Essay

Choosing sides

By Mike Dwane

So the World Cup is upon us and, as usual, Ireland is not at the party. This leaves me with a decision to make over which team to support over the next month in Brazil.

My wife, of course, would prefer it if I didn't invest my hopes in any country and helped around the house more. But I tell her that the World Cup only comes around every four years and she should allow me to indulge my passion for football. I say the same thing at every Olympics by the way, when I suddenly become interested in fencing, trampolining and the modern pentathlon.

Given the family connection, Japan would seem the logical choice as "my team" at Brazil 2014. After all, I have supported Soccer Nippon Daihyo before and remember being at one game in the National Stadium near Yoyogi-koen when Hidetoshi Nakata scored twice as Japan beat Macao 10-0.

While Ireland was being thrashed 6-1 by Germany during its latest qualification campaign, Japan was beating Jordan 6-0. These numbers sound more like tennis than football scores.

Japan has great players like Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa, but while they might be among the best in Asia, I don't expect them to make it past Colombia and Cote d'Ivoire into the second round.

To avoid cooking and cleaning well into July, I need a team with more staying power than Zaccheroni Japan, a team that has a realistic chance of winning.

For historical reasons, no Irishman can support England. Germany is out after hammering Ireland twice in qualification. Spain has a great team but they are getting a little too old to survive the heat of Brazil. The Italians are too emotional and can't be trusted not to start falling out with one another.

Besides, every World Cup that has been played in South America has been won by a team from that continent.

Brazil is too obvious a choice and this leaves me with Argentina, home of my all-time hero, Diego Maradona.

Argentina actually has a lot in common with Ireland. We both play rugby, produce excellent beef and fought wars against England. We both had to be rescued from economic disaster by the IMF and we both dance very well -- although I must admit the tango is a little sexier than Riverdance.

And of course, Argentina has the best player in the world -- Lionel Messi. If Messi and his teammates fulfil their promise in the coming weeks, I reckon I can be a couch potato at least until the semi-finals.

For the next month then, I have chosen to be an Argentine. As they say in Spanish, "Vamos, vamos, Argentina!"

誰を応援するか

４年に一度のワールドカップがいよいよ開幕。筆者の国アイルランドは出場していないが、サッカーファンとしては観戦しないわけにいかない。さて、問題はどこの国を応援するかなのだが…。

The Japan Times ST: June 13, 2014