World Cup South Africa, 2010 Thread

[Sly]

South Korea is going to upset everyone and win the World Cup... mark my words.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Sly

South Korea is going to upset everyone and win the World Cup... mark my words.

Ah! That to me sounds like a pube bet, eah?



I do not bet pube bets, no exceptions!!!

[NBC]

Pretty poor effort all around in the first half. Lost count of how often Rooney gave the ball away, Walcott looked tentative, Lennon can't finish, Terry/Ferdinand looked uncomfortable, Bent had no service from midfield. Very poor.

Changes are needed at the half if they want to win this one. I sure hope Capello knows what he's doing right now.

[NBC]

Much better second half. Cole playing behind Rooney seemed to work.

Heskey probably won't make the final 23. Don't think Huddlestone should either. He looked almost scared out there. I don't think he's got the bottle to play in that midfield holding role against the top teams.

Gerrard limped off the pitch at the end of the match. Looked like he was favouring his left ankle.

[sevenarms]

I tried searching but couldn't find one. Are we having a CalgaryPuck pick 'em pool?

[d_phaneuf]

had the game recorded and just finished watching

not the game Bent wanted as him and Rooney looked like they were playing two different games out there

Huddlestone had a few nice passes but as NBC said he looked very tentative. although Parker didn't see the field in either game so Huddlestone might make the team.

Nice to see Gerrard and Lampard work together well in central midfield in the 2nd half as well, if those two can play together against good teams it opens up a ton of different formations/tactics capello can use. Including Joe Cole on the left side of midfield or in behind Rooney up top.

My guess at the final 7 cuts are

Warnock, Dawson, Upson, Parker didn't play at all in the 2 games so I think they have no chance

SWP, Bent and the last cut would be a midfielder, obviously Barry if he is injured. But if healthy it will be one of Huddlestone or Carrick, neither played great in the last 2 friendly's.

[d_phaneuf]

Actually Upson will make it, they need at least 4 CB's I would think and Fabio rates him, would change my pick from Upson to Johnson

the 7 cuts from John Cross from the Mirror are

Dawson, Carrick, Warnock, Parker, Bent, SWP, A Johnson.

He also said Walcott looked lost again on the right and can't cross

another writer from the Daily Express said about the game

Just got in from England v Japan game. Winners: Joe Cole, Aaron Lennon, Steven Gerrard. Losers: SWP, Darren Bent and maybe Tom Huddlestone

[Addick]

Originally Posted by ipuckedyourmom

The vuvuzelas are obnoxious. I couldn't stand them during the Confederation Cup.

If we ban them from matches can we also ban people who just sit and don't join in the cheering, chanting, or singing?

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

even most Arsenal fans say Lennon should start http://arsenal-mania.com/forum/viewt...p?f=25&t=34925 (the stuff about the world cup is in the later pages its a very long thread, some of the language is NSFW as well)

Without a doubt I think Lennon should start ahead of Walcott but a lot of the hate he gets from Spurs fan, amongst others, is uncalled for. I can understand the British media as they are a bunch of twits but I think everyone else is jumping to a premature conclusion. What irks me about Spurs fans is that Lennon was in a similar position a few years back when he couldn't cross a ball to save his life, they should know first hand how players can develop.

Personally, I was pretty close to writing Walcott off last year but I've seen him develop recently and I'm optimistic. What has helped sway my opinion is the vote of confidence given to him by Fabio, who gave him the vote not when he was turning heads but rather not doing so well. If a respected coach like that sees something then I think there is a chance that something exists. Oh well, hopefully training the with national squad will help him and it would be great if he could come on and do something as a sub in one of the matches.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Addick

If we ban them from matches can we also ban people who just sit and don't join in the cheering, chanting, or singing?

yeah remember 2002 in Korea? That wasn't vuvuzelas but that was crazy boyband, crazy girls loud.

[ipuckedyourmom]

Originally Posted by Addick

If we ban them from matches can we also ban people who just sit and don't join in the cheering, chanting, or singing?

I think its a fair compromise if they made it so they were only allowed in games South Africa was playing in....

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by ipuckedyourmom

I think its a fair compromise if they made it so they were only allowed in games South Africa was playing in....

I don't think it'll as loud anyways in non South african matches cause foreigners can't blow on for 90 minutes straight!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I don't think it'll as loud anyways in non South african matches cause foreigners can't blow on for 90 minutes straight!

Well, other than the British chicks....

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Addick

Without a doubt I think Lennon should start ahead of Walcott but a lot of the hate he gets from Spurs fan, amongst others, is uncalled for. I can understand the British media as they are a bunch of twits but I think everyone else is jumping to a premature conclusion. What irks me about Spurs fans is that Lennon was in a similar position a few years back when he couldn't cross a ball to save his life, they should know first hand how players can develop.

Personally, I was pretty close to writing Walcott off last year but I've seen him develop recently and I'm optimistic. What has helped sway my opinion is the vote of confidence given to him by Fabio, who gave him the vote not when he was turning heads but rather not doing so well. If a respected coach like that sees something then I think there is a chance that something exists. Oh well, hopefully training the with national squad will help him and it would be great if he could come on and do something as a sub in one of the matches.

I think Walcott is going to be a very good striker in a few years, Wenger has him following the Henry/Van Persie model of learning to play wing before moving to striker so they can be an all around player.

And ya 2 years ago Lennon couldn't cross, in fact when Bentley was brought in most people thought it was going to be the end of Lennon at Spurs. It wasn't until Harry came in and worked with him that he turned the corner so to speak.

I am not complaining about Walcott being a bust or a terrible player, I just don't think at this point he is good enough to start for England. And I would have said the same thing about Lennon early last season.

I think the hatred towards him has a lot to do with Sven taking him in 2006 (which wasn't his fault at all, it was 100% idiotic by Sven) and then Rooney and Owen getting injured leaving them with no viable striker outside of Crouch

[GirlySports]

More ESPN greatness to put us into the spirit.

ESPN "I scored a goal in the World Cup"

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

More ESPN greatness to put us into the spirit.

ESPN "I scored a goal in the World Cup"

I am not sure I could be more excited for the World Cup after watching that clip.

As an aside, while watching the Marco Materazzi clip seeing how horrible the dive was by Malouda to draw the penalty still drives me fricking insane.

Even though I know Italy still won the game, to think that such a blatant dive could have been the decisive factor in a world cup game drives me insane.

[Trojan97]

I'm looking to run a World Cup pool with some friends but am having trouble coming up with a decent scoring system. I tentatively have it as:

Pool play: 3 pts for a win, 1 for a tie.
16: 6 pts for win
Quarters: 10 for win
Semis: 15 for win
Finals: 20 for win, 15 for winning third place

Any comments on that? I have no problem switching it up to something better before we begin our draft.

[Locke]

Why do they change the ball so much?

Brazil has been in South Africa since Thursday and Cesar described the World Cup balls as "terrible," comparing them with cheap ones bought in a supermarket. Casillas said the balls were "in an appalling condition."

Asked why the ball behaved differently at altitude, where many of the games will be played in South Africa, Van Schaik said that applied to all balls.
"It does what every ball does [at altitude] and that really doesn't have anything to do with it," he said. "The different air pressure at altitude does make the ball move faster. We did have extensive testing with regard to altitude."

Van Schaik also said he thinks the criticism will taper off once the games start.


"If you look back in history there have always been criticisms about the ball before the World Cup but not so much afterwards after you've seen great goals or great saves," he said.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901&ver=us

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Locke

Why do they change the ball so much?



http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-c...cc=5901&ver=us

To make money of course. Same reason why every team needs a new jersey for each World Cup.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

To make money of course. Same reason why every team needs a new jersey for each World Cup.

Oh no! Its all about the 'superior technology.' Its a ball!!

[GirlySports]

Every world cup teams complain about the ball in practice and by the time the tournament starts nobody cares.

It's as common as teams letting their players have sex or not.