A World Cup for a Non American Football

Which is the greatest team sports' event? For mostcompetition's history. This year, legendary coach
US Americans the "Super Bowll" would be an easyPareira has at his disposal some of the most talented
answer. Others, mostly attracted by baseball,football players of the world: Kaka, Adriano, Roberto
basketball, or hockey, would choose one of thoseCarlos, Ronaldo and of course Ronaldinho the World
sports' finals or all-star games, but this is not the casePlayer of the Year for the last two years.As strong
for the rest of the world. Outside of the US whencontenders for the title are considered, by soccer
people say football they refer to the sport that isexperts and bookmakers, the team of Germany,
known as soccer in United States and which is by farwhich will play in front of its audience as the
the most popular sport in all of the five continents.host-nation, and that of England, Argentina and Italy.
The World Cup that takes place over a four-yearIn addition, the Brazilians, the French striker Thierry
period is considered as the most important athleticHenry, the Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, the
competition, being more widely-viewed on TVEnglish midfielder Frank Lampard, the German
exceeding even the Olympic Games. In 2002, whenmidfielder Michael Ballack and the new star of the
North Korea and Japan co-hosted the World Cup theArgentinean football Lionel Messi are players one will
cumulative TV audience was estimated to be 28.8enjoy watching.The United States' national team is
billion, while 1.1 billion individuals watched the finalassigned in the Group E and will face Italy, Ghana and
match of the tournament between Brazil andthe Czech Republic in the first stage of the
Germany.This year the World Cup takes place intournament, giving its first game in Gelsenkirchen on
Germany with the first mach between Germany andthe 12th of June against the Czechs. Coach Bruce
Costa Rica being scheduled on 9th of June and theArena has his team believing that their mix of young
last one, the final game which is going to take placetalents such as DaMarcus Beasley and Landon
one month later on the 9th of July in Berlin.Donovan and old campaigners like Claudio Reyna and
Thirty-two national teams are participating in thisBrian McBride could be enough to go further than the
great "party" of world soccer and they will play in aquarter-finals where they reached in 2002.There are
total of twelve German cities. Among the nationalmany assumptions about soccer's low popularity in
teams, which participate 14 come from Europe, 5the United States, but the most convincing one seem
from Africa, 4 from South America, 4 from Asia, 4to be the fact that the American national team didn't
from North and Central America and 1 fromhave any serious accomplishments during the last
Oceania.Brazil is the defending Word Champion andyears in order to attract their country's attention and
one of the great favorites of wining the trophy thisinterest. The boys of Bruce Arena will have their
year. The Brazilians have already won the World Cupopportunity now inside the German stadiums.
five times and are the most successful team in the