World Cup 2010 Blog: “Cry For Argentina: Diego Strips” plus 7 more |  |
- Cry For Argentina: Diego Strips
- Match Review & Highlights: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands
- Another Day, Another Dubious Decision: The Dutch Offside Goal.
- Gio van Bronckhurst: The Best Goal of World Cup 2010 So Far?
- Liveblog: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands, Semifinal
- Craig Johnston’s 12-Page Jabulani Letter to Sepp Blatter
- Preview: Germany vs. Spain
- Paul The Octopus Has Spoken: Viva España
| Cry For Argentina: Diego Strips Posted: 06 Jul 2010 04:10 PM PDT Fortunately it’s an animated Diego – not the real thing because Argentina did not win the World Cup, therefore millions of Argentine eyes were spared from the unsightly – but a naked Diego nonetheless. And one which is probably spot on – he seems to be awfully, err, curvy.
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| Match Review & Highlights: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands Posted: 06 Jul 2010 02:47 PM PDT
The scoreline makes this game look like a thriller. The scoreline is lying. Well, not lying. This game really did finish 3-2 to Netherlands. It just wasn’t quite as exciting as you’d think. What it did have was a couple of superb goals, including maybe the goal of the tournament from Gio van Bronckhurst, and one rather controverisal goal from Wesley Sneijder. All five goals below… 0-1 Van Bronckhorst 18′ Yep, Arjen Robben scored a header. Seemed that the game would finish 3-1 but then Maxi Perreira scored for Uruguay in stoppage time (while the Netherlands were already half celebrating) and sent up a frantic final couple of minutes. Obviously all the debate will be about Sneijder’s goal, and the role that a very probably offside Robin van Persie played in that. I thought he was onside at the time, but have since been convinced otherwise. If you want to join the debate about Sneijder’s goal and the standard of officiating in general, then click yourself over to Another Day, Another Dubious Decision: The Dutch Offside Goal.. Whatever your feelings on that, the Netherlands have advanced 3-2 and will meet the winner of tomorrow’s Germany vs Spain game in the final, while Uruguay will play the loser in the third place playoff. - Join the celebrations at the Netherlands blog, and the commiserations at the Uruguay blog. - Are you a Netherlands fan that wants to be in South Africa for the final? Read our Netherlands World Cup Travel & Ticket package information.
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| Another Day, Another Dubious Decision: The Dutch Offside Goal. Posted: 06 Jul 2010 02:04 PM PDT
Here we are for the routine postgame exercise of this World Cup: what did the officials blow this time? The second Dutch goal in a 3-2 win, for starters. We saw one “offside interference” correctly called in Paraguay – Spain, but this time, it ultimately may have cost Uruguay a spot on the final and given the Dutch a win they didn’t entirely deserve. Video after the jump. Robin van Persie, in an offside position, screened Fernando Muslera on Wesley Sneijder’s shot while also keeping the keeper waiting for his movement and dummied the ball as it trickled into the back of the net. Simply put: the goal should not have stood. The Dutch third came in quick succession, as though Uruguay were staggered, but it’s fair you say you have to rule everything out from that point on.
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| Gio van Bronckhurst: The Best Goal of World Cup 2010 So Far? Posted: 06 Jul 2010 01:54 PM PDT Netherlands 35 year old captain Gio van Bronckhurst opened the scoring against Uruguay with this long range, laser guided strike. I can’t decide what the most impressive thing about this goal is. Is it the distance? Is it the angle? Or is the fact that somehow GvB managed to strike the notoriously dancy adidas Jabulani ball in such a way that it flew straight as an arrow? I’m going to choose “all of the above” and just say congratulations.
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| Liveblog: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands, Semifinal Posted: 06 Jul 2010 09:47 AM PDT
If you like our liveblogs, please help promote them by clicking the Facebook and Twitter links above right. Chris and myself will be liveblogging in the window below, so please leave your comments down there. Kickoff is 8:30pm Cape Town time, 2:30pm US eastern time, liveblog will get started about an hour before kickoff. Bet on Uruguay vs. Netherlands Don’t just take our word on the match. Check out match comments from carefully selected Twitter accounts: FAN RESOURCES
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| Craig Johnston’s 12-Page Jabulani Letter to Sepp Blatter Posted: 06 Jul 2010 09:46 AM PDT
In fact Johnston is so upset with the impact the Jabulani has had on World Cup 2010 that he’s written a 12 page open letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, filled with stats about how many mis-hit passes and off target shots the World Cup ball has caused and the collected quotes from numerous World Cup players about just how much they hate playing with this thing. The letter is very direct, definitely heartfelt, and more than a little angry. It also includes the best opening paragraph of any letter I’ve ever read:
Johnston goes on to suggest that maybe FIFA just switch back to an older adidas ball, but keep the graphic design of the Jabulani. I think we all know that’s not going to happen. But in a larger sense Johnston’s letter is a plea for FIFA to think more about what’s good for football and good for the tournament than about what’s good for sponsors like adidas. Even if the full 12 pages of Johnston’s letter aren’t enough to convince Blatter, I’m willing to bet that the significant bad publicity the Jabulani has received will at least make both Blatter and adidas a little more careful in future.
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| Posted: 06 Jul 2010 08:15 AM PDT
THE BIG PICTURE Torres’ involvement is the big question mark here. The striker returned from injury in time for World Cup 2010, but hasn’t looked even close to his best. There’s a definite possibility that coach Vicente del Bosque could “rest” Torres and replace him with either Fernando Llorente or an extra midfielder. Might not matter though, since David Villa is scoring more than enough goals for everyone, and is the current World Cup top scorer with five. More at the Spain blog. Germany’s aggressive attacking style has been an unexpected but very much welcome World Cup surprise. Attacking midfielder Mesut Özil’s name is possibly already engraved on the Best Young Player Award trophy, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s midfield displays have had more action than a Michael Bay movie and striker Miroslav Klose is now just one goal behind Ronaldo on the list of all time World Cup goalscorers. The big miss for Germany will be young Thomas Mueller, who is suspended. More at the Germany blog. WHAT’S AT STAKE Incredibly, Germany haven’t won a World Cup in 20 years, and haven’t won the thing since reunification. This tournament looks like Germany’s chance to not only reclaim the World Cup, but to do so in a style that could redefine perceptions of German football. But they need to beat Spain before thinking about that. OUR PREDICTION FAN RESOURCES
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| Paul The Octopus Has Spoken: Viva España Posted: 06 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT Part of the problem with a soon-to-be hors d’oeuvre determining the fate of your sports team is that it can easily fall prey to such things as internet hoaxes because, last I checked, appetizers aren’t very smart. The Spanish-Serbian swap of yesterday? One must think while Paul was surfing his mobile he popped onto the site and was influenced into picking the furious ones from Iberia. Duck and cover, Germany. Duck and cover. The run is coming to an end.
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Does anyone out there remember Craig Johnston? If not, you probably should. Johnston was a South African born Australian striker who played in England for both Middlesbrough and Liverpool in the 1980s. After retirement, Johnston went on to design the football boot that would become the adidas Predator. So the man knows his stuff. And he is not a fan of the 
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