World Cup Primer
What:
Sixty-four matches total. In the initial group stage, eight groups
of four teams each compete to move on to the single-elimination
round of 16. Quarters, semis, and finals to follow.
When:
From June 9 through July 9
Where:
Germany. The opener is in Munich and the final is in Berlin. The
other 62 matches are divided between these and the other 10 host
cities: Hamburg, Hanover, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Cologne,
Frankfurt, Kaiserslautern, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, and Leipzig.
Who Plays:
Thirty-two teams from six continents, divided into eight groups
Group A: Germany, Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador
Group B: England, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden
Group C: Argentina, Cote d'Ivoire, Serbia and Montenegro,
Netherlands
Group D: Mexico, Iran, Angola, Portugal
Group E: Italy, Ghana, USA, Czech Republic
Group F: Brazil, Croatia, Australia, Japan
Group G: France, Switzerland, Korea Republic, Togo
Group H: Spain, Ukraine, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia
Also up for grabs:
Golden Shoe (awarded to the leading goal scorer); Golden Ball
(awarded to the most outstanding player); Best Young Player
(awarded to the most outstanding player who was born on or after
January 1, 1985)
Bookmark These Sites
FIFA:
fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/index.html
German National Tourist Board:
www.germany-tourism.de/fifa_wm_2006
Travel packages:
www.soccertravel.com,
www.anthonytravel.com
Hostel and budget-hotel information:
www.hostelworld.com
Lodging and tourism:
www.craigslist.org
Goethe-Institut:
www.goethe.de/dll/kur/enindex.htm
Hiking information:
www.slackpacker.com/map_germany.html
Germany Tourism:
www.germany-tourism.co.uk
The Romantic Road:
www.romanticroad.com/default.htm
Soccer bars and football pubs:
www.soccerbars.com
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