World Cup 2010 Neutrals' Gu...

World Cup 2010 neutrals' guide: Who should you support in South Africa?... http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/828309-world-cup-2010-neutrals...
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3 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
Tickets
Alistair Potter, Martin Ashplant, Simon Garner, Stephen Hull, Ted Thornhill, Tom Phillips - 1st June, 2010
Share |
World Cup 2010 neutrals' guide: Who should you

support in South Africa?
For the 32 nations at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, now is the
time for unquestioning partisan support, but for those missing out this
can be an alienating time.
(3)
Solution: Use Metro's neutrals' guide to pick a nation to follow. Failing that, use our World Cup sweepstake kit
and pick one out of a hat.
METRO'S COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY GUIDE TO THE WORLD CUP...
IVORY COAST
Didier Drogba's little tiff at Frank Lampard over a late-season

penalty
A good reason to support them...

Of all the African teams, they have the best chance to do well with home continent advantage and they boast
some of the greatest African players of their generation.
A good reason not to...

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is a whinging little baby and he's already won the Premier League, FA Cup, and
the English golden boot. What more does he want?
SERBIA

For Manchester United fans, they've got Nemanja Vidic; for Chelsea fans, they've got Branislav Ivanovic; and
for Liverpool fans, they've got Milan Jovanovic.
4 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM

For Chelsea fans, they've got Nemanja Vidic; for Manchester United fans, they've got Branislav Ivanovic; and
for Chelsea fans, they've got Milan Jovanovic.
SOUTH KOREA

As the fairytale story of the 2002 World Cup when they surprisingly reached the semi-finals, South Korea
inherited many neutral fans - if only for beating Italy on the way.

If they inadvertently get through to the semi-finals again and, somehow, North Korea join them, we could have
World War III on our hands - regardless of the result.
NORTH KOREA
Nope, not that one. THAT one.

Massive, massive underdogs - only New Zealand have longer odds to win the tournament. Everyone loves an
underdog.

Kim-Jong Il's apparently a bit of a tyrant. Someone else told me that, I'm not suggesting it myself (just in case
you're reading this, Kim).
URUGUAY

If you think England are living off former glories by banging on about 1966 all the time, Uruguay are something
else. Having won the World Cup twice in 1930 and 1950, they’ve only won one of their last 16 matches in the
tournament. A reversal of fortunes is well overdue.

They failed in their duty to knock out Argentina in the South American qualifying stages, losing 1-0 at home
when a win would have forced Maradona et al into a tricky little playoff.
SWITZERLAND

Probably the least offensive country of them all. I'm not sure I know anyone who can muster any form of
extreme feeling towards Switzerland, be it love or hate.
5 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
They're always neutral in EVERYTHING. Why should you choose to side with them?
GERMANY
West Germany lift the 1990 World Cup - although this was the
last time they won it

You're guaranteed to see at least some success, and in any knockout round you know you'll only ever need a
draw after extra time to go through...

They've won it enough times already and we're all a bit bored of the same old faces in the last four. Let someone
else have a go.
HONDURAS

It's their first appearance in a Fifa World Cup since 1982 so they will be a bit nervous and disorientated with all
the attention (flashing lightbulbs etc) and they're in Spain's group, so these boys need all the help they can get.

It's their first appearance in a Fifa World Cup since 1982, so they will be a bit nervous and disorientated with all
the attention (flashing lightbulbs etc) and then they'll get hammered by Spain, so these boys are a lost cause from
the off.
BRAZIL

They're the No1 ranked team in the world and play to the rythmn of the samba. It truly is the beautiful game
when Brazil play - and they always do exceptionally well. The Seleção have won the World Cup more times than
anyone else.

The rythmn of the samba? What sort of nonsense is that? Football is about blood, thunder and passion. It's about
heroes, bandaged up, giving it both barrels till the final whistle. Brazil have got it all wrong.
ARGENTINA

Although they struggled to qualify Argentina have a real chance of winning the World Cup, essentially because
they have the world's best player in their side - Barcelona's talisman Lionel Messi. Plus, they play with verve and
style. You may remember them stringing mesmeric quantities of passes together in the last World Cup, which
nearly made the opposition cry.
6 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM

Know who their manager is? Diego Maradona. Yep, the dastardly Hand of God himself. They're coached by a
man of dubious honour. Avoid.
The Hand of
God - Diego Maradona beating Peter Shilton to the ball in 1986
ALGERIA

Their nickname is The Desert Foxes. How cool is that? You'll be able to chant in pubs that your team is going to
'outfox' the opposition, which would be fairly awesome, perhaps.

They're in the same group as England, the USA and Slovenia, so that's them out then.
JAPAN

They've qualified for the past four Fifa World Cups - impressive stuff. And they were the first team to book their
place in this year's competition. Again, impressive. So, they'll be brimming with confidence and are capable of
causing any team real problems.

They kill an awful lot of whales, which isn't really on.
MEXICO

They love football over in Mexico and it's about time they had something to shout about. They also produce
some scintillating stuff on the pitch. Think Cuauhtémoc Blanco's sublime (if totally ineffective) jump trick which
lit up the World Cup in 1998.

They were the cause of us all wearing stupid face masks on the way to work and single-handedly ruined the
summers of countless teenagers who were banned from kissing in the streets because of the swine flu hysteria
that swept the world last year. But then again, we gave the world mad cow disease, so who are we to judge.
7 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
CHILE

They come from the longest country in the world. That's got to count for something, right?
Marcelo Rios isn't on the All England Club's Christmas card list

"I don’t take Wimbledon, like playing on grass, very seriously. Grass is for cows and soccer." – Chilean tennis
player Marcelo Rios.
SOUTH AFRICA

They're the host nation and nothing gets a World Cup going better than when the hosts do well. Let's be honest,
no-one wants to see the Bafana Bafana (see, that nickname is another reason to support them) go out early and
the locals lose interest.

They gave the footballing world Quinton Fortune.
NEW ZEALAND

Because most of the entire Kiwi nation appear to live in west London.

Because most of the entire Kiwi nation appear to live in west London.
NIGERIA

In Nwankwo Kanu, they surely must have the oldest player ever to grace the World Cup. At 75 years and 11
months he makes Roger Milla look like the most proverbial of spring chickens.
8 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
Ever received one of those emails? (Channel 4)
A good reason not to... Dear Sir,

Having consulted with my colleagues and based on the information gathered from the Nigerian Chambers Of
Commerce And Industry, I have the privilege to request your assistance to transfer the sum of $47,500,000.00
(forty seven million, five hundred thousand United States dollars) into your accounts....
SLOVAKIA

They're appearing in the World Cup for the first time ever as an independent country - after topping their group
in qualifying, beating World Cup regulars Poland and the Czech Republic en route - and, with their first game
against tournament underdogs New Zealand, they have a great chance to get off to a winning start.

If you're not a fan of the mäkÄ eÅ diacritic mark - or Ë , as it's otherwise known - especially when it appears
above the letter S, then you'll absolutely hate the Slovakian squad. Dušan Perniš, Tomáš HuboÄ an and Dušan
Švento especially.
GHANA

Probably the best goal the Premier League has ever seen was scored by a Ghanaian. Tony Yeboah's scorching 30
yard volley against Liverpool was a joy to behold.

The Ghanain national team's nickname is the Black Stars - derived from the black star on their national flag. Nice
thought, but it does make them sound a bit evil and brings to mind punitive measures against us at school as we
repeatedly failed to meet expectations.
FRANCE
9 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

You're an Arsenal fan. Your favourite players are William Gallas, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri, Bacary Sagna etc,
etc, etc. Vive la France!

They shouldn't even BE in the tournament. Thierry Henry single-handedly robbed Rep of Ireland of a place in
the finals with a blatant handball in the lead-up to their winning goal. Thief la France!
GREECE

You have to feel sorry for the Greeks, they've got it tough at the moment. Astronomical levels of debt means
many are struggling to make ends meet. Greece needs a lift, and a good performance in South Africa would be
just the tonic.

Who are the most insipid international team ever to win a major tournament? Step forward the champions of
Euro 2004 - Greece.
NETHERLANDS

Holland's set of supporters are widely known as the friendliest and most colourful in the world. Thousands of
burly moustachio'd Dutchmen decked out in lurid orange - a fine sight indeed.
Thosesh kraezy Dutch fansh... No,

wait, they're from Blackpool

Just how are they so good at football? Year after year this tiny country produces an abundance of world-class
10 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
players, completely undermining the English argument that 'we're underdogs punching above our weight'. By
rights they should be as good as Scotland. In reality, they're ranked fourth in the world. It's really annoying.
CAMEROON

Roger Milla's joyful corner flag jigs helped make Italia '90 the best World Cup ever.

Roger Milla's joyful corner flag jigs inspired countless idiotic routines, including Lee Sharpe's 'Elvis using a
microphone' and Tim Cahill's 'Look at me, I'm a boxer as well as a footballer'.
SPAIN

They play stylish, attacking football with probably the most insanely talented midfield line-up in world football,
they're number two in the Fifa rankings, and after their undefeated triumph in Euro 2008 they don't even have
the perpetual tag of big-stage bottlers any more.

Certain commentators have suggested that not all Spanish supporters are the most tolerant, progressive, or broad-
minded...
SLOVENIA

Slovenia's 2010 Eurovision entry.

Slovenia's 2010 Eurovision entry.
ENGLAND

Because, oh, you know, greatest team ever, um, players who are wonderful role-models to aspiring young
footballers, and, er… um, 1966! ALF RAMSEY! NOBBY STILES! FOOTBALL'S COMING HOME!
ENG-GER-LAAAAAND!
England fans are generally an unruly

bunch

Will go out on penalties in the quarter finals again, and in their traditional self-obsessed, small-minded,
xenophobic way will manage to blame it all on cheating foreigners and will refuse to shut up about it for years.
11 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
PARAGUAY

Were a major surprise in qualification for the tournament, beating South American powerhouses Brazil,
Argentina, Chile and Colombia on the way to the World Cup finals, and look good odds to achieve qualification
from their group. Premier League fans will know Roque Santa Cruz in particular as a fine striker when he isn't
busy being injured.

If you're Bolivian, you might still be bitter about the Chaco War of 1932 to 1935 over the contested Gran Chaco
region.
DENMARK

Peaceful Danish football fans are known as 'roligans' and are famed for their calm and cheerful anti-hooligan
attitude to football. So even if you lose you won't get too upset.

Coupled with becoming a 'roligan' is the inner knowledge that at one stage, probably in the first round, you're
going to flop out of the cup and be on the way home.
ITALY
Italian fans on vespas. As usual.

Boasting Lambrettas, Versace and Gucci the second most successful team in World Cup history (and defending
champions) will mean you'll be cool and competitive - not a bad combination.

Be warned: Whilst sipping your espresso and chatting up a foxy lady during the match you may be head-butted
in the chest by a very angry Zinedine Zidane.
PORTUGAL

Stuck in the 'Group of Death' alongside Brazil, Ivory Coast and North Korea could make most teams crumble,
but with talent like Ronaldo you'll be guaranteed breathtaking, exciting football - win or lose.

Having to support the cheeky little winker Ronaldo and his artful gamesmanship could prove too much - even for
a neutral football fan.
12 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
AUSTRALIA

We all love an underdog, and for once the Aussies (who normally play with egg-shaped balls) are certainly not
tipped for success. You'd have to hope efforts in the Ashes 2009 or World Cup Twenty20 are not repeated on
the football pitch, though.

Neighbours, Home & Away, Fosters lager, Shane Warne, the music of Kylie Minogue, Skippy the Bush
Kangaroo and still celebrating a narrow win against England in a friendly are all very, very, good reasons not to
support Australia (at anything).
USA

If you ever needed an excuse to wear a large foam hand with a pointing finger, wear a baseball cap backwards
and shout 'USA, USA' then now's your chance. Be yourself, but don't expect to win much.

Let’s get one thing straight right now. If there's one thing worth preserving from the invasion of evil North
American influence it's soccer, er, football.
'U-S-A! U-S-A!' - on a scale of 1 to 10,

how annoying are these guys?
Share | Share this article...
You say:
nemanja vidiÃ ,,Ã + 4 presidentkatarina kosaca, ljubljana, 11/6/2010 18:43Report abuse
Nemanja VidiÃ ,,Ã + for president :)katarina kosaca, ljubljana, 11/6/2010 18:41Report abuse
Eric Djemba Djemba is Cameroonian not South AfricanColm, Belfast, 28/5/2010 15:58Report abuse
13 of 20 6/13/2010 10:03 PM
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World Cup 2010 neutrals' guide: Who should you

METRO'S COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY GUIDE TO THE WORLD CUP...

Didier Drogba's little tiff at Frank Lampard over a late-season

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

Nope, not that one. THAT one.

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

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A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

Ever received one of those emails? (Channel 4)

A good reason not to... Dear Sir,

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

Thosesh kraezy Dutch fansh... No,

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

A good reason not to...

A good reason to support them...

England fans are generally an unruly

A good reason not to...