the odd story of a 19-year-old who stands accused of impersonating a Metro employee, commandeering a B2 bus, then crashing it into a tree near the Stadium-Armory Metro station on Friday afternoon. Apparently, William Jackson did a pretty bang-up job behind the wheel — he knew the route, was polite, idled so that a passenger could catch the bus at Washington Hospital Center and pried open the back doors after the crash, making sure everyone got off the bus before he fled on foot. Jackson told police that he was “simply fascinated by buses.”

Columbia Heights Violence Still Under Investigation: We noted it yesterday, but police are still trying to figure out whether two acts of violence on Saturday night in Columbia Heights are related. It has now been confirmed that the man who was shot, Jonathan Sanchez Estep, 24, has died as a result of his injuries. Estep was found on the 3000 block of 11th Street NW about 8:30 p.m., and died after being transported to a hospital.

Time To Invest In A Rabbit’s Foot: The owners of the Argonaut have to be approaching some kind of record for the most cursed month a bar or restaurant has ever had. First, a late June fire gutted the kitchen and forced the H Street NE spot to close. Then, vandals looted the place last week. Now, this weekend, Argo owner Scott Magnuson had approximately $700 — which was raised at a benefit on Thursday — and his car stolen on Friday night. MPD was able to recover the car, while Joe Englert pledged to replace the money.

Briefly Noted: Cindy Sheehan trial begins today…Young boy struck by car in Georgetown, in “grave” condition…Saturday’s rain marked the most precipitation in one day since December’s Snowpocalypse…D.C. lawyer claims he is LeBron James’ father, despite no DNA match…VRE transitions to new operator…Second woman dies as a result of huge fire Saturday on 1600 block of W Street SE…National Park Service to close part of 16th Street NW for wall repair at Meridian Hill.

This Day In DCist: Last year, we actually found ourselves pining for former Nationals manager Frank Robinson; in 2007, the Council balked at high salaries which Michelle Rhee proposed for her deputy and her chief of staff.