Official 2010 World Cup Thread

[NYWarrior]

Drogba is out for the World Cup ... wow.  Africa's hope for a title on home soil now rest mostly with Nigeria.

http://deadspin.com/5555520/omfg-didier-drogba-out-of-the-world-cup

[LON]

Yeah, but the danger of it is that if you say you'll target floppers, then you target floppers, you'll get handed a card by the ref, and may miss out on the next match.

Diving used to bother me, but the more I've watched the sport, the more I've accepted that it is part of the game. There is a skill to diving, and if a ref suspects you are diving, that is also a bookable offense. I don't really see it as any different than basketball players selling a hard foul or a charge. When you see someone sliding backwards on their butt after a charge, yet with enough composure to still pump their fist as they see they earned the charge call in the lane, it's the same thing as a dive in football.

But the trainers aren't running out onto the court with a spray-can magically healing injuries...

I enjoy watching soccer, but A LOT of the players are...well, sissy-boys.

[brewcity77]

Don't rule out Cameroon. I give them great odds to come out of Group E in second place, the only drawback for them is that they will likely meet up with Spain or Portugal in the quarterfinals. But they are an overlooked squad that could make a run to the semifinals, possibly even the final itself with a few good bounces.

On another note...North Korea tried to outfox FIFA by only selecting two keepers and adding an extra striker. But FIFA rules mandate that you must bring three keepers, so now the striker they named as their third keeper can only play keeper for the duration of the Cup. Absolutely hilarious

North Korea striker now a keeper

And LON...it's all gamesmanship. Doing what you have to in order to win your team a valuable setpiece or a penalty isn't being a sissy, it's taking advantage of your physical training. I would absolutely love it if the US had anyone who could dive with half the talent that Cristiano Ronaldo does. It would be a huge benefit to our side. But because we as a nation deride this gamesmanship our players are hesitant to try. Then on the occasions when they do try to dive, frankly they suck at it.

I think it's important to understand the way a game is played. If a cornerback can get away with hand checks in American football beyond 5 yards or if an offensive lineman gets away with an illegal hold, do we call him a sissy? Is Chris Pronger a sissy because he is cross-checking Dustin Byfuglien illegally in the back on a nightly basis in the Stanley Cup Finals? When a Marquette basketball player does that little bit extra to earn free throws, do we complain? Every sport, and I mean every sport has a bit of cheating going on in every game, and probably close to on every play. It's easy to cast aspersions on sports you don't follow, but realize that the sports you do follow have just as much cheating on a nightly basis.

[damuts222]

Or when Kobe throws his arms in the air when he gets stripped of the ball or gets touched when going up to take a shot.

[reinko]

Now Ferdinand is officially out for the Brits.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/story/_/id/5250277/ce/us/england-captain-rio-ferdinand-ruled-world-cup&cc=5901?ver=us

  Not.

More like this, 

[caltruda]

I have a nagging fear that Ferdinand's absence may be an addition by subtraction for Angleterre. I know he brings leadership presence to a team currently desperate for it on the field, but he was inconsistent this season at the club level and injury-plagued. I still feel the US can exploit that backline with its speed, but like I said, just a nagging feeling.

I'm more worried if Rooney and Crouch can prove to co-exist against the US backline... I think the US needs to score at least two goals to come away with at least a point in that match.

[brewcity77]

Anyone watching the friendly with Australia? Looking very bright so far. Up 2-1 in the 55th minute, and could easily be 4-1 after Findley missed a wide open net and Dempsey had a goal ruled out for offside that probably should have been given. Defending suspect at times, but in general, a fairly solid performance so far.

[MUDPT]

I am encouraged except for Bornstein is playing.  Hopefully, this is his only appearance in SA.

[reinko]

Yanks looked good today.  With the way Buddle played today, most likely in line, for either a start or first striker off the bench. 

Still hoping for Jozy to recover completely, looks like he will be fine for the Redcoats game.

[brewcity77]

I am encouraged except for Bornstein is playing.  Hopefully, this is his only appearance in SA.

Today was the best Bornstein played in quite awhile. He did linger up front a bit too long after one attack, but he made a number of good clearances and got in the way of quite a few balls. Usually I think he's wretched, but it wasn't like Australia was rampaging all over our left defensive flank when he was in there. Not that I'm ready to slot him into the starting XI, but if pressed into service, he could do alright against Slovenia and Algeria if he plays like he did today.

My hope is that we've seen the last of Robbie Findley in South Africa. Great pace, but his decision making seemed poor today. He shot when he should have laid off, and had two fairly simple chances that he really should have converted. I realize you don't score every time, but that first half miss when he rounded Schwarzer so cleanly was just  Buddle did well both in going forward and playing the target role. I would like to see him start in front of Jozy with Gomez as the man to come in for the final fifteen minutes when we are either tied or down by one. If Jozy, Buddle, and Herc are all healthy for the next five weeks, I think our strikers could be surprisingly good in South Africa, something no one really expected a month ago.

[MUFC9295]

A few thoughts:  Pace seems to be a big factor in Bradley's squad.  I just hope Findley can hit those bunnies he missed today.  I am bery excited about the speed we have.  Is that why Beasley was chosen?  That selection still confuses me... speaking of hitting bunnies, when will John Terry start shagging his teammates' WAGs in the England camp and thereby sending the team into completely Chaos (Does Capello have an out-clause in the new contract?)... lastly, some MU folk will be watching at Small Bar (The new Fullerton location) in Chicago very early next Saturday. 

[brewcity77]

Yeah, surprised by Beas myself. My guess is because he is a bit more active as a defender when he's on the left flank than some of the younger guys. I would wager we will be most likely to see him late in games when we are protecting a lead.

EDIT: And not that I'm bothered, more confused. I've been on 199 posts for about a week now, maybe longer, and just noticed that I put this post up and my count stayed the same. Anyone know why this is?

[reinko]

Superbar posts don't count toward your total.

[brewcity77]

Ahh, cheers, Reinko

[MUDPT]

I hope that Bradley would move Dempsey up to play behind Jozy before Findley gets to play (that would put Holden or Feilhaber on the outside). 

[MU B2002]

And now Robben may be out for the "Orange".


http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Robben-puts-his-World-Cup-in-doubt-by-being-fanc?urn=sow,245940

[Henry Sugar]

More links

Awesome 3D tour of every world cup stadium by google earth  (HT:  Tim)

Fantastic (but long) article about Messi and Maradona

[Moonboots]

Confirmed now that Pirlo will be out for the Azzurri until after the group stage. =/

That doesn't bode well as he's the Azzurri's last creative force in the midfield. I suppose there's other ways to attack, but Italy's offense will get stale quickly if we rely on De Rossi to carry the load as a forward-moving center mid.

[LON]

http://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2010/06/the-us-world-cup-team-gets-its-proper-dose-of-motivation.html

Hilarious stuff from KSK, as always.

"THE OVERLORDS OF DEATH"

[Blackhat]

Slovenia Baby!!!!!!!!!!   First ever international cup win!!!



We are going to get smoked by USA though.

[downtown85]

WTF, those horns that create the constant noise throughout all the matches drive me nuts. 

I was in the World Cup in Germany in 2006.  It was loud but there weren't any horns.  I think they should be banned. 

[nyg]

WTF, those horns that create the constant noise throughout all the matches drive me nuts. 

I was in the World Cup in Germany in 2006.  It was loud but there weren't any horns.  I think they should be banned. 

Agree, sounds like there is a constant hornet's nest buzzing non-stop.  I actually turned the mute button on.

[Blackhat]

I lose faith in general opinion or mankind when a huge group of people are dumb enough to think it is cool to make a bunch of white noise during a sporting event.

[brewcity77]

I don't mind the vuvuzelas. I actually think they add to the environment, mainly because it's something memorable. They drove me nuts at first last summer, but it's just background noise. It doesn't drown out the crowd, and it is definitely something different. Europeans sing, South Americans dance, we chant "U-S-A" over and over.

Different cultures have different traditions, and that's what makes it a "World" Cup. Blow on, South Africa.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Different cultures have different traditions, and that's what makes it a "World" Cup. Blow on, South Africa.

Agree.

Go USA

Go Netherlands