A quarter of men cite sport as their number one topic of conversation with their friends – with just 1 per cent of women saying the same. This will undoubtedly increase over the next few weeks as the World Cup gathers pace.
For those who might feel a little like a fish out of water when talk turns to the tournament, and don't want to be left out of the conversation, official 2014 FIFA World Cup(c) sponsor Continental Tyres, has produced a World Cup Survival Guide app to help see you through.
The Survival Guide offers top tips such as 'Conversation Starters' – a few nuggets of information you need to know about this year's World Cup.
You can make sure you're up on the lingo with the 'Jargon Buster' – which gives you all you need to know on everything from the offside rule to nutmegging. It also explains the ins and outs of foul play so you too can shout at the ref!
The Survival Guide features all the fixtures and will be updated throughout the tournament with the results and group standings. Fans can also get the lowdown on each of the 32 teams aiming to reach the final in Rio on 13th July.
The Guide is available on your desktop or as a mobile app to keep you up to date with all the action as it happens. It is available at www.contisurvivalguide.com
Mark Griffiths, communications officer at Continental Tyres said: "We produced the Survival Guide as a bit of fun which helps both those who do know their stuff and those who might need to bluff.
"Continental is really excited
about this year's World Cup, having supported football for nearly 20 years, we
really are passionate about the game and it's always great when new fans feel
able to get involved."
And to lend an extra helping hand, we've spoken to our colleagues at Continental's Brazilian office and have produced these top tips for enjoying the World Cup at home:
Continental's Top Tips for Surviving the World Cup:
- FOOD: Impress your friends and family with some authentic Brazilian snacks to devour in front of the TV. P"o de queijo is basically cheesy bread balls that are deliciously crispy on the outside and chewy and warm on the inside. It's handy to know that lots of UK shops actually sell ready-made mixes to make this easier.
- DRINKS: Get in the Brazilian mood and knock up some South American sunshine inspired mocktails. Mix together some tropical fruit juices such as passion fruit or pineapple with some coconut water – add some lime and a cocktail umbrella!
- REDUCING PENALTY SHOOT OUT STRESS: An international study found that players success rate is less than 60% when a miss will instantly result in a loss for their team compared to 92% when a goal will win the game (Jordet et al. 2007). So in a nutshell, it's incredibly stressful for the players and you shouting at the TV will sadly have zero impact. As there is absolutely nothing you can do to affect the outcome it's essential to try to reduce your stress – try to slow down your breathing and take deep breaths (or hide behind the sofa if you need to!)
- KNOWLEDGE: England are in Group D with Uruguay, Costa Rica and Italy
- THE LINGO: Some of the jargon de-coded:
- The offside trap: players moving to make a player offside
- Lay off: pass to a player running down the side
- Outfield player: any other players than the goal keeper
- Nutmegged: the ball intentionally kicked between a players legs
This and lots more explained at www.contisurvivalguide.com
