n+1: World Cup Preview
In case you’re not quite sure how all the teams fit, here is a brief summary. Some select quotes to tempt you.
On Australia:
It is tempting to describe the Australian team as a bigger, better version of the New Zealand team. I am going to succumb to that temptation.
Serbia:
Their fans are really scary and hardcore and some of their players are too, especially Nemanja Vidic, who looks and acts like a Soviet bad guy in an ’80s Bond film.
Japan:
Japan is not very good at soccer, but it has the world’s highest average life expectancy.
and New Zealand:
Now Australia qualifies out of Asia, and so New Zealand’s qualifying campaign consisted of beating up on teams like Tonga and the Solomon Islands and then winning a playoff against Bahrain. New Zealand beat Serbia in a friendly, and the Serbian fans were so embarrassed to have lost to New Zealand that they rioted. Or else they rioted because they were Serbian soccer fans—it’s hard to say.
Notes