World Cup 2010

[Sjofn]

I think my "talk up Argentina so when their coach does something hilariously insane our American audience will have the faintest reason to care" theory is looking better and better!

[Abagadro]

Messi is the designated star of the tourney (not without reason) so the team will get a lot of pub, especially with Maradona being the usual attention whore, but their back line and especially midfield are highly questionable. Hell, they started Veron who didn't seem to be able to keep the jersey's straight as to who was actually on his team.

[Abagadro]

I also wanted to mention that the New Republic of all places has had some interesting commentary on its World Cup Blog

[El Gallo]

They should give yellows for diving based on video review after the match.  They should do the same in the NHL and NBA (one warning, then suspended for the rest of the series).  Obviously doesn't help in the last game, but at least \discourages the practice.  It's a hard call to make at full-speed in any of those sports.

While I'm wearing my "ugly American who watches soccer for a month every four years and now wants to tell you how your game should change to make me happier" hat: in a tie game, I'd like to see the team that actually pressed the attack rewarded with 2 or even the full 3 points.  That would require a stat (shots, corners, offensive zone possession time?) that captures "trying to score" in a non-gameable way, which is probably impossible.  The game is entertaining to watch when both teams are actually trying.  But it's way too possible for an outmanned team to turtle a 0-0 tie, and seemingly easy for a decent team to sit on a 1-0 lead against an evenly-matched squad.  I'm not asking for more goals - good defense is just as exciting as good offense.  I'm asking for both teams to actually try to score.

Note that the first professional soccer match I ever watched in my life was the 1990 finals, and it may have scarred me for life.  It was like watching the 2002 New Jersey Devils play against themselves, only 12 years earlier.  I may never recover.

[rk47]

The suggestion above might not be implemented, however, I am up for the sudden death settlement on draws. This might encourage diving or unsporting behavior whatever. But if both teams can't score in 90 mins, have them go for golden goal / silver goal in extra time.

It'll fuck up the match scheduling for those who bought tickets for multiple matches, but it'd sure add the extra motivation to settle it within 90 mins or risk another 15 minutes of hell and more drama + entertainment for watchers.

A win is 1 Point. A loss is 0.

There is no reward for stalemate but prolonged battle. SUFFER!

[Stabs]

The overall dullness of the first matches will be compensated by the frantic scrabbling of the third matches. I don't think they need to fix draws, playing for a draw is sub-optimal and is really a case of fear of failure overriding logic. Draws simply defer
gratification. Expect drama.

Regarding UK betting odds Spain are now the favourites with Brazil second favourites. I'm sure local factors influence this, not many people here are inclined to support Germany, Argentina or Italy for historical political reasons and historical football reasons and we'd prefer to back a team that may be less likely to win but whose country we rather admire. It helps if the country never knocked us out of the World Cup on penalties.

North Korea are 5000-1.

http://www.williamhill.com/nui/world-cup-free-bet/#http://serve.williamhill.com/promoRedirect?member=wc2010gwhs23&campaign=DEFAULT&channel=wc23ad23&zone=593233285&lp=1468456104&var5=world%20cup&var6=5665137258

[Hoax]

Yeah you guys are just getting it wrong. The statistic for first match is a loss means you have a 5% chance to advance, yes a win means you have an 85% chance to advance (keep that in mind for USA's group) but teams are playing to not lose for the most part in the first match. The second round and especially the relevant games of the third round will become much more open affairs.

Also this tournament is really suffering due to the altitude changes and in general some very shoddy pitches. I doubt the horns are helping either. As players adjust to all that games will get better.

Second Round Must See Games:

South Africa must go for a win against Uruguay which plays heavily into their strengths, if they can't get 3 points here they have to get them against France. Neither team can expect to advance with a loss so after the first goal the game will really open up.

Mexico v France is a similar deal thanks to everyone being tied.  Both of these teams have personality defects so anything could happen. This is less guaranteed to be dynamite but if it goes that route with an early goal there is plenty of talent on the pitch.

Slovenia v USA we have to win, we're also the favorites, massive pressure versus a well composed Eastern European defense, this looks bad.

Ghana v Australia the Aussies will have to go for the win while Ghana should play smart and look to capitalize on mistakes. Should be a good game.

Cameroon v Denmark loser goes home in this game as well, which means maybe someone will bother to do something with one of the beautiful one touch passes Eto'o keeps watching his teammates waste.

Slovakia v Paraguay this might be a boring game if not for the fact that one team is Paraguay they really only know how to play attack minded football.

Portugal v North Korea biggest choke artists versus biggest underdog in a must win game for Portugal and not even just must win but they need to run up the score? If you hate or love Christiano Ronaldo you should watch this.

Brasil v Ivory Coast you should always watch all their games.

Really I left off other games that are worth watching (England & Argentina's games, Nigeria v Greece in a must win between 2 teams that shouldn't suck as much as they looked like they did in round 1) the ties especially 0-0 ones are part of the first round. No matter what the Spain game will be must-see tv and I'd expect the Swiss v Chile will make this list as well.

[Stabs]

I'm surprised you didn't include England or Argentina. Both countries are very capable of failing against minnows. While England beating Algeria is rather dull and predictable Algeria beating England would be a match to remember.

I think that's the aspect of football that Americans find unappealing. Football is much dullness interspersed with moments of high drama. It's the Eve Online of sports. Americans seem to prefer sports that give a steady stream of marginally significant point accumulation.

And that's why Algeria could beat England. Algeria will have about 3 attacks, England 15-20. If every attack was worth a point it would be dull. If every attack has a 10% chance of a goal then Algeria could, if it gets very lucky, win.

[rk47]

Point taken. I'd say boxing is probably the best of both worlds.
You get points for doing great moves and able to stage comebacks if you're behind points by a really good counter knockout. All those moves mattered.

[Der Helm]

I was surprised to find myself rooting(sp?) for the team from North Korea. I was surprised to see at least on player literally crying out loud while the national anthem was played.

[Azazel]

Well, on one hand their country is run by insane people, but on the other hand there's no good reason why they wouldn't love their country like most of the rest of us do.

[rk47]

I was surprised to find myself rooting(sp?) for the team from North Korea. I was surprised to see at least on player literally crying out loud while the national anthem was played.

You need to watch more documentaries. They took the propaganda to EXTREME levels there.

[penfold]

The North Korean star player is a huge Jay-Z fan, loves his Hummer and unsurprisingly, doesn't spend much time in North Korea.

[Paelos]

Spain might be on the ropes here, down 0-1 to the Swiss, who only have two shots in the entire game.

[K9]

 

[01101010]

Spain might be on the ropes here, down 0-1 to the Swiss, who only have two shots in the entire game.

 

[Sjofn]

The goal was ugly as shit, too.  


EDIT: Also Switzerland has a shit-ton of yellow cards now, I think? Those still carry over in the first round, or am I living in the PAST?

[Teleku]

Didn't the US team beat Spain last year or something?  They can't be good.

[K9]

Wow, that was a tense 15 minutes.

[Der Helm]

You need to watch more documentaries. They took the propaganda to EXTREME levels there.

I know... I watched "Welcome to North Korea"... scary stuff.

[Paelos]

This World Cup is getting more surreal by the day. What now? South Africa winning by 4 goals?

[Ingmar]

Football is much dullness interspersed with moments of high drama.

The other problem is it requires you to always be paying attention, much like hockey but even more extreme. American football and baseball and even basketball have natural pauses for you to catch your breath or converse with someone or grab a sandwich from the kitchen - watching a game of soccer if you go to the kitchen to get that sandwich you might miss the only goal in the entire game. We're used to our 'have to pay attention now' in somewhat smaller bites.

[Stabs]

Final whistle. Well done Switzerland. Fantastic gritty job. Spain punished for a reluctance to pick players who ply their trade abroad - Torres needed more than 25 minutes and why the hell didn't they use Fabregas who devastates defences weekly for Arsenal?

I think the dull, play for draws phase is well and truly over. Both games today have been really good and the final game of the day is the first of the second group matches which many teams will be aiming to win to ensure qualification. Certainly anyone who drew or lost their first match has to go for a win, aiming to draw and then need a win in your fiinal group game is too high risk.

[Hoax]

The goal was ugly as shit, too.  

That was such an odd bungling goal, if you watch the replay and count how many random body parts it came off of, wtf.

No reason Spain can't advance with 6 from this group. They are fortunate that they have Honduras next which should help them regain some confidence and then a must win game against Chile which if Spain are as good as they have seemed the past four years should be a heavy favorite to win again but I expect Chile could be good for a goal as well, should be a fun one. The Swiss just booked themselves a ticket to the next phase though and possibly in first place, I can easily see them getting 7 or 9 points while I'm really high on their keeper and defensive organization after this game we just watched.

Looking way ahead if Spain was to advance in second place that means we get Spain (2H) v Brazil (1G) in the round of 16, entirely possible considering the Swiss will be in very high spirits going into their next game versus Chile and Honduras sucks.

[Stabs]

The other problem is it requires you to always be paying attention, much like hockey.

Absolutely. The first game I went to, at Crystal Palace when I was about 7, had 4 goals all of which I managed to miss. Casting my eyes around the ground, looking at fans, passing birds, seeing what the goalie at the far end was doing I wasn't looking once when a goal was scored.

I did learn to watch football, I think with a game like Swiss v Spain the secret is to get so focused you're really not interested in anything else. Need a piss? Hold it. Want a sandwich? Wait.

[ghost]

I think the dull, play for draws phase is well and truly over. Both games today have been really good and the final game of the day is the first of the second group matches which many teams will be aiming to win to ensure qualification. Certainly anyone who drew or lost their first match has to go for a win, aiming to draw and then need a win in your fiinal group game is too high risk.

I really hope so. 

I guess this makes Switzerland the favorites now?

[Khaldun]

South Africa had better put the pedal down if they want even to draw. Though that was a tough goal to block because of the deflection.

[Sjofn]

oh god the poor south africa back up goalie

[Hoax]

I'm sitting here really worried about what this could do to the tournament overall. The fans are leaving in droves already.

If only FIFA would have rigged it and put Italy in South Africa's place.

[Murgos]

Didn't the US team beat Spain last year or something?  They can't be good.

Spain is one of the favorites to win the whole thing.  Even with this loss I think they will still be favorites.

The team we played was basically their practice squad.

[Sjofn]

I'm sitting here really worried about what this could do to the tournament overall. The fans are leaving in droves already.

If only FIFA would have rigged it and put Italy in South Africa's place.

They're leaving in droves only because there are roughly a gazillion South Africans at this game, it shouldn't affect the other nations THAT much I would think? I can't blame them for ditching though, watching your goalie draw a red card and making the back up have to face a penalty kick as his first act on the field is just ... painful.

[ghost]

Maybe dwindling fan numbers will make FIFA rethink their stance that money doesn't matter to their future choice of venue. 

[Stabs]

What dwindling fan numbers? Every World Cup more people watch the final. Every match has almost certainly sold out, with fans flocking in from all over the world. TV rights are far more commercially important than bums on seats and the number of people watching this on TV will be incredible.

Football is sky-rocketing. Entire continents watch local lads go to Europe to earn more money than the working population of their entire village for doing something fun with almost no barriers to entry. Politicians bend over backwards to be associated with footballers - the Prime Minister of Slovenia has promised to wash the team's kit if they make the last 16.

If you mean people leaving before the final whistle they don't get a refund or anything. Numbers of fans inside the stadium dwindling before the end of a match affects no one commercially. If South Africa go out locals will just go along to watch other teams and enjoy having the world come visit. Besides there are some pretty good African teams that local people will root for. Not the same as your own country but Africans have a much stronger continental identity than most people living elsewhere.

[ghost]

I'm sitting here really worried about what this could do to the tournament overall. The fans are leaving in droves already.

I was just replying to this. 

[rk47]

that's it. I'm not surprised by anything anymore.

Fucking hell. I'm predicting triple draws tonight. AND SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING GERMANY & HOLLAND to win this world cup.
If Robben comes back, I'm 100% behind the Oranges.