Tuesday, June 6, 2006 | 7:15 a.m.
In which pub, bar, restaurant, discotheque or other meeting place will you be watching your favorite team play in the World Cup?
We'd like to know where Las Vegas' best football - or soccer, if you prefer - fans will be gathering.
Drop us an e-mail at [email protected] or call 259-4088 and leave a message.
The biggest sports spectacle in the world kicks off Friday in Munich, when Germany and Costa Rica begin the 18th World Cup. Thirty-two countries battled through two years of qualifying to participate in soccer's marquee event, and much of the world will eagerly ogle every pass, tackle and corner kick. All games will be shown live on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
Here's a quick guide to the tournament and a glance at a few of the players and teams who may make history.
Baby steps
If he plays for England against Paraguay on Saturday, 5-foot-7 striker Theo Walcott (17 years, 86 days) will become the youngest player to participate in a World Cup. Pele, at 17 years and 249 days, established that mark in 1958.
Walcott, an Arsenal player who has never played for that club's first team, has considerable time to set the mark even if he doesn't play in the Three Lions' opener.
Snappy
Four years ago against South Korea, Hakan Sukur of Turkey scored the quickest goal of the World Cup in the 11th minute.
Defense never rests
Brazilian defender Cafu, 36, has played in 144 international games. Born while Brazil played England in the 1970 World Cup, Cafu has played in the past three championship games, a combined 279 minutes. Nobody else has played in three consecutive title games, much less four.
Brazil, by the way, is the lone squad to participate in all 18 World Cups.
Better half
Dado Prso, whose first contract was for $200 a week, gave up professional soccer when his career didn't pan out in France. So he became an auto mechanic, spending nights playing pool and smoking.
Then he met his future wife, Carole. He got back into the game and has made an impact on the Croatian national team.
Sting like a ...
Ali Daei of Iran has tallied a record 109 international goals. The first Asian to play in the Champions League in Europe played for three teams in Germany, experience that should benefit Team Melli.
Trailblazer
Chris Birchall, 22, is Trinidad & Tobago's first white player in more than 30 years. The Liverpool-born midfielder qualifies to play for the Soca Warriors because his mother was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.
Saving face
Saudi Arabia defender Redha Tukar Fallatah has something to prove because he was largely blamed for an 8-0 thrashing by Germany in the World Cup four years ago. That tied for the fourth most-lopsided Cup defeat, and the worst since 1982.
Huh?
Asked during an interview with international governing body FIFA's official magazine who he'd most like to meet, Japanese defender Tsuneyasu Miyamoto said "Myself, around the time I was born."
18-2-1
Brazil's record in the past three World Cups.
Trivia
Who is the only player to record hat tricks in mutliple World Cups, and what is his nickname? (Answer below)
All-Name Team
The All-Nickname Team
Mexican midfielder Jaime Arturo Lozano Espin, whose left foot is lethal, is better known as "The Actor," because his famous thespian parents are Jaime Lozano Aguilar and Ana Bertha Espin.
Other monikers:
Bulldozer - Brazilian forward Adriano
Gio - Dutch defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Juampi - Argentine captain Juan Pablo Sorin
Kikin - Mexican striker Jose Francisco Fonseca
Lucho - Argentine midfielder Luis Oscar Gonzalez
Maestro - Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora
Pauleta - Portuguese striker Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes
Roadrunner - Turkish striker Francileudo dos Santos
Romi - Argentine midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme
Sheva - Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko
Zico - Japanese striker Masashi Oguro
Trivia answer: Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina, '94 and '98), was nicknamed Batigol
archive
