Cyber geek?
"Nope - football freak," he retorts.

So what would he be doing in a dingy cyber café instead of the nearest football ground? "I come here to keep up with the latest news, views and trivia," says the sun-tanned 16-year-old, "I am so into the FIFA World Cup, that it completely overshadows cricket."

He goes on to explain, "Here in India, where most people cannot see beyond cricket, I find it hard to intelligently discuss the upcoming World Cup, and when I asked my neighbour who he thought would be the champions, he said 'Brazil will win, like last time' - he doesn't even remember that France had taken the previous trophy."

So, if Nathan cannot find people around him to discuss football with, he looks to the global community: "The Net allows me to connect with football fans from England, Argentina, France and Portugal - so many other countries too. All I have to do is log on to a World Cup discussion forum."

Romesh Sen, another college student, cribs that he will not be able to watch the matches this time around, as he does not receive Ten Sports, the channel that has broadcasting rights: "So I thought, why not make the most of my fibre-optic line at home to catch up with scores real-time?"

Romesh plans to log on to sites that offer live scores. But wouldn't it be boring to sit in front of a PC for a couple of hours? "It sure would. That's where the message boards come in. I've joined a couple of sites that allow fans to discuss the games and offer bits of trivia. Although I haven't begun posting yet, I will do so while waiting for the scoreboard to update."

Football fans in India are finding good company in far-off places. Special communities and forums have been created online to discuss various aspects of the FIFA competition. Here are a few worth checking out. If you're dissatisfied with the newspaper coverage or want a layman's views, these sites should keep you occupied.

World Soccer Board
This is one of the most user-friendly sites. After a free and quick registration, you can introduce yourself on this board, then put up a trial post in order to see how it's done and check their emoticons. Once comfortable, you can proceed to the World Cup board to share your thoughts. This site also has an 'Anger Forum' that says, 'Come here to release your anger, etc. that we don't want released elsewhere! :-)' Hot topics include 'What would be the best game in WC2002' - Most users here plump for England vs Argentina.

SoccerFanTalk
Another forum that requires free registration; this board categorises messages into hot topics, very hot topics, sticky topics, polls, etc. People are currently busy predicting the outcome of Group D and debating whether Zinedine Zidane of France is as good as or better than Pele.

Soccer Bulletin
"Who will win the World Cup" appears to be the question asked on most forums - and the Soccer Bulletin is no exception. This board allows you to frame your question into a poll, and let other users vote from among your choices. Here, Italy is in the lead, with France and England trailing behind. Free registration at this site will entitle you to participation on any of their message boards. Those who do not register may not post, but can still read the messages.

Topica
Topica has several mailing lists. Among those related to this topic is MWorld Cup Forum, devoted to the Football World Cups, from the preliminary rounds of World Cup 2002 to the finals of World Cup 2006. It allows unmoderated discussion and can be read by anyone. Messages are information based, such as details of the England squad, and names of the Brazilian players to play against Portugal, but there are also the ever-popular predictions. Another Topica list is World Cup 2002, formed to 'provide you with the latest news, results and information on the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.' But this is a read-only list, and open only to subscribers.

Big Soccer
This site has a series of World Cup-based forums that anyone can post to, after free registration. 'World Cup 2002' is the most popular board here, and has some interesting topics of discussion, like the chances of a non-European and non-South American team making the 2nd round, and speculation over which teams will have a ban on sex. This forum's masthead says, 'Four years of patience is about to pay off...'

There is a special message board for Round 1, while 'Predictions now; Results later' is the motto of the Round 2 forum. The World Rivalries board encourages people from participating nations to demonstrate national pride.

Yahoo! Groups
The host of online clubs and groups at Yahoo! are not without their disadvantages - cumbersome advertisements that appear just where the message should be. Yet, once you get around the ads, you yak away at any of the myriad groups, find schedules at 'World Cup Soccer' and updates at 'allaboutfootball'.

SoccerWay
On SoccerWay's World Cup 2002 forum, Italy and Argentina appear to be the running favourites. Users are also discussing first round winners, 'Golden Boot' winners, and whether penalty kicks are the right choice. There is even a post asking 'Who's the funniest member/guest of our forum?' Registration is not a must, but the site claims it speeds up the posting process.

Doordarshan may not be televising the matches until the semi-finals; but with Web forums, the ball's in your court!

Also Read
 -- Best of the Web: A compilation of the best links on the World Cup.