Soccer and baseball are actually very similar sports in terms of how people watch them. True fans of each sport love every moment. Purist soccer fans get excited for every pass, every corner kick, free kick, and every shot in the general direction of the goal. Similarly, the same level of baseball fan loves the strategy of each pitch and every manager decision; the bunts, steals, and specifically placed pitches.
On the other side of the spectrum is the casual fan who isn't as interested in the little things. People who say baseball is boring only like seeing huge home runs, curveballs that buckle the batter's knees, fastballs in the triple digits, and amazing diving catches. This is how I imagine most Americans view soccer. And the 0-0 game that Uruguay and France played earlier will just add to argument that soccer is a boring, international sport. The casual fan wants amazing goals, clutch diving saves from the goalies, and most of all, an actual ending to the game, not a draw (more on that game in a bit).
If the U.S. loses early in the tournament, these kind of fans may lose interest. Which brings up another interesting point. Besides the U.S., how do American soccer fans choose which country to root for? I personally know people rooting for Mexico because that's where their parents came from, but what about others?
I have 3 theories for other teams to root for: 1) American soccer fans watch European soccer, then root for players from their favorite team (such as Ronaldo from Real Madrid) rather than the country itself, 2) they root for high ranking teams like Brazil, knowing they'll be in the tournament longer, or 3) they choose to root for or against teams because they like or dislike the country being represented (example, many Americans dislike France, therefore they root against them.)
But enough about that, on to the World Cup itself.
World Cup Preview:
I'll be going over each group from Group A to Group H, picking the two teams who I believe will come out of each group. Starting with the 4 teams who started it off.
Group A: South Africa (Ranked No. 83 by FIFA), Mexico (No. 17), Uruguay (No. 16), France (No. 9)France is favored by many fans to make it out of this group. However, I'm not entirely sure. This French team has been plagued with controversy and dishevelment. The coach has already been fired (after the World Cup) and reportedly has been involved in numerous sex scandals. Also, the handball controversy against Ireland still hangs over the team like a dark cloud. The big question for them is can they put all the off-field issues aside and move on from this group?
Uruguay may be the most talented team in the group, with forward Diego Forlan leading the way. They proved their athletic ability and tough defensive play against France, forcing the 0-0 draw. But 0 goals will not take you far in the World Cup. Can they continue to rely on Forlan for offensive firepower, or will other players need to step up?
Mexico features a talented young squad with some veteran leadership and great coaching from Javier Aguirre. However, taking their history in mind, Mexico has never made it out of the quarterfinals in a World Cup they did not host. And against the low-ranked South Africa, they could only force a draw. This team has a tendency to under-perform to the level of their talent.Finally, there is the host country's team of South Africa, or Bafana Bafana as the locals call the team. While they are the second lowest-ranked team in the field, do not underestimate their passion. Any team surrounded by thousands of their own fans can step up and pull out an upset, and they have already shown some ability by netting a goal on Mexico and holding them to a draw. Can the host team draw off the crowd enough to move to the knockout stage?
Picks for Group A: I think Uruguay is coming out of this group for sure. Their athletic ability is amazing and it's always hard to bet against any South American soccer team. The second pick is hard. France is favored but in disarray. Mexico could make it out, but I always love to see a hometown underdog succeed, which is why I believe South Africa will in fact make it out of this group.
Group B: Argentina (No. 7), South Korea (No. 47), Nigeria (No. 21), Greece (No. 13)
Argentina is the obvious favorite to make it out of this group, maybe even reach the finals. They are lead by arguably the best player in the world in Lionel Messi, as well as the controversial coach Diego Maradona, who has taken some shots at the media...literally. And while they only defeated Nigeria 1-0, they set up plenty of opportunities to score more goals. Can this team live up to the expectations set up by the best player and spotlighted coach?
South Korea is coming into the World Cup as possibly the most underrated team. Their main strength is their stamina, as they hope to outlast their opponent for 90+ minutes. It's tough to talk about their good players because, honestly, I can't tell them apart (Yeah that's right, bad Asian joke). But I'm not talking about their looks. Their best player is Park Ji-Sung, but he's not the only Park on the team, and then there's a couple Lee's, so on and so forth. All kidding aside, Ji-Sung brings incredible talent and experience from Manchester United. However, this team has never made it out of the group stage away from home and has a tendency to under-perform against lower ranked teams. So which South Korea will show up?
Nigeria is excited to play in the first World Cup on African soil, but how long they will be there is a big question. The team lacks any big stars, and history shows they will not make it past the second round, and be lucky to advance past the first. They did hold Argentina to a 1-0 game, which is a plus considering it's Argentina, but rarely had any shots on goal. They also performed very well in qualifying, but the African countries are typically not a strong area in soccer. Can any player on this team step up and deliver?
Greece shocked all of Europe by winning the Euro 2004 tournament. And the two Greek clubs in European soccer have vastly improved over the last few years. Coach Otto Rehhagel's defensive play style lead them to their '04 victory, but he has changed little about this style and many teams may be ready for it. Greece has only been to the World Cup once before, back in 1994, where they were dismantled by a tough first group. The group this year is not much easier. Many people are wondering if Greece can score at all, and their 0-2 loss to South Korea has already echoed these doubts. Can Greece turn it on, or will their continued defensive gameplay lead to their downfall?
Picks for Group B: Argentina is pretty much a surefire bet to make it far in the tournament, so I don't see them struggling to make it out of the first group. Once again the second team to choose is hard, as it's completely up in the air. Nigeria does not seem experienced enough to crawl out. Before Saturday's game, I would have picked Greece, but the way South Korea beat them (2-0) has me convinced. South Korea will make it to the next round.
Groups C-H should be posted over the next couple days. Hopefully I can get all my picks out before the next round. Now excuse, time to go cheer on the home team. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A!
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