Soccer thread 09/10 (contains spoilers)

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:57 pm

I (heart) Ghana!!

:):)

<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Rx5aVI2zsFE&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed>

PS WTF is it about Klose in the WC???

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:58 pm

10spro wrote:
JackB1 wrote:for all the moaning about the new World Cup ball, it seems like every game is 1-0 or 1-1.
There's a lot more balanced and parity if you will among some weaker nations that say three WC's ago people would laugh at you if you gave them a minimal chance of an upset. Look at the USA and the African teams that have grown miles in the past decade. You're not going to see blow outs here, you'll have the historic teams that will advance to the next round, saving their best for the quarters on, and the so called not strong teams will always try to avoid being embarrassed.

You're not going to see 6-0, 5-0 games in this WC. Not with the teams involved presently. I like the competitiveness so far of the so called 'weaker nations' and whether the games end 1-0 or 1-1, I've seen some pretty darn good matches already.

Cue Germany...

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:59 pm

RobVarak wrote:I (heart) Ghana!! :):)

PS WTF is it about Klose in the WC???

...........I knew you would!

Germans will have me back to playing TW11 soon .

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:58 pm

We aren't going to see 5-0 or 6-0? Um probably shouldn't have said that...now look!

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 3:58 pm

Not that it made a difference in who wins but that red was a bit much and it destroyed the Aussies will...

Its kinda sad to watch now.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:00 pm

Watched the Ghana game wearing my Ghana jersey this morning pretty happy with the result and a lot better than I expected because that Serbia side is pretty damn good on paper!

Right now the penal colony are getting slaughtered. Germany look brilliant.

I hope Australia play this well when they play against The Black Stars.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:07 pm

JRod wrote:We aren't going to see 5-0 or 6-0? Um probably shouldn't have said that...now look!

So the ball is not so lively all of the sudden? Aussie's best player is out in what I thought was a rushed red card, yellow would have been the right call, a clear hand ball by Mertesacker was ignored by the Mexican ref, a key moment of the game that could have made the game 2-1. Not saying that the Germans victory was at perial at any time of the match but clearly the Aussies have given up once Cahill was sent out.

So you have 4 goals scored so far, does this please the average soccer viewer more? Definitely if you're a German fan, but personally I still rather stick to my 1-0, 2-0 1-1 games.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:08 pm

Macca00 wrote:Watched the Ghana game wearing my Ghana jersey this morning pretty happy with the result and a lot better than I expected because that Serbia side is pretty damn good on paper!

So who are you really rooting for in this WC?

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:10 pm

10spro wrote:
Macca00 wrote:Watched the Ghana game wearing my Ghana jersey this morning pretty happy with the result and a lot better than I expected because that Serbia side is pretty damn good on paper!
So who are you really rooting for in this WC?

.....Post a pic of that. Lets get another look at you

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 4:13 pm

10spro wrote:
JRod wrote:We aren't going to see 5-0 or 6-0? Um probably shouldn't have said that...now look!
So the ball is not so lively all of the sudden? Aussie's best player is out in what I thought was a rushed red card, yellow would have been the right call, a clear hand ball by Mertesacker was ignored by the Mexican ref, a key moment of the game that could have made the game 2-1. Not saying that the Germans victory was at perial at any time of the match but clearly the Aussies have given up once Cahill was sent out.

So you have 4 goals scored so far, does this please the average soccer viewer more? Definitely if you're a German fan, but personally I still rather stick to my 1-0, 2-0 1-1 games.

What I'm saying is that I think the ball is making player's miss headers or slighlty miss easier shots. I may have missed a few but a lot of the goals haven't been taken from range (Dempey's).

And once teams will have to press and they get used to the ball and conditions goals will come in round 2.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 7:25 pm

I enjoyed the game, the USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard was amazing.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 7:48 pm

I loved Martin Tyler's line after Dempsey scored, "if you buy a ticket you might win the raffle".

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:02 pm

MizzouRah wrote:I enjoyed the game, the USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard was amazing.

Keep your prayers, he may have cracked ribs.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 8:53 pm

10spro wrote:
MizzouRah wrote:I enjoyed the game, the USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard was amazing.
Keep your prayers, he may have cracked ribs.

I am, believe me. He's got heart and if he did play the rest of that game with cracked ribs and made those saves like he did, it takes my respect to a whole new level.. not that I wasn't amazed at the game he had on Saturday.

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 9:19 pm

I really appreciate the full court press that ESPN is putting on when it comes to marketing the WC. OTOH, listening to John Miller and Joe Morgan trying to toss around soccer lingo is painful beyond all belief. LOL

fsquid · Post by **fsquid** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:43 pm

If the Liverpool fans want to kill Lalas, I will befriend them at any time.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Jun 13, 2010 11:54 pm

10spro wrote:
MizzouRah wrote:I enjoyed the game, the USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard was amazing.
Keep your prayers, he may have cracked ribs.

If the US team has to depend on Howard making good saves (or poor finishing by opponents from point blank range), then they aren't going far.

Howards' health will not matter if opponents keep getting shots on goal from close range. Heskey and maybe Wright-Philips should have put those shots away.

Parts of that second half felt like the second half of the game against Brazil in the Confederation Cup. US tried to hold on but they kept giving up too many chances before the dam broke.

johnvon314 · Post by **johnvon314** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 7:27 am

I would love watching the World Cup if it weren't for the constant din of those horns.

John

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:43 am

johnvon314 wrote:I would love watching the World Cup if it weren't for the constant din of those horns. John

It's considered a symbol of South African heritage, its sound a show of support for the country's team, a tradition in their sports events. So why can't they just limit the vuvuzelas to the African teams whenever they play and let the different nations chants be heard in games not affecting them?

Doubt S. Blatter would have the balls to ban it from the hosts.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:47 am

Rodster wrote:I loved Martin Tyler's line after Dempsey scored, "if you buy a ticket you might win the raffle".

Tyler is the best, man.

It's so refreshing to have proper match announcers calling the games for ESPN this year, although I'm not sure if Ally McCoist falls into that category.

Still, it's nice to hear commentators who value silence as much as the tone of their voice. That's unheard of at ESPN.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:49 am

10spro wrote:
johnvon314 wrote:I would love watching the World Cup if it weren't for the constant din of those horns. John
It's considered a symbol of South African heritage, its sound a show of support for the country's team, a tradition in their sports events. So why can't they just limit the vuvuzelas to the African teams whenever they play and let the different nations chants be heard in games not affecting them?

Doubt S. Blatter would have the balls to ban it from the hosts.

Pretty hard to enforce that ban, James, considering the majority of fans at most matches are locals.

How's this for a compromise? Allow the vuvuzelas during the group stage and ban them from the Round of 16 onward.

Macca00 · Post by **Macca00** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:54 am

They should have the World Cup in Scotland and have hundreds of bag-pipes playing constantly during the games. If anyone complains the Scots can tell them it's their culture.

Go Ghana!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:56 am

RobVarak wrote:I really appreciate the full court press that ESPN is putting on when it comes to marketing the WC. OTOH, listening to John Miller and Joe Morgan trying to toss around soccer lingo is painful beyond all belief. LOL

What irritates me are the xenophobes who are moaning that ESPN is "ramming the World Cup down our throats." That is massive bullsh*t, for two big reasons.

One, this is the biggest sporting event in the world. It's bigger than the Olympics in some regards because while the world is watching the Olympics, its attention is spread among many different events. But hundreds of millions of people from all corners of the globe are watching one field at the same time during the World Cup, almost every single day for a month. That's a pretty wild shared experience, if you step back and think about it.

I love the NFL, but the World Cup makes the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl look like the Division I-AA and Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl from a global perspective.

Two, what "meat and potatoes" stick-and-ball programming is the World Cup pre-empting? None. ESPN still is showing its Hungry Man portions of Major League Baseball, NBA Finals and more during the evening because the World Cup matches take place in the morning and early afternoon.

If somebody is pissed off that they're missing "Rome Is Burning" or a re-run of "SportsCenter" due to the World Cup, they really need to get outside more.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:58 am

A second thought about the vuvuzelas: I think we should all pitch in and invest in a hearing aid franchise in South Africa. I guarantee a 1,000 percent ROI.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:12 am

pk500 wrote:
10spro wrote:
johnvon314 wrote:I would love watching the World Cup if it weren't for the constant din of those horns. John
It's considered a symbol of South African heritage, its sound a show of support for the country's team, a tradition in their sports events. So why can't they just limit the vuvuzelas to the African teams whenever they play and let the different nations chants be heard in games not affecting them?

Doubt S. Blatter would have the balls to ban it from the hosts.
Pretty hard to enforce that ban, James, considering the majority of fans at most matches are locals.

How's this for a compromise? Allow the vuvuzelas during the group stage and ban them from the Round of 16 onward.

Pretty difficult to ban traditions as you mentioned PK, but they got to somehow limit their use. They respect the National anthems somewhat, so its not as deafening during that ceremony. The annoying part is that the sound of the crying elephants are a constant 90 minutes, so how can they be limited in their use during a game?

Players are starting to complain, there's a Facebook petition for a ban, but doubt Blatter will do much about it, now or in the later stages of the WC.