My hopes are that England don't embarrass themselves and give me some reason to be excited about them. Also, that Iran make it out of the group stage for the first time in their history. The rest will just be rooting against teams I don't like. My lady and one of my best friends will be going gaga for Mexico (as usual) so I'll hold my nose and wish them the best...maybe.
There is some saving grace to Ireland not making the WC...this a**hole won't be there. https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/11/1...y-keane-after-ireland-were-demolished-denmark
Iran? Really? I hope they're beaten 11-0 in all three of their matches. Familiar connection to England means I'll support them. Sweden and Denmark will be supported as I have blood ties to them. I've always like the Croats, too - love their check kits. Of the favorites I'll root for France over Arg/Brz/Belg/Germ as I have blood ties there, too. But overall I just hope for good football and lots of entertainment value - few parked buses, lots of goals. Would love to see an African team make a run to the semis or final.
When your home country is not good enough to make the WC - it becomes easier to root for someone else...
i've liked The Nederlands since they lost in '74 and '78. if Cruyff had gone to Argentina, i think Holland would have won the cup.
I've always rooted for the Netherlands - don't know why exactly - until recently they've always had such great players for a small country. David v Goliath thing I suppose...so now I don't have a team to root for in the WC!
Uruguay has had great players as well and they are significantly smaller than the Netherlands and I'd you are looking for underdogs you can't go wrong with Iceland Sent from my LON-L29 using BigSoccer mobile app
Fair enough. That was a weird game to watch. Still had a lot of love for the USMNT back then and had my Iranian family in town watching it at our house. Sad that that's their only win in the World Cup to this date. They look really mature this cycle and I'm hoping they get a good draw to put it all together finally. Well, I sort of agree with you but it's hard when you're from one country but your parents (or grandparents) are from another. I think you really just root for one team above all but also others on the side. For me that's England, even though I wasn't born there or lived there. I've said it multiple times on here but I don't take the international game as serious as the club game. No team will hold a candle to the love I have for Liverpool and Dallas. It is a fun distraction during the summer though and there's nothing quite like a good World Cup.
I enjoy a lot of the WC games since I don't have a huge attachment to any one country. Although I grew up in England, I follow England more than others mostly because I'm most familiar with the Prem players, but it's very enjoyable to watch and appreciate great footie from other teams - technical skills, organization, strategy, player/fan passion, whatever. And usually there is at least one player who plays in the Prem you can recognize. Actually I believe the current England squad has not one player who plays for a club in a different country, which I think may make them unique. I found this from the last WC. Only one England player played abroad - the goalie Forster from Celtic (not involved this time). England is the country where the biggest number (114) of foreign WC players made their living (next highest was Italy at 81). http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...p-footballers-play-during-the-regular-season/
How exactly would this be transmitted to a referee without the risk of said referee blowing the whistle for a big press payday?? I don't think it washes....
Few teams can hold an upside down candle for how much I hate the Dallas Cowboys (and the Seattle Seahawks) .... but each to his own.
I used to like England when they had a good/great team - late 80's thru around 2000 or so .... Could have won the WC in 90 and the Euros in 96 ... after that (other than watching the brilliance of Stevie G and Rooney I kind of lost interest in the engurland set-up and the constant press nonsense which attaches about them.
FOCUS! We're talking about association football! Yes, we're (the people of the DFW metroplex) aware that everyone hates the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, I have no illusions that I wouldn't hate them too if I wasn't from here.
Ah - I see.... the Dallas soccer team ..... that's the equivalent of say, Punk Anderson or Gary Ewing in comparison to Larry Hagman or Victoria Principal (the NFC Cowboys)... But this brings up another salient point: To wit - you can actually watch MLS??? jeez..... I'd nearly prefer to watch my toenails growing or Trump typing into his phone or a discussion on theoretical economics....
Iran's chances will depend on the group they maybe luck into, them and serbia will be good sides from that pot 4 - maybe morocco or nigeria too ....
Savage. Yes. I don't watch it because it has amazing quality (although it has gotten a lot better in the last 10 years). I watch it because I have a local team I can support and one that I have supported since 1996. Nothing like actually being at a game. Something I've only been able to do with Liverpool twice (only once in a competitive game).