World Cup 2010

[grizzleb]

it is indeed a worry that Brazil will stroll tot his WC by default.

I'd hate to see that, but if they can't drub North Korea with ease (despire their heavily defensive style) then they're as far from guaranteed as any of the other biggies who everyone expected to walk their groups. Tonight will give us a good indication.

Who was saying the WC was boring again?

I want to see one of the smaller South American teams do it.

 

[hucks]

it is indeed a worry that Brazil will stroll tot his WC by default.

I don't see that happening. Argentina have been the most impressive side so far, anyhow. And as much as their defence hasn't been tested, Brazil's only was sporadically, and found wanting.

 

[franz]

whoa, well Paston had a great game in net, that is for sure--that said i still think there is a big problem with the fact that all of Italy's quality chances are coming from the midfield. The only forward who has seemed somewhat capable of creativity thusfar is Di Natale... i do hope that 2 games of doing absolutely nothing will be sufficient in convincing Lippi not to start Gilardino, and i do not understand why he has stuck by Iaquinta thusfar. I would love to see Lippi playing the more creative second half fixtures (Camoranesi and Di Natale) in the first half when the need for a goal is less frantic.
I think the mounting urgency killed it for the Azzuri, in the last quarter of the game, and touches were progressively more and more off--all the more reason to show better earlier offensively.

The NZ goal has been half-motivated to try and dig out the offside rule... Offhand, i think i was operating under the assumption that the line by which offside is determined is the last point of contact--meaning once the ball takes the deflection off of Cannavarro, that becomes the position from which on and offside is dictated (he being the last defender back...).

the more i think about that, the less i think this is the case... because i don't think as a defender i cannot play a forward offside, by getting a piece of a through ball...

Even if that is not the case though, a ball taking a deflection off a defender does not render a player onside does it?

The hypothetical to that would be: a player who is clearly offside on a pass from a teammate is not rendered on-side by the pass having taken a deflection en-route...
this argument is based on one of the dismissals i heard from a commentator for the Canadian telecast... but actually i think one could also just contend that the linesman never saw the initial contact from Reid in the box, which would render the above hypothetical moot.

it doesn't matter anyway, as the goal stands obviously... but Italy has to feel a bit unlucky about the way they've conceded thusfar... on the other hand maybe it should serve as inspiration that, yes indeed, it is possible to give a good service into the box from which to score... something which they've failed to do repeatedly.

 

[grizzleb]

the linesman never saw the initial contact from Reid in the box,

I think this is what happened.

 

[Sectionfive]

The players vowed "to do everything individually and collectively so that France regains its honour [against South Africa] on Tuesday".

Thats that settled so.

 

[mixed_biscuits]

I would love to see Lippi playing the more creative second half fixtures (Camoranesi and Di Natale) in the first half when the need for a goal is less frantic.

The World Cup will be won by the one manager who has suppressed the authoritarian tendencies that the role encourages and put creativity and the ad-hoc, decentralised strategising of those on the field first: Maradona.

Lippi's Italy deserve all that they are getting, having left behind Totti, Cassano, Del Piero (creativity) and Balotelli (random factor - almost as good). Brazil too will have occasion to rue snubbing Ronaldinho and England, Joe Cole.

 

[computer_rock]

I think this is what happened.

yea.
and regarding the hypothetical: a defender deflecting/touching the ball doesn't render the player onside, but rather an attacking player not touching the ball does.


i'd like to think we're going to see brazil's defence giving something of a test tonight, especially if drog starts. has the potential to be a great game, but who honestly knows any more with this world cup

 

[paolo]

It's getting better with every round of matches *touches wood*

 

[baboon2004]

I'd hate to see that, but if they can't drub North Korea with ease (despire their heavily defensive style) then they're as far from guaranteed as any of the other biggies who everyone expected to walk their groups. Tonight will give us a good indication.

Who was saying the WC was boring again?

I want to see one of the smaller South American teams do it.

I do think North Korea are better than lots of people give them credit for. A cut above some oft he teams in SA, at any rate.

Yep, roll on Brazil-IC, so we can see how the defence deals with Drogba's plastercast.

I'd love to see Chile or Paraguay go far too. We shall see. That would be a seismic shake-up to the football world.

 

[grizzleb]

Yeah I'd agree, NK did look well organised and disciplined, and their two strikers both looked handy. It's going to be a decent match tonight, I hear Drogba is starting.

In unrelated news Sally Nugent is well tasty.

 

[don_quixote]

i think north korea have a low ranking and ratings because they are so isolated personally. they rarely play teams outside of asia, whereas japan, china and south korea regularly play european opposition in friendlies

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

As to the others, I think England will do it...

I know you kinda have to say that but do you - or does anyone, really - find it more likely that you guys will beat Slovakia than that we'll beat Algeria? I mean certainly it's possible but I can only say I like our chances to go through (to most likely be eliminated in the 1st rd, but whatever).

in other news, I particularly like that the French players rebellion is supposed to have been inspired by Zidane, or at least he's getting blamed for it. either way, he continues to be roughly the most awesome dude ever.

 

[don_quixote]

getting more and more wound up by lawrenson

padraig; we're playing slovenia, not slovakia

 

[don_quixote]

that's unbelievable. ref laughing about the fact he handballed it. wtf.

 

[Dr Awesome]

I think New Zealand is in shock.

 

[droid]

Whew! Double handball, constant diving, a melee and shades of Rivaldo with Kaka's sending off.

 

[don_quixote]

i thought kaka put the elbow in myself.

now we have the stupid situation where brazil and portugal can play out a draw and both go through.

 

[droid]

Looked to me like he turned away and raised his arm slightly to protect himself. He certainly didnt raise his elbow to the face.

The ref had a mare.

 

[don_quixote]

in fact we could have an absolute farce where it looks like spain are going to finish second in their group, italy are going to finish second in their group, so it's advantageous for brazil to finish second in their group and they could lose on purpose.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

padraig; we're playing slovenia, not slovakia

yes, that was a typo. i both watched the game & happen to know the difference between a piece of the former SFRY & one that used to be attached to Czech. the condescending wink is much appreciated tho, b/c of course all Americans are ignorant of E. Eur geography.

in re: Brazil-IC & in general I thinkone of the biggest reason Americans can't get into footie isn't so much the lack of scoring (tho that doesn't help) as the fact that a 2-0 lead is usually insurmountable. comebacks are a major tenet of pretty much every popular American sport: bottom of the 9th; miraculous 4th-quarter turnarounds; the inevitable comeback run in pretty much every NBA game ever. whereas once Brazil puts in the second goal - albeit w/the handball - it's pretty much over. certainly once they scored the third.