Thursday, August 30, 2012

World Cup 2010 Blog: 15 Nations Fall: The Crests Of Euro 2012

World Cup 2010 Blog: 15 Nations Fall: The Crests Of Euro 2012

Link to International Football News - World Cup Blog

15 Nations Fall: The Crests Of Euro 2012

Posted: 29 Aug 2012 08:57 AM PDT

CROATIA FALLS 500X700 FINAL

This is way late to the party, what with Euro 2012 being over near two months and all, but better late than never and all that nonsense. Some wonderful illustrations from “Lee” on the inevitability of any major tournament, compiled into one poster. A few examples of the individual countries tumbling can be seen here.
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Wednesday, August 15, 2012

World Cup 2010 Blog: Naming The 2014 World Cup Ball

World Cup 2010 Blog: Naming The 2014 World Cup Ball

Link to International Football News - World Cup Blog

Naming The 2014 World Cup Ball

Posted: 14 Aug 2012 10:03 AM PDT

ws_Adidas_1280x800

In a move of ingenious foresight, adidas has handed over the task of naming the ball for the 2014 World Cup to the fans, so that when everyone complains that its flight is dictated by voodoo, they can just say, “Well you chose it.” Even if they only chose the name. And then everyone will stand around in silence because the company is just plain crazy. (It’s a theory. It has some holes.)

The names in question:

The three names are Portuguese words and all are feminine, conforming to the Brazilian stereotype of the ball as a woman, to be caressed and cared for. One of the finalists is Carnavalesca, a word describing someone who plans or participates in the country’s raucous carnival celebrations. Another is Bossa Nova, a reference to the famous samba-jazz music genre popularised in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1950s and 1960s. Finally Brazuca, which is a playful slang word for native Brazilians that Adidas said summed up the country’s irreverence.

Voting link.
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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

World Cup 2010 Blog: Match-Fixing 2010: He Said, She Said

World Cup 2010 Blog: Match-Fixing 2010: He Said, She Said

Link to International Football News - World Cup Blog

Match-Fixing 2010: He Said, She Said

Posted: 07 Aug 2012 09:26 AM PDT

Alarming news coming out today: something involving FIFA might be corrupt. Tis true.

A former security official for FIFA has said that the game between Greece and Nigeria at the 2010 World Cup was, at least at one point, under investigation for match-fixing, which would be the first World Cup fixture ever. FIFA refutes this claim.

Of course they do.

Australian Chris Eaton told UK's Channel 4 that the body is examining the match, which Greece won 2-1 for its first ever World Cup win, in connection to allegations of spot-fixing.

Eaton said that suspicions were raised after the match that Nigerian player Sani Kaita earned himself a red card in the 33rd minute of the match due to an alleged arrangement with a fixer who bet on the incident.

"It's certainly an interesting circumstance and we know a lot about it," said Eaton. «It’s a manifestation of, potentially anyway, a manifestation of an attempt at a fraud that is, is unique…and perhaps to be replicated in the future, so we have to be cautious about it.”

And then there was FIFA’s denial.

Onto more important things: who else, when hearing Nigeria was involved, thought that this was the game in question instead?
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Saturday, August 4, 2012

World Cup 2010 Blog: Alex Morgan’s Knee Joins The Olympics

World Cup 2010 Blog: Alex Morgan’s Knee Joins The Olympics

Link to International Football News - World Cup Blog

Alex Morgan’s Knee Joins The Olympics

Posted: 03 Aug 2012 11:00 AM PDT

They say one must be bonkers to be a keeper. Jens Lehmann is indisputable proof that it at least helps. Aleex Morgan’s knee does nothing to dissuade this line of thinking.

New Zealand’s keeper is Jenny Bindon. You can send her flowers and aspirin. Heavy emphasis on the latter.
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