The following is "World Cup 101," the first installment of a three-part series on the 2010 World Cup. In Part I, we'll have some fun. I'll introduce you to the tournament and what to expect. Then, in the days leading up to the matches in South Africa I will break down the groups and, ultimately, tell you who's taking the trophy home.
World Cup 101: "Hello World"
Attention all fellow diehard American football fanatics: Yes it’s true, there is a sporting event that’s bigger and more popular than the Super Bowl. It’s called the Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cup. The time has come for you to be educated about the sport those around the world hold dear as the real game of football.
We’re one month away from the biggest soccer tournament in the world. Held once every four years since 1930, this tournament has become one of the most anticipated events across the globe.
In just about every corner of the globe except the United States, football (or futbol) is the word used to describe what Americans call soccer. It’s a sport so beloved that more than 2.6 billion people tuned in to watch the last World Cup, making it one of the most viewed television events in history. The 2010 Super Bowl’s estimated viewership of 153 million pales in comparison.
It's time to educate yourself about this tournament and the beautiful game. Keep reading to learn a little about the teams, when to watch, who to watch and why.
THE FACTS:
The FIFA World Cup is actually a multi-year tournament. The month-long finals occur every four years and 2010 is a championship year. South Africa is the host country and nine of its largest cities are the venues where the various matches will take place. The tournament officially begins on June 11 and ends on July 11.
Since the last Cup in 2006, won by Italy over France in a final that went to penalty kicks, 204 soccer teams from around the world have competed in the qualification phase — a series of tournaments that have narrowed the group down to the final field of 32 teams.
The 32 teams were randomly placed into eight four-team groups back in December, and starting on June 11, each team will play the other three teams in their group. A win is worth three points, a draw is worth 1 and you get zero points for a loss.
The two teams in each group with the most points after the three matches advance. The other two are eliminated. After narrowing the field down to 16, the tournament switches to a knockout format. The eight group winners play the runners-up from other groups and teams keep playing until there is one winner. There can’t be any ties here, so if the match is knotted up after 90 minutes, they’ll play two periods of extra time. If the teams are still tied, they’ll move on penalty kicks.
Here are the groups for the tournament:
MUST SEE MATCHES:
June 12: England-USA: The English, playing in a former colony, take on a former colony. These two allies last met in World Cup play in 1950, when the Yanks pulled off an incredible 1-0 upset.
June 12: Argentina-Nigeria: Africa's most populous nation should have the crowd behind them as they face the FIFA World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi.
June 14: Italy-Paraguay: The Azzurri takes on their toughest opponent in Group F. La Albirroja should still do plenty to threaten an aging Italian side.
June 15: Ivory Coast-Portugal: The Vanity Fair cover boys themselves meet, Drogba and Ronaldo. The loser of this match will have to face Brazil and beat them in order to advance to the next round.
June 25: Portugal-Brazil: Everyone knows the fact that these two teams are in the same group makes this tournament interesting enough, two nations separated by the Atlantic but united by two common languages (Portuguese and soccer).
All matches will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC – click here for the full match schedule.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – perhaps the world’s best current footballer – a technical genius.
Mark Bresciano (Australia) – a versatile midfielder with an eye for the goals.
KaKa (Brazil) – an artistic playmaker, he’ll dribble past defenses with ease.
Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) – he’ll glide into the box past defenders and a great finisher.
Wayne Rooney (England) – aggressive, powerful, a complete striker. Can score any type of goal.
Michael Essien (Ghana) – a dominant defensive midfielder
Wesley Sneijder (Holland) – great long range shooting ability
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) – spectacular to watch, one of the world’s most dangerous strikers.
Sunsuke Nakamura (Japan) – one of the sweetest left feet in football.
Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – explosive, lethal dribbler, long-distance shooter and great free-kick taker.
Xavi (Spain) – the pulse of the Spanish team. His passes are always precise, artistic play.
Landon Donovan (USA) – best player produced by the U.S. A creative, intelligent mid-fielder.
Giuseppe Rossi (Italy) -- Born in N.J., has a feared left foot, full of power and accuracy.
THE FUN:
1. That buzzing sound you’ll hear on the TV broadcasts is not a constipated elephant or a giant swarm of bees. It’s the sound of “vuvuzelas” – a big plastic trumpet, brightly colored, and is blown with gusto by all fans at every football match in the country.
2. What’s “Waka-Waka?" - aside from being Fozzie the Bear's catchphrase, it’s the official song of the 2010 World Cup. It’s co-written and performed by Shakira. “Wake Waka” means “This Time for Africa." Click here to see the video.
3. #11: The opening match takes place on June 11 and the final on July 11. Adidas has designed an official ball that will feature 11 colors, denoting both the number of players on a team as well as the fact that the host country has 11 officially recognized languages.
4. #10: The number traditionally worn by a team's top playmaker. In South Africa you’ll see players such as Donovan (USA), Rooney (England), Kaka (Brazil), Eto'o (Cameroon) and Messi (Argentina), the FIFA World Player of the Year, among others wear #10 on their backs. Don’t forget the world’s best footballer to date, Pele, wore #10 as well.
5. Don’t be surprised to hear the countries referred to by their “soccer-names." Usually these names have something to do with the color of their jersey; sometimes not! Here are some common ones you’ll hear:
Argentina: “Albiceleste”
Mexico: “El Tri”
Brazil: “A Selecao”
Italy: “Azzurri”
England: “The Three Lions”
South Africa: “Bafana Bafana”
France: ”Les Bleus”
Spain: “La Furia Roja”
Holland: “Oranje”
USA: “The Yanks”
Nigeria: "Super Eagles"
Cameroon: "The Indomitable Lions"
A LITTLE HISTORY:
As I stated before, Italy won the Cup in 2006, it's fourth all-time. Brazil holds the record with five titles. Below is a graphic revealing all the champions since 1930:
Coming soon: Part II of this series, World Cup 102: "The Teams." I will break down the teams and the groups. Then, in Part III, World Cup 103: "The Prediction," I will lay it all out there. Who will take home the title, and why.
Deb Borges may get more excited about soccer and the World Cup then she does the NFL's New York Jets. This is obviously her time of year. I HIGHLY suggest you follow her on Twitter at @LilMissNYJet
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