World Cup 2010
- Thread starter scottdisco
- Start date
crackerjack
Well-known member
they defended well. but really, there's no point bemoaning a dull world cup then celebrating when anti-football wins out over the proper stuff
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
true - when giant-killing is carried out by dull teams (greece, 2004), it's no good for the game, and everyone bemoans it after. only when it's won by good footballing sides does it become interesting (eg Turkey in 2002, though they didn't kill any giants, rather just progressed way further than expected).
now things get really interesting, and chile-switzerland begins to assume an importance way above expected. Switzerland draw, and they're odds on to win the group, plunging Spain into a second round clash with Brazil that could be the biggest second round match in footabll history.
put http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/ in front of any website address (leaving off the http bit).
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
until this afternoon, the vuvuzela has easily been the story of the world cup.
2nd round predictions (why not)
Mexico v South Korea
Argentina v South Africa
England v Ghana
Germany v USA
Netherlands v Paraguay
Italy v Denmark
Brazil v Switzerland
Chile v Ivory Coast
(Chile-Spain draw, Chile beat Switz, everyone beats Honduras)
What's the rcord for most non-European teams in the last 16? (ok, i'm really bored, and have made it 8 in 2002. I have it on for 10 this year).
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yea good point to be fair
crackerjack
Well-known member
Oh indeed. It's not giant-killing that's the problem, it's boring football. Maybe I'm wrong, but in my mind Switzerland are up there with Norway as a team who have never, ever tried to play the good stuff and just exist by squeezing the life out of the game. Not that they exactly did that today, but you get my drift
.controversial... but why not?
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
I'm not sure it is that controversial though - Spain have lost not to their strongest rivals, but their second strongest, and it always gets complicated when one team look likely to lose all three (sorry, Honduras fans). It's all a bit Germany-Austria-Algeria, with no Teutonic Pact to bail Spain out.
Spain will do well to beat Chile in the next (?) game - if they don't, their fate is no longer in their hands.
On the plus side, should Chile win the group, they could go far.
don_quixote
Trent End
hope spain come second. spain-brazil will be pure sickness
don_quixote
Trent End
didn't realise it was south africa - uruguay actually tonight
crackerjack
Well-known member
Good summary. Spain play Honduras next, Chile last. I reckon Navas should see more action - he introduced a random, direct element that wasn't there before.
Sectionfive
bandwagon house
crackerjack
Well-known member
This is well worth a read.
Many of the points discussed upthread given a good going over.
BBC in particular seem to pick their pundits at random out of an agent's roster. Why haven't they got Desailly this year? I thought he was top boy last time out, now he's in a bit-part role over at ITV.
Many of the points discussed upthread given a good going over.
BBC in particular seem to pick their pundits at random out of an agent's roster. Why haven't they got Desailly this year? I thought he was top boy last time out, now he's in a bit-part role over at ITV.
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South Africa looks completely lame. No structure whatsoever, they are not going anywhere.
Spain beat themselves, certainly Switzerland played quite collapsed, but Spain was looking sufficiently superhuman that i really think they could have taken that game at any moment had they thought about penetrating differently. Has Iniesta been playing a sort of wing role for the national squad in the past? He doesn't fit there very well. Totally unwilling to take the line, and just making the wrong kind of services at any given moment.
Really just too many players working the same skill set on the field today. Until Fernando Torres came on they quite literally had nobody capable of breaking through the back line--and he is obviously a little bit rickety at the moment. It he's fit enough to start next game, i think they should have no trouble clearing this group.
I wouldn't be so cranky with this Uruguay SA game if i hadn't been spoiled with the Spanish passing clinic i woke up for this morning. There are pacing and spacing issues obviously, but that team looked waay way to strong in that first half to be discounted at this stage.
Spain beat themselves, certainly Switzerland played quite collapsed, but Spain was looking sufficiently superhuman that i really think they could have taken that game at any moment had they thought about penetrating differently. Has Iniesta been playing a sort of wing role for the national squad in the past? He doesn't fit there very well. Totally unwilling to take the line, and just making the wrong kind of services at any given moment.
Really just too many players working the same skill set on the field today. Until Fernando Torres came on they quite literally had nobody capable of breaking through the back line--and he is obviously a little bit rickety at the moment. It he's fit enough to start next game, i think they should have no trouble clearing this group.
I wouldn't be so cranky with this Uruguay SA game if i hadn't been spoiled with the Spanish passing clinic i woke up for this morning. There are pacing and spacing issues obviously, but that team looked waay way to strong in that first half to be discounted at this stage.
south africa are so frustrating to watch, decent individuals but not really gelling somehow... GO BAFANA
ha spot on.. lineker is such a shrugging creep. every conspiratorial wink is a dagger in my eye.
ha spot on.. lineker is such a shrugging creep. every conspiratorial wink is a dagger in my eye.
hucks
Your Message Here
Yeah, Alonso + Xavi + Iniesta + Silva is at least 25% too much tippy tappy. Two holding midfielders was a bit much today, too. Navas was good when he came on, like someone said upthread. Apparently, in Spain there's a bit of a discussion as to whether Villa and Torres are the sum of their parts when they play together