Understanding the Basics

Hopefully, I have convinced you to take in the US’s first game a week from Monday against Ghana. For some of you, this might be the first soccer match you have ever seen, so a little Soccer 101 is in order. Let’s start with the basics. Here are some general soccer terms that you will need to know to understand what’s going on during the game.

Pitch: this is the term generally used to describe the field itself.

Penalty Area: an 18 yard box around the goal. If a foul occurs on the defense in their own penalty area then 

the result is a penalty kick for the offensive team.

Penalty Kick: Any player on the field may attempt a one on one shot with only the goalie from the penalty spot. Following the shot, it is a live ball, so even if the goalie makes a save on the initial penalty shot, other 

players could score on a rebound.

Penalty Time: this is time that is added on at the end of each 45 minute half to account for time lost during stoppages in play.

Tie or Fixture: both of these terms can be used referring to a single game.

Table: a list of the standings in each group.

Getting a Result: this term is used to describe earning points in a game. You earn points by either winning the game outright or in the case of a draw.

Going Through: this term will be used to describe teams as they mathematically qualify for the next round of the tournament by accumulating points in their first round games.

Yellow Card: a warning card that is giving for fouls that are deemed abnormally dangerous or aggressive. Two yellow cards in a single game would result in a red card.

Red Card: given when a player is ejected from the game. A red card could be the result of two yellow cards given throughout a single game, or a “straight” red could be given for a play that the referee deems to be severely dangerous or illegal. If a player receives a red card they are ejected from the game, and their team must finish the game with only 10 men.

Extra Time: during the knockout phase of the competition, if two teams are tied at the end of 90 minutes, they will play two 15 minute periods. If, after both 15 minute periods the teams are still tied then we would go to….

Penalty Kicks: Probably the cruelest way to decide a sporting event in the world. Each team selects five players to take one penalty shot each with the entire world watching. The team that scores the most goals wins. If the teams are still tied after five penalty kicks each, then the rest of the players that were on the field at the end of the game continue taking penalty kicks until one team scores a goal and the other team misses. If you want to compare it to something, think about having a free throw shooting contest to decide a basketball game that is tied at the end of overtime.

Now that you will have some idea of what Ian Darke is talking about as he commentates the US/Ghana match on the 16^th, it’s time to understand the World Cup tournament itself.

32 nations from around the world have spent the past two years making it through regional qualification to reach the World Cup Final which is being held in Brazil this year.

The 32 teams have been divided into 8 four-team groups. Each team will play three games each in the first round, against the three other teams in their group. You get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss. If there is a tie on points after each team has played their three first round games, the tie breaker is determined by goal differential (either a positive or negative number which is determined by subtracting the number of goals allowed by the team from the number of goals the team scored).

The top two teams from each group advance to the knock out rounds, and from there it’s a 16 team tournament to determine the champion.

The groups for the 2014 World Cup were drawn back in December. Here are the groupings:

Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

Group C: Columbia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan

Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Group H: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States

Group G: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

Each World Cup there is a great deal of talk about the “Group of Death.” This year is no different as there are three groups that could be argued to be the most difficult. Group B features the two teams that were in the final in 2010, Spain and the Netherlands along with a strong Chile team that attacks constantly.

Group D is another candidate for this year’s title, featuring Uruguay, who come in as a potential champion, Italy who won the World cup in 2006 and played for the EURO 2012 title, and England who have a young core of players that will bring a much more attacking style of soccer to this World Cup.

However, the most difficult group, and thus the “Group of Death” is the United States’ group. Germany are a world power and perennial favorite. Portugal feature one of the best players in the world, Christiano Ronaldo, along with a solid squad, and Ghana are perhaps the strongest African team in the world. Most expect Germany and Portugal to advance to the knock out rounds, but just one slip up, and the United States and Ghana will be right there to pull off the upset.

I hope you are starting to get excited, the World Cup starts in just one week with the first game: Brazil v. Croatia.