World Cup 2010

[stefanwzyga]

Why is it everytime Ireland, Scotland or England lose a game of football their fans automatically think the other team has cheated?

Besides the Ireland/France incident where the French did cheat I'd be hard pressed to find any other incidents. When it comes down to it, these 3 nations just aren't mentally tough enough in the big tournaments. Neither are Portugal, Spain or Holland.

Screw who the players are or how much talent is in the sides. It comes down to how mentally prepared you are individually and as a team. I'm getting sick of England losing a game then blaming everyone else but themselves.

Were England robbed in Euro 2000? Or Euro 2004? Were they robbed by Brazil in the WC2002? Or by Portugal in 2006? Were they robbed by Croatia in qualifying for Euro 2008?

England lose because like many other nations they are not mentally tough enough in these tournaments. They don't play for percentages and they don't play for the win early on. They are happy with the draw. They don't control the ball and in the end too many ego's collide. No matter who is coach/manager. It's the same story every World Cup and Euro Cup. They play shit when it matters then blame everyone else and say they were robbed and cheated.

Get over yourselves and just play some goddamn football.

If the Portuguese are cheats then the English/Irish are teams who constantly murder their own chances. And that is worse.

Whats Scotland got to do with your argument? Shed some light please. We know were crap, and that has nothing to do with others cheating as you put it.

 

[Flipmo]

Still 0 - 0 after the first half.

Weiss is doing well going forward, Hamsik had a few shots, only one that challenged the keeper. He's been relatively quiet up to now. That Vittek sucks though, can't string passes, loses the ball, etc... Else from that, Slovakia has been the better team. I can see them annoying Italy and Paraguay in the coming games. Anyone notice that NZ keeper blunder? lol.

 

[Duke]

That NZ keeper looks very shaky to say the least Missed a cross, fumbled the ball, looks very insecure.

 

[Flipmo]

Here I am shitting on Vittek, and he scores. lol. Well taken header. 1 - 0.

 

[7 Syns]

Whats Scotland got to do with your argument? Shed some light please. We know were crap, and that has nothing to do with others cheating as you put it.

Nothing. I take back my statement regarding Scotland. They actually take losses as they are and blame themselves for the lack of effort. As it stands I like Scotland and wished they would qualify for something soon. However what I said regarding Ireland and England sticks.

P.S. I like Ireland & Scotland. Beautiful places, crazy people but beautiful places.

 

[Flipmo]

Playing the waiting game at the World Cup

When it comes to the World Cup, sometimes a football team's most difficult opponent isn't Brazil or Spain or Argentina.
It's boredom.

Back in January, as the rain poured down beyond the windows of a Soho Square hotel, England coach Fabio Capello confided that one of the things that most concerned him about his preparation for the tournament was that "forty days is a long time."

There was a pause and then he added: "well, I hope it's forty days."

Everyone hopes it's forty days; no one wants to go home after the first two weeks of the tournament. But forty days is indeed a long time to be holed up together. Bored out of your mind.

Watching yesterday's games, sinking lower and lower into the sofa as the matches dragged on and on, one Madrid-based agent, close to a number of the players at the tournament, ignored the dross in front of his eyes and moaned: "the worst thing about the World Cup is the number of pointless messages you get from players -- because they literally have nothing better to do."

Now, that's not entirely true.

Distraction options

England's players took to the golf course after their game against the United States -- even if the photo that the Spanish media said showed Wayne Rooney taking a difficult shot from behind a rock looked more like Wayne Rooney relieving himself behind a rock.

The Playstation is almost every player's inseparable travelling companion -- even if Spain defender Carlos Marchena today insisted that he'd never played in his life.

And there are table tennis tables, and pool, and DVDs and the internet, Facebook and Twitter -- even though they have been banned by the Dutch, the Spanish and a handful of other national teams.

Then there are card games, with some Spanish players insisting that the togetherness fostered by long games of 'Pocha' and 'Mus' helped them towards success at Euro2008 -- even if the British media claimed the opposite after Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen allegedly fell out over a Poker-indicted gambling debt in the hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Or excursions, allowing players to take in a spot of sightseeing, some culture -- even if that tends not to be their cup of tea. One footballer famously passed up on the opportunity to visit the Great Wall of China during a tour, allegedly remarking, "when you've seen one wall you've seen them all."

And some players even read -- even if Joan Capdevila spoke for many footballers when he responded to a question about the last book he'd read by joking: "Book? What's a book?"

Players spend much of the tournament scratching round for something -- anything -- to do.

There was a bit of a scandal last week when Mexico's Chauhtemoc Blanco was caught smoking in his room (raising the obvious question: 'why, was it a non-smoking room?').

The Argentina youth team once famously smashed up their hotel, running down the hall and performing flying kicks on telephones and tables. Mainly just because they had nothing better to do.

The 'traditional' pastime

And then there's the traditional pastime, the one that had one national team doctor -- who may or may not have been casting a cheeky glance John Terry's way -- insisting just before the tournament started that "sex itself isn't the problem; it's sex with people who are not the wife or partner that's the problem."

Mostly, though, players sit about getting bored, training and watching the other games, the wait becoming interminable. Especially for those countries that are last to make their World Cup bow.

Countries like Spain, who do not make their bow until tomorrow night. No other team -- except opponents Switzerland -- has had to wait as long to finally get going at this World Cup. For them, it's been a long and frustrating wait.

"We've been counting down the hours until we begin," says Xabi Alonso.

Wth Spain promising the kind of football that has been conspicuous by its absence so far, frankly so have we. Spain came into this tournament as favourites; five days later, their advantage looks even stronger.

Thing is, as the cover of the sports daily Marca put it last week: "Spain are the best in the world. Now, we have to prove it." So far they have not been able to. Tomorrow afternoon, at last, perhaps they can. The wait is nearly over but there are still 24 hours to go. Twenty four hours in which all they can do is all they have done for the last week: watch everyone at the World Cup else play.

"We are," one player privately admits, "bored stiff."

Now they know how the rest of us feel.

lol. Who knew they were so bored.

 

[7 Syns]

WOW. New Zealand score at the very death (90+2mins) to salvage a 1-1 draw against Slovakia.. AMAZING!!! Slovakia had the game won.. lol. What a gutted feeling that must be to draw at the death but geez what a feeling it must be to be given no chance and score a draw right at the end of the game.

NZ did what Australia couldn't.. they controlled the ball when in possession. Played percentages and most important of all played for the entire 90+mins.

 

[7 Syns]

SHOW TIME.. Portugal vs Coté d'Ivoire

 

[Duke]

lmao @ the slovaks. Idiots.

 

[tHuG $TyLe]

New Zealand scored. LOL.

 

[Flipmo]

Bah Slovakia, they had to sit back like morons.

Anyways, this better be a good match...

 

[Duke]

First half hour past, looking good so far.

 

[Flipmo]

Ivory Coast is looking better after the first half.

 

[hizzle?]

This world cup is almost boring... The football itself is not bad, but there is not enough goals!

 

[hizzle?]

Cool calendar: Calendar World Cup 2010 by MARCA.com Useful.

The only good thing Marca came up with in the past decade.

 

[Duke]

Good match, sadly no goals. Ivory Coast was better over the full 90 minutes.

 

[7 Syns]

Portugal 0-0 Ivory Coast. Entertaining game with a few chances to both teams. C.Ronaldo struck a thunderbolt early on which hit the woodwork. Deco is too slow however. He is past his use by date. The Portuguese defence tired as the game went on. Fabio Coentrao was magnificent at the back. Really solid and well postitioned. Single handedly kept Portugal in the game.

It's a game both teams will look back and say "we could've won that". I'm not sold on Quieroz as the manager. If I were the Portuguese federation I'd throw as much money as possible to have Jose Mourinho as manager come next world cup. I believe he is the missing link. Bring on North Korea!!

 

[Kobe]

I was happy for New Zealand when they scored, was awesome when they acknowledged their small contingent of fans as well.

Also amazing was the applause Drogba got when he came on. That was a really cool moment right there. At least Ivory Coast didn't lose the game, but they still have to play Brazil anyway. Portugal would have had that game won if Ronaldo didn't hit the post.

 

[Kobe]

Oh yeah, that is a cool calendar :thumb:

 

[stefanwzyga]

Nothing. I take back my statement regarding Scotland. They actually take losses as they are and blame themselves for the lack of effort. As it stands I like Scotland and wished they would qualify for something soon. However what I said regarding Ireland and England sticks.

P.S. I like Ireland & Scotland. Beautiful places, crazy people but beautiful places.

Thank you.