Who will you support?

[Ray de Galles]

@Ray- the 'Irish Passport' podcast recently did an extended feature on knowledge and perceptions of Ireland from England. Their not quite scientific sample was predominantly 30-something, University-educated, professionally employed women in London. The extent of their ignorance was so breathtaking that I think we can forgive Spurs fans not realising Harry Kane's granny once spent a summer holiday in the Connemara Gaeltacht

Well, his dad's Irish but I only found that our after looking it up following TAB's initial post. I wasn't criticising people for not seeing him as having Irish heritage either because, as I said above, neither did I.

My whole point was that TAB's initial wish that " Kane do really well, so Britain could finally get around to thanking Irish migrants" was unlikely because barely anyone knows that.

[EIM]

I'll be supporting the following teams for the following reasons:

Argentina - Marcos Rojo and Juan Sebastian Veron
Morocco - Moroccan hummus from Tesco, the Moroccan restaurant I went to in Malaga, Mustafa Hadji
France - Cantona, Zidane, Pogba, baked Camembert, May 68 riots, breton t-shirts
Germany - Thomas Muller's low slung socks, beer, double decker trains, mezzo mix, wurst
Colombia - Carlos Valderrama's hair, their kit, Narcos
Iceland - they knocked England out of the Euros and it was very, very funny
Sweden - Clas Ohlson, adidas Malmo, Fjallraven, Jesper Blomqvist
Denmark - My Grandad
Portugal - the Madeiran Man-God, Super Bock, those ace little cafes in Stockwell and Vauxhall
England - reluctant force of habit, J-Lingz and Rashford, white supremacy and a desire to return to the days of Empire, 442, the mixer, running into the channels, swimming the Channel, David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Boris Johnson, BORIS JOHNSON, CAN YOU HEAR ME?

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Egypt for me.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I've been to 13 of the other 31 finalists on holiday so rank them in order of fondest/least fondest memories.

Mexico, overall, was lovely but I did split my shorts getting on a bus so spent the day at the Tulum ruins showing the ghosts of ancient Mayans (not to mention lots of tour groups) my pants. Still top though.

Croatia - love the place for its food and scenery, but understand about the stuff with their fans. Do still laugh about them having free to air hardcore porn on their TV channels right next to the kids' cartoons. France I've always adored, apart from feeling that Eurodisney was a horrific ripoff. But that's not their fault.

Poland I loved, thinking about it. The food, the history ... yeah. And Germany and Portugal I have fond memories of, they were ones I took my daughters on and we had a cracking time in both. Belgium - definitely didn't see the best of it. Spent a day in the industrial rubble that is Charleroi then an afternoon in a bar looking at a little boy pissing.

Denmark and Sweden were nice but too expensive. Egypt was nice but full of the worst of this years' hosts. Spain I always like. Switzerland I went out to see one girlfriend and she dumped me while I was staying with her, so they can do one.

Morocco was exotic but got pissed off with all the constant street hawkers.

It's a pity none of the Czechs, Slovenes, Italians, Dutch, Greeks or any Baltic states qualified, as I'd have been putting them first I think. Or the Irish.

[Satchmo Distel]

Mexico: I have a lot of Mexican students and feel a greater affinity for them than most England fans to be honest.

Egypt: We need a deep run by an African side. Morocco might be the best side but Egypt have the easiest draw. Morocco beating Portugal would be sweet but a tough ask.

[Incandenza]

So it isn’t actually you in the Guardian piece. I did wonder how on earth you would have ended up commenting there.

Haha, I have to admit to wondering the same thing for a minute before deciding it couldn't be.

[anton pulisov]

Belgium.

Just because it would piss off the Dutch so much if the Belgians beat them to the World Cup trophy.

[Ray de Galles]

Rogin's holiday-based support theory has reminded me that I normally have a strong wish for Portugal to do well because I like the place, people, food and Ronaldo.

[ursus arctos]

Ray gets all of the ursine jury’s points for the most tournament-appropriate name and avatar

[delicatemoth]

My normal habit is to cheer for teams featuring Leicester players, and underdogs. Until recently it never occurred to me that the first of those practices might lead to me cheering for England. Hmmmm. Really, I'd have liked Algeria to have qualified.

Teams I like:-

Panama, Iceland, Costa Rica unless they do something really horrible.
Portugal, Japan, Nigeria - Leicester players.
England if Maguire, Vardy, Sterling, Rashford or Kane have the ball, otherwise not (yes, I've softened to Kane, he's so bloody good)
Uruguay - I always like Uruguay.
Belgium - since I got into cycling.

[Flynnie]

Belgium, Uruguay and Argentina.

Belgium because Benelux.

Uruguay because they're indefatigable and a country with fewer people than South London doing very well is cool. Also powder blue is a great colour.

Argentina because fuck Brazil. Also I've always liked their shirts (although they've committed my personal faux pas of no stripes on the sleeves), la nuestra, Menotti, etc.

[Gangster Octopus]

England. Because I have to rather than want to.
Iceland. Because 2016 and Kári Árnason (the nearest we've ever had to a player at an international competition).
Belgium. If they play well.

Post to be changed at random.

[Bored Of Education]

Argentina

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

I'll be supporting the following teams for the following reasons:

Sweden - Clas Ohlson, adidas Malmo, Fjallraven, Jesper Blomqvist

No....?

[Felicity, I guess so]

I'm another Argentinophile. Supported them at the only World Cup I attended- Toulouse/Bordeaux 98 (I wasn't bothered about Scotland by then), and sleeve stripe or no, the kit remains a beaut.

France (sweep; Griezmann)

ABE, obviously

[Flynnie]

1990 is the only stripeless sleeve kit I can stand, since they did the Adidas 3 down the sleeve and on the polyester V neck bit, so it kind of made up for it.

1982 is my favourite Argentina kit ever.

[Sash]

Peru

[stefan]

Sweden - Clas Ohlson, adidas Malmo, Fjallraven, Jesper Blomqvist

I was recently served a pizza by Jesper Blomqvist at the opening of a restaurant which he co-owns.

So, Sweden. And Italy.

[Lobachevsky]

England - its home, the team are full of spurs boys.

Belgium - turns out the family heritage is from there not France, plus they are full of Spurs boys and its a great place to cycle in.

Denmark - Christian Eriksen.

France - Its who I always supported because I thought we came from there and I'm not that fickle.

Nigeria - because I sit next to the Tactical Genius at Spurs and I'd like to see him happy.

Argentina - for Ricky and Ossie

Peru - because I like the kit and the way they beat Scotland in 1978.

[Jah Womble]

Argentina - for Ricky and Ossie

Not Poch?

[steveeeeeeeee]

I'll support the countries I've lived in:
England
Portugal
Egypt

[Furtho]

Japan, of course, but the national team has completely lost its way and I’ll be very surprised indeed if they can get out of the group.

[ad hoc]

I'll support the countries I've lived in:
England
Portugal
Egypt

Actually this year I could do this and only have 3 teams

[ursus arctos]

One fewer than me, unusually

[Pérou Flaquettes]

Peru.

Certainly not England and France, my two countries. I’ve been too pissed off at both countries in the last few years to root for them. I really can’t warm to the fuckers, hope they both fail miserably (shame the French seem to get on now – bring back Anelka, Evra and Raymond Domenech! They were ace for team cohesion megafuckwittery – and the English are half decent, I fear both teams might get further than I’d like them to but I will bash plenty of tricolore and engerland piñatas to vent my anger when the cunts are playing).

I know sod all about us but it’s Peru for me all the way, hasta la fuckin' muerte. So "we" or "us" from me now on here = Peru. Please don't insult me by thinking it's one of the two losers above. And I will write and talk as if I am a lifelong Incas supporter (it’s our nickname, isn’t it?).

I am delighted we have Guerrero back, I’ve long admired him.

It’s fair to say I’m a far-flung Farfán fan too. As well as a tongue twister aficionado. So I am currently busy practising saying this very phrase ("It’s fair to say I’m a far-flung Farfán fan") five times in a row while under the influence of a few Pisco Sours, or a pew Fisco Slours, whatever.

I've kept really quiet but I tell you something, and you can tell him (Deschamps) now, I would love it if we beat France in the second game, love it. And then top the group as we’ll have at least got a point vs Denmark in the 1st game I'm certain of that. I truly believe we can win this WC.

Topping Group C is the first objective. We’d get to play the 2nd of Group D in the round of 16, possibly Iceland or Nigeria. Or Croatia. Or Argentina. Whichever, bring it on, I’m sure we can do it, we drew twice vs Argentina in the qualifiers. I’ve just watched (for the first time) the return leg vs Argentina in October 2017 on You Tube, 0-0 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1trdlIz7Fw – I’ve ordered plenty of VHS and DVDs of us playing and I’m slowly catching up on all our televised games since the 1960s) and we were very unlucky, fucking Brazilian ref was a homer, it was obvious, soooooo biased. OK, we only had 2 shots on target vs 22 for the Argies but still, we outclassed them in some small sections of the midfield, and the midfield is where games are won or lost isn’t it, so that’s good enough for me. Past the Cuartos anything’s possible hombre.

Now, where on diablo have I put the photos of our players so I can recognise them without my Smartphone…