World Cup 2010 Blog: “The World Cup Killed Online Poker” plus 4 more

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• The World Cup Killed Online Poker
• Les Bleus Get A Surprise New Call Up – Zinedine Zidane
• UEFA Gives The Vuvuzela The Finger, Bans It Across The Board
• Euro 2012 Schedule and Friday Night Lights – Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down?
• 1930 World Cup Final Replay In The Clouds Now Complete

The World Cup Killed Online Poker Posted: 01 Sep 2010 02:22 PM PDT Everyone anticipated that the World Cup would be a distraction, but the size of the distraction was vastly underestimated, and as a result online poker sites have seen their profits plummet. Can we not all agree that online poker is the “distraction” and not the other way ’round? Poker’s nice and all, surely, but the World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the land – it deserves its due respect. Or else… And maybe that’s why it took online poker down for the month of June. One of the big ones didn’t anticipate just how much of a “distraction” the World Cup would cause. Something says that’s not good business foresight. Share holders in one company who were expecting a healthy dividend have been disappointed by the news that in order to preserve its diminished supply of cash, the company has cancelled its half yearly interim dividend. During the first six months of the year their profits fell by 56% to £2.7 million. Even though this is just one company, we can take a wild guess and say the pinch was felt somewhat across the board. So don’t mess with the World Cup – it will take you down. (56% or thereabouts.)

Les Bleus Get A Surprise New Call Up – Zinedine Zidane Posted: 01 Sep 2010 11:30 AM PDT Though he could probably walk into any international midfield in the world save for Spain, it seems the nature of Zizou’s surprise showing at Clairefontaine was more training for his eventual political career – handshakes, photos, kissing babies, etc. – than training for a surprise return to the football pitch. But given how the summer went for France, don’t be surprised if Laurent Blanc names him in the starting XI on Friday, completely unbeknownst to Zizou.

UEFA Gives The Vuvuzela The Finger, Bans It Across The Board Posted: 01 Sep 2010 10:30 AM PDT It’s been nice, football sans vuvuzelae, hasn’t it? For most of us, anyway, and this surely goes double if you’re the sound engineer for a broadcasting company which pumps out football. (Nightmares of ambient noise and so forth.) UEFA feels similarly and has done away with the devil seed for UEFA-sanctioned competition. A large battle in the fight against the vuvuzela has been won. According to the official release, UEFA would prefer the magical environment of songs about so and so’s mother and chants mentioning unmentionable things. But it’s still better than the vuvuzela. (Unless you’re on the receiving end, of course.) The magic of football consists of the two-way exchange of emotions between the pitch and the stands, where the public can transmit a full range of feelings to the players. However, UEFA is of the view that the vuvuzelas would completely change the atmosphere, drowning supporter emotions and detracting from the experience of the game. To avoid the risk of these negative effects in the stadiums where UEFA competitions are played and to protect the culture and tradition of football in Europe – singing, chanting etc. – UEFA has decided with immediate effect that vuvuzelas will not be allowed in the stadiums where UEFA competitions matches are played. And for the umpteenth time, just how do they plan on enforcing this? “Excuse me, is that a mini vuvuzela in your pants?” Up next on UEFA’s to-do list: instant death for those who show up with a cowbell.

Euro 2012 Schedule and Friday Night Lights – Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? Posted: 01 Sep 2010 08:53 AM PDT Euro 2012 qualifying gets underway in a few days, and – if you haven’t noticed already – the scheduling may come as something of a surprise. In a break from tradition, games will no longer follow the familiar Saturday afternoon/Wednesday evening pattern, but will instead be played on Friday and Tuesday evenings. The Tuesday games maybe aren’t so strange because we’re all used to mid-week internationals, but seeing internationals played under Friday night lights is definitely new. The obvious question: Why? And the inevitable answer: Clubs. Because the midweek international has the second of the double-header games on a Tuesday instead of Wednesday, it means the clubs get their players back a) one day sooner and b) one day more rested. The downside for international teams is that they now have one less day to prepare for games, and fans who don’t live near the stadium may not be able to make it to the Friday night games after work. Also, there’ll be no football on television over the weekend. It’s not all bad, obviously. There’s a certain novelty to these Friday games, and if it does mean players are genuinely more rested and clubs do less complaining then good for them. Maybe. UEFA has also shown some flexibility. Israel were not happy to be playing their games on a Friday because it’s the Jewish Shabbat, so Israel will play Malta on Thursday evening instead. You can see the full Euro 2012 schedule on UEFA’s website. What do you think about the new Friday/Tuesday setup?

1930 World Cup Final Replay In The Clouds Now Complete Posted: 31 Aug 2010 01:20 PM PDT Though it may seem an occasion long since gone, yesterday brought forth a significant obit: the only player still remaining from the first World Cup final in 1930. Argentine Francisco Varallo passed away at the ripe young age of 100. That first World Cup final was more than 80 years ago, and 75 or so before the advent of YouTube. But through the miracle of technology and someone falling asleep in FIFA’s intellectual copyright division, we can get a grainy glimpse at the game, long before most of us were alive. And we’re only a few years away from the replay in heaven being broadcast on YouTube as well.

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World Cup 2010 Blog: 1930 World Cup Final Replay In The Clouds Now Complete

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1930 World Cup Final Replay In The Clouds Now Complete Posted: 31 Aug 2010 01:20 PM PDT Though it may seem an occasion long since gone, yesterday brought forth a significant obit: the only player still remaining from the first World Cup final in 1930. Argentine Francisco Varallo passed away at the ripe young age of 100. That first World Cup final was more than 80 years ago, and 75 or so before the advent of YouTube. But through the miracle of technology and someone falling asleep in FIFA’s intellectual copyright division, we can get a grainy glimpse at the game, long before most of us were alive. And we’re only a few years away from the replay in heaven being broadcast on YouTube as well.

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World Cup 2010 Blog: “Bob Bradley Staying on as USA Coach Until 2014. Why It’s the Right Move.” plus 1 more

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Bob Bradley Staying on as USA Coach Until 2014. Why It’s the Right Move. Posted: 30 Aug 2010 08:35 PM PDT Seems those recent Jürgen Klinsmann to coach USA rumours were as baseless as, well, as a story with no identifiable source. Because current coach Bob Bradley has now signed a contract extension to coach the US national team until the end of 2014. I know that this probably will not be popular with a vocal section of US fans, but here’s how US Soccer explained their decision: U.S. Soccer has agreed to a contract extension with U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley. The agreement with Bradley, who guided the U.S. team to numerous achievements including finishing in first place in their group at the 2010 FIFA World Cup for the first time in 80 years, will keep him at the helm through the end of 2014. Frankly, I think I agree with Sunil Gulati and co. I know a lot of US fans are impatient and wanted a more glamorous name in charge of the team. But I’m thinking this is the right move. Here’s why: Bob Bradley really did lead the US team to the top of World Cup group for the first time. That’s progress. Sure he made a mistake in starting Ricardo Clark against Ghana. But is Ricardo Clark really so bad that giving him a shirt is a sackable offence? The answer is no, it’s not. Don’t forget that Bradley’s USA team also beat Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup and came thisclose to taking down Brazil and winning the whole thing too. I’d also argue that there seems to be a genuine team spirit around the US team at the moment. A genuine positive vibe. Why ruin that by removing the man who created it? Most importantly, there was no viable replacement. Guus Hiddink is working for Turkey and Jürgen Klinsmann apparently isn’t interested. Last but not least, Bob Bradley is probably the most qualified American coach for the job right now. I’d argue that being American is uniquely important for the US job. Not necessarily for patriotic reasons (though I suppose that helps) but more because US Soccer and Major League Soccer and the whole American system is a labyrinth of quirks that only a coach like Bradley who knows that world can navigate successfully. So no, four more years of Bob Bradley may not be the most glamorous option. But if US fans want the team to continue making steady progress between now and 2014, then it might be the right one. - Melissa over at the USA blog has taken the decision as a mixed blessing, and is preparing for “four more years of sideline scowls and the most magnificent sweatpants collection in FIFA.”

Jürgen Klinsmann Talking to U.S. Soccer Again? Posted: 30 Aug 2010 12:00 PM PDT ESPN started a rumour this weekend, and I can’t help spreading it. Apparently Jürgen Klinsmann has been talking with U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati about replacing Bob Bradley as coach of the U.S. national team. That’s “according to a source with knowledge of the discussions” anyway. As opposed to a source with no knowledge of the discussions. Side-stepping ESPN’s journalistic integrity like Barry Sanders in his prime (yeah, I made an NFL reference) I’m wondering if this means the most drawn out managerial appointment in the history of international football is about to happen. Klinsmann was the firm favourite to replace Bruce Arena as U.S. coach after the 2006 World Cup, before Bradley was given the job first on an interim basis and then full-time. Bradley’s contract expires in December, and so if Klinsmann really is going to take this job, then now would be the time. Personally I question Klinsmann’s suitability for the job. Though his Germany did well at the 2006 World Cup, they were absolutely horrible under Klinsmann for the two years leading up to the tournament. There’s even an argument that Klinsmann’s then-assistant Jogi Löw was the real brains behind the operation, and Klinsmann’s subsequent failure as Bayern Munich boss would seem to support that theory. I’d even argue that Team USA is about to enter a period of very little competitive soccer, much like the two years before the World Cup where Klinsmann struggled. CONCACAF may be about to rejig its World Cup qualifying process, but that still leave the USA semi-idle until World Cup 2014 qualifying starts. It’s not like in South America where there’s the Copa Libertadores 2011 to build towards, or in Europe where Euro 2012 qualifying is about to begin. And no, the Gold Cup doesn’t count. So is Klinsmann really the man to coach the U.S. through the quite times and then on to World Cup 2014? I say no. But on the other hand, I now 100% want this to happen, if only because when a rumour starts in 2006 and is still being rumoured in 2010, then we may as well just jump in and see what happens.

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World Cup 2010 Blog: Les Bleus Least Likely Love Triangle: Ribery, Madame Ribery & Gourcuff

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Les Bleus Least Likely Love Triangle: Ribery, Madame Ribery & Gourcuff Posted: 28 Aug 2010 09:02 AM PDT In England, it is not unusual for the private lives of football players to make the front pages of newspapers. Its not unusual for papers to print stories (alleging!) players are sending pornographic photos of themselves to random women across the country, engaging in extra-marital activities and impregnating numerous women along the way. The (alleged) scandal involving John Terry, Wayne Bridge and Wayne Bridge’s former girlfriend (and mother of his child) definitely broke the mold when it surfaced this summer (for the record, she denied it). Regardless, the idea behind this scandal “struck a cord” (read: sold a lot of papers). The French, not wanting to be outdone in their quest to be the most scandal-prone team, ran amok this year… They handballed their way to the World Cup. They dropped the team’s future stars (Nasri, Benzema, Ben Arfa) from the squad. Some of them were investigated for paying an underage girl for sex. They fought their own training staff. They boycotted training. They didn’t win a single game at the World Cup. They only scored one goal in the entire tournament. And now, a former team doctor is trying to put the cherry on top. As Chris revealed earlier this week, Jean-Pierre Paclet, who served as the team doctor from 2004-2008 recently made some astonishing allegations regarding some of the French players blood samples.  He tops the implied doping accusations when he asserts the “real” reason behind the fall-out between Frank Ribery and Yoann Gourcuff. Through the summer, Ribery was one of the players accused of “bullying” Gourcuff this summer.  Many reasons were given:  socioeconomic divisions, Gourcuff was “too nice,” competitive jealousy etc.  But, despite the fact that this is France, no one ever suspected a possible love triangle was at the root of this problem. Paclet alleges that Ribery’s wife, Wahiba, was still upset during the World Cup over the news that her husband may have paid an underage prostitute for sex (allegedly!).  As his birthday present (allegedly!).  For the record, Ribery has never denied sleeping with Zahia- but he has denied both knowing she was not 18 at the time and paying her (other than providing money for a cab ride).  This “news” had broke a few months before the World Cup, but it dominated the headlines leading up to the tournament.  According to Paclet, the relationship between Ribery and Gourcuff turned sour when the players families visited them during their pre-tournament training camp in Tunisia… Wahiba Ribery seized the opportunity and adds. She didn’t let Yohan Gourcuff, [who] came alone, leave her sight and made it known to her husband. Ribery didn’t think any of it. Finally, yes. Bad. Much harm. Wahiba used the ideal provocation. Since the camp in May at Tignes, Ribery seems distant from Gourcuff. On the field, he makes virtually no pass [to Gourcuff]. “ A second article references another example. During lunch, Gourcuff found at table without a companion, causing a reaction. Including this [from the player's wives]: “Me, I would accompany [you] well. The players did not appreciate it… Well, I have to say that was the most boring love triangle allegation I’ve ever heard.  I expect much more than sharing a lunch table from the French.  I’m pretty sure that only counts as first base in kindergarten- ya know, before kids get crazy and share the same blanket during nap time. The book, which has made a few headlines, has been discredited by many of the players (Desailly said he didn’t know Paclet and he must need money to feed himself).  The fact that he is reporting on events that he wasn’t even present for (he did not participate in the 2010 or 1998 World Cup) does not help boost Paclet’s credibility.  When asked why he decided to publish these claims now, Paclet said that his disappointment in the behavior of the players this summer made him want to reveal the other skeletons in the France closet.  Makes sense.  If you are embarrassed by your team being a laughing stock, you would definitely want to publish more claims to substantiate that.  Not.

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