World Cup 2010 Blog: “One Bookie Makes Sure Thierry Henry’s World Cup Contributions Won’t Count” plus 4 more

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• One Bookie Makes Sure Thierry Henry’s World Cup Contributions Won’t Count
• Soundoff: Will Leo Messi Delight or Disappoint at World Cup 2010?
• World Cup Moments: Geoff Hurst, 1966. Did the Ball Cross the Line?
• Kulula vs FIFA, Round Two: “Not Next Year, Not Last Year, But Somewhere In Between”
• World Cup Moments: The Bittersweet Brilliance Of Totaalvoetbal, 1974.

One Bookie Makes Sure Thierry Henry’s World Cup Contributions Won’t Count Posted: 23 Mar 2010 12:10 AM PDT Something happened with Thierry Henry and Ireland recent which impacted a nation’s participation in the World Cup. What it was, we won’t rehash – there’ll be plenty of that every time to flip on a television during the month of June. Incident X has stuck in the craw of Ireland since, drawing ire, contempt and lots of mean words from normally nice people – chances are if you walk around Dublin with a Titi 12 on your back, pleasantries are not forthcoming. And if you ask any expert how best to deal with heartache, they’ll undoubtedly answer “ignoring it”. So that’s precisely what one European bookmaker is doing: paying out bets as though Thierry Henry isn’t participating. Keith McDonnell, Managing Director of Bodog Europe and, more importantly in this case, an Irishman, has put the kibosh on Henry’s World Cup participation in betting fantasy land: “I want to enjoy the World Cup and the only way I can do that is if Thierry Henry is no longer part of it,” said McDonnell. “He has already ruined my World Cup and I want to make sure he can do no more damage.” The way it works: For any French game in which Henry plays, punters can now place a bet safe in the knowledge that his goals will not count against them. For example, if a customer backs a draw in a France game and Henry scores, making them 1-0 winners, he will still get paid. This also applies to a first goalscorer and each-way markets too. So, if a punter backs a player to be the highest scorer throughout the tournament and the customer’s selection comes fourth, one below Henry, he would be paid as if he came third. However, if a person places a bet for France to win, all of Henry’s goals will still be counted. While Keith may feel slightly better, his superiors are probably already popping corks: not only have they appealed to Ireland and any other anti-Henry fans the continent over, they’ve drummed up all sorts of free publicity. As evidenced by…well, everything above. So while they may loathe Incident X, they probably love making money more.

Soundoff: Will Leo Messi Delight or Disappoint at World Cup 2010? Posted: 22 Mar 2010 06:40 PM PDT Obviously you don’t know the answer to that question. Obviously I don’t know the answer to that question. Not even little Leo Messi himself knows that answer to that question. But now still seems like the perfect time to ask it. Leo Messi is on top of the world right now. Ten goals in his last four games. His form goes brace vs Almeria, hat-trick vs Valencia, brace vs Stuttgart in the Champions League, hat-trick vs Real Zaragoza. More importantly these haven’t just been any old goals. They’ve been the sort of goals that make defenders curse the day YouTube was ever invented. Even better, Messi’s showing us that anything Diego Maradona or Ronaldo can do, he can do too. The World Cup is all about seeing the world’s best players on the world’s biggest and best stage, and in 2010 that means Leo Messi and South Africa. So let’s just say that we’re all very excited to see him in action this June. However… … there’s no guarantee the little man will be waltzing through World Cup opposition defences for Argentina the same way he does for Barcelona. Mostly because his form for the two sides has been very very different. Maybe that’s Messi’s fault, maybe that’s Diego Maradona’s fault. Maybe it’s just one of those inexplicable things. But there’s a very real chance that Leo Messi could disappoint us in South Africa. Seems unthinkable? Cast your mind back to 2006. Ronaldinho was in the sort of form for Barcelona that Messi is in now. Ronaldinho was the reigning World Player of the Year. Ronaldinho was expected to light up the World Cup in Germany. Ronaldinho didn’t, and we were all disappointed. If Messi fails to ignite in South Africa, then almost the entire World Cup audience will be let down. No pressure then Leo.

World Cup Moments: Geoff Hurst, 1966. Did the Ball Cross the Line? Posted: 22 Mar 2010 09:39 AM PDT Can you imagine if both YouTube and blogs had existed in sixties? The events of the 1966 World Cup final would have caused internet meltdown. For those unfamiliar, here’s what happened: It was hosts England vs West Germany in the final. West Germany had equalized to make it 2-2 late in the match and take it to extra time. So, 11 minutes into extra time, England’s Alan Ball crossed the ball in, and Geoff Hurst turned and shot from just outside the six yard box. The ball hit the bar. The ball bounced down. Either on or over the line. Then Wolfgang Weber headed the ball clear. The England players celebrated a goal, the West Germany players protested. Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst looked confused, and so consulted his linesman Tofik Bakhramov (who was from Azerbaijan, not Russia, though he was technically a citizen of a Soviet state at the time, which is probably why he became known as “the Russian linesman”). Bakhramov said goal, and it was 3-2 to England. Here’s a YouTuber of the goal (or “goal”?), with German commentary: And with English commentary: It’s been 44 years since that happened. In the intervening years mankind has been to the moon, mapped the human genome and found a way to make Andy Serkis look like a giant gorilla. Yet we’re still arguing over whether goal-line technology is a good idea or not. But that’s another argument for another day. Obviously Hurst went on to score his third and England’s fourth. Since England won 4-2, you could say the controversial nature of the third goal can be ignored. But since the fourth goal was a direct result of West Germany pushing forward in search of an equalizer, that’s not a great argument. So we’ll ignore that and agree that this is the goal that won the 1966 World Cup. So, the big question: Did it cross the line or not? - More World Cup Moments here.

Kulula vs FIFA, Round Two: “Not Next Year, Not Last Year, But Somewhere In Between” Posted: 22 Mar 2010 08:07 AM PDT We already knew the people at South African budget airline Kulula.com were both cheeky and hilarious. Their World Cup 2010 related Unofficial National Carrier of the You-Know-What advertisement irritated FIFA enough to provoke some legal action, because you can only mention the you-know-what (even without naming it) if you deliver a big sack of money to FIFA HQ. But Kulula weren’t finished there. Because this past weekend they printed a follow up ad in the Sunday Times, making (even more of) a mockery of FIFA’s licensing laws. Their new slogan is “Not Next Year, Not Last Year, But Somewhere In Between”. Also in the smaller print: “there are so many more exciting reasons to travel around our country this year, than just for that thing we wouldn’t dare mention.” The ad is packed with images that definitely don’t reference the World Cup or 2010 or South Africa. For example, the object at the top of the page might look like a vuvuzela, but we are assured in the text that it is: “definitely, definitely a golf tee.” There’s the man who appears to be playing soccer, but is actually “putting his right foot in, his right foot out” and doing the Hokey Cokey. Which FIFA do not own. There even appears to be a South African flag (another symbol of the World Cup), except, the ad claims, it may actually be just a brightly coloured beach towel. But enough description, take a look for yourself: Image via: MarkLives! Rather than pointing out every little detail, I’ll leave you to enjoy finding the rest of the not at all World Cup related jokes. I’ll add only this. There’s a short-sighted baby in there, and there are no prizes for guessing which organization that represents. Is Kulula playing with fire here? Almost certainly, and if FIFA decided to pursue this ad in the courts, then the budget airline could be in a world of pain. But it’s still fantastic that a satirical mirror is being held up the tyrannical silliness that is FIFA’s licensing laws, and long overdue. Here’s hoping they don’t like what they see.

World Cup Moments: The Bittersweet Brilliance Of Totaalvoetbal, 1974. Posted: 22 Mar 2010 03:10 AM PDT Total Football is such a visual spectacle it seems unjust to describe it by words. It’s football’s art – that which requires no explanation, merely open senses. Fortunately we live in the YouTube era, and as such those spectacles are only a click away. The Johan Cruijff-won Oranje penalty – all ninety seconds of it – from the 1974 final against West Germany, along with a compilation of the side’s finest moments from their bittersweet tournament… [More World Cup Moments]

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