Taljechin, 

Have you ever tried to play soccer in two feet (or even as little as 50 cm, for that matter) of snow? Forget the fact that the ball stops within inches of being kicked, you'd keep falling on your bottom and the ground would be frozen.  Aint fun.  I think that's why curling is one of Canada's main national pasttimes, along with hockey of course.

Thx, MNb.

Fassbinder isn't everyone's cup of tea.  Lola was indeed interesting, as was Veronika Voss.  But film is another tangent for another thread! 

Well, 

Being a Coloradan who loves most things French (including the opening), I used to root for the Quebec Nordiques.  Then, to my utter amazement and joy, they moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche!!   Peter Forsberg is one of my all-time favorite players (along with Joe Sakic, yes, HgMan!), and hope that he finds some way to rejoin the Avs when the new NHL season starts.  I love the Swedish postage stamp of Forsberg, and root for Sweden against everyone but the two North American teams.   

Btw, I have to agree that Hungary deserved at least one World Championship.  That Germany game was a fluke.  If you're interested, the radio play-by-play of the game has a significant role in the Fassbinder film, The Marriage of Maria Braun ( The original is something like "Die ehre auf Maria Braun" but I don't speak German, so it's just a guess.)   

This thread has really taken off! Way cool!

Wayne Gretzky, isn't that Ben Johnson's little brother?

Well, you're welcome to support whomever you like, and the Swedes typically play attractive hockey, and if you like yellow and blue, I suppose their jerseys are alright, but really!     (Actually, I am a fan of many Swedish players, and am hoping that the Sedin twins and Markus Naslund help the Vancouver Canucks win the Stanley Cup this year...)

Not to sound overly patriotic, but I quite like the Canadian jersey with the hockey player skating out of the maple leaf.  Sorry to hijack this thread, but Canadian football has been in the doldrums for a number of years...

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Hmph!

There's only one nation of hockey.  While talking about the best teams, the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s were perhaps the most dominant club side in any sport that I have ever seen.  Wayne Gretzky deserves to be in any conversation of the best players of all time in any sport.

And any Canadian national team of the past twenty years would likely be at the top of any hockey list.  I don't see any real competition from other countries for the Olympics in Turin (if the professional players get to go).  And, yes, Sidney Crosby does look like the real thing...

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First gold on a WCh that's true, but we had the best female athlete of the last century: Fanny Blankers-Coen (she ruled supreme at the London olympics). She passed away last year.
I must admit I usually only follow Swedes when they play ice-hockey, where they are my favourite team.

BtW the best team not to become WCh should be either the 54 Hungary team (1 match lost in 4 years, the final), the 50 Brazil team (winning every game with aat least a 2 goal difference except their last) or the 78 Dutch team (Argentina bribed Peru amongst some other fishy stuff). Though maybe the french Platini team should be there as well.

"That Brazil team would get my vote as the best team never to win the world cup."
Beg your pardon? The Orange team of 1974, no doubt about it! Also Hungary 1954, with Puskas. Pity that our German friends are not so active anymore, they ought to smile now  .

"Talking about obscure, but memorable matches"
De Graafschap-Feyenoord around 1975. Feyenoord was favourite of course, but De Graafschap after 45 minutes had a lead with 3-1. The match ended 5-7.
Very obscure and very memorable! I mean, how many of you guys (except Willempie) even know, that a Dutch team called De Graafschap plays the Dutch premier league? I do not dare to ask you in which town they play, let alone where it is situated!