World Cup???

[Walker]

You guys should stop wasting your time with futbol and watch the College World Series instead.

Like I said, soccer is more exciting to watch than baseball. Hell... billiards is more exciting to watch than baseball. I put baseball in the same range as bowling or golf with respects to being a spectator.

-walker

 

[Ivan Lendl]

Anyone see the Brasil/Japan game today?

that was actually the most enjoyable game ive seen. I dont think there was one yellow card thrown, very little flopping or diving, or whining,the game was fast paced, and for at least the first half you didnt know who would win. Too bad Japan fell apart in the second half, but man Brasil looked sweet! Those guys really put together some awesome plays, not just crosses in front of the net, but very intricate passes, formations, and skill moves. Its gonna be tough for anyone to beat them.

 

[Walker]

Anyone see the Brasil/Japan game today?

I'm watching it right now. Japan's keeper truely is a ninja!

Not even reading the rest of this because I'm only 43 minutes into it right now.

 

[Walker]

and renaldo finally hits his record setting goal. good for him. this has got to be his last WC, and he still has a good chance of setting the overall goal, too, if they leave him in.

there's been a lot of talk about him looking slow and overweight, and that he was only being left in so that he could beat the record. Rumor has it that he won't be playing anymore due to all of this, but I think he actually looks really good in this Japan game!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I read he was ~8kg overweight due to previous injuries and inactivity, but has trimmed down 5kg during WC training. I'm pretty sure we'll see a lot more of him!

 

[Ivan Lendl]

I read he was ~8kg overweight due to previous injuries and inactivity, but has trimmed down 5kg during WC training. I'm pretty sure we'll see a lot more of him!

Thats funny when i first saw him on the feild i was thinking, "who's the fat guy?", then i realized it was him. Yeah he did good against Japan, but there was that one play where the guy passed him the ball and it would have been an easy goal if he was there, im not sure its cuz hes slow, or thought the pass was gonna be somewhere else. Ill take a fat Renoldo over a skinny Landon Donovan anyday!

 

[nosnhojr]

Welcome to US soccer! Take the most blue collar sport in the world and turn it into something that suburban momma's boys can play without fear of getting scraped up like they would in football, hockey, basketball, etc. Obviously doesn't work well on the world stage.

I used to think the US would soon come to dominate World Cup soccer, especially since in many places (e.g. Palo Alto) it's considered child abuse to not enroll your kids in soccer as soon as they can walk.

But a friend from Argentina pointed out the flaw in my reasoning: in the US, we give each kid their OWN BALL! Where he grew up, there was one ball in the entire neighborhood, and you had to fight hard to get a foot on it. That makes for aggressive and skilled players.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Ill take a fat Renoldo over a skinny Landon Donovan anyday!

I think ol' Lando's career has crested with his denuding in Germany for the overhyped, inconsistent player he is. Hopefully the old guys in Europe now realize they can come to the MLS and play a while longer.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

Beckham is sweet...

 

[Caplan]

Beckham is sweet...

Luckily for us today. He's our set piece deliverer but hasn't scored for something like 13 England matches until today. He's a worker in my eyes and has played well overall this tournament so well worth his place after todays result. Lampard and Gerrard weren't great today. Rooney up on his own didn't work that well and we're still a little shakey defensively (especially second half) but much better than the Sweden Game.
Through though, Portugal next.....

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I was nearly the sole Ecuador supporter in a sea of red & white at the local Irish pub today (excellent buffet English breakfast). Great defense on England on that early breakaway by Ecuador...that could have really changed the rest of the game. I was hoping for PK's with Ecuador squeaking it out.

 

[Cap'n Jewbeard]

No such luck- I think Becks heard me booing at him these previous games and decided to make himself worthwhile on a set-piece for once.

But maaaannn is he out of shape. They'll just be relying more on Rooney and Gerrard, I guess.

Also- note to Lampard: You suck. Go home. Ask your new mate Ballack to put you on his knee and teach you how to play the game.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

...and the envelope please...and, the winner of this year's World Cup Oscar goes to...Italy! These guys are just the best actors to ever grace the pitch!

 

[cowain]

Yeah, that dive in the box was pretty spectacular. However, the idiot aussie shouldn't have slid - he had help behind and had completely cut off the attacker's angle AND they were playing with a man up - they would have tired Italy out in the OT.

However, I'd like to nominate Theirry Henry (who I actually like a whole lot) for his super dive in the France v. Spain game yesterday that resulted in a free kick that resulted in a goal. Way to go ref - you are an idiot.

The officiating in this world cup has been a true embarassment.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

The officiating in this world cup has been a true embarassment.

I think its the players fault. The more games i watch the more i realise how 'pretending' is a HUGE part of the game. The players are constantly appealing to the refs to throw cards, everytime someone gets near someone else, they almost always pretend like they are hurt. So if its cards the players want, then the ref is almost forced to penalize players.
I think alot more people (americans) would love the game if you get rid of the 'acting'. In between all the fake injuries, falling down, arm waving, bitching and moaning, there is some really good athleticism going on.
i dont blame the ref for throwing mad cards when every player pretends to be hurt on every other play. i think the refs should be there for offsides, and time keeping. Other than that, unless its a flagrant foul dont call it. And call more 'faking' fouls. And for the love of nobodaddy get a freakin' instant replay!

 

[Ivan Lendl]

ok i have a few questions about soccer in general:

1. what is a set piece? (im guessing a play they practice, like a pick in basketball or a screen in football (american football)
2. what constitutes a free kick? (is it where the foul happens?)
3. how do the cards go: 1 yellow, 2 yellow, red, or is it 1 yellow, 2 yellow=red? and can you have no yellows and get a red for something flagrant?
4. are they allowed to take the goalie out towards the end and sub another player in? (like in hockey, im guessing no, because they always make a big deal when a sub comes in, and ive never seen it done)
5. what/who is a 'striker'? is this a generic term for any player or offensive player or what?
6. why do alot of the players have long hair? (im guessing this is a european/south american thing)

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Here are my understandings (Euro-typies correct me at will):

1. what is a set piece? (im guessing a play they practice, like a pick in basketball or a screen in football (american football)

Exactly...just a set play.

2. what constitutes a free kick? (is it where the foul happens?)

Yep, a foul or offsides and you get a free kick from the spot.

3. how do the cards go: 1 yellow, 2 yellow, red, or is it 1 yellow, 2 yellow=red? and can you have no yellows and get a red for something flagrant?

2 yellows == immediate red card. You're out of the game (and your team is a man down) and the next game. You can definitely get a straight red card for being really naughty. The WC is a bit different than most league play in that in the first round your yellow cards are cumulative for all games, so you only have two yellow cards to work with for three games. In the elimination rounds a yellow card in two consecutive games doesn't result in a red and being kicked out of the game, but you will miss the next game.

4. are they allowed to take the goalie out towards the end and sub another player in? (like in hockey, im guessing no, because they always make a big deal when a sub comes in, and ive never seen it done)

Not really...substitutions in soccer are permanent and you only get three per game. So you could do it, but then you wouldn't have a goalie. The scale of the pitch/players doesn't really make the 'power play' as attractive as it is in hockey.

5. what/who is a 'striker'? is this a generic term for any player or offensive player or what?

Offensive player.

6. why do alot of the players have long hair? (im guessing this is a european/south american thing)

Seems to be primarily an Argentinian thing and the odd Eastern European.

 

[Ivan Lendl]

That was a good game! I dont want to spoil it for you tivo people, but lets just say somebody wins...

 

[Caplan]

The Baron described all the terms well there to the 'non soccer people' from the US - no complains from me!
Come on home England.....

 

[Walker]

Yesterday was a loud day at my house. My wife is Italian and I am (was) rooting for Germany. We watched the game late last night because we were out and about all day for fireworks and celebrating our independence and whatnot.

The final 2 minutes of that game had my wife cheering and jumping around the room, while I spat, swore, and threw things at the TV.

That game was in the bag for Germany if it went to penalty kicks, but the Germans slipped up and blew it right there at the end.

FOOEY!

I'm rooting for Portugal at this point.

-walker

 

[mysterio]

One-nil at the moment, Thiery Henry is such a diver! Mind you so is Ronaldo...

 

[Ivan Lendl]

Seems to be primarily an Argentinian thing and the odd Eastern European.

I swear every player on the Ukraine team looks like Dave Murry of Iron Maiden...

 

[Caplan]

And so it ends! Italy won.
Zindane's 'off the ball' incident with Materazzi was a disgrace. Not a fitting way to end his International Career (if it is the end!). Shame on him.

 

[Walker]

Zindane's 'off the ball' incident with Materazzi was a disgrace. Not a fitting way to end his International Career (if it is the end!). Shame on him.

I totally agree. That was the worst foul I have EVER seen.

The worst part (and he's going to have to come to grips with it) is that his presence might have made a difference in the outcome of the penalty kicks that ended the game. France missed one (Italy did NOT block it, France just missed it). Things might have been different if he hadn't acted like a child and gotten the red card.

-walker

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

His behavior was unfathomable! He was one of the most popular guys in this tournament, one of the best stories, and one of the great players actually living up to his reputation. There were fans all over the world pulling for France in this game simply for Zidane. That has to be the worst 'retirement game' a professional athlete has ever played.

 

[prey]

A very stupid move by Zidane. I bet they could've gone to sudden death had he stayed in the game.