World Cup South Africa, 2010 Thread

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Jagger

Looking forward to seeing if Spain can get their World Cup campaign back on track. Hopefully Torres will get a starting role this time.

The vuvu's are stupid really but don't bother me anymore. I wish we could hear traditional chanting instead but whatever, no big deal. It's just become something else for people who hate soccer to moan about along with the diving etc.

Tomorrow sees some group play wrap up. It now becomes really interesting. Will Uruguay and Mexico give more for the sports detractors to get their knickers in a twist over, by playing keep ball together in the centre circle for 90 minutes? Wouldn't that be something?

One thing about the vuvuzela's is that it gives South African absolutely no advantage. Vuvuzela invented in 2001, South Africa has sucked since 2001 Crowd is supposed to cheer the home team on and push them towards victory, not a constant BBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!

Again, I think Uruguay and Mexico will be a good match. Mexico will go for it to avoid Argentina in the 2nd round. If they don't, they're stupid.

[nemanja2306]

Originally Posted by Jagger

Looking forward to seeing if Spain can get their World Cup campaign back on track. Hopefully Torres will get a starting role this time.

It's 90% sure that Torres will start along with Villa. Fabregas is also expected to feature in the starting 11. Poor Honduras...

[ipuckedyourmom]

I hope the vuvuzelas are gone especially when all these African teams get eliminated, which will be soon. Don't see Ivory Coast making up the 9 goal differential, so that's curtains for them.

Go Spain!!!

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Again, I think Uruguay and Mexico will be a good match. Mexico will go for it to avoid Argentina in the 2nd round. If they don't, they're stupid.

I agree with that. For some reason I just don't see Mexico as a team that would want to do that either. Mexican's love soccer, they love to play it, I simply cannot see them being any part of that. They will want to finish top and then some.

[Cactus Jack]

How about Chile today, eh? Even before the Swiss were red carded, they carried play and had lots of shots on goal. They dominated virtually the entire game, the Swiss didn't have a good chance until the 90th minute where Chile were lucky they didn't tie it. The Swiss sat back behind the ball and it worsened when they went down to 10 men. Chile is a team that dives too but that Swiss player that fake like he was punched in the face when in his own box awaiting a free kick was dispicable. Medel received a yellow on that play.

Alexis Sanchez again had a fabulous game, what a talented kid. He dominated and could have had more than a few goals himself. Chile was solid defensively until the end when they continued to press for a 2nd goal. They did leave themselves vulnerable defensively but goal differencial may be huge in this group and they need more goals. Great effort, Chile! The game with Spain friday should be a classic.

And that Saudi ref was atrocious. 9 yellow and 1 red card. He was out of control. VIVE CHILE, MIERDA!

[Jagger]

Spain cannot buy a goal. Very unlucky so far in this tournament. They play a very entertaining style that's great to see.

edit. I love watching Xabi Alonso play. He's a fantastic footballer. I sure miss him playing for the red of Liverpool.

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by Cactus Jack

How about Chile today, eh?

I've been really impressed by them so far. They've won both games by the single goal but that has not told the full story. They should have won both by a wider margin for sure. This is the best Chilean team I've ever seen.

[transplant99]

Nice goal by Spain there....very skillful.

[Locke]

Whats happened to Casillas? Not paying attention?

[Jagger]

Fantastic goal by Villa.

This tournament needs a team like Spain in full flight. They play the game the way it should be done.

[nik-]

God dammit, I minimized the window for one minute to bang out an email and of course they score.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I'm a bit surprised the vuvuzela bothers so many people.
Soccer is noisy to begin with so it shouldn't be that different.

It's not the noise, it's the sound.

It is about as easy to listen to as 2 hours of nails on a chalkboard.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Jagger

I agree with that. For some reason I just don't see Mexico as a team that would want to do that either. Mexican's love soccer, they love to play it, I simply cannot see them being any part of that. They will want to finish top and then some.

Mexico did conspire to kick the ball around center in a previous tournament. Was that in US 1994? I remember the English commentator saying he "hated every minute of it".

[Locke]

This is the Spain that was advertised.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by troutman

Mexico did conspire to kick the ball around center in a previous tournament. Was that in US 1994? I remember the English commentator saying he "hated every minute of it".

Is it conspiring though? If I were a fan of Mexico and they went for the win and it cost them the game I'd be more annoyed than happy that they tried.

To me its no different than sitting your best players down the stretch when you've already made the playoffs.

That and once Italy is out maybe this thread can become something more than just "Italy full of the divingest divers that ever dived" and then the counter argument "No these others guys are just as bad" for 15 pages.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Locke

This is the Spain that was advertised.

I hope so. Or, maybe Honduras has 7.8 M people, and is the second poorest country in Central America.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Slava

Is it conspiring though?

It is if both teams are doing it.

[Jagger]

Originally Posted by troutman

Mexico did conspire to kick the ball around center in a previous tournament. Was that in US 1994? I remember the English commentator saying he "hated every minute of it".

Really? I certainly don't remember that one. The obvious conspiracy that changed the way the final games in a group are played was the 1982 match between West Germany and Austria.

Wiki:

"Group 2 saw one of the great World Cup upsets on the first day with the 2–1 victory of Algeria over reigning European Champions West Germany. In the final match in the group between West Germany and Austria, Algeria had already played their final group game the day before, and West Germany and Austria knew that a West German win by 1 or 2 goals would qualify them both, while a larger German victory would qualify Algeria over Austria, and a draw or an Austrian win would eliminate the Germans. After 10 minutes of all-out attack, West Germany scored through a goal by Horst Hrubesch. After the goal was scored, the two teams kicked the ball around aimlessly for the rest of the match. Chants of "Fuera, fuera" ("Out, out") were screamed by the Spanish crowd, while angry Algerian supporters waved banknotes at the players. This performance was widely deplored, even by the German and Austrian fans. One German fan was so upset by his team's display that he burned his German flag in disgust.[1] Algeria protested to FIFA, who ruled that the result be allowed to stand; FIFA introduced a revised qualification system at subsequent World Cups in which the final two games in each group were played simultaneously."


Had a quick look for a Mexican conspiracy but couldn't immediately locate one. Forgive me if there has been such an issue.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by troutman

Mexico did conspire to kick the ball around center in a previous tournament. Was that in US 1994? I remember the English commentator saying he "hated every minute of it".

That was in 2002 against Italy (of course). It really didn't matter because they had already found out what was happening in the other group game and even if either team had scored 3 more goals it wouldn't have changed anything.

They didn't start the game going for a tie but with 5 minutes left and (I think it was Croatia losing) there was no point playing on for nothing. If Croatia had won than Italy would have been eliminated no matter what.

The commentator was just being over-dramatic.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

That was in 2002 against Italy (of course). It really didn't matter because they had already found out what was happening in the other group game and even if either team had scored 3 more goals it wouldn't have changed anything.

They didn't start the game going for a tie but with 5 minutes left and (I think it was Croatia losing) there was no point playing on for nothing. If Croatia had won than Italy would have been eliminated no matter what.

The commentator was just being over-dramatic.

Yeah this was the one, and was actually a really good game for the first 85 minutes. Mexico had went up 1-0 in the 34th and Italy was pushing the rest of the game, since it was believed that they would need the win to advance.

Italy tied it up in the 85th minute, and had actually kept pushing for a couple minutes after the goal. Slightly after they had learned that Croatia had lost to Ecuador and that both teams would advance with a draw. Mexico proceeded to just kick the ball around their own half to run out injury time and Italy did not bother to pressure them.