Making Headlines: FIFA World Cup in Brazil

Oh no. It's a torture.

You don’t like football?

These guys were up all night, screaming till 5 in the morning. Worse they spilled beer on the carpet.

It’s a passionate game and followers can go berserk at times. But you’ll have to excuse them.

Excuse them? Why?

It’s the World Cup; played once in four years; and is being held in Brazil, the spiritual home of football.

Ah! No wonder all those shrieks and sighs... What's this offside thingy? It isn't kosher, is it?

A goal from an offside position does not hold. As a striker or scorer you should have at least one defender between you and the goalie when the ball leaves the passer’s foot. If you are stranded between the opposition defenders and the goalkeeper, you’re in an offside position.

Cool. But you know football is a tough game with all these players kicking each other. Can’t they be a bit more restrained?

It’s a contact sport so you’ll have players clattering into each other. But there are punishments.

Really? I think they should be sent home.

Not home but surely to the dressing room.

How do you do that?

The ref has yellow and red cards. Yellow for minor fouls and red for serious ones. Two yellows in a match lead to a red. While a yellow is a caution, a red means you’re sent off the field. You also miss the next match.

So who do i support?

Bookmakers’ and pundits’ favourites are Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Spain.

And if i want to be hatke?

Go for Belgium. And a real, real hatke would be England.

Cool. Let's check out the movies on TV?

Dude, we are watching football; it’s the World Cup.