Are you ready for some futbol?
We’ll start by breaking down the marquee event of the so-called “beautiful game” to its basics:
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SOUTH AFRICA’S MOMENT
The country hopes the World Cup further establishes its place in the global community after years of being a pariah state because of apartheid — its racial policy that officially ended in 1994. South Africans also want to encourage tourism in a country where crime in the major cities is a growing concern. Security for the anticipated 400,000 foreign fans has been one of the biggest issues in the World Cup buildup. Organizers say they will mobilize 41,000 law-enforcement officers during the event.
Another issue might be weather. The World Cup will be played during cold and rainy winter months in the Southern Hemisphere. The coast could be wet, whereas the interior should be dry with temperatures ranging from the low 70s during the day to the low 40s at night.
Besides Johannesburg, the World Cup will be played in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Rustenburg.
South Africa has 11 official languages: English, Afrikaans and nine tribal tongues.
WHAT IS A SPRINGBOK?
South African national teams are known as the springboks, an Afrikaans and Dutch word for a medium-sized gazelle.
WHO WILL WIN?
European champion Spain is considered this year’s favorite but is a perennial World Cup underachiever. Spain, remember, was stunned by the United States in the Confederations Cup in South Africa last year. But the European champion has perhaps the world’s best midfield combination in Xavi and Andres Iniesta — if healthy.
Other serious contenders are the usual suspects: Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
WHOM TO WATCH
Well, not David Beckham. Becks suffered a torn left Achilles tendon and won’t make this year’s tournament. The English star is one of a number of world-class players who have suffered injuries that have sabotaged World Cup plans.
But electrifying reigning FIFA player of the year Lionel Messi should be ready to lead Argentina after starring for FC Barcelona. Argentina also has Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez and the headline-grabbing manager Diego Maradona. Portugal counters with Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil with Kaka, and England hopes to have Wayne Rooney. The Netherlands’ Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben also are worth following. A possible African breakout star is Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon.
FALLEN STARS
England hopes Wayne Rooney can fully recover from torn ankle ligaments he suffered in April. He is on the roster but has been undergoing treatments. Rio Ferdinand, the English captain, is out after suffering a knee ligament injury late last week.
Spain is perhaps in worse shape. Playmaking wizard Xavi is recovering from a torn calf muscle. Liverpool striker Fernando Torres had knee surgery in April, and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas broke his right leg in March. Marcos Senna and Santiago Cazorla also are out because of injuries, and Iniesta’s participation is in doubt.
Germany won’t have midfield sensation Michael Ballack, who has torn ankle ligaments, and Ghana will be without Michael Essien, who could not return from a knee injury suffered in January in time. Their Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast was the latest to fall, suffering a broken arm late last week.
Brazil is worried about Kaka, who has had limited time with Real Madrid recently because of thigh and groin muscle strains.
HOW WILL MEXICO DO?
Coach Javier Aguirre took over the team a year ago when Mexico appeared on the verge of failing to qualify out of the North and Central American and Caribbean region. Since he took over, the team has lost only three times in 18 matches.
Aguirre brought back Cuauhtémoc Blanco, a Mexican legend who had been cut from the 2006 World Cup team and retired from the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer. He has provided invaluable leadership. Striker Javier Hernandez could be the breakout star for a team determined to reach the quarterfinals for the third time in history. Look to Rafael Marquez to lead the team.
Mexico should easily advance from Group A. Besides South Africa, El Tri plays beleaguered France and Uruguay. Winning the group will be important, because Argentina is highly favored to win Group B. The Group A winner will face Group B runner-up — probably Greece or Nigeria — in the second round.
A MATTER OF STYLE
The World Cup offers a front-row view of the different soccer styles found throughout the world. Think of it as a sampling of regional soccer cuisine.
SACRE LES BLEUS
Perhaps it started to go downhill for France four years ago in one of the lingering images of World Cup soccer.
French star Zinedine Zidane was sent off in stoppage time of the dramatic 2006 final against Italy for head-butting Marco Materazzi. Zidane, who until that moment was the World Cup hero, did not participate in the penalty shootout, won by Italy 5—3.
Four years later, France barely qualified for the 2010 tournament. It took a controversial playoff victory over Ireland to sneak in. And then the French were engulfed in a sex scandal involving several players — star Franck Ribery, Sidney Govou, and Karim Benzema (left off the World Cup roster) — and underage prostitutes. Team officials already have decided that Laurent Blanc will take over Les Bleus from manager Raymond Domenech — but after the World Cup.
Despite all the controversy, France has enough talent to make a run.”We’re not going there on safari,” Patrice Evra said on FIFA’s website. Perhaps not, but after a dismal 1-0 defeat to mediocre China in its final tune-up many questions remain.
ARGENTINA’S HEADACHE
Can Argentina win despite its erratic coach and national icon, Diego Maradona?
Just before announcing his roster, Maradona ran over a cameraman outside the Argentine Football Association headquarters, and then claimed the victim deliberately put his leg underneath the wheel of the car.
It was only the latest antic from the troubled former star. Maradona was the captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team and was involved in one of the tournament’s most memorable moments — the “Hand of God” goal that ousted England. His last World Cup moment as a player came in 1994 in Dallas in a tearful admission after testing positive for ephedrine, which he claimed he took to lose weight.
Since then Maradona has been in and out of the news. Maradona’s World Cup preparation was disrupted in March when he needed minor facial surgery after being bitten by his dog. He once fired a compressed-air rifle at reporters because, he said, they were invading his privacy. Maradona, 49, long struggled with cocaine addiction.
Since taking over the national team in 2008 from Alfio Basile, Maradona barely led Argentina through the South American qualifying.
— Elliott Almond, ealmond@mercurynews.com
