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World Cup 2010


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Okay, so this is a place to discuss the World Cup. And PLEASE discuss it. Why? Well, I'm in an interesting quandary. See, I got this project to write blog reports for a research group, about soccer, ESPN, and the World Cup. Only one problem. I'm me. I've played soccer maybe twice, seen possibly 5 mins of ESPN in my entire life, and the only thing I know about the World Cup is what I've seen on BBC News, about the horns, and that it's in South Africa. (District 9!)

So, I was wondering if it would be okay for yall to discuss the World Cup so I actually get some real world knowledge from people that know what's going on?

I mean, here's the hilarious part of the first question.

Tell us what you love about this event [The World Cup] and what you are most looking forward to. If you had to explain to someone who is a big sports fan, but hasn’t been exposed to the World Cup, how would you describe it to him or her in terms of what makes it unique. Go on the web and find some pictures to post on your blog that capture the emotions that represent the World Cup. Now give us a sense of “your” teams. Who are you pulling for and why? How do you feel about Team USA – one of your teams? Why / why not? Do you have any soccer or World Cup rituals? Tell us what they are please.

That's me! Well, except for the big sports fan part.

Also, I'm sorry if this is weird or over the line in any way. I don't need my questions answered really, just discussed. If that's bad just go ahead and delete everything. :)

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Okay, so this is a place to discuss the World Cup. And PLEASE discuss it. Why? Well, I'm in an interesting quandary. See, I got this project to write blog reports for a research group, about soccer, ESPN, and the World Cup. Only one problem. I'm me. I've played soccer maybe twice, seen possibly 5 mins of ESPN in my entire life, and the only thing I know about the World Cup is what I've seen on BBC News, about the horns, and that it's in South Africa. (District 9!)

So, I was wondering if it would be okay for yall to discuss the World Cup so I actually get some real world knowledge from people that know what's going on?

I mean, here's the hilarious part of the first question.

Tell us what you love about this event [The World Cup] and what you are most looking forward to. If you had to explain to someone who is a big sports fan, but hasn’t been exposed to the World Cup, how would you describe it to him or her in terms of what makes it unique. Go on the web and find some pictures to post on your blog that capture the emotions that represent the World Cup. Now give us a sense of “your” teams. Who are you pulling for and why? How do you feel about Team USA – one of your teams? Why / why not? Do you have any soccer or World Cup rituals? Tell us what they are please.

That's me! Well, except for the big sports fan part.

Also, I'm sorry if this is weird or over the line in any way. I don't need my questions answered really, just discussed. If that's bad just go ahead and delete everything. :)

hey whats up,

I am by no means a world cup fanatic. But i did play soccer for 14 years and have some understanding as to whats going on. Not perfect. but some. Ill help you out as best I can cause it looks like youve been on this blog(multiverse) for days and just need some help. Dont hold me to the accuracy though. lol. But I have mildly followed the cup thus far.

Tell us what you love about this event [The World Cup] and what you are most looking forward to.

The event is interesting/different because1) it happens only once every four years.2) there are multiple rounds to get to the finals including qualifying rounds, group rounds(which is what we are seeing now) and knockout round(which is similar to sweet 16 in college Bball(again from my understanding) The tourney can be compared to the Olympics in this respect, only once in four years. Nations as a whole are competing, and the site for the pressure cooker part of the tourney is decided ahead of time(south africa this time). It is also unique in that within the group rounds(what we see now, and USA is in group C i believe with england, algeria and slovakia, the latter they are playing right now) 2 out of four advance to the knockout round and that this round is based on more than just winning and losing, it is based on a points system that I dont really understand, but it has to do with winning or drawing of course, but also the margin of victory over your opponent. You should easily be looking forward to the semi finals, as this is when every movement and every mistake is a matter of national pride or shame for these players, lol.

If you had to explain to someone who is a big sports fan, but hasn’t been exposed to the World Cup, how would you describe it to him or her in terms of what makes it unique.

You could prob use some stuff from above, also this tourney and soccer(yes im american d*mn it) in general allows for any underdog team to upset powerhouses. that is very unique. As a high scoring game would be considered 4-3. And it is plausible for the underdog to win, sometimes even likely. examples-USA drew with england last week 1-1 on a very lucky shot(they were the underdog and proud of that tie, although they are a very respectable team, they were not expected to draw or beat england) Mexicao and South Africa...same thing 1-1...unexpected in Mexico favor. And recently mexico beat france 2-0, also unexpected in France favor. Brazil tied korea 1-1(Brazil is considered a shining star, always. lol) And the defending champs Italy from 2006( i think they played france in 06'), are not shining as they prob should. What makes it unique? every tourney is different, because it only happens every four years and anything can happen. Germany seems to be a heavy favorite this year by crushing australia, 4-0, but who knows, Argentina also looks very good. and of course brazil. Also as mentioned above. Not every country makes it to the group rounds. Slovakia(the meta USA is playing right now) beat out Russia to make to this group, it was very unexpected and they are using it as ammo, evidence to why they can beat the USA, which they could.

Go on the web and find some pictures to post on your blog that capture the emotions that represent the World Cup.\

this one is easy. Fifa.com has everything youll need. look up pics from england-USA, brazil, fans, opening events, etc. Its also a good quick resource for the whole lowdown.

Now give us a sense of “your” teams. Who are you pulling for and why? How do you feel about Team USA – one of your teams? Why / why not?

That one is up to you. In my opinion, USA is an underdog in the world cup and soccer in general. To speak frankly. No one respects us as a soccer team. Even though we are ranked #14 and have some outstanding players(#14 is a respectable world ranking) for that reason The US should be one of your teams. haha yankee pride! You can get the vibe if you go to fifa.com and look at some of the comments posted about the matches. None are disrespectful, but the attitude is clear. To push into the knockout round/final 16 would bring some much needed respect. USA(unlike many other competitions) is by no means a favorite worldwide. They are expected to win today though against #25 slov. So im rooting for them. Also if you watch the interviews with the USA team, they are very serious and respectful, because they know that on a global scale "football" is taken very seriously. They are not cocky or arrogant. So why not root for them.

Rituals?

I dont have any, to be honest I stumbled across footage while following the NBA finals on ESPN.com. haha. and then just kept tabs cause its easy to do.

Hope this helped. Again, not an expert or even a die hard fan. so dont hold me to accuracy of any of it. But i think its mostly correct.

Okay, so this is a place to discuss the World Cup. And PLEASE discuss it. Why? Well, I'm in an interesting quandary. See, I got this project to write blog reports for a research group, about soccer, ESPN, and the World Cup. Only one problem. I'm me. I've played soccer maybe twice, seen possibly 5 mins of ESPN in my entire life, and the only thing I know about the World Cup is what I've seen on BBC News, about the horns, and that it's in South Africa. (District 9!)

So, I was wondering if it would be okay for yall to discuss the World Cup so I actually get some real world knowledge from people that know what's going on?

I mean, here's the hilarious part of the first question.

Tell us what you love about this event [The World Cup] and what you are most looking forward to. If you had to explain to someone who is a big sports fan, but hasn’t been exposed to the World Cup, how would you describe it to him or her in terms of what makes it unique. Go on the web and find some pictures to post on your blog that capture the emotions that represent the World Cup. Now give us a sense of “your” teams. Who are you pulling for and why? How do you feel about Team USA – one of your teams? Why / why not? Do you have any soccer or World Cup rituals? Tell us what they are please.

That's me! Well, except for the big sports fan part.

Also, I'm sorry if this is weird or over the line in any way. I don't need my questions answered really, just discussed. If that's bad just go ahead and delete everything. :)

hey whats up,

I am by no means a world cup fanatic. But i did play soccer for 14 years and have some understanding as to whats going on. Not perfect. but some. Ill help you out as best I can cause it looks like youve been on this blog(multiverse) for days and just need some help. Dont hold me to the accuracy though. lol. But I have mildly followed the cup thus far.

Tell us what you love about this event [The World Cup] and what you are most looking forward to.

The event is interesting/different because1) it happens only once every four years.2) there are multiple rounds to get to the finals including qualifying rounds, group rounds(which is what we are seeing now) and knockout round(which is similar to sweet 16 in college Bball(again from my understanding) The tourney can be compared to the Olympics in this respect, only once in four years. Nations as a whole are competing, and the site for the pressure cooker part of the tourney is decided ahead of time(south africa this time). It is also unique in that within the group rounds(what we see now, and USA is in group C i believe with england, algeria and slovakia, the latter they are playing right now) 2 out of four advance to the knockout round and that this round is based on more than just winning and losing, it is based on a points system that I dont really understand, but it has to do with winning or drawing of course, but also the margin of victory over your opponent. You should easily be looking forward to the semi finals, as this is when every movement and every mistake is a matter of national pride or shame for these players, lol.

If you had to explain to someone who is a big sports fan, but hasn’t been exposed to the World Cup, how would you describe it to him or her in terms of what makes it unique.

You could prob use some stuff from above, also this tourney and soccer(yes im american d*mn it) in general allows for any underdog team to upset powerhouses. that is very unique. As a high scoring game would be considered 4-3. And it is plausible for the underdog to win, sometimes even likely. examples-USA drew with england last week 1-1 on a very lucky shot(they were the underdog and proud of that tie, although they are a very respectable team, they were not expected to draw or beat england) Mexicao and South Africa...same thing 1-1...unexpected in Mexico favor. And recently mexico beat france 2-0, also unexpected in France favor. Brazil tied korea 1-1(Brazil is considered a shining star, always. lol) And the defending champs Italy from 2006( i think they played france in 06'), are not shining as they prob should. What makes it unique? every tourney is different, because it only happens every four years and anything can happen. Germany seems to be a heavy favorite this year by crushing australia, 4-0, but who knows, Argentina also looks very good. and of course brazil. Also as mentioned above. Not every country makes it to the group rounds. Slovakia(the meta USA is playing right now) beat out Russia to make to this group, it was very unexpected and they are using it as ammo, evidence to why they can beat the USA, which they could.

Go on the web and find some pictures to post on your blog that capture the emotions that represent the World Cup.\

this one is easy. Fifa.com has everything youll need. look up pics from england-USA, brazil, fans, opening events, etc. Its also a good quick resource for the whole lowdown.

Now give us a sense of “your” teams. Who are you pulling for and why? How do you feel about Team USA – one of your teams? Why / why not?

That one is up to you. In my opinion, USA is an underdog in the world cup and soccer in general. To speak frankly. No one respects us as a soccer team. Even though we are ranked #14 and have some outstanding players(#14 is a respectable world ranking) for that reason The US should be one of your teams. haha yankee pride! You can get the vibe if you go to fifa.com and look at some of the comments posted about the matches. None are disrespectful, but the attitude is clear. To push into the knockout round/final 16 would bring some much needed respect. USA(unlike many other competitions) is by no means a favorite worldwide. They are expected to win today though against #25 slov. So im rooting for them. Also if you watch the interviews with the USA team, they are very serious and respectful, because they know that on a global scale "football" is taken very seriously. They are not cocky or arrogant. So why not root for them.

Rituals?

I dont have any, to be honest I stumbled across footage while following the NBA finals on ESPN.com. haha. and then just kept tabs cause its easy to do.

Hope this helped. Again, not an expert or even a die hard fan. so dont hold me to accuracy of any of it. But i think its mostly correct.

Just saw that USA drew 2-2 with Slovenia. Im not surprised. They are a very decent team, but USA is still in the running and they play Algeria next. should be close. They are basically racing England to qualify at this point. Not a horrible position at all.

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Well the first thing you need to know is the game is called football. The second thing is you not allowed to talk about football. It falls under the religion category for some people and thus it is anathema to discuss here.

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Considering that I've only asked for help discussing the WC, and posted one out of 15 questions, I'm inclined to say no. It's more like eves dropping on a conversation in the grocery store then passing the discussion along, rephrased, from your POV.

You you can call it cheating. Whatever flips your lid. I'm going to bed. -_-

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Isn't this like cheating? All I know about the World Cup is that vuvuzela is just about the most irritating sound in the world and it makes me think that the stadiums are being attacked by insects.

this :lol:

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There was a lot of build up over here about goal celebrations this time round with teams even bringing in goal celebration choreographers (how on earth do you decide to be one?!). So maybe thats a ritual?! You will notice alot of awkward dancing after goals. Also, England are going to win......... You may wanna put that in there. Honestly, i really think everyone over here believes it too. And why not with such a scorching start!!! Two draws, yeah baby, yeah. Just lulling everyone into a false sense of security, then we'll pounce...... :whistling:

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Having played football until I was thirty I had a genuine love for the game which continued for some years as I became a spectator. When I was eleven England actually won the World Cup which inspired me & most of my friends to become absolute football fanatics....we ate,drank & slept football. In my teens I was involved in the almost 'gang-culture' of football hooliganism ,something I'm not proud of but certainly not on the level of some of the animals you see these days . I thank God that I saw players of the calibre of George Best ,Bobby Moore ,Pele ,the Charlton brothers & the many others 'in the flesh' at Wembley (our national stadium) & at most of the country's biggest club stadiums. I thank God because these guys were like gods to me at an impressionable age & I have never seen there ilk since. George Best would have been one of the few people I would love to have 'thanked' personally for the pleasure he gave me ,unfortunately he died a couple of years back dreadfully wrecked by alcohol abuse....I actually cried when I heard the news & I suddenly felt old. I know I am old but there have been few moments in my life when I actually 'feel' it.

The best era for football was undoubtedly early seventies & late sixties & the 1970 World Cup which was won by Brazil in Mexico was simply marvellous & if you can find footage of any Brazil game watch it & then you'll become a football fan. So you may have probably guessed that regards to Football ...I live in the past ....because today's similar game is nothing like the game I used to play ,passion has been replaced by greed , skill replaced by athleticism, & fervour for your team replaced by blind loyalty without question. I still want England to do well because I'm a patriot but I'm not sure we will & I'm pretty positive we won't....both the teams we've played so far ,including yours, played with far more passion than 'we' did & 'we' still have far to many players who believe the hype they read & hear about themselves in our national media.

Rituals? Just about qualifying for World Cup Finals , disappointing commitment from the team , mathematical calculations to figure out whether we'll qualify for the quarter-finals ..................& losing to the Germans on penalties.

My name is Rob I am a footballholic but I no longer worship it.

Edited by buttheadsmate
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You might want to start with a great quote by a great English football player, Gary Lineker:

"Soccer is a game for 22 people that run around, play the ball, and one referee who makes a slew of mistakes, and in the end Germany always wins."

Seriously, I'm not as big as a fan as I should be, since I'm German and this is without any doubt religion to a whole lot of people living in the same country as I do. (But there are more things I don't share...)

A World Cup is something different. In the reception here in Germany - and I think in a lot of other European countries as well, it's one of the biggest events in sports, coming right after the Olympics. Or even in first place. I really do watch football games when it comes to this event and for some reasons BHM already mentioned and also spyder0013 came up with, I really cheer for the small teams. This year, there are a lot underdogs biting the shining *ss of some of the biggest teams. England not being able to defeat the USA? Spain, one of the top seated teams, losing to Switzerland, a team nobody ever thought would even know how to kick a ball. And after Germany beat the hell out of Australia - sorry for that - they lost to Serbia yesterday. And one of my favorite teams, New Zealand, was able to come up with a draw against Slovakia, where most people expected Slovakia to win by 5:0 or something like this.

When it comes to rituals, as fans, I know that people come together to watch the games in bars, public places or inviting friends and neighbors to their homes to watch. And usually you have BBQ in the evening. So there are a lot of BBQs these days. The time schedule for us is, that games being played start in the early afternoon and end right on prime time in the evening, so a lot of people watch every single game. Over 80% of the games are broadcasted live on public, that means free TV channels.

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I must be one of the few people in the world who actually have a soft spot for Serbia ,not because they beat Germany but purely because I've been to Belgrade . I went there about 5 years ago & they are just nuts about football & the rivalry between Partizan & Red Star is scarily intense , I never actually went to Serbia for the football but you can't escape the passion for it there. I loved Belgade despite the friendly digs about what "Your Tony Blair did to Serbia" from the people I met ....they could justifiably been a lot less friendly.

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before i start, i'll just mention to spyder that Brazil did in fact beat N.Korea 2-1... sorry sir.

right, it is a pleasure to help you in any way I can, the only reason i'd not started a World Cup thread already was because i didn't think anyone else would have any interest.

i'm a huge football fan, and at 22... from a difference generation to BHM, yet completely agree with the praise of the 1970 Brazil team.

like i've said, i'm a huge football fan, and have been looking forward to this world cup for months. So far, i've not missed a single game, and have no intention of doing so. I'll answer your questions in the same format as spyder... but if you want any additional information or other specific questions, please ask!

Tell us what you love about this event [The World Cup] and what you are most looking forward to

First and foremost, the World Cup means three matches of football a day! You barely have time to stick the kettle on or open a beer in between games. The group stage (8 groups with 4 teams, all teams play each other, with the top two going through. 3 points for a win, 1 each for as draw) can often be a little slow getting started as no one has any intention of losing, yet still a fantastic watch, with the promise of match ups such as Italy v Germany or Spain v Brazil just around the corner.

If you had to explain to someone who is a big sports fan, but hasn’t been exposed to the World Cup. how would you describe it to him or her in terms of what makes it unique

I'd be very suprised if a big sports fan had not been exposed to the world cup! I suppose all you could say to encourage them would be that this is their opportunity to watch the very best of the best take each other on. The world cup draws (almost) everyone in, those who have literally no interest in football start asking all kinds of questions, wearing shirts, etc. I live in Stoke-on-Trent, England, and would say 90% of people are in England shirts for the world cup.

In terms of uniqueness, i'll focus on this World Cup. Its in South Africa! the first time the World Cup has gone to Africa, which has certainly provided a 'unique' atmosphere. I'll deal with the buzzing elephant in the room, the vuvuzelas... it is not the sound itself thats bothering me (and everyone else watching) but the fact you can't hear the fans over them, resulting in no atmosphere whatsoever. If you can't hear any chanting from specific fans, only this whining drone from the neutral South Africans, then it may as well be silent. Plus, there have been numerous mistakes due to players not being able to communicate with each other.

Off the field, numerous schools and homes were demolished to build the new stadiums, with the promised they'd be rebuilt bigger and better. This didn't happen, and many many South Africans have been forced into living in nearby mountains, without shelter or access to food & water.

On the pitch, there have been a number of 'shocks', which aren't really shocks at all, as upsets are one of the few this guaranteed in a major tournament finals (the World cup is referred to as the World Cup finals, due to the inclusion of continental qualifying campaigns preceding the tournament... which go on for over a year). The only eyebrow raising result has been Switzerland's 1-0 win over Spain, arguably the best in the world (I agree with this!). Switzerland put 10men behind the ball for so much of the match, with no interest in playing football. That, paired with the new ball (i'll get to this!) meant it was always going to be near impossible for Spain to break them down, and the Swiss new they'd always get a chance to score (with this new ball!)

this world cup has been in danger of being ruined by the Jabulani, the new ball introduced for the tournament. They seem hell-bent on introducing a new ball for each tournament, each getting worse and worse. Its too light, it swerves of course, it bounces all over the place.... if Spain struggled to control it, there is NO HOPE! If the trend continues, the 2014 ball will be inflatable, and full of helium.

oh... and this year's World Cup mascot is awesome... its a yellow and green lion!

Now give us a sense of “your” teams. Who are you pulling for and why?

I am English, yet also follow Holland due to family heritage. Both teams are frustrating to watch

England - the expectation is too high, the coach picks the wrong players, they look afraid to score, they're not a team but a collection of individuals that can't play together. Whilst the world cup is special, and i make an exception, it is usually very very hard to care about the England national team, as the players are such horrible people;

Terry - a racist, adulterer, coward... recently stripped of his capacity for sleeping with a team mate's partner

Ashley Cole - adulterer, said he was being treated 'like a slave' for only being offered £55,000 a week.

Glen Johnson - recently convicted of stealing a toilet seat from a hardware shop... a toilet seat! The best part, is that he didn't just steal it, but tried to buy an 'expensive' toilet seat, having snuck it into the box of a cheaper one.

Gerrard - a thug, recently convicted of assault on a DJ

Rooney - a braindead bully... fancies grannies (this is not a crime)

Holland - arguably the best in the world in terms of technical ability, they start positively, but it has been a long long time since they reached as far as they really should. Plus, they play in orange, which is nice.

How do you feel about Team USA – one of your teams? Why / why not?

I hold a little (friendly) grudge, as they're now a very good side! even up to about 5-6 years ago, the US were essentially off the football radar, but... not content with being the best at everything else, they're now a half decent football side as well. As can be expected, the US side is extremely athletic, which in some cases compensates for the lack of 'world class' technical ability. The stand out players are Donovan and Dempsey, who both played in the English Premier League (arguably the best league in the world) last season. As spyder pointed out, the american players seem incredibly humble, and seem to genuinely enjoy just playing football... Dempsey in particular.

Believe it or not, very few people over in England were particularly shocked or disappointed with drawing against the US, it was more the manner of the US goal which was so frustrating (the England goalkeeper Rob Green essentially fumbled a tame shot). Whilst certainly not a top side just now, the US side will only continue to improve as the sport's profile rises in the states, so could be a up there in the next 10years.

Do you have any soccer or World Cup rituals? Tell us what they are please

not in particular... when i was young i used to make sure I wore a Tottenham Hotspur (my league side) shirt every match day, but that's not feasible with work, etc. The things a world cup can guarantee are wallcharts... and talking to people you've never met about what the England team are doing wrong... whether it be in the street, pub, club, shop, etc.

hope that helps... like i said, anything else... please ask

as for Serbia... they have a fantastic side, and i don't know what Germany must have done to offend that ref so badly, but given Serbia scored while the Germans were still reeling from the ridiculous sending off of Klose, it became pretty clear it wasn't going to be their day! Oh, and letting a striker who can't seem to score take the penalty... silliness

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:thumbsup: Yall are the best. With yalls I was able to catch up and get this done, and learn a little something too from real fans. By far the most interesting question I was asked, I actually contrasted the World Cup in South Africa with the Olympics in China. The world cup is being treated as a sport (at least around here) The Olympics were treated as China's coming out party, more focused on the country than the event. The time, the only think people know about South Africa is that's where District 9 took place. Perhaps a bit unfair, but it made for a good answer. :)
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Amazing post bobafett ....your opinion of the English players mirrors my own but I have to pick you up on Gerrard who actually got away with it......heaven only knows how??????? Don't forget Rio Ferdinand our injured ex-captain who failed to give a sample after a routine drugs test because....."he forgot" :rolleyes:

As for Holland .....always attractive to watch....... & there was that guy Cruyff :ohmy:

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"i'll just mention to spyder that Brazil did in fact beat N.Korea 2-1... sorry sir."

Ur totally right, my bad. for some reason all the news i read/interviews saw were about how Brazil was not that happy with the outcome. Were they expected to win by a lot more? lol.

I really like this thread. granted prob doesn't belong. but im learning a lot.

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Amazing post bobafett ....your opinion of the English players mirrors my own but I have to pick you up on Gerrard who actually got away with it......heaven only knows how??????? Don't forget Rio Ferdinand our injured ex-captain who failed to give a sample after a routine drugs test because....."he forgot" :rolleyes:

As for Holland .....always attractive to watch....... & there was that guy Cruyff :ohmy:

cheers, appreciate it! I'd forgotten about Rio, and that Gerrard got away with it, however ridiculous that may be, i'm afraid its not too suprising considering what players can get away with. This little discussion reminds me... Terry also quite famously parked across 2 disabled parking bays about a year ago... his excuse was simply that he could easily afford to pay the fine/ticket. Charming fellas, the lot of them.

oh yes, Cruyff is 'my' legend, as in... others have Pele or Maradonna, or as you mentioned Best. I'd never get bored of watching old clips of him in action, especially that famous goal from a ridiculously acute angle... i forget the year or tournament... but, i'm sure you know the one! Modric at Tottenham is v.much like a watered down Cruyff, sure he'll never be as good, but has a v.similar comfort and confidence on the ball, looks quite a lot like Cruyff, and even wears the 14 shirt.

i do feel the need to point out, before i came to Stoke for uni at 18, i had lived in London my whole life, and hadn't just plucked tottenham out of nowhere.

"i'll just mention to spyder that Brazil did in fact beat N.Korea 2-1... sorry sir."

Ur totally right, my bad. for some reason all the news i read/interviews saw were about how Brazil was not that happy with the outcome. Were they expected to win by a lot more? lol.

I really like this thread. granted prob doesn't belong. but im learning a lot.

no problem! well, yeah i'd say so... N.Korea are something of a non-entity when it comes to... well, anything really, including football. Brazil surely need to introduction, and the fact NK even scored was surprising and newsworthy. That said, at this stage of the competition, a win is v.much a win... and Brazil were comfortable throughout.

going slightly off topic here, but this reminds me... watched a Newsnight documentary on N.Korea the other day, its certainly worth a watch... it made me feel somewhat angry in fact.

the other parts can easily be found following that link

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Amazing post bobafett ....your opinion of the English players mirrors my own but I have to pick you up on Gerrard who actually got away with it......heaven only knows how??????? Don't forget Rio Ferdinand our injured ex-captain who failed to give a sample after a routine drugs test because....."he forgot" :rolleyes:

As for Holland .....always attractive to watch....... & there was that guy Cruyff :ohmy:

cheers, appreciate it! I'd forgotten about Rio, and that Gerrard got away with it, however ridiculous that may be, i'm afraid its not too suprising considering what players can get away with. This little discussion reminds me... Terry also quite famously parked across 2 disabled parking bays about a year ago... his excuse was simply that he could easily afford to pay the fine/ticket. Charming fellas, the lot of them.

oh yes, Cruyff is 'my' legend, as in... others have Pele or Maradonna, or as you mentioned Best. I'd never get bored of watching old clips of him in action, especially that famous goal from a ridiculously acute angle... i forget the year or tournament... but, i'm sure you know the one! Modric at Tottenham is v.much like a watered down Cruyff, sure he'll never be as good, but has a v.similar comfort and confidence on the ball, looks quite a lot like Cruyff, and even wears the 14 shirt.

i do feel the need to point out, before i came to Stoke for uni at 18, i had lived in London my whole life, and hadn't just plucked tottenham out of nowhere.

"i'll just mention to spyder that Brazil did in fact beat N.Korea 2-1... sorry sir."

Ur totally right, my bad. for some reason all the news i read/interviews saw were about how Brazil was not that happy with the outcome. Were they expected to win by a lot more? lol.

I really like this thread. granted prob doesn't belong. but im learning a lot.

no problem! well, yeah i'd say so... N.Korea are something of a non-entity when it comes to... well, anything really, including football. Brazil surely need to introduction, and the fact NK even scored was surprising and newsworthy. That said, at this stage of the competition, a win is v.much a win... and Brazil were comfortable throughout.

going slightly off topic here, but this reminds me... watched a Newsnight documentary on N.Korea the other day, its certainly worth a watch... it made me feel somewhat angry in fact.

the other parts can easily be found following that link

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U.S. game was freakin' nuts! I can't believe we won that one. So many opportunities blown, and another goal disallowed that shouldn't have been, but they get the score in OT (or whatever they call it in soccer). Guess U.S. is gonna win the World Cup now. I hope you other suckas are ready.

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just watched the US highlights (didn't get to see it earlier for obvious reasons!) well done chaps... thoroughly deserved, first time the US have topped a World Cup group since the first one in 1930. Felt v.sorry for Dempsey, he was onside with his goal, not that it matters now. Bill Clinton in the crowd as well, v.amusing!

England and USA in the last 16? ohhhh yes!

sorry Bob, I know Germany would have been expecting to at least make the quarter finals! Joking aside, I genuinely believe we, England, will win, despite Germany having a slightly better team technically... dreaded penalties perhaps? Bring it on... you guys have the 'mighty' Podolski :P

although i'm a little disappointed for Serbia, i'm pleased to see Ghana make it through, they've impressed me this World Cup.

just for the record... i still haven't missed a game, watched Germany v Ghana & Serbia v Australia at the same time earlier, with a splitscreen... that was fun!

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