World Cup - Page 2

DA1 · 06-15-2010, 05:07 PM

In the N. Korea - Brazil game, someone in the stands held up a sign that said, "Kim Jong-Il thinks I'm at work."
Donmara in the 1990 World Cup Argentina won its semi final game and England was playing Germany in the other one. My ex-military friends were rooting for England thinking the final game with Argentina would be small scale Falklands war grudge match. But Germany beat them and went on to win the championship.
By the way, I haven't heard about any soccer hooligans these games. Maybe the constant blaring of those horns took the fight out of them.

DA1 · 06-15-2010, 05:51 PM

Before the start of the N. Korea - Brazil game, the commentators were saying the N. Korean coach receives instructions on tactics and plays during the game from Kim Jong-Il. If it doesn't work out, and it didn't, who gets the blame?

Ben Lahnger · 06-15-2010, 10:08 PM

Actually, on Rachel Maddow's show tonight she said that according to CBS News Kim Jong-Il picks the players for the soccer team personally. His representative in the coaching area, Kim Jong Hun, says his leader transmits tactics just by facing South Africa and emitting his thought waves in its direction.

So, clearly that worked well.

Here's that sign you were talking about.

Best sign at the World Cup so far! LMAO!

Mir · 06-16-2010, 07:02 AM

Spain vs. the Swiss! Yes, my favourite team in action!

Heretic · 06-16-2010, 07:05 AM

Mine too. Go Switzerland! I have them as My dark horse team to make it to the elimination round. They don't get the press the Spanish team does, but they're tough and will definitely give Spain a fight.

- Heretic

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 06-16-2010, 08:42 AM

Go Switzerland indeed! That goal they scored was awesome. It was like watching a herd of fainting goats, and somehow getting the ball in the net.

Ben Lahnger · 06-16-2010, 08:53 AM

Wow! ... just wow!

Mir · 06-16-2010, 09:01 AM

*smashes his computer in a fit of rage*

DA1 · 06-17-2010, 06:45 AM

Uruguay beats South Africa 3-0 and Argentina beats S. Korea 4-1. I think after their first games the good teams are feeling confident and now going all out.

vindicatedxjin · 06-17-2010, 07:01 AM

South Korea LOST D: Bah...

Oh well Korea vs. France!!!

Ben Lahnger · 06-17-2010, 01:22 PM

Mexico took care of business vs. France and looks strong to likely it out of the first round. What a strong showing.

vindicatedxjin · 06-17-2010, 01:26 PM

Hahha I accidentally put Korea vs france up there this morning....i meant MEXICO... and they WON!!!!!

Ben Lahnger · 06-18-2010, 09:26 AM

Oh man! I know that Team USA has no one else to blame for letting Slovenia score 2 goals against them in the first half. But they played the second half with resolve, prevented any further damage and scored 2 goals to get themselves right back into it.

And then, at the 85 minute mark, off of a penalty kick, it looked like the US scored another goal ... but the referee disallowed it. And nobody can see why that goal wasn't allowed.

So ending up with a 2-2 tie means Team USA is still in the running, but needs a bit of help from other teams. And if that was a bad call by the referee, it would be a darned shame that their first competitive showing in the World Cup could be shelved by a disallowed goal that should have counted.

I'm not saying I expected them to go all the way, but I did have hopes (which are somewhat subdued now) that they might make it to the round of 16.

I dearly want to hear an official explanation for that referee's call.

Heretic · 06-18-2010, 10:05 AM

I think the line judge made the off-sides call. When you look at the viewing angle he had on that free kick, you couldn't see the Slovenian player behind and goal-side of Dempsey. It sucks, but that's how things are in sports; the person making the call usually doesn't have as good a look at what's going on as the dozens of TV cameras do.

- Heretic

Ben Lahnger · 06-18-2010, 01:59 PM

Interesting article at CNNSI dot com:

United States 2, Slovenia 2

SOURCE

by Grant Wahl

JOHANNESBURG — Three thoughts after the U.S.’s 2-2 tie against Slovenia in their second game of the World Cup at Ellis Park:

The U.S. got jobbed by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly.

The U.S. made one of the most remarkable second-half comebacks in World Cup history, becoming only the fifth team ever to gain a tie after taking a 2-0 deficit into halftime. But this result should have been the first time a team had ever won 3-2 in the World Cup after going down 2-0 at halftime. Maurice Edu‘s goal was disallowed by Coulibaly, apparently on the grounds that Edu committed a foul on Landon Donovan‘s free kick. That simply wasn’t the case, and one of the greatest moments in U.S. soccer history was negated by the call. You have to wonder why FIFA lets referees from less-established soccer countries work in the sport’s most important games. How often does Coulibaly officiate a top-level game in Mali? Still, the amazing U.S. comeback puts the Americans in a position where they could qualify for the second round with a win against Algeria on Wednesday. This was an all-time game marred by an all-time officiating blunder.

The U.S. had the initial letdown every American fan feared.

We’ve seen this before at the World Cup in letdown losses by the Yanks over the years: to Poland in 2002, to Ghana in ’06 and (in the first half, at least) to Slovenia, the country with the smallest population of any team at the World Cup. All credit to the Slovenes, especially Valter Birsa, who scored their first goal and was the most dangerous player on the field. But the U.S. did a lot wrong to fall behind 2-0 in the first half. Central defender Oguchi Onyewu had a brutal first half, failing to step up on Birsa on the first goal and playing Zlatan Ljubijankic onside on the second goal. (Onyewu’s seven-month layoff showed today.) Also, Bob Bradley‘s choice to start Robbie Findley will be questioned. Findley got the ball in dangerous spots but wasted his opportunities with a lack of passing quality. With Findley suspended against Algeria, look for Clint Dempsey to play up top as he did in the second half today.

Imagine what the U.S. could do if it started better.

You have to admire the Americans for coming back in both of their World Cup games so far against England and Slovenia. Their poise, tenacity and teamwork are the hallmarks of a good team, one that could go far at this World Cup. (It’s hard to imagine several other teams in this tournament coming back like the U.S. did today.) But poor starts are starting to become a terrible problem for the Yanks. Is it a question of poor mentality starting games? A loss of focus? Needless to say, the Algeria game will be a must-win for Bob Bradley’s outfit, which has given us some heart-stopping moments in these first two games of the World Cup.

The Divine Ms. M · 06-18-2010, 05:53 PM

Sigh I hear ya, we were robbed...I was so dissapointed in the begining that we were goning to be out, but as it seems in our nature to do, we somehow rallied in the end when it counted the most. I just hope we do better against Albania. We need to get in there & doninate from the word go. A draw is not going to be good enough. Having said that...U S A, U S A!

Still Jack · 06-19-2010, 01:54 AM

England got booed of. Lol.

Mir · 06-19-2010, 05:20 AM

I went to sleep after watching ~5 minutes of that game.

Ben Lahnger · 06-19-2010, 05:56 AM

FIFA may drop Malian referee Koman Coulibaly for the rest of the World Cup, or may relegate him to only service as a line judge or other supporting role, after being widely criticized for disallowing a potentially U.S.-winning goal off a free kick in Friday's U.S.-Slovenia World Cup clash. It is unlikely he will be given any assignments to referee further matches.

That is cold comfort after a decision that left an appreciatively competitive U.S. team with 2 overall points instead of 4 going into the final match of the elimination round.

The good news is that after England's woeful performance yesterday (A 0-0 draw? Really, England? Really?) the "yanks" are set up to advance with a win and possibly even on a draw. But after that stirring performance yesterday I really want them to win so they show demonstratively that they deserve to move on.

Hey, was England really one of the favorites going into this thing?

Corpsey · 06-20-2010, 04:23 PM

I feel your sentiments Ben against referees. On a new line of thought;

""Italian football can defy the laws of physics; only here does a small pull backwards on the shirt send a grown man tumbling forwards."

- Dan Silkstone.

NZ 1 ITALY 1.

*Whips off T-Shirt and whirls it in the air*

New Zealand remains undefeated at the world cup after being considered to be a cannon fodder team. This is UNLIKE Germany, France, England, Spain, Australia....

Italy takes the Oscar for most dramatic fall seen in the world cup. Amazing that they need to stick to such tactics when they have over 3000 players to choose from and New Zealand has only 25...

This has made EVERYONES day over here.

vindicatedxjin · 06-22-2010, 08:57 AM

Poor Mexico, at least they advanced though.

GOO Korea!!!

Ben Lahnger · 06-22-2010, 09:54 AM

Those poor North Korean players. I hope they find a way to defect before leaving North Korea, because I fear that returning home will mean a death sentence for them.

Mir · 06-22-2010, 11:21 AM

Lionel Messi's performances so far have left me breathing hard and decidedly wet in the pants.

vindicatedxjin · 06-22-2010, 12:02 PM

Yah I feel really bad for the North Koreans.

Mir · 06-23-2010, 08:01 AM

Wow, USA have a clear goal ruled out for offside.

England leading Slovenia.