WORLD CUP 101.Byline: -Tom Hoffarth Don't be intimidated by the office-space nutjob who sits next to you with all those crazy English Crazy English (Chinese: 疯狂英语) is a brand name related to a untraditional method of learning English in mainland China conceived by Li Yang. Li believes that the traditional way of learning English in China is ineffective. soccer flags hanging from the walls of his cubical cu·bi·cal adj. 1. Cubic. 2. Of or relating to volume. cu  bi·cal·ly adv. and makes it a point to wear his smelly Beckham jersey
into work every casual Friday Casual Friday (also known as Dress-down Friday or simply Casual day) is an American and Canadian business custom which has spread to other parts of the world, wherein some offices celebrate a semi-reprieve from the constrictions of a formal dress code. . These people can't be stopped. Yes,
they must be contained. Part of that is having the ammunition to disarm
them when it comes to a brief, but to-the-point, discussion about the
World Cup. If you've got to play some catch up, here's a few
basic things to keep on a cheat sheet:
WHO TO ROOT FOR: Don't be ashamed to be pro-U.S. in this thing. It's all about who butters your bread. You live here. You work here. You pay taxes here. Root here. Unless you feel pulled by some other far-away land that your great-great-great grandfather who you never knew migrated from. That'll be your secondary team once the Americans are KO'd. Don't get lured into becoming a turncoat just to make friends. WHO TO ROOT AGAINST: Italy, especially when they play the U.S. France. Just because. WHO TO BET ON: If coerced into a friendly wager, take Brazil. They could be fielding two teams, they're so darned darned adj. Damned. Adj. 1. darned - expletives used informally as intensifiers; "he's a blasted idiot"; "it's a blamed shame"; "a blame cold winter"; "not a blessed dime"; "I'll be damned (or blessed or darned or talented. They're so good, every other country is trying to steal one of their former players to be their coach. Why not Iran? Crazy, isn't it? There would be nothing better than to see the U.S. face `em in this event. Not that it'll ever happen, but that would shake a lot up. WHO TO BET AGAINST: Argentina is good for a premature exit based on recent history. England, the world's perpetual underachievers, will surely disappoint. It's probably part their diet (see the movie: ``Goal: The Dream Begins,'' about how a kid from East L.A. tries to make it in the Premiere League and finds out his eating habits are the first to become under attack). PLAYERS TO WATCH You say Ronaldo, we say Ronaldino, the two-time defending FIFA FIFA International Association Football Federation [French Fédération Internationale de Football Association] FIFA n abbr (= Fédération Internationale de Football Association) → FIFA f player of the year, and sporting a fine-looking ponytail. Landon Donovan. Not because he's a member of the local MLS See multilevel security. squad. He twice tried to play in German's pro leagues but didn't stick. The locals will be all over him, calling him a quitter quit·ter n. One who gives up easily. Noun 1. quitter - a person who gives up too easily individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do" (among the nicer things). Wayne Rooney. He carries all of England's hopes and shattered dreams, but no one knows if he's recovered from a bad foot. In soccer, feet are important. Thierry Henry. The guy from France led the English League in scoring, and France is the defending World Cup champ. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink Jan Johannes Vennegoor of Hesselink (Pronounced Yan Fenni-gore off Hessylink) (born November 7, 1978 in Oldenzaal) is a Dutch football player who currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Celtic. He plays in the position of striker. He stands at 191 cm and weighs 92 kg. , who plays for the Netherlands and sounds like he's ready to slap someone with a glove and start a duel. PLAYERS NOT TO WATCH Freddy Adu. He's not there. THE PRIME PRIMERS: For some sort of context, we'd recommend ``The Game of their Lives,'' about the 1950 U.S. upset over Brazil in the first round (despite the face some soccer snobs think there were too many factual mistakes). It's not a documentary, just a nice yarn that Eric Wynalda helped on as the technical advisor. Steven Cohen cohen or kohen (Hebrew: “priest”) Jewish priest descended from Zadok (a descendant of Aaron), priest at the First Temple of Jerusalem. The biblical priesthood was hereditary and male. and Nick Gerber, the British-born blokes with their pulse on the spotted ball, have their radio show (``World Soccer Daily'' from 8-to-10 a.m. on Sirius Satellite Channel 122) and a TV show (``Fox Football Friday'' on the Fox Soccer Channel Fox Soccer Channel is a United States digital cable network, owned by News Corporation, that specializes in soccer. The channel took its current name on February 7, 2005; before then, the network was known as Fox Sports World, Launched Nov. 1, 1997. , 6 p.m.) Cohen's wife, Jackie, is the daughter of the late Jack Neumeier, who coached John Elway in ``real'' football at Granada Hills High in the late '70s. The June issue of National Geographic has the cover story, ``Why The World Loves Soccer,'' which includes a free World Cup poster that'll help connect the dots. Hang out at the Fox & Hounds Pub in Studio City (11100 Ventura Blvd., one mile West of Universal Studios, 818-763-7986, www. thefoxandhounds.com). The current issue of GQ magazine lists it among the ``10 Best Soccer Bars in America.'' They're affiliated with the White Harte Pub in Woodland Hills (22456 Ventura Blvd.). If you can't make it to Woodland Hills, try Brits in Pasadena or Crown and Anchor Crown and Anchor is a simple dice game, traditionally played for gambling purposes by sailors in the British Navy. It is still popular in the Channel Islands and Bermuda, but is strictly controlled and may only be played on certain days, such as the Channel Islands' three annual in Thousand Oaks. TERMS TO KNOW: Nil-nil: Nothing. Nada. Zilch. When a game ends as it began, scoreless. Why did they bother playing it then? Budweiser: The king of swill is the official beer of the World Cup, meaning every German beer expert who goes to the games will have to pay to drink it. Meanwhile, you're at home watching snuggled snug·gle v. snug·gled, snug·gling, snug·gles v.intr. 1. To lie or press close together; cuddle. 2. up next to a St. Paulie Girl. Just doesn't seem fair, eh? Les Blues: The nickname of the French team. Because they wear blue. Other teams wear blue, too, but the French won't let anyone else use it. Typical. Bladder: The part of your body that will fill up and start to hurt because there are no time outs, pitching changes, coaches challenges or scoreboard malfunctions to stop play. Why don't they change that? Ask the guy who heads FIFA. His last name is Blatter Blat´ter v. i. 1. To prate; to babble; to rail; to make a senseless noise; to patter. [ imp. & p. p. os> ( ) r>.] They procured . . . . Seriously. CAPTION(S): 6 photos Photo: (1) Iran (2) England (3) RONALDO (4) ADU (5) National Geographic (6) Budweiser |
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