Five to Watch: An Intercontinental Tip Sheet

Independent Weekly, The; Durham, N.C. › July 01, 2010

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Summary

You don't have to be a soccer fen to know that Brazil tends to win these things or that Italy won it last time, thanks in part to Zinedine Zidane's instantly infamous head butt, which became the first great soccer hit on YouTube. Whether you're as passionate about soccer as you are about swimming (once every four years - how many swim meets have you watched since 2008 when Michael Phelps had Chinese people referring to him as a "monster"?), or if you're a bit keener on the game, you'll want a few tips to get you through your casual encounters for the next four weeks. Here are five teams from five continents that could make this already historic first World Cup on African soil one to be truly remembered.

What's the story? Despite being a proud footballing country home to world-renowned club sides Barcelona and Real Madrid and some of the game's most elite players, La Furia Roja has never claimed soccer's most sought-after trophy. This year's squad is poised to change that, though, and after winning the 2008 Euro Cup with a team of 20-somethings, they are installed as favorites (4-1) in this tournament

What's the story? The orange-dad Elephants, as they're dubbed, are the hipster's underdog and give Africa its best shot at World Cup glory. A subpar performance in the Africa Cup of Nations in January saw the coach axed and Sven Goran Eriksson, former England and Mexico boss, installed as the leader. Despite the new coach having only just met many of his players a few weeks ago, Eriksson's side has the skill and die support to spring an upset in the tournament's most challenging group, which includes heavyweights Brazil and Portugal along with the always unpredictable North Korea.

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Five to Watch: An Intercontinental Tip Sheet

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