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…