Stewart 5

Tonight is the final of Euro 2008. Having watched about 75% of the tournament with friends here, and conversing back and forth with friends world-wide, I have found this to be one of the most entertaining soccer tournaments I can remember. But let all the professional writers comment on the quality of play. I want to talk about supporting sides.

Tonight, it’s Germany v. Spain. Hopefully, this game will be as good as the tournament as a whole. And I am wondering whom to support. In considering (as much with my head as my heart), I have come up with a list of reasons anyone supports any particular team. Would love your additions and thoughts.

Why to support a team (in no particular order):

• You are from the same place as the team. So, in Pretoria, you support the Blue Bulls in rugby. This also applies to your national team. You can also claim this one if your ancestors came from there.
• You KNOW someone from the same place as the team. I have found this to be a pretty common one as well. Example - my uncle is the grounds keeper for Fulham, so they become my team. Or, we had an exchange student from Germany once. You get the idea.
• You’ve BEEN to the same place as a team. Bonus if you’ve actually seen them in action at home, but most can’t afford it. Case in point - I like Glasgow Celtic. I’ve been to Glasgow 3 times…
• A particular player you like plays for the team. This, btw, is why I began supporting Chelsea - because Frank Lampard went there. You can also use this one if someone from your country plays for the team (Lucas Radebe from SA plays for Leeds, suddenly their jerseys are selling on the street here).
• You like the coach. Not as common and this one seems to happen more in America. So, perhaps you like Larry Brown. If coaches a new team, you suddenly find yourself watching their games.
• You love the way a team plays. Best example I can think of is Dutch football. Total football is beautiful to watch, regardless of if you are from there or know any player’s name.
• You just do. Allowing for all those intangible/subjective reasons people love a team.
• Last, and sorta least (but worth a mention because it DOES happen) - you like the team’s colours or uniform. No comment.

So, would love some comments. Which factors are most important to you? Anything I am missing?  NOTE: these various factors can also carry different weight!

If I were to personally take each team through the list above:

Germany: 5

(know people there, been there, like most of their team, defenders score as much as their strikers, they are deserving/due a tournament win)

Spain: 5

(ancestors from there, know people there, been there, gotta at least respect Torres, love the way these guys are playing

btw, teams have the same colours

I think I’ll be happy if either team wins tonight.

Comments(9)

This is an amazing finish - both to the Premiership & Champion’s League!

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The FA Cup has reached the semi-finals!  The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world (began 1871-72) and is annually held involving the teams from all the division in England.  What makes this tournament so compelling is that teams from the Premier League (some of the best teams in the world) are matched up against teams from the lower divisions.  So, the smaller teams get to play matches that are huge for them.  Every once in a while, teams from the lower divisions knock out the big teams.

As we are now at the semi-finals, there are only 4 teams remaining in the tournament.  Only 1 of the teams is from the Premiership (Portsmouth - currently 7th place in league standings).  So, odds are that a team from a lower division may win.  These teams are: West Bromwich Albion (4th place in the first division), Barnsley (17th place in the first division), and Cardiff City (12th place in the first division).

Who will win?  Could be Pompey.  Premier League teams have lots of money, resources, and great players.  But Barnsly has knocked both Liverpool and Chelsea out of the tournament.  And West Brom is playing strong, perhps well enough to be promoted to the Premiership next year.

While the Champion’s League is perhaps the highest level of club football, I think the FA Cup is every bit as exciting.  Can’t wait to see who wins in this round.

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(soccer tournament)

1. This serves as reminder that Egypt is part of Africa.  I think most people consider it “in the middle east.”  Hey, look at a map.  Egypt is on this continent, at the top.
2. Connected to this, most AFRICANS don’t think North Africans can play soccer well.  Hmmm.  Egypt won the 2006 AFCON.  Egypt has won more AFCON titles than any other country in the tournament’s history.  North African teams consistently win the African club team cups.  And yet, Egypt was not a favorite in this tournament?
3. Egypt is loaded with great players you have never heard of.  Some play in professionally in Germany.  Most play professionally in Egypt and Morocco.
4. Mohamed Zidan.  Watch this kid.  He created the winning goal tonight by outworking a veteran defender (Song from Cameroon).
5. They have an Egyptian coach.  Rare to find a coach these days who is from the same country as the national team they are coaching.
6. Egypt played some fantastic soccer throughout the tournament.  Definitely deserved to win.

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Living in South Africa, I have had many opportunities to support local sports teams as well as the national side. It has been helpful that SA has some good teams - particularly rugby and cricket. This year, the Springboks won the rugby world cup. Currently, the cricket team is playing extremely well.

The weak team, to be perfectly honest, is Bafana Bafana - the men’s national soccer team. This is extremely painful for me because soccer is my favorite sport. So today, when the US Men’s soccer team had a game against SA here in Joburg, I found myself rooting for my old country. This is the first time I have rooted AGAINST South Africa, even in games I thought they were playing a better team. I have been predicting (and this is verifiable by dated email correspondence) that the US would win. Hard to have to say, but they really do have a better team (they are ranked 18 in the world, SA is 83).

Not only did the United States completely outplay South Africa today, but they beat them 1-0.

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