World Cup Diary: Being Canadian and Predictions

As a Canadian being a soccer fan is not easy for three years and eleven months out of every four years. The one exception obviously being the World Cup, when every game is on regular television and the media act as if soccer is a mainstay. Although as a Canadian soccer supporter the World Cup can often be a time of frustration.

 

Thousands of Canadians will put their World Cup hopes behind a top European nation, Argentina or Brazil. Often this is a nation which they will claim some blood allegiance to (true or not). As I said yesterday when I talked about supporting England. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this. It’s the biggest soccer competition on the face of the earth. It’s the biggest freaking sports competition on the planet. Enjoy it anyway you want. I seriously don’t care. Just enjoy yourself.

 

What will piss me off about this World Cup is the attitude these “fans” will show towards Canada. These people who never dedicate an ounce of their time to watching soccer will suddenly claim a higher ground saying “Canada sucks at soccer” (and to be fair with the state of our national team at the moment there is very little comeback, shouting Gavin McCallum over and over again will probably achieve very little) or the infamous “I just don’t like their playing style I’d much rather watch Spain.” Really? You don’t like their playing style. Can you tell me Canada’s fucking playing style? Please describe to me why the soccer purist in you can’t stand watching the Canadian national team?

 

I probably shouldn’t be getting so upset about this but aside from bringing immense joy to the soccer fan in my the World Cup also brings out some real pricks. During the rugby World Cup next year I’ll probably watch a little. But I will not be masquerading any prior knowledge and if Canada doesn’t qualify (they may have already qualified or not qualified I have no idea) then I will not start putting down Canada’s rugby community by saying that Canada’s rugby team sucks.

 

Anyways now I’ve got my anger out-of-the-way I can move on to something a little more cheerful. The World Cup is tomorrow. Yes folks tomorrow!

 

There are only so may ways I can say that I’m super excited. But I thought I’d leave you all with some mindless predictions before all the fun kicks off so here are my picks for the countries to advance out of the groups (in the order of first, second) :

 

Group Stage:

 

1. Group A: Uruguay, Mexico
2. Group B: Argentina, South Korea
3. Group C: England, USA
4. Group D: Serbia, Germany
5. Group E: Netherlands, Denmark
6. Group F: Italy, Paraguay
7. Group G: Brazil, Ivory Coast
8. Group H: Spain, Chile

 

Round of 16:

1. Uruguay over South Korea
2. Germany over England
3. Netherlands over Paraguay
4. Brazil over Chile
5. ?Serbia over USA
6. ?Argentina over Mexico
7. Denmark over Italy
8. Spain over Ivory Coast

Quarterfinals:

 

1. Brazil over Netherlands
2. ?Germany over Uruguay
3. ?Argentina over Serbia
4. ?Spain over Denmark

 

Semifinals:

 

1. Brazil over Germany
2. ?Argentina over Spain
3. ?3rd Place Playoff
4. ?Spain over Germany

 

Final

 

Brazil over Argentina