World Cup SA 2010

[IATTBYB]

Has FIFA ever explained why North Korea is not banned from competition. IIRC, South Africa was banned from competition during portions of the aparthied era. North Korea's trampling of human rights is just as bad (if not worse).

[cryptique]

The USA had no real business drawing that match. They did not look horrible, but they did not look like they are going to get that far.

They deserved a draw, I thought. The English probably had the better of the play overall, but the U.S. often cedes the possession advantage in favor of counterattacks. It wasn't their best match, but they did well. A few defensive lapses, but Onyewu and Howard will crack the whip on those guys and they'll improve.

 

It was their first match of the tournament -- assessing a team's prospects based solely on their first match is imprudent. They will continue to jell as a team and begin to play a more cohesive style. Of course, so will every other team, at least to some extent.

[bjorn_skurj]

I hope so - I love the USA in soccer more than any other international context, with the possible exception of World War II. GOTTA beat Slovakia.

[Synthesizer Patel]

They deserved a draw, I thought. The English probably had the better of the play overall, but the U.S. often cedes the possession advantage in favor of counterattacks. It wasn't their best match, but they did well. A few defensive lapses, but Onyewu and Howard will crack the whip on those guys and they'll improve.

 

It was their first match of the tournament -- assessing a team's prospects based solely on their first match is imprudent. They will continue to jell as a team and begin to play a more cohesive style. Of course, so will every other team, at least to some extent.

 

i think we both deserved a draw. a 0-0 draw. america never really looked like scoring, apart from once (and i'm not talking about the goal - which can't be classed as a proper goal scoring chance, merely a goal keeping error) and the same really goes for england too.

 

unfortunately, i've also got a feeling it's going to be england and slovenia (Bjorn, it's slovenia, not slovakia - they're in another group) that go through.

[bjorn_skurj]

Oh yeah - Slovenes and Slovaks always get me confused!

[uncool2pillow]

I seriously hope Brazil puts double digits up on North Korea.

[bjorn_skurj]

They are not doing that. The DPRK seems to be holding its own.

[Synthesizer Patel]

they aren't really a bad side. obviously nobody is just going to roll over after getting to this stage, anyway, and also brazil aren't going to give 100% either - they need to pace themselves (like all winning teams) to save something for the later games.

 

also, uncool2pillow, don't go hating the north korean football team - they've done nothing wrong. it's italy & argentina you need to hate (from a footballing point of view) as they are appalling cheats!

[bobbob1313]

How about the fraud that is the French team?

[Synthesizer Patel]

How about the fraud that is the French team?

 

yep - they can go on the list too. and portugal - for ronaldo - he's got enough cheating in him to equal any cheating team.

 

the countries with military dictatorships etc... always seem to be very well behaved! it's probably that threat of being shot when you get home that makes them play like that.

[bjorn_skurj]

The Azzurri can go straight to hell for all I care.

[uncool2pillow]

also, uncool2pillow, don't go hating the north korean football team - they've done nothing wrong. it's italy & argentina you need to hate (from a footballing point of view) as they are appalling cheats!

I have no love for Italy or Argentina, but if I was alive in 1936, I would have rooted against the Germans in favor of Jesse Owens. A country's politics do factor into who I root for. Having said that, NK played great in the first half and seemed to gain a lot of respect from the Brazilians. If it had continued in the 2nd half, I may have had a Rocky IV moment and ended up rooting for the underdogs just like the Russians rooted for Balboa.

[Sunken mountain]

The Azzurri can go straight to hell for all I care.

I think I love you...

[Sunken mountain]

Has FIFA ever explained why North Korea is not banned from competition. IIRC, South Africa was banned from competition during portions of the aparthied era. North Korea's trampling of human rights is just as bad (if not worse).

 

You´re right.I can´t stop thinking about during the match.North Korea is probably the worst dictatorship in the whole world.

And FIFA is simply awful,

[Synthesizer Patel]

I have no love for Italy or Argentina, but if I was alive in 1936, I would have rooted against the Germans in favor of Jesse Owens. A country's politics do factor into who I root for. Having said that, NK played great in the first half and seemed to gain a lot of respect from the Brazilians. If it had continued in the 2nd half, I may have had a Rocky IV moment and ended up rooting for the underdogs just like the Russians rooted for Balboa.

 

that's the wrong way round again. that's political figures influencing sport - and the german people didn't actually have a problem with him, it was hitler - and more for the fact that the germans didn't win. i don't think he acknowledged anyone winning unless it was a german . it wasn't the german athletes themselves, nor really the average person who was to blame in that situation.

[Synthesizer Patel]

actually i just wikipediaed jesse owens (yeah i know, but still!).

 

"Owens was cheered enthusiastically by 110,000 people in Berlin's Olympic Stadium, on the street, Germans sought his autograph. Owens was allowed to travel with and stay in the same hotels as whites, while at the time blacks in many parts of the United States were denied equal rights. After a New York City ticker-tape parade o Fifth Avenue in his honor, Owens had to ride the freight elevator at the Waldorf-Astoria to reach the reception honoring him.^[4] Owens said, "Hitler didn't snub me—it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram."^[13] Jesse Owens was never invited to the White House nor bestowed honors by presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) or his successor Harry S. Truman during their terms. In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower honored Owen by naming him an "Ambassador of Sports."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bjorn_skurj]

that's the wrong way round again. that's political figures influencing sport - and the german people didn't actually have a problem with him, it was hitler - and more for the fact that the germans didn't win. i don't think he acknowledged anyone winning unless it was a german . it wasn't the german athletes themselves, nor really the average person who was to blame in that situation.

One thing I have always remembered since reading about in grade two was the story about how that German guy, Luz Long, helped Jesse Owens during the 1936 Olympics.

[uncool2pillow]

that's the wrong way round again. that's political figures influencing sport - and the german people didn't actually have a problem with him, it was hitler - and more for the fact that the germans didn't win. i don't think he acknowledged anyone winning unless it was a german . it wasn't the german athletes themselves, nor really the average person who was to blame in that situation.

Again, I am allowed to root for or against a country based on that country's politics if I choose to, and I do. I do not feel the inclination to justify it to you. I am not sure how you can boldly declare my stance "wrong". You may disagree, and you are entitled, but geez. Like I said, I admired the way the North Koreans played today and I have nothing against them. Hell, I bet there's many of them who would like to leave NK if they could. I want them to lose because of what their government stand for. Take it or leave it.

[Synthesizer Patel]

Again, I am allowed to root for or against a country based on that country's politics if I choose to, and I do. I do not feel the inclination to justify it to you. I am not sure how you can boldly declare my stance "wrong". You may disagree, and you are entitled, but geez. Like I said, I admired the way the North Koreans played today and I have nothing against them. Hell, I bet there's many of them who would like to leave NK if they could. I want them to lose because of what their government stand for. Take it or leave it.

 

ha ha. ok.

however, having read more about jesse owens, and how he was treated by the american government, i think you'd have had to root for some other country other than yourselves, wouldn't you?

[m_thomp]

But can Owens a) cross a ball; b ) play on the left; c) lay his hands on a British passport?

 

North Korea are my new favourite team. I like the way they've been forced to train in a local gym: I've seen footage of them doing shuttle runs whilst swerving past the usual South African gym patrons at the water fountain. Also anyone who cries during their national anthem deserves a salute.

 

They're to football what Jamaica was to bobsleighing.

 

I've also heard that the Koreans (country, not team) would be broadcasting their team's performance after the actual match (ie delayed and not live), and only if they won. I'm hoping the political powers-that-be, and the state-owned broadcasting company, at least broadcast their only goal at the end of a news broadcast. Heck, they can just Tippex out the '2' bit of the 'Brazil 2 North Korea 1' scoreline graphic in the top left-hand corner of the video and convince an entire nation that they won the game. I've seen Phantom Menace (for shame!) I know this can be done with CGI. Make it happen.

[uncool2pillow]

Two more thoughts:

 

1) If I had to eliminate rooting for any country whose history included some form of racial discrimination, for whom would I root?

 

2) Colbert: "Brazil defeats North Korea in the World Cup. I guess we know who they're nuking first!"

[IATTBYB]

I tip my hat to the Honduran GK, Chile should be up at least 3-0 at this point (5 minutes left). I think I'm going to be rooting for Chile from here on out, they are a very exciting looking team, constantly on the attack.

[bobbob1313]

Holy upset, Batman!

 

Spain loses to Switzerland.

[Griddles]

That was quite the shocker.

Can I change my vote in the other thread?

 

One of my roommates played with Espinoza of Honduras when they were in High school so it was cool to see him start the match, too bad he lost.

[cryptique]

What the hell, Spain.

 

Heh. It would be pretty sweet if Chile and Switzerland advanced from that group. Though it would seriously screw up my tournament picks.