Irish soccer fans are spoilt for choice

WITH the sorry exception of those engrossed by the typically English-media saga of Wayne Rooney’s injured foot, most football fans here have been eagerly anticipating the World Cup for the football.

Indeed, of the 31 other countries involved, seldom have so many merited Irish support, with Poles, Brazilians, Czechs, Croats and Spaniards among those contributing most to our labour force now. When one adds Argentina, the USA and Australia as countries with which we share strong ties, one can see that our own absence from the tournament has its compensations.

Therefore, this coming month let’s hear far less about Rooney and Beckham, please — and lots more about Messi and Kaka, Jankulovski and Zurawski as we celebrate the multinational splendour of the World Cup.