Football 2014 FIFA World Cup

Well, we were 1-0 up and playing quite well until there was that famous fluke from Ronaldinho to make it 2-1...
 
TEABAG YOKEL’S ALTERNATIVE WORLD CUP PREVIEW


GROUP A


Team Name: BRAZIL

Nickname: Brazil always play an attractive brand of football but they have a pretty decent defence this year.

Manager: Big Basil Fawlty

Key Player: Neymar’s Tax Affairs

WC History: Keep Winning The Bloody Thing

National Sports: Football, Samba, Ayrton Senna

Likelihood of winning: Damn right!

Mascot: Pele

All time WC hero: Pele

All time WC villain: Paolo Rossi, that ban was two years you know!


Team Name: CAMEROON

Nickname: Undominatable Lions

Manager: Volker Finke. For now.

Key Player: Grandpa Samuel

WC History: Quarter-finalists in a laughably violent way in 1990

National Sports: Football, Eto’o worship

Likelihood of winning: None

Mascot: A real lion. Hopefully.

All time WC hero: Roger Milla.

All time WC villain: Gary Lineker. The thinking man’s Lex Luthor.


Team Name: CROATIA

Nickname: That lot who play in the picnic rug

Manager: One of the Kovacs

Key Player: Luka Modric, provided he’s not blown away in a slight gale

WC History: Davor Suker

National Sports: Hating Serbia

Likelihood of winning: Probably get through group

Mascot: The head of the OCD society

All time WC hero: Davor Suker

All time WC villain: They need to take a good hard look at themselves conceding twice to Lillian bloody Thuram


Team Name: MEXICO

Nickname: The team that thinks it is South American, but isn’t.

Manager: Miguel Herrera

Key Player: Chicharito

WC History: Last 16. Always.

National Sports: Masked wrestling, violence

Likelihood of winning: Cat in hell

Mascot: Doritos Mariachi band

All time WC hero: Unspellable first name Blanco

All time WC villain: That bloke who got them disqualified from the 1990 World Cup for some breach in the Olympics.


Group B


Team Name: AUSTRALIA

Nickname: Crikey, it’s the bloddy Socceroos.

Manager:

Key Player: Mile Jedinak.

WC History: Second round. Once.

National Sports: Anything they think they can beat England at.

Likelihood of winning: What? A game?

Mascot: Shane Warne, normally.

All time WC hero: Mark Schwarzer. Yep.

All time WC villain: Francesco Totti.


Team Name: SPAIN

Nickname: Pass.

Manager: Rene from ‘Allo ‘Allo

Key Player: Sergio Ramos’ disciplinary record

WC History: You won it last time, stop bragging

National Sports: Midfield possession

Likelihood of winning: Pretty good, I’d have thought. But, still, make it stop. Please!

Mascot: Fernando Torres

All time WC hero: Andres Iniesta

All time WC villain: Mauro Tesotti


Team Name: CHILE

Nickname: Is it Costa Rica or are these the good ones?

Manager: Marcelo Bielsa’s Clone Army – code JS01

Key Player: Alexis Sanchez’ heightened pain receptors

WC History: They did OK at home

National Sports: Evacuating trapped miners

Likelihood of winning: No chance

Mascot: They have two players from a club called O’Higgins, which I’m presuming is not a real club.

All time WC hero: Hugo Sanchez

All time WC villain: The person who stopped Battle of Santiagoesque shenanigans at World Cups.


Team Name: THE NETHERLANDS

Nickname: Talented side, but…

Manager: Drill Sergeant Van Gaal

Key Player: The Zombie Remains of Arjen Robben

WC History: Defeat!

National Sports: Super Party Fun Times!

Likelihood of winning: So long as they don’t fall out…

Mascot: Satsumas

All time WC hero: Johann Cruyff

All time WC villain: Assorted Germans


GROUP C


Team Name: COLOMBIA

Nickname: Cokea-Colo

Manager: One of those guys who used to be in charge of Argentina

Key Player: Fredy Guarin

WC History: Best not, eh?

National Sports: Cartels

Likelihood of winning: Dark Horses

Mascot: That bloke with the bird costume

All time WC hero: Carlos Valderrama’s magnificent afro

All time WC villain: The prick that shot Escobar.


Team Name: COTE D’IVOIRE

Nickname: Drogba. Oh, Yaya Toure as well. He’s good.

Manager: Sabri Lamouchi. But really Drogba.

Key Player: Yaya “Jogging Goliath” Toure

WC History: Tough draws, but AFCON chokers

National Sports: Choking at the AFCON

Likelihood of winning: They’d choke

Mascot: Gervinho

All time WC hero: Drogba

All time WC villain: Whoever did the draws.


Team Name: GREECE

Nickname: Did we mention Euro 2004?

Manager: Notto Rehagel

Key Player: Sokratis Papastathopoulos

WC History: Shit. Did we mention Euro 2004?

National Sports: Financial meltdown. Mentioning Euro 2004. Plate smashing

Likelihood of winning: Did we mention Euro 2004?

Mascot: Georgios Samaras

All time WC hero: None, but did we mention Euro 2004?

All time WC villain: Maradona’s dealer c.1994


Team Name: JAPAN

Nickname: Actually, they’re pretty good on the ball

Manager: Alberto Zaccharoni-san

Key Player: Shingi “Man U scapegoat” Kagawa

WC History: 2x Last 16s!

National Sports: Sumo, Godzilla.

Likelihood of winning: Ha ha!

Mascot: Someone in the stands will be dressed like a white thing, unidentifiable to anyone not from Japan

All time WC hero: Kaisuke Honda

All time WC villain: Umit Davala


GROUP D

Team Name: URUGUAY

Nickname: They’re a bit weak behind the front two, mind!

Manager: A poor stone statue depicting Clint Eastwood

Key Player: Mr. Bitey

WC History: 1930. 1950. Count them.

National Sports: Terms of endearment

Likelihood of winning: 1950.

Mascot: Luis Suarez’ orthodontist

All time WC hero: Ghiggia

All time WC villain: Pele, for taking the piss.


Team Name: COSTA RICA

Nickname: Are they there?

Manager: Jorge Pinto

Key Player: Joel Campbell. At least he’s still kind of young.

WC History: They beat Scotland once. Then again…

National Sports: Coffee?

Likelihood of winning: One point would be an achievement

Mascot: A bloke drinking 20 cups of Nescafé

All time WC hero: Juan Cayasso scored the winner against Scotland

All time WC villain: Dunno. Let’s say Paulo Wanchope, just to mention him.


Team Name: ITALY

Nickname: Catanaccio

Manager: Cesere Prandelli, representing hair gel

Key Player: Andrea Pirlo and/or his beard

WC History: Corruption and fascism coincide with winning

National Sports: Corruption, winning.

Likelihood of winning: Possible.

Mascot: The Mafia

All time WC hero: Paulo Rossi

All time WC villain: The 1966 squad who managed to get knocked out by North Korea. That’s more a punchline than a country.


Team Name: ENGLAND

Nickname: Those useless bastards / The champions-in-waiting (delete as appropriate this week)

Manager: A polite bank manager from the 1930s

Key Player: Daniel Sturridge. Oh yeah it is.

WC History: Won it once.

National Sports: Cricket. Queuing. Sedentary sports viz. snooker, darts, golf

Likelihood of winning: Same as ever

Mascot: Phil Jones’ facial expressions

All time WC hero: Pickles the dog

All time WC villain: Whoever invented the penalty shootout. Bastard!


GROUP E

Team Name: FRANCE

Nickname: The Accident-in-Waiting

Manager: Zidane’s Watercarrier

Key Player: Franck Ribery

WC History: Ronaldo had a fit once, the rest is history…

National Sports: Industrial action, Rugby, Wishing all the foreigners would lose the Tour de France for a change, even the British have started!

Likelihood of winning: Merdeish.

Mascot: No mascot could be selected as could destroy team spirit.

All time WC hero: Zinedine Zidane

All time WC villain: Zinedine Zidane


Team Name: ECUADOR

Nickname: Colombia, but with Antonio Valencia

Manager: Reinaldo Rueda

Key Player: Antonio Valencia

WC History: 2006 last 16, lost to England in the most turgid game imaginable

National Sports: Winning the game of altitude

Likelihood of winning: Altitude? No? Shit!

Mascot: A mountain.

All time WC hero: Agustin Delgado. I dunno, like Wanchope I just wanted to name-drop him.

All time WC villain: Sepp Blatter, for refusing to hold the World Cup at the top of Mount bloody Everest.


Team Name: HONDURAS

Nickname: Who?

Manager: Some guy named Suarez.

Key Player: Wilson Palacios, God help them!

WC History: Qualified a few times.

National Sports: Football.

Likelihood of winning: You must be kidding.

Mascot: Any player not as good as Wilson Palacios

All time WC hero: Spain, for not scoring more than 2 last time

All time WC villain: El Salvador. They had a bloody war over this!


Team Name: SWITZERLAND

Nickname: It is a big game, love, Switzerland were on, but I’ll miss it just for you.

Manager: Ottmar Hitzfeld. Oh, yeah!

Key Player: Xerdan Shaqiri.

WC History: Nil. Literally Nil.

National Sports: Ski Jumping? Federer?

Likelihood of winning: Philippe Senderos.

Mascot: Johan Djourou – getting the Arsenal fans in a rash already!

All time WC hero: Whoever was stupid enough to let them host in 1954

All time WC villain: Sepp Blatter, bringing the country into disrepute.


GROUP F


Team Name: ARGENTINA

Nickname: That knee in the back of your calf

Manager: Alejandro Sabella – who is half sane, so an improvement on last time

Key Player: No idea.

WC History: Won it twice, utilising fascism and Maradona

National Sports: Maradona

Likelihood of winning: Pretty damn good

Mascot: Franco di Santo. Really? Messi, Aguero, Lavezzi and di Santo. Christ…

All time WC hero: Maradona

All time WC villain: The referee from 1990


Team Name: BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA

Nickname: No more war there, that’s nice!

Manager: Safet Susic

Key Player: Asmir Begovic. Let’s face it, Messi’ll keep him busy…

WC History: NONE

National Sports: Paralympic volleyball, apparently.

Likelihood of winning: None.

Mascot: Something nice, I’m sure.

All time WC hero: By the end of the Argentina game, Begovic.

All time WC villain: By the end of the Argentina game, Messi.


Team Name: IRAN

Nickname: If you’re watching at home and want to check out extra features, press the right red button, sir!

Manager: Carlos Queiroz. Yes, that Carlos Queiroz.

Key Player: Ashkan Dejagah (he’s got the moves)

WC History: Beat the hated American scum in 1998

National Sports: Wrestling!

Likelihood of winning: Same likelihood as the Ayatollah to appear on Celebrity Big Brother.

Mascot: The IAEA

All time WC hero: Medhi Mahdavikia

All time WC villain: Whichever American jackass tried to get them chucked out of 2006.


Team Name: NIGERIA

Nickname: The Kanu-free Super Eagles

Manager: Steven Keshi. Togo sacked him at about this juncture in 2006, though.

Key Player: Vincent Eneyama. Scored a pen in the Champions League. From goal.

WC History: A few last 16s, dog celebrations and Yakubu missing a sitter.

National Sports: Electing ridiculously named presidents.

Likelihood of winning: Goodluck, Jonathan.

Mascot: Shola Ameobi!? WHY?

All time WC hero: Rashidi Yekini

All time WC villain: Whoever designed the lime green shirts of 2002.


GROUP G

Team Name: Germany

Nickname: Semi-Finalists Germany

Manager: The 1960s tribute band lead singer Jogi Love

Key Player: Phil Lahm

WC History: Depressing

National Sports: Practicing Penalties

Likelihood of winning: Probably get to the semis

Mascot: Franz Beckenbauer

All time WC hero: Chris Waddle

All time WC villain: Frank Rijkaard


Team Name: GHANA

Nickname: The actually playing in White Stars

Manager: James Appiah.

Key Player: Prince Kevin

WC History: Keep beating the Americans

National Sports: Football

Likelihood of winning: What? Against America? Good.

Mascot: Marcel Desially, last time.

All time WC hero: Asamoah Gyan

All time WC villain: That toothy cheating Uruguayan…


Team Name: PORTUGAL

Nickname: 10 others

Manager: Paulo Bento. And he’s out for revenge, America

Key Player: HRH Cristiano Ronaldo

WC History: EUSEBIO!

National Sports: Futsal.

Likelihood of winning: Not likely, but not impossible.

Mascot: Officially licenced Cristiano Ronaldo merchandise, available now!

All time WC hero: EUSEBIO!

All time WC villain: Jack Charlton, handball off the line. Suarez-esque!


Team Name: TEAM AMERICA

Nickname: Eaglesoccer

Manager: Bellyflop Klinsmann

Key Player: I’d like to say someone younger than Donovan, but, well…

WC History: 1930 an early high point, beat England in 1950…

National Sports: A huge range of sports… Huge! Even soccer is in there =]

Likelihood of winning: Naw

Mascot: Sam the Eagle from the Muppets. (It’s the American way!)

All time WC hero: Rob Green

All time WC villain: Ghana. All of them.


GROUP H


Team Name: BELGIUM

Nickname: Where did all the good Belgian players come from?

Manager: Marc Wilmots

Key Player: Danger! Hazard warning!

WC History: 1986 semi-finalists…

National Sports: Making continental laws!

Likelihood of winning: Horse slightly darker than Colombia

Mascot: Marouane Fellaini’s magnificent afro

All time WC hero: Guy Thys

All time WC villain: Diego Maradona. He tore them several new ones.


Team Name: ALGERIA

Nickname: Horrible Flashbacks for England Fans!

Manager: Valid Halihodzic

Key Player: Sofiane Ferghouli. Although Tim Sherwood would say Nabil Bentaleb.

WC History: Shafted in Spain.

National Sports: Curses, according to various witch-doctors last time.

Likelihood of winning: Couldn’t even beat that load of merde from England.

Mascot: That bird that landed on the goal!

All time WC hero: England, 2010, for being shit.

All time WC villain: All them Teutonic cheats in Gijon.


I still haven’t got over it.


Team Name: GLORIOUS UNITED SOVIET PUTIN REPUBLICS

Nickname: Russia

Manager: Fabio Capello, good luck against Algeria mate!

Key Player: Alexander Anyukov

WC History: Glorious semi-final in 1966

National Sports: Ice hockey, annexing neighbouring countries

Likelihood of winning: Requires Mussolini-style interference

Mascot: Car insurance meerkats

All time WC hero: Lev Yashin

All time WC villain: Putin’s enemies


Team Name: SOUTH KOREA

Nickname: Phew, the sane, internetty Korea

Manager: Hong Young-Byo – winning penalty vs Spain in 2002!

Key Player: Son Heung-Min

WC History: 2002! 2002!

National Sports: Archery. Which will be handy.

Likelihood of winning: More likely to be invaded by men marching in tandem

Mascot: Psy. Oppa Gangnam Style.

All time WC hero: Guus Hiddink!

All time WC villain: Psy. Because I mentioned it, here…
 
teabagyokel O'Higgins is named after Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme, one of the founding fathers of Chile. How on Earth he managed to get that name is a mystery to me.

Very disappointed that the USA's mascot is neither Cobi Jones nor Alexei Lalas. Here they are together in the MLS All-Star Game (what a joke idea).
Cobi.jpg
 
Costa Rica are at 4000/1 (Even Max Chilton gets better odds than that.) to win the world cup I believe they are in group D with England I reckon with a bit of luck England just might win that match...
 
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I wish we had a better right back than Glen Johnson he was sloppy against both Peru and Honduras (I missed the Ecuador game), definitely the weak link IMO.

My starting 11 would be...

Hart
Baines
Jagielka
Cahill
Johnson
Gerrard
Henderson
Lallana
Sterling
Rooney
Sturridge

Subs:
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Barkley
Welbeck
 
Well, if the tournament is as shit as the opening ceremony we are in for a dreadful World Cup.
 
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