Now that the draw for one of the world's largest and most popular sporting spectacle is done, what do you -- the non-soccer fan -- need to know about the World Cup?
More people than you think care about this tournament. Basically anybody who speaks English with an accent or has an ethnic-sounding last name has some rooting interest; and if they're not a fan, you can bet someone close to them is.
Given that most readers aren't hard-core followers, here are some nuggets for the watercooler:
How did the U.S. fare? Two words: Great draw. England is in the same group, but we avoided tough 'name' teams with Algeria and Slovenia, both of whom had to win a two-leg playoff in order to get the 32-team World Cup finals. Winning the group could mean a nice path to the semifinals.
What about those cheaters? Ah yes, the French. A missed handball call allowed France to score a goal that vanquished the Irish in their playoffs. Bad karma did not prevent the French from getting a favorable draw, one that includes the weak host nation (South Africa).
What about the `Group of Death'? This is the term used to describe the most difficult group of four teams; there are eight in the tournament. The consensus is that Group G is this year's winner. Brazil, always a perennial tournament favorite and top-ranked team in the FIFA rankings, was drawn with a talented Portugal team and Ivory Coast, arguably the best African side. The third-place team in this group was a good bet to advance to the second round (the two teams in group play move on) in any other group.
For the serious soccer fan, there will be more analysis as the start of the tournament draws closer in June.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment