World Cup 2010 Blog: “Wayne Rooney’s Boyfriend Is A Liverpool Fan” plus 9 more |  |
- Wayne Rooney’s Boyfriend Is A Liverpool Fan
- FIFA’s Official World Cup Art
- Breaking (!) News: Brazil Is Good.
- World Cup Viewing Parties Around the USA
- Daily Dose: From The Worm To June 2nd, 2010.
- 10 World Cup Questions: Italy
- Celebrate Dutch Goals By Wearing the Players’ Faces
- Fabio Cannavaro Calls It Dubai/A Career
- Pim Verbeek Is The World’s Least Favorite Man While Mark Schwarzer Dies
- Why England vs USA Means More to Americans
| Wayne Rooney’s Boyfriend Is A Liverpool Fan Posted: 03 Jun 2010 04:40 AM PDT
Take, for example, England: the chances that you walk into a pub and are served by a female named Wayne Rooney are quite high. And if you want to complain to management, you might be lookin’ at Fabio Capello.
Luckily the staff is not entirely male, which has led to a BBC quotebox which will simply not be trumped from now until the end of time.
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| Posted: 03 Jun 2010 02:10 AM PDT
ESPN took to Africa for artists to make murals in ode to the Ghanaian movie posters of the 80’s, but FIFA took to the world for their official posters, but all with some “special relationship” to Africa. And while the theme of the Am I Collective murals was standard across the board, FIFA’s offerings, done by 17 different artists, are as eclectic as the teams who will be taking the South African pitches. Since these are art, the less said the better, but these prints are actually for sale at a pretty cheap price (roughly €200 at the high end).
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| Breaking (!) News: Brazil Is Good. Posted: 03 Jun 2010 12:10 AM PDT
(Zimbabweans travel to the stadium housing the world’s There are going to be a few must-watch things at the World Cup; one is Michel Bastos’ left foot, another is Brazil doing anything – bathroom cams excluded (though you’ve got to admit they probably do that with an unrivaled flair as well). On Wednesday we got a little glimpse as they ventured a little north of South Africa for Zimbabwe’s 90 minute World Cup, and though the Warriors are ranked 113 by FIFA – only 8 less than Brazil’s group buddies North Korea – and the pitch looked the Selecao still looked awfully…typical. Which is really as high as football compliments get. There was a scare in the 26th when Julio Cesar was taken out with a chest injury, but it was merely precautionary. So we’re left with the big news of the day: Brazil is good. Line forms to the right for more tidbits of knowledge you can’t find anywhere else.
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| World Cup Viewing Parties Around the USA Posted: 02 Jun 2010 07:40 PM PDT
If you’re going to be in the US for the World Cup, several cities are getting in on the fun, setting up large public screens to watch the matches. Here’s a breakdown of the what, where and when:
July 11th: World Cup Final — 300,000 people are expected to watch the match at Boston’s City Hall Plaza, a large red brick and concrete square. Chicago, IL Dallas, TX June 12th: USA v. England — The colonial battle match in group C will be shown on a big screen in Victory Park outside of the American Airlines Center, starting at 11am. Admission is free. Kansas City, MO Portland, OR July 11th: World Cup Final — A truck-mounted LED screen will be set up in Pioneer Courthouse Square to show the Final. Again, everything starts at 11am. San Francisco, CA New York, NY Philadelphia, PA San Diego, CA Seattle, WA Stratford, CT St. Louis, MO Washington, DC Do you know of any other big World Cup screenings happening anywhere else in the USA? Please share in the comments, and leave a link if possible so we know it’s official.
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| Daily Dose: From The Worm To June 2nd, 2010. Posted: 02 Jun 2010 05:13 PM PDT Smithy and “Wayne” get down.
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| Posted: 02 Jun 2010 02:40 PM PDT
The authors of these team blogs have forgotten more about their sides than I'll ever know, so I decided to tap that knowledge by asking each of them a set of 10 questions. Today it's the turn of Paul and Julian from Italy World Cup Blog. Read on to learn all about the Azzurri. 1. Who is Italy’s best player? Paul: Without a doubt Gianluigi Buffon. If Gigi can get back to full health before the World Cup begins, he will once again be the best keeper in the world. He was unbeatable in 2006, only being scored on by an own goal and penalty. With Italy’s aging and now porous defense, Gigi will need to have a huge tournament for the Azzurri to make it far. 2. What do you think of Italy’s coach? Paul: Marcello Lippi is definitely one of the better coaches in the world, you can’t deny the great work he did in 2006. However, it seems that only 4 years after being praised as a god, everyone now wants his head. The biggest problem seems to be his personal issues with certain players. Two of the best players in Italy haven’t gotten call-ups under Lippi (Antonio Cassano and Fabrizio Miccoli). This waste of talent has many supporters angry, along with Lippi’s stubbornness of only selecting veteran/older players. As much as I would like to see youth injected in the team, there sadly isn’t any worthy of a call-up. Blame that on the Serie A; that’s another whole conversation. 3. What do you think of Italy’s World Cup 2010 kits? Paul:Not a huge fan of them. I feel like the “gladiator” design makes the kit look like one of the funny knockoffs you buy on the street in Italy. The WC ‘06 kits were nice, but I’d prefer going back to Kappa kits. 4. What is Italy’s biggest strength? Paul: Goalkeeping. We have the best keeper in the world when healthy. 5. …and biggest weakness? Paul: Defense? Midfield? Attack? All certainly aren’t up to Azzurri standards. But overall, and this may be shocking to some, I think the midfield is our biggest weakness. Sure, the defense is old and not a wall anymore, but Giorgio Chiellini and Danielle De Rossi (CDM) are world class and solidify everything a bit. Up front, we don’t have a great scoring threat, but as we demonstrated in 2006, you don’t need one to win a World Cup. The biggest problem is the lack of creativity in the midfield. Andrea Pirlo is past his prime and will need to have a big tournament if Italy wants to have a shot at winning. Other than Pirlo, the midfield/creative roles are a guessing game. Finally, this isn’t midfield per say, but the lack of strong wing backs is a weakness too. Fabio Grosso is out and Gianluca Zambrotta is over the hill and won’t be able to attack and create like he did in 2006. 6. If you could steal one player from any other World Cup 2010 team, then who would it be and why? Paul: I think anyone and everyone would take Messi. He’s a one man wrecking ball and could make any contender a winner. 7. Tell us one thing about your team that the rest of the world might not know. Julian: Interesting fact: Luca Toni once went 700 minutes without scoring on the Azzurri. By "interesting" you meant "depressing" right? 8. What would you consider success/failure for your team at World Cup 2010? Paul: Anything less than a title is considered failure when you’re Italy. But in reality, a semi-final appearance would be a great success, while losing in the group or round of 16 would be a disaster. 9. What are you most excited about at World Cup 2010? Paul: Reliving the great time that the World Cup is; it’s like March Madness but better. I’m excited to get home from college and be able to watch all the games with my friends in New Jersey like we did four years ago; enjoy the tournament that we only get to see every 4 years. 10. Who do you think will win World Cup 2010? Paul: Brazil. Or maybe Argentina. (I never pick my own team to win anything, as a NY Jets fan, I’ve learned to “Expect the worst and hope for the best”) >> Supporting the Azzurri in the World Cup? Put on your Italy jersey, get your Italy World Cup tickets, and get to the stadium! If you're watching from home, keep up to date with Italy World Cup Blog, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
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| Celebrate Dutch Goals By Wearing the Players’ Faces Posted: 02 Jun 2010 01:40 PM PDT
So if you’re wearing one of these when the player scores you just lift the front of the shirt over your head and suddenly you’re wearing that player’s celebrating face. Which sounds a little bit serial killer, but actually looks superb. Here’s how it works:
Goal Robin van Persie! Goal Klaas-Jan Huntelaar! Goal Wesley Sneijder! (I think) Yes, it’s a gimmick. Readers with long term memories might also spot the similarities between this shirt and the Getafe Burger King shirt. But it’s a damn good gimmick. Imagine a crowd of people doing this after van Persie scores? It would be simultaneously terrifying and hilarious. Unfortunately that’s not likely to happen at World Cup 2010, as this is a student concept from Bas & Daan. But you could just buy a Netherlands home jersey from our store and draw your own Robin van Persie on the inside.
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| Fabio Cannavaro Calls It Dubai/A Career Posted: 02 Jun 2010 12:10 PM PDT
It is what will be one of the many surprise transfer moves during or leading up to this World Cup, though less surprising if you’d watched Fabio play for Juventus this season.
The money will help, but so too will the Dubai metropolis, which is rapidly becoming one of the most picturesque cities in the world. But what does it mean for the World Cup? Little, outside of what it says about Fabio’s career: it’s over, and it’s appeared over for some time, which doesn’t bode well for the Azzurri back line in South Africa. To be honest, while refreshing Gazzetta four thousand times yesterday, impatiently waiting for Mauro Camoranesi’s CT results so Lippi could announce his squad, I half-though Fabio might be cut. An important locker room figure, but his 2006 form will need a time machine along with a plane ticket to get to South Africa. (No idea why a time machine requires a ticket too, but somehow it probably does.) And this simply means Fabio will be the first of many surprise transfers during the World Cup, but perhaps more importantly the first in a wave of great players who declare their careers effectively over by their next destination. Next up: Thierry Henry?
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| Pim Verbeek Is The World’s Least Favorite Man While Mark Schwarzer Dies Posted: 02 Jun 2010 10:40 AM PDT
Whether he got it in on time, we do not know, but the squad is here, a day late, with a very good theory as to why the delay: they were checking to see if Mark Schwarzer had died. Regardless, how are we supposed to know monumentally important imformation like the average age of World Cup squads if Pim won’t put his squad through on time? And how are we supposed to know Australia cut it close with Don Fabio’s Golden Girls for oldest squad? The squad itself, announced on the back of injuries, so we can let it slide, can be found at the Australian World Cup Blog. What you can find below is Mark Schwarzer falling to his death. [101gg]
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| Why England vs USA Means More to Americans Posted: 02 Jun 2010 09:02 AM PDT
Having spent time with both USA fans and England fans recently, I’m not sure England fans understand quite how big this game is for Americans. Or why that’s the case. So – treading carefully and trying not to generalize too much – I’m going to attempt to explain below. First, there’s the history. Specifically the 1700s. The American War of Independence (in which the US overthrew British colonial rule) is the foundation of the modern United States of America. All kids in the US are taught this. Most kids in England are not. Simply because the American War of Independence is more important to Americans than it is to the English. So for Americans, this game is like a repeat of 1776, with England as a world power (though that may be a little generous) and the USA as an up and comer looking for international legitimacy. Sounds like a stretch maybe, but I’m not the only one making these analogies. American network ABC are doing it in their advertising for the game: Second, there’s the events of 1950. Though the USA finished third at World Cup 1930, one of the most storied moments in US national team history is the 1-0 win over England in 1950. Mostly because England saw themselves as the best in the world at the time, while the US was a hastily assembled group of part timers. It’s one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, big enough shock to inspire a book “Game of Their Lives” and questionable looking film “The Miracle Match”: However, this game against England isn’t just about the past. It’s also about the future. American soccer is on the rise, with an established professional league and a national team that will be appearing in its sixth straight World Cup. European soccer, and the English Premier League in particular, is what many Americans want MLS to be, and the power of European teams is what many American fans want the USA to attain. It’s aspirational. But it’s also about respect. Great Britain is often called the home of football, while American soccer – despite the giant steps forward from 1990s onwards – is still sometimes mocked, usually by those whose knowledge of football doesn’t extend beyond the England team and the Premier League. A win for the USA on June 12th would give American fans a surefire putdown the next time some Anglo-centric fan makes a smart-arse remark about “soccerball”. The big question I have: Does this help or hurt the USA team? With England possibly unaware of the cultural significance of this game, the USA could come out all fired up and take their former colonial overlords by surprise. On the other hand, the US players could get themselves a little too worked up and succeed only in making a hard game even harder for themselves. The one thing I know for sure is that England vs USA is manna from heaven for ABC, because it guarantees extra American eyes on the TV screen June 12th. (It’s good news for blogs too. So follow the buildup to this game on USA World Cup Blog and England World Cup Blog.)
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There’s something about the World Cup which extracts the casual fans from the woodwork. Some attribute it to love, others attribute it to the overall ceremony. But what is it that brings out the nutjobs? Much of it is a who’s who of those that need to be removed from the gene pool. 
It’s nine days now until World Cup 2010 kicks off and the world takes a short break from work, play and shooting at each other to watch some world-class footy. Thousands will travel to South Africa to support their teams, but hundreds of millions more will watch from their home countries, making this maybe the most watched television event ever. But there are more options for watching the World Cup than just A) fly to Africa, or B) watch it on your TV at home.
If you're unfamiliar with our wonderful World Cup Blog, then allow me to explain: The blog you're reading now is the front page, but the core of WCB is the multitude of team specific blogs, including one for each of the World Cup 2010 teams.
If you’re a Netherlands fan, then you’re going to like this. Even if you’re not, you’ll probably think it’s still a bit good, and wish your team could have one. Dutch design students Bas van de Poel and Daan van Dam have created a reversible Netherlands shirt, with the face of a celebrating player on the inside.
Until this morning, 
Several hours after the deadline for World Cup squads had passed, Pim Verbeek was busy doing whatever Dutch coaches of the Australian national team do – either turning the whole thing around or bolting for a fatter paycheck. Whatever it was, it did not include publicly announcing the team, which led to 
The United States of America will play at least three games at World Cup 2010: vs England, Slovenia, Algeria. However, one of those games is getting way more attention than the others. No prizes for guessing that it’s England vs USA, June 12th, 8:30pm kick (local time) in Rustenburg, South Africa.| You are subscribed to email updates from World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010 To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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