World Cup 2010

[Borbi]

Hi,

Beer and pretzels for everyone

Aww... Come on! We´re not all Bavarians!

Cheers!
Sandor

[Jools]

BTW, well done Japan, that was another great game of football to watch. The Dutch game was good too, but not in the same league from the point of view of entertainment. Japan V Paraguay is going to be very interesting indeed. Any predictions for Brazil Vs Portugal?

Jools

[Yann]

Slovenia Italy was fun...and glad for once the Italian got caught at their own game...

Brasil Portugal will be very interesting...Brasil 3-1 against Portugal!!

Cheers
Yann

[Jools]

Slovenia Italy was fun...and glad for once the Italian got caught at their own game...

My thoughts exactly, they out Italianed the Italians!

Jools

[L number Banana]

Beer and pretzels for everyone

Hi,
Aww... Come on! We´re not all Bavarians!

Cheers!
Sandor

Gewurztraminer and schnitzel?
Been a long time since I lived there...

Living with a very mopey Italian at the moment and I've so far resisted the temptation to say, " HA, it's payback for the penalty kick that never happened!"

[Jools]

Aww... Come on! We´re not all Bavarians!

Sorry, forgot about the pike.

Jools

[bronzefry]

Too funny. The US doesn't even have a club nickname.

I thought it was Stars and Stripes.

Jools

It is? Better let the US media know.
Amanda

[TwoTankAmin]

Stars and Stripes- United States
The Yanks- United States
The Red, White, and Blue- United States
Equipo de Todos- (Everyone's Team) United States

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_na ... y_nickname

[crkinney]

I can't belive it ,A 66 year old red neck and I am starting to injoy watching football [the round kind]
Now lets see if those american boys can play the game ,their frist real test will come on saturday.
Maybe if the american team doesn't have a nickname they will earn one in this world cup.

[Viktor Jarikov]

... and who says people never change!!! I am so glad you find new passions in life, even as unlikely as an apparently very traditional 66 year old American developing a fancy for a game played with feet and occasionally a head (no second meaning hidden) and a round ball

[Jools]

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_na ... y_nickname

WT*! The Tartan TERRIERS?!?! In all my years I've never heard that before. Nonsense - we have no nickname AFAIK, only our most famous fans have, the tartan army.

Mind you, there are some classics in that list. The coffee growers? I'd like to hear that on BBC's commentary!

Jools

[crkinney]

Sure do hope your Tartan army don't play in Kilts

[Jools]

We might not be at the world cup, but amongst the usual strong field, we've got the best advert.

http://www.irn-bru.co.uk/bruzil/home.html and click on the play button.

Aberdinho! Arrhaha haha ahahah aaha hahah aha!!!!!

Jools

[L number Banana]

A nice gesture: Last night one of our Canadian teams, The Toronto FC had a whole group of fans show up and blow fake vuvuzelas!
The fake one is just holding up your hands to make an imaginary horn. A little less distracting but a nice Kudos all the same.

Another bright spot - the lady up the street that I chat with at the bus stop once in a while just unfurled a huge German flag. I ran out in my slippers and gave her a big thumbs up. I had no idea!

[Jools]

Well, here we go...

Jools

[crkinney]

I guess the U.S. team just didn't have it in them this trip .They are just puppys in this sport.
I understand that the next cup will be held in the USA .It should be a real trip .I don't know what it cost to get into a game over in africa but you can bet it will cost an arm and a leg over here.

[L number Banana]

crkinney wrote:

I guess the U.S. team just didn't have it in them this trip .They are just puppys in this sport.
I understand that the next cup will be held in the USA .It should be a real trip .I don't know what it cost to get into a game over in africa but you can bet it will cost an arm and a leg over here.

The 2014 cup will be in Brazil (or Brasil) You may have heard it will be in 'America' but the USA is only a small part of America. A lovely part though and with new soccer fans

The USA team are still puppies the same as Canada is but just a little farther ahead $$$, our gov is too cheap to get on board with proper funding and training, we almost made it this time, got smoked by Honduras.

For the party of your life start booking Brazil trips now and bring your dancing shoes, they really know how to party.

[bronzefry]

Some on the US are young pups, but a few are quite a bit older, like on the European teams. If local youth soccer leagues are any indication, there will be a lot of kids coming up the ranks. It is very popular, year-round, indoors and outdoors. We've got both around here. Although the young'uns in our family are crazy for hockey-the most expensive sport on the planet to play.
Amanda

[L number Banana]

Amanda wrote:

Some on the US are young pups, but a few are quite a bit older, like on the European teams.

I think he meant the sport is still in its infancy compared to Europe and SA.
crkinney :

I guess the U.S. team just didn't have it in them this trip .They are just puppys in this sport.

Did anyone see that nice bum-save by the Germans? The Cheeks of God.
Argentina next. hahahahahahahhahaha groan.

Amanda wrote:

Although the young'uns in our family are crazy for hockey-the most expensive sport on the planet to play.

You guys got Seguin!! Better pick than my hometown boy, Hall. He's tougher in the mind I think. And they're saying that he'll have an easier time in Boston because the sport isn't so all-consuming since you have other professional teams. Three months till the puck drops

[Borbi]

Hi,

I take it this is what you wanted to see, Jools?

Just as predicted: don´t worry about penalties, we only need 90 minutes!

Now, Argentina will be the first real proof for this team of youngsters..

Cheers, Sandor

[Jools]

I take it this is what you wanted to see, Jools?

What I would have liked to have seen is Lampards goal have counted (and also, the Mexicans had also a very bad (non) decision just hours later that materially affected the game). What would have happended in the second half after 2-2 would have told us more about both teams and more about both managers. I actually feel sorry for that. In my view they should be looking at the FA, maybe the manager and players but now they can all hide behind the lack of technology and terrible referees.

Those will longer memories will remember the Hurst goal in 1966 but even then that was not so obvious as this.

Jools

[sidguppy]

this is indeed a sad day; firt England, then Mexico screwed over by the FIFA's stubborn refusal to enter technology into the game

according to Fuhrer Blatter it would be "too expensive"....

that guy has a lot of hubris.
I mean REALLY

apart from the oil business or weapons sales, football may be THE most profitable industry on the planet;
in the professional sports world it is so without doubt .

almost any other professional sport; be it tennis, formula one, cricket, baseball, the olympic games, you name it; they ALL have technology to avoid resting such important decisions on the decisions of 1 or a few persons who can fail to see properly what's happening on the field

too expensive indeed!

the ONLY reason the FIFA stubbornly refuses to enter technology is that without it, they can still manipulate and control the events.
that's the SOLE and ONE reason

it's already a cooked and foregone conclusion that for FIFA the biggest football countries MUST be right there in the (sub) finals.
otherwise they can loose a lot of income from viewers watching all the commercials.

(sub) finals without Brasil, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Spain etc would make the already obscene amount of profit for the big marketing honcho's that control and buy up the FIFA a wee bit less obscene and they can't have that, can they?

imagine that with technology the last 4 countries in the competion would be England, Ghana, South Korea and Slovenia to name a few.

they cannot, they will not let that happen.

hence: the ban on technology.

in old fashioned words: they are corrupt to the bone. period.
and England suffers, Mexico suffers, the USA suffers and more becausew of FIFA's through and through corruption

a sad day indeed.

[Jools]

Not sure about that Alex, I mean I think FIFA makes more money if England stay in the competition at the expense of Germany. I guess we now have to wait to the game against Argentina to find out how good this young German team is. Englands team confidence is now very low, but I don't think we can blame that on the bad decision alone.

For me, the technology thing is about implementation and ego not cost. I mean, they're happy to trial having two extra officals on the goal line but not brave enough to say that will happen in the world cup. They FIFA executive have made a decision not to trial technology and their egos do not allow this to be changed.

Implementing it would not be too hard, but you could only do it in some leagues and for some matches. What would it be used for? Just goal line questions like rugby? Offsides like tennis with a 3 challenge system. Every decision with 5 challenges?

Jools

[sidguppy]

agreed. it would be insane to implement the technology when some sub professional village team pley in the semi amateur league against a neighbouring team

but they could do it for the Chamions leage, the Latin Ametican Champion ships, the Africa cup and so on.

as I understand from a much more knowable football fan the English/UK teams have more champion-ship-like play offs running than most other countries so it would be very hard for them, and that WOULD be expensive......

still i strongly believe in manipulation and corruption on the FIFA-side of things, but then again; I'm not nearly as nice or even tempered as you, Jools

[Jools]

still i strongly believe in manipulation and corruption on the FIFA-side of things, but then again; I'm not nearly as nice or even tempered as you, Jools

Was that manipulation with their new radio controlled ball? That said, I really do think FIFA chief Blatter sits in a big old swivelling black leather armchair watching his football with a fat white cat perched to one side.

Even mellow old me was screaming at the TV yesterday and I'm not even really an England fan. If that had happened to Scotland, I'd be looking for a new TV (and front window). Sometimes I do a litte more than raise an eyebrow and cough on my beer a little.

Jools

[sidguppy]

If that had happened to Scotland, I'd be looking for a new TV (and front window)

my bad!
I sometimes forget that......

[bronzefry]

Amanda wrote:

Although the young'uns in our family are crazy for hockey-the most expensive sport on the planet to play.

You guys got Seguin!! Better pick than my hometown boy, Hall. He's tougher in the mind I think. And they're saying that he'll have an easier time in Boston because the sport isn't so all-consuming since you have other professional teams. Three months till the puck drops

Where do you live? The puck is still dropping here and house leagues go all summer. Try getting an excited 7 or 9 year old in all that stuff in 90 degree weather, when my brother is trying to choke down dinner. They bounce around like Tigger. I'm so glad they get excited to play, still. Summer camp starts next week. Phew!


I've had it with all these goals they're calling off, too. It's changing the game for the worse and smatters of corruption. There was an earthquake of creative swearwords out of the mouth of Mom when that goal was cancelled. That never happens. Not even when her beloved, injury-plagued Boston Red Sox mess up. She takes that quietly, since there are 150 plus games to the season. Mom is hinting at getting a new tv. I hope it's one she can't throw....
Amanda

[Viktor Jarikov]

You guys and gals offer some seriously funny material

[L number Banana]

Even mellow old me was screaming at the TV yesterday and I'm not even really an England fan. If that had happened to Scotland, I'd be looking for a new TV (and front window). Sometimes I do a litte more than raise an eyebrow and cough on my beer a little.

Jools

Good, that's been my real concern all along. I am no longer mystified. The world would love to see some different teams there, love my team but I never seen Scotland play. I've only seen two Irish games ever too. Do the Russians have good football? Where's India and Pakistan? Unfortunately, unless you subscribe to a soccer only channel, you almost never seen anyone other than the current big guns.

The missed call.
The can opener is being cranked.
Hmm, last one like this resulted in losing the final match against England 1966, Germany got screwed in the final/semifinal? match against Italy when there clearly should have been a penalty kick.. Argentina/Mexico. Missed calls against Italy when France won. Chilean player not thrown out of the match for trying to injure and possible destroy the career of a Portuguese player..And on and on. That's football but now that it was against England...now it matters???!!! Gimme a break. For years half the fans have wanted video and the 'traditionalist' said it would ruin the game. Hand of God goal, no big changes after that eh?

If things change now it will be remembered as the Whiner Rule. The squeaky wheel gets the kick.

Does any sober human think that it made a difference really? If they had gone into the half all bolstered by the goal and the younger team got a little freaked out and worried....it still would depend on two very shabby people playing defense for England!! I'm sorry but my Mother in Law could defend better! Listen to a non-bias broadcast and take it from there.

Does anyone think that the teams or fans WANT a black mark on a game where they were clearly the better team? Remember where that ref had run from, there's no way he could have zoomed up the field and been perfectly comfy and clear when the goal went in. He can't call it a goal if he's not 100% sure. In the game from way back when England scored a goal on Germany that wasn't a goal - everyone was focused on the net - big difference!
It sucks for both sides because it was a clean game with no little snivellers flopping about on the field. Good sportsmanship was shown several times when a call was iffy. It's just a shame that it ended with controversy.

My last and final beef about that game. Why do the fans have to bring up "The Great War" every time??? There was even fans dressed in the RAF uniforms. Was a colossal insult, wish a veteran had punched those two guys in the nose. How dare they compare the two situations.

[bronzefry]

FIFA's response to all these bad goal calls: Censor replays in the stadium. Um, we can still see them at home. ESPN shows them over and over.
Amanda