South Africa: World Cup 2010

[thepuffpastryhangman]

The "karate kick" was worse than Zidanne. Or just the kinda accident that only happens before you've been booked.

[Borboski]

Honestly I think that karate kick looks dreadful but I do think he was going for the ball, and even though he plants his foot on the chest he didn't follow through, his hands are going up as he's doing it.  It was a really stupid challenge, aggressive, but not actually malicious - and becuase he relented not that dangerous.

God the BBC were annoying, football punditry just get worse and worse and these wankers really were doing a circle jerk was narrative of wonderful Spain football and nasty Holland had been establised.  In fact, Spain put in some nasty challenges, which weren't mentioned, Iniesta did some ridiculous dives - and the Beeb thought it was somehow justified that Webb didn't give a foul on Elia because of red cards Webb didn't give in the first half.  What?  They didn't even mention the non-corner before the Elia foul, that is the worst example of that mistake I've ever seen.  I'm not surprised the Dutch were pissed off after all that effort for two appalling decisions in the 116th minute to cost them the game.  Oh and he didn't add any time despite i) a sending off, ii) 2 mins of celebration after the goal, iii) possibly Torres on the floor?

The irony and lesson is that both Robben and Elia should have dived - Puyol would have been sent off, and Elia's wouldn't have led to the goal.  A victory for football BBC?  I don't think so.

[actwithoutwords]

The irony and lesson is that both Robben and Elia should have dived - Puyol would have been sent off, and Elia's wouldn't have led to the goal.  A victory for football BBC?  I don't think so.

The irony of Robben forever regretting staying on his feet that time is utterly delicious.*




*While obviously noting that it's quite sad that a player needs to hit the deck to have a foul awarded.

[Lee Van Cleef]

Honestly I think that karate kick looks dreadful but I do think he was going for the ball, and even though he plants his foot on the chest he didn't follow through, his hands are going up as he's doing it.  It was a really stupid challenge, aggressive, but not actually malicious - and becuase he relented not that dangerous.

God the BBC were annoying, football punditry just get worse and worse and these wankers really were doing a circle jerk was narrative of wonderful Spain football and nasty Holland had been establised.  In fact, Spain put in some nasty challenges, which weren't mentioned, Iniesta did some ridiculous dives - and the Beeb thought it was somehow justified that Webb didn't give a foul on Elia because of red cards Webb didn't give in the first half.  What?  They didn't even mention the non-corner before the Elia foul, that is the worst example of that mistake I've ever seen.  I'm not surprised the Dutch were pissed off after all that effort for two appalling decisions in the 116th minute to cost them the game.  Oh and he didn't add any time despite i) a sending off, ii) 2 mins of celebration after the goal, iii) possibly Torres on the floor?

The irony and lesson is that both Robben and Elia should have dived - Puyol would have been sent off, and Elia's wouldn't have led to the goal.  A victory for football BBC?  I don't think so.

Hmmm.  But isn't the point that Robben didn't win?  Surely we can all agree that is a great thing?

[mikeyg27]

Anyway, I think this World Cup will be remembered for two things, Paul The Octopus and the Adidas Jabulani.

And vuvuzelas, surely?

[Lee Van Cleef]

And vuvuzelas, surely?

Is that Octopus food?

[thehungerartist]

God the BBC were annoying, football punditry just get worse and worse and these wankers really were doing a circle jerk was narrative of wonderful Spain football and nasty Holland had been establised.

Once again they've proven themselves to be a bunch of know-nothing pricks.  The only one I have a modicum of time for is Lee Dixon and even that's out of pity, what with him being the runt of the litter and all.  Lineker sardonically mentioning Forlan winning the FIFA Golden Ball™ to yelps of "Er... Iniesta?!? INIESTA!!" from Hansen and Shearer summed it up for me.  Fuck off back to Morrisons the pair of you.

Stream + radio commentary is the way forward people.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Shit World Cup. Spain scored 8 goals in 7 games, a real victory for football that.

They're a very, very good side though, I'll give them that. Not as good as the French side that did the same thing in 98 and 2000 though.

The true, moral victors are the unbeaten New Zealanders though. Let's not forget that.

[thehungerartist]

They're a very, very good side though, I'll give them that. Not as good as the French side that did the same thing in 98 and 2000 though.

I disagree and think they're just a Zidane short of being a far better side than that French team ever were - France weren't even the best team at World Cup 98.

Just think, what if Messi had become a naturalised Spaniard?

[Danger Man]

Shit World Cup.

At least it's not Brazil 2014.  The second half will probably be kicking off around now.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

My criteria for Brazil 2014 being a good World Cup basically revolves around Brazil not winning it. If Uruguay beat them in the final, it'll tip over into "greatest event in human history" territory.

[rudi]

We didn't have one single shock win this year

Switzerland beating the European and now World Champions? New Zealnd's three unbeaten games? Serbia beating the Germans?

There's been plenty of good moments in the tournament and I rather enjoyed the final once the excerable first half was done with. I, too, started wanting the Dutch to win butu had long since changed my mind before Extra Time was underway. What a terrible disappointment to see Holland resorting to such brainless tactics, not just the heavy-handedness, but their reliance on hoofing the ball towards Robben and hoping for a foul and set piece to follow.

[The Cloud of Unknowing]

Once again they've proven themselves to be a bunch of know-nothing pricks.  The only one I have a modicum of time for is Lee Dixon and even that's out of pity, what with him being the runt of the litter and all.  Lineker sardonically mentioning Forlan winning the FIFA Golden Ball™ to yelps of "Er... Iniesta?!? INIESTA!!" from Hansen and Shearer summed it up for me.  Fuck off back to Morrisons the pair of you.

Stream + radio commentary is the way forward people.

Did you see the piece with them in the restaurant in Saturday's MOTD highlights show?  Sums up their charmless complacency and apparent lack of insight nicely: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8808823.stm

[Milo]

And vuvuzelas, surely?

Those things are all over the place where I live, it's worse than apartheid. Hopefully the vuvuzela will go the same way.

[Borboski]

There was also a segment where Alan Shearer went to interview an impoverished South African, Shearer pulling a "concerned" face and looking incredibly unconfortable!





LOL!

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

How is Italy losing 3-2 to Slovakia not a shock win?

Well done to Spain. They were the best side after all. I didn't want them to win because of their superiority and their unexciting style of play (if they were that beautiful to watch explain why they scored 8 in 7 and didn't produce a single memorable encounter in the entire run apart from the one game they actually lost?).

They were highly functional and the best team in the tournament. I thought most teams showed them too much respect, so I have little sympathy for Holland or Germany for example. But football is going through a lean spell in terms of its use of tactics and its individual flair. 4-5-1 is like mutually assured destruction of any level of entertainment.

My favourite games of the season were the playoff finals.

[spanky]

Italy had been poor but I don't remember seeing anyone tip Slovakia to even get a point, especially as they'd actually been worse.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

My favourite games of the season were the playoff finals.

This is correct. There was more entertainment in Blackpool v Cardiff than there was in the entire first week of the World Cup.

In fact, I'd go as far as saying that no game at the World Cup was as entertaining and dramatic as that game.

[phes]

Did you see the piece with them in the restaurant in Saturday's MOTD highlights show?  Sums up their charmless complacency and apparent lack of insight nicely: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/8808823.stm

Crikey. I can't stand to watch Hansen again next year on MOTD. Short of editing it on the hop by closing my eyes and using the mute button, or actually editing everything but the highlights from the show. Why hasn't someone with time on their hands done this. Are there any other Saturday night Premier league highlight shows available in other places, shows that aren't MOTD?

oh, errr. Player of the tourney: Schweinsteiger. No goals, but fucking immense in every game he played.

[Lee Van Cleef]

I don't know.  I'm quite happy with Forlan taking that award, at times he put the team on his back and carried them by himself and I'm not sure he had the level of play around him that Schweinsteiger did.  I view it like I do the NFL MVP award in that regard I suppose.

[the midnight watch baboon]

Final CaB WC Fantasy standings :(

# Team Manager RD TOT
1  Placid Casuals FC  GazC78 58 590
2  Eto'o Brute?  gardenhead 67 561
3  Pursue Katse!  rubbishmonkey 50 541
4  Rene Higuita  Dr_Bongo 54 492
5  SLABS VERY GOOD TEAM  Taargüs 39 418
6  Blue Sky Black Death  Fashawn 19 410
7  Such a Boer  HaroldRiver 28 380
8  Real Micanio  micanio 19 372
9  Riversmonkey Rovers  riversmonkey 24 364
10  baby baboons  mid'baboon 26 363

[thepuffpastryhangman]

if they were that beautiful to watch explain why they scored 8 in 7

You don't (well, I hope you don't) judge comedy by the amount of punchlines. Nor do you judge musicians by the amount of hit singles they've had. I assume you're no Dan Brown fan either. etc.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Eto'o Brute should've won for the name alone.

My players of the tourney:

GK- Casilas
RB- Maicon
CB- Mertesacker
CB- Lugano
LB- Van Bronckhorst
RM- Muller
CM- Schweisteiger
CM- Xabi Alonso
CM- Sneijder
LM- Robben
FW- Forlan

SUBS-

Reina
Klose
Ozil
Beausejour
Lucio
Hernandez
A. Cole

[phantom_power]

part of the reason spain only scored 8 goals is that everyone was shit-scared of them and defended for their lives. another reason may be that villa is their only striker to turn up for the competition. an in-form torres might have added 4 or 5 to that himself and probably more in assists and generally allowing the spanish to allow their dominance of matches to show up more in the scoreline


allow allow allow

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

You don't (well, I hope you don't) judge comedy by the amount of punchlines. Nor do you judge musicians by the amount of hit singles they've had. I assume you're no Dan Brown fan either. etc.

Neither do you quote part of someone's sentence and represent it as being the full statement on the matter, simply for your own purposes of criticism.

I'm not re-iterating my comments relating to Spain especially for you. I'm happy with what I've put and I find your reply nonsensical and misrepresenting what I said.

Explain how a supposedly beautiful team did not play beautifully in a single game let alone produce a memorable hall-of-fame exhibition of flair and aesthetic football. They were functional and by far the best team and best individuals in the competition. There was nothing devastating, beautiful or ruthless about them. They plugged away patiently and played in a simple non-spectacular way.

[Utter Shit]

oh, errr. Player of the tourney: Schweinsteiger. No goals, but fucking immense in every game he played.

He had a great tournament sure, but he was pretty poor against Spain, the Spanish midfield never gave him a sniff. No shame in that, they are unbelievable, but it's generous in the extreme to call his performance in that game immense. I only saw the highlights of the Uruguay game so I don't know how good he was in that, but he gave the ball away cheaply for Cavani's goal.

I don't understand the criticism of the decision to award the Golden Ball to Forlan. He near single-handedly dragged a relatively poor Uruguay side to the semi-finals. Scored in nearly every game and was just generally a real soldier for them. Utterly fantastic, it would be out of him and Xavi for player of the tournament for me.

[Utter Shit]

Neither do you quote part of someone's sentence and represent it as being the full statement on the matter, simply for your own purposes of criticism.

I'm not re-iterating my comments relating to Spain especially for you. I'm happy with what I've put and I find your reply nonsensical and misrepresenting what I said.

Spain were excellent though and if you're going to mention the lack of goals you have to mention the context i.e. every team put ten men behind the ball and just crossed their fingers and hoped they could nick a goal on the break. The fact that they were consistently able to find a way through and hold tight at the back to win all of the knockout games 1-0 shows just how good they are.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Look, can you actually bother reading what I put? Did I say they weren't good?

[Utter Shit]

Er...I didn't say you said they weren't good, perhaps you should be asking that same question to yourself. You derided people who talk up their beautiful football (they're right, it is fantastic at the best of times) and described them as "unexciting". Which is just plainly bollocks. Pointing out their lack of goals without acknowledging the reason why is a very one-dimensional view, perhaps willingly so.

It's just a reality of modern football that on the biggest stage, most teams are organised and tactically aware enough to at least stop the other team from creating loads of chances if they are willing to sacrifice attacking intent. Spain played against four teams completely intent on this kind of strategy and still found a way past all four of them, including nullifying a previously inspired Germany side and a Holland side that had done for Brazil.

So yes, I read what you said, and replied accordingly. I'm not sure what part of this is upsetting you to be honest.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

You implied that I was criticizing their quality, here:

The fact that they were consistently able to find a way through and hold tight at the back to win all of the knockout games 1-0 shows just how good they are.

That's how it seemed to me. If you thought I hadn't been, then why would you have felt the need to type t?

described them as "unexciting". Which is just plainly bollocks

No it isn't, it's a subjective view, much like someone having an opinion on what constitutes good music is a subjective view.

Spain occasionally increased the tempo and occasionally passing moves were breathtaking, but we're talking about infrequent 30 second intervals. The majority of their game was patient accurate passing in midfield. I'm not saying it wasn't effective, but what's exciting to you about that?

I found Uruguay, Ghana, Germany and Chile more exciting teams to watch.