Soccer: No rest for the true fans

You'll see them on the buses, asleep with mouths open. You'll see them arrive late to work and then act sluggishly.

You'll see the expats or those of foreign origin celebrating when their homeland wins.

They will be the Legion of the Whammed, suffering from more TV than is good for them, as the 2006 World Cup tournament swings into action this week.

In the accompanying table, we highlight the main games to watch in the coming week, whether live or one of the many replays Sky TV has planned.

The kick-off times are not overly friendly, unless you're a shift worker, mostly at 1am and 4am although there is a game each day that starts at 7am. And there are things called videos.

Either way, start the week by watching the hosts Germany play little Costa Rica.

The hosts will be overwhelming favourites to win but are bearing the weight of extreme expectation - they got 42,000 attending a training session last week.

Germany are not the force they were but Teutonic efficiency and determination have taken them far before this - although they stumbled 2-2 in a practice match against Japan recently in a display that gave their coach Jurgen Klinsmann (former Tottenham Hotspur striker and diving champion) the willies about their defence, normally a strong part of the German make-up.

Meanwhile, one of Costa Rica's best known players is former Manchester City and Derby County striker Paulo Wanchope, a player who used to confound his fans by looking as if he was going to fall over his own legs before surprising by scoring a goal. Although sometimes he just fell over.

However, some of the most shocking World Cup upsets have occurred in early rounds (a draw would be rated an upset in this encounter). Remember Senegal 1, France 0 in 2002? Or Cameroon 1, Argentina 0 in 1990? You have been warned.

On June 11, England play Paraguay in their opening game, which will almost certainly be the highest ratings match of the week, as New Zealand's large British expatriate population tune in to watch Michael Owen, Frank Lampard, David Beckham and Peter Crouch, the mobile hatstand.

On the same day, don't miss Argentina vs Ivory Coast. The pick of many to win the tournament, the Argentinians will be nervous about this match.

The Ivorians are one of the shining lights in the rise and rise of African football and with players like Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou (both Chelsea) and a squad who all play for quality European clubs, Ivory Coast will be no walkovers.

And they may even delight us all by kicking the cynical and hardened Argentinians (remember the 1978 final against the Netherlands?) up in the air.

If Argentinian wunderkind Lionel Messi (the latest 'new Maradona') isn't playing, watch the clinical skill of the team, including Juan Riquelme and the dangerous Pablo Aimar, plus 22-year-old Carlos Tevez, another hailed as a 'new Maradona'.

Let's hope they keep their hands in their pockets.