FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa

heh ya that's what I was thinking at the same time, why not just deck the guy.. especially as that's his last game ever anyway.

Really been enjoying soccer more than ever this World Cup. I've never really watched it outside of the WC times, but I really feel like I'm starting to understand a lot of the strategy this time, so I can enjoy the long goal-less sessions too.

If you're liking the tactical side then check out this site:

http://www.zonalmarking.net/

Oh and Germany - England next round!

Yip, Germany - England should be awesome!

Miles better performance from England this morning. Will need to improve again if they expect to get past Germany. For the love of god DO NOT GO TO PENALTIES!

FUCK YES!! ENGLAAAAAAAAAAAND. Fucking Rooney tho. Play for England! Man U twat

Cahills hand ball might not have been "deliberate", but if you flap your arms around in the penalty area like that and the ball hits it...thats a penalty imo. Unlucky Serbia

One side of the draw looks a lot tougher then the other right now. Uruguay vs South Korea and USA vs Ghana on one side and Germany v England and Argentina v Mexico on the other

I actually think facing Germany will be the ebst thing for England, sure they might lose, but if anything is going to fire them up to perform it's a match against the old enemy. Then a possible match with Argentina if they win, grudge match frenzy!

Possible Spain - Portugal second round match as well...

ONE WORLD CUP!
TWO WORLD WARS!

but, i think England are gonna get slaughtered

I didn't realise the USA Algeria game had such a dramatic finish, they only scored the winner in injury time and at that point Slovenia were going through:



<3 World Cup, so many magic moments!

Landon Donovan is a bit of a legend, btw LOVED this sportscentre ad I saw while watching old WSOP last night

*kick* "I didnt do anything!"

that saying has been revised since winning the rugby world cup by the way

really, they beat the germans in the rugby world cup?

ahh apologies, i thought you were using it in the general take the piss out of England in any sport buffoonery context, rather than the direct Germanic - Anglo context.

did he get a yellow card for the celebration?

Not that I know of... He didn't take his shirt off so there's no reason to book him, and the only reason players can get booked for celebrating is taing your shirt off, excessively delaying the restart, deliberately inciting opposition players, or inciting the fans - this covers both deliberately inciting opposition fans or your own (for example jumping the barrier and going into the crowd).

imo he excessively delayed the start by letting his team swarm him.

seems FIFA need to be a bit more consistent in their rulings

Inciting opposition players:

I don't think he let them swarm him, they just did. Delaying the restart refers to minutes not seconds as well, referees will tell players to get on with before booking them for that. Plus most recognise that when a winner is scored in injury time players are going to celebrate it pretty hard, and they can add the time lost to celebrations onto the end... The referee is the sole judge of time and the baord that's held up refers to to the minimum amount of stoppage time so even when a goal is scored after the 90 they can add more time on tfor the celebration. In case you're trying to make a comparison Reid got booked for taking his short off, not for the amount of time spend celebrating.

Here's a referee telling them to get on with it, he gives them a good bit of leeway and also recognises the importance of the goal when doing so:

What a ride

Good times!

On the side note, I think if NZ can transform their midfield into more of a attacking one, we will be sweet. Let's face it, defence is solid as. And I don't think we're lacking good strikers. They will learn truck loads from this and be buzzing for the next World Cup.

And it looks like we'll have the same route for 2014 with a playoff against the 5th placed Asian team.

Amazing ride

Pretty damn proud right now, but shows how much the team wanted it by the lowered heads at the end.

But who would of thought we could be unbeaten at the world cup!! And we finished above Italy!!!

Hopefully they don't get bagged by people (the fairweather followers)... gotta put this result in prespective eh... great for the future of NZ football. We def stoood up and showed the world.

I only gutted that the ride is over, not that we're out... So proud of the lads, more points than reigning World Champions.

Nelson should be renamed Nelsen in honour of our heroic captain.

England vs. Germany tonight! Massive game. 3-2 England with Rooney getting a brace.

They really should think about bringing on Rooney though.

Yeah right

Capello: England's worst ever World Cup manager.

There have been some shockers by refs at this WC. Next world cup will have a challenge system for perceived bad calls, mark my words.

it has to be said - no way the Germans would have got four past the All White's defense.

Why do I put up with this heartbreak every four fucking years? Even though we were ABSOLUTELY ROBBED of a clear goal, that doesn't account for the woeful defending that saw Germany tear us to shreds on the counter. 2-2 at HT could have been a different story but I think it would have gone to penalties and then we all know what happens then.

I'd pick Germany to go past Argentina as well. Guess I'm supporting Spain and Netherlands now with Van Persie and Fabregas.

Argh. So bad. Glad I wasn't in Foxes I heard there was plenty of beer being hurled after the game.

FUCK YOU FIFA FOR NOT HAVING VIDEO REPLAYS.

They don't need video replays for that. They just need hawk-eye on the goals. It could instantly send a signal to the refs/linesmans earpieces to let them know if it's a goal.

Wouldn't even need that. It was 100% obvious it had crossed the line from front on, let alone side on. The linesman that missed it should be sent home for getting it so badly wrong.

However there's no denying England deserved to lose this game, Germany were better in every possible way, not just on the pitch as well. One year ago Germany faced England in the final of the Euro U21 Championships, Germany ran out 4-0 winner but the scoreline did not reflect the number of players England were missing through injury and suspension by the time they got to the final. Germany gambled on youth for this tournament and sent out their youngest squad ever, whereas as England's golden generation of losers (glolden more like) were all assured their spots because to leave them out would be unthinkable. Most damning is that players as talented as Ozil simply wouldn't get near the English team because there's no way they'd leave out Lampard and Gerrard. Two players that should act as understudies to one another, not fighting for the same space on the pitch. Look at Neuer a young keeper who has done very well ahead of established talent, whereas England's best keeper Joe Hart is on the bench considered too young and not experienced enough to be trusted at a World Cup.

Now we see an England team with not one players capable of beating a man (knocking it past someone and then running really fast isn't beating a man), the collective first touch of a rhino, no vision (closer than 30 yards? Shoot!), unable to keep the ball for any length of time, defenders who just clogg it forward, and a team that's unable to perform in big games. That's systematic of English football as a whole right now, the big clubs youth academies are lagging behind their European counter parts as they are more content to steal foreigners from other academies rather than develop British talent. Plus very few of the current squad are playing for the big teams in England.

The trouble is they need to commit to a long term plan, forget the Euros and then aim for 2014, but of course the FA and press would never accept that. Sack Capello, his awful tactics are just as much to blame as the players, give the job to the U21 coach Stuart Pearce and say to him that he's not allowed to pick any players who are over 30 right now. Bring through players like Ashley Young, Jack Wilshire, Micah Richards, Roger Johnson, and find ways to penalise clubs like Liverpool and Chelsea that are doing nothing in the way of developing English talent.

And so it begins:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3033164/Fans-fail-to-see-the-funny-side.html

Also some mongs have demanded that none of the players go on holiday now because it would be an insult to the nation.

Vamos España!

Torres will be lucky to be starting for the remainder of Spain's tournament, they were infinitely better once he was taken off. Although that's as much due to how good Llorente was playing an old fashioned centre forward role as much as how bad Torres was trying to get into a game when he's clearly not match fit.

Maradona doesn't fear the Jabulani:

Quarter Final picks?

Brazil
Ghana
Germany
Spain

HOLY SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just got this from one of my insiders:

Courts held a further 2 week gagging order on Steve Gerrards private life, turns out he got his wife's sister pregnant and this will hit the newspapers in 14 days, the judge put the gagging order in place to protect the FA while they decide on Capello, and the future of English football.

John Terry and the England boys all knew about it and JT had an argument with Capello because Gerrard got to keep the captains armband. The tension in the camp was down to JT and half the team saying Gerrard was a disgrace and the other half of the squad backing Gerrard. The press conference was related to the tension and JT wanted Gerrard exposed - they hate each other.

If that's true WOW! Just wow!

pretty sick if it is tru ya, zomg the tabloids are gonna go ballistic

hahahahahaha -- what a fkn mess

Looks like your insider is on the money, Miles Davis was just alluding to it on Radio Sport. He says he is waiting for the word from his bosses before he discusses it openly

Oof, Stevie! Fuck, that's a disgrace if true; that's the kinda thing that ruins a national squad's performances at a WC

Fuck sake

Robin Brooke

Stevie G?


Yet the BEST looking sportsman in the world - Tom Brady - has NEVER been linked to anything worse than having a child out of wedlock (WITH his girlfriend at the time)

Never. Cheated. Once.

Bless.

Stevie G's wife doesnt have a sister.

a brother?? Maybe sister in law?

She has two brothers.

In fact, i heard that Stevie G was the meat in the two brother sandwich, and that now HE is pregnant with a big brown food baby. JT meanwhile was crying on the shoulder of Rio Ferdinand, went for the sneaky 'im so unhappy and vulnerable' pash, but was rejected cos Ferdinand would never cheat on Rooney.

Shut up snowman

Anyway I dont really see what all the fuss is about. Its Steven Gerrand people. Captain of England. Captain of LIVERPOOL. Them 2 bints will just have to share him

It's starting to be alluded to in the press in the UK, nothing concrete just yet due to the gagging order but quite a few hints being dropped that there's some truth to the rumour.

Don't forget this year's most notorious serial cheater, Tiger.

Uhmmm isn't the story of him fucking his 16 yr old sister in law and getting her pregnant like months and months old?

Read in the sun* that it's all basically a viral text that's gotten out of hand

* this story has got me reading the sun ffs! :/

It's true
let's be clear - more women would throw themselves at t.b than tiger + stevie g combined
earns 20mn a year
mad covers of magazines
6'4" so you KNOW that dick is huge

so is that why you like taller men vads?

oh and back OT

isn't Ronaldo a pissy little sore-loser bitch ... but I guess we knew that already!

not to mention cry-baby

WOW Germany. Absolutely destroyed Argentina. Wonder what the odds were on 4-0 Germany before the game?

So Spain vs. Germany and Netherlands vs. Uruguay

Looks like a Netherlands vs. Germany final..

Argentina's poor defence exposed in spectacular fashion, hopefully that's the end of Maradona in charge because his selections have been puzzling. How Rodriguez and Veron were anywhere near the starting line-up was puzzling, having Mascherano as the sole central midfielder? Then of course the host of superior player that Maradona left out. A side containing Gabby Milito, Cambiasso, and Zanetti would not have conceded 4 goals to anyone, regardless of who else was around them.

Still so fucking gutted about Ghana! :/

yeah, i'm still pretty angry about that

I would love that final.

Got three bets alive still made from before the tournament. Spain gives me $55, Netherlands $130 and Germany $150.



Lookin good! :>

Spain - Netherlands

Sif Spain will get over the Germans! :>

Spain will just make sure Germany don't see the ball, that easy, you can't score on the counter if you don't get the ball to counter with. Plus Germany have been made to look very good by the worst England side I've ever seen (they nearly didn't make the second round), and an overhyped Argentina side with a non existent defence.

That said VDB looks like he'll stick with Torres and Alonso which I cannot fathom as both have been awful, Torres especially but Alonso is just not compatable with the rest of the midfield. England has clearly ruined his Spanish possession abilities as while Iniesta, Xavi, and Busquets are happy playing little triangles Alonso seems to be obsessed with spraying shit passes 40 yards across the pitch. THAT'S NOT HOW SPAIN PLAY! Bring in two of Cesc, Llorente, or David Silva for Alonso and Torres. The continued selection of Torres is most concerning because he's been SO bad this whole World Cup, he's unfit and gives the impression he's not even trying. The team has been so much better once he's been withdrawn that it's alarming just how much VDB favouritism plays havoc with his selections, as Torres and Alonso are very much his favourites.

With the exception of Reina, they are by far the to coolest players in the team though, you can understand a bit of favouritism sometimes <: ^_^

Agree though, they have both looked poo. Torres is particularly concerning, but I've had the feeling that he's been heavily targeted for marking, hence his poor returns so far, while his replacements come on when the opposition is both a bit knackered and feeling like they've weathered the El Nino storm.

Note I MAY be slightly biased in this matter.

Pffft Piqué is so cool he makes Reina, Torres, and Alonso look like school on a Saturday (no class). Also check out San Iker post match:



You gonna get jumped son!

Hahah giggedy!

Number of successful passes by James, Johnson, Terry, Upson, King, A Cole, Milner, Lennon, SWP, Lampard, Barry, Gerrard, Heskey, Rooney, Defoe combined = 1322

Number of successful passes by Alonso, Xavi, Busquets and Pique = 1375.

Granted Spain had an extra game, but there's 11 more players to make up numbers for England.

^^ Boring continental football imo <:

^^ Boring continental football imo <:

That's the thing that many people don't realise, Germany have been helped by early goals due to very poor defending in every game they have won convincingly. Whereas Spain are almost impossible to beat when they go ahead because they can keep the ball forever so if they were to score early they'd make it very difficult for Germany to get back into it.

I'm sorry, but those spanish sea niggers are gonna get their asses kicked

Well if Germany get one of their cheap ass apex FIFA cut back goals early on there might be trouble but they'll probably be too star struck when faced with Piqués machismo.



Makes Tom Brady look like a hobo.

This Germany team looks very good though. When they get the ball they are moving so well together. Even on defence they look so fluid.

It's gonna be a cracker!

Not cracking at half time let"s hope it"s not a shootout for the final that should have been.

Well thar's better. One up to Spain after 70 mins and many pushes on the german goal. Brilliant save by the spanish goalie too.

¡Vivaaaa Espa?aaaaaa!

Go the psychic octopus!

heh, Jono was pretty much spot on in his analysis up there

Guaranteed new World Champions as well.

Aside from keeping the ball this was the first time we saw Spain exhibit the Barcelona joc de premsat agressiu (Catalan for aggressive pressing game) which really put Germany under pressure when they managed to get the ball and resulted in a lot of mistakes. They couldn't do it all game because that sort of pressing tires you quickly thus it was only in the back end of each half that we saw Germany have any sort of sustained periods of possession. Overall far too good though, Germany's only chance falling to Kroos while Klose was marked out of the game. Great to see Puyol get the winner as well.

This was my first thoguht as well!


Ah well, hopefully the Dutchies win, I gets me mo' moneys then! :>

he's picking spain to win

Disgraceful performance from the Dutch, probably the worst final since 1990... Hard to believe that is the same shirt worn by Cruyff, Neeskins, Van Bastan, and Gullit, they basically did everything they could to prevent a football game breaking out. If that wasn't a World Cup Final where the referee was worried about the spectacle they would've been down to 9 men by half time, De Jong's kick on Alonso was one the worst challenges I have ever seen.

lulz

Well hats off to South Africa they hosted a blinder or a WC ...

Total stink football from the Dutch this morning :/

lulz

Viva Espana

2014 will be England's year :p

Yeah, it really was a grea-PPRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRPPPPP!!!