So, as a newbie football fan, there are a few things you need to get down before trying to engage a true fan in witty banter. One of these things being a tid bit of information about all the major teams in this year's 2010 World Cup. You know what they say... if you can't make it, fake it. So read up below and fake your way through the 2010 world cup
Head Coach: Joachim Low entrepreneurship
Where they play: They have no national stadium
Street credit: Germany is one of the three most successful national teams at international competitions having won a total of three world cups and three European championships, they are also one of the most consistent teams with 3 world and continental titles, runners-up three times in European championships, four times in the world cup and won 3rd place in the world cup three times.
Nicknames:Nationalmannschaft (National Team), DFB-Elf (DFB eleven), Nationalelf (National eleven), In foreign countries they are called Mannschaft (“The team”)
FIFA Ranking: 5
Noteworthy players:
Captain: Michael Ballack
Top Scorer: Gerd Muller (who also has the second most world cup goals in the league)
Use these interesting facts to strike up football chat with any football hooligan about the German team:
- Germany is the only nation to have ever won both the men’s and women’s world cup
- After WW2 Germany was banned from competition in sports until about 1950
- Germany has won the third most World Cup championships (behind Brazil and Italy)
Head Coach: Marcello Lippi
Street Credit: one European championship, one Olympic football tournament, and two central European international cups
FIFA Ranking: 4
Nicknames: Azzurri
Noteworthy Players:
Top scorer: Luigi Riva
Captian: Fabio Cannavaro
Star player: Luca Toni
What you have to know about Italy:
- Italy is one of the top teams in international football and the second most successfully national team in the history of the world cup having won 4 titles
Street credit: Mexico holds on FIFA confederations cup, 5 CONCACAF gold cups, three CONCACAF championships, one North American Nations cup, two NAFC championships
Noteworthy Players:
Captian: Rafael Marquez
Top Scorer: Jared Borgetti
Home Stadium: Estadio Azteca
Nicknames: El Tri
FIFA Rank: 17
What You need to know about Mexico:
- Mexico is one of the strongest teams in the Americas, but has never won a world cup
- Mexico has qualified for the world cup consecutively since 1994
Head coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira
Noteworthy players:
Captian: Aaron Mokoena
Top Scorer: Benni McCarthy
Nicknames: Bafana Bafana (The Boys)
Stadium: Soccer City
FIFA Ranking: 81
Street Credit: South Africa has won the African cup of nations once, and the COSAFA cup three times
Facts you need to know about South Africa:
- They are hosting the 2010 world cup
- South Africa returned to the stage in 1992 after being banned from FIFA for 30 years for the apartheid
- South Africa is the first African nation to host FIFA World Cup
- South Africa has only made two appearances in the World Cup and has never made it past the first round.
Spain National Football Team Head Coach: Vicente Del Bosque
Captain: Iker Casillas
Top Scorer: Raul
Home Stadium: Vicente Calderon Mestalla
La Furja Roja (The Red Fury)
La Roja (The Red)
What You need to know about Spain:
- Spain is the reigning champ of the World Cup
- Spain has qualified for the FIFA World Cup 12 times
- Between 2006-2009 Spain went undefeated for a record tying 35 consecutive matches. A world record shared with Brazil
United States Men's National Association Football TeamHead Coach: Bob Bradley
Captain: Carlos Bocanegra
Top Scorer: Landon Donovan
Nicknames: The Yanks
FIFA Rank: 18
Street Credit: Silver and Bronze medalists at the plympics, third place in the FIFA world cup, Runners-up and third place rankings in the FIFA Confederations Cup
What you should know about the U.S Team:
- Although Soccer has not typically held a high profile amongst U.S Sports fans, the dedication to Soccer has increased since the 70’s
- The U.S has had more players win 100 caps than any other nation
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