World Cup 2010 Blog: “World Cup 2010 Jerseys: South Africa” plus 1 more

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World Cup 2010 Jerseys: South Africa Posted: 09 Mar 2010 02:05 PM PST Almost all the team jerseys for World Cup 2010 have now been revealed, and are available to buy from our World Cup 2010 jersey store. Based on what we’ve seen so far, I’m reasonably impressed. There aren’t nearly as many templated designs as expected, and the retro look seems to be very much in. So starting today we’re going to cast a close critical eye at each nation’s World Cup 2010 home and away shirts and other attire. We’ll do so honestly and semi-respectfully and without any of the technical guff about moisture wicking. Whatever that is. We’ll go group by group, and so first up is your World Cup host South Africa, from Group A. South Africa Home Shirt My initial reaction was that this adidas South Africa home shirt is a little plain. It seems to be just your basic yellow adidas shirt with a bit of green trim. But the closer I look, the more I like. First of all, the South Africa Football Association logo on the right hand side is one of the better designed logos out there. It features two spheres: One a retro looking soccer ball and the other featuring what I believe is the outline of South Africa’s borders. It’s got a nice ’70s feel to it. Second, the body of the shirt, though a simple yellow, features that “Y” shape that goes from shoulders to sternum and then down. This is the outline of the South African flag, which itself is a symbol of the new South Africa having only been adopted in 1994. According to adidas the intent was to unite the 11 tribes and 11 languages that make up South Africa, by integrating the flag into the body of the shirt. Just to make sure, the shirt also features the actual South Africa flag on the back of the neck. Similarly, the pattern around the collar is more than just a few squiggles, as it’s apparently inspired by artisans from each of the 11 South Africa tribes. I have neither the time nor the research skills to verify that claim, but definitely like the idea and like the way the pattern adds a needed touch of flair to the shirt. - Want one? Find your South Africa home shirt in the World Cup Blog Store. South Africa Away Shirt The away shirt is basically the same deal as the home shirt, but with the yellow and green colours reversed. I’ve got mixed feeling about this. Is it lazy to simply flip colours from home to away? Or does it bring unity to the design of the two shirts? Either way I’d argue that the home shirt is superior, mostly because the design elements mentioned above (flag outline, collar pattern) seem to work better with yellow than green, possibly because they were designed with the home shirt in mind. - Prefer the away shirt? Find your South Africa away jersey in the World Cup Blog store. Last but not least, here’s the full home kit/uniform, as modelled by Bafana Bafana midfielder Steven Pienaar: You’ll notice that the jersey Pienaar is wearing features a Protea flower crest over the heart. This doesn’t appear to be present on the standard replica jersey, but will be worn by the players at World Cup 2010 and is featured on the limited edition Techfit version of the South Africa jersey. What do you think of the Bafana Bafana jerseys for World Cup 2010?

World Cup Moments: Dennis Bergkamp’s Goal vs Argentina in 1998 Posted: 09 Mar 2010 10:06 AM PST If you remember the 1998 World Cup in France, then you remember Dennis Bergkamp’s goal for the Netherlands in the quarterfinal vs Argentina. The score was 1-1 in the 89th minute, and extra time looked almost certain. Until Bergkamp produced his moment of magic. The goal was all about three touches, all with his right foot. First Bergkamp brings down a long high pass from Frank DeBoer as gently as if he were putting an infant to bed. Second, he knocks the ball through experienced Argentina defender Roberto Ayala’s legs for a surprise nutmeg. Third he expertly judges the bounce and fires into the far corner to win the game and take Holland through to the World Cup semi-finals. We have a YouTube video below, featuring the now famous Dutch language commentary from Jack van Gelder. The man is so ecstatic at what he’s just witnessed he can only scream the name “Dennis Bergkamp!” over and over again. Watch below and try not to do the same. - For more Oranje, visit Jan’s Netherlands blog. - Or check out our ever-growing collection of World Cup Moments.

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MAMUDU, Your March 10, 2010 issue of Sporting News Today is now available, please click here. Here are some articles in Today's Issue Ohio State's Evan Turner named SN's player of the year Big 12, Pac-10 conference tournament previews Twins hit hardest by spring injuries Nats' Strasburg overpowering in debut NFL free-agent moves shake up draft's first round If you experience any problems with your issue, please click here to contact our customer service department. Know a friend who might like Sporting News Today? Email him/her this link: www.sportingnewstoday.com.     Trouble Viewing? If any of the above links do not work for you,   copy and paste this URL into your browser:   http://today.sportingnews.com/t=c/?1&123731&158090&19520&0000&1236491422&EIInjEOx9cS45     Please do not reply to this message. Questions may be submitted to Digital Support.   To stop receiving email notifications for digital issues of Sporting News Today,   click here.   Sporting News Today 120 West Morehead Street Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28202

World Cup 2010 Blog: “Fashion Faux Pas: Italian Fishnet.” plus 1 more

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Fashion Faux Pas: Italian Fishnet. Posted: 09 Mar 2010 03:40 AM PST Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon’s official World Cup home kit was released recently, and it caught a few eyes. Largely because everyone at Puma thought it was to be for the Italian ski team to be performing at Vancouver, thus the reason it looks like it was made for…the Italian national ski team. Coincidentally, Gigi pulled up lame with a thigh injury just before the recent friendly and thus he avoided having to wear the kit – Fedrico Marchetti was given that chore. Vicious rumors persist that Buffon was hiding from the kit. No one blames him. There are a number of things going wrong here: i. The Italian flag belt buckle, sans belt. In fact it looks like one of the rubbery logos you’d find on a ski jacket or combo slicker/floating device – still with the skiing theme. ii. The Rorschach Italian flag being stretched across the upper torso. What year is this, 1987? iii. The varying tones of black. There are a number of colors which can be slightly altered in a neighboring area and look just as brilliant; black is not one of them. iv. And last, but most certainly not least, the presence of Gigi Buffon’s nipples. It’s not quite fishnet, but there’s enough see-through here to make this a Cancun rubber hose short of ascending to PG-13. More than simple nipples – it’s a weekly theme – Puma have really focused on the torso area of the Italian kits this year, complete with RoboCop Goes Tribal abdominal areas, so as to quiver opponents into submission. Or something. You can check out the store for the entire set of Italian World Cup kits…except Gigi’s home kit. Because we have standards. (Sometimes.) [Via Football Fashion & Football Shirts]

Brazil World Cup Team History: Part III (1974-1990) Posted: 08 Mar 2010 06:10 PM PST In Part I of Brazil’s World Cup history, we covered the barren years of 1930 to 1954. In Part II we reveled in the golden years of 1958 to 1970, which yielded three World Cup triumphs and permanent possession of the Jules Rimet trophy. But the good times can’t go on forever, and if one national team continued to win the World Cup 75% of the time (as Brazil did from ‘58 to ‘70) then we’d probably all stop watching. So in Part III we recap Brazil’s post-1970 trophyless spell. Plenty of good football (especially from the Brazil team of 1982) but no World Cups from 1974 to 1990. 1974 World Cup in West Germany Brazil went to the 1974 World Cup as holders, but without key 1970 players like Pele (who had retired from international football) and Carlos Alberto (knee injury). Still, any team with Jairzinho and Rivelino could be expected to make a decent stab at World Cup glory, especially with 1970 coach Mário Zagallo still in charge. Brazil started the group stage with two consecutive 0-0 draws vs Yugoslavia and then Scotland, and only scraped through in second place after a 3-0 win over Zaire gave them a goal difference one better than Scotland. The win over Zaire is probably most famous for the unorthodox way that Zaire’s Ilunga Mwepu chose to deal with a Brazilian free kick: The full story behind Ilunga Mwepu’s moment of madness can be found here. In the Second Round group stage, Brazil beat East Germany 1-0 and then claimed what I imagine was a very satisfying 2-1 win over Argentina with goals from Rivelino and Jairzinho. But then in the final group game, which was in effect a World Cup semi-final, Zagallo’s Brazil faced the Total Football of 1974’s surprise team, the Netherlands: Brazil lost 2-0, with the two Johan’s – Neeskens and Cruyff – getting the goals. Brazil had been the darling of the football world for their beautiful play in 1970, but now that honour belonged to the Dutch. Brazil went on to lose the third place playoff game 1-0 to Poland. 1978 World Cup in Argentina Mario Zagallo lost his job after the 1974 World Cup. By the time of the 1978 World Cup, Cláudio Coutinho was in charge. The squad was more or less overhauled with only goalkeeper Leão and a now 32 year old Rivelino remaining from 1974. Amongst the fresh talent was a 25 year old attacking midfielder by the name of Zico. Two things to note about Brazil’s 1978 World Cup. First is that they went undefeated. Second is that they exited in controversial fashion. Brazil drew with Sweden and the Spain in the First Round group stage, before beating Austria to progress. The Second Round group stage saw them face Peru, Poland and rivals Argentina. Get ready for the controversy. Brazil beat Peru 3-0 and then drew 0-0 with World Cup hosts (and of course, eternal rivals) Argentina in what looks like a violent game: But that’s not the controversial part. The controversy came in the final group games, with Brazil and Argentina level on points and scheduled to play Poland and Peru respectively. Brazil played Poland earlier in the day and won 3-1, and so hosts Argentina knew that a victory by four goals or more would send them through and knock Brazil out. Argentina won 6-0. There are suggestions that Peru were bribed to throw the game. I honestly don’t know. What’s clear is that it’s unfair for one team to play later in the day than the other and therefore have the advantage of knowing what they need to do to go through. It’s because of this controversy in 1978 that we now have simultaneous kickoffs for all group game finales. 1982 World Cup in Spain The 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cup winning teams are fondly remembered. But the 1982 team is equally loved for their fantastic attacking football, despite the fact that they failed to deliver the trophy. Telê Santana was the coach, and he loved to attack. This worked out nicely because the attacking players at his disposal included Zico, Socrates, Falcão, Junior and Serginho. This team played the sort of football that Brazilian teams now only play in Nike commercials. Here’s a taste of the magic featuring some of the best passing moves you’ll ever see, first touches that look CGI rendered, and free-kicks from Zico that defy the laws of physics: OK, maybe I went a bit overboard with the praise there. But damn this team was impressive. They romped through the group stage by beating the USSR 2-1 with a goal two minutes from time, spanking Scotland 4-1 and then New Zealand 4-0. In the Second Round group stage they faced Argentina (again) and Italy. Santana’s Brazil absolutely demolished Argentina, winning 3-1 with goals from Zico, Sergonho and Junior. Revenge from 1978, and Brazil now looking clear favourites for the 1982 World Cup. All they had to do was avoid defeat against Italy, and a place in the 1982 World Cup final was theirs. Brazil lost 3-2 to a Paolo Rossi hat-trick and exited the tournament, but Brazil 2-3 Italy will go down as one of the greatest games ever played in the World Cup. Not as good as winning the trophy, but a part of history nonetheless. 1986 World Cup in Mexico Telê Santana and his attacking team had another crack at World Cup glory in 1986. Santana had resigned after the 1982 defeat to Italy, but was persuaded to return one year before the 1986 tournament. New to the squad was pacy São Paulo striker Careca, while Zico, Socrates, Falcão and Junior all returned but were now into their 30s, with Zico in particular battling against injuries. Santana wasn’t quite as gung-ho as in 1986, but Brazil still had a 100% record in the group stage, beating Spain and then Algeria 1-0, before dispatching Northern Ireland 3-0. In the Round of 16 Brazil destroyed Poland 4-0 and were starting to look like their old selves again. The quarterfinal opponents were the Michel Platini-inspired Euro ‘84 champions France, and the result was yet another World Cup classic. Check out the passing move that leads to Careca’s opening goal: France made it 1-1 through Platini before halftime. In the second half the now fit(tish) Zico came on and almost immediately sent Branco through, one one one with French keeper Bats, who brought Branco down for a penalty. Zico himself stepped up to make it 2-1, but Bats saved. The game finished 1-1 and went to a penalty shootout. Zico semi-redeemed his miss by scoring in the shootout but Brazil still lost as both Sócrates and Julio Cesar missed. Horrible end to Zico’s World Cup career. Seems like every footballing nation, no matter how successful, has a penalty kick related tragedy to tell. 1990 World Cup in Italy It’s harsh to say that Sebastião Lazaroni’s 1990 Brazil squad was poor. Any team featuring Jorginho, Dunga, Bebeto and Careca, and with a half-injured Romario on the bench can hardly be called poor. But for some reason Brazil’s 1990 World Cup squad was not particularly memorable. Part of the problem was trhat Lazaroni himself was not particularly well known. Another is that he wasn’t too fond of attacking. Brazil progressed through the group stage with three one goal victories. 2-1 over Sweden, followed by back to back 1-0 wins over Costa Rica and Scotland. Job done, but nothing to get too excited about. In the Round of 16, Brazil were drawn against old rivals Argentina. Is it me or did these two used to be magnetically attracted to each other in World Cup draws? The game became infamous for the "holy water scandal" after left back Branco claimed the Argentinean staff passed him a water bottle laced with tranquilizers during the game. As I said when addressing this in the Argentina World Cup history post: “…there's a very simple lesson to be learned here: Don't ingest anything given to you by your biggest international rivals in a World Cup game.” Argentina won the game 1-0 after Diego Maradona dribbled through multiple Brazilian defenders and set up Claudio Cannigia. If any Brazil fans are feeling a bit down after having to see that again, then don’t worry. Next post will cover the years 1994 to present, and the return to winning ways.

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MAMUDU, Your March 09, 2010 issue of Sporting News Today is now available, please click here. Here are some articles in Today's Issue Conference tournament preview: Watch out for Notre Dame in Big East Syracuse's Boeheim named SN's coach of the year Cubs' biggest worry is pitching Nats' Strasburg scheduled to make debut today FSU QB Ponder ready for breakout season If you experience any problems with your issue, please click here to contact our customer service department. Know a friend who might like Sporting News Today? Email him/her this link: www.sportingnewstoday.com.     Trouble Viewing? If any of the above links do not work for you,   copy and paste this URL into your browser:   http://today.sportingnews.com/t=c/?1&123626&158046&19490&0000&1236491372&EIInjEOx9cS45     Please do not reply to this message. Questions may be submitted to Digital Support.   To stop receiving email notifications for digital issues of Sporting News Today,   click here.   Sporting News Today 120 West Morehead Street Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28202

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MAMUDU, Your March 08, 2010 issue of Sporting News Today is now available, please click here. Here are some articles in Today's Issue Kentucky's Wall named SN freshman of the year NFL draft prospects find themselves in flux as Pro Days approach Cardinals clearly the class of N.L. Central Selig talks Jackie Robinson, MLB's social impact Kurt Busch victorious after Keselowski flip If you experience any problems with your issue, please click here to contact our customer service department. Know a friend who might like Sporting News Today? Email him/her this link: www.sportingnewstoday.com.     Trouble Viewing? If any of the above links do not work for you,   copy and paste this URL into your browser:   http://today.sportingnews.com/t=c/?1&123508&157993&19446&0000&1236491297&EIInjEOx9cS45     Please do not reply to this message. Questions may be submitted to Digital Support.   To stop receiving email notifications for digital issues of Sporting News Today,   click here.   Sporting News Today 120 West Morehead Street Suite 200 Charlotte, NC 28202