Also, Romania, my chosen home are not there because they are utterly rubbish at the moment, and neither are Hungary, who at least would garner local interest were they there, but they've been shit ever since the 50s.
So, who should I support? Here is a site which has some complex formula to tell you which country ought to get your support (Ghana, apparently). I would be very happy were an African team to win, and Ghana are the most likely to do OK, it would seem.
But I have to have arbitrary criteria. Algeria have one good thing going for them - the presence in their squad of ex-Sheffield Wednesday defender Madjid Bougherra. But the best option is Honduras. Yes, they did have a very dodgy coup last year, which is not exactly what one looks for in a nation (I'm not sure how they come 3rd in that site above given that to be honest), but there are some reasons to support them (these may not convince you but bear with me)
- I have seen them play. I have only seen 3 international matches in my life, so this is something that sets them apart - two when I was working as a steward at Wembley and saw England play Scotland and then Columbia three days later in something called the Rous Cup, and the other as a paying customer in Washington DC in a World Cup qualifier a good few years ago - The USA vs Honduras. It was a great day out and Honduras surprisingly won 3-2 with a great performance. I distinguished myself by chanting "You're not singing any more" in the face of a baffled and rather initimidated teenage girl, which is not exactly my finest moment.
- Their captain is called "Guevara". Need I say more?
- They wear blue and white stripes. There is no better footballing strip than the classic blue and white stripe. And this is objectively and unargaubly true. But Argentina's light blue and white doesn't cut it. You need royal blue.
Once they get knocked out though, I'm going for Spain. Don't think they'll win either, but I'd like them too.
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4 comments:
Whilst I would use more temperate language, I absolutely agree with you about England - I think some of those boys might be quite pleasant company down the pub - Ledley King, Joe Cole and Joe Hart for example - but they are all part of a system that is going to end in rack and ruin for the sport.
'Poor old' Ashley Cole is the one who gets it in the neck all the time about his wage demands (for those who don't know, the then-Arsenal full back described an offer to raise his wages to £55,000 a week as 'taking the piss'), but they are all the same. Not one of them would choose to say - why don't you pay us a bit less, then maybe the club won't go into administration?
The only one who has questioned the way football runs itself is goalkeeper David James, who writes a thoughtful column in The Observer.
Re choosing a team to support - it's easy for me. I just support any team that has a Fulham or ex-Fulham player in it. So I support USA, Australia, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria (current players) and New Zealand and Japan (former players Elliot and Inamoto). Surely one of those will reach the semi-finals???
One of the few things about being argentinian is that if there is a thing we have is a team to support and have a laugh now with Maradona and his whimsical line of thought doing whatever he feels like in the face of Blatter, Platini andBeckenbaure, the lords of FIFA...
Let us enjoy the matches!1
Nevertheless, I wouldn't like Southafrica not to make it to the quarter finals and I support the effortsof algeria and Honduras, but down her ewe always know that these presences are many times accompanied by horror in the homeland (which is most likely our case... we have had the experience)
I was sorry to see North Korea get humiliated 7-0 by Portugal earlier today. After the Brazil game, I was hoping that they would do well. I think that could have helped the people in the world's ruling countries see the people of that country in a more positive light - which is greatly needed.
Lasse! Hope you're doing OK. Good luck to Denmark today. Could really go on to something big this year - beat Japan, play Paraguay next, and then if Spain don't win their group, Switzerland or Chile or Portugal. All very winnable games. Semi finals?
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