If you frequently surf the Internet or have watched television in recent days, you probably know by now that the Football (soccer) World Cup began today in Germany. Even if you’re not a big fan of soccer and are just mildly curious about the sport, you probably still have a favorite team you’re rooting for to win the cup. If you’re American, it’s probably the American team; if you’re Korean, you are no doubt rooting for Korea to win it all. I’m not a soccer fanatic, but I do enjoy following the sport during the World Cup. News about soccer and the World Cup are plentiful here in South Korea because Korea, along with Japan, co-hosted the event in 2002. I’m in a bit of dilemma this year, because my host country, South Korea, my national team, the United States, and my upcoming host country, Paraguay, all qualified to compete in this year’s World Cup.
So which team should I root for to win the World Cup? Most definitely NOT Brazil, which I believe will win yet another World Cup again this year. I’m rooting for Paraguay, which unfortunately is down 1-0 to England as I write. Why Paraguay? Because I love an underdog, and I love to see a small country like Paraguay (population 6.1 million) achieve greatness. Still, Paraguay has a very tough road ahead of it. While I hope it wins the Cup, it’s more realistic to root for the Paraguayos to advance beyond their pool (Group B). Of course, I would be thrilled to see the United States or Korea also reach the World Cup finals, but in the final game, if Paraguay were a contender, I would be rooting for Paraguay to win it all. Viva el Paraguay!
You would root for Paraguay over the US of A?
You have been abroad too long. Traitor!