Saturday, June 20, 2009

World Cup 2006 Blog

World Cup 2006 Blog

Link to World Cup Soccer - South Africa 2010

The Two Sides of Mario Balotelli

Posted: 19 Jun 2009 03:40 PM PDT

The UEFA Under-21 Tournament (happening in Sweden right now, but being overshadowed by the Confed Cup) is basically a glimpse into the future. To steal paraphrase something I once heard Tim Vickery say about the U-20 World Cup, watching these players is like watching the trailers for movies that are “coming soon”.

And watching Mario Balotelli in Italy’s 2-1 win over Sweden, where he scored a brilliant goal and then got himsdelf sent off fifteen minutes later, was maybe a story we’ll see again in various forms over the next few years. Let’s start with the positive, here’s Balotelli’s goal:



Can’t argue with that. Nice touch and turn from young Giovinco, followed by the sort of finish the senior Italy side could have used vs Egypt on Thursday. But fifteen minutes later this happened:

Not the worst foul in the world, for sure. But looked like there was at least one and possibly two attempts to kick Pontus Wernbloom there. And something about the way Balotelli sat there on the floor afterwards suggested he knew a red card was coming.

There’s almost no doubt that Mario Balotelli will be one of the big names in world football. And we’ll likely be talking about him for years to come. Good news is that Balotelli is only 18, so there’s plenty of time left for him to grow up. Wayne Rooney seems to have done it, mostly. So hopefully we’ll be able to spend the next decade (and more) talking about Balotelli’s talents rather than his temperament.

[vids via 101GG]
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Chance to represent U.S. brings out best in future hoops stars

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Friday, June 19, 2009

World Cup 2006 Blog

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Confederations Cup: Brazil Humiliate USA, Egypt Surprise Italy

Posted: 18 Jun 2009 02:47 PM PDT

Educational day in Group B of the Confederation Cup. We learned that Maicon vs DaMarcus Beasley is not a fair match up, and that neither is Vincenzo Iaquinta vs Essam El-Hadary.

Highlights of Brazil 3-0 USA and Egypt 1-0 Italy after the jump…

Brazil 3-0 USA

There was much disappointment from USA fans. And quite rightly. They were pretty much awful. And had a man sent off. Again. This tame it as Sasha Kljestan for a badly timed slide tackle on Ramires. Maybe the US should fire Paul Scholes as their tackling coach? Or maybe heads higher up the coaching staff should roll…

But this game wasn’t all about USA’s woefulness, there was Brazil’s brilliantness too.

Especially Maicon, whose early cross allowed Felipe Melo to head home, and who’s bit of magic produced a beautiful chip over Tim Howard for the third. Inbetween there was that embarrassing moment for US fans where DaMarcus Beasley failed to trap a ball from a US corner and about half a second later Robinho had it up the other end and in the net. A very harsh way to learn a very simple lesson.

Egypt 1-0 Italy

Egypt made sure to keep Group B interesting with a surprise win 1-0 over Italy. Mohamed Hommos headed home a 40th corner (Confed Cup is all about goals from corners, eh?) and Egypt held on to that lead until full time.

Vincenzo Iaquinta will wake up tomorrow wondering how he didn’t manage to equalize. But the answer will be simple: Essam El-Hadary. The Egyptian keeper was in unstoppable octopus mode, blocking shot after shot after shot.

So, now that Egypt have beaten the current world champions… can we stop saying The Pharaohs are “better than you think” and all just agree that yes, they’re actually quite good?

All of which leaves Group B looking a lot like this:


[source: FIFA.com]

It’s all about goal difference now. So USA have a mathematical chance if they beat Egypt heavily and Italy lose to Brazil heavily. But not a realistic chance.

Italy and Egypt are level on points but Italy has a goal difference that’s just one better.

If it all gets a bit complicated, then FIFA has this to say about Confederations Cup group stage tiebreakers:

The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as follows:
a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
b) goal difference in all group matches;
c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria,
their rankings will be determined as follows:
d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between
the teams concerned;
e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the
teams concerned;
f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the
teams concerned;
g) drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.

So it’s all about the final round of games, which happen this Sunday June 21st.

Brazil vs Italy
Egypt vs USA

Kickoffs are simultaneous at 8:30pm local, 7:30pm UK time, 2:30pm US Eastern.

Italy v Egypt Confederations Cup Liveblog

Posted: 18 Jun 2009 10:56 AM PDT

Brazil vs USA Confederations Cup LiveBlog

Posted: 18 Jun 2009 06:42 AM PDT


It’s Brazil vs USA in the second Confederations Cup Group A game, pretty much a must win for Bob Bradley’s men. Read on for the LiveBlog.
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MLB trade deadline: Rays, Phillies, Brewers need to plug holes

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

World Cup 2006 Blog

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Death To The Vuvuzela

Posted: 18 Jun 2009 04:00 AM PDT

That giant swarm of insects you’ve been hearing at every Confederations Cup game is not, in fact, one of the Biblical Plagues migrating south. It’s actually called a vuvuzela, and it’s quintessentially South African. Problem is, it’s also quintessentially obnoxious. If you’ve watched even 30 seconds of a Confederations Cup, you’ve surely noticed the all-enveloping buzzing sound - and chances are those horns are the reason you only watched 30 seconds.

For those (lucky few) who haven’t heard…

What you may not know is they were actually banned before the Confederations Cup, what with multiple FIFA officials pouring blood out of their ears during initial visits to South African domestic matches. But given that they are now so rooted in the South African football experience, FIFA decided to allow them after all. Much to the dismay of a number of people, including the players, like Xabi Alonso:


“I think they should be banned. They make it very difficult for the players to communicate with each other and to concentrate. They are a distraction and do nothing for the atmosphere.”

But Sepp’s defending it. Sort of.

“It’s a local sound and I don’t know how it is possible to stop it. I always said that when we go to South Africa, it is Africa. It’s not western Europe. It’s noisy, it’s energy, rhythm, music, dance, drums. This is Africa. We have to adapt a little.”

Funny, I thought its lack of rhythm was precisely the problem. It’s not harmonious, nor is it in rhythm whatsoever; it’s just one long 90 minute droning sound. To the point you begin to wonder when the B-list horror movie is going to break out before your eyes. I’ve personally begun watching the games on mute - what with the combination of ESPN’s commentary team and the vuvuzela capable of being substituted for lethal injection and all.

Certain portions of South Africa are even poking fun as a method of marketing their tranquility for tourism…

…so they surely realize it’s a bit of overkill.

So while it’s wonderful that they want to impart the true South African experience upon us, we can also assume they’d like us to return in the future. No one will return if we associate South Africa with impending deafness. Death to the vuvuzela.

Photo: Team Melli Show Support for Iranian Protestors

Posted: 18 Jun 2009 12:40 AM PDT



For yesterday’s World Cup qualifier vs South Korea, 8 of the 11 Iran players took the field wearing green wristbands, almost certainly a sign of support for and solidarity with those protesting the recent Presidential election result in Iran.



Iran drew the game 1-1, and Saudi Arabia later drew 0-0 with North Korea, results which mean Team Melli will not be going to World Cup 2010. (Australian and Japan qualified from Group 1, South Korea and North Korea from Group 2, while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will have a two-legged playoff to decided who beats faces New Zealand for a place in South Africa. Final AFC World Cup qualifications standings here.)

But because of Team Melli’s high profile in Iran, and the fact that the game was broadcast for all to see, this might be one of those rare occasions where what the players wore was much more important than the result.

Confederations Cup: Spain to the Semis and Redemption for Bernard Parker

Posted: 17 Jun 2009 07:56 PM PDT

Spain sealed the deal today by negotiating past a defend at all costs Iraq, while a certain South African striker made sure not to become the Confederations Cup version of Mario Gomez.

Highlights and explanations below, plus a look at how Group A stands…


Spain 1-0 Iraq

Iraq went out to defend against Spain, and - as you can see from the highlights - spent most of the game doing exactly that.

And it nearly worked too, with Spain winning just 1-0 through David Villa’s 55th minute header. Apparently Villa finds it easier to score if the commentators are speaking English.

Spain’s win puts them through to the semis (yeah, I’m as shocked as you are) and also means they’ve gone 34 games unbeaten. Just one short of the 35 matches unbeaten world record held by either Brazil (if you believe Reuters) or by Australia, France and Brazil jointly (if you believe the NYTimes).

Spain’s win puts them through to the semis (yeah, I’m as shocked as you are) and now unbeaten in 34 games - just one short of Brazil’s record of 35. Spain also have 14 consecutive international wins, a record they share with Brazil, France and Australia.

Either way, Spain are doing very nicely.

South Africa 2-0 New Zealand

In the later game, South Africa got their first win of the tournament by beating the Confed Cup Group A points ATM that is New Zealand.

And guess who got both the goals? (I know, you probabaly already know, but humour me…) Bernard Parker. After his embarrassing off-the-line clearance cost Bafana Bafana two points in the opener, the Red Star Belgrade striker restored his reputation with two well taken goals.

All of which leaves Group A looking like so:


[via FIFA.com]

For the Group A finale (Saturday, June 20th) it’s:

Iraq vs New Zealand
Spain vs South Africa

Both games kick off at 8:30pm local time, 7:30pm UK time, 2:30pm US Eastern time.

If South Africa can get a point vs Spain, then they’re through and the fans go wild. If they lose and Iraq bets New Zealand, then it all comes down to goal difference (first Confederations Cup tie breakers is head to head, but Iraq and South Africa drew 0-0 so goal diff it is.)

Thursday’s Confed Cup action is Brazil vs USA (which USA pretty much have to win to stay alive) and Egypt vs Italy (which Egypt pretty much have to win to stay alive). We should have LiveBlogs of both those games.

The Giuseppe Rossi American Hate-A-Thon Commences

Posted: 17 Jun 2009 01:30 PM PDT

[From Objectivo via Who Ate All The Pies]

Let’s be frank: much of this is more sour grapes due to Rossi’s supreme skill versus the relative lack in the US and less principle. Were he, say, Simone Pepe, no one could bother to stop a moment and care. Does England gripe about WC winner Simone Perrotta born outside Manchester? Nope, but it’s the exact same situation. Born in England to parents who’d relocated merely for employment purposes and now back playing football for the country of his blood. (He’s even got that whole name ends in a vowel thing.) People make fun of France for poaching Africa, but it’s often shrugged off because these players have the chance to play for a superior team. Same case here.

And let’s be frank a second time: most people in Rossi’s position - not the one waving the flag from the stands - would have done precisely the same thing. Rossi’s never claimed to identify as a patriotic American, but rather as an Italian. Being born in the states doesn’t change that. Parents are Italian, blood is Italian, learned his football in Italy, not the United States. Hell, he was even poached by Fergie, which is par for the course with young Italian phenoms these days.

And then there’s the footballing aspect which tilts the balance wildly in favor of Italy. With the United States, he would’ve had the chance to maybe make a WC quarterfinal. With Italy, he can win a World Cup. Giuseppe might even have the opportunity to lead Italy to a World Cup title. No contest.

So you feel Italian, you are Italian, you learned your trade in Italy, and you have the chance to do vastly superior things with the Italian national team. Put down the flags and stand in Giuseppe’s shoes: what would you do?


Placed in Rossi’s shoes I’d choose….(polls)
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