2010 Football World Cup

[R.D Punk]

Really, the World Cup hasn't been the spectacle I have thought it would be really. Too many teams have went out and played for the draw which is just boring, the most entertaining match so far has been Chile vs Honduras and when that is that it must be boring. I mean, we haven't had that many great matches but Portugal vs Ivory Coast should of been a great match and really it has been a massive let down. Is it just me, or are too many teams just blaming the ball for everything? It is supposidly harder to control but I havn't seen any evidence of that so far? Very poor world cup so far.

 

[Troy]

Bigelow's Funeral

It has been disappointing so far. Most of the matches have been dull so far, I didn't expect so few goals in the opening section of the tournament. I thought that it would have been high-scoring since you have the strong teams playing the weaker teams in the group stages, like what Germany did to Australia. With the ball, I thought that it would have caused more goals to be scored since everyone complained that it was unpredictable.

The dull games and those annoying horns have made for a boring World Cup so far.

 

[R.D Punk]

Good point about the ball then Troy, all of this hype about it being unreliable and will lead to many more goals but teams are just using it as an excuse and are trying to make it play to there advantage if that makes any scene? Like they are shooting thinking that the ball will dip and do all the work for them when it won't. I am sure if FIFA didn't say that there ball tips and dives than no teams will believe the media hype about it. It all a bit too much really for a ball, fair enough it might act a little bit different but a ball is a ball and you kick it as you would any other ball. It's not like it's an oven ball or something. At the monment it's Switzerland 1 Spain 0 which is a big big shock to me.

 

[Troy]

Teams didn't train with it enough in my opinion, Germany have been using it since the start of this year earlier than most and they have got to grips with it and know how it works. Teams just haven't adapted and are trying to blame everything but themselves. Your right they are expecting the ball to do more than it can do.

Wow I am shocked Spain are losing aswell. Most picked them as the winner of the tournament and they are down to Switzerland! It is in the second half aswell so they will want to start attacking soon. Most would have predicted three points for Spain from this game. How many minutes left?

 

[Troy]

!!!Switzerland held on for a 1-0 win over Spain. The World Cup favourites lose their first match, doesn't look good for them going forward. Germany will most likely firm as favourites now.

South Africa vs Uruguay is next, I predict a 1-1 draw.

 

[Clydefrog]

don't you just hate it when ur predictions go wrong troy! dude uruguay played so well and hope they go far as i have always been keen on them!

Now for tommorow, South korea vs Argentina! WHAT A MATCH! i predict south korea to win tho!

 

[R.D Punk]

Another day I could spend revising and another day I will sit and watch football. God I love the World Cup! Today it's Argentina vs South Korea which although doesn't sound good I can imagine it being one of the best games of the cup so far. That isn't hard to do what-so-ever but if either team wins it will most likely mean that they go through to the next round. It all depends on how the Koreans play really, if they go for the attack and hit the Argentines where it hurts then it will be a good game as the Argentina squad is full to the brim of attacking options. I can see this game either being a dull 1-1 all a very high scoring game. My money is on the team from south America though just because they have class everywhere.

 

[Clydefrog]

You see everyone expected the catalan side to walk all threw the swiss but guess what They got owned! Now its south korea and Argentina! and to be honest diego "hand of god" maradona shouldn't be a manager at all let alone his national team! They only just qualified and now i can see them barely getting threw the group stage with the crap tactics he implents to a team which is proberly the best in the world atm! But like i said South Korea to win and show why you shouldn't have had a semi avarage footballer who cheated in a world cup to be ur manager

 

[Troy]

My predictions have been completely wrong so far. It won't stop me posting them though eventually I will get them right.

Tonight I predict a 2-1 win for Argentina. They are going to be completely unpredictable because of Maradona. I see them going one goal down but then their talent will get them over the line with two late goals.

Greece vs Nigeria is another match tonight and I am going for a win for Nigeria, 1-0, I see it being a pretty dull match like most of the World Cup so far. France vs Mexico is the last match and I am going for a 1-1 draw. I really don't want them to advance since they don't deserve to be there.

 

[Troy]

Still no luck for my predictions that I posted. Argentina finished the game 4-1 up with Gonzalo Higuain scoring the first hat-trick of this World Cup.

Currently Nigeria is 1-0 up on Greece so no more goals need to be scored and I will finally have made a correct score prediction.

 

[R.D Punk]

Anyone from New Zealand must be soo happy , so far it's 1-1 against Italy! I mean they where listing some teams there players play for there are Plymouth and Middlesbrough, compare this too AS Roma, Inter Milan and Juventus, it's a pretty big feat to do! If anyone from NZ or in fact Australia or the USA, how is the whole atmosphere their? In England we fly flags out of houses and have car flags stuck in our windows and we are England mad despite this crap form, so what's it like?

 

[Troy]

In Australia it is pretty big especially in the city centres as giant screens show the matches there, tens of thousands stand out in the cold at 4am to watch the match with others. Australians are disappointed so far since we haven't played as good as we can play. The last match against Ghana was good for the first fifteen minutes, we attacked and scored after eleven minutes. Then it all went downhill after Kewell was sent of for a deliberate handball on the goalline, I agree with the decision by the way. The problem was our defence was letting Ghana cross too many balls in too easily and they had too many close range shots. I didn't agree with the yellow card to the Ghanian player for his tackle since in my view it should have been a straight red card. We need to win and win big against Serbia so it should be fun to watch, we need to score at least four goals to keep are chances alive.

New Zealand have been fantastic, they are strong in defence and take advantage of their chances when up forward. I hope that they make it through since it is always great when underdogs get through, they remind me of Australia last World Cup.

Did anyone else see the red card to Kaka against Ivory Coast? What a joke, he pushed him away and the guy acts like he was shot in the face. That is what really turns me away from football and is part of the reason I only follow it at big tournaments. Can the football body ban the guy who took a dive and reverse Kaka's ban for the next match after viewing the replay?

 

[R.D Punk]

The Red Card for Kewell I don't agree with really, it didn't give me the impression that he meant to do it, it was a shot from close range so he had no time to even react to make it on purpose. Unlucky though. I just remembered it was winter in the southern hemisphere so it must be around about minus C/F?

New Zealand are what the World Cup is all about, passion. They don't have big name players, they don't have a well known manager, the sport isn't the biggest on the island I am guessing, but the amount of passion they showed to hold on to a draw with Italy, the world champions, big name players, a well known manager, where the sport is most important. It must be such a party going on in Zealand lol.

Kaka's red card is the biggest joke of the world cup. Kaka wasn't looking, Keita I think wasn't even looking, he felt contact and dived, it was disgraceful. It isn't as bad in Premier League matches as there is less pressure sort of thing as there are another 30 matches or so. Brazil can contest the red card, or even the fact the first yellow. With video evidence I am sure that they will over turn the ban because that was just stupid. They can't ban the guy who took a dive though which is a shame. If they could we wouldn't be seeing many players at this World Cup who have took a dive (Ronaldo, De Rossi ect)

 

[Troy]

Kewell's problem was his arm wasn't down by his side, he stuck it out a bit and that is what ruined him. I don't agree that he should miss the next game for it though, yes it is a penalty and yes he should be sent off but preventing him from playing the next game as well is a bit harsh. I think that they need to change the rules. It is winter here but it doesn't get that cold here probably 5 C overnight.

Yeah football isn't the biggest sport there it would have to be rugby and then possibly cricket then football. This will be great for the individual players as well as they will be noticed on a global stage and may get contract offers from bigger clubs around the world. Shane Smeltz their striker should be in the PL right now as he is a goal machine.

It is a shame they can't ban the guy who took a dive as it was a joke. Diving is what really puts me off football and I have seen quite a bit of it so far this tournament.

Portugal turned it on last night and it was a great match to watch. North Korea were solid in the first half ondown 1-0 at the break but then the class of Portugal shone through. 7-0 is a crazy scoreline and Christiano Ronaldo was finally able to score for his country in a competitive match, it had been something like two years since the last time he scored for Portugal. He was influential on the game setting up many goals.

 

[Clydefrog]

What a Strange world cup so far! i can only get stranger if greece beat argentina! and england lose to slovenia! but ye this world cup has been diving galore!