World game world cup
 

In barely two weeks, the soccer football world cup will kick off.

Anyone interested?

The Aussies are in group D with Germany, Serbia and Ghana. Not easy, but a second place progression to the round of 16 is possible.

What is your team facing?

I'm rooting for the good ole USA and Italy.

Where is the bracket info? Got a link?

groups

IN-GER-LAND!

I guess the USA can get through too.

North Korea

Surprisingly not the least favorite, which is New Zealand odds

Sir, this is not the diving competition, or drama school. I want to see Italy lose every match seven-nil after they lose players to red cards for repeated simulation.

Me, bitter? Never.

Ok you're on - $10 US to the tip Jar.

Well, I am not sure what the exact terms of this suggested wager are, but I offer a unilateral pledge of US$10 for every time an Italian player is yellow carded for simulation, and another ten for every time Italy loses 7-0.

Ok, I'm chicken as well as bitter. :D

I'll of course follow the US as they crash and burn with various body parts snapping off along the way.

I'll watch England praying for Terry, Gerrard, and Cole to simply snap in two and burst into flames.

The world would best be served by having the Italians oversleep and miss their flight. Cheaters stay home.

France has some of the best players in the world but possibly the worst national team coach ever. Crash and burn.

Germany has some guys I like but screw the Germans. They ALWAYS get "lucky" calls in their favor.

Spain have the most attractive game and many of my favorite players. Go Spain.

I'd like to see Spain Vs Brazil in the final.

Or North Korea Vs South Korea, but that is less likely.

Brazil isn't the Brazil that we always think of anymore. Instead of the quick movement and incredible attacking flair of previous teams, dunga builds upon a rock solid closing game and only hits on the counter. Incredibly effective but not as enjoyable in my opinion. I'd rather see spain v germany and have spain literally rip them limb from limb.

I'll root for Ghana, because that's where my favorite shrink moved.

I'm sorry to bring up old posts where I had contentious issues (as in I'm not sorry at all) but this thread proves to me that the internet is NOT nationless. Or nationfree. Or regardless of nationality. Not making my point three times, just trying out phrases :)

The World Cup is just that. It's the Greatest Show on Earth. Wait, isn't that the Olympics? No! Because teams can get knocked out of the World Cup on the result of one single game. A whole country wins or loses on a single goal.

Not American bashing (being a bit snarky maybe) but pointing out that much of the civilised world will embrace the coming competition. The fact it has less attention on the Cellar than a single American Football team ... I'm not complaining, I'm just storing up evidence.

Back on track; I walk out into the Close and all the parked cars have St George's Cross flags in their windows. The one exception would be the 'rents, but they're away now, houresitting in super-posh-village and will be home for two days before going on hols to Spain. Mum has an England hat, and both have England t-shirts though.

A number of houses have the St George Cross in their windows. I'm sure this will increase as we count down (less than two weeks!) The supermarkets and convenience stores are doing a crazy trade, and fast food outlets are themeing.

So here is me ready for the World Cup. And yes I will be following it closely. And yes I would be SO happy to have other Dwellars I can discuss this with. Excuse the hat. But... it has sequins!

I'm interested too - I'm really looking forward to it, but I have priorities. The Flyers are in the Stanley Cup finals - Once that is over, the world cup will have my undivided attention!

Oh, and nice hat!

play fair, SG - more than half the posters in this thread are american, and the threads about single teams which generate a zillion posts are usually about teams in contention at a significant point in their journey. The World Cup hasn't even started yet and the USA doesn't have a hope of winning, so I'd say 4/7 so far is pretty good.

I'll root for the USA to make it out of the group and just be a little competitive.

I'll root for England after that, and after that, English-speaking countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Holland and France.

?!? England? Hell no. Not so long as they bring gentlemen like Terry and Gerrard along. Even Cashley is more likeable than those douchebags.

NPR reported this morning that the US will have the largest group of fans traveling to SA for the Cup.

Shhhh. don't tell a brit that. They hold the title to all things football. ;)

Play fair? This is the World Cup! Good point well made, although I hope you see what I mean :dedhorse:
But of course! Merkins are only the biggest group going because you have a large and relatively wealthy population. We win on the fan front simply because we invented it. So there.

I will be rooting for America and Holland anyway. As long as they don't play us at any point. My favourites to win (aside from England)? Germany. They won the Eurovision against all odds, it would be nice for them to do the double.

Sports wise, I think Australia are a good chance to make the second round. We've won - although not convincingly - our warm up games so far, and our rivals - Ghana and Serbia - have lost theirs.

More importantly, which country's fans will win the street violence?

And which player will have the stupidest haircut?

What is it with these balls?

Which balls?

I can't find my England flag :(

Have a table booked in a local hostelry for Saturday.
Originally my bro & SIL were thinking of joining me. Now it seems Mum & Dad will be home (Dad thought they left for Spain on Saturday, turns out it's the Tuesday after?!)

I still might end up there alone, but am hoping not.
I might not be able to go out for any other matches, but am determined to go out for the first.

Am on countdown now - 5 days to go!
I may wear my sombrero watching the first game of course...

The balls are a new model. They are glued rather than stitched, so are more nearly perfectly round, and so have been covered in little ridges for aerodynamic effects.
1. A new ball should not be adopted just at the start of the biggest tournament. Give the players time to get to know it. You get better football games.
2. The ball is too aerodynamic - it is fast and curves, which is good, but it swerves and dips randomly, which is bad. It reduces the benefit of being the most skillful, and gives more advantage to the lucky.
Bah.

i don't like the new ball Zen but they have had a LONG time to work with it. They didn't show up this week to touch it for the first time. Hell, I've played at least a dozen games with the new one already.

This happens at every major international. It always starts with a couple of keepers bitching about it and then it spreads. It is sort of like Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola complaining about the turf conditions it is just plain going to happen.

I hope Brazil will re-work some old magic
:dedhorse:

I hope Brazil is fed a poisoned lasagna the night before their first game. They are not the free flowing creative side of the 70's and 80's anymore. they play a rock solid back 6. Probably a single forward with 3 creative mids. They are more a counter attacking force than anything under Dunga.

Netherlands and Spain will be supplying the beautiful game for this edition of the world cup.

Hasn't that happened before?

In my teens, PBS showed Soccer Made In Germany, when Hans Mueller, Beckinbauer, Rummenigge, etc played, so I'm partial to the German side.

Just watching the Opening Concert. Black-Eyed-Peas so rocked. I totally expected them to be lame live.

So we won't need this?

Nice. Rooney is an amazing player. If you stripped his personality out he'd be the perfect forward. Of course that is true of Cashley as well, I guess.

I don't know nuthin' about the football, but I did watch the last bit of today's South Africa/Mexico game. Very exciting, although I would have liked to see a win for South Africa rather than the tie they ended up with.

Looks like slow hockey ... ;)

I'll probably catch a couple more games since they'll be on before I go to work, and Lifetime moved Wife Swap to 4pm.

I watched France Vs Uraguay today. they BOTH suck 0-0

England vs Us tomorrow at 1.30

France has some amazing players - among the best in the world. Unfortunately they have a clinically stupid coach. His name is a punchline for football jokes. He left some far superior players sitting at home and picked some very questionable players to come to SA.

Games with Spain and Netherlands would be your best bet for entertainment if you are not already a football junkie. They both play fast paced passing games that focus on strong multi pronged attacks.

I expect the US v England to be a major snoozefest. The US is not blessed with great technicians although they are improving with each generation. England has some highly skilled players with massive egos that often get in the way. Expect the US to try to soak up attack after attack and try to hit on the counter. That worked well against a complacent Spain but Rooney is a bulldog and the US central defense is damaged right now. The game could honestly be a draw or go either way, but don't expect excitement.

Go Us! Do we have the team speed to counter effectively?

Thanks for the note on Spain/Netherlands will effort their games.

Looks like slow hockey ... yes a friend of mine familiar with hockey, but not with football, said

"Three shots on goal the entire half??"

I had to answer, yes, rare but yes.

It was a dire dire horrible game. Please don't let that crapfest (which most international football games are) turn you off the game.

In regards to the US speed, the answer is easily yes. and no. the US is known for being less skilled but amazingly athletic but they've suffered some major injuries this year. Charlie Davies was finally coming into his own and was a genuine speed demon and knew what to do with the final ball. He was instrumental in the upset against Spain. Unfortunately he chose to break curfew, go drinking, and then ride in a car with other drunks. One of them is dead and Charlie suffered massive injuries that will prevent him from ever being the player he could have been.

that leaves us with a forward line that is big and strong but not the fastest. Altidore is powerful but he's still young and learning his trade. He's got great potential but unfortunately he is not known for his work ethic up top so he doesn't scare defenders the way he could. Buddle is not as strong but works a bit harder. The problem is they are fairly similar in play so the question is whether they can compliment eachother up top. We'll find out in the next couple weeks.

Most of our speed and potential for surprises will be in midfield. Landon Donovan is finally starting to live up to his hype. He is fast and works as our primary playmaker. He played for Everton this year and actually impressed me with his play. He is without a doubt the best player the US has produced. That being said, he is only slightly above average in comparison to other players of his mold outside the US.

Clint Dempsey plays as a mid at Fulham and I rate him highly. good work ethic, good ideas and knows how to use his team and find the net. Can play on the wings or as a withdrawn striker. Again, he is fantastic by american standards but only slightly over average on the world stage.

Holden is a young and talented so he could give us some pleasant surprises... or he could be kicked around like a puppy due to his not quite fully developed physique.

Mike Bradley is a wildcard. He can be mr efficiency in anchoring the midfield as he does for his club team... or he can come unglued and become a redcard magnet as he has done so often for the US team. he's still young but has the tools to be our anchor for years to come. The question is who partners him in midfield.

Onyewu destroyed his knee in October and should still be trying to rehab it not stepping in to be our central defensive anchor. He was never fast, always defensively naive, and imo not that freaking great. He grew up playing for the right youth clubs and went to the right tournaments as a kid so he will always be a first choice national team player. Even if in our warm up games he couldn't sprint, jump, or tackle. He'll either come out and play a blinder (which he's never done before) or he'll blow out his knee trying to actually contain some world class forwards and his tournament will be over.

Jay Demerit is captain for Watford, a struggling second tier american team. He didn't go to a "big" club growing up and after college he literally couldn't get any of the american teams to give him a look so he went to england and started playing for a pub team. Within 2 years he worked his way up to a starter for watford and scored the goal that gave them a year in the premier league (top division) He's our best defender in my opinion but he'll always be an outsider because the US national team system is run by utter buffoon political hacks.

Bocanegra is an adequate left back but a horrendous center back. red card magnet due to poor positioning but he is the captain due to tenure and he came up through the US youth system.

right back is a crap shoot. We really have no consistent performers there so we'll just have to wait and see.

Tim Howard is our keeper. I like Tim. After being from unknown to hero and then to zero at manchester united he has found a solid home at Everton. He is an excellent keeper. Not as big and dominant as his predecessor he is very smart and efficient. I would honestly like to see him move to Arsenal but that will not happen. Please don't get nervous if he seems a bit...off. He has tourrette's.

Our subs bench has talent and potential but we are big time underdogs. The US has only really had a professional soccer league for 15 years vs the hundred + the rest of the world has so we are a bit behind. I will be ecstatic if we make it to the quarterfinals this year. I believe 2022 will be the first world cup the US will have a genuine shot of going the distance. That will be our first generation of kids who were raised by genuine soccer parents and coached by prefessional coaches from birth on.

This is why Lil' Pete fences, team sports get too political (and she's a natural individualist). We know we have better players available but judging talent is an art not a science.

On the flip side, England has some amazing talents and one of the world's best coaches. BUT they've got ginormous egos and a history of underperforming.

goalie = who knows who will get the start? Calamity James? He's vastly experienced but known for committing howlers. Robert Green - a genuine professional but often uninspiring? Joe Hart? Definitely the best of the three but young with no biggame experience.

Defense: right back... Glen Johnson - barely average defensively but has blistering pace and is powerful going forward.

Center Back: Ledley King - Brilliant but his knees are so bad he doesn't even practive with his team during the weak and known for not being able to play more than once each week. John Terry - He's of the old mold. A hard man. He'll throw his body on the line and the announcers looove his real english grit. he's also a dirty player and a lousy excuse for a human being but it could talk an hour to type out all of his offenses.

Upson had a horrible season but he is an option. Carragher is well past his best or even close to something resembling his best but has been called out of retirement due to injuries.

Left Back: ashley cole. Quite possibly the best left back inthe world even if he is a douchebag. Learned his trade at Arsenal before cashing in at Chelsea in the most unethical and underhanded of moves.

Mids: Lampard is one sure bet. He's great. I hate his club team but this guy is a great attacking mid. Steven Gerrard is also an attacking mid but his nickname is "stevie me" so you might notice he's a bit selfish on the field. Historically Lampard and Gerrard cannot work together in central midfield so Gerrard has been forced out to the left. Injury may require they both start in the center with Gerrard playing in a holding role so we'll see how that works.

James Milner is excellent and flexible so he could pop up anywhere.

If you think you see an incredibly fast penguin run across the field, that's aaron lennon. Lennon is amazingly fast and has improved the rest of his game so could be dangerous.

Joe cole is an outstanding player with something to prove as he needs a new contract after being released by his club team after struggling with injury. Capello doesn't seem to know what to do with him though.

Michael Carrick is broken. Once thought to be great... by someone. Not me.

Gareth Barry is supposed to be the holding midfielder but he has been injured and noone seems sure if he'll play or not.

Sean Wright-Phillips is another wild card. an amazingly fast midget he is capable of creating something out of nothing, just not that often.

Forward: Wayne Rooney. He is simply amazing even if a bit of an asshole. One of the very best on the planet.

Jermaine Defoe is an excellent finisher with a record of scoring great goals but he's another amazing midget. Capello doesn't seem to know what to do with him.

Emile Heskey. ???? He's a bit of a joke. He doesn't score much and doesn't show that much skill. People always complain about him being selected over superior options. They fail to realize that while he doesn't score much rooney and defoe play their best games when partnered with him. He is a hulk that scares defenses and creates space for the other forward.

This isn't even an art v science issue. the US football association is an utterly inept political organization.

Example: Jurgen Klinsmann, recognized as being an outstanding international coach capable of creating well structured, tactically astute teams was ready to be hired as our national team coach. It fell apart at the last minute because as all top tier coaches would he demanded the freedom to select the players he thought were the best fit even if they didn't come from the pool of the most recognizable or marketable players. The association refused to give him free reign so off he went and in came bob bradley. bullshit.

Right now one of the top central defensive prospects in Europe is a man called Subotic. I'd literally sacrifice goats and throw virgins into a volcano to get the guy to sign for Arsenal. He grew up playing for the US national team at the youth level but fell out of favor and wasn't selected for a major tournament. He now plays for Serbia. The US missed out on him.

There are other players that have made the same choice.

WOOHOO! HERE WE GO!

Who is the sport's best diver?

It isn't Cherundelo.

Calamity is gonna need a bullet proof vest.

that was calamity james's replacement - Robert Green. wow. Just wow.

Best diver? I don't know about best, but prolific would have to be Steven Gerrard and Ronaldo. Although to be fair, Landon Donovan dove to get that foul a little while ago, I think. If it was a dive it was a great one or it could have been a legitimate foul.

I still think the game will end England 4 - 1 USA. We just don't have any forwards that are pressuring england with pace.

Ah, wrong dude. He just earned a worse nic-name than calamity. That was harsh.

LOL. believe it or not david (calamity) james has made a career out of being a 90% solid keeper while putting out a lot of howler's just as bad if not worse than Green's tonight.

That was a sub par performance from each team so the 1-1 seems a fair result. The US really misses having Charlie Davies. I honestly believe they'd have won that game if Davies was there (healthy) rather than Findley.

Ugh. still, not a loss....

Ouch. Horrible error from the keeper there.

England has still never beaten the US in a world cup. LOL!

here's a reenactment i found on youtube

That was a horrible error, but in all honesty if Stevie Me or Lampard or Rooney and the rest of their world class teammates had played as a team they'd have easily won this game. Lennon was largely useless and Wright-Phillips even more so. I'm glad we got a draw but disappointed that not even Capello can get England to play as a team rather than a bunch of stars sharing the field.

Man, if they played like the Germans are they'd be unstoppable.

Below is a copy of a mail I sent to various friends and family scattered about the globe.
Broken up to include photos and vids. No football commentary, just what I do best - a personal perspective of a global event.

ETA you have a great goalkeeper in Tim Howard.
I think America deserved a draw and would not have had one if it hadn't been for Howard's skill.

Nice pics SG.

Anyone else bothered by the friggin horns these guys never stop blowing?

I'm used to it. While everyone is acting like it is some South African tradition new to the game I've suffered through the damn things for years. Mexicans start blowing them 10 minutes before the games starts and don't stop except to hurl insults at the opposing keeper. My hearing loss after a soccer game is worse than some concerts I've attended.

Many people:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp...XHgHCiSJPecm0w

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...kicks-off.html

Important Safety Tip:

If you are travelling through Somalia, don't try to watch the games.

eek

I had wondered what that noise was when I watched game one. Surely for TV they could use some sort of noise filtering ... or I could just turn the sound down.

Vuvuzela? Those look like those stupid plastic carnival horns that I loved (and momwolf hated) when I was a kid.