South African Fußball mania: Quarterfinals and beyond
June 28, 2010 - 10:40am
Ok, so we're not quite into the quarters but just about. With two of my semi-finalists out in the first knock-out round, my powers of football prognostication are looking pretty poor. So it goes. At least the football is good.
Argentina v Germany looks to be a helluva match, while Uruguay v Ghana looks increasingly attractive.
The Dutch are looking good against Slovakia and should go through according to the run of play. I can't predict who they'll play--either Brazil or Chile, too close to call.
Portugal v Spain looks good, but I expect the Catalans to go through. I like Japan against Paraguay too.
Oh, and goal line technology, eh?
Time for some form of instant replay;' yesterday wa embarassing. Okay, time for some of my predictions. Brazil will beat Chile. Portugal will beat Spain. Argentina over Germany, and ghana over Uruguay. I'm taking Paraguay over Japan.
Ludicrous. I bet one (1) pound of my sockeye salmons against a pound of your lobster that Spain prevail. And just to be contrarian, I take Deutschland over the Argies. Is this thread called "fútbol mania"? I think not.
I am not going to underestiate Uruguay. They are an amazingly solid team and are playing some stellar kickball
Is it Okay to cheat in Football?
Some interesting points and ethical arguments that could easily apply to other professional sports like ice hockey.
Brazil looked fighteningly dominant against Chile. I think Chile only had two chances in the 77 minutes that I saw, and Chile is a good, strong team.
I am very happy with how CONCACAF has done in this tournament.
The USA went to the round of 16, they won their group and had 5 goals in 4 games. They did this in spite of bad refereeing that took away 2 goals, in spite of missing two of their best players due to injuries (Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu), and in spite of the fact the coach failed to start the best 11 players. If Klinsman becomes coach they could impress again in 2014.
Mexcico? Totally robbed against Argentina. I think they were solid competitors until that deflating goal.
One day, I may have something to say about Canada.
Standardized sport savant balancing post. Carry on.
With pressure for video replay mounting after two blatant missed calls at the World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter says soccer's governing body will reopen the issue after the tournament.
ebodyknows, knock it the hell off. First and last warning.
Japan 0- Paraguay 0 at the half
ebodyknows, knock it the hell off. First and last warning.
You realize I think im justified. I'll post naked boys in the next thread if that is your issue. If not explain what your issue is. You do realize the fact that this event is given attention on this forum is a moral issue for me right?
[thread drift]
ebodyknows, if you want to start a thread about professional sports and how they feed into the "circuses not bread" MO of the mainstream, please do so. Or pm me and we can chat. I will heartily join in as I hate all professional sports for a number of political reasons.
But this is a thread for those who appreciate the sport and are following the World Cup. I don't like the topic, I have nothing to add to the content of this thread, so I stay out. What you did was trolling, and it's not okay.
And I feel the same about hockey, by the way. Don't get me started.
But to deflect any outrage that I'm someone positioning myself as more pure than others, I like lots of mainstream entertainment in other formats. Because sometimes I need to turn off my brain and not think about the bullshit of the world, especially after this past weekend. I'm not a "better lefty" because I hate professional sports. For example, some babblers already know I'm a Trekkie, so I have no better lefty creds than anyone else.
[/thread drift]
Footie fans, please continue.
Japan 0 Paraguay 0 after 90. We are heading to extra time.
[thread drift]
But this is a thread for those who appreciate the sport and are following the World Cup. I don't like the topic, I have nothing to add to the content of this thread, so I stay out. What you did was trolling, and it's not okay.
Perhaps you can give me more insight into your point of view by joining the 'do artists have a responsibility to speak out discussion'?
Maybe it is trolling. I prefer to call it a peaceful protest. I've been limiting myself to one post per thread. I think that is reasonable and helpful to me in dealing with the stress of car horns.
Paraguay goes through on penalties.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter warned French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday that the country's national team risks suspension from global tournaments if he meddles in the running of its soccer federation.
Blatter said Tuesday he was sending a "clear and clean message" to the French government and Sarkozy, who has said he would personally lead the investigation into Les Bleus' dismal showing at the World Cup.
The French soccer federation "can really rely on FIFA in case of political interference - even if it is at the presidential level," Blatter said. "France made an 'affaire d'etat' of football, but football remains in the hands of the federation."
FIFA rules demand that federations manage their affairs independently or face suspension from international soccer matches and business. Teams, referees and soccer officials can be barred from participating even if the federation is the innocent victim of government meddling.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/news/story/2010/06/29/sp-bl...Spain vs Portugal should be quite a match.
Franco vs. Salazar- choose your fascist.
I picked Portugal to win upthread knowing full well they are the underdog. Canada's top chess GM lives in Portugal so I though I would pick them. Sporting, eh?
I thought the Portuguese looked very skillful last game. And Brazil looks to be the overall powerhouse.
There will be no Benfica to picking Portugal, however Sporting it may be.
Franco was a Real Madrid fan, and even ordered the murder of their president (the Nou Camp was one of the only places you could speak Catalàn during his reign). The 2010 Spanish squad, however, is largely made up from players who came through the Barcelona system: Iniesta, Fàbregas, Pique, Puyol, Xavi, Busquets, and Rodrigues, as well as the backup kepper Valdes. Capedevilla comes from Espanyol, another Catalan side, David Silva and Mata are Valencian and Xabi Alonso is Basque. Only Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Arbolea come from Franco's Madrid.
So obviously, babblers should cheer for the revolutionaries! ¡Visca Catalunya!
Are you the same guy who picked Japan?
Yes. And Italy and England to reach the semis, and Brazil to not. In fact, I called for an "all-European" semi which is now impossible, and undermined by South America's incredible tournament. But, as you are doubtless aware, Caissa, moderators are never wrong.
I have no idea how Holland made it through, since I also picked them for the semis.
At any rate, Go Spain!
I think the answer for both you and me, Catchfire is that keepers can be a little quirky.
I'm still holding out for a Southern Hemisphere victory.
Caissa, consider yourself banned.
I always wondered what your tipping point would be, Catchfire.
(yesss...)
Catchfire = Gollum.
Go Brazil!
Wow, I don't think it was so much bad play by Portugal as it was ball possession by the Spaniards, 61%. Two very good teams but only one goes through.
Thread drift/ I was having a nice dream about Football last night and it turned into a nightmare; Burnley beat Liverpool, 4-0./end thread drift
It's nice to see Catchfire call a match correctly. Now if FIFA officials could only emulate him.
Lawmakers taking part in a closed-door hearing about France's World Cup fiasco said Wednesday that coach Raymond Domenech refused to take any responsibility for his team's misbehaviour and offered no real explanation for their debacle.
Lawmakers said Domenech, who is retiring, tried to pin blame on the media during the parliamentary hearing. Prominent lawmaker Jean-Francois Cope said his testimony "wasn't very dignified."
Many had kinder words for French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes, who plans to resign this week, and who also testified at the hearing held by the National Assembly's commission on culture and education.
The hearing went ahead despite a warning from FIFA about French government meddling in soccer affairs. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the country's national team risks suspension from global soccer if President Nicolas Sarkozy or political leaders interfere in the running of the federation.
Lawmakers retorted that it wasn't Blatter's place to tell them how to do their jobs.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/france/story/2010/06/30/sp-...An "All Latin American" semi final (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) would go a long way to demonstrating where soccer power now resides. Of course, I could be totally wrong about that. We'll know by Saturday afternoon.
It would guarantee my prediction of a southern hemisphere champion. Somehow I think at least one European team will be in the semis.
Yea, Spain. That's still an "all Latin" semi final, eh? :)
The president of Nigeria has suspended the national soccer team from international competition for two years after a poor showing at the World Cup.
Ima Niboro, a spokesman for President Goodluck Jonathan, made the announcement Wednesday, saying the ban would enable the country to reorganize its football administration
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/nigeria/story/2010/06/30/sp...It would appear then, that I have no choice but to go for Germany, Spain, Holland and Ghana. Ever since the Falklands I've hated Argentinian imperialism.
And Brazil have finished top of their world cup group eight times in a row. It's time to take them down a peg. Down with Brazil!
Put your Tilley hat on when you are going out in the sun, Catchfire.
It would appear then, that I have no choice but to go for Germany, Spain, Holland and Ghana. Ever since the Falklands I've hated Argentinian imperialism.
And Brazil have finished top of their world cup group eight times in a row. It's time to take them down a peg. Down with Brazil!
lol. "Mighty white of you", as the saying goes. It's amusing to read a description of Argentine participation in a war with England over some islands off the coast of Argentina as "Argentinian imperialism". lol. I guess that means that if Argentina bombed the Channel Islands and killed hundreds of English sailors steaming into Portsmith then that would be English imperialism. lol. whatever.
I'm with you on Ghana though. It would be a miracle, of course, to see an African team win the whole shebang. I might relent on my support of the Latin (American) juggernaut. MWA-ha-ha!!
Beltov, this:
was a joke. Perhaps I should have included irony tags. Basically, I was making the same joke that you and, before that, Caissa were making. "Mighty white of me" and all that.
For the record, If Uruguay wasn't playing Ghana, I'd support them. If Argentina weren't managed by Maradona (my favourite all-time player, btw) I'd support them. Leo Messi is probably the best player on the planet--if you'd read the other football threads you'd know my opinion on the matter. Otherwise, Paraguay are boring and Brazil are Brazil.
Yea, sorry, my remarks were in the same spirit, really. I just can't help but be annoying. heh.
No worries, Beltov. Anyway, here's a couple of theories as to why South American teams are enjoying so successful a tournament:
South America boosted by travel, hard work … and luckOne common explanation is that more South Americans are playing in Europe than ever before – which has welded broad experience and improved physicality to natural home-grown technique. According to Uruguay's Edinson Cavani: "Nowadays there are many players from Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay who all play at the highest level in Europe and elsewhere. When they meet up all that fuses together to make a strong national team."
[...]
Another theory, articulated by the Argentina manager, Diego Maradona, is that: "The South American qualifiers are much more competitive than in Europe." This argument has instinctive appeal. Over two years every South American country faces each other, home and away, over 18 matches. There are no Liechtensteins or San Marinos from whom to take easy points.
[...]
Others argue that South American qualifying also forges mental toughness. Players based in Europe must travel thousands of miles every couple of months and must adapt to widely differing conditions. As Mario Andrade, a commercial manager for Nike in the region, puts it: "In Europe you have impeccable referees and pitches and little hardship. In South America there's often longer travel, worse pitches, lousier referees and sometimes altitude, which toughens players up. After that, spending five weeks in a nice hotel for the World Cup is easy."
Prior to the Germany-England game, I read some comments regarding the support that football has in those 2 countries. Mention was made of an "Academy" in Germany, lacking in England, to develop younger players for the National squad. Perhaps more is spent ... advertising beer in England. Or something.
Anyway, these other aspects might be different in Latin America as well.
Give us a kiss and show us ya knickas. Bah, no joy fer Ingerlund. I wuz really drunk at the time.
Predictions:
1. Spain will beat Paraguay. Other than that, anything might happen. You never know what can happen at the World Cup.
2. My bets: Brazil over Netherlands. Ghana over Uruguay. Argentina over Germany (but I may change my mind without notice on that.) Brazil over Ghana. Spain over Argentina (but I may change my mind without notice on that.) Final: Brazil over Spain.
3. We are about to see at least six very beautiful, well-played, exciting games.
Well as Jackie Moon said in Semi-Pro, "Heaven wants us to win this game! I'LL BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN!" I couldn't believe Rinaldo had so few touches in the game against Spain. Spain will take some beating.
Sorry for the spelling flame. That's Ronaldo. There's also a Ronaldinho (not playing!) and a Robinho (playing) on the Brazil team.
Of course, nothing was as confusing as trying to decide whether to support Slovakia, Slovenia, or Serbia. Good thing they all, eventually, lost. lol.
I am positive that it was Rabba-Loki who changed the spelling in my post, because I really did type an O and not an I. Darn you, RabbaLoki!!
And, I was cheering for Slerbenika all along.
Brazil and Netherlands players standing behind " Say No to Racism" Banner prior to kickoff.
Robinho puts Brazil ahead in the 10th minute.
1-0 at the half
sad to say, but Brazil looks unstoppable; brilliant team play last Monday, mesmerizing
to repeat, before the Cup started I lost a barroom bet that Netherlands had once won the Cup; I thought the Orange won in 1974 (no, they were finalist vs Germany and lost)
Johann Cruyff and Holland were without doubt the best team of the 70s, but sadly, they lost to a decent West Germany side in 74, and Cruyff-less in 78, lost to Argentina. They'd better shape up if they want to beat Brazil.
Arjen Robben is one of my favourite players--he is being hacked to bits by the Brazilian defence right now and hasn't been able to find space. What a goal by "I take a private helicopter to training" Robinho!
Michael Farber ex of The Gazette now SI, called Dutch "total football" an all-out offense, '80s Oilers-style soccer
would have loved to follow it live, was not that close to soccer in the '70s
What a cock-up of a goal to give Holland and undeserved equalizer. Of course, Bastos should have been sent off for the foul just previous, so we shall see how karma works its mysterious ways.
2-1 Netherlands .... whoa!!
And a red card (it was coming) to Brazil! Mela off!
I go to play a little chess and luch and a potential upset breaks out.
a huge upset
in good German: Man of the Match,
http://de.fifa.com/live/competitions/worldcup/matchday=20/day=1/match=300061507/index.html
Ghana's Team Spirit
No joy for Brazil, no joy. Well as Jackie Moon said when screaming at Father Pat in the great basketball movie, Semi-Pro, "I'LL BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN!"
Ghana robbed by Suarez cheating, No excuse for that. There needs to be obvious rule changes clear goals that are hand blocked need to be counted as goals. I am deeply disappointed
They need instant replay and an extra ref, one with 20-20 vision with or without corrective lenses. I'll BURN HIS HOUSE DOWN!
It's deeply disappointing for Ghana, but Gyan had his chance to put them through. I can't support a rule change that would see such a handball counted as a goal--it was instinctive for Suarez. He was red carded and will miss the final.
Still: heartbreak.
I think the refs had ginormous WORLD CUP BENDER hangovers and must have felt like they had cat piss in their eyes on the handball goal. I'LL BURN THEIR HOUSE DOWN!!
Apparently the refs aren't the only ones on a bender. Fidel! Step away from the keyboard! No babbling while drunk!
Besides, the ref called the handball!
Well if there's no rule that allows a handball goal, then what's the problem? Is this the footy or FuBall MANIA thread? I'll BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN!!
Ghana robbed by Suarez cheating, No excuse for that. There needs to be obvious rule changes clear goals that are hand blocked need to be counted as goals. I am deeply disappointed
So you're saying that because of a situation where you didn't like the outcome they should change the rules? Given how long football has been around I think that someone has seriously considered this situation and decided that the rules are fine as they are.
On an only somewhat related note, I'm fully in favour of instant replay. Just had lunch with a Brit who was adamant that "football is so fast that ..." who couldn't understand that ice hockey was even faster ...
It's deeply disappointing for Ghana, but Gyan had his chance to put them through. I can't support a rule change that would see such a handball counted as a goal--it was instinctive for Suarez. He was red carded and will miss the final.
Still: heartbreak.
I'm not sure how it would be instinctive, it wasn't heading for his face he wasn't protecting himself. He knew it was going into the net and was willing to cheat to stop it. The goal was a sure thing taking a penalty means having to take a chance. This does not seem just to me and is quite different from other fouls in the area.
Ghana robbed by Suarez cheating, No excuse for that. There needs to be obvious rule changes clear goals that are hand blocked need to be counted as goals. I am deeply disappointed
So you're saying that because of a situation where you didn't like the outcome they should change the rules? Given how long football has been around I think that someone has seriously considered this situation and decided that the rules are fine as they are.
On an only somewhat related note, I'm fully in favour of instant replay. Just had lunch with a Brit who was adamant that "football is so fast that ..." who couldn't understand that ice hockey was even faster ...
IT has nothing to do with my not liking the outcome, it does have to do with fair play. A team should not profit from cheating and that is what happened, which makes the likelihood of it happen again increase. Set rules for Football actually have not been around for that long Fifa has only been around for about 100 years and there have been rule changes in that time.
I am glad that brazil are out. Even their 3 nil win was boring. All the excitement came from their opponents and they got far too many good breaks from the referees.
I have never seen the quality of passing that spain produce before from any team. There average passing movement must be something like 14 passes.
Thats amazing.
Goals are lucky in soccer anyway but their opponents are going to need a hell of a lot of it. Spain will have the ball for 60 minutes of every 90.
Argentina have Messi but Spain have the backbone of the barcelona defence. In view of how awful the refereeing has been, its anybodys game from now on.
I will be happy if Spain win. Second choice is Argentina. I do not think Holland, Germany or Uruaguy are anything special.
I would like to see instant replay for the goal line stuff and for all those jokers who fall down when anyone goes near them. I would also like to see fines and 3 or 4 match bans for that type of gamesmanship. Nobody should cheer when a good player gets a yellow or red because someone else took a dive.
"But the way in which I was sent off — truth is, it was worth it," Suarez said.
"But the way in which I was sent off — truth is, it was worth it," Suarez said.
Cheating has been a major component of this tournament.
I do not think Holland, Germany or Uruaguy are anything special.
Germany 4 Argentina 0
yeah, right:
Germany went 4-0 over Australia, 4-1 over England, 4-0 over Argentina -- they are big-time excelleent on offence and young balanced dynamic, you name it
as for the dime-a-dozen reporter's cliche that dominance is slipping away from Europe -- tell that to Brazil and Maradona!
3 of the final 4 will likely be European, with a possible repeat of the 1974 Cup final (I hope); can we hope the Dutch get some justice here??
European football dominates in part because they poach the best players from the rest of the world.
Germany, for example, benefits from Turkish player Mesut Ozil.
hang on:
a German citizen, born in Gelsenkirchen, is "poached"? --nope
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesut_%C3%96zil
Ozil was born, raised, trained and then employed in Germany (Bremen), hence credit goes to his national side not anyone else
granted, there have been several French players who were born elsewhere then naturalized, but they are the minority; among the immigrant-background players, the best of them all, Zidane, was born and raised in Marseille
I remember seeing a big wall-sized mural of Zizou there: "Made in Marseille"; exactly
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:bUoSwBDkDgMJ:zizou-...
No joy for Argentina. No joy. ALLEZ ESPANOL!
European football dominates in part because they poach the best players from the rest of the world.
Germany, for example, benefits from Turkish player Mesut Ozil.
With the exception of Cacau (Brazil), the team received all their training in Germany.
Fidel, I believe you mean "Allez Espana" (don't know where the little bigote is on the computer I can access babble on, drat). I do believe they speak espanol in Argentina, though with a distinctly Italian intonation.
My Argentine friends are in DEEP mourning. I confess I had a soft spot for l'il Lionel Messi. It was sure silent around where I live. The Italians would have supported Argentina.
Hmm, that final could well be European..
Maysie, I mostly follow the World Cup because it is often a big party in the neighbourhood, and usually a good-humoured one.
Okay then, Allez Espana!
I do not think Holland, Germany or Uruaguy are anything special.
Germany 4 Argentina 0
I still do not think they are special. England had every right to the lampard goal earlier which could have turned the game and my Croatian friends say that England got to the world cup because of 2 refereeing mistakes in their games against Croatia. Argentina always looked frail defensively.
And soccer is like that. The other team gets a goal, they step back a yard, you step forward a yard and a half and suddenly they are a great team!
The dutch comeback against Brazil is totally the exception at this level. You score first and usually the contest is over at this level.
In world cups, there are "peoples" choices, teams that play glorious football but fail due to luck or bad breaks or one player being weak. So we had the super dutch teams, then platini's france, with tigana, , I think there was a great danish team too, Socratese and zico were in a great brazilian team, and bulgaria and romania were really close to greatness too. There was a camaroon team and a moroccan team that might have been great too but the breaks went against them.
On all those ocasions, other teams won and the records only remember the winners.
That great french team was beaten by brutal refereeing against germany. They played some of the most beautiful soccer you could ever watch.
I notice people getting weird about players of turkish descent playing for germany. Thats kinda stupid. Look at the names of their strikers. Polish names. And pierre Litbarski from years ago and memmet scholl from not so long ago were top german players. In fact memmet and christian were playing on the one german team and they still didn't win!
People move around. Europe is not so big. If you are born in a country, surely you belong?
As I have mentioned, the Germans have a soccer/football "academy". Unlike, say, England. The number of young players developed from that very academy ... players now playing for Germany in the World Cup ... is significant. I don't know how this is funded but at least one commentator drew attention to this at the time of England's somewhat surprising loss to the Germans and tried to make a connection between the result and the academy.
Paraguay could have as easily beat Spain as Ghana might have defeated Uruguay. An astonishing game.
Having watched a little more since my previous comments, Germany and the Netherlands really look now like the powers in this tourney. Of course, rooting for the underdog means cheering for Uruguay, and I'm rather fond of Spanish players, like David Villa, making matador-like gestures after scoring a goal. I hope the Germany-Spain game is a creative battle rather than a diving clinic that these games so easily degenerate into. Ole!
Mesut Özil is third-generation German--his father grew up in Germany. I take Apples's point, but Özil is the wrong target.
It doesn't matter. They were beaten at their national sport twice in the 1910s and 40s.
COME ON YOU REDS! LIVERPOOL! LIVERPOOL!
One thing worth noting is that every single game that has been played in this World Cup is available for viewing online at your leisure. Check it out!
World Cup matches ON DEMAND
As much as I predicted a Southern Hemisphere victory, I shall be pulling for the Dutch.
If someone would have told me that the only South American team progressing from my facetious prediction upthread was Uruguay, with both Brazil and Argentina going home (the latter from a 4-0 drubbing), I'd have said they're taking the piss. Cruel fate for Ghana--and Suarez, it turns out, will not serve an extended ban for his handball. He can play in the final should Uruguay progress. He didn't show the most contrite, penitent reaction either:
So I hope I speak for everyone when I say: Come one you Oranje.
I was in the 99.8th percentile worldwide on ESPN until Spain beat Paraguay. In my brackets which I made a month ago, I had Paraguay beating Spain and then losing to Germany in the semi finals.
I was so pissed when they missed that penalty kick.
A "psychic" octopus in Germany, which appears to have correctly predicted every World Cup game involving the national team so far, has picked Spain over Germany in the semi-final.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/europe/10521867.stmGraham Poll, who once gave three yellow cards to the same player in a single match, sez:
Quote:"The clause in law under which Suarez was dismissed was the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity. This carries a one-match ban, leaving Suarez free to play in the final should Uruguay beat Holland.
The problem is that Ghana were denied a goal, not just the opportunity to score one. A penalty goal in these circumstances would be appropriate.
The denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity was seen in the Paraguay v Spain quarter-final, when Antolin Alcaraz brought down David Villa. No striker converts every chance, so awarding a penalty seems fair. Referee Carlos Batres failed to dismiss the Paraguay defender, but it was only an opportunity denied and not a certain goal.
Back to Suarez, who many argue merely acted instinctively. If that is true then awarding a penalty goal and a yellow card seems more appropriate. Then the wronged team would not be denied a goal and the instinctive act less harshly punished."
New France coach Laurent Blanc was "outraged" by the behaviour of certain players during the World Cup debacle and plans to rebuild the national team with only players he can trust.
Blanc inherited a team devoid of confidence, as Raymond Domenech's troubled six-year reign ended with rifts and infighting after the team went on strike at a training session shortly before its World Cup ended in the group stage.
"What bothers me is that, after the World Cup, a new coach should be able to lean on a hard core [of players]," Blanc said Tuesday at his first news conference. "This hard core is not even a melon's pip. ... My task is to find a hard core within this team."
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/france/story/2010/07/06/sp-...
WE'RE IN THE FINAL!!
HUP HOLLAND HUP!
Anyone for a Germany-Holland Final?
Hockey or Football - not soccer!
Bit of a scare there at the end--what happened to the defence? Did they think it was over? A decent performance, but Robben should have had at least two more. What will happen when Holland come up against a team that remembers how to defend?
It's got to be Germany in the final now, at least for the story. Holland have wanted another crack at Jerry for 36 years.
But it should be a cracking game tomorrow. I can't wait! My advice to Spain: leave Torres on the bench.
The timing between football and hockey is completely different. I once played a pickup game of football against a bunch of Frenchmen in which I was completely out of my depth (literally). I was playing according to hockey timing and use of space, while those guys were using football timing and space. I was useless against them.
I watched a bit of the Holland-Uruguay game today, but shut telly off in disgust after yet another Dutch tulip fell down as if hit by a nebelwerfer round (while standing two feet from his alleged attacker). I realise footballers accept diving as an integral part of the game, but I come from a culture where you finish your shift even if you have blood dripping from your face.
I'm with agreement on the instant replay - especially if it helps catch penalize some of the drama queens out there.
But aside from that - what a great game. The athleticism and skill are superb. And a normal match is always over in 2 hours. I have fallen in love with it.
I have watched my last sporting event where the last two minutes of play takes a full 20 minutes or more to play out. North American sports are centered around the TV commercial break. In proper football, the only pads are on the shins and the best players look like normal people, not abberations in the gene pool.
As for toughness - watch Michael Ballick of Germany sometime (unfortunately injured for this world cup). That's a warrior who plays with his heart. Or try watching just about any rugby match. I saw one dude walk off the field bleeding from both eyes and both ears. And rugby is continous play - we have watched some real exciting matches.
Did anyone see the Dutch player take a shoe in the face? Man that's gotta hurt. Go Uruguay!
As far as I am concerned, Suarez paid the fine and did the time. He did not cheat. The cheaters are the guys who dive to the ground without being touched and get penalties and free kicks and get players sent off. I notice in this world cup that a lot more players are using their elbows dangerously. Thats intimidation and cheating too.
Any defender in any game will do exactly the same thing if there are a couple of minutes to go. Just ask them. A brazilian player handled the ball a couple of times before scoring in an earlier match. He got away with it and the goal counted. Thats cheating.
Henri cheated against Ireland way back in the last qualifier. but if he was on the goal line for France and handled to prevent a goal, and got sent off, it would not have been cheating. I think the rules are clear on this. Fouling is not cheating. Very good midfielders foul a player in the buildup and prevent the dangerous move from even starting. It is hard to watch that but it happens all the time and is within the rules of the game.
Graham Poll, who once gave three yellow cards to the same player in a single match, sez:
The problem is that Ghana were denied a goal, not just the opportunity to score one. A penalty goal in these circumstances would be appropriate.
The denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity was seen in the Paraguay v Spain quarter-final, when Antolin Alcaraz brought down David Villa. No striker converts every chance, so awarding a penalty seems fair. Referee Carlos Batres failed to dismiss the Paraguay defender, but it was only an opportunity denied and not a certain goal.
Back to Suarez, who many argue merely acted instinctively. If that is true then awarding a penalty goal and a yellow card seems more appropriate. Then the wronged team would not be denied a goal and the instinctive act less harshly punished."
Michael Ballack is officially the biggest loser in football history. In 2002 he lost the Champions League final with Bayern Munich and sat out suspended while Brazil beat Germany in the World Cup final. In 2008, his Chelsea side lost to Manchester United in the Champions League final, and he captained his German side to an outclassed performance by the sublime Spaniards in the European Championships. He's a sulk, a whinger and he's lost his place at Chelsea and now, it would seem, in the German side. There is no chance they would be where they are with him--for one thing, Özil would probably be on the bench!
As for toughness, as good a player as he is, Robben is one of the worst ones for diving. One of the things about football is that a lot of the "dives" are actually fouls--quick players get a lot of kicks to the ankles which are quite painful, and they also receive a good number of cynical tackles meant to hack them down over the course of the game. Felipe Mela, before he was sent off, was booked for persistent fouling on Robben, which was clearly Dunga's strategy: kick the shit out of Robben's legs. Diving has developed as a tonic to this and also as a way to let the referee know what's happening. It sure looks distasteful to those bred on NHL hockey, but it has become part of the game.
That said, the Uruguayan defenders were taking studs on the shin repeatedly by some of the Dutch players and they just got on with it--they didn't get the number of free kicks they were warranted, though, but what toughness. Of course, if you want toughness, check out Claudio Gentile, one of the fiercest competitors in any sport.
soon we will see the value of the old English adage:
"football is a game played by 11 men over 90 minutes, at the end of which Germany wins"
oh yeah,
NY Times clarifies; no crime wave
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/world/africa/07safrica.html?_r=1&ref=a...
duplicate post.
Billy Bragg says ... NO PASARAN!!!!
Germany nil Spain 1.
lame :(
Bragg's father-in-law is from Madrid. "She who must be obeyed" and all that dictates that he would support the team that his wife's family supports. After England, that is.
Closing for length, please continue here.