What sports teams do you support?

[Lance]

To our transpondian friends: There's a good chance this will represent a top event in soccer football, so if you want to try soccer, tonight is probably a good night.

What should I look for?

[Arneb]

Just watch the game for fun (but it's already over now).

[Arneb]

Very good game indeed. Real Madrid win surprisingly easily, 4 - 1, against Juventus Turin, la Vecchia Signora.

[Lance]

Just watch the game for fun (but it's already over now).

I meant in the TV listings. Like what teams, or something to identify it by.

[Arneb]

Ah, sorry. "UEFA Champions League Final, Real Madrid, - Juventus Turin". Some combination of those words.

[Lance]

It's on right now but I don't get the channel. Oh well...

[Arneb]

There is the Confederations Cup in late June featuring the current World Champion (Germany), the coming World Championship host (Russia), and the 6 Continental Champions (Portugal, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Cameroon, and Mexico). No nation plays it with utmost sincerity, because it is regarded as rather irrelevant, but it could promise a few nice games. It is held in Russia, and serves as a dress rehearsal for next year's World Championship there. I suppose if the U.S had won the last Gold Cup, and not Mexico, it would have attracted more interest in the U.S. - but maybe some second rate fee sports channel will carry it. Because of time zones and the Earth generally being a sphere, most of the games will be held around your noon-time.

To our cispondian connaisseurs: How did you like the game?

[Heid the Ba]

India - Pakistan at Poof/stick/ball. India winning. Jai Hind! Pakistan Zindabad! Etc.

[Heid the Ba]

Jai hind as it turned out. Tubes's lot just lost to Eng-ger-Lund which is disappointing.

[Arneb]

While your lot didn't!

Scotland 2 - 2 England in a World Cup qualifier in Glasgow

Always bitter to receive a late late equalizer, but good work, fallas!

Germany 7 - 0 San Marino in the same competition, different group.

Yeah, I mean, come on! San Marino...

Played 170, won 82, drawn 33, lost 55.

[MM_Dandy]

Meanwhile, the US continues it's long tradition of mediocrity: Mexico 1 - 1 USA. (Note: no need to include this result in your tallies).

[Heid the Ba]

You scored a pretty spectacular goal though, that counts for something.

[Arneb]

And Mexico is certainly at the upper end of mediocrity in soccer.

[Heid the Ba]

Pakistan have just beaten England like the proverbial at Poof/stick/ball in the competition being held in England. No English team has done this badly at a home tournament since the last Rugby World Cup two years ago.

Edit: drunken typo.

[Heid the Ba]

Pakistan play the winners of India -v- Bangladesh which is taking place just now. The commentators are making a big thing of the Indo-Pak rivalry with apparently no idea that the Pak-Bangla rivalry involved a civil war in their lifetime.

[Arneb]

Yeah, but since when have wars between Muslims interested anyone?

[Heid the Ba]

True, one of my favourite arguments is that the Partition of India in 1947 had a greater effect on Britain and British society than World War Two. I partly play Devil's Advocate but that and the wars of 1965 and 1971 affected the UK more than anything else in the late 20th Century. Most people have no idea why we have so many curry houses and why they are usually Punjabi or Bangla.

[Мастер]

Scotland defeat the Forces of Darkness. Not sure if it is the first time in history in Australia, or just in this particular stadium.

[Heid the Ba]

That stadium, we beat them the last time we played them in the Convict Colony.

[Heid the Ba]

Pakistan Zindabad!

[Heid the Ba]

And the new season starts on June 29th when Rangers play Progres Niederkorn of Luxembourg in the qualifying for the Europa League.

Played 0, won 0, drawn 0, lost 0.

[Arneb]

Wait a second! Germany are playing Awstrahliur in the Confederations Cup right now. It's not over till the fat lady sings

[Arneb]

Australia 2 - 3 Germany, in a first-round match of the Confederations Cup.

Every team except Germany is there with all their top footballers, while Germany have chosen to give their stars a few weeks off and play with a high-level farm team. They weren't too impressive, and they will have to get considerably better against Chile, and possibly Cameroon, too.

Played 171, won 83, drawn 33, lost 55.

[Lianachan]

Currently watching Tubes' brave lads trailing 2-1 to the taco munchers in the same competition.

[Arneb]

So,
Chile 1 - 1 Germany in the Confed Cup second round. It was described as a "toughness test" here, because Chile is very strong at the moment and play a very physical and fast game. Well done, boys!

I am adding in results from the Under-21 European Championship, which are taking place alongside the Confed Cup as a deliberate idiocy, just because I like to spruce up our wins quota:

Czech Republic 0 - 2 Germany (June 19)
Germany 3 - 0 Denmark (today)

That gives us
Played 174, won 85, drawn 34, lost 55.