The World Cup

This summer's WorldCup competition will see teams competing to play the world's best football. Butthe football they play will not all be of the same kind.The fans expect

different styles ofplay from Brazil,Germany,or Italy.

What makes Brazilianfootball Brazilian?Our style of playing football contrasts with the Europeansbecause of a combination of qualities of surprise,accuracy and good

judgment.This stylehas won Brazilfive world cups.Yet many Brazilian fans only count four of these victories.In1994,the team abandoned this style for modern,scientific

training andtactics.The team won the cup,but in a boring way.

The Italians thinkdifferently."To many Italians,the score 0:0 has a gloriousquality,suggesting perfection,"says the British football writer SimonKuper. In the Italian

culture,the idea offace is very important.This is why Italian teams are traditionally built aroundstrong defenses.The Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff once said that Italian

teams never exactlybeat you.It's just that you often lose to them.

In Holland,there is a tradition of decisionmaking through argument and discussion.It is a society where everybody isexpected to have a point of view."Every Dutch player

wants to control thegame,"says Arnold Muhren."You play football with your brains and notyour feet."

"A Dutch playerargues,"says Simon Kuper."An English player obeys his superior. He isa soldier."The qualities valued in English football aremilitary-strength,aggression

and courage.This canmake for exciting football. But it also means that the English find itdifficult to use skillful players. David Beckham is usually criticized for hisfailure to

defend一despite the fact that he is anattacker.

If the English liketo fight,the Germans like to win.In recent years,Germany has tried to change itsimage as a country of ruthless efficiency and a desire for victory at all

costs.But Germansare quite happy for these qualities to remain in their national footballteam."Football is a simple game,"Gary Lineker once said."Youkick a ball about for

ninety minutes andin the end the Germans win."

It's difficult topredict who will win this year's World Cup.There is no strong favorite.But alook at the track record of previous winners shows that it is the nations withthe

strongest nationalcharacteristics in the football that perform best.It seems that you need toknow where you come frorr if you want to get to the top.What is oneexpected to do in Holland?

A.To play football.

B.To express his orher opinion freely.

C.To make a fussabout nothing.

D.To beat his or heropponents ruthlessly.