World Cup Preview

In less than a week, the dream of a World Cup on African soil will finally become a reality — a dream that was initiated when FIFA chose South Africa over Morocco and Egypt to host the 2010 World Cup. Since then, the nation has seen beautiful soccer stadiums rise up all over the landscape, as well as other infrastructure to help sustain the deluge of people expected to visit during the month-long tournament.

The World Cup has the ability to bring a country like South Africa, which has seen much strife and conflict in its history, together as one.

With the start of the biggest tournament in the world fast approaching, here are some things viewers should pay attention to.  

Teams to Watch

BRAZIL Even people who know nothing about soccer know that Brazil, having won five World Cups, is one of the best teams in the world. In Brazil, there is a tradition that almost all players are known by nicknames or first names. For example, Edson Arantes do Nascimento was better known as Pele.

The Brazilian squad, known as the Selecao in Brazil, is led by stars Kaka, Luis Fabiano, and Robinho. Brazil plays a style of soccer that can only be described in Portuguese: joga bonito, or “beautiful play.” The players dribble up and down the field, make tight passes or score brilliant goals at any point of the game. While they struggled qualifying, they will certainly be no pushover once in the World Cup. Expect Brazil to make it to at least the semifinals.  

HOLLAND Despite being a nation of just more than 16 million people, Holland has managed to export to the world some of the best soccer players. While they have never won a World Cup, they have been runners-up twice (1974 and 1978).

The Dutch play a soccer style known as Total Football, where the players are constantly moving, never in one place, and the team with possession moves the ball around, trying to find a way to get a chance on goal. What began with the former player Johan Cruyff,a member of the 1974 and 1978 runner-up teams, has been continued by current stars Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie. Look for Holland to play their way into the quarterfinals.

GHANA The Ghana national soccer team combines speed and power unlike any other nation. The Black Stars, as they are more commonly called, impressed in their first World Cup appearance in 2006, advancing to the second round.

While Ghana will not have the services of midfielder Michael Essien, they can still rely on midfielders Sulley Muntari and Andre Ayew, whose speedy runs past defenders have made scouts all over the world drool, and forward Asamoah Gyan, who combines the strength and speed Ghana exhibits day in and day out to score goals against any opponent. Expect Ghana to get into the second round again and possibly the quarterfinals.

Games to Keep an Eye On 

With all 64 matches of the 2010 World Cup being televised, here are the games you need to watch. 

SOUTH AFRICA VS. MEXICO (9:30 a.m. Friday) This is the first game of the 2010 World Cup, the first World Cup hosted on African soil. South Africa will be pulling out all the stops to make this game an incredible experience, and the Bafana Bafana (nickname for the national team) will be pumped up like never before. 

USA VS. ENGLAND
(2 p.m. Saturday) The Revolutionary War: Round Two is being billed as one of the biggest games. Sixty years ago, the United States beat England in the World Cup, which was and still is considered one of the biggest upsets of all time. Since then, England has dominated the United States. But the U.S. players, who beat Spain last summer and pushed Brazil to the end in the 2009 Confederations Cup Final, are riding high on confidence, and believe they can beat the British. However, the British know they are the better team, and with one of the best coaches in the world, they have one of the best chances to win the World Cup.  
     
ARGENTINA VS. GREECE (2 p.m. June 22) Lionel Messi and Argentina take on the former Euro Cup-winning Greece in their final game of group play. Messi has set the field and the Internet alight with his magical skills, but Greece plays an excellent counterattacking style of soccer and might surprise Argentina if they aren’t careful on defense.

GERMANY VS. GHANA
(2 p.m. June 23) These two nations will meet in their final games of the group stage, and this game could determine the group’s winner. Also interesting to note: The German squad includes Jerome Boateng, a defender, and the Ghanian squad includes Kevin-Prince Boateng, Jerome Boateng’s brother. Who doesn’t want to see sibling
rivalry on an international stage?

BRAZIL VS. PORTUGAL (9:30 a.m. June 25) Rarely do we get to see the Portuguese-speaking squads face off against each other, but this World Cup gives us that chance. Brazil and Portugal both play similar styles, and both have had an incredible amount of success in recent World Cups.

Watch out for Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazil’s Kaka dazzle the crowd with brilliant dribbling and exquisite passing and scoring. 

WORLD CUP FINAL MATCH (1:30 p.m. July 11) The most anticipated and most watched game in the world is the World Cup Final, and with the talented nations in this edition of the World Cup, it is very likely that it will be a great matchup. For anyone, whether they like soccer or not, this should be an incredible match, from the kickoff to the final whistle. 

Sounds to Listen For

Every World Cup host nation carries its own sporting event traditions. In South Africa, a common sound is the blaring from the Vuvuzelas, or the stadium horns. The noise from them is quite noticeable, and it will certainly add to the arena atmosphere. If you are a true fan, you can buy one online and use it while watching games at home (or if you are really daring, at a friend’s house or a local pub).  

How are we, as Americans, supposed to feel?

One of the main reasons the World Cup is so great is the passion. The fans and players put all their energy into 90 minutes, cheering, yelling and pouring their hearts out for their nation.

The passion is hard to describe to someone who has never seen or been to an international  match, but one great example was the USA vs. Canada hockey games during the Olympics. Fans lived and died on each goal, and it is that kind of mentality that makes World Cups a cauldron of passion and excitement. 

For all readers, if you decide to root for another team beside the United States, find out when all their games are, watch them, make sure to learn about the players on your team’s squad and cheer your team to victory.