World Cup [Archive] - Professional Soldiers ®

incarcerated

06-13-2010, 12:52

Not bad at all for a secondary sport. Nice defense! :lifter

Our defense was not a comfortable sight for me. I prefer to see an incoming attack managed by defensive systems of play. When you’re over matched, this doesn’t happen so much, and those defensive systems are subjected to pressure and become deformed, and do not function as they are designed to. A good attack will pull apart a defense with movement that creates space for attacking defenders etc. When your defensive system is degraded, you are left with the chaotic, scrappy, desperate, seat-of-the-pants play of individual defenders and midfielders to see you through. I do not like to see a lone center-defender having to challenge a ball carrier at the top of the defending third or at the top of the penalty area, with no second defender or other defensive support forthcoming. The closer you play to your own net, the lower the margin of error you must play with. Mistakes in defense show up on the score board. This is why the GK is the most important guy on the field, and why England is in such a bind for the tournament, with 40 year-old David James as their primary alternate keeper.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/worldcup2010/2010/06/10/2010-06-10_america_owns_edge_in_goalkeepers_hands_down.htm l

Soccer is the World’s game. Not many kids who have played shortstop, point guard, defensive back or linebacker ever take up the craft of goalkeeping in foreign countries. The degree of athleticism required in our sports is far more varied and broad. The same is true of the mental dimension of our sports. Were the U.S. Soccer Federation to make a concerted effort at GK development at the youth level, where keepers are a scarce and highly prized commodity, the U.S. could produce the finest goalkeeping talent in the world. This effort has not been made, yet we have furnished a modest number of goalkeepers to the world’s premium leagues for over a decade. This is our opportunity to make an American contribution to the sport. Ten good keepers could dominate the position in the English Premier League. I hope to see this some day.

Currently, Germany up 1-0 over Australia in the 20th minute on what looked like a very offsides attack. Love the Scottish announcer: can’t understand a word he says…

Bebop

06-13-2010, 16:33

Germany played a great game, with a final score of 4-0. Unfortunately, from watching the other matches, I'm worried how the US will fair if it makes it to the next round. I am fairly certain that we can beat Slovenia and Algeria, but we shall see.

hoot72

06-14-2010, 06:07

The USA has a good solid team with a lot of experince and drive.

I actually went for a US win because the england team simply is a dis-jointed team that does not play fluid attacking football and lacks strenght in depth.

I honestly think the USA will reach the quarter final's at the minimum and MAY go another round further.

Depends who they draw in the quarters.

I do expect them to beat Algeria comfortably and to overcome Slovenia.

afchic

06-14-2010, 09:26

Once again, my daughter learned that watching a game with mom is not for those wishing to spend a quiet, lazy day on the couch on a rainy Saturday.

After the game she said "damn mom, I thought you only acted like that when the Broncos played!!!"

A good afternoon spent by the family doing something together, watching a sport we all play and love.

Was impressed by the US team overall, although as a fullback, I was quite disappointed by the defense at times. We kept getting beat on the left time and time again.

I was also impressed with the refs. Called a very fair game.

PedOncoDoc

06-14-2010, 10:15

I took my son to a local pub to watch the US-England game. It was nice seeing everyone standing with their hands over their hearts, singing the national anthem. My little guy loved celebrating the US goal with the crowd.

It looks like our keeper should be a go for Friday in spite of the possible rib injury from last game - he definitely kept us in the match! :munchin

Sacamuelas

06-14-2010, 12:16

Everything online says the keeper will be a go.

I watched our two other bracket participants play each other. We SHOULD be good against either team. Those matches aren't a given, but I feel pretty good about them after seeing the two teams. :lifter

Dozer523

06-14-2010, 13:39

Son # 2 needed a haircut (boy did he!), between mutterings "more, yeah more I want my money's worth", I picked up a copy of Men's Journal and found this article. Why the World Cup Sucks. Now before you Futbol nazi's get your panties in a wad and you start doing that foam-on-the-lips thing, I love all sports as long as they are well played with desire, determination, and /or love of the game. But this IS funny. http://www.mensjournal.com/taibbi-world-cup

Maytime

06-14-2010, 15:04

I think we will come away with wins against Algeria and Slovenia, but unfortunately so will England IMHO. Now it's a matter of scoring more goals than them so we don't have to face Germany in the next round. Our defense will not be able to handle Podolski and Klose if they play like they did against England.

incarcerated

06-14-2010, 23:45

Why the World Cup Sucks. Now before you Futbol nazi's get your panties in a wad and you start doing that foam-on-the-lips thing, I love all sports as long as they are well played with desire, determination, and /or love of the game. But this IS funny. http://www.mensjournal.com/taibbi-world-cup

They forgot the crappy officiating…
I agree with you about loving all sports, but… do you really mean it?
How do you feel about Curling?
http://www.curlingbasics.com/

:D:D

JJ_BPK

06-15-2010, 05:41

How do you feel about Curling?
http://www.curlingbasics.com/

I hope that wasn't a Circus shot..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_curling

incarcerated

06-15-2010, 23:53

I hope that wasn't a Circus shot..[/color]

No, not a Circus shot: an attempted thread hijack, and straight line. :D

incarcerated

06-16-2010, 10:24

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/15/sports/la-sp-north-korea-sidebar-20100616

North Korean 'fans' at World Cup look out of place

Small, handpicked group that is allowed to attend the tournament offers a stark contrast to supporters of their team's first opponent, Brazil.
June 15, 2010|By Kevin Baxter
Reporting from Johannesburg, South Africa — The North Koreans are back in the World Cup after a 44-year absence. But some may wonder why they bothered to come.
The Brazilians, who play in the tournament every four years, have more than 500 journalists following them here. The North Koreans, in only their second World Cup, brought two photographers, two TV reporters and one writer.
In the U.S., where soccer is still considered a minor sport, more than 136,000 World Cup tickets were sold. In North Korea, where the team is making history, the national soccer federation distributed 1,400 tickets.
In South Africa, a soccer game is a thinly disguised reason to sing, dance, scream and blow on a vuvuzela for hours. The North Korean fans handpicked to attend their country's World Cup opener Tuesday displayed all the joy and spontaneity of accountants attending a seminar.
That the game — played in a wind chill of 24 degrees — ended in a 2-1 victory for Brazil was predictable. That several hundred North Korean fans were on hand to watch it was not.
China's state-run news agency has reported that North Korea had offered tickets to sporting officials and tour agencies in China, which does not have a team here. Chinese journalists in South Africa had adopted the North Koreans as their own and, the news agency reported, about 1,000 Chinese dancers and musicians were recruited to cheer for the North Koreans.
But shortly before Tuesday's game started, a five-row block of seats on the second level at Ellis Park Stadium filled up with more than 40 men and a woman, all dressed in identical red shirts, jackets and scarves, wearing identical red caps and waving small North Korean flags. Across the way there was another similarly sized red dot of fans in grandstands that were otherwise filled with the green and yellow of Brazil.
Kim Yong Chon, 43, one of the North Korean fans, said the group, which numbered 300, was not Chinese, but he admitted they had been carefully recruited by the North Korean government to make the trip. Speaking through an interpreter, he said the group had left Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, and traveled through Beijing the same day and they would stay in South Africa as long as their team does.
They sang the North Korean national anthem loudly but sat passively, almost expressionless, through most of the game, with one man sucking on a beer. They spoke only infrequently to one another — Chon said they didn't know one another before coming to South Africa — and mainly reacted to the action on the field only when directed to do so by a man who stood before them like an orchestra conductor.
Few of the men bothered to acknowledge the non-Korean fans, following the lead of their team, which was hidden on a private floor of a luxury hotel, failed to show at news conferences and banned outside journalists from its training sessions.
FIFA has chosen not to challenge the team over media availability, so after Tuesday's game, while members of the Brazilian team spoke at length with reporters, most of the North Korean players brushed by. Only a handful bothered to stop at all, most notably star striker Jong Tae Se, who cried during the playing of his country's national anthem. And he was quickly shooed along by members of the North Korean delegation.
Perhaps all this would have gone unnoticed had North Korea opened against another team that plays a staid, defensive game. But against the passionate Brazilians and their samba-dancing fans, the contrast was stark.
But Chon at least tried to acknowledge the tenets of international friendship and cultural exchange events such as the World Cup are supposed to engender.
"We will also be supporting South Korea," he said, mentioning the country that North Korean Coach Kim Jong Hun had refused to acknowledge a day earlier. "Our hearts are with them too.
"But we have no tickets for any of their games."

See also:
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/world/North+Korean+fans+volunteers+from+China/3161419/ story.html

http://www.worldfootballinsider.com/Story.aspx?id=33443

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/897e09fa-792b-11df-92c1-00144feabdc0.html

Photo caption:
A Chinese soccer volunteer army member blows a vuvuzela to support the North Korean team before their match against Brazil in Johannesburg, June 15, 2010.

incarcerated

06-18-2010, 10:43

We was robbed...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5500820/usa_vs_slovenia_sees_us_win_denied.html

"It was the guy's first World Cup game," Donovan said after when talking about the ref and the blown call in an interview on ESPN after the game....

JJ_BPK

06-18-2010, 10:57

We was robbed...

"It was the guy's first World Cup game," Donovan said after when talking about the ref and the blown call in an interview on ESPN after the game....

Agreed, I'm here in London,, watched the replay 20 times on BBC 1,,

BAD CALL...

:mad::mad::mad::mad:

wch84

06-18-2010, 11:01

Terrible call. No offsides and it was the US players being held...

That ref needs a good waterboarding. :D

Buffalobob

06-18-2010, 16:58

So what does somebody from Alabama know about football played with a round ball? :D

Roll Tide

wch84

06-18-2010, 21:12

So what does somebody from Alabama know about football played with a round ball? :D

Roll Tide

Only what I learned watching Sportscenter. ;)

Roll Tide indeed. They had a great year, huh? I enjoyed the football (oval) team's defense - reminded me of the '92 team. As the old saying goes, defense wins championships. Finally bringing home a Heisman trophy was a nice touch as well. :lifter

EasyIan

06-18-2010, 22:10

Not a great first match as a world cup referee. There were a lot of calls that should have been the other way around for both teams. Should of had win but unfortunately didn't happen that way. At least England and Algeria drew nil so our chances stand.

Next game is ours!!! :cool:

Last hard class

06-19-2010, 05:28

So what does somebody from Alabama know about football played with a round ball? :D

Roll Tide

American kids are soft and it begins with soccer. A bunch of nambie pambies running around not trying to hit each other. What gives? If the announcer can't use the term smash mouth it isn't a football sport worth following. I bet they start playing soccer in basic training soon.

My 10 year old plays herd ball, I mean soccer. Win or lose, everyone gets a trophy. It’s like going to wop wop school.

Fortunately, the real football season starts soon. Buckeyes will beat Bama in the championship.

Now, If soccer were to adopt the Escobar rule, I would definitely watch more games.

PedOncoDoc

06-19-2010, 06:05

American kids are soft and it begins with soccer. A bunch of nambie pambies running around not trying to hit each other. What gives? If the announcer can't use the term smash mouth it isn't a football sport worth following. I bet they start playing soccer in basic training soon.

My 10 year old plays herd ball, I mean soccer. Win or lose, everyone gets a trophy. It’s like going to wop wop school.

Fortunately, the real football season starts soon. Buckeyes will beat Bama in the championship.

Now, If soccer were to adopt the Escobar rule, I would definitely watch more games.

With all the pads now being worn by American football players, I'm surprised you haven't moved on to Rugby. :rolleyes:

You don't see any 300+ pound professional soccer players - with the fattening of our youth nowadays perhaps we should be pushing for more soccer.

:munchin

Richard

06-19-2010, 07:35

The Germans appear to be really upset...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Ln_rqPpPk&annotation_id=annotation_398137&feature=iv

Richard :munchin

incarcerated

06-19-2010, 11:50

Sigaba

06-19-2010, 12:03

Unfortunately, I have to miss most of the games this time around. And it is a darn shame. In 2006, I had some of the best naps of my life.:p

Ret10Echo

06-19-2010, 19:40

A lot of chatter about the Cup on the local sports-talk radio (With the Birds sucking as bad as they do, soccer makes an interesting topic of discussion). A caller brought up the fact that there are a lot of "immigrants" that are real soccer fans so the sport should be catching on here in the U.S.

-Not-

What the caller missed is the fact that those fans are NOT fans of Team U.S.A. A reflection of a more serious issue.

Also agree with the officiating in the match vs Slovenia..and not just on the disallowed goal. That official missed what should have been a red card earlier on.... Still no excuse for U.S.A's slovenly play in the first half. Great move by the Coach Bradley in his substitutions starting the second half.

R10

Some food for thought though:

For the U.S. the officiating controversy presents a complicated situation. U.S. Soccer officials must tread lightly in any criticism of FIFA because the U.S. is bidding for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup and can't afford to make any enemies. Also, the U.S. team still has a crucial game to play against Algeria on Wednesday. Soccer referees at the highest level are a fraternity, and might not take kindly to any team that singles out one of their own for abuse. Sunil Gulati, head of the U.S. Soccer Federation and a leader of the U.S. bid committee, declined to comment on the controversy but said no formal protests are possible.

tonyz

06-20-2010, 08:11

"American kids are soft and it begins with soccer. A bunch of nambie pambies running around not trying to hit each other. What gives? If the announcer can't use the term smash mouth it isn't a football sport worth following. I bet they start playing soccer in basic training soon.

My 10 year old plays herd ball, I mean soccer. Win or lose, everyone gets a trophy. It’s like going to wop wop school.

Fortunately, the real football season starts soon. Buckeyes will beat Bama in the championship.

Now, If soccer were to adopt the Escobar rule, I would definitely watch more games."

About a hundred years ago, in my summer soccer league we had an NFL linebacker (Captain of special teams) and three or four guys who went on to play in the NHL (albeit briefly) or Junior/minor league hockey...never mind the 6 or so other division 1 athletes..football, hockey, soccer, baseball, track...don't tell me soccer can't be physical...everyone...('cept maybe the NFL linebacker) had their heads up when with the ball...there were no red cards. It was awesome.

incarcerated

06-20-2010, 11:40

I can manage to enjoy baseball, despite its lack of contact. Dozer said it all in post #23.
Soccer is not a true contact sport. Comparing soccer and football is apples and oranges.
LHC, join me Down Under, where the confused drop-outs of Anger Management instruction (or, maybe, the successful graduates of Counter-Anger Management) have assembled a confused mish-mash of two of our three principal sports and added a touch of three-flies-up, hockey, and a good deal of rugby, with no pads and very few rules. There is a special place in my heart for the AFL. This is the ultimate playground sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIReSJhQor0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx_nZhqfx68&feature=related

Last hard class

06-20-2010, 16:29

incarcerated

06-20-2010, 21:19

Note to Ghana and Ivory Coast regarding today’s games: UPS drivers do NOT make particularly good goal keepers at the international level.

Dozer523

06-21-2010, 08:13

I can manage to enjoy baseball, despite its lack of contact. Dozer said it all in post #23. ". . . manage to enjoy Baseball . . . MANAGE to ENJOY? AND my name in the same post.
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
If I were comatose and a girl scout troop was playing the Washington Nationals, I'd still enjoy the game.
Fingers in my ears "La La LA LA LA LAH . . . :D

incarcerated

06-21-2010, 10:08

". . . manage to enjoy Baseball . . . MANAGE to ENJOY? AND my name in the same post.
ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
If I were comatose and a girl scout troop was playing the Washington Nationals, I'd still enjoy the game.
Fingers in my ears "La La LA LA LA LAH . . . :D

Doh! :o:o

Dozer523

06-21-2010, 10:15

Portugal defeats North Korea 7 - 0

Iberians Brace for Declaration of War.

In a freak accident: Entire North Korean team found drown in a bowl of soup.

Counsel

06-21-2010, 10:26

And agree 100% about the Buckeyes!

With Terrelle Pryor as the QB, I have to see it to believe it. Miami visits the ‘Shoe on Sept. 11.

Is it to early for a Go Blue?

Ret10Echo

06-21-2010, 11:11

Portugal defeats North Korea 7 - 0

Iberians Brace for Declaration of War.

In a freak accident: Entire North Korean team found drown in a bowl of soup.

What a pounding. Looked like a game in the first half, which rapidly changed....seems the Kim-Jong-Il pep-talk didn't help.. :D

...and it would be the same bowl of soup....

PedOncoDoc

06-21-2010, 12:24

Is it to early for a Go Blue?

It's never too early for a GO BLUE!!! in these parts.

:D

echoes

06-21-2010, 13:54

With all the pads now being worn by American football players, I'm surprised you haven't moved on to Rugby. :rolleyes:

You don't see any 300+ pound professional soccer players - with the fattening of our youth nowadays perhaps we should be pushing for more soccer.

:munchin

Doc,

You are right on point!:munchin
American kids are soft and it begins with soccer. A bunch of nambie pambies running around not trying to hit each other. What gives? If the announcer can't use the term smash mouth it isn't a football sport worth following. I bet they start playing soccer in basic training soon.

My 10 year old plays herd ball, I mean soccer. Win or lose, everyone gets a trophy. It’s like going to wop wop school.

Fortunately, the real football season starts soon. Buckeyes will beat Bama in the championship.

Last Hard Class...Sir,

My bother, an American soccer player who now has children, ( two girls and one boy,) coaches his kids in a Canadian league, since that is where his petroleum enginerring job has landed him.

They are not soft. They are not weak. They play to the end, to WIN, because they love it! If anyone can show me more well rounded kids, go for it! Soccer is their lives at 6 & 8 years old. And the competitive edge they have is healthy, and makes them more well-rounded, IMHO.

Holly

Last hard class

06-21-2010, 21:50

Doc,

My bother, an American soccer player who now has children, ( two girls and one boy,) coaches his kids in a Canadian league, since that is where his petroleum enginerring job has landed him.

They are not soft. They are not weak. They play to the end, to WIN, because they love it! If anyone can show me more well rounded kids, go for it! Soccer is their lives at 6 & 8 years old. And the competitive edge they have is healthy, and makes them more well-rounded, IMHO.

Holly

Holly:

I have no doubt your nieces and nephews are tough as nails. It’s encouraging to see kids play any sports these days. The post was written primarily in jest to engage the soccer fans on this board with respect to American football. Probably should have put it in pink, but since I had already used the term nambie pambie I thought that might be a bit much.

I don’t really believe they should implement the Escobar rule.:)

Once the Canucks see the light I am sure they will gladly retire their hockey sticks in favor of the great game associated with the lepatata.

As for American football versus soccer: Well…

ZonieDiver

06-21-2010, 21:58

With Terrelle Pryor as the QB, I have to see it to believe it. Miami visits the ‘Shoe on Sept. 11.

Is it to early for a Go Blue?
:D And hopefully, OSU will be the first of many victims of a particularly severe 'Cane season!

Richard

06-21-2010, 22:06

In a freak accident: Entire North Korean team found drown {sic} in a bowl of soup.

Gespacho...and the rumors abound. ;)

. . . manage to enjoy Baseball . . . MANAGE to ENJOY?

Ahhh,...baseball - just another convenient excuse for skipping work and catching up on your sleep. :rolleyes:

Richard :munchin

Penn

06-21-2010, 22:17

Baseball, imho, may be the most tactical of all sports.

Last hard class

06-21-2010, 22:40

Is it to early for a Go Blue?

It's never too early for a GO BLUE!!! in these parts.

:D

You think Big Blue is finally going to win a couple this year with Rodriguez?

Maybe if they didn't practice so hard.:D

PedOncoDoc

06-22-2010, 06:17

You think Big Blue is finally going to win a couple this year with Rodriguez?

Maybe if they didn't practice so hard.:D

That gave me a good chuckle - all I know is it's been a rough few years here. Coach Rodriguez will now have had 3 recruiting years and 2 seasons to implement his players and system. If this year is a failure, he's gone.
Some people are held accountable -- even in the People's Republic of Ann Arbor -- despite the leanings in the area...

afchic

06-22-2010, 06:24

One nice thing about being overseas right now (other than the balmy 138 degrees on the ramp today) is that all the games start at about 6 pm so I have been catching one maybe two a night. Can't wait to see the French implode tonight!

Irish_Army01

06-22-2010, 10:15

BYE BYE FRANCE!!! KARMA's A BITCH!!!!!:boohoo:boohoo:boohoo

wch84

06-22-2010, 10:29

Quote from a friend regarding France: "Even my French friends are pulling for South Africa." :p

99meters

06-22-2010, 11:10

Baseball, imho, may be the most tactical of all sports.

Cricket would be a more tactical sport played with a bat & ball.

EasyIan

06-22-2010, 12:25

Baseball, imho, may be the most tactical of all sports.

Baseball is very tactical at the professional level, but almost non-existent elsewhere. In my opinion the most tactical sport is curling. To most people it is just sliding stones down ice but it is actually much more strategic.

The only problem with my opinion is that most people would consider curling a game rather than a sport, in which case I would have to agree with baseball :munchin

PedOncoDoc

06-22-2010, 12:30

The only problem with my opinion is that most people would consider curling a game rather than a sport, in which case I would have to agree with baseball :munchin

And I always thought that baseball was America's favorite past-time, not America's favorite sport.... :D

LongWire

06-22-2010, 17:20

Stay Classy France.........................

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hM3MZBbpzZ1gY3A4aScBx5NZ429wD9GGJ3F80

Humiliation now complete for France at World Cup
By JOHN LEICESTER (AP) – 1 hour ago
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — The referee waved a red card at the French player, ejecting him from the game for a nasty, elbow foul. His coach buried his head in his hands.
Soon after, South Africa put the French out of their misery with a 2-1 victory, and France's World Cup humiliation was complete.
Seen as undeserving competitors even before the tournament began, France is going home early — winless and the laughingstock of the soccer world.
They were eliminated Tuesday by South Africa, which became the first World Cup host in 80 years to fail to advance from the first round but ended with a win that at least gave its fans some measure of joy.
Even in Paris, fans who gathered near the Eiffel Tower to watch the match on video screens booed their own team and cheered for South Africa.
In November, France made it to the World Cup over Ireland when a referee failed to see Thierry Henry double-slap a ball before teammate William Gallas scored. With no video replay, soccer fans around the world complained that France had made it to the sport's biggest stage by cheating.
As 1998 World Cup champions and losing finalists in 2006, France churns out top-quality players who compete for Europe's biggest leagues and had reason to believe it would at least get beyond the first round.
Instead, its multimillionaire players embarrassed themselves and their nation by rebelling against their coach and the French Football Federation, even taking the extraordinary step of going on strike. The soap opera disputes in the luxurious French camp grew to such dramatic proportions that President Nicolas Sarkozy got involved to try to limit damage to France's reputation, not just in soccer but in the wider world, too.
His sports minister, sent to hammer some sense into the rebels, reduced players to tears on the eve of their final game against South Africa, telling them: "You have tarnished the image of France."
Playing less than 24 hours after that scolding at their hotel in Bloemfontein, France's players roused themselves in spurts Tuesday, but not enough to secure a win that might have started to make amends for their off-field behavior.
Instead, France has now failed to advance at the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
The match was only 25 minutes old when the referee ejected midfielder Yoann Gourcuff for an elbow that felled Macbeth Sibaya of South Africa like a woodman's ax and caused France coach Raymond Domenech to bury his head in his hands.
Reduced to 10 men after Gourcuff was sent off with 65 minutes to play, the French suffered their second defeat in three matches at this World Cup. It also had a stalemate 0-0 tie with Uruguay.
Uruguay and Mexico finished ahead of South Africa and France to advance to the round of 16 teams.
"I'm sickened, disgusted," said Alain Le Prince, in a crowd of thousands who watched the match in Paris. "Everyone is laughing at us."
The crowd cheered loudly when France's Florent Malouda scored the team's only goal. But people had also cheered when Gourcuff was expelled, and there was loud applause mixed with gasps each time South Africa scored.
"It's funny. France is worthless," said Victor Malamoud, a 17-year-old Parisian, explaining his cheers for South Africa. Like others, he said he had come to "see the match, watch Les Bleus and hope."
For France, the defining image of the last World Cup was of Zinedine Zidane walking off the field in the final against Italy after being expelled for head-butting Italian defender Marco Materazzi. The defining image this time was even more ignominious: France's players sulking on their bus, curtains drawn, on Sunday, refusing to join a public training session in front of 200 local fans, in a show of support for their teammate Nicolas Anelka.
Anelka, a talented but at times disruptive scorer and creator of goals who has played for eight different clubs in his nomadic professional career, cursed out Domenech at halftime in France's 2-0 loss to Mexico on June 17 and was sent back to France for it. His brother said Anelka is now vacationing with his family in Spain.
Convinced that Anelka was unfairly treated, France's other players responded with their wildcat strike — an act described as "an aberration, an imbecility, a stupidity without name" by Domenech on the feverish and emotional eve of Tuesday's must-win game for both France and the South Africans.
In the end, the squabbling in France's squad almost completely overshadowed the match. Some players walked out of the stadium grave-faced and silent after the defeat and climbed back on their bus with the words, "Together for a new dream in blue" written in its side.
Others seized the chance to give their side of the story and even say sorry, among them defender Patrice Evra. He was benched by Domenech and stripped of the captaincy for Tuesday's game. His subsequent comments to reporters made clear that the breakdown in relations between France's coach and some of his players is total.
"This apology should have been made yesterday, but my coach stopped me doing it as a captain, and that hurts even more," Evra said. "The whole of France needs to have an explanation for this disaster. It's not the time to give them, but I will personally give them ... what I went through, just the truth, as quickly as possible."
Speaking for the other side, French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes said the "shame that football brought to France" was "far worse than poor results."
"What upsets me the most is the psychodrama," he said. "For me, 50 years of values crumbled."
The match was Domenech's last in six years as coach. His replacement by Laurent Blanc, a veteran of France's 1998 cup-winning side, was announced before this competition, rendering Domenech a lame duck and seemingly weakening his authority over players.
One of his last acts as coach was to refuse the traditional handshake with his counterpart for South Africa, Carlos Alberto Parreira. At a postmatch news conference, Domenech refused to explain his act. But it typified the poisonous atmosphere in the French camp.
"The first word that comes to my lips is sadness," he said of France's failed campaign. "I am in pain, in distress."
AP Sports Writers Ryan Lucas, Jerome Pugmire and Gerald Imray in Bloemfontein and Associated Press Writer Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Irish_Army01

06-22-2010, 17:48

KARMA'S A FUCKING BITCH FRANCE!!! BUHAHAHAHAHAHA

Ret10Echo

06-22-2010, 19:22

Analysts were talking from the beginning about the issues the French team had. The coach was an icon of French "football" and the players didn't seem to agree.....so they had the travelling train wreck. Glad to see them exit.

Tomorrow is the BIG day with USA - Algeria and England - Slovenia.

We see who stays and who does not.

Hope USA comes out of the locker room with the intensity they had in the second half of the match vs Slovenia. :lifter

Irish_Army01

06-23-2010, 03:54

France got a new coach today................Its bringing them to the airport:p

LongWire

06-23-2010, 06:10

France got a new coach today................Its bringing them to the airport:p

Nice!!!

PedOncoDoc

06-23-2010, 09:56

What a finish to the round robin - way too close vs. Algeria but an exciting win.

We also win the group!

GO USA!!!

incarcerated

06-23-2010, 10:06

WE WON THE FREAKIN’ GROUP!!!!
:D:lifter:cool::p

Counsel

06-23-2010, 10:08

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Landon Donovan scored in the first minute of stoppage time off a rebound, advancing the United States to the second round at the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Algeria.

With the U.S. perhaps three minutes from elimination, Jozy Altidore was stopped on a breakaway by goalkeeper Rais Bolihi. Donovan hustled in and kicked in the rebound to win Group C Wednesday.

Counsel

06-23-2010, 10:14

That gave me a good chuckle - all I know is it's been a rough few years here. Coach Rodriguez will now have had 3 recruiting years and 2 seasons to implement his players and system. If this year is a failure, he's gone.
Some people are held accountable -- even in the People's Republic of Ann Arbor -- despite the leanings in the area...

+1
For me that means no less than 7 regular season wins. If not, Jim Harbaugh please step foward!!!

Roguish Lawyer

06-23-2010, 11:18

No interest at all in watching soccer. I like to play and I coach my kids, but watching guys writhe on the ground endlessly after barely getting touched gets old FAST.

CombatMuffin

06-23-2010, 11:27

Mexico managed to pass to the next round, but only because France didn't allow a third goal to go in(I was very disappointed with our game against Uruguay).

The U.S. also passed, this is going to be a very interesting World Cup.... Of course, we need to beat Argentina(And Messi) which... if it happens, is like winning the World Cup for us :)

The Reaper

06-23-2010, 12:34

No interest at all in watching soccer. I like to play and I coach my kids, but watching guys writhe on the ground endlessly after barely getting touched gets old FAST.

Kind of like the NBA?:D

TR

mojaveman

06-23-2010, 14:42

I saw my share of soccer games while living in Europe and must admit that drinking beer and watching the fans was sometimes more entertaining than keeping up with the game.

Irish_Army01

06-23-2010, 16:43

Well Done USA..and well deserving too.. The English have a harder run in now because of yee :D:D :lifter

incarcerated

06-26-2010, 02:04

What a thoughtful host nation! In case you missed this Google News item; these may be in short supply for this weekend’s referees, the bulk of available stocks having been bought up by French, Italian and North Korean players in the Duty Free shops prior to departure...:D
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20008347-10391704.html

Anti-Rape Condoms: Will Jagged Teeth Deter World Cup Sex Assaults?

Ret10Echo

06-26-2010, 14:44

Why does USA always have to concede so early :mad:....15 minutes left...down by one.

incarcerated

06-26-2010, 15:07

Bill Clinton, sitting in the stands, jinxed the whole thing.

Perhaps a with world class coach, who doesn’t bring his 22 year old son along…

kgoerz

06-26-2010, 18:51

WHATS WITH THOSE FU#%ING HORNS. Please tell me the NFL will ban those things.

incarcerated

06-26-2010, 22:51

WHATS WITH THOSE FU#%ING HORNS. Please tell me the NFL will ban those things.

The vuvuzela is the same $3 plastic horn they used to sell in the L.A. Coliseum when we went to see Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones and Roman Gabriel play for the Rams. You’d blow it two or three times for a touchdown or an interception. Never a problem in the NFL, and no need to ban them. Foreign soccer fans, now that’s a different story…

EasyIan

06-27-2010, 10:51

Perhaps a with world class coach, who doesnt bring his 22 year old son along

Imo Bradley was worth a slot. He played well for the most part. Perhaps with a world class coach who sticks with the lineup that worked.

incarcerated

06-27-2010, 14:37

Argentina will not get far with that GK.

brown77

06-28-2010, 12:30

The vuvuzela is the same $3 plastic horn they used to sell in the L.A. Coliseum when we went to see Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones and Roman Gabriel play for the Rams. You’d blow it two or three times for a touchdown or an interception. Never a problem in the NFL, and no need to ban them. Foreign soccer fans, now that’s a different story…

"YouTube Adds Vuvuzela Button In Honor Of World Cup (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/24/youtube-vuvuzela-button-a_n_623744.html)" :rolleyes:

Last hard class

06-29-2010, 06:51

I suggest death by vuvuzela.

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcup/story/Police-say-man-killed-crying-girl-during-World-Cup-game

Ret10Echo

06-29-2010, 07:01

WHATS WITH THOSE FU#%ING HORNS. Please tell me the NFL will ban those things.

Now they will have the noise-cancelling headphones concession at the stadiums.....

Now it's just waiting for the final rounds to come along. The pounding of Chile yesterday was not very entertaining. The battle of the Iberian Peninsula in today’s match should be entertaining.

Richard

06-29-2010, 08:32

And so it goes...

Richard :munchin

FIFA President Apologizes for Refereeing Errors

England’s and Mexico’s misfortunes prompted a previously recalcitrant Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, to apologize on Tuesday for refereeing errors and to announce that he would reopen the discussion about the use of goal-line technology in soccer.

“I deplore when you see the evident referees’ mistakes,” Blatter told reporters. “It has not been a five-star game for referees. I’m distressed by the evident referees’ mistakes.”

The teams from England and Mexico paid the price for FIFA’s resistance to upgrade its officiating at this World Cup when they were eliminated in the Round of 16 after obvious mistakes by the referees.

England was denied a clear score against Germany when Frank Lampard’s shot rattled off the crossbar and bounced well beyond the goal line. Television cameras showed clearly what the referee and his assistant were not in position to spot. Later that day, Argentina was erroneously awarded a goal against Mexico when forward Carlos Tevez’s score was allowed to stand despite the fact that Tevez was clearly offside.

(cont'd) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/sports/soccer/30ref.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Ret10Echo

06-29-2010, 08:54

Paraguay - Japan

As would be expected I suppose. This is like 5 rounds of a middleweight title bout where only 10 punches are thrown.....

Refereeing has been a little "irregular" throughout the Cup,but I think the flow of the game makes any sort of review much more difficult than say baseball or (American) football where there are points in time where such reviews can take place.

Maytime

06-29-2010, 13:10

FIFA President Apologizes for Refereeing Errors

Gee whiz it would be great if FIFA would apologize to the USA for the TWO GOALS that were mistakenly disallowed in the games between Slovenia and Algeria.

Ret10Echo

06-29-2010, 16:28

Gee whiz it would be great if FIFA would apologize to the USA for the TWO GOALS that were mistakenly disallowed in the games between Slovenia and Algeria.

Regardless of those calls, they still finished first in their pool.....and still failed to beat Ghana....

Much like the blown "perfect game"... that is how it rolls sometimes

Maytime

06-30-2010, 00:48

Regardless of those calls, they still finished first in their pool.....and still failed to beat Ghana....

Much like the blown "perfect game"... that is how it rolls sometimes

True stuff. It would've been so much easier though! The Ghana match was just...infuriating. Bob Bradley needs to move on aka get fired. Clark and Findley had no business starting that game; lo and behold they both fuck up and we end up wasting two subs to take them out. Gross coaching error IMHO, but hindsight is 20/20, no use crying over spilled milk, etc. Here's to 2014!

incarcerated

07-02-2010, 00:48

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/war-of-words-renews-argentina-germany-rivalry--fbintl_dw-warofwords070110.html

War of words renews Argentina-Germany rivalry

By Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports
15 hours, 6 minutes ago
CAPE TOWN, South Africa – God’s gift to soccer writers had heard the rumblings from the German camp and couldn’t resist adding spice to Saturday’s Argentina-Germany quarterfinal match.

Diego Maradona is Argentina’s irascible coach and former mega-star player. He had gotten word that German player Bastian Schweinsteiger was complaining about Argentina’s tactics with the referees, the behavior of their fans and, of course, the dirty acts that went down during a brawl following Germany’s 2006 World Cup penalty kick victory.

So Maradona stared into a Fox Sports camera on Thursday and with a mock German accent asked:

“What’s the matter Schweinsteiger? Are you nerrrvoushhh?”

Bless Maradona and bless a quarterfinals match that is heating up by the moment.

All had seemed behind the Argentina-Germany feud when the nations played an uneventful “friendly” this spring. That was then. This is the World Cup.

Now it’s bad blood, worse accents and great theater.

It’s all led to circumstances surrounding the team’s 2006 postgame fight being rehashed in both team’s training camps Thursday. The Germans say it began when the Argentineans were mocking them during their penalty kicks and then when they celebrated the victory. Argentina recalled no such thing and claim the Germans deserved it.

Whoever is right doesn’t matter. What resulted was a fairly wild brawl between the teams. As far as sporting donnybrooks go, it ranked below your average minor league hockey bench clearer but way ahead of any baseball fight. There were punching, kicking and hurt feelings all around.

Considering the stage – World Cup quarters – it was a big deal. And now it’s back.

I’ve never been one to believe a fight automatically “mars” a game. It can add excitement, tension and tumult. You wouldn’t be reading a column about the two teams’ mutual respect for each other.

In this case, the biggest injury was some scraped shins. It was a good time. Can we get an Octagon out here?

This has gotten so fun that even Pele, the long-retired Brazilian star, has taken a side – and, not surprisingly, it’s against his rival Maradona, who just this month said Pele “should return to the museum.”

“[Maradona] is not a good coach, because he had a bizarre lifestyle which cannot go down well with his team,” Pele told the German magazine 11Freunde.

Well, sure, if you want to get technical, a coke habit, alcoholism, a stomach staple, rampant narcissism, tax evasion charges (a mere 37 million euros), intense superstition, defiance in the face of authority and a mouth that never held back an insult could, in some circles, be considered “bizarre.” We in the media prefer “colorful.” And besides, the Argentinean players say they love their coach.

Anyway, what does Pele think of the German side? “This young German team is a pleasure to watch,” he said.

For his part, Schweinsteiger isn’t about to forget, let alone forgive the 2006 brawl. No matter what Maradona said, he didn’t sound nervous when he blasted the Argentineans for everything except the price of empanadas.

There was the way Argentina works over the refs: “When one sees Argentina’s games and the way in which they try to influence the referees. … It is a lack of respect, but this is what the Argentines are like.”

There was the conduct of Argentina fans: “We have already seen how the Argentine fans sit together in spite of the fact that those are not their proper seats, and they stop other spectators with the correct tickets from enjoying the game.”

He could’ve added that Argentina’s coach talks so much he makes Ozzie Guillen seem like a mime, but why encourage Diego? Germany can win the game and it can win another postgame fight (it can lose either or both also).

Schweinsteiger won’t win a war of words with Maradona, especially when Diego still has a press conference scheduled Friday where he is literally liable to say anything. We’re just hoping for more German imitations.

Know this: Both Argentina and Germany believe they can win this World Cup. Both sides have played extremely well. They are experienced, fast, creative and confident. The fact they are matching up so early in the tournament is a circumstance of the brackets. You can imagine either would prefer taking on Ghana or Uruguay right now.

They aren’t, though, which offers a replay of a thrilling game four years ago. Germany tied it at 1-1 with a genius, ping-pong heading combination in the 80th minute and then won it 4-2 on PKs. The fight only made it more memorable, the talking point of arguably the most argued about quarterfinal game in this tournament. Maradona promised his “boys” would play “in their faces.”

Cape Town is a laid back place – sand, surf and spectacular views. It’s a long way from the pressure-cooker of crowded, crime-fearing Johannesburg.

That’s going to change Saturday – and for the better.

Ret10Echo

07-02-2010, 03:28

Great for the coach to find a way to get his team fired up. Down side is that the way the officials have been booking players, there will be a sea of yellow. Doesn't help to make the next level if you lose starters because of needless tackles or nervous officials.

I am sure this will be "Theater on the Pitch". :eek: The WWE-esque buildup seems to indicate that it will be.

PedOncoDoc

07-02-2010, 03:51

CombatMuffin

07-02-2010, 04:11

Im not so sure on the yellow cards but,

If I heard an ESPN commentator right, yellow cards were wiped only if they were issued before the quarter finals(so that the teams can be playing at full strength during the more important matches), but after that I am not 100% sure. Its a new rule for sure.

According to this (http://www.livesoccertv.com/news/1101/2010-fifa-world-cup-final-new-yellow-card-rule-to-favor-top-players/) source...

...they have put in place a new regulation clearing players from their previous bookings in the semifinals; meaning that a player entering a semi-final game on yellow card will not miss the final even if he gets book in the ½ stage.

However, considering referees have been criticized heavily during several games(the last USA game, Mexico vs Argentina, England vs Germany I believe and Brazil bs Côte d'Ivoire), the rule is somewhat limited.

Ret10Echo

07-02-2010, 09:02

I thought the yellow card accumulations were wiped after this game so no one gets suspended for the finals due to yellows.

Did I get this wrong? :confused:

Correct, all the previous yellows are gone. I think I misunderstood the status between this round and the final, but they can still be sent off during the match....and I am sure FIFA is very concerned with the potential of an officiating call influencing the outcome. It won't help if it sounds like there is going to be overly aggressive play.

Guess we wait and see.

Added: Listening to today's broadcast- Previous round single books are not in play, however those receiving two in this round will sit the next round.

incarcerated

07-02-2010, 10:01

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Netherlands 2

Brazil 1

ksgbobo

07-02-2010, 11:09

Watching the game this morning, one of the Dutch players received a yellow card and the graphic said he will miss the next game - which sucks if true. Btw, the Dutch looked awesome during the second half against Brazil.

Ret10Echo

07-02-2010, 12:26

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Netherlands 2

Brazil 1

The South American heavy hitter sent home..... Is there an All-Euro final in the making????

Tatonka316

07-02-2010, 13:17

I was fortunate enough - in "another life" - to have spent a significant amount of time in the Netherlands with the KNVB, and while I have ALWAYS been a tremendous fan of Brasilian futebol, I am so excited for the Dutch!!! As long as it doesn't go down to penalty kicks ... :confused::D:cool:

Tuesday's semifinal should be very interesting!!!

molon labe:lifter

incarcerated

07-03-2010, 09:55

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Germany 4

Argentina 0

Geenie

07-03-2010, 10:25

Looks like Maradonna is going to have to eat his words. The gauchos just got their asses handed to them :D

Germany is on fire!!! :lifter

Ret10Echo

07-03-2010, 11:23

Fussball defeats Futbol with authority!!! :lifter I was in Berlin last time the Germans won the Cup...total pandamonium for about a week.

It is allways helpful when the opposing coach gives you purpose. ;) Argentina's conceding the early goal was one thing, but the utter collapse late in the match just made it humiliating.

So another old world - new world match this afternoon. Just wondering which Spanish team shows up for this one.

brown77

07-04-2010, 14:20

Losing team embarks on a little retail therapy :D

Tatonka316

07-06-2010, 14:29

HUP HOLLAND:D:lifter:D

MOLON LABE:lifter

incarcerated

07-06-2010, 14:36

Is there an All-Euro final in the making????

You called it! :D

(And much to the chagrin of France, Italy and England…)

Ret10Echo

07-06-2010, 16:40

You called it! :D

(And much to the chagrin of France, Italy and England…)

Those DARN Deutschlanders :D

I'm thinking Uruguay doesn't make it in the consolation game either, they will face the loser out of the stronger bracket (IMO).

Germany looks to have the juggernaut moving. Spain has been opportunistic but has not shown real domination.

Tune in towmorrow. :munchin

Ret10Echo

07-07-2010, 05:12

I got a chuckle out of this story. It is a little dated (pre-Semi) but Uhrwerk Orange rolls on. :D

World Cup 2010: 'homeless' Holland squad search for new team hotel

Fifa officials are hunting for a hotel for Holland's World Cup squad after the modest Dutch failed to book rooms so deep in the tournament
By Telegraph staff and agencies
Published: 4:05PM BST 06 Jul 2010

The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) only made reservations in Johannesburg's Sandton Hilton hotel up until July 5 - and the hotel is now fully booked ahead of Sunday's World Cup final.

Holland take on Uruguay on Tuesday evening in Cape Town in the first semi-final and, if successful, will look to return to Johannesburg.

Van Marwijk: Robben not a diver While world soccer's governing body Fifa accommodates all teams the night before and after a match, teams must make their own arrangements for the other nights.

The KNVB confirmed they must leave the Sandton Hilton as it is fully booked for the rest of the tournament.

"It is not the case that we will be homeless after the semi final," an optimistic spokeswoman Martine Bruggink told Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. "Fifa is searching for another accommodation."

If the Dutch beat Uruguay they will feature in Sunday's final in Johannesburg's Soccer City. Otherwise they will play in the third and fourth place play-off on Saturday in Port Elizabeth.

incarcerated

07-07-2010, 14:07

Scheize!!!

Nice goal by Spain.

:(

brown77

07-07-2010, 14:21

Scheize!!!

Nice goal by Spain.

:(

Hasta la vista! :p

Ret10Echo

07-07-2010, 16:39

Disappointing result in today's semi. I thought for sure Germany was taking the momentum into the match. Apparently the Octopus was correct again.

Looking toward the final is now a much more difficult call to make.

I suppose I can always keep track of where Lance is just to stay occupied until then... (punctures, cobbles and crash...oh my)

Ret10Echo

07-08-2010, 04:48

Giving the people a reason to hoist one :D

They may not become soccer fans, but they will become pub-crawlers

Call it a goal. Pubs score big in World Cup
July 8, 2010

Pub owners say World Cup helped their June sales. (WTOP Photo/Andrew Mollenbeck) Andrew Mollenbeck, wtop.com

BETHESDA, Md. - Since World Cup kicked off almost a month ago, many Americans have painted their faces and screamed "offside" for the first time.

But the biggest new fans could be the people who have hosted the raucous parties -- the bar and restaurant owners.

"I'd say, early on, sales were up probably 20 [to] 30 percent," Leanne Smith, general manager at Union Jack's British Pub of Bethesda, said during a semifinal match.

"From June 11 on, [they have] just skyrocketed," says Smith.

While most owners are waiting for Sunday's final to assess the complete impact, it has clearly made a difference.

"If it hadn't been for World Cup, June would have been rough," says Jeff Holibaugh, owner of Cleveland Park Bar & Grill.

"We didn't even advertise for the games. Nothing. They're that big of a draw," says Holibaugh.

It hasn't just been matches involving the United States.

"To a certain extent, it's kind of a staffing nightmare because you can't bring on somebody just for a month," Smith says.

At Cleveland Park Bar & Grill, Holibaugh changed the schedule to accommodate fans of each country.

"We were not even open for lunch Monday through Friday. We opened just for the game, and we're full. So that's all World Cup."

Holibaugh admits he was not a soccer fan prior to this.

"No. But I've become one."

incarcerated

07-08-2010, 23:20

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/333884,world-star-paul-octopus.html

Spain worried about safety of new world star Paul the Octopus

Posted : Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:42:23 GMT
By : Wolfgang Dahlmann
Oberhausen, Germany - Paul the Octopus has turned into a global superstar revolving around the 2010 World Cup, with top political leaders in Spain even worried about the oracle mussel-eater's safety.

Football players, fans and politicians turned into believers of the Paul phenomenon after the psychic octopus correctly picked the winner of yet another World Cup match involving the German national team.

From his tank at Aquarium Sea Life in Oberhausen, Germany, the formerly England-based Paul predicted Spain would beat Germany in the semi-finals after having chosen Germany wins over Australia, Ghana, England and Argentina and a loss against Serbia.

"This Paul is a miracle," said Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso after the team's semi-final win.

Paul has become a star around the world, appearing on Australian television, CNN, BBC, the Washington Post, the New York Times and dozens of sports papers. The German news channel ntv even carried Paul's selection between Germany and Spain live with two reporters doing commentary.

The Twitter account "Pulpo Paul" is one of the most-searched in the charts. And there are a number of fan pages on Facebook - mostly from Spain.

Now fans from Spain and the Netherlands are both anxiously awaiting Paul's prediction for the final.

His handlers however will first on Friday morning at 11 am (0900 GMT) have Paul pick Germany's encounter with Uruguay in the third place game.

Two glass cubes are baited with mussels and marked with flags of Germany and Uruguay. The mussel Paul chooses first is viewed by his handlers as his prediction.

While Spanish football supporters are in heaven about La Roja reaching their first World Cup final, politicians are worried about irate - if not idiotic - German fans who blame Paul for their team's 1-0 loss against Spain in the World Cup semis.

"That crazy octopus was right. Calamares for everyone," yelled a customer at a Greek restaurant in Frankfurt.

Even before the match, the german Westfaelische Rundschau paper had Paul on the front page on Wednesday after his semi-final prediction, accompanied by a one-word verdict: "Traitor."

No wonder Spain Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is fearful of Paul's health.

"We will send Paul a team of bodyguards," he said after Spain's win over Germany.

And Environment Minister Elena Espinosa would like to file for endangered species status so that Germans do not eat Paul.

followers in the Netherlands are also anxious of Paul's prediction. The mass daily De Telegraaf said there is only one question mark remaining, writing: "Octopus promise: Oranje Champion?"

The paper's online edition came up with an urgent Internet news item including a picture in which Paul had tipped the Netherlands. The so-called "photo evidence" showed Paul opening the case with the red-white-blue flag.

The daily later said it was a fake and added: "We cannot get too happy too early."

Ret10Echo

07-09-2010, 03:53

Poor Paul, an analyst who is blamed for being correct. Perhaps there will be a cephalopod exchange between the two countries? I hear there is a nautilus in Spain who was arrested for manipulating the Spanish stock market. :p

Looks like Spain in the final...

BERLIN (AP)—Eyes around the world were on Germany’s octopus oracle Paul on Friday as he made his biggest prediction yet in the World Cup: Spain will beat the Netherlands in the final.

Paul’s prescient picks in the World Cup—he has yet to predict a match wrong—have propelled him to international fame from obscurity a month ago in an aquarium in the western city of Oberhausen.

TV stations in Germany, Great Britain, Taiwan and elsewhere broadcast live pictures, complete with breathless commentary, of his final decision for the tournament. Millions watched as the world-famous octopus descended upon on a tank marked with a Spanish flag, sitting for only a few minutes before grabbing a mussel and devouring it, while completely ignoring the Dutch tank—indicating a Spanish victory in Sunday’s final match in Sunday’s final.

incarcerated

07-09-2010, 10:55

TV stations in Germany, Great Britain, Taiwan and elsewhere broadcast live pictures, complete with breathless commentary, of his final decision for the tournament. Millions watched as the world-famous octopus descended upon on a tank marked with a Spanish flag, sitting for only a few minutes before grabbing a mussel and devouring it, while completely ignoring the Dutch tank—indicating a Spanish victory in Sunday’s final match in Sunday’s final.

Pray that the NFL never reaches this point.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s 3rd place match. Two pissed off teams with something to prove can make for very good soccer.

ZonieDiver

07-09-2010, 16:53

Pray that the NFL never reaches this point.

Anymore, listening to Terry Bradshaw's predictions comes pretty close. 'Hollywood' Henderson was right!

Zosima

07-10-2010, 14:46

Damn it, the octopus was right again...

Fantastic match, I was hopping Uruguay would win (in part because I wanted to prove the octopus wrong)but both sides played terrific.

Congrats to Germany!

incarcerated

07-11-2010, 13:25

Halftime.
The highlight of the first half (for me) was De Jong’s (Holland) yellow-card tackle to the chest of Span‘s Alonso.

There is no truth to the rumor that De Jong yelled “THIS IS SPARTA!!!” as he committed the foul.

Ret10Echo

07-11-2010, 19:27

It is done...over...complete..the Octopus was right..let's have calamari and move on. Thank goodness. What an absolutely disappointing and brutal final. It was painful to watch and not because of the kung-fu moves of the Dutch players, but because it had the overall sense of being a very bush-league match with no finesse and some very poor playing IMO. 47 Fouls, 13 Yellow cards and 1 Red card.

4 year break.

They should give the trophy to the Germans anyhow.

Congratulations Spain on your first cup, first final and the first team to lose their first match and win it all.

Next stop, Brazil

CombatMuffin

07-11-2010, 22:57

It was painful to watch..... no finesse and some very poor playing IMO. 47 Fouls, 13 Yellow cards and 1 Red card.

4 year break.

Next stop, Brazil

Ditto on the opinion.

Overall the referee's in this World Cup did a very poor job, with some very clear offisdes not being called and yellow cards going out like crazy. I doubt Brazil will be stoppable in the next world cup, but surprises always spring up.

...I also wanted Germany to win btw. Heck, Forlán was also one of the best players overall.

Ret10Echo

07-12-2010, 05:16

I think the biggest question going away from South Africa is:

"How is FIFA going to rebuild fan and team confidence in their ability to provide world-class officials for the next Cup?"

The second question is: "Has anyone seen the North Korean team?"

PedOncoDoc

07-12-2010, 06:28

Agreed. It's always difficult to watch a game - let alone the World Cup final - where the game is being decided by the officiating; not the players.

I had to wonder what would have been the outcome if the Dutch player hadn't been sent off for his second yellow (the first one was a very soft foul IMHO) and the Dutch had eben awarded a corner after the direct kick that clearly deflected off the Spanish wall.

It probably would have gone to PK's - no way for a champion to be decided, but both teams deserved to lose with their inability to finish on their quality scoring chances.

MOO, YMMV....

Tatonka316

07-12-2010, 08:40

I also agree it was a brutal game to watch - particularly because I have known and worked with so many coaches and players from the Netherlands, and the first 6 matches looked like Dutch voetbal. The final was horrible. :(

The officiating was the worst I have ever seen in over 50 years involved with the game. The only suggestion I have is to card the player that "flops" in an attempt to get rid of this from the game. We would NEVER have done that "back in the day", and unfortunately, there are some idiot coaches that are actually COACHING their young players in how to "take a dive to get a free kick/penalty kick!" That has ruined the game for me:boohoo

Congratulations to Espana - they were the class of the tournament:D

molon labe:lifter

Saoirse

07-12-2010, 09:56

I guess islam doesn't like soccer either.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/07/11/uganda-bombs-explode-sites-deaths-feared-somali-militia-blamed/

What a sad ending to great sports.:mad:

incarcerated

07-12-2010, 17:30

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcup/story/was-south-africa-the-right-choice-to-host-the-2010-world-cup

Mixed review for South Africa's Cup

Jul 12, 2010
Nick Webster
....To be fair to FIFA, while it does get many things wrong and has turned the World Cup into an ugly circus of commerce, it usually does well when selecting tournament host nations.

Jacob Zuma, the South African president, has already given the tournament his blessing (well, he would wouldn't he). That is why he now wants a South African city to bid for the 2020 Olympic Games. But is he right to be so enthusiastic?

Yes ... and no.

South Africa 2010 has been a great tournament if you don’t mind cold weather, a pathetic transport system, overpriced hotels, lax security at stadiums, awful food at the matches, and that rare phenomenon at World Cups but a common sight here -- unsold tickets.

On the other hand, the pre-tournament fears that soccer fans would be murdered in droves has turned out to be the biggest mistake since Sepp Blatter’s parents said to him, “Now son, how about a career in football administration?”

Much of what has been bad about World Cup 2010 -- the overall quality of the football, the stadium food, ticket distribution, the tournament schedule, the ball -- has not been South Africa’s fault.

Where South Africa was in control, South Africa usually delivered until the Durban semifinal fiasco.

The stadiums are magnificent, not least the big beast in Soweto known as Soccer City. Not since the Azteca in Mexico City in 1986 has a World Cup final stadium been so appropriate for such a match.

The security situation has been strange. While no foreigner has been murdered and only a handful of journalists have been mugged, local policemen found it difficult to distinguish between ruthless touts and genuine fans looking to buy tickets. And, as one England fan proved, it was easy to get into a team’s dressing room -- just pretend you’re looking for a toilet.

The transport system has been less than impressive. Omens were not good from the moment, on the opening day, four-hour tailbacks made attending the South Africa-Mexico match at Soccer City an act of patience. There was barely a train system worthy of the name.

And fans using the park-and-ride system were forced to get to stadiums hours before kickoff, thereby forcing them to quaff the overpriced food and beverages. The locations of the venues, save Durban and Cape Town, didn't help matters either as they were not ideally situated.

The weather at most matches (Durban exempted) ranged between cool and freezing. For those of us who believe that a World Cup should be a summer event, it was a sobering experience to attend the Brazil-North Korea match wearing three coats and a hat and still be freezing.

Of course, no country should be precluded from hosting a World Cup because it is in the wrong hemisphere, but let’s at least stage the majority of matches in the day when it is warmer.

The atmosphere was great outside the stadiums, friendly inside, but hindered by the vuvuzelas. For sure, they sound great on television, but try sitting in the stadium next to somebody using one of the wretched things. They sound horrible and they drown out any hopes of foreign fans singing in support of their team.

The hotel situation was dire. FIFA, as always, block-books hotels for its own benefit, which drives prices up and means that many visitors have nowhere to stay. How crazy it was to find, at Johannesburg Airport, the “Accommodation” kiosk advising foreigners that there was nowhere to stay.

And then there was the “Transportation” kiosk saying to visitors, “Well, there are no buses or trains to the stadium, but you could get a taxi, just take out a second mortgage."

Yeah, thanks for the advice!

No doubt that Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, and Jacob Zuma will shout from the rooftops about how great this World Cup has been. And, for the most part, South Africa has been good and accommodating hosts.

But Blatter and Zuma did not have to worry about accommodation, transport, the weather, the wretched stadium food, the security situation, buying a ticket, or sitting next to a clown with a vuvuzela.

Nick Webster is a senior writer for FoxSoccer.com.

Ret10Echo

07-13-2010, 04:24

I think this closes out the event well...

R10

incarcerated

07-30-2010, 22:33

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/30/north-korea-footballers-public-mauling

North Korea's failed World Cup footballers undergo public mauling

Footballers subjected to six-hour excoriation on stage for 'betraying' North Korea and Kim Jong-il's son and heir
Justin McCurry guardian.co.uk,
Friday 30 July 2010 17.31 BST
England's failed footballers should count themselves lucky that their ignominious World Cup exit was met with little more than a public mauling by the media.

Their counterparts from North Korea, who lost all three of their group games, have been subjected to a six-hour excoriation for "betraying" the communist nation's ideological struggle, according to reports.

There are even fears for the safety of the team coach, Kim Jung-hun, who was accused of betraying the son and heir of the regime's "dear leader," Kim Jong-il.

Early this month the players were summoned to an auditorium at the working people's culture palace in Pyongyang, forced onstage and subjected to a six-hour barrage of criticism for their poor performances in South Africa, according to the US-based Radio Free Asia....

The "grand debate" was reportedly witnessed by 400 athletes and sports students, and the country's sports minister. Ri Dong-kyu, a sports commentator for the North's state-run Korean Central TV, led the reprimands, pointing out the shortcomings of each player, South Korean media said.

In true Stalinist style, the players were then "invited" to mount verbal attacks on their coach, Jung-hun.

The coach was reportedly accused of betraying the leader's son, Kim Jong-un, who is expected to take over from his ailing father as leader of the world's only communist dynasty.

Radio Free Asia quoted the source as saying he had heard that Kim Jung-hun had been sent to work on a building site and there were fears for his safety....

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http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/28/ahmadinejad-attacks-psychic-octopus/

Ahmadinejad Slams Paul the Psychic Octopus

Published July 28, 2010
Despite achieving renown across the globe for correctly predicting the outcome of World Cup soccer matches, Paul the psychic octopus has made a powerful enemy -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad called the clever cephalopod an agent of "western propaganda and superstition," and described him as a symbol of all that is wrong with the western world, reported London's Daily Telegraph.

…."Those who believe in this type of thing cannot be the leaders of the global nations that aspire, like Iran, to human perfection, basing themselves in the love of all sacred values," he said….

incarcerated

02-17-2011, 23:37

A shameless attempt to take advantage of the Middle East turmoil and overthrow another dictator:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/02/15/blatter.presidency/

It's time for someone to depose Sepp Blatter as FIFA's leader

Grant Wahl> PLANET FÚTBOL
After careful consideration, I have an announcement to make: I'm running for the presidency of FIFA in the election to be held on June 1. And no, I'm not kidding. Have you seen who else is running? That's right: Sepp Blatter, the 74-year-old Swiss strongman atop the world's most popular sport, is campaigning for his fourth term. Blatter's most prominent rival, Qatar's Mohamed Bin Hammam, may run as well, but he's just another FIFA insider in an election that desperately needs an outsider….

So I'll raise my hand. Someone has to. It gets kind of old hearing the world's soccer fans complain about Blatter without anyone trying to provide an alter*native. And make no mistake, FIFA needs to change. The vote in December that chose the hosts for the 2018 and '22 World Cups was just the latest evidence that FIFA is far from a clean organization. Two members of FIFA's executive committee were suspended last October after being caught by The Sunday Times of London trying to sell their World Cup votes. Why, Blatter himself admits that FIFA's reputation has been tarnished under his watch. Sepp's solution? "Trust us," he says. Seriously? That's like trusting a Tour de France winner to oversee cycling's anti*doping program.

Unlike the International Olympic Committee, FIFA has never had its Salt Lake City moment, a bribery-and-real-estate scandal involving at least 20 IOC members that forced the organization to enact serious reforms. Nor has Blatter's FIFA made it a priority to include more women in positions of influence, as IOC president Jacques Rogge has done. Who's the most powerful woman in FIFA? Good question. The ruling 24-man executive committee is exactly that: all men. Even FIFA's women's committee is chaired by two men. Meanwhile, Blatter has been an equal-*opportunity offender, offering his suggestions for women's soccer ("tighter shorts" and "a more female aesthetic") and saying that gays and lesbians "should refrain from any sexual activities" at World Cup '22 in Qatar, where homosexuality is against the law.

So, yeah, that Nobel Peace Prize that Blatter has been angling for may not be on its way. Me, I don't need any *Nobels, but as FIFA president I'll push for the changes Blatter has been unwilling to endorse. Instant replay? I'll make sure there's a video-review process for close calls on the goal line. (Remember Frank Lampard's *unawarded World Cup goal for England last summer?) Referees? I'll make sure the World Cup has the best whistle-*blowers -- with no limits per country -- and require them to meet with pool reporters after every game to explain controversial calls. Stupid yellow cards? I'll make sure players no longer see yellow for removing their jerseys after scoring a goal. Think about it: Spain's Andrés Iniesta got the same punishment for celebrating the game-winning goal in the World Cup final that Dutch thug Nigel de Jong received for karate kicking an opponent in the chest….

I'll clean up FIFA the only way possible: by releasing all of its internal documents, WikiLeaks-style, and commissioning an independent investigation using the guidelines of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act….
Cure the Blatter Infection!
Soccer fans of the world unite! It's time to take back your game.

incarcerated

05-28-2011, 12:09

FOX is carrying the European Champions League final if anyone’s interested: Barcelona vs. Manchester United. Pre-game coverage is on now.

Richard

05-28-2011, 14:07

Barcelona vs. Manchester United.

Go Barcas!

Richard

MtnGoat

05-29-2011, 16:27

I knew my MANU were going to get dropped kicked, but I was at least hoping for a better game.

incarcerated

05-29-2011, 16:47

What a mess...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/29/soccer-fifa-election-idUSLDE74S0FE20110529

FIFA presidential election to go ahead on Wednesday

ZURICH May 29 (Reuters) - FIFA president Sepp Blatter will stand unopposed for a new term on Wednesday after world soccer's governing body said on Sunday the election could go ahead.

Mohamed bin Hammam, who had been Blatter's only rival for the presidency, was temporarily suspended from soccer activity on Sunday after FIFA's ethics committee decided he did have a case to answer over the sport's bribey inquiry.

Bin Hammam, the Qatari head of the Asian Football Confederation, had already announced he was pulling out of the race with a vow to clear his name.

He and FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who was also provisionally suspended on Sunday, have both denied any wrongdoing in the bribes-for-votes case.

incarcerated

06-06-2011, 23:54

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Iran-women-8217-s-soccer-team-forfeits-2012-qua?urn=oly-wp280

Iranian women’s soccer team forfeits 2012 qualifier over head scarves

Mon Jun 06 03:51pm EDT
The Iranian women's soccer team was in tears after being forced to forfeit a 2012 London Olympics qualifying match this past weekend because it showed up to play in hajibs. FIFA banned the Islamic head scarf in 2007, saying that it could cause choking injuries -- the same reason it gave for recently banning snoods (neck warmers). FIFA also has strict rules against any religious statements in team uniforms.

Since Iran refused to comply with these rules and didn't use the specially designed caps that its 2010 Youth Olympics team wore, Friday's match was abandoned by officials and a 3-0 win was awarded to Jordan as a result. The Football Federation of Iran said it will complain to FIFA about the ruling, but FIFA says assurances were made beforehand so that this situation would've been avoided. From the AP:
"Despite initial assurances that the Iranian delegation understood this, the players came out wearing the hijab, and the head and neck totally covered, which was an infringement of the laws of the game," FIFA said in a statement. [...]
Jordan team officials also objected to the hijab rule before the game, but prepared to play by declining to select women who objected on religious grounds.
"The Iranian team and three Jordanian players were also banned from playing because they wore the traditional head cover," Rana Husseini, head of Jordan's women's football committee, told The Associated Press.
"The problem is that the head cover assigned and approved by FIFA for women players to wear does not suit them as it reveals part of the neck and this is not allowed and it is not acceptable," she said.
Iran also forfeited a second group match against Vietnam on Sunday, seriously damaging its chances of advancing to the London Olympics. It seems unlikely that its federation's complaints will help its case, though, since these rules are not new and compromises have been made in the past....

incarcerated

06-26-2011, 22:48

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0626-plaschke-gold-cup-20110626,0,7072114.column

In Gold Cup final, it's red, white and boo again

Mexico rallies for a 4-2 win over U.S. behind overwhelming support at Rose Bowl. In what other country would the visitors have home-field advantage?
By Bill Plaschke
June 25, 2011, 10:15 p.m.
It was imperfectly odd. It was strangely unsettling. It was uniquely American.

On a balmy early Saturday summer evening, the U.S soccer team played for a prestigious championship in a U.S. stadium … and was smothered in boos.

Its fans were vastly outnumbered. Its goalkeeper was bathed in a chanted obscenity. Even its national anthem was filled with the blowing of air horns and bouncing of beach balls.

Most of these hostile visitors didn't live in another country. Most, in fact, were not visitors at all, many of them being U.S. residents whose lives are here but whose sporting souls remain elsewhere.

Welcome to another unveiling of that social portrait known as a U.S.-Mexico soccer match, streaked as always in deep colors of red, white, blue, green … and gray.

"I love this country, it has given me everything that I have, and I'm proud to be part of it," said Victor Sanchez, a 37-year-old Monrovia resident wearing a Mexico jersey. "But yet, I didn't have a choice to come here, I was born in Mexico, and that is where my heart will always be."

On a street outside the Rose Bowl before the Gold Cup final, Sanchez was hanging out near a motor home that was hosting 17 folks — 15 of whom were Mexico fans. Inside, that ratio held, there seemingly being about 80,000 Mexico fans among the announced crowd of 93,420.

This was Staples Center filled with Boston Celtics fans. This was Chavez Ravine filled with Giants jerseys. This was as weird as it was wild and, for a U.S. team that lost, 4-2, it had to be wearisome.

"Obviously … the support that Mexico has on the night like tonight makes it a home game for them," said U.S. Coach Bob Bradley, choosing his words carefully. "It's part of something we have to deal with on the night."

It wasn't just something. It was everything. I've never heard more consistent loud cheering for one team here, from the air horns to the "Ole" chants with each Mexico pass, all set to the soundtrack of a low throbbing roar that began in the parking lot about six hours before the game and continued long into the night.

Even when the U.S. scored the first two goals, the Mexico cheers stayed strong, perhaps inspiring El Tri to four consecutive goals against a U.S. team that seemed dazed and confused. Then when it ended, and the Mexican players had danced across the center of the field in giddy wonder while the U.S. players had staggered to the sidelines in disillusionment, the madness continued.

Because nobody left. Rather amazingly, the Mexico fans kept bouncing and cheering under headbands and sombreros, nobody moving an inch, the giant Rose Bowl jammed for a postgame trophy ceremony for perhaps the first time in its history.

And, yes, when the U.S. team was announced one final time, it was once again booed.

"We're not booing the country, we're booing the team," Sanchez said. "There is a big difference."

Mexico soccer fans have long since proven to be perhaps the greatest fans of any sports team that plays in this country, selling out venues from here to Texas to New Jersey, dwarfing something like Red Sox Nation, equaling any two SEC football fan bases combined....

Ret10Echo

06-27-2011, 04:46