South Africa 2010 Fifa World Cup

[Mike Rotchtickles]

that awful 0-0 draw between France and Uruguay, makes our result against Mexico now look quite decent.
Great goal by Siphiwe Tshabalala, and a chance with that shot by Mphela that hit the post, but definately the Mexicans can count themselves very unlucky. They had a ton of chances but just couldn't convert.

[Cro Morgan]

World Cup Jeopardy:

The Answer: The first round match at the 1982 FIFA World Cup between Hungary & El Salvador; a match Hungary won, 10-1.

What's the Question?

[jayl0ve]

'What is the worst beatdown in World Cup history?'

[Cro Morgan]

'What is the worst beatdown in World Cup history?'

Correct, more or less. Official answer: the biggest scoreline in FIFA World Cup finals history.

Next...

Answer: 27
Question: ?

**BTW, the answer isn't: How many people in the United States will watch Saturday's match between the USA and England (27 would be too many).

[Moralspain]

In my opinion USA will do great and that´s what you need there to make people interested in football, if everybody in the world loves this sport there´s no reason why this has to be different in the US.

[jayl0ve]

The soccer situation is very strange in the USA.

I played soccer in a league from around the age of 4, until I was 16. Almost everybody I know (boy or girl) played at least a year or 2 when they were kids...after that, though, the interest in the sport drops off big-time. The fact that there are no regularly televised soccer matches here (at least, not for free), and kids don't really have any players to look up to, is probably a major part of it.

It's also derided by many here as a 'wuss' sport. I don't agree with that at all, I'm just saying that's how it is here. Actually the worst sports injury I ever had was in soccer! I was 15 or 16 and had braces, and some humongous Mexican kid elbowed me in the lip really hard, and my lips literally got stuck to my braces. I was bleeding all over and I had to go the hospital and have my lips unstuck, it was...great

I also fractured my pelvic bone skateboarding, which was considerably more painful, but I won't count it as a 'sports injury'

[jayl0ve]

'What is the worst beatdown in World Cup history?'

Correct, more or less. Official answer: the biggest scoreline in FIFA World Cup finals history.

Next...

Answer: 27
Question: ?

**BTW, the answer isn't: How many people in the United States will watch Saturday's match between the USA and England (27 would be too many).

How many years has it been since USA advanced out of their group??

[Mike Rotchtickles]

It's also derided by many here as a 'wuss' sport. I don't agree with that at all, I'm just saying that's how it is here.

It's interesting you say that, because here in SA I would say the majority of the white sports following population, feels the exact same way.

In school here most of the white kids gravitate much more toward cricket or rugby, and it's usually the black kids who have a tradition of choosing soccer as their principal sport of choice.

[bergkamptheone]

It's also derided by many here as a 'wuss' sport. I don't agree with that at all, I'm just saying that's how it is here.

It's interesting you say that, because here in SA I would say the majority of the white sports following population, feels the exact same way.

In school here most of the white kids gravitate much more toward cricket or rugby, and it's usually the black kids who have a tradition of choosing soccer as their principal sport of choice.

Interesting. Explains why 'Boooooooth' is the only white player in the SA squad.

[Mike Rotchtickles]

That's right.
It's definately not due to a lack of talent, but rather the fact that there's an extremely small pool of white players to choose from.

The image of soccer, particularly amongst the white afrikaaner population, is that of a bunch of grossly overpaid prima donna's running around the field and feigning injury at the slightest suggestion of contact.

[jayl0ve]

Yeah, that's exactly how it is here. Minus the overpaid part.

[Cro Morgan]

The only time adults watch soccer here in the States is when their kids are playing soccer.

Parents enroll their kids in soccer because it's relatively cheap (checklist: ball, shoes, shirt, shorts, big empty field) and a good source of exercise. Parents will pretty much watch their kids do anything, so they watch soccer.

Take the kids out of the equation and, for the majority of Americans, all you have is a slow, dull, virtually no-scoring game.

The typical American male has a three-second attention span - we have no patience for positioning, strategy, etc. We need hits, wall-to-wall action (blood is a plus) and lots of scoring.

In short, it doesn't matter how well the USA does at the World Cup. By it's very nature, the sport is doomed to fail (could succeed if the current rules are modified... say, bury 15 to 20 mines on the playing field, something like that).

[Elargento]

usa vs england its a great match, even tongo vs samoa would be a great match just for being in a world cup.

[GOA MASTER MDMA]

till now i´m dissapointed from the WC matches.
the best match was south korea -greece .
for SOUTHAFRICA it was also a good start result into WC . .
france dissapointed me totally .
i hope the future matches are showing better played matches.
with more flow and dramatic and at all more goals !!

now argentina- nigeria is started.
lets hope for a good match
i´m sure ARGENTINA will play a good WC

BTW: i´m little nerved from vuvuzelas .
its allways same sound ...no highs ...no downs .
only tuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut over 90 minutes . woooooow .very stressfull!
that takes a little the atmosphere from stadion ,.
is allways on same level . not good
you hearing nobody singing after a goal .or after a missed chance .
you hear no screaming people after a wrong refere decision .... ecetera .
that vuvuzelas takes alot of the real football atmosphere in my opinion.

[jayl0ve]

I'm watching Argentina vs. Nigeria right now and I gotta agree with you Matthias, those horns are literally giving me a headache. They are incredibly annoying.

I gotta say, the way some of these players are trying to 'sell' fouls to the ref is pretty hilarious This Nigerian player just got knocked down with a light shoulder nudge, and from the look on his face you could have swore he just got a sledgehammer to the chest.