World Cup 2010

[Matthew]

Too bad the Portugal-Brazil game is almost devoided of any signification.

Hey, they're on track for fourteen yellow cards! Exciting!

Plus, Rinaldo seems to be color-blind, he can't see anything in red. Or he feels like superman, and can score from 100 yards out from the goal

[Van Basten II]

Just looked at my predictions of who would be still there for the second round, although it did not play out exactly as I thought it would be , still managed so far 10 correct predictions out of 14. My failures France, Italy, Danemark and Nigeria, on the other hand my projected finalists are already out. For the record picked Spain and Chile to move on.

Don't know if it happened before but all the south-american teams can qualify depending on today's result.

So far from Europe 5 teams have qualifiied although two teams can join them yet, which is a good but not great result.

As mentionned South America is doing a number with a 4 out of 4 and are going for a perfect 5

Concacaf with two teams qualifying , Honduras still has a very remote chance to join them. Great year for them and they probably can lobby for one more slot.

Asia and Oceania have managed to get two teams to the next level.

The disaster comes from Africa who has put all its hopes on Ghana. Unless they manage a way to get to the semis (Which is quite plausible considering the lack of experience their oppnent have ) it will be a huge step backwards for African football

[mikeweil]

I feel sorry for the African teams, but they who make the goals will move on - I vividly remember the facial expression of one player of the Cameroon team after he missed standing alone before a goal wide open ... not taking such chances is fatal in such a tournament.  

Too bad the Ivory Coast's victory came somewhat too late - Portugal vs. Brazil was a disappointing, play-it-safe game.

Now there will be Spain vs. Portugal ... and Brazil vs. Chile, and Argentina vs. Mexiko - throwing each other out of the tournament, the teams from South America and Iberia   ...

[Tim McG]

US WINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In dramatic fashion, no less!

How could that be? I thought this thing was rigged against the USA?

I couldn't watch the game, unfortunately. But a great achievement for the U.S. team.

I guess they could get Germany next? Still to be determined.

Plan to watch one of the later games. Australia vs. Serbia looks like the better match, yes?

Oh c'mon....be serious once.

That goal at the end was so incredibly obvious the refs couldn't overturn it. How pathetic is that? The goal has to be so incredibly obvious before the International refs won't find some reason to disallow it. Did you miss the first goal in the game by USA? Same old biased bullshit. Thankfully, a different outcome this time.

Hey look, Man...if you really think refs/umpires do not have the power to completly alter the outcome of a game then you need to review that blown call in Detroit [Tigers] which denied the pitcher of record a no hitter. And if you further believe that ref/umps/judges haven't done so in International sports then, with all due respect, you need to do some research on that point.

No kidding.

Edited June 26, 2010 by GoodSpeak

[Van Basten II]

How about some predictions

Uruguay-South Corea: Uruguay has played some very good football and you gotta feel this will be the year for Forlan, considering how open this part of the bracket, there might be a suprising semi participation for them, heck originally did not see them get out of the group.

USA-Ghana Ghana because we all know that nobody wants to see the US there Seriously, I'll think playing at home will be the telling story but you gotta admire the way the US has played the game so far, they have a joie de vivre in their style however I fear their naïveté will cost them. Ghana in a upset and at a certain point good news for the continent, but don't put the farm on it.

[J.A.W.]

Uruguay and Ajax Amsterdam forward Suárez scores; Uruguay 1, South Korea 0.

[Van Basten II]

Two bad calls against Uruguay may have costed them two possible goals, this game is not over yet.

[J.A.W.]

South Korea have equalized: 1-1, with about 20 minutes left.

I wouldn't be surprised to see this game go to extra time.

[J.A.W.]

Suárez scores again for Uruguay, 2-1, with about 10 minutes left.

[J.A.W.]

Full time: Uruguay 2, South Korea 1.

Former World Champions (1930, 1950) Uruguay advance to the quarter finals.

[Van Basten II]

Was about to write Suarez was a bit too much of a goal hog guess he showed me a thing.

Was impressed by the way Uruguay was able to changed gears after Korea's goal, then again you have to wonder why they went in reverse in the first place

[B. Goren.]

On July 2, Urguay will meet the winner between USA ans Ghana. On the paper, Urgusay is a better team than both of them and should go all the way to the semi final.

[Van Basten II]

By the way there is a possibility of having a final four with only South-American teams.

[papsrus]

Hey look, Man...if you really think refs/umpires do not have the power to completly alter the outcome of a game then you need to review that blown call in Detroit [Tigers] which denied the pitcher of record a no hitter. And if you further believe that ref/umps/judges haven't done so in International sports then, with all due respect, you need to do some research on that point.

No kidding.

I'll leave the "research" to you. But I don't think I ever said officiating in general is without its faults. That, however, is an entirely different thing than claiming all world competitions since Stalin have been rigged against the U.S.

Just off the top of my head, and without doing any "research," I believe the U.S. has led the medal count in the last few Olympics. How does that happen under this international conspiracy of yours?

A nice run in this tournament by the U.S. squad. Looks like it's about over now though. Congratulations to Ghana.

[J.A.W.]

Full time: United States 1, Ghana 2 after extra time. Ghana advance to the quarter finals.

I had hoped that the quality of the football (soccer ) would improve in the knock-out stages, but this was a pretty bad game - again. Maybe it'll get better tomorrow, with the Germany v. England and Argentina v. México games

[porcy62]

Just off the top of my head, and without doing any "research," I believe the U.S. has led the medal count in the last few Olympics. How does that happen under this international conspiracy of yours?

Are you kidding?

International communist conspiracy deprived US of curling's medals:

Everybody knows that hawaians are masters of it.

BTW, you, americans, should look at the shameful behavoir of the judges toward Jamaica's bobsled team too.

Edited June 26, 2010 by porcy62

[Matthew]

Yeah, it wasn't that great of a game, the best team probably won. I have to say though, it looked to me like Clint Dempsey was verging into "drama queen" territory at times...

[neveronfriday]

For the past 25 years or so, I've been asking myself why aliens only visit the United States when they feel like checking us out again.

Some posts in this thread finally answered that nagging question.

I can sleep again.

Thank you!

[Swinging Swede]

And to get in the right mood for the England-Germany battle today, here is Daily Mirror's notorious 1996 front-page (with Stuart Pearce and Paul Gascoigne in the picture):

[Van Basten II]

Don't expect many suprises today, have not seen the winning performance of England but unless the team is on a peaking curve, can't see them get through the Germans. HaHave not seen anything from the Mexicans that would made them a tough match for Argentine but who knows maybe the erratic Maradona will find a way to screw his team up. To his credit, he has a good WC so far, letting the talent of his team do the work.

[J.A.W.]

Klose scores: Germany 1, England 0.

So far another poor game from the English team, Germany are clearly better.

[Van Basten II]

England are getting schooled

[J.A.W.]

Podolski scores: Germany lead 2-0.

Germany outclass England at the moment.

...and then Upson scores for England: Germany lead 2-1.

An England ball lands behind the German goal line - it's a "1966 World Cup Final" moment, but this time the goal is disallowed.

The English team are fighting back.

[sidewinder]

An England ball lands clearly behind the German goal-line, but the referee disallows the goal.

Should have been 2-2. If not for the idiot ref who is blind and gets in the way of play. Jerk !

[Van Basten II]

Controversy aside, kudos to England for getting back in the game, didn't think they had that in them.

Is this Karma getting back for 1966