The Official World Cup 2010 Thread

[b i o n i c]

US would've killed Englad today

[Freebasser]

A blind paraplegic schoolgirls select XI would've killed England today.

I bet the U.S. are even more pissed off about that disallowed goal now.

[Drederick Tatum]

absolutely no width on the left. why don't England take on a similar shape to Man Utd. is it because England's wingers are just too shit? Lennon on the right and J. Cole hovering on the left. Barry holding and Gerrard and Lampard both with licence to push forward to support Rooney. Heskey just isn't good enough to play for England at a World Cup.

[Guy Incognito]

To the fella in the England number 10 shirt:

Who are you and what have you done with Wayne Rooney?

They were all shit but that is the worst i have seen him play. Ever. No touch at all.

The only positive is that i get to watch a crucial world cup game in the middle of a field with thousands of people at Glastonbury. Just hope we fucking win.

[roosta]

England really were terrible.

[Adam]

I went to a 50s club last night. I really felt like we went back in time. We did the hop. Back then, England hadn't ever even won the world cup.

[paul jones]

somebody has to tell the England squad that those last 2 games were not friendlies against a bunch of farmers but that the tournament has actually begun.

I never thought watching a game that the highlight would be a bird sitting on top of a goal net.

[Guy Incognito]

I still dont know what to make of that match especially wayne, i just hope they sort it out. As long as we go out fighting. I could have handled nil nil last night if we'd hit the woodwork a few times or their keeper had a belter but my lad could have played in goal for algeria last night and the scoreline would have been the same

[ToucanSpam]

Tomorrow's games should be pretty interesting. Group F is pretty intense right now. I'd love to see the Kiwis steal a win from Italy but there's no chance of that happening.

[Adam]

So, I am thinking of putting a £1 bet on the underdog to win in every game. That way, with bad luck the best teams will get to the latter stages (inc England). If not, I get a couple of quid out the process.

38 games left, £38 spent. Wish I thought of that at the beginning.

[Guy Incognito]

So, I am thinking of putting a £1 bet on the underdog to win in every game. That way, with bad luck the best teams will get to the latter stages (inc England). If not, I get a couple of quid out the process.

38 games left, £38 spent. Wish I thought of that at the beginning.

you wont great odds even on the underdogs in a two horse race (especially with the few shocks that have already happened), you are better off trying to predict the score that the underdog is going to win, you'll get better odds, plus for some of the underdogs a draw is a shocking as its going to get. for example i think you should bet on Italy v new zealand draw, its thier best hope of a result, they arent going to beat the italians (famous last words!)

[Adam]

^Just done it now. Potential returns on the next 20 games is £130 but that means a lot of upsets. Which is all group games except the last one (only had £20 in my betting account)

Its more of an experiment - the house always wins but I think I'd be up right now if I did this at the beginning. Maybe next time I'll do £2 and double my money. Bet against england gives me £6.50.

[Guy Incognito]

you wont great odds even on the underdogs in a two horse race (especially with the few shocks that have already happened), you are better off trying to predict the score that the underdog is going to win, you'll get better odds, plus for some of the underdogs a draw is a shocking as its going to get. for example i think you should bet on Italy v new zealand draw, its thier best hope of a result, they arent going to beat the italians (famous last words!)

nz just missed a great chance to win but i still think you should have gone for the draw.

[Drederick Tatum]

1-1! crybaby mamas boys can't break down a team with some unemployed players in it. great result. bring on Paraguay!

[Guy Incognito]

1-1! crybaby mamas boys can't break down a team with some unemployed players in it. great result. bring on Paraguay!

fantastic result, shoulda won it, i thought wood was going to score but still think italy and paraguay will qualify but i have been wrong before...lots!

[Adam]

France might be quitting.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1252203/index.html

[checkyourprez]

fantastic result, shoulda won it, i thought wood was going to score but still think italy and paraguay will qualify but i have been wrong before...lots!

true. italy should have won it.

[Adam]

Italy are a great team but do they have to go down every time someone is near them like a freaking arrow has just hit them in the back. Then make that card gesture saying he should be sent off. Its cheating, its wrong, it ruins the game for the neutrals :mad:

[Guy Incognito]

true. italy should have won it.

nice try. makes me feel better about the algeria result but not much

[checkyourprez]

the penalty was right. tug, on a shirt in the box, why not go down? its smart.


italy is playing decent enough. working the ball around. good skill. nice passing. but they lack a quality forward that can create goals. it doenst help with this shitty ball that just sails on crosses and italys game is dependent on a lot of crosses from the wings.


but lippi fucked it by not bringing anyone of the following; totti, cassano, balotelli, giovinco, or rossi. theres no dynamism up top.


and really gilardino, just go home. you blow. not cut for milan. not cut for azzurri.

[checkyourprez]

France might be quitting.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1252203/index.html

thats funny. france is a mess. evra said they are a small footballing nation now. they have so many good players but cant do shit its embar.

nice try. makes me feel better about the algeria result but not much

i didnt see the game so i cant really comment on england. but from what ive heard they are just looking shit.

italy is looking decent, just lacking up top.


the kiwis goal was offsides so at worst the penal was a cancellation of that. 17 corners to 0. massive more shots to 2. goalie mad some good saves. they can still move on. not the end of the world.

[Gareth]

yea i'll take that (y)
gotta do it all over again on fri
2am kick offs on work days are the worst, but so worth it

[venusvenus123]

bad day for kaka :(

[ToucanSpam]

Brazil-Cote D'Ivoire was a little wild there.

I was so stoked to see Italy concede the first goal. They were all over NZ after that goal, though. A well earned draw for the Kiwis.

[miss soul fire]

bad day for kaka :(

Dunga made a huge mistake by not taking him out of the match after the yellow card.(n)

[venusvenus123]

Dunga made a huge mistake by not taking him out of the match after the yellow card.(n)
I didn't see that one. But the second one, he did nothing and was sent off! He just put his forearm out to protect his body and Keita goes down holding his hand to his face :confused: Incredible.

[miss soul fire]

I didn't see that one. But the second one, he did nothing and was sent off! He just put his forearm out to protect his body and Keita goes down holding his hand to his face :confused: Incredible.

Agreed. He did nothing. He's a good player, so anything was an excuse to get him out of the field and of the next match.(n)

[checkyourprez]

dunga fucked it by not taking the dinho!!!!

[Drederick Tatum]

this World Cup is getting going. ball may be shit, but the drama is top-notch. Kaka sent off? classic.

[ToucanSpam]

http://www.torontosun.com/sports/worldcup/2010/2010/06/20/14456601.html


Some harsh words. Between the refereeing, the vuvuzelas, and the ball, there's a whole lot of whining going on at this tournament.

[roosta]

The Kaka sending off was a disgrace, but does everyone remember a certain Rivaldo in '02...?

[roosta]

the penalty was right. tug, on a shirt in the box, why not go down? its smart.

.

ha! this coming from the man who likes to bang on about 'sissy men' or something?

talk about some hindsight history rewriting. a dive is now 'smart'? i thought it was the act of a sissy man....

italy were cack. end of.

[checkyourprez]

ha! this coming from the man who likes to bang on about 'sissy men' or something?

talk about some hindsight history rewriting. a dive is now 'smart'? i thought it was the act of a sissy man....

italy were cack. end of.

you've got my theories on diving and smart play twisted roost. diving is wrong. that is outright cheating tomfoolery. however, going down with contact is a smart soccer play. that guy was tugging de rossi's jersey in the box. that is illegal. why not go down and try for the penal? it was the same with grosso going down when that australian slid in stupidly in 06. if there was no contact and he goes down, thats shameful.


the americans should have tried that on the disallowed goal the other day. at least 3 of them were getting mugged like a bastard in that box.

[paul jones]

The Referees are all stupid.

What are they doing?

[Planetary]

smart soccer play.

By the power invested in me by everyone outside of the United States of America, you are hereby permanently banned from this thread for the crime of using stupid americanised sayings with regards Football/the World Cup.

[Drederick Tatum]

I second that motion, and ask that the stenographer add a 'shut up' to the transcription.

[mickill]

Easily the best day of the tournament so far.

[synch]

Agreed. He did nothing. He's a good player, so anything was an excuse to get him out of the field and of the next match.(n)Nah, he wasn't thinking that far ahead. Ivory Coast needs Brazil to win their next game if they want to have a shot at qualifying for the next round.

Brazil's second goal showed amazing skill.... at volleyball.

Italy didn't even play that badly but didn't score. Good point for NZ.

[Adam]

There has been loads of shirt pulling in the tournament, wrong yes but the interest of fair play, Italy should try playing the game more rather than trying to play a 'smart game' as they look stupid to me. Its a double standard and its one of my reasons for myself going off football years ago.

When a player goes down, I understand why he might go down when he could easily stay up, they hear the whistle, they get the foul. Get straight back up and stop rolling around like you've just been stabbed with a rusty knife.

The ref won't change their mind if the whistle hasn't been blown within a second, suck it up and get on with it. I will allow a small protest but footballers aren't stupid enough to think that the best course of action is to continue to harass the ref and push for your own yellow card. Or after the foul telling the ref how to do their job. They are all professionals, just act like it. I'm on the side of the ref the most as they are the most professional on the field (which is sometimes saying something).

[Guy Incognito]

^ all the whingeing that the tournament has been boring stopped when spain got beat, since then its been brilliant (apart from england game which was the worst game i have ever witnessed) the second lot of group games has had loads of good encounters and weird results.

[Guy Incognito]

Nah, he wasn't thinking that far ahead. Ivory Coast needs Brazil to win their next game if they want to have a shot at qualifying for the next round.

Brazil's second goal showed amazing skill.... at volleyball :D

unless North korea get something against portugal today. might happen

[checkyourprez]

By the power invested in me by everyone outside of the United States of America, you are hereby permanently banned from this thread for the crime of using stupid americanised sayings with regards Football/the World Cup.


don't let your frustrations bout the english squad be taken out on me planman.

[Planetary]

don't let your frustrations bout the english squad be taken out on me planman.

kiss my ass italy are doing no better!

[Adam]

unless North korea get something against portugal today. might happen

nearly.

[Adam]

kiss my ass italy are doing no better!

This is very true. You're getting a little blinded cyp.

[Planetary]

unless North korea get something against portugal today. might happen

lol

[ToucanSpam]

LOL those Koreans players better defect.

[Adam]

Football has been great today. Love how the Chileans have been playing. Swiss showed to be made of some tough stuff to.

But its getting a bit annoying how easy some are going down. When that chilean got a yellow for that obvious dive in the box near the end it was good to see he didn't protest and held his hand up to the attempted cheat. But no team apart from the South & North Koreans from what I have seen have not tried conning the ref at some point.

[hpdrifter]

I've watched a few games!

[synch]

[/I], they hear the whistle, they get the foul. Get straight back up and stop rolling around like you've just been stabbed with a rusty knife.Accentuating a fall isn't pretty but what really gets on my tits is getting gently touched in the chest and reaching for your face as if you've been punched in the nose.

[Guy Incognito]

i see i am jinxing teams again. shall i give a prediction about the slovenia game. best not say anything

[monkey]

:D:cool::D

that's all i have to say.

[Drederick Tatum]

you've got my theories on diving and smart play twisted roost. diving is wrong. that is outright cheating tomfoolery. however, going down with contact is a smart soccer play. that guy was tugging de rossi's jersey in the box. that is illegal. why not go down and try for the penal? it was the same with grosso going down when that australian slid in stupidly in 06. if there was no contact and he goes down, thats shameful.


the americans should have tried that on the disallowed goal the other day. at least 3 of them were getting mugged like a bastard in that box.

http://i.imgur.com/lKxA3.gif

[miss soul fire]

Nah, he wasn't thinking that far ahead. Ivory Coast needs Brazil to win their next game if they want to have a shot at qualifying for the next round.

Brazil's second goal showed amazing skill.... at volleyball.

Italy didn't even play that badly but didn't score. Good point for NZ.

Luís Fabiano called it "involuntary hand". Hahahaha! That was bad.(n):D

[ToucanSpam]

England 2 Slovenia 0

[Junker]

I didn't see that one. But the second one, he did nothing and was sent off! He just put his forearm out to protect his body and Keita goes down holding his hand to his face :confused: Incredible.

I fucking hate those actors in football. :mad:
Now Kaka was starting to get better.... but that's ok. They got their asses kicked anyway and now they only have to score 8 or more goals on North Korea to make through. :p

[Junker]

The Kaka sending off was a disgrace, but does everyone remember a certain Rivaldo in '02...?

Hahahahaha..... Now, what an act. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40xpRK_d9u4)

[Junker]

This particularly team bores tha hell outta me: Switzerland

Damn it. What an awful team. They put the whole team inside their goal. Only defending. They dont add nothing to world football.

I hope Brazil finishes as first and they in second. I'd love to face them in the next stage.

[checkyourprez]

come on south africa babyyyyyyy

[checkyourprez]

o dip

SA 1-0


france gets a red. on gourcuff no less.

[checkyourprez]

2 nil!!!!!!!!!


france is getting pumped with so much karma in the ass this cup its redick. the irish must be loving it.

[Guy Incognito]

france is getting pumped with so much karma in the ass this cup its redick.

hahaha

gutted for south africa tho but they would have got murdered against the argies - mexico v argentina is going to be tasty tho

[Planetary]

after watching world cup moments last night i want us to draw argentina, play well, and win in controversial circumstances. stick two fingers up to maradona

[Guy Incognito]

^ two fingers? more like the whole fucking hand

[ToucanSpam]

Argentina/Greece is boring the shit out of me. Hopefully South Korea goes through.

[Drederick Tatum]

Yakubu with possibly the worst miss in World Cup history.

[Drederick Tatum]

credit to the Yak for holding his nerve with that penalty.

[Drederick Tatum]

attn Nigerians. you are all massive. enough with the lobs and side foots. just put your boot through the ball.

[b i o n i c]

peace out, greece. thats that boy-fucking karma for ya (y)

[roosta]

Oh, France. What a shambles a once great footballing nation has become. They could be doomed for years.

Glad for South Korea, an industrious side. Nigeria/Korea was one of the best matches yet.

[b i o n i c]

you couldnt hear the vuvulvas as much during the argentina / greece game towards the end (y)

[Drederick Tatum]

Oh, France. What a shambles a once great footballing nation has become. They could be doomed for years.


I dunno. to me that seems to be a team ripe for change. with Domenech out of the picture things can only get better. phasing Henry and Gallas out might be positive as well. the team needs new leaders. they've got great players, some who didn't even make the WC squad.

[Drederick Tatum]

John Terry is an oaf.

[Lex Diamonds]

4-4-2 with no Joe Cole. Fabio better prove me wrong cuz right now I'm thinking he's a complete dick.

[synch]

Ouch, second good goal that got disallowed for the US.

Painful. Less painful and bordering on funny because it isn't happening to Italy again but still painful...

[DIGI]

^ Bullshit.

[ToucanSpam]

Wow, England played...well enough to go through, but not much better than previous games.

The USA go through despite all odds. Poor Algeria. It would have been hilarious if Slovenia and Algeria went through.

[Yeti]

UNBELIEVABLE!

The veins in my neck were bulging and my head was ready to explode because of all the bad calls and the disallowed goal. Then sweet exuberance and relief. I am proud that the USA played such a fantastic game under such pressure.
Now onward. Yes!
This World Cup just may convert me.
I just do not get all these missed calls. Calling hand ball when it is clearly blocked by the chest. Calling offside when it was clear that the striker was not behind the defender. It is mindboggling that a world wide event would have such poor officiating. Anyway, I guess that is what sports is all about, overcoming obstacles.
Good fun and I now get the pressure and athleticism of futbol.
Congrats to the English team as well. I think I heard they pulled Rooney.
This could get interesting.

[roosta]

Chuffed for the US, a real hard working team.

It would have been fairly horrible to see them out despite having scored two grand goals and having them disallowed.

USA! USA!

[jabumbo]

clint dempsey is going to go off his rocker next game and score like 5 goals after all of this. he has had the worst of luck consistently throughout.

[venusvenus123]

(y)ENGERLAND!(y)

[Junker]

What a nice game by USA. Exciting till the end. And they finished as first in the group (y)

USA has a great team but unfortunately doesnt have any good strikers. They create lots of chances to score but dont have a reliable guy in the front to conclude. But congrats anyway! :D

[venusvenus123]

yeah congrats to the US... we're right behind you. :o

[Junker]

(y)ENGERLAND!(y)

Congrats too! Maybe you guys will face Germany next. At least I hope so. :D

[Helvete]

Well done to the USA, they not only deserved to go through, but top the group. It really would have been an injustice with all the legitimate goals etc being disallowed had they not gone through.

[synch]

^ Bullshit.Don't get me wrong, they deserved to go through and I was well chuffed that they scored the late goal.

Some things are just slightly less dramatic when they don't happen to your own team.

[roosta]

I dunno. to me that seems to be a team ripe for change. with Domenech out of the picture things can only get better. phasing Henry and Gallas out might be positive as well. the team needs new leaders. they've got great players, some who didn't even make the WC squad.

this is true.

I hope so anyway, I like the French.

England v Germany in the next round. brilliant!

[checkyourprez]

UNBELIEVABLE!

The veins in my neck were bulging and my head was ready to explode because of all the bad calls and the disallowed goal. Then sweet exuberance and relief. I am proud that the USA played such a fantastic game under such pressure.
Now onward. Yes!
This World Cup just may convert me.
I just do not get all these missed calls. Calling hand ball when it is clearly blocked by the chest. Calling offside when it was clear that the striker was not behind the defender. It is mindboggling that a world wide event would have such poor officiating. Anyway, I guess that is what sports is all about, overcoming obstacles.
Good fun and I now get the pressure and athleticism of futbol.
Congrats to the English team as well. I think I heard they pulled Rooney.
This could get interesting.


to be honest its a hard game to referee. you are one man on a massive pitch. you get some help from two guys, but not a ton. and you have to do it all at pace, making instantaneous decisions in the blink of an eye without the benefit of replay.

its part of what makes the sport unique. the element of human error is inherent in the game. such as life. shit happens. gotta deal with it.

[synch]

This should really give FIFA and UEFA a kick in the arse regarding the usage of video footage.

It won't, but it should.

The US should have some decisions go their way in the rest of the tournament though, I'm guessing that if the linesmen are in doubt they'll keep the flag down, just in case.

[Adam]

15:00 Germany v England W2.62 D3.20 W2.50

That is the betting for above. England are favourites but the underdog is the draw so I will probably bet on that.

I'm actually a couple of quid up on this underdog betting so far (y)

[synch]

It's been a bit of an underdog's tournament so far hasn't it :)

When push comes to shove I reckon that the usual suspects will make it in the top four though, with maybe one surprise.

[Yeti]

to be honest its a hard game to referee. you are one man on a massive pitch. you get some help from two guys, but not a ton. and you have to do it all at pace, making instantaneous decisions in the blink of an eye without the benefit of replay.

its part of what makes the sport unique. the element of human error is inherent in the game. such as life. shit happens. gotta deal with it.

I understand that referees have a very difficult job. I think the best solution would be more referees placed at different areas of the pitch. Replay might take too long but it could be used in certain situations. Replay is used in some sports and it slows the pace of games. Mistakes by referees have always been a part of sports but over the years with technology and changes in referee numbers and standards these mistakes can be minimized. Why not correct mistakes? A pitcher is major league baseball was robbed of a perfect game this season on the last out of the game. It was in our sports sections and sports channels for weeks. The call was not corrected and the pitcher said--such is life.
I agree shit happens but when it happens it is shit.

[checkyourprez]

I understand that referees have a very difficult job. I think the best solution would be more referees placed at different areas of the pitch. Replay might take too long but it could be used in certain situations. Replay is used in some sports and it slows the pace of games. Mistakes by referees have always been a part of sports but over the years with technology and changes in referee numbers and standards these mistakes can be minimized. Why not correct mistakes? A pitcher is major league baseball was robbed of a perfect game this season on the last out of the game. It was in our sports sections and sports channels for weeks. The call was not corrected and the pitcher said--such is life.
I agree shit happens but when it happens it is shit.


i know, i saw the stuff about the pitcher. it was most definatly unluck for him, it was a bad call, but like we agree on its life.

different referees around the pitch undermine the authority of the center referee. plus so much of a football ref is subjective. having two or more refs calling the game would lead to ambiguities. one ref may call the game tighter than another. the other might let them play more. the players need to get a feel for how the game is going to be called, more than one ref would upset that.

[synch]

Some things are just slightly less dramatic when they don't happen to your own team.Case in point: It was funny when France was playing like crap and was getting booted out of the tournament :(

It ain't over 'till it's over... but Italy hasn't given any indication whatsoever of deserving to go through...

edit: Oooooh... Maggio and Quagliarella are starting the second half... I like 'em...

[Helvete]

I can't ever see them changing the way games are officiated, but I really think there should be a video reviewal when it comes to game deciding situations like offside goals and penalties and maybe even red cards.

[ToucanSpam]

Bye Italy.(y)

[rirv]

LOLITALIA

Sissymen crying on the pitch.

[roosta]

Arrivederchi!

[monkey]

wow. even though the italians ARE old, that's still one hell of an upset. crazy!

[b i o n i c]

that italian dude is crying pretty hard there.. va fangul, tanos!

[Freebasser]

Sissymen crying on the pitch.

LOLz (y)

[synch]

We started playing football two games and a half too late, we deserved to go out.

It was kinda nice to see Italy actually play something that resembles football in the end though.

[ToucanSpam]

Is anyone else impressed with how New Zealand played? Given that they are ranked 78th, have a terrible all-time record against non-Oceania opponents and lack scoring, they sure held their own against tough opponents.

Brazil/Portugal should be entertaining, Ivory Coast are going to have to score a lotta goals to get through.

[roosta]

C'Mon Japan!

(although I would like to see Super Nick get more goals)

[ToucanSpam]

HONDAAAA

Wow.

[roosta]

Two amazing free kicks by the Japanese!

Go on the Samurai Blue!!

[Freebasser]

Denmark don't really look up to the task.

[Freebasser]

P.S. Has anybody else found the vuvuzela option on youtube yet? :D

[roosta]

The Samurai spirit never dies! Victory for Japan!
侍魂はくじけない！日本勝利！

[Drederick Tatum]

glad NZ played its part in sending Italy home. we'll head off pretty happy, two goals scored two goals conceded. 3 points at the World Cup, the best result ever for NZ football.

England-Germany will hopefully be one for the history books.

[MC Moot]

England-Germany will hopefully be one for the history books.

I hope so....I like that old english chant when playing Germany:

2 World Wars and 1 World Cup!


:D

[Helvete]

English fans are a bunch of fucking dicks when it comes to playing Germany.

[camo]

How's that then?

[Junker]

Wow, Japan just scored 3 of the more beautiful goals in this WC so far.

The third one was really wonderful because of Honda's play.

[Helvete]

How's that then?

See post above mine. They all turn into racist, childish yobs. Making comparisons to the world wars, 1966 and that 5-1 a few years ago. It's the same script every time. They acted like twats back when we played in Germany in 2006, being general thugs in the towns, singing stupid songs, kicking footballs at their town halls etc.

Frankly I am embarrassed by this behaviour and prepare for it to the be the same this weekend.

[Adam]

See post above mine. They all turn into racist, childish yobs. Making comparisons to the world wars, 1966 and that 5-1 a few years ago. It's the same script every time. They acted like twats back when we played in Germany in 2006, being general thugs in the towns, singing stupid songs, kicking footballs at their town halls etc.

Frankly I am embarrassed by this behaviour and prepare for it to the be the same this weekend.

I nearly made a similar post after seeing that 2 world wars, one cup chant...

but I think MC was more pointing out the humour in it to be fair - there is a lot of people (ie Sun readers) that do believe that shit.

The game should be a good competition tho. There has only been one England football related arrest so far in ZAF. And that was the guy who got into the dressing room after one of the games. So that must be a good sign we are improving as a group.

[Lex Diamonds]

You say it's all Sun readers, but today's Guardian has a lot about the Germany tie in the sport section and not all of it is liberal "let's all just love each other" type shit. It's a fact that the unresolved tension after WWII was channeled into sport, most significantly football, and it's better than having another fucking war or a real national rivalry.

I'm not condoning the racist cretins in any way, just playing devil's advocate and pointing out the positives.

[Lex Diamonds]

I nearly made a similar post after seeing that 2 world wars, one cup chant...

but I think MC was more pointing out the humour in it to be fair - there is a lot of people (ie Sun readers) that do believe that shit.

The game should be a good competition tho. There has only been one England football related arrest so far in ZAF. And that was the guy who got into the dressing room after one of the games. So that must be a good sign we are improving as a group.
The SA police have actually come out and commended English fans' behaviour, especially after the Algeria game where fans apparently went around congratulating opposition fans and shaking their hands (the fackin' mugs).

[MC Moot]

but I think MC was more pointing out the humour in it to be fair...

Exactly...not like Zaragoza or La Liga fans chants directed against Eto and others...

[jabumbo]

portugal v brazil = snoozefest

[Drederick Tatum]

'one world cup and two world wars' isn't particularly racist. jingoistic maybe, but not racist.

[venusvenus123]

I love alan shearer's accent.

[Freebasser]

I bet you say that to all the monotone pundits ;)

[checkyourprez]

I hope so....I like that old english chant when playing Germany:

2 World Wars and 1 World Cup!


:D

hey it beats i fucked your mother and raped the kaiser chant.

[Audio.]

Chile 0 - 2 Espana :D

as of just now. Game still going.

[b i o n i c]

i just realized chile's coach is from argentina.. i thought everyone had to be from be on their home country's team

[synch]

Haha, nah man.

England has an Italian coach, Ivory Coast a swedish one (many african nations have foreign coaches), south korea has had two consecutive dutch coaches (who have now passed on to turkey and russia)...

In other words: Nah :)

[checkyourprez]

i like the way chili play. a bit unluck they are down and got the red card. the goalie kinda fucked it. and i dont think that dude should have been shown red, but at the same time maybe it was a combo of the last foul he did on inesta and the one on torres.

anyway best young player of the tourny is sanchez from chili. that kid is sick. real quick, great ball skills, good pace, attacks space well. we should be seeing him in europe soon.

[Audio.]

Chile 1 - 2 Espana
yyyyyyeaaaaaah boooi!

got dang that goalie of chile's team fucked up.

[camo]

See post above mine. They all turn into racist, childish yobs. Making comparisons to the world wars, 1966 and that 5-1 a few years ago. It's the same script every time. They acted like twats back when we played in Germany in 2006, being general thugs in the towns, singing stupid songs, kicking footballs at their town halls etc.

Frankly I am embarrassed by this behaviour and prepare for it to the be the same this weekend.

Most fans of any country are racist hooligans, it's not specific to us. I don't need to delve into a 'since the dawn of man...' monologue and I certainly don't condone any of the mindless, stupid violence that come part and parcel with the hooligans - but for the most - the people who shout ' two world wars and one world cup do-dah do-dah' do so with their tongues buried deeply in their cheeks. It's not racism, it's just puerile humour.

[Drederick Tatum]

anyway best young player of the tourny is sanchez from chili. that kid is sick. real quick, great ball skills, good pace, attacks space well. we should be seeing him in europe soon.

he's already in Europe. he plays for Udinese. as a student of the game shouldn't you know these things?

[checkyourprez]

he's already in Europe. he plays for Udinese. as a student of the game shouldn't you know these things?

yes, i should have. shame on me.

[Drederick Tatum]

some big games and big rivalries in the last 16.

England-Germany

Spain-Portugal

Brazil-Chile

I wish Japan and South Korea would play each other. I don't think they like each other very much.

[ToucanSpam]

Jesus, Uruguay might have another clean sheet. They look impressive...

[kaiser soze]

zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu zuuuuuuuuuuu GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

[Freebasser]

U.S. Vs Ghana was very much a game of two halves (cliché alert, cliché alert).

Very entertaining though - shame to see the U.S. out in a way, as they've played some very nice football, but it's also good to see Africa still have some interest in the tournament.

[rirv]

They're Ghana be the Appiah side tonight after that result.:cool:

[kaiser soze]

Honestly Ghana deserves the win, they owned the U.S. - Granted the U.S. held on, Ghana was explosive and powerful.

congrats Africa (y)

[ToucanSpam]

Anyone venture to guess what will happen tomorrow? Not that it's a stretch but I think the Netherlands and Brazil will pull through. Chile look sneaky good, though...

[camo]

I predict/hope/pray England win.

[synch]

Anyone venture to guess what will happen tomorrow? Not that it's a stretch but I think the Netherlands and Brazil will pull through. Chile look sneaky good, though...

Germany - England and Argentina - Mexico are up first though.

[Audio.]

Argentina is gonna smack mexico's butt. i'll see to that.

[HAL 9000]

Watching England beating Germany 5-1 in 2001 as a warm up. England had a really strong team in those days - it is a shame we didnt do better in the 2002 world cup. Puts today's England in perspective, the only current players who I would choose over the members of the 2001 team are Rooney (instead of 2001 Heskey) and Lampard (instead of 2001 Nick Barmby). Many of the players are the same, of course, but in 2001 they were young, fit and on top of their game.

And damn Owen was good back then, so quick! Having Beckham and Owen in form and healthy was almost unstoppable, Beckham is like a QB, picking it up deep and playing perfect passes to Owen behind the Germans

[checkyourprez]

i think ze germans will be sending the english to auschwitz today!!!

[synch]

Weirdo.

[checkyourprez]

Weirdo.

Pussy Galore's Flying Circus

[checkyourprez]

what a barn barner this is turning out to be!!!!!

[Helvete]

It is going to be one of those games. England losing, but there always is a factor which fucks things up. Sure, England are being outplayed, sure Germany deserved those goals, but why the fuck can't it be just that? Why does it always have to be something else which makes England lose?

[checkyourprez]

It is going to be one of those games. England losing, but there always is a factor which fucks things up. Sure, England are being outplayed, sure Germany deserved those goals, but why the fuck can't it be just that? Why does it always have to be something else which makes England lose?

its all the bad karma from years of imperialism dude.

[ToucanSpam]

Wow what an epic choke.

[checkyourprez]

in all fairness Germany only gets the last 2 goals because england is pushing up for an equalizer. goes without saying if that second goal is allowed its a much different game.

[Junker]

Schweinsteiger rules! He's the brain behind this great team. What a damn good player.

And it was nice seeing the Germans kicking some English asses today.

Hope they face Argentina in the next round.

[Adam]

I enjoyed that game. Wish the result was different but glad I came back a little earlier from camping to watch it all the same. Kinda what football is about, the best team on the day won but there was lots of possible little sub plots and talking points until 4-1 (y)

[Freebasser]

i think ze germans will be sending the english to auschwitz today!!!

Classy.

[Helvete]

Germany were by far the better team, they deserved the win. To be honest, England had outstayed their welcome and were put out at the level where they deserved, they are not a team worthy of quarter finals.

It made it easier with Germany getting those other goals so there is no argument about what could and should have been had that 2nd England goal been allowed.

[ToucanSpam]

I don't get why there's such a strong hate-on for England outside of the game they played today...especially the World War II bullshit going on in this thread.

[b i o n i c]

im disappointed england didnt kick the shit out of the germans..

i missed the goal that was disallowed by the ref, the one that hit the cross bar and went over the line for england but didnt count.. shoulda been 4-2!

[synch]

Pussy Galore's Flying CircusSorry for using a James Bond quote when I should have done the elegant thing and made a holocaust reference.

[synch]

double post

[roosta]

England were terrible, and they have been all tournament. They were so strong in qualification, but they never showed up here.

They are a team with some great individual players, but no cohesion as a team. And Capello made some terrible decisions (playing Gerrard out of position / Bringing on Heskey when you are chasing a game / bringing SWP).

[rirv]

im disappointed england didnt kick the shit out of the germans..

i missed the goal that was disallowed by the ref, the one that hit the cross bar and went over the line for england but didnt count.. shoulda been 4-2!

Should have been 7-2 to be honest.

[checkyourprez]

I hope so....I like that old english chant when playing Germany:

2 World Wars and 1 World Cup!


:D

I don't get why there's such a strong hate-on for England outside of the game they played today...especially the World War II bullshit going on in this thread.

?

[checkyourprez]

sucks the mexicans got skanked with that first goal. like the england game it could have been a different game. but my god was tevez's beam insane. top 5 of the tourney. i have been waiting for a goal like that. so many of those shots this cup have just missed the goal (victor obinna hitting 2 in the dying minutes of nigerias last game as an example), finally someone put their foot through the ball from the top of the box and it went in.

[Audio.]

Univision is the only one playing from the public channels, right?

[b i o n i c]

im a little disappointed messi hasnt done anything spectacular this world cup, i think tevez has to be their top player. that shot from the top was bananas

[b i o n i c]

what the fuck has been up with all the refs this world cup? really bad

[ToucanSpam]

The first goal on Mexico was fucking horseshit. Come off it, bring in replay. These refs have been dogshit.

[Junker]

sucks the mexicans got skanked with that first goal. like the england game it could have been a different game. but my god was tevez's beam insane. top 5 of the tourney. i have been waiting for a goal like that. so many of those shots this cup have just missed the goal (victor obinna hitting 2 in the dying minutes of nigerias last game as an example), finally someone put their foot through the ball from the top of the box and it went in.

Özil from Germany also hit a beautiful shot against Ghana.

[checkyourprez]

i think the refs overall have been good.


besides the 5-7 HUGE calls they have blown.

[dave790]

The disallowed 'goal' was a truly shocking decision. Sometimes if it's close or particularly fast you can forgive that sort of mistake, but even live you could see it had clearly crossed the line.

Having said that, England didn't do enough. The first goal says it all. The second was again poor defending but at least it was a reasonably intelligent move (at least England made it look that way).

You never know what might have happened had that goal stood. It's easy to forget that in the first 10-15 minutes of the second half we kept the momentum going, and looked on top.

My friends and I all said at half time though, you can go for an equaliser all you want but if you can't defend there's little point. And so it proved. fine we were caught with some swift and precise counter attacks, but the likes of Glen Johnson really showed themselves to be out of depth. Gary Neville would have been more solid at 35!

All in all a major disappointment. There is no question though, England at least win the best fans in the world award. Every game at every tournament they dominate stadiums and can actually be heard. Just a shame they get such a shoddy deal at major tournaments.

[b i o n i c]

i really really hate these refs.. those two goals yesterday, arg/mex and eng/ger. playing like that leaves a really bad precedent for more bullshit calls in games coming up. not good sportsmanship

[Adam]

They are the best refs in the world - personally I would prefer them been given some help with goal line technology, but that is just my opinion.

We are also watching the best players in the world. 22 millionaires spoiling a lawn who still end up making mistakes so I am happy to give the refs some slack cus they get more blame put on them than the ones employed to entertain us who also get a bigger share of the pie.

If a player makes a huge mistake he won't get picked, same with the refs - everyone involved wants to do the best job possible and no one human is perfect. I'm happy to give them all the benefit of the doubt.

[dave790]

Adam, I see what you're saying. There's going to be mistakes. In yesterday's case England fans deserved a lot more from the players. But as I said, it's an appalling decision, or lack of a decison, to miss Lampards goal. It's a disservice to the game and the fans who have spent £1000's. It's the fucking World Cup. It shouldn't be happening. People can go on about technology but it wasn't even needed last night. A professional was!

Note: I am an England fan obviously in dispair looking to deflect my anger and disbelief at our players!

[Yeti]

I found this article about why white Americans like the World Cup. It is on this site.......http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/

Every four years the planet comes together to celebrate the World Cup and since white people make up a portion the world, they are not immune to the excitement.

However, before you start planning out long watching sessions with white people you should be aware of exactly why white people get so excited about the World Cup. Though you may be waiting on baited breath for your favorite sport on a global scale, white people like the World Cup because it allows them to pretend they are European for a few weeks, and more importantly, it allows them to get drunk at odd hours.

Virtually every white person you speak to about the World Cup is incapable of remembering any actual event that took place during a game but can, with near total recall, remember how they got very drunk on Sangria during a Spain-Paraguay match at five in the morning.

From reading the above paragraph, the sharper ones among you have likely noticed that clever white people also adore the World Cup because it allows them to pair countries with their respective alcoholic drink.

“England is playing Argentina? Dude we gotta get some Newcastle then like, I don’t know, like some wine I guess?”

This plan will be consummated with a high five, a trip to Trader Joes, and the purchase of a soccer jersey that will be worn, on average, twice a decade.

It’s also worth noting the amazing interest shown by white women in the World Cup. While they generally find most professional sporting events to be boring, the atmosphere at a World Cup match is much more amenable. Mostly because they don’t have to drink light beer and there is a good chance that they might meet a European man, or, at least someone who might be planning a trip there. This is far superior to a hockey game where, at best, they might meet a Canadian. It goes without saying that for white women, the World Cup can’t come soon enough.

Of course, hosting a themed party around one of the games is a sure fire way to increase your popularity with white people, but at the end of the day it does not increase your bottom line. No, during the World Cup, the most profit to be made will come from betting on the games with white people. Not only will they have plenty of disposable income, they will follow the following betting patterns:

England is good
Brazil is good
Italy is good
Teams from Africa are cute underdogs and thus always worth a bet.
When it comes to talking about the event, it goes without saying that you should probably avoid trying to talk to white people about any of the actual players in the World Cup aside from the biggest stars. Most white people cobble their soccer knowledge together from UK celebrity gossip and a few games of FIFA on the Wii.

But if you do find yourself talking to a white person who actually knows a lot about soccer you are probably talking to a European, or worse, a white guy who tries too hard.

The latter is especially dangerous, as they have likely been waiting for years to meet someone to converse with about “football” and with soccer’s year round schedule, they will never leave you alone.

[monkey]

hahahahaha

that was a needed laugh. this game is killing me, i know brazil is good, but i was ultimately hoping all of the brazilian players would have the flu and chile would be able to perform some miracles....

damn.

[rirv]

I need another goal scored - by either team. I've got money on Brazil to win and 3 or more goals scored in the match.

[rirv]

:cool:

[Freebasser]

:cool:

[miss soul fire]

I bet 3 x 1. Bollocks!:mad:


:D

[venusvenus123]

crap i missed the Brazil game.

[Adam]

I bet a Chile win. I lost. So did Chile. So did England.

[paul jones]

I bet 3 x 1. Bollocks!:mad:


:D

BOLLOCKS!:D

[synch]

Adam, I see what you're saying. There's going to be mistakes. In yesterday's case England fans deserved a lot more from the players. But as I said, it's an appalling decision, or lack of a decison, to miss Lampards goal. It's a disservice to the game and the fans who have spent £1000's. It's the fucking World Cup. It shouldn't be happening. People can go on about technology but it wasn't even needed last night. A professional was!

Note: I am an England fan obviously in dispair looking to deflect my anger and disbelief at our players!The ref is always pretty much near the ball and the linesman has to check for offside, which means that with a shot like Lamps' nobody is level with the goalline. I can understand that it was missed, although it's a goal that can be spotted instantly from the tv images.

The first Argentina goal was a farce, the keeper was out and Tevez was between the goal and two defenders. Even if there was one defender still between Tevez and the goal it would have still been offside.

The linesman was inline with the action, I'm not sure what kind of drugs he was on but I doubt we'll see him on the pitch anytime soon.

Blatter has finally caved and spoken in favour of technology on the pitch. About bloody time...

[checkyourprez]

The ref is always pretty much near the ball and the linesman has to check for offside, which means that with a shot like Lamps' nobody is level with the goalline. I can understand that it was missed, although it's a goal that can be spotted instantly from the tv images.

The first Argentina goal was a farce, the keeper was out and Tevez was between the goal and two defenders. Even if there was one defender still between Tevez and the goal it would have still been offside.

The linesman was inline with the action, I'm not sure what kind of drugs he was on but I doubt we'll see him on the pitch anytime soon.

Blatter has finally caved and spoken in favour of technology on the pitch. About bloody time...


agreed but like everyone's been saying, it happens in the blink of an eye. he has to be looking at messi to see when he plays that ball, the mexicans were already running back, as soon as he looks over he looks even. a shit display by the linesmen, but once again they are human.

[Adam]

I totally agree there needs to be better refereeing but the tools they have currently doesn't let them have that. Good to know Blatter is reconsidering his position on technology

[rirv]

With that Argentina goal I can totally understand why it was mistakenly given. The first shot is saved and bounces out and as it does so the defenders move forwards and simultaneously Messi puts it back towards goal for Tevez to head in. Because the ball is changes direction a few times it makes the action harder to follow. It's easy for us sitting at home and the pundits in the studio because we have replays and slow motion with lines drawn all over the screen.

[Junker]

I need another goal scored - by either team. I've got money on Brazil to win and 3 or more goals scored in the match.

So, how much did you win?

[checkyourprez]

shame, would have liked to see the japanese go through.

[Junker]

This is one of the best South American campaigns at World Cups so far.
All the teams made through group stages and all passed to the quarter finals.
Well, not all because yesterday we had Brazil vs Chile. But you know what I mean.

But now I'm German since I was little. Fuck Argentina!

[Helvete]

I knew you were a fucking German!

[Freebasser]

Spain Vs Portugal = Zzzzzzz

[Audio.]

heheheh yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh we won again :D
Que viva Espana epsana es la mejor

Portugal 0 - 1 Espana. What nice ending. Nice sportsmanship all around. Intense nail biter.

[MC Moot]

vaya con dios,Portugal...viva Villa!

(y)

P.S: That red card was RIDICULOUS...

[Adam]

P.S: That red card was RIDICULOUS...

I wanna see another angle. What the BBC are showing are pictures taken from space yet there is always about 4 cameras always on the ball especially round the area, so why the fuck can't we see what really happened.

If what we have seen is true then yeah, nasty bit of cheating by spain and they'll lose any neutral support they may have (peeps like me I mean).

[Audio.]

vaya con dios,Portugal...viva Villa!

(y)

P.S: That red card was RIDICULOUS...

Yeah they got to thank Villa big time.

That red card did looked bullshit to me. But a few are saying its legit.

[checkyourprez]

the one in Paraguay guy should have gotten a red card before the guy in the portugal game should have. that was dirty. prob would have swung the game and japan would have won.

[checkyourprez]

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Scientists-prove-Jabulani-ball-is-too-perfect-?urn=sow,252365

interesting read.


Part of the problem may be that "the stitches of the Jabulani are internal, so the ball resembles a perfect sphere," said Eric Berton, deputy director of the Institute of the Science of Movement in Marseille, France.

"Because of the shape, the time of contact with the foot is reduced. As a consequence, it practically doesn't spin. The ball travels a little less far, and will have a floating and unpredictable trajectory, whether for a striker or a goalkeeper."


i believe i said this exact thing a couple pages back. go me.

[Adam]

Why is cheating ok in football?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/29/cheating-football-germany-goalkeeper

[Junker]

I knew you were a fucking German!

Yep! (y)
And you know, even if by any chance we meet again in the final I'm gonna go with the Germans because the bank where my brother has his account it's going to give R$ 1.000.000,00 (around US$ 800.000,00 I think) to the clients who guess the champion. You had to give your hunch before the World Cup and my brother put his hopes on Germany. So, if he wins, I win by association ;)

[Audio.]

president of Nigeria bans their national team from playing for 2 years ... as a punishment for the team's poor performance.

ha-how did he become president again?

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Nigeria-suspends-national-team-for-poor-World-Cu?urn=sow,252542

[Junker]

haha... in these terms, France should not be allowed to play never again.

[Audio.]

heheh oh man.

[Junker]

:D

[checkyourprez]

o shit holland blew up my world cup bracket. i lost my money but still im glad to see brazil go out because of dungas dumbass didnt have anyone good to put in attack when they went down. would have been nice to put in ronaldinho or pato at that point wouldnt it ya dickhead !!!!!!!

[b i o n i c]

well, i'll be! i knew brazil'd take a new direction (y)

[Freebasser]

Brazil may have won most of their games comfortably, but they were fucking awful to watch.

Thank you, Netherlands (y)

[b i o n i c]

all of south america is going down this weekend.

[Junker]

Well, our first half was pretty decent. We were dominating, had some opportunities to make a second goal.

But the second half..... Geez! Simply awful....
Felipe Cunt Melo fucked Brazil up and show his true state of mind: retarded (sorry retardeds around the world).

And now my support to Germany is ten times bigger. Please defeat Argentina tomorrow! :(

[MC Moot]

all of south america is going down this weekend.

South Americans go down every weekend...they're quite liberal like that...(y)

[Junker]

I just hope Uruguay makes through and Argentina gets their tango asses kicked by the Germans.

I don't care about Paraguay tho.

[b i o n i c]

South Americans go down every weekend...they're quite liberal like that...(y)

D: , hey now.

[b i o n i c]

uruguay/ghana: caught the last 5 minutes of the 2nd 15 min overtime... holy shit! the last minute was ridick.. penalties!

[b i o n i c]

holy shit that ghana player is going to be executed

edit: i like uruguays goalie.. swaggz

edit edit: congrats uruguay... lol at ghanas dudes not letting their teammates cry on the field.

ghana played very good football.. i wanted them to get to the finals as the only african team that was alive

[jabumbo]

Brazil may have won most of their games comfortably, but they were fucking awful to watch.

Thank you, Netherlands (y)



seriously, man. some of that crap was too frustrating to watch!

felipe melo is going to need police watch now.

[checkyourprez]

Brazil may have won most of their games comfortably, but they were fucking awful to watch.

Thank you, Netherlands (y)


a lot nicer to watch then england my dear boy.

[Adam]

Its just like watching Brazil

[Junker]

seriously, man. some of that crap was too frustrating to watch!

felipe melo is going to need police watch now.

True! People will want to murder this asshole.

And the fucking cunt said in an after game interview that it wasnt his intention to hurt Robben. If he really wanted to, he could break his leg cause he's strong enough to do it. :mad:

Oh man, I think even in Juventus he's not going to play anymore. This team will always be remembered as the team that Felipe Melo screwed up all by himself.

I know it's not only his fault. But he and Dunga will always be the blamed ones for this crappy campaign.

[Guy Incognito]

well, might as well post a couple of things about the two weeks i havent been around:

- watching the england - slovenia game on the pyramid stage at glastonbury was easily the best atmosphere i have ever experienced watching a match. amazing.

- watching the england - germany game at glastonbury was shit. not cos of the atmosphere but because we were shit. sure we chased the game and left massive holes at the back which made the result a bit flattering for the germans but we just looked like a park side at times. awful. and even if lampards goal had stood we would have been behind again before half time playing like that. Its a massive kick up the arse getting beat 4-1 and i only hope we use it as motivation to improve.

I have really enjoyed the world cup despite a few negatives, i have a feeling the final will be The Match of the tournament Its going to be Holland v Argentina.

The uruguay ghana extra time has been best bit of whole tournament.

[b i o n i c]

boo argentina.. that shit was so wack!

[checkyourprez]

talk about a critical beatdown.

germans a clicking on all cylinders. cup is shaping up nicely. been some good games.

[Audio.]

I knew Germany was gonna own shit was so obvious.

Yiiiipeeeee spain is going on forward :D

ps. We're afraid of the germans.

[Guy Incognito]

the quarter finals have been brilliant, competition has proper stepped up. the spain v paraguay second half was mental. that 5 mins of penalties was a farce but great to watch. if spain play like that the germans will win (i am saying this in the hope that my curse continues).

[roosta]

what a mental weekend of football.

The Germans must be clear favourites now....what a performance.

[b i o n i c]

my german side says im gonna have to go for germany to take it, but really i like all of the remaining teams so its gonna be hard to be excited either way. uruguay would be nice because theyre obscure and seem an unlikely winner, i like underdogs

[Guy Incognito]

germany v spain should be a classic, spain keep the ball better than anyone so its going to be a lot tougher for germany but they are so clinical on the break.

[Junker]

Thank you very much Germany!
Thank you for this massacre!
I knew you wouldn't let me down.. haha :D

Next victim: Spain!


PS: I almost forgot: Suck it Maradona!

[Lyman Zerga]

i hate the uruguayan team since their last game, fucking unfair



i think germany will win this time

p.s. özil is quite hot for an ugly dude

[Junker]

p.s. özil is quite hot for an ugly dude

His eyes scares the hell outta me. I think he's Marty Feldman's son.

[paul jones]

I hope Germany meet Holland in the final so that they can have another spitting contest

[checkyourprez]

i hate the uruguayan team since their last game, fucking unfair



i think germany will win this time

p.s. özil is quite hot for an ugly dude

why? that shit was fucking awesome.

[Adam]

I don't think Uruguay did anything that any other team wouldn't of done in football.

Cheating is ok in football, we all accept it. Whether you continue to buy into the sport because of it is up to you. I still do because the entertainment in this world cup has made me tolerate it a lot more.

[Junker]

There's nothing like 'unfair' in football. There are rules. And the rule doesnt say a player cant put his hand on the ball to prevent a coming goal. The rule says if he does, he'll be expelled and the other team will have a penalty kick.
So, if the Ghana player is a moron and cant even score a penalty kick, it's not his fault. :D

[Adam]

Junker is right, they all play to the same rules. If something becomes unfair because of it you've just gotta roll with it. If the governing bodies decide that the rule should be changed they are in a better position than emotional fans to vet that process and implement it.

[Guy Incognito]

all this talk of penalty goals needs to be thought about but its open to interpretation if it ever comes in.
What he did was instinctive and he did for his team. 95% of footballers would have done the same thing , if it was steven gerrard or whatever the british press would have called it heroic.
If fifa dont approve they should have awarded Ghana the match
He's got a ban, a red card and his team are going to suffer as his partnership with forlan is one of the things thats got them this far.

[HAL 9000]

This talk of cheating or unsportsmanlike conduct is silly in my view. The guy made a decision to play the ball from his hand, he knew the implications of his decision and was duly punished. It was a simple deicison that being 2-1 down with minutes to play is worse than being 1-1 with 10 men and a penalty kick against.

It was a gamble that paid off big time

[Guy Incognito]

plus football has a knack of balancing out justice so they will probably get some bad luck in the semi
also, if ghan score the penalty no one says fuck all
also, if uruguay werent playing the team that most of the owrld wanted to win the world cup ( or at least do really well) and it had been against germany or italy then none of this hoo-ha would be happening

[paul jones]

There was some fit dutch birds they showed twice in the crowd

well done TV camera ops. THAT is what the world cup is all about.....fit birds in the crowd(y)

[Guy Incognito]

good semi final. van bronckhorst walks away with goal of tournament award.

and the 2nd dutch goal was a bit dubious. karma time for uruguay

[checkyourprez]

good semi final. van bronckhorst walks away with goal of tournament award.

and the 2nd dutch goal was a bit dubious. karma time for uruguay

a fucking sublime hit.

[checkyourprez]

and if people had not bought into forlan being a top forward in the world, he has firmly cemented himself in that category.

[Audio.]

spain is gonna loose :(

Having doubts about them now since they're going against Germany tomorrow night.

Fuck that. I gotta have hope! Villa is our miracle man out there lately though.

[Drederick Tatum]

Berlin gonna party like it's 1939 if they win.

[Adam]

Berlin gonna party like it's 1939 if they win.

(y)

[Guy Incognito]

i have a new found respect for the german team. Before i have always had the impression that they were too clinical and methodical but now i appreciate their workrate, flair, ideas, concentration on the basics. They are everything a football team should be in my opinion.

Silly wagers to be had :

Van Bommel to be sent off in final. dont know the odds but its gonna happen
3-3 tonight - 66-1

[Adam]

I was behind the dutch until they cheated far too much last night, now its the germans I am routing for but as I've not liked the spanish cheating either. But that could all change. And yes, I am taking into account the goal that never was against england.

[Freebasser]

and if people had not bought into forlan being a top forward in the world, he has firmly cemented himself in that category.

He's a great player now, but there's also a good reason us United supporters called him Diego Forlorn.

Exhibit A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_A6QHdWcXg)

[Guy Incognito]

I was behind the dutch until they cheated far too much last night, now its the germans I am routing for but as I've not liked the spanish cheating either. But that could all change. And yes, I am taking into account the goal that never was against england.

the germans did nothing wrong it was the linesman, there is no way any team would have said "hey have a free goal back" in a world cup knockout game

He's a great player now, but there's also a good reason us United supporters called him Diego Forlorn.

Exhibit A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_A6QHdWcXg)

now now. 2 goals at anfield are priceless. Plus , he did miss a lot but he created so many chances and i think of his time at OT as instrumental in the making of the man, made a lot of mistakes at United and learnt from them and has become a great player. Fergie's influence would have helped him to some degree

[Adam]

the germans did nothing wrong it was the linesman, there is no way any team would have said "hey have a free goal back" in a world cup knockout game

totally agree. I just meant my anti-german bias has been taken into account

[Guy Incognito]

i have to say i think some of the stuff you call cheating is gamesmanship, slight difference. i.e loads of it goes on and is part and parcel of game. but having said that van bommel was a dirty bastard last night

[Guy Incognito]

this semi final is toilet so far, i am hoping this posts jinxes that and the 2nd half is a belter but its awful. nerves evrywhere.