What sports teams do you support?

[Мастер]

I guess there is a possibility it will be Algeria, not Belgium.

Russia and South Korea do not seem like the best they can do is second place.

[MM_Dandy]

I guess there is a possibility it will be Algeria, not Belgium.

Russia and South Korea do not seem like the best they can do is second place.

You're right, Russia can't catch Belgium - so go Algeria, too!

Edit: So the scenario is - South Korea must win, and Algeria must win, and Algeria will take first on net goal differential. That's it. Any combination of scores will do so long as those things happen.

[Arneb]

Isn't World Cup math glorious?

And yes, I bit when der Boß offered me the bait But it tastes so nice.

But Fake Pilgrim Father beards? Come ON!!!

[MM_Dandy]

In preparation for our glorious victory over the sinister forces, I'll be listening to the Captain America soundtrack.

Eh? You are the sinister forces.

...Fake Pilgrim Father beards? Come ON!!!

What's that? Sorry! I can't hear you over the Captain America soundtrack!

[Lance]

I think we may be taking the llama-king a little too seriously, guys.

Yeah, I'm just in this for the laughs...

But seriously, how are the teams made up?

Are there leagues in each country that play and the winner in each country goes to the WC? Or is it more like an All Stars team from each country's players?

[Heid the Ba]

As we say over her, don't you have it one size smaller...?

I will use this often. And don' tget me started on "Leader of the Free World".

[Heid the Ba]

Are there leagues in each country that play and the winner in each country goes to the WC? Or is it more like an All Stars team from each country's players?

It is an all star team of players eligible to play for the country. In some national teams many (or most) will play outside their country.

[Arneb]

Exactly. In Germany, there was a rstrictive policy right into the 80s - if you played outside the country, you were not called to represent your country in the national team. Perhaps our best player ever, Beckenbauer, went to play for New York Cosmos in '75 in order to make real money, and they threw him out. Smaller countries without strong professional leagues never afforded that luxury.

It's like the national teams countries send to the Olympics (remember the Dream Team in '92?). The difference maybe is that soccer is highly structuered. Most countries have a governing body that oversees all aspects of the sport, with small-time amateur leagues forming a continuum between the Hyde Park Belly Pushers up to Manchester United or FC Chelsea. The national bodies (which organize and pay for the National team and its coaching staff) are integrated into continental federations, and these support FIFA, the worldwide governing body organizing the World Cup and setting the global rules. FIFA distribute places in the World Cup Final rounds to each continental body according to the continent's relative stregth, and the continental federations organize the qualifying rounds betweem the member countries. The Leader of the Free World, for example, is in a confederation with Canada, the Caribbean and Central America, CONCACAF (whatever that means). They have 3.5 participants per World Cup, wich means that it's basically always Mexico, the US, someone else, and maybe yet another someone else (to be found in a pair of decider matches between continental federations that have "half a place" in the World Cup). This time, it's the US, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico.

[Lance]

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense now.

And I must admit, the few minutes of the game I actually watched were entertaining. Maybe I'll try to catch some more of the next one.

I think I would like it more if the scores were like "12-9" and there was a lot of back and forth. "1-0" seems like much ado to not really get anywhere.

[MM_Dandy]

FIBA (the basketball equivalent to FIFA) is similarly structured. In fact, that World Championship tournament starts up in just a couple of months. Team USA won it last time, but they're not getting everyone back (Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, to name a few), and the ones that are coming back probably aren't going to be 100%. Still, I think they're considered the favorites, and they should at least be able to make it out of their group without any issues. Their group isn't very strong, and 4 out of 6 teams will advance from each group (4 groups, 24 teams total).

Of the resident countries of our active members, only the USA and New Zealand will be there. Otherwise, Germany is conspicuously missing, and Great Britain, while much improved recently, also missed the tourney. Singapore and the Netherlands also did not qualify. But there's always Spain (the host country and ranked 2nd in the world behind the US), France, Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Finland, and whoever is playing the U.S. to cheer for. Sorry, Mactep, no Russia or China this year - which is a bit of a surprise, to me.

[Arneb]

The differences in culture become evident with these tournaments. In the ROW, countries structure their sports seasons around the international tournaments, and there is a worldwide blocking of dates for international games. The clubs wouldn't seriously consider NOT letting players take part in the tournaments (or their qualifiers) because the tournaments are curical venues for the palyers to attain visibility and increase their value. In the US, when there is an ice hockey would chapionship, it's like "So you want us to interrupt the Stanley Cup playoffs for WHAT? Ya kiddin'"

[Мастер]

Singapore and the Netherlands also did not qualify.

I am tall, but not NBA tall. Given how I tower above the crowd whenever I ride the train, I do not find Singapore's failure to qualify surprising!

[Heid the Ba]

Great Britain, while much improved recently, also missed the tourney.

Yeah, we got a lot better before the Olympics and it largely depends on whether our two (?) guys who play in the NBA are there or not.

[MM_Dandy]

Singapore and the Netherlands also did not qualify.

I am tall, but not NBA tall. Given how I tower above the crowd whenever I ride the train, I do not find Singapore's failure to qualify surprising!

I was surprised to see that they even have a national team website. And, it seems to be kept up to date - which is more than I can say for FIBA's online presence. So, at least it looks like somebody cares over there. After doing a little more research, it seems that Singapore is a member of the Southeast Asia region of the Asia zone along with Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. In least year's regional tournament, Singapore placed third, not quite qualifying for the Asia Championship.

[Enzo]

I am not yet caught up in the fever, shall we say. But I observe in the news coverage as USA progresses here. One thing I note is fan behavior. In the usual sports like baseball or US football, a score is usually followed by a brief cheer and fan reaction. A touchdown gets an immediate HOORAH and jumping up and down, and pretty quickly it dies down to individuals exclaiming "Did you SEE that? Whoa!"

I could be wrong, but seems to me when we see "foreigners" watching soccer, a goal starts a very lengthy running around and cheering and other histrionics. I seem to notice Americans watching in taverns adopting this same rooting behavior when watching soccer. I am wondering if we will also adopt fan hooliganism. Will we be able to tear apart stadiums and start huge brawls with the rest of the world?


Oh, and what about the "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL" guy? America discovered him some time ago, and then he heard him everywhere for a while. It is cute at first, but then gets tiring. How does the rest of the world react to him, or does it even care?

[Мастер]

Oh, and what about the "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL" guy? America discovered him some time ago, and then he heard him everywhere for a while. It is cute at first, but then gets tiring. How does the rest of the world react to him, or does it even care?

I've been here in Beijing, and I think I now know what the Chinese word for "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL" is.

[MM_Dandy]

Woah - the home team nearly gets bounced! Brazil advances on penalty kicks. Columbia takes care of Uruguay in the absence of Hannibal Lecter.

[Arneb]

BRA - COL, not the quarterfinal most people would have expected.

[Heid the Ba]

Always good to see the keeper running around . . .

[Arneb]

I am knackered. This can't go on. Either they get their act together or it'a full stop on Saturday.

[Мастер]

Feckin' Nigerians

[Arneb]

Feckin' Nigerians

I take it you'll be a fervent 'Schlander on Friday?

[Мастер]

Feckin' Nigerians

I take it you'll be a fervent 'Schlander on Friday?

Despite their disappointing performance against the Evil Empire, I will definitely root for 'Schland on Saturday. I'll be doing it from Shanghai.

All the African teams and all the Asian teams are gone

[Heid the Ba]

All the African teams and all the Asian teams are gone

Well 'Schland (if I may call them that) have a player with a Ghanaian father and another with a Tunisian father, so sort of African. I don't know of any Asian connection, unless you count Turkey. They are very multi culti these days.

I had slightly divided loyalties last night as I have Algeria in our work sweepstake, but they would have had to get to the final to win me anything.

[Arneb]

So provided the USA get pummeled by Belgium today (not sure about that), all IRU is one supporters club for 'Schland?