When do you pull for another country?

[Optimizer]

In international sports contests, people usually pull for their home country. However, many sports fans have specific favorites, or rivals, among other countries.

These relationships are usually asymmetric. When Swedish people watch a contest without Swedish contestants, they usually pull for their Nordic neighbours (Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), while these countries usually see Sweden as their main rival, and usually wish for Sweden to lose.

1: What country are you from?
2: Do you, or your countrymen, have any favorite countries in sports, except your own?
3: Do you, or your countrymen, have any rival country in sports?

 

[Azale]

never, usa #1

 

[warpus]

I'm a Polish Canadian, so I cheer for those 2 countries..

But.. I love underdogs, so during a world cup you'll see me cheering for the U.S., african teams, other European teams, Saudi Arabia, or whoever.

I also have a vested interest in the U.S. doing well in whatever competition - because that will help raise the profile of the sport on this continent, so the U.S. men's national football team gets a lot of love from me.

 

[dgfred]

I go for the underdog alot... whatever the country.

 

[Perfection]

I'm a Polish Canadian, so I cheer for those 2 countries..

But.. I love underdogs, so during a world cup you'll see me cheering for the U.S., african teams, other European teams, Saudi Arabia, or whoever.

I also have a vested interest in the U.S. doing well in whatever competition - because that will help raise the profile of the sport on this continent, so the U.S. men's national football team gets a lot of love from me.

What if the Poles fought the Canadians? Who would you root for?

 

[TheLastOne36]

I am blessed to be able to support 3 national teams, Poland, Canada and Venezuela.

But all 3 suck hard at soccer/football so it's more like 3x cursed.

I also don't recall ever really supporting for Canada on the international stage, except maybe womens football at the Olympics.

 

[Dachs]

1. I was born in Germany and live in the US. I root exclusively for Americans and American teams.
2. No.
3. No.

 

[sophie]

1: What country are you from?
2: Do you, or your countrymen, have any favorite countries in sports, except your own?
3: Do you, or your countrymen, have any rival country in sports?

1. US born and raised.
2. I have a fondness for Germany and Wales (in a Cubsian or Metsian sense).
3. I wouldn't say rival, but there's nothing quite like watching France, Canada, and the UK lose.

 

[Arwon]

Australian. For me it depends on the sport.

New Zealand are a lot more likable as plucky underdogs in the Cricket than as a superpower in Rugby. I think I probably have a lot more respect and affection for NZ teams than many Australians.

Cricket I like the West Indies and Pakistan, and whoever is playing against England or South Africa.

Rugby it's the Welsh and Japan, and whoever is playing against England, South Africa or New Zealand.

Soccer I go for Spain, and if neither Australia or Spain is playing I tend towards underdogs or poorer countries. Or whoever is playing against Italy or the USA.

At the Olympics if there's no Aussies I just go for whoever isn't American, Chinese or British.

Australian rival countries are generally NZ and England/UK and to a lesser extent South Africa. I think a respectful rivalry is developing in the soccer with Japan since they're the good team we play most frequently.

 

[tranger66]

I cheer for Canada whenever their in a tournament. In events they aren't in (eg. Soccer), I and many other Canadians will cheer for whoever fits their background most. For me it tends to be England and Germany. However if either of these teams was against Canada I would cheer whole heartedly for Canada as they likely got stomped on.

In hockey if Canada is knocked out as in the World Hockey Championships right now, I like to see underdogs do well. As such I am rooting for Switzerland to get their first ever hockey gold tomorrow.

For rivals, it is Russia historically and US recently. The '72 series is required knowledge for any Canadian to know growing up, and the punch up in Piestiany(sp?) was a more recent event(80's) that got Canada and Russia kicked out of the world juniors.

 

[BirraImperial]

1. Costa Rica.

2. When my National Team or club isn't playing, I tend to favor Germany and German clubs (Bayern) in football. Most of my countrymen usually support Spain, Brazil and Argentina.
3. Probably our biggest rivals are Mexico and Honduras.

 

[madviking]

1. German Russian American
2. I usually cheer for Germany, Russia, America (soccer)
3. I cheer against Poland, Greece, Ukraine (soccer)

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

I'll support who ever is playing against England. Any sport, any time.

Possibly the only time I don't really support Australia is maybe if a side apart from England or New Zealand is playing Australia in rugby league. Even though they will be 1 in 10,000 outsiders, the international profile of league is so pathetic that I'd be happy for Australia to lose if it means the sport gets a boost.

My sporting wet dream is for the USA to beat Australia at rugby league. Never gonna happen but I can dream.

 

[SnowKomodo]

1: What country are you from?
2: Do you, or your countrymen, have any favorite countries in sports, except your own?
3: Do you, or your countrymen, have any rival country in sports?

1. USA + Indonesia

2. Not really no. And pretty sure that is the same everywhere in the world. All you are going to get with this question are highly individualized experiences. (E.g. For me I tend to root for France, the Netherlands, Namibia, and Sweden outside of my own countries.) OR regional tendencies which are more precise but still do not reflect the entire nation as a consensus

3. USA
Hockey: Canada
American football: Nobody gives a **** about the sport to a meaningful degree other than Americans.
Soccer: Mexico

Indonesia
Soccer + Badminton: Malaysia

And personally speaking? I root against China and Malaysia and that's about it

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I root for whomever beats us (the USA) in something, with the hopes that they win it all, so our excuse for losing can be that we were beaten by the best.

This is actually my thought process for most sports teams in general. Victi vincimus.

 

[Bowsling]

Unfortunately, Canadian teams are usually garbage at any sport other than hockey, so I usually watch international sports as just an observer. In the World Baseball Classic, after Canada lost, I was cheering a) against Japan, because they win all the time, b) for the US, so that people there will actually start taking the event seriously and c) for the Netherlands, because underdog.

I'm almost entirely of British background, but since I don't really care much for soccer, cricket or rugby, the only sport left is the Scottish curling team, but they play Canada quite often anyways.

 

[classical_hero]

It must suck trying to be a Canadian on the international stage.

 

[Winston Hughes]

1. England (or UK/GB, depending on the context).

2. Ireland, since that's where half my family are from. As a result of having joined friends in supporting them at various times in the past, I also have soft spots for Poland, Italy and Ghana. Oh, and it's hard not to love Wales in the rugby.

3. I don't like to see Germany succeed in football, mainly because I was living there in '90, and experienced first-hand the arrogance and smugness that accompanied their WC success (which is not to say English fans wouldn't have been even worse if we'd won). But I reserve my greatest loathing for the Australian cricket side, whose players, officials and supporters have achieved the remarkable feat of being even more obnoxious in victory than my own countrymen.

 

[Grendeldef]

I also have a vested interest in the U.S. doing well in whatever competition - because that will help raise the profile of the sport on this continent, so the U.S. men's national football team gets a lot of love from me.

For the same reason I want it to fail miserably and the sooner MLS goes bust the better In football I'd probably root for Al-Qaida All Stars vs US if such a game would ever take place. If the football catches on is the US we'll have 10x10mins playing time, teams will have 40 players out of which only half would touch a ball in their pro career, unlimited substitutes , 75 time-outs, the game is stopped every time the defending team touches the ball which probably has flashing commercials and then the rules start really getting weird to accommodate commercial interests.

Generally rooting for the Western neighbours Norway & Sweden, France to a lesser degree and I always want Russia to lose apart from playing football against USA or ice hockey against Canada.
In football it's France followed by Germany, England & the Netherlands depending on their team. Old favourite Brazil was demoted '94 and ignored since Rivaldo's stunt '02.

 

[Arwon]

For the same reason I want it to fail miserably and the sooner MLS goes bust the better In football I'd probably root for Al-Qaida All Stars vs US if such a game would ever take place. If the football catches on is the US we'll have 10x10mins playing time, teams will have 40 players out of which only half would touch a ball in their pro career, unlimited substitutes , 75 time-outs, the game is stopped every time the defending team touches the ball which probably has flashing commercials and then the rules start really getting weird to accommodate commercial interests.

That's an actually absurd fear