Rooting for anyone but England (Israel's soccer fans root for England's defeat in World Cup)

Miami Herald ^ | 06/02/2006 | By URI DROMI

[NZerFromHK]

Uri Dromi is director of International Outreach at the Israel Democracy Institute in Jerusalem.

[NZerFromHK]

I understand the author's intentions. But let's dose some reality with the tournament's arrangements: England won't meet Saudi Arabia until the semi-finals, and I'm certain Saudi Arabia won't make it far and it will be less than 1/3 chance England will make it to the semis.

If Iran makes to to the final 8, it may meet England in the Quarter-finals, but again it is highly doubtful if Iran will make it past the group stage.

Time to read the schedules first, Mr Dromi.

[NZerFromHK]

Israel and soccer ping!

[soccer_maniac]

Official website: http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/

As most of you know, USA qualified for the World Cup and will play their first game against the second-ranked Czech Republic on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen. After facing the Czechs, the U.S. plays Italy in Kaiserslautern on June 17 and concludes group play against Ghana in Nuremberg on June 22.

[NZerFromHK]

I'm not optimistic the US will get out of the group stage this time - and day by day it seems it could be 1998 deja vu. In contarst I think Australia will have a large chance to surprise everyone, with Hiddink as their coach and all first XI choices that play at a higher level (Premiership, Bundesliga, Durch league, and Serie A) than many of the US team's 1st XI.

[MadIvan]

He's completely out of his mind if he prefers Saudi Arabia to England.

Secondly, if he believes that academics in the United States are any different from those in Britain, he hasn't really been paying attention recently. Edward Said made his home at Columbia University, not Oxford.

Regards, Ivan

[taxesareforever]

Really, are we supposed to care who wins? If so, why? If the winner got to push the button on Iran I would care.Until then I don't,

[soccer_maniac]

Group E tactics (great article)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=368729&root=worldcup&cc=5901

[tophat9000]

American, it's simple: You support the American team,

...When it comes to soccer....not really...

(but then we don't root for any one in soccer)

[MadIvan]

Come now, you really should support the American team. One thing you may not recall as that during the last World Cup, America beat Mexico.

Given recent difficulties, one should at least hope that humiliation is repeated.

Addtionally, they are really quite good.

Regards, Ivan

[Hoplite]

The Israelis should take up the cheer I heard from a couple yobs leaving a bar one night: "Fook McManaman fook McAteer!"

Doesn't matter if those two are on the England squad or not - it's just such a catchy tune, you can't help but sing along!

[NZerFromHK]

This is right, but let me be the devil's advocate here: one crucial difference is that American pro-Palestinian academics (which basically means almost all of US academics in humanities etc) at least still invite Israel's Chomsky clones to conferences that they organize, while they would be treated as personae non grata among members of the British National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education, notwithstanding these Israeli academics are just as self-loathing anti-Israel as they themselves.

[TheWasteLand]

I just bought my England jersey today. I hope the Israeli's out there can forgive me ;)

[MadIvan]

I really don't see much of a difference - American academics loathe Israel just as much as the British academics do. The "gesture" that the British academics made should not be the sole criteria upon which this gentleman judges matters. I'm perfectly willing to accept that academics in Britain are left wing kooks, I'm saying that it's not just the UK, there are left wing, pro-Palestinian kooks in almost every Western university.

I do also wonder about what this fellow feels about the Sorbonne. Whatever British academics have said, that's nothing compared to the vitriolic hatred they'd get from French academia.

Regards, Ivan

[tophat9000]

America beat Mexico.

Did the American have "INS" on there jersey?

[NZerFromHK]

Probably the hatred stems from the days of Palestinian Mandate, I don't know. I think they have spoken out against France's Muslim and white far right and left-wing anti-Semitism as well.

Anyway, so much with politics about the World Cup. At least because HK was a former British colony we grew up watching English football. I know many of my friends in HK root for England in the competition. Let's see who wins LOL.

[MadIvan]

Not at all. The Mexicans were just outclassed and outplayed.

It was a burning humiliation for the Mexicans, truly.

Regards, Ivan

[Central Scrutiniser]

Stupid article, if you are hispanic.... and they don't name Mexico?

As for me, I'm a huge football fan, love the American team. We have a super tough group that we probably won't make out of, no slight on our team, but the Czechs and the Italians are the cream of the crop.

Barring the US and given the fact that my other country, Ireland didn't make it, I will cheer for England, the Netherlands and the "new" African teams, Togo, Cote'de Ivorie, and Ghana and some respect for Tunisia.

I will be, as always against Mexico, France, Argentina, Spain, Croatia and Serbia (still with Montenegro....for now), as well as Iran.

But that is the fun of World Cup, the whole world, the whole spectacle, the rivals, and the groups of death.

[Central Scrutiniser]

The US Mexico game last cup was a thing of beauty. Only matched by our qualifier in the ice and snow of Columbus when the Mexicans were befuddled by the ice and more importantly by the fans, who, unlike 4 years earlier in LA were all American, and all rooting for their side.

That being said...

We have a great team, but is it good enough to beat or draw CZ and Italy? I don't think so, but that is the luck of the draw every 4 years. If we beat Ghana, and draw Italy, we might qualify, but we would need CZ to draw Italy.

[familyop]

The difference between the USA and England on this issue is that the boycott by English academics is supported by so many of them as to be an organized boycott.

Here's another example of sentiment in Britain.

ICM (Poll of British people)
"ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+ by telephone on 20-21st April, 2002. Interviews were conducted across the country and the results have been weighted to the profile of all adults.
. . .
"Q3. In the dispute in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians, from what you have seen and heard about the conflict which of the two do you sympathise with more, Israel or the Palestinians?"

Israel           14%
Palestine      28%
Both            14%
Neither         23%
Don't know   20%
"