Top 10 Reasons to Support Uruguay:
10. The population of Uruguay is 3.3 million people, about the size of Greater Cape Town.
9. The first black international in either the World Cup or the Olympics was Uruguay’s José Leandro Andrade.
8. Uruguay claims four world titles — two World Cups (1930, 1950) and two Olympic golds (1924, 1928).
7. Estadio Centenario in Montevideo was the first monumental stadium built outside Britain (capacity 100,000). It was finished just in time to host the first World Cup final in 1930.
6. The United States won third place in Uruguay in 1930 — its best ever World Cup result.
5. When Uruguay defeated Brazil in front of 200,000 people at Rio’s Maracanã stadium in 1950, ‘there was sadness so great, so profound,’ Pelé said, ‘that it seemed like the end of a war with Brazil the loser and many people dead.’
4. Hungary’s ‘Golden Team’ defeated Uruguay 4-2 (aet) at the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland — a match remembered for its compelling drama and bone-crunching violence.
3. I don’t remember the 1970 World Cup, the last time Uruguay reached the semis.
2. Led by Forlan and Suarez, heirs of Schiaffino and Ghiggia, Uruguay 2010 bends, curls, tackles, and handles every obstacle in its way!
1. Eduardo Galeano, born and raised in Montevideo, penned my favorite football book of all time: Soccer in Sun and Shadow.
Top 10 Reasons to Support the Netherlands
10. The Dutch East India Company is dead.
9. Brilliant Orange by David Winner — a must-read about Dutch football and society.
8. Spending a lay-over on the way to South Africa at the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House, a transformative experience.
7. Van Basten, Rijkaard, Gullit — the Holy Trinity of post-Cruyff era.
6. The 1978 World Cup final between Argentina and the Netherlands (3-1, aet) was the first final I watched on TV.
5. The idea of Ajax, if not the reality of Total Football.
4. Van Basten’s goal against USSR in the 1988 European Championship final
3. The most consistently inspired and successful player of the year, at national team and club level: Wesley Sneijder.
2. The Netherlands have never won the World Cup.
1. Johann Cruyff — when I saw him in the film Il Profeta del gol I had the first of my ongoing revelations about the living cult of football. In his honor, I played with jersey number 14.
