Sas
Contributor
Yea... to be honest I would rather Australia be good at football and bad at everything else though
The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Discussion Thread
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Yea... to be honest I would rather Australia be good at football and bad at everything else though
OP
Deefstes
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They've already used up that voucher for Rugby.
OP
Deefstes
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South Africa - Uruguay:
Just as well ScubaBoard has been down all morning as I was ready to post a heavily vitriolled message but now I've had some time to come to my senses.
The bottom line is, South Africa was outplayed convincingly by a much more organised and impressive team. Truth be told, this is more the kind of scoreline I had expected going into the tournament. I have no idea how we managed to pull off a draw with Mexico. What people around here seem to forget is that South Africa is still ranked only 83rd on FIFA's rankings while the other teams in the group are ranked 9th (France), 16th (Uruguay) and 17th (Mexico) so while the rankings are not the be-all and end-all, it still gives a good indication of just how realistic a chance South Africa had.
Having said all that, the red-card must have been the worst decision a ref has made in this World Cup. Not only was Suarez off-side to start with (after the deflection off Cavani from Forlan's pass) so the foul by the keeper (if indeed it was a foul) was moot. Even if it wasn't for the off side, it is very clear that Suarez engineered the penalty (like he has tried at least twice earlier in the game) and the ref fell for it like a sucker.
Seriously, I agree that you can't expect referees to be perfect all the time but, if you're going to officiate at a world class event like this, is it too much to ask that you don't officiate like a primary school teacher? Red Card!?!?! Come on please!
Now, what is the Spanish for "sour grapes"? Maybe I need some more calming down still:cool2:
Argentina - South Korea:
How about that! These Argentines mean business. Excellent movement of the ball, great ideas in mid field, super skills by Tevez and Messi and no less than three goals off Higuain's boot! Their defense still looks a little bit unorganised but if your attack is this precise it doesn't exactly matter.
Just as well ScubaBoard has been down all morning as I was ready to post a heavily vitriolled message but now I've had some time to come to my senses.
The bottom line is, South Africa was outplayed convincingly by a much more organised and impressive team. Truth be told, this is more the kind of scoreline I had expected going into the tournament. I have no idea how we managed to pull off a draw with Mexico. What people around here seem to forget is that South Africa is still ranked only 83rd on FIFA's rankings while the other teams in the group are ranked 9th (France), 16th (Uruguay) and 17th (Mexico) so while the rankings are not the be-all and end-all, it still gives a good indication of just how realistic a chance South Africa had.
Having said all that, the red-card must have been the worst decision a ref has made in this World Cup. Not only was Suarez off-side to start with (after the deflection off Cavani from Forlan's pass) so the foul by the keeper (if indeed it was a foul) was moot. Even if it wasn't for the off side, it is very clear that Suarez engineered the penalty (like he has tried at least twice earlier in the game) and the ref fell for it like a sucker.
Seriously, I agree that you can't expect referees to be perfect all the time but, if you're going to officiate at a world class event like this, is it too much to ask that you don't officiate like a primary school teacher? Red Card!?!?! Come on please!
Now, what is the Spanish for "sour grapes"? Maybe I need some more calming down still:cool2:
Argentina - South Korea:
How about that! These Argentines mean business. Excellent movement of the ball, great ideas in mid field, super skills by Tevez and Messi and no less than three goals off Higuain's boot! Their defense still looks a little bit unorganised but if your attack is this precise it doesn't exactly matter.
seapanther
Guest
Yes, SB being down was a stroke of luck for you. As I was always told by my parents, (and rarely listened) if one is feeling angry and writes anything in an angry tone and angry mood, one has created an unpleasant atmosphere for all concerned.
Yes; it's always better to take a step away in time and review the content and tone of your missive.
I recently learned to actually perform that time interval, and pleasant interactions are...well...pleasant for everyone.
You're a good sport to have stated your first sentence re your teams. I'll be on your side because you made sense and showed passion instead of anger. Like that a lot.
seapanther
Yes; it's always better to take a step away in time and review the content and tone of your missive.
I recently learned to actually perform that time interval, and pleasant interactions are...well...pleasant for everyone.
You're a good sport to have stated your first sentence re your teams. I'll be on your side because you made sense and showed passion instead of anger. Like that a lot.
seapanther
OP
Deefstes
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Thanks, seapanther I'll get back to Group A in a minute but first, some more thoughts on recent games:
New Zealand - Slovakia:
As far as last minute equalisers go, that goal of New Zealand's must rank right up there at the very top. I'm happy for them but you have to feel for Slovakia who has outplayed New Zealand in all aspects of the game throughout the 90minutes, only to see their victory snatched from them in the dying seconds of stoppage time.
Portugal - Côte d'Ivoire:
I'm not really sure what to make of this game. On the one hand it was utterly boring but on the other hand, both teams played pretty solid football. I think in this case the goalless draw is more indicative of two good teams than two poor teams. Both created good attacking opportunities and were unrelenting in defense and their tackles were accurate. With all the hard tackles made it's almost surprising that there weren't more yellow cards but that's because the tackles were all good, if hard.
Cristiano Ronaldo has once again shown that he is a top class footballer but also a top class obnoxious prat. Tries to secure a penalty by diving in the penalty box, then gets involved in a verbal tussle (yes Ronaldo, you were caught on camera voicing a pretty foul barrage - no point pretending now that you were "just trying to walk away"), gets yellow-carded (and rightly so), and then makes the most idiotic statements in a post game press conference. "I don't understand the decisions of the referees sometimes," said Ronaldo. "They are supposed to protect the best players." WHAT!?!?! No that is not what the referees are supposed to do and you are no more special than any other player in this tournament.
Just for that reason I'm now routing for Brazil to finish top of the group and Côte d'Ivoire second, NOT Portugal.
Brazil - Korea DPR:
I've always been a Brazil supporter so I'm not sure how balanced my appraisal of this game was but I do think that Brazil showed a lot of talent, despite conceding a goal and scoring only two against a team that everyone expected them to trounce. North Korea played a very solid defense (and created some attacking opportunities of their own) and has to be commended for that. But Brazil, with their trademark magic, managed to adjust their play and eventually break open the Korean defense - scoring their opening goal from the foot of a defender.
And what a goal it was! As far as I'm concerned that Maicon goal has got to be the goal of the tournament so far. Impossible angle, outside foot, still managed to bend it inwards and the goalie had no chance!
Honduras - Chile:
I didn't see this game but wish I had. I've been told to watch out for Chile's unorthodox and aggressive style and it seems to have worked for them. I'll be looking forward to their game against the Swiss.
Spain - Switzerland:
Speaking of the Swiss, what a beautiful upset! I'm rather fond of the Spanish team so it's a pity to see them lose but it's always enjoyable to see an underdog give it their all and then winning the game. I'm not sure what the Spaniards did wrong because their play was very good. They had a number of very good attempts at goal and was perhaps just unlucky that none of them found the target. The Swiss goal was indeed a stroke of sheer luck but then it has to be said that they had a few other decent attempts as well, most notably Derdiok's attempt in the 75th minute that hit the upright.
Greece - Nigeria:
Seems Africa is on self destruct mode. Can anyone explain to me what Kaita was thinking or hoping to achieve? I think it can be said that he single handedly managed to give the game, which they had fairly well under control, over to Greece. Greece's first goal was also just sheer luck but the Greeks did well to turn on the pressure when Kaita was sent off and such luck probably sprouts from the increased pressure under which Nigeria was at the time. And Torosidis' goal in the second half was a work of beauty.
So we're getting to the point now where predictions can be made as to which teams will go through and where desperate supporters start praying for mathematical miracles. South Africa's chances of still going through would be one such example. In theory they can still go through but it would rely on some funny permutations of high scoring results between Uruguay - Mexico and South Africa - France.
* If Uruguay and Mexico draw then we're done for, goodbye.
* If Mexico beats Uruguay then we can go through if we beat France but the goal difference between Mexico - Uruguay PLUS the goal difference between South Africa - France must be 6 or greater. In other words, between Mexico and us we need to score 6 goals more than Uruguay and France.
* If Uruguay beats Mexico then we can go through if, between Uruguay and us, we score 5 goals more than Mexico and France.
So over here we're praying for that mathematical miracle where Uruguay beats Mexico and we beat France something like 4-0. Keep an eye out for the flyby of pigs
I'll get back to Group A in a minute but first, some more thoughts on recent games:New Zealand - Slovakia:
As far as last minute equalisers go, that goal of New Zealand's must rank right up there at the very top. I'm happy for them but you have to feel for Slovakia who has outplayed New Zealand in all aspects of the game throughout the 90minutes, only to see their victory snatched from them in the dying seconds of stoppage time.
Portugal - Côte d'Ivoire:
I'm not really sure what to make of this game. On the one hand it was utterly boring but on the other hand, both teams played pretty solid football. I think in this case the goalless draw is more indicative of two good teams than two poor teams. Both created good attacking opportunities and were unrelenting in defense and their tackles were accurate. With all the hard tackles made it's almost surprising that there weren't more yellow cards but that's because the tackles were all good, if hard.
Cristiano Ronaldo has once again shown that he is a top class footballer but also a top class obnoxious prat. Tries to secure a penalty by diving in the penalty box, then gets involved in a verbal tussle (yes Ronaldo, you were caught on camera voicing a pretty foul barrage - no point pretending now that you were "just trying to walk away"), gets yellow-carded (and rightly so), and then makes the most idiotic statements in a post game press conference. "I don't understand the decisions of the referees sometimes," said Ronaldo. "They are supposed to protect the best players." WHAT!?!?! No that is not what the referees are supposed to do and you are no more special than any other player in this tournament.
Just for that reason I'm now routing for Brazil to finish top of the group and Côte d'Ivoire second, NOT Portugal.
Brazil - Korea DPR:
I've always been a Brazil supporter so I'm not sure how balanced my appraisal of this game was but I do think that Brazil showed a lot of talent, despite conceding a goal and scoring only two against a team that everyone expected them to trounce. North Korea played a very solid defense (and created some attacking opportunities of their own) and has to be commended for that. But Brazil, with their trademark magic, managed to adjust their play and eventually break open the Korean defense - scoring their opening goal from the foot of a defender.
And what a goal it was! As far as I'm concerned that Maicon goal has got to be the goal of the tournament so far. Impossible angle, outside foot, still managed to bend it inwards and the goalie had no chance!
Honduras - Chile:
I didn't see this game but wish I had. I've been told to watch out for Chile's unorthodox and aggressive style and it seems to have worked for them. I'll be looking forward to their game against the Swiss.
Spain - Switzerland:
Speaking of the Swiss, what a beautiful upset! I'm rather fond of the Spanish team so it's a pity to see them lose but it's always enjoyable to see an underdog give it their all and then winning the game. I'm not sure what the Spaniards did wrong because their play was very good. They had a number of very good attempts at goal and was perhaps just unlucky that none of them found the target. The Swiss goal was indeed a stroke of sheer luck but then it has to be said that they had a few other decent attempts as well, most notably Derdiok's attempt in the 75th minute that hit the upright.
Greece - Nigeria:
Seems Africa is on self destruct mode. Can anyone explain to me what Kaita was thinking or hoping to achieve? I think it can be said that he single handedly managed to give the game, which they had fairly well under control, over to Greece. Greece's first goal was also just sheer luck but the Greeks did well to turn on the pressure when Kaita was sent off and such luck probably sprouts from the increased pressure under which Nigeria was at the time. And Torosidis' goal in the second half was a work of beauty.
So we're getting to the point now where predictions can be made as to which teams will go through and where desperate supporters start praying for mathematical miracles. South Africa's chances of still going through would be one such example. In theory they can still go through but it would rely on some funny permutations of high scoring results between Uruguay - Mexico and South Africa - France.
* If Uruguay and Mexico draw then we're done for, goodbye.
* If Mexico beats Uruguay then we can go through if we beat France but the goal difference between Mexico - Uruguay PLUS the goal difference between South Africa - France must be 6 or greater. In other words, between Mexico and us we need to score 6 goals more than Uruguay and France.
* If Uruguay beats Mexico then we can go through if, between Uruguay and us, we score 5 goals more than Mexico and France.
So over here we're praying for that mathematical miracle where Uruguay beats Mexico and we beat France something like 4-0. Keep an eye out for the flyby of pigs
Sas
Contributor
Deefstes, loving your commentary
Looking forward to catching up with a bunch of friends for AU v Ghana tomorrow night :balloons:
Looking forward to catching up with a bunch of friends for AU v Ghana tomorrow night :balloons:
OP
Deefstes
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Yeah, should be a good game. Ghana seems to be one of the few African teams who have any sort of chance of progressing to the 2nd phase so I will be rooting for Ghana of course. But then again, I would cheer for the Vanuatu badminton team if they were playing Australia
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Deefstes
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Hmmm, Uruguay may have sealed the coffin on South Africa but they've just been redeemed.
Get the world cup feeling when surfing in SB Vuvuzela Time! - View any website like you're at the South Africa World Cup! 
OP
Deefstes
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Get the world cup feeling when surfing in SB Vuvuzela Time! - View any website like you're at the South Africa World Cup!
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