The FIFA World Cup is coming up! Do you know your team’s chants? Will you be able to remember them after you’re “a few” pints into a game? And will it even matter?
I must admit, while I am not the biggest soccer fan, I am easily won over by Displays of Athletic Greatness. I learned to like synchronized swimming and curling because of the Olympics and I developed a far greater appreciation for sailing after watching the Volvo Ocean Race. So I can’t wait to get all wrapped up in the World Cup this June, except that I’m pretty sure that I would FAIL by soccer-fan standards when it comes to supporting my team. You see, outside the states, fans don’t just wear red and scream “Yankees Suck!” and they don’t just drink copious amounts of Bud Light and wolf down crappy hot dogs. 
These guys take being a fan to a whole new level; they can make even the most rabid Red Sox fan look like a Pink Hat in less time than it takes to guzzle a Helles bier and pull up their lederhosen straps.
So in an effort not to be called a bloody muppet if I cock up the words to a cheer, I decided to do a little homework. What I’ve learned is that if you can get past a few “cultural oddities,” it’s not really that much different from how we root for our American sports teams; we already know how to drink beer and yell at the bar’s TV screen. But in case you wanted to pretend like you are a real fan and not just there for the beer specials, here’s my little How To Guide to get you started:
Step One: Get Schooled.
From the avid fan to the bandwagon rider, there are a bunch of awesome ways to either affirm your grasp of the sport or get just enough knowledge to not stick your foot in it.
- Brush up on your general knowledge of Association Football
- Check out the Official FIFA page
- Use this awesome graphic calendar to find out who what where and when!
- Join the World Cup on ESPN Facebook page
- Watch the Best Soccer video ever
- Get the FIFA Twitter feed
- Get some insider info with Grant Wahl’s Twitter feed
- See who Michael Franti picks for the World Cup
- Find out how Sexy soccer can be: Ladies click here Gentlemen click here
- Learn a couple British Insults just in case…
Step Two: Look the Part.
You know: sport the team colors, get a team jersey, wear the team scarf and dwarf hat… (See the gallery below for some more examples.)
Step Three: Learn to Sing.
If you’ve followed Step Two, you won’t really have to worry about actually knowing the words to all your team’s songs or even carrying a tune. If you look the part, you can open your mouth and simply make some noise that’s vaguely similar to the sounds you hear and you’ll be just fine. (As evidenced by the video below, which also has a few subtitles for a more educational experience – totally worth listening all the way through.) You can also chant along with these links:
- Fan Chant – UK
- Soccer Love - Global
Finally, The All Important Step Four: Find a place to Fly your Freak Flag. And by that I of course mean “Support your Team!”
Don’t waste you time going to just any ol’ dodgy sports bar. If you’re gonna go out to see the World Cup, you need to go to a quality pub where you can get a proper bevvy and not look like a Billy no mates with your team colors on. Here are a few suggestions for you:
- The Big Picture Owner Claudia Becker is a German ex-pat who still hasn’t quite decided who she’s rooting for. It will depend on “who has the prettiest boys!” she says. But rest assured, you will be able to see them all on the big screen! The Big Picture lives up to it’s name by playing the games during the day on not one, but both of their super cool gigantic movie screens! Now if only we could get her to play those sexy videos on the big screen…
- Hostel Tevere & Three Penny Taproom No, the owners are not European. They may have European roots, ties and tattoos, but they know how to get their football on without sporting Jock Hawks or Drop Dead Red hair. And now these two fine establishments are joining forces to bring you a quality World Cup viewing experience! They are co-sponsoring a pool and hosting two all day events, (because you can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning!) Check out their respective web pages for all the football-icious details.
So there it is Team: How To Enjoy Soccer, or Football, or whatever. Good luck and God Save the Queen!
