Official World Cup Discussion Thread (No Spoilers)

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:44 pm

Channel 203 (one above ESPNHD) on Twin Cities Comcast.

Great timing on their part. I hope it is permanent, but they added Universal HD during the Olympics and took it away after they ended.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 10:51 pm

davet010 wrote:All of the keepers have slated it - it's got no visible seams, so is very difficult to grasp.

If such a market exists, I'd be heavily backing goals from outside the area in this WC.

blah, keepers have bitched about every ball since 90. They just need to sack it up.

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:34 am

No, FIFA need to stop messing with the basic equipment of the game so that we can get on with enjoying it as it is meant to be.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:36 am

I wish I had BBC to hear Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker rip into England. What an uninspired match so far.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:02 am

Does this O'Brien guy usually call hockey matches?? I swear he talks like he's expecting someone to check Beckham into the boards.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:08 am

John,
And that's a bad thing?

I know Paraguay is scrappy but come on... England might not make it past the 2nd round. England owes the world an entertaining match after that.

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:38 am

Forget ABC, turn on Univision for much better cameras and inspiring announcing.

ABC's coverage was dark....really bad lighting.

The field on Univision was much brighter...huge difference.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:41 am

JRod wrote:I wish I had BBC to hear Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker rip into England. What an uninspired match so far.

And I am sure the media is ripping the team as we speak. Where's the offense? One thing for sure though, with the new ball, on set plays and direct kicks, D. Beckham will be a force to reckon with.

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:45 am

pigpen81 wrote:Forget ABC, turn on Univision for much better cameras and inspiring announcing.

ABC's coverage was dark....really bad lighting.

The field on Univision was much brighter...huge difference.

ABC is in HD and it looks gorgeous!!!

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:56 am

A stunning example of expending just enough energy on a very hot day - no need to step through the gears if second gets the job done.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:14 pm

England had several offensive problems today, I think. For the first 30 minutes or so they fell into a pattern that I saw Liverpool fall into early in the season. They just pump ball after ball in for Crouch and fail to attack in any creative fashion.

Furthermore, Beckham, Cole, Gerrard or Lampard have to start being more aggressive. It's all well and good to be unselfish, but it has always seemed that each is waiting for the other to make something happen. It's perverse to watch Lampard and Gerrard, guys who are midfield engines for their club teams, be content to play knock-about and try the occassional deep through ball. It was nice to see Lampard take those shots, but Cole was the only one of the bunch who seemed inclined to take things by the scruff off the neck.

Finally, they can't expect Crouch to give them 90 full minutes with any sort of consistent effectiveness. I like Crouch, but Benitez almost always subbed him. He's not the fittest striker in the world and his work rate is high, as he challenges up front and tracks back well. The failure to take Defoe looks even sillier now that I see them playing in the heat.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:19 pm

davet010 wrote:A stunning example of expending just enough energy on a very hot day - no need to step through the gears if second gets the job done.

Or you could just say they were shite, a pathetic showing. I still think crouch is a lanky piece of s***, 6'7" and cant head a ball just brilliant.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:39 pm

You brits make me laugh.

Its a sad state of affairs when Germany is more inspiring to watch than England.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:49 pm

What the f*ck was that monstrosity hanging over the stadium in Frankfurt today that cast all sorts of shadows on the pitch? It looked like the old LA Forum without roof panels and a big-ass Jumbotron hanging in the middle.

A classic case of f*cked-up German design.

And yes, the England-Paraguay game was dull enough that I'm resorting to b*tching about stadium architecture. Here's to hoping Argentina-Ivory Coast is more spirited this afternoon!

Take care,
PK

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:58 pm

fsquid wrote:
pigpen81 wrote:Forget ABC, turn on Univision for much better cameras and inspiring announcing.

ABC's coverage was dark....really bad lighting.

The field on Univision was much brighter...huge difference.
ABC is in HD and it looks gorgeous!!!

ABC on regular TV looks like crap.

Heck, they have some stupid infomercial on 30 seconds before kick-off...no national anthems, no captain handshake and flag exchange.

The camera is panned back to far....the screen is dark...it looks like crap....good for HD TV owners I guess.

How about T & T right now....a draw would be a huge upset.

England did exactly what they needed to do...and Jimmy, Crouch was open on 3 different cross opportunities right in front of the goal...if the crosses don't overshoot him..some by 15 feet, they score 3 goals today easily.

Unbelievable, England gets 3 points in their opening game and it still isn't good enough.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:00 pm

pk500 wrote:Here's to hoping Argentina-Ivory Coast is more spirited this afternoon!
Take care,
PK

My luck, I am about to board a 12 hour flight. I'll guess I'll find out the result once I get to the hotel. I was keen in watching the Argentines play after their disaster showing four years back.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:14 pm

Well, if Sweden's performance so far against T&T is any indication, England can play as it did today against Paraguay and still cruise to win the group.

Come on, T&T!

Take care,
PK

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 1:54 pm

Anybody that says a 0-0 game is boring such watch the T&T v Sweden game. Infinately better than the 1st game today.

What a result.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:00 pm

That's probably the conundrum about soccer most Americans won't understand, how T & T was celebrating after the 0-0 game while Sweden looked despondent.

pigpen81 · Post by **pigpen81** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:01 pm

Woohooo!!!! T & T!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shaka Shaka Shaka Hislop!!!!!!!

BTW, the camera on ABC was much better in Dortmund.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:07 pm

pigpen81 wrote:Woohooo!!!! T & T!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shaka Shaka Shaka Hislop!!!!!!!

BTW, the camera on ABC was much better in Dortmund.

I would say that 0-0 game was the best game out of the first 4...Good attackign football and a good underdog story. Camera was good in all games in teh WC besides that England game whith that jumbotron screwing everything up.

Dave O'Brien go back to Baseball and let JP call the big games with Harkes.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:11 pm

JRod wrote:Anybody that says a 0-0 game is boring such watch the T&T v Sweden game. Infinately better than the 1st game today.

What a result.

Indeed. That game had more excitement in 10 minutes than England-Paraguay did in 90. Great game by Hislop. I thought Yorke was really effective, too, and Cornell Glen injected some real pace and danger into the T&T attack as a sub.

Man, ABC's announcers suck. On the T&T shot that hit the bar, JP Dellacamera said the keeper got it with his hand, and JP never corrected himself when the replay clearly showed the ball hit the bar and never touched the keeper's hand. Harkes tries to describe strategy when there is no need, and he ends screwing his mouth into the ground.

Dave O'Brien treated the England-Paraguay game as Soccer 101, and he sure managed to fit in every f*cking crib note his researchers found for him on the Internet into the broadcast. And Marcelo Balboa? Does this guy even watch the game?

Sheesh. I'm grateful that every game is on American TV, I really am. But I need to become fluent in Spanish for World Cup 2010 so I can watch all the games on Univision.

Take care,
PK

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:15 pm

Did anyone catch that Hislop wasn't supposed to be playing and that he wasn't on the starting lineup sheet turned in to FIFA?

davet010 · Post by **davet010** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:18 pm

Agree with all you guys, that was a classic game.

Quite similar in some ways to the Poland v Ecuador game - the so-called favourites looked ponderous and unable to break down a packed defence. Having said that, Hislop played well, and that's now 7 games without a win for Sweden.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 2:18 pm

fsquid wrote:Did anyone catch that Hislop wasn't supposed to be playing and that he wasn't on the starting lineup sheet turned in to FIFA?

Yeah, ABC made sure we knew about it 15 times, to which I'm sure you're alluding with the proper dose of sarcasm!

Take care,
PK