World Cup Survival Guide A-K
A – Alarm Clock
You don’t want to be the guy (or girl) who misses Australia’s historic 2-0 win over Spain to lock in a spot in the second round all because you slept through your $12 alarm clock. Don’t rely on just your phone alarm, get out and grab yourself a decent alarm clock before the tournament starts. Who knows it might even come in handy down the track for that must pass exam, or that work thing you do.
B – Breakable Items
Remove all breakable items from your living room before the first game. We all know how emotional football can get, and how fragile one can be in the early hours of the morning. This combination could lead to countless damage to the living room or your Aunt Selma’s priceless family heirloom. Don’t think you will be affected by just the Australian games, during the tournament you will find yourself supporting various nations of the course of the month. And if that doesn’t get you, just remember Ben Williams will be in charge of some games.
C – Chile (and Chilly)
Australia’s opening opponent, and a tough one at that. Whilst Chile may not get the plaudits of their South American counterparts they are a very good team. Technically a well skilled team, they will be full of speed and be on the attack constantly. We will do very well to gain anything from our first game. Given the time of year (June-July) and the time of morning the games are held we expect it to be very chilly at various live sites around the Country. Don’t forget to rug up before leaving the house and make sure you have your Socceroos scarf.
D – Decide Early
Make sure you know where you will be watching the Socceroos games from, and get there early. Chances are we will only play three games in this cup and you don’t want to miss the first 30 minutes of the match because you are stuck in traffic, after a friend of a friend switched viewing locations at the last minute. Do your research, book tickets if you have to but make sure you get amongst the action when watching our boys take on the world’s best.
E – Evening Television
This will not exist for the duration of the cup. Every time a world class sporting event is held we realise just in fact how far we live away from the rest of the world. Games will be held from 2am (AET) onwards giving those early risers amongst us a head start when dragging yourself out of bed to watch that crucial Italy v Uruguay match. If you are fortunate enough to have Foxtel use the green button to series link your normal television, and just like our Socceroos are bound to do at some stage play catch up so you don’t miss that cliff hanger where *insert main character* gets blown up in the town hall but miraculously survives into next season.
F – FourFourTwo Magazine
Your written guide to the cup, well one of them anyway. Grab their special edition and receive two magazines with bonus wall chart so you can keep an eye on what matches are coming up. For only $12.95 you will get a run down of each team, some player interviews and even a Panini sticker book (See P). Of course don’t forget about the other F ‘From The Stands’ (www.fromthestandsal.com) during the world cup. We will be covering the tournament through some of our usual writers, and maybe even some special guests.
G – Goals
Rather an obvious one, but we are going to see some great (and not so great) goals over the course of the month. You will get plenty of chances to see them via the various news outlets. Why don’t you go straight to YouTube (after reading the remainder of our guide) and type in ‘world cup goals’. Expect nations such as Brazi, Netherlands and Argentina to have the bulk of the classics, but there will might be a few others thrown in for good measure.
H – Home Continent Advantage
Expect the South American teams to have a big say in how the tournament goes. Most of these players grew up with similar conditions and this could play a major factor when taking on some of the highly fancied European nations. Look out for Brazil (Group A), Chile (Group B), Colombia (Group C), Uruguay (Group D), Ecuador (Group E), and Argentina (Group F). Out of these six nations I would expect to see at least four reach the final 16, with three genuine title contenders. All four cups hosted in South America have been won by South American nations.
I – (Soccer) International Magazine
Make sure you grab yourself a copy of Soccer International Magazine who has produced a 140+ page guide to help you through the cup. $14.95 will be well spent for the excellent previews and player guide they have produced. This also includes a wall chart, and a special feature on our Socceroos heroes from 1974.
J – Mile Jedinak
Some of your friends and family will be unfamiliar with our new Socceroos captain, but only until you have the opportunity to tell of his exploits. Jedinak is the inspirational leader at Crystal Palace who plays in the English Premier League, Australia’s favourite overseas league. He laid the most tackles during the recent season and also played every minute of the season until the final game where a groin strain saw him miss the final 30 minutes. Jedinak will lead from the front, inspire us to better performances but most of all show that determination and Aussie spirit that we love banging on about so much.
K – Knowing the Score
Keeping up to date with all the scores and news won’t be too hard, but choosing your preferred option might. There will be the typical media overload when the tournament gets started but you need to choose they way you will follow the cup. Choose those who actually follow the game for 52 weeks a year, not just the band wagoners who cover the cup then move onto the next big thing. Select people who resinate with you and the way you want football covered. For me I like to listen to the Football Weekly podcast, get my news from BBC and Fox Sports Australia and read local journos such as Ray Gatt, Michael Lynch and Joe Gorman. Like I said, it’s all personal preference, there is only one mandatory follow and that’s us.
Google+
