Official World Cup 2010 discussion thread

[flyingelvii]

Spain wins again as another team refuses to play offense. It's laughable. Where does this innate fear of the Spanish team come from that causes normally potent offensive teams to back into a shell and await the inevitable? At some point you just have to play your game and let the chips fall where they may. You stand a better chance against this juggernaut by at least making attempts to score goals. Hopefully the Dutch will be play looser on Sunday and take the game at the Spanish.

All told, it was another typical game for the Spanish. The other team tried to bore them into a mistake, they wouldn't bite, and won ugly. Good for them. The potential impending blowjobs though, require me to root for the Dutch Sunday just out of principle as a guy.

Absolutely correct. Germany sat back, and sat back, and then got scored on. I can understand why a team like the U.S. refuses to play offense against Spain - our best bet is defend and counterattack. But at this level, you have to play some offense. No one wants games this important in PKs.

Germany's whole gameplan in this world cup was to sit back and then counter. It worked to perfection in their last two games. The England game in particular - 3 of their goals were the functional equivalent of cherry picking. The problem as I see it is that it is only an effective strategy if you get on the board first.

And set pieces. Problem is that Barca's defenders are very good at defending them. The Dutch general play a pretty positive style but I could imagine them going into a shell somewhat so as not to give a ton of space to Xavi and Iniesta, who will kill you when you give them something.

[EagleDave]

Spain wins again as another team refuses to play offense. It's laughable. Where does this innate fear of the Spanish team come from that causes normally potent offensive teams to back into a shell and await the inevitable? At some point you just have to play your game and let the chips fall where they may. You stand a better chance against this juggernaut by at least making attempts to score goals. Hopefully the Dutch will be play looser on Sunday and take the game at the Spanish.

All told, it was another typical game for the Spanish. The other team tried to bore them into a mistake, they wouldn't bite, and won ugly. Good for them. The potential impending blowjobs though, require me to root for the Dutch Sunday just out of principle as a guy.

Absolutely correct. Germany sat back, and sat back, and then got scored on. I can understand why a team like the U.S. refuses to play offense against Spain - our best bet is defend and counterattack. But at this level, you have to play some offense. No one wants games this important in PKs.

Germany's whole gameplan in this world cup was to sit back and then counter. It worked to perfection in their last two games. The England game in particular - 3 of their goals were the functional equivalent of cherry picking. The problem as I see it is that it is only an effective strategy if you get on the board first.

And set pieces. Problem is that Barca's defenders are very good at defending them. The Dutch general play a pretty positive style but I could imagine them going into a shell somewhat so as not to give a ton of space to Xavi and Iniesta, who will kill you when you give them something.

They're gonna get beat anyway if they come out in a shell. The difference is it will just be 1-0 again rather than 3-1 or 4-1. But again, your best bet is to get them into an up and down game and at least challenge them on the offensive end and take your chances. That defense has hardly had to do a thing besides sit back and enjoy the show the past 3 rounds. If you can get on the board against them first they'll have to chase the game a little bit and it would make it more interesting.

In conclusion...Dutch shell=1-0 Spain...Dutch attack=3-1 Spain but much more entertaining.

[twballgame9]

Dutch win, 2-1

[BC '00]

I finally have something to root for in this foolish thing. Let us pray that Catholic Spain defeats the onetime Calvinist Netherlands and their culture of drugs and death. The Netherlands should belong to Spain anyway.

You don't believe in blow jobs?

[twballgame9]

The Netherlands should belong to Spain anyway.

Yeah, how'd that work out the first time?

[EagleDave]

At the end of all of this isn't it really like if they held some sort of tournament that every school in the world competed in and after years of play and countless qualifiers and elimination matches you ended up with BC High and Walpole HS playing for all the marbles? Its too wierd that the two best soccer teams in the whole wide world are a couple hundred miles apart.

Considering that Asia and North America are pretty weak in soccer, it limits the actual distance that the 2 best teams could be from. So no, its not that weird. Without the benefit of the world rankings in front of me, if you scan the top 15 I think at least 9 of them would be European (Spain, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Italy, France, England, Greece, Serbia).

[twballgame9]

At the end of all of this isn't it really like if they held some sort of tournament that every school in the world competed in and after years of play and countless qualifiers and elimination matches you ended up with BC High and Walpole HS playing for all the marbles? Its too wierd that the two best soccer teams in the whole wide world are a couple hundred miles apart.

Considering that Asia and North America are pretty weak in soccer, it limits the actual distance that the 2 best teams could be from. So no, its not that weird. Without the benefit of the world rankings in front of me, if you scan the top 15 I think at least 9 of them would be European (Spain, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Italy, France, England, Greece, Serbia).

Croatia and Russia as well. Brazil, Argentina and US round out the top 15.

[twballgame9]

In a sport where sportsmanship takes a back seat to diving, fake injuries and weak ass delays, the concept of giving up possession to the other team as sportsmanship is retarded.

I was praying for that ball to go in. Screw the lame ass attempt at sportsmanship and screw this absolutely unwatchable Spanish style of play.

[RegalBCeagle]

This WC Final blows to this point. Any time a player is touched the fucking pussy dives to the ground as if they've been shot in the leg. Spain especially. I hope those Euro-Pussies lose this match and then their bus gets apprehended and each and every one of them gets anally raped by angry locals.

[twballgame9]

What an embarrassing sport. Spanish players go down left and right, and draw fouls and cards. The Dutch player, Robben, acts like a man, takes one of the worst hits of the day, stays on his feet, isn't a giant Spanish wuss, and then he gets a yellow card for arguing. You have to be shitting me.

[BCdee]

What an embarrassing sport. Spanish players go down left and right, and draw fouls and cards. The Dutch player, Robben, acts like a man, takes one of the worst hits of the day, stays on his feet, isn't a giant Spanish wuss, and then he gets a yellow card for arguing. You have to be shitting me.

The Spanish are diving left and right. Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. On that last foul, the Dutch defender didn't even touch him and he got a yellow.

[bcsoxfan12]

NO MORE VUVUZELAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah and Spain won

[flyingelvii]

Sure Spain dove but it's not like the Dutch didn't do their fair sure. Their best player, Robben, did it all game and it was oh so ironic when he didn't go down in what would've given Puyol a red and then flubbed his shot. Oh, and fuck Mark Van Bommel. Just a giant douche bag. Nice to see the Dutch pull the Chelsea on the ref too. Made me chuckle. ¡Viva la Furia Roja!

[EagleDave]

This is one of the rare instances I'll defend diving...

The Dutch played dirty the entire way and tried to muddle the game into a rock fight...successfully. And they did it because they knew they didn't have the talent to beat the Spanish straight up. So like the previous Spanish opponents, they played tight, compacted, and refused to open up and play offense for long stretches. The addition to the strategy was the hard fouls. So, in response, and out of frustration, they made them pay for it with the diving. Ultimately it worked to their advantage when they were able to get the 2nd yellow on Heitinga and get him tossed which directly led to the winning goal in overtime.

I have little pity for the Dutch and the 3 teams prior to them (Portugal, Paraguay, and Germany). Complain about the flopping all you want, but when one team refuses to play offense for 90 of 120 minutes and hangs all over you trying to get a negative reaction while refusing to play a competitive game? I'd do the same thing and try to flip the script on them. Spain kept their composure and didn't allow the Dutch to dictate the game, and as with the previous 3, found a way.

Viva Espana

[flyingelvii]

I just can't believe it took until extra time for a Dutch player to get sent off. Absolutely brutal display by them but, of course, Spain will be bitched at for their perceived diving which, while clearly present, is a tad overblown IMO. Spain played the game, the Dutch didn't, and ultimately they paid for it. The funny thing is that I thought the Dutch had a decent amount of skill to play and hang with Spain. Even though they had a huge disadvantage in terms of midfield playmakers, Sneijder, Robben, and co. are clearly talented enough to create without having to play in as atrocious a manner.

Choppy game with a bad first half and a pretty good second half/extra time but it is clear that the best team took home the cup.

[yurch10]

Diving?

I understand for the most part you people hate soccer, but there was very little diving in that game. From the reactions on this board, it would seem we were watching Italy or Portugal.

The Dutch were absolutely hammering the Spanish, just as the previous poster stated. There was very little diving, mostly just terrible, dirty fouls.

[BCEagle74]

South Africa...one of the worst crime, educational and fucked up countries on earth...was allowed to host the Cup.

They spent $4.5 billion and reaped may $1.2B back?

Horrible roads, infrastructure, schools and libraries.

The stadiums are left.

The vuvuzelas are left.

So Sad.

You host the World Cup in developed countries with proper facilities and infrastructure and who will not waste valuable resources on a country with more beautiful stadiums than teams and players?

Diversity, Mandela...progress come blow your horn.

NEVERGONNAGETIT.

[flyingelvii]

FWIW pretty much every country that hosts the WC loses a significant amount of money.

[twballgame9]

I can't believe it took me until extra time to turn that awful shit awful. Absolutely unwatchable.

And I really tried to like it. If the Americans aren't playing, there is no reason to watch that shit. Today was a waste of two hours that I could have been watching grass grow.

[BCEagle74]

These guys get touched and the whinebulance spray guns come out and the awards go out.

49DUEagle took more shots from Kirkwood Coeds on 19 South Street in the 70's during Happy Hour and I never saw him cry on the ground.

Soccer.

IT'S FOR PUSSIES.

[BCEagle74]

FWIW pretty much every country that hosts the WC loses a significant amount of money.

You are really a stupid little baby maker.

Most countries lose, some actually made money.

South Africa lost more than a couple of billion!

South Africa losing 1000X more than any other prior host makes the "rubber bounce and no balls" arbitrary baby maker on this site ---that would be you punk--- exactly what I ahve always called them...immature fagolas.

Do you read anything or just wait for me to post and go the other way?

Way to many asshole 74 on this site now.

[BC '00]

What an embarrassing sport. Spanish players go down left and right, and draw fouls and cards. The Dutch player, Robben, acts like a man, takes one of the worst hits of the day, stays on his feet, isn't a giant Spanish wuss, and then he gets a yellow card for arguing. You have to be shitting me.

You perfectly summed up the problem (except for the embarassing sport part). If you don't go down, you don't get the call. Plain and simple. But then if the ref starts giving out lots of calls when people go down, there's only more incentive to go down. Van Persie had a breakaway and chose to dive on a really minor touch from the Spanish defender, so they got a free kick. Robben tried to power through a challenge (he's probably the worst diver on NED, by the way) and didn't get the call. I think that having a second ref and really enforcing the diving rules would help a lot.

Overall, Alexi Lalas called it right...that game was a pig, and Iniesta's high quality goal was lipstick on a pig. That game had a ton of potential to be a really classic matchup, but it was awful. The announcers hinted at it repeatedly, the analysts said it, even the fans in the stands and the royals they kept showing looked bored as hell. Really disappointing ending to the Cup.

[BCEagle74]

Way to many asshole 74 on this site now.

just because someone disagrees with you does not mean that they are an "asshole 74."

they are called opinions and everyone has them. the better way to approach this is to further explain and support your position rather than immediately calling someone a name.

you have plenty of opinions that a few, some or all disagree with (depending on the opinion) and no one calls you a fagola asshole or questions your abilities to post your thoughts on this website.

for a self proclaimed genius, you have pretty thin skin. and i can say that because my skin is so thin, its tranlucent

You are right.

My apologies.

[BCEagle74]

Any sport that ends in a possible World Championship Shootout is for pussies.

[pick6pedro]

Any sport that ends in a possible World Championship Shootout is for pussies.

this i agree with... but wouldn't that also hold true for the nhl? i don't know if they "updated" their playoff rules to the regular season rules - but if they did, game 7 could be decided by shoot-outs (which is lamer than eagle25 trying to pick up acne-scarred chicks on a friday night)

Every NHL playoff game is sudden death in as many OTs as are needed (Thank Jebus).

[bcsoxfan12]

Any sport that ends in a possible World Championship Shootout is for pussies.

this i agree with... but wouldn't that also hold true for the nhl? i don't know if they "updated" their playoff rules to the regular season rules - but if they did, game 7 could be decided by shoot-outs (which is lamer than eagle25 trying to pick up acne-scarred chicks on a friday night)

Every NHL playoff game is sudden death in as many OTs as are needed (Thank Jebus).

Shoot-outs are Sudden Death is the way to go. The NFL OT rule is the worst of all sports, win the toss and kick a FG wow

[flyingelvii]

FWIW pretty much every country that hosts the WC loses a significant amount of money.

You are really a stupid little baby maker.

Most countries lose, some actually made money.

South Africa lost more than a couple of billion!

South Africa losing 1000X more than any other prior host makes the "rubber bounce and no balls" arbitrary baby maker on this site ---that would be you punk--- exactly what I ahve always called them...immature fagolas.

Do you read anything or just wait for me to post and go the other way?

Way to many asshole 74 on this site now.

I did not disclaim an opinion or anything just stated a fact that most countries lose money on the World Cup. So, um, yeah, I'm a little bit confused about this response.

[flyingelvii]

Any sport that ends in a possible World Championship Shootout is for pussies.

this i agree with... but wouldn't that also hold true for the nhl? i don't know if they "updated" their playoff rules to the regular season rules - but if they did, game 7 could be decided by shoot-outs (which is lamer than eagle25 trying to pick up acne-scarred chicks on a friday night)

Every NHL playoff game is sudden death in as many OTs as are needed (Thank Jebus).

Shoot-outs are Sudden Death is the way to go. The NFL OT rule is the worst of all sports, win the toss and kick a FG wow

So sudden death isn't the way to go?

Shootouts suck but so do games where the players can barely move. Long OT hockey games are cool for the novelty but the actual gameplay sucks. Tension is there, of course, but the play is often painful to watch.

And this WC final was a horrible game thanks to the Dutch's tactics. To claim that this game is representative of every soccer match (I'm looking your way TW) is incorporating the good ole SSS acronym.

[ryfarls]

The soccer pussy argument is retarted.
Guys between the ages of 35-dead probably never played any type of organized soccer in their life and dont understand it whatsoever.
Whereas, almost every kid (not all) born after 1975 played some sort of organized soccer and if they atleast went to the high school level with it can understand the nuances and the technicality of the game.
All im sayin here is if your running full speed and get kicked in the leg while trying to control a ball, you're probably going to fall down. Some of the shit is embarassing like when they get pushed and instantly grab their face but honestly look at the NBA, look at the MLB, NFL, NHL, and your going to find things like that happening and if you say it doesn't you clearly have no sense and should get your asshole mashed in with a meat cleaver.

[twballgame9]

The soccer pussy argument is retarted.
Guys between the ages of 35-dead probably never played any type of organized soccer in their life and dont understand it whatsoever.
Whereas, almost every kid (not all) born after 1975 played some sort of organized soccer and if they atleast went to the high school level with it can understand the nuances and the technicality of the game.
All im sayin here is if your running full speed and get kicked in the leg while trying to control a ball, you're probably going to fall down. Some of the shit is embarassing like when they get pushed and instantly grab their face but honestly look at the NBA, look at the MLB, NFL, NHL, and your going to find things like that happening and if you say it doesn't you clearly have no sense and should get your asshole mashed in with a meat cleaver.

Everyone played soccer. The nonsense that everyone plays soccer now and didn't play soccer then is retarded. Soccer has always been the sport that every fucking misfit in town played until the jocks started playing something else.

In fact, if you were old enough, you would realize that soccer was a hell of lot more popular back in the day than the MLS will ever be.







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League

That's right, 73,000+ for an American pro soccer game in Giants Stadium in 1978.

Oh, and don't forget....