PLEASE tell me it’s a duet with her and Fozzy Bear!
i am possibly the least patriotic person in the world, but i would love it, LOVE IT, if england fuck the yankees and USA goes out at the first round.
Well aren’t you precious. I’ll be cheering for England when they aren’t playing the US unless an England loss would allow the US to advance. I reserve my “love it, LOVE IT” if they lose feelings for Mexico. Of course I have a reason, as they are the biggest rival of the US.
I don’t get into the standard rivalries much, but there are teams that I hate, Italy foremost among them. Bunch of whining, cheating bastards.
As it happens, yeah, I /am/ Scottish.
I’ve been reading Soccernomics, which is an attempt to explain soccer by an economist. It’s a hell of a read.
And I love the Italy hate, sinfony. The cheating and whining crap is something you hear from the English press, but they’re just jealous because Italy actually wins World Cups.
Football has been on a massive high here in New Zealand and particularly in Wellington, where our “local” A-League team Wellington Phoenix made the playoffs for the first time. There’s a tonne of excitement about the All Whites being at the World Cup for the only the second time and the first time since 1984.
We’re mostly realistic about our chances of even winning a game let alone advancing, but no-ones stopping that from getting in the way of a little patriotic fervour :p
Well, I do hope you manage to qualify in 4 years’ time! For the sake of your wardrobe, if nothing else.
I live in the US, I’m allowed to cheer on the Americans this time around.
It’s a Celt thing. The Celts (Irish, Scots and Welsh for those who don’t know) hate the English. I’m not sure if Saxon or Anglo is in vogue at the moment for the English, or something else entirely.
It’s a historical thing that’s become ‘let’s hate the English because they do better than us’ except in Rugby Union, where it’s just plain old ‘let’s hate the English’. I’ve got family from all the Celtic nations and England so I don’t buy into the automatic hate. Except, again, in Union because England are boring.
I’m told some international players and coaches have tipped England as one of the outside chances. Those are words I have never heard before in any context for many years. I am confused.
The Real World Cup starts next year. Which tells you that, yes, I support a Celtic team. But which one?
Somehow, I think it’s unlikely you have too much to worry about…
Ah yes, ‘Anyone But England’, how amusing. Usually an opinion held by someone whose ancestor in 1537 was short-changed by an Englishman.
Anyway, the World Cup should be a good opportunity to see some nice football played. I think it will be an interesting competition, but I can’t really see anyone outside of the usual names being involved. My prediction is for England to reach the quarters, before being knocked out. And that’s assuming a not too difficult second round fixture.
But as observed above, the more interesting World Cup is next year!
EDIT: The great thing about this World Cup is that the British government have increased their supply of aid condoms to South Africa in anticipation of increased demand.
Pretty much this.
However, Capello’s England will probably be one of the favorites even with some important injuries, if i remember correctly. The man is a beast.
What about those short changed in 1776, 1848, 1857 or 1902? ;)
Not really. The World Cup has one or two amazing games every four years, but the majority of the games are defensive slogs, because everyone is terrified of giving up a goal. I would love to see Spain or Argentina open it up and play their normal style this year, but I bet they try to play the usual WC style of almost every nation and play lockdown on defense and counter attack like hell when the opportunity presents itself. Counter attacking is awesome when you have a team loaded with world-class midfielders, but most teams don’t.
Euro 2008 was one of the best tournaments ever, though, so I’m optimistic.
I’m looking forward to seeing whatever mental shit Maradona comes up with. He’s incredible, and might be the worst footballing tactician I’ve ever seen, occasionally reprieved by the fact he has some phenomenal talents to play around the insane choices he makes.
I reckon a Brazil-Spain final, personally. The new model pragmatic Brazil under Dunga are pretty frightening. Pacy, physical, technically strong, threatening up front and miserly at the back. They might be the ones to overcome the traditional trouble South American sides have with tournaments held in Europe.
I would have thought England will lose in the Quarter Finals, as is traditional. I imagine it will be France that does us, following a battling but ultimately indifferent performance. For extra humiliation though, they could limp through the group stage, come in second behind the US, and lose to Germany in the last sixteen. This would put me in a tricky position. It would be horrific, but the sight of John Terry and Ashley Cole crying afterwards would be like sweet, sweet nectar.
Isn’t Domenech still coaching France? They be lucky if they get out of the group stages.
About sums it up really. I am not looking forward to all the hype that ‘it’s our year’ and people banging on about 1966 again. I blame Premiership fans - they expect their teams to do well. Try supporting Watford for 29 years and see what sort of confidence you have in your team’s success.
Do managers get tested for the nose candy? If not, then this could be glorious (if you aren’t an Argentinia fan; if you are, invest in antacids/liquor now).
I reckon a Brazil-Spain final, personally. The new model pragmatic Brazil under Dunga are pretty frightening. Pacy, physical, technically strong, threatening up front and miserly at the back. They might be the ones to overcome the traditional trouble South American sides have with tournaments held in Europe.
Don’t forget they are giants at the front and the back: Dunga has specifically set up this side in this way as to do just that, and to beat in the final a Spain team that is expected to have Barcalona-esque percentages of ball possession. Unless something goes really wrong, we probably won’ts see any jogo bonito* from them this WC; more goals from set pieces than free flowing.
*Not that they don’t have the ability and players to do it, it’s just not Dunga’s perferred style.