How Do I Care Enough About Soccer to Have a World Cup Delimma?

Too bad you can’t stick around for the tournament experience!

The World Cup in South Africa is technically the “finals” and it involves 32 countries/teams. Qualifying games have taken place over the past 3 years. Qualifying happens within each of the 6 FIFA continental zones (Africa, Asia, North/Central America + Carribean, South America, Oceania, and Europe) with a number of slots pre-determined for each zone by some kind of FIFA magic. The host country receives an automatic bid.

The tournament is organized in two main stages – the group stage, followed by the knockout stage. For the former, countries are grouped into 8 groups of 4 teams each. Within each group games are played round-robin style with each team playing the other 3 teams in the group exactly once. A win is worth 3 points, a tie is worth 1 point, and a loss is nothing. After all group games are played, the top two teams in each group (i.e. total points, with tiebreakers being 1-highest goal differential, 2-total goals scored, more…) advance to the knockout stage. Teams are seeded and then a knockout tournament is played until one remains. Games in the knockout stage can’t end in a tie. If after the 90 minutes of regulation time the game is tied, two 15 minute periods are played. If it is still tied, the game goes to penalty kicks.

The 32 countries and their groups are:
Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, North Korea (fairly amazing they qualified), Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Umm... easy answer. You're an American, root for the Americans. The US isn't going to win but you like underdogs anyway.

Given that the USA is going, doesn't that solve #3?

NZ and Australia are going as well - any plans to visit "Down Under"?

Alright Sarah, let's get you caught up on what you need to know:

1) 32 teams have played the last 3.5 years to qualify and play in. Check ESPN SoccerNet.com for the rundown of the 8 groups of 4 teams each.

If you see any games pre-June 11th, those are international friendlies which teams use as a tune up for the World Cup. Good one to watch, if you get the feed in SA, is the England v Mexico match because both of those countries are football mad.

When it starts, all teams will play one another in their respective groups. The US, in group C, will play England first, Slovenia and finally Algeria. You get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie (even 0-0) and 0 points for a loss. The two top teams with the highest point totals go into the round of sixteen.

The second round, quarterfinals and semifinals are just one loss/you're out and the final two teams left play in the finals.

2) As I was taught by my Mexican uncles, you always, ALWAYS, first and foremost root for the country you were born in. Doesn't matter if you hate the country, it's culture and it's foreign policy. Though my uncles would love for me to root for Mexico, they respect me because I have been a fan of US soccer since they imparted that information.

Look, it'd be cool if we could all root for the coolest countries out there, including all the cool ones you have visited (Brasil, SA, Argentina, etc.), but true football fans will respect you more if you root for your home country.

That being said, you can also root for your ancestral home's teams as well. So as long as Mexico doesn't play the US and Spain doesn't play Mexico or the US, I can root for them.

This year will be a hard one for a lot of my Caucasian friends as the US plays England in the first round. It'd be like if the US played Mexico; of course I would cheer loudly for the US Team.

Finally, you can have personal preferences, but be sure you spread them out. In other words, you can't root for both Brasil and Argentina. It's just not done in polite company. Since you have been both in South America and Africa, I would pick one from each of these continents and watch the tournament progress. Some of your picks may not leave the first round, so shuffle the cards if need be.

Personal preferences can go the other way as well. I hate the Italian game for some reason, so I always root for the other team. I also have a distaste for the French, and especially this year as they knocked out Ireland out in a rather "handy" way. Don't get me started.

Just remember: have fun with this. It is truly one of the greatest things that we do as a planet. Make sure to surround yourself with good company, alcohol and food. I will actually be watching the first game of the Cup with a South African and will be wearing my Mexico shirt as it is the first game of the tourney. Drop me a line and let me know who your rooting for...I might have a few choice words for you.

Until we speak again...cheers!!!

More importantly - I hope to G! you didn't leave SA without tasting a game of rugby. There is (arguably) no better place to witness first hand the brutali{strike} physicality of the game.

OK! so first off:

1. I did actually realize the US was going but I am NOT rooting for the US. I'm sorry, we don't deserve to win because we don't like soccer enough. A country passionate about soccer should win. I am *resolutely* NOT rooting for the US (sorry Team USA)

2. @YandProud- here too short of a time :( but saw cricket last month (was it a month ago? my months/hours/timezones are screwed up) in India so that's a fix of some sort. i will have to come back because that sounds fun. i love brutality.

3. darknight- as usual, you are a life saver. thanks for the explanation! i like your suggestion about continental favorites- I AM HEREBY PICKING BRAZIL OVER ARGENTINA. (sorry team argentina) I don't however subscribe to the root for your home team maxim, hardcore soccer fans' respect be damned! ;)

4. cpcolin- thanks for the list. OK. here is who i am rooting for:
Group A: South Africa
Group B: Argentina (it's ok if they aren't *playing* Brazil right?)
Group C: FINE! US
Group D: Australia (for the guy who commented above, otherwise I'd say Ghana)
Group E/F: no proclivity
Group G: BRAZIL
Group H: Chile

In rank order: South Africa (home team points, plus crap team from what I gather), Brazil, Argentina, Chile, US, Australia. I also like Ghana.

Phew. Thanks everyone.