The World Cup Thread

... and that was Fred flopping like the sack of shit I previously mentioned.

I agree with you about FIFA's corruption and general bullshit - Blatter can't fuck off/die quickly enough. There needs to be a major overhaul of their entire organisation, with new representatives being elected and new policies being made in an effort to stop corruption, with representatives comprising of former footballers, managers, referees and some supporters/supporters' groups and less "executives", "businessmen", lawyers and politicians.

Also, living in a country that previously hosted a World Cup, I can tell you that Durban's citizens will be making payments every month through rates payments (like property tax in the U.S. except encompasses more stuff) towards that damn stadium. The Government is happy for it to make no profit at all.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-afr...-mabhida-down-but-not-out-says-city-1.1641053

 

I think Americans think soccer is less manly for the same reason that figure skating seems a bit gay: it's the sport the weakest kids played. I'm not saying soccer is by any means weak or easy, but in the schools I attended, if you were too small for football, too short for basketball and too uncoordinated for baseball, you played soccer. It doesn't attract "real" athletes in the same way as other professional sports, and not at the school level. In my high school, the athletic kids played all year round: football, basketball, baseball, track, wrestling, golf. The soccer players: only soccer, they didn't even run track.

For myself, I am a casual Barcelona fan, because I lived there in 2006 when they won a metric shit-ton. I haven't watched a game in years, because I never truly understood what makes a great team or player great. I can watch US/Canadian football and to an extent, rugby, and appreciate good play from bad play. I can do this because of a lifetime of watching/reading about games and players and experiencing the sport at various levels. This simply wasn't the case for me as a kid and as an adult, I'm unwilling to invest the time.

Regarding the World Cup: fuck FIFA in any manner possible. Germany in 2006 was a good choice. I went to one game, it was awesome, the vibe was great and it was fun...sure, German people had their complaints, but it wasn't anything serious. South Africa in 2010 was a textbook case of abusing the poorest population. The horrible shit they pulled and covered up was atrocious. Brazil in 2014, Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022 are going to be horror shows of mistreatment of poor locals that will be ignored by international media. My friends in Brazil are livid at how FIFA is pushing around their government and basically saying that if Brazil doesn't win, there will be riots within riots. The only way Brazil tolerates this horseshit is if they win at home. Given that, I'll pay attention to the European leagues if given the chance, but I refuse to follow the World Cup, because it's up-fucking the development of the host countries in the name of making money.

 

Tried it. Didn't like it. Just as others have said, I respect the athletic ability but I don't really like watching it. It just doesn't translate well as a spectator sport to me. I'll watch it if I have a strong routing interest, so I basically watch 4 games every 4 years.

 

I'm just watching it for the commercials.

 

The need to invent a new, much more potent and ferocious form of cancer and give it exclusively to Sepp Blatter. What an absolute sleazy, greedy, two-faced cowardly lying cunt. He couldn't humiliate the sport more if he wanted to.

 

Counter-point: its also the cheapest in terms of starting up (also why its huge worldwide, play with some rolled up socks in the street,etc...). No need for hundreds of dollars in pads, gloves, gym/ice time. So if you have a kid who is unathletic or not all that interested in sports, why waste money on something more expensive, put him in soccer. I think thats part of the reason the youth soccer movement got so big. Those kids that "weren't good enough" for your other sports usually ended up being oversized dandelions on a soccer field and certainly weren't playing soccer once they got to HS age.

And for serious soccer players, its one of the few sports that its easy to play year round, even if you're not at an elite level. Spring or fall for HS depending on where you are, club during the summer and other season, and indoor during the winter. I played on 3 teams throughout HS. I found hockey players were similar, there weren't many hockey players playing other sports, hockey took up 80% of their time. Some of them were on the golf team.

And I make this next point as a huge fan, but the biggest culprit for the negative American view of soccer and soccer players is football. Soccer is the anti-thesis of American football. Lower scoring, you're not applauded for bashing the shit out of people, players are half the size, etc... The same people who bitch about soccer being boring complain about a 3-0 defensive battle football game. The machismo surrounding football in America (especially the South which should be a soccer development hotbed) is the reason soccer will never get huge, despite the healthy youth systems and participation.

 

Am I the only one noticing the punk's expression? He's scratching his chin while deep in thought or something; seems just a bit out of character.

"Hmm, I haven't seen that brand of riot shield before... What kind of baton does your department issue? Let's talk about the finer points of case law, and how you'll OC spray me when shit gets out of hand."

 

Two more game changing poor decisions in the first half of Mexico vs Cameroon. Added to the three of various debatability in the first game (Neymar non-red, Fred penalty, Croatia disallowed goal) that's five in two hours of football.

In better news I stand to win £125 if Argentina win thanks to some luck in the pub sweepstake.

 

There is one thing I like more about this World Cup than the last one, there are none of those dam Vuvuzelas, fucking things sucked.

 

What, you don't love the calm, soothing tranquil sounds of

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ etc.

.....I think just as annoying as them was the fact so many people came to their defence, like they were some traditional Dark Continent instrument or something. I had to watch the games on mute it was so damn bad.

 

I have watched 30 minutes of Soccer on accident (I was working and US Open went off of ESPN) today, and have already seen one goal as a result of a flop. I have another proposition that may stop flopping. Instead of it being a penalty shot for your team, give the other team a penalty shot. That would keep these folks standing. Most of these folks seem to have the balance of Gerald Ford.

 

It was adorable how the Brazilian team celebrated yesterday by laying on top of each other. And this:

 

Bzzzzzzzzzzzrrrrrrrpt

Geez, now even Bruce Wayne can't afford healthcare and education?! "I've had it with this dump! We got no food, we got no jobs. Our pets heads are falling off!"

ETA: For focus, predictions . . . Germany will win. US will not win.

 

Now that was a pummelling. Van Persie's first goal was outstanding. It easily could have ended up seven or eight.

The Netherlands become the first team to put five past Spain since Scotland beat them 6-2.

 

They are partying on Damrak right now, I guarantee-damn-tee that.

 

I have no connection to Chile. I only cheered for them today cause I bet on them, but by the end was pulling for the Soccerroos and Tim Cahill's single handed attempt to win the game for the Aussies, BUT....this commerical makes me want to run through a damn wall for them.



CHI-CHI-CHI LE-LE-LE is a great cheer too

 

Yeah, a couple of our best offensive players were injured in the last month, so Cahill was really pulling the whole team along by himself. I thought they did a great job for such a young and inexperienced team. Unfortunately they just got overwhelmed by the big stage at the beginning. Chile played exciting football and deserved to take the win. It'll be interesting to see where this group will go. The way the Netherlands tore Spain apart marked them as a top team so far. Roben and Robin were incredible, they made Casillas look like a fool by the end. The question now is whether Chile can defeat Spain. On paper you wouldn't think so, but Spain struggled to get it together today and they'll be coming off that humiliating loss.