The Official 2010 World Cup Thread

Totally. I just got back from a trip to the in-laws. It was several days of being surrounded by a 3 year-old, a 6 year-old, smack dab in the middle of Nowhere, Washington. Literally every time I got bored or thought, "Fuck this," I would remind myself that the WC is merely days away.

Cannot. Fucking. Wait.

This is my Xmas , i can't fucking wait.

Im already pissed off, like I am every tournament, that im going to miss 4 matches from the last lot in the group stages. I dont care if its meaningless, i want to see it all.

Yeah, I'm in the middle of hard-fought negotiations with the missus over "just how many games" I intend to see.

I'm like, "Well, umm...all of them?"

She's already threatening to leave for a couple weeks to stay with her sister. I'm trying really hard to encourage her to do so without seeming like I'm pushing her away, which is technically what I'm very much attempting to do.

  On 6/10/2010 at 7:46 PM, The Overlook said:

Yeah, I'm in the middle of hard-fought negotiations with the missus over "just how many games" I intend to see.

 

I'm like, "Well, umm...all of them?"

 

She's already threatening to leave for a couple weeks to stay with her sister. I'm trying really hard to encourage her to do so without seeming like I'm pushing her away, which is technically what I'm very much attempting to do.

fucking LOL.

Okay, so let's go ahead and look at the first group matches for A, B, and C.

Uruguay - France

This has the potential to be stunning. They were also grouped in 2002, in a tournament where I thought Uruguay were brilliant. Their goalless draw with France was amazingly fun to watch. Then, of course, they drew with Senegal, 3-3, in arguably the most entertaining match of the 2002 WC. If they revert to type and stuff the midfield so tight that the game is a tedious slog, then I expect France to win 1-0 or 2-0. If Uruguay manage to find some decent service from midfield, they have two studly strikers in Suarez and Forlan, in which case I think they'll take down France, 2-1. Au revoir, Domenech.

Argentina - Nigeria

So this should be fascinating. I *expect* Argentina to come out of the gates firing and this could be a high scoring affair, especially in light of an Argentina without Cambiasso / Zanetti (Maradona's head on a stick if they don't advance). Remember, Maradona played in his last match for Argentina against Nigeria in 1994 before failing the drug test. The Nigerians advanced, Argentina did not. mmmmmm, tasty. I see this one going 3-2 (Messi brace) for the Argies. The wild card for the Super Eagles: who's going to score goals? I have always liked Martins and one would think the hopes of Nigeria are pretty much pinned to his form. Yakubu? Kanu? Egads.

England - USA

I expect this to completely defy anxiety and anticipation by being one of the dullest games of the opening weekend. It will be either 1-0 or 2-0 in favor of England. The U.S. will struggle to create goals and will rely on grit and athleticism to avoid being blown out. The English media will go on to say they expect England to win the world cup. In an alternate reality, the Americans will come out swinging, go up 1-0 in the first 20 minutes, forcing the English to pull out all stops to rescue a draw or even a late, 90th minute win. 1-1 or 2-1, with either team winning, if we all get what we want instead of what we're most likely to get.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqG6lY9XGb8

Weirdest football song I've ever heard. Trust Rik.

I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow. Too bad I have to work during the opening game, I love me some live opening game atmosphere. I also have an unstopable urge to buy the world cup ball.

And yeah, Argentina will be drama all the way. Maradona is a madman.

Yeah, I kind of want that ball too.

But I play football every Thursday with a group of guys so I'm pretty sure one of them will get it instead.

Had a few touches with a (slightly flat) Jabulani this evening. It is just as weird as everyone's been saying if not moreso....freakishly light

  On 6/10/2010 at 7:31 PM, chenGOD said:

  On 6/10/2010 at 6:54 PM, The Overlook said:

  On 6/10/2010 at 6:17 PM, Benedict Cumberbatch said:

veetle will never work on ps3 browser.

 

installing on pc. thanks

Yeah, I looked up many options for watching the WC games and since my lame ISP (Qwest) doesn't support ESPN3, I just said fuck it and ordered digital cable / DVR for the next two months.

 

DVR is the way to go for the WC. I've learned as much from the last two European championships and WCs. It's gonna be awesome to have the 5:30 am game recorded to my DVR so I can watch it as soon as I wake up.

 

It just sucks not watching these games live while trying to dodge spoilers from the web, texts from friends, Facebook, etc.

 

Andy = I dunno what veetle is, hope that site meets your needs.

 

Mirezzi - absolutely - it's basically social media withdrawal for the next month. Should we start a new thread for the actual tournament? think of this as the friendlies thread....

veetle was the software i had to install to get it to work. hope it wasnt spyware yikes

early games here at 7:30am so i'll be up

dunno if i can face the pub at 7:30am for the big matches

You shouldn't have had to install anything for it to work....it's just streaming video....I'm watching Yankees vs Orioles right now...

LOL i'm watching BBC World Cup highlights from 1986 to the present. I'll put up the two parts tomorrow morning from school if anyone is interested. It's about 2 hours.

  On 6/11/2010 at 4:29 AM, chenGOD said:

LOL i'm watching BBC World Cup highlights from 1986 to the present. I'll put up the two parts tomorrow morning from school if anyone is interested. It's about 2 hours.

I would fucking love it.

  On 6/11/2010 at 6:13 AM, The Overlook said:

  On 6/11/2010 at 4:29 AM, chenGOD said:

LOL i'm watching BBC World Cup highlights from 1986 to the present. I'll put up the two parts tomorrow morning from school if anyone is interested. It's about 2 hours.

I would fucking love it.

Are you sure? it's got a certain round of 16 match from 2002 that will have you seething all over again...;)

But it's worth it for Bergkamp's goal that knock out Argentina in 98 (which I think has to rank as one of the top 5 World Cup goals of all time, at least, time that has been visually recorded)

Please do. Sounds beautiful.

I used to have a VHS as a kid with great coverage of World Cups from the 70's until Italia '90 or something. I loved that tape to bits but I dropped it and it broke.

I will lose my shit if R Kelly is actually doing this opening ceremony on now

Mexico should be winning this

Wow. First goal of the tournament disallowed for phantom offside. Not a great start for FIFA. Might we be witnessing another South Korea? I would love to see South Africa do well, but not with FIFA's help.

  On 6/11/2010 at 4:47 PM, The Overlook said:

Wow. First goal of the tournament disallowed for phantom offside. Not a great start for FIFA. Might we be witnessing another South Korea? I would love to see South Africa do well, but not with FIFA's help.

but that was offside you idiot. learn the laws.

at least two players (irrelevant if keeper or outfield player) have to be closer to the goal than the ball. in that case the keeper had come past the ball and so there was only one player back. hence offside, and hence a good call by the lino.

been impressed with the ref so far as well

Right you are. Carry on, everyone. Hey, what can I say? Martin Tyler got me all pissed off when he seemed convinced it was clean.

  On 6/11/2010 at 5:03 PM, The Overlook said:

Right you are. Carry on, everyone. Hey, what can I say? Martin Tyler got me all pissed off when he seemed convinced it was clean.

apologies for calling you an idiot!

second law of the game - ignore Martin Tyler (even though these days he's one of the better commentators around).

  On 6/11/2010 at 5:05 PM, jhonny said:

  On 6/11/2010 at 5:03 PM, The Overlook said:

Right you are. Carry on, everyone. Hey, what can I say? Martin Tyler got me all pissed off when he seemed convinced it was clean.

apologies for calling you an idiot!

 

second law of the game - ignore Martin Tyler (even though these days he's one of the better commentators around).

Yeah, I lost sight of the fact Vela was behind the keeper.

A shame Tyler doesn't seem interested in explaining him.

What a fucking goallllllllllllll........................!!

Can someone shut up those fucking bees, I'm trying to get some work done (realises irony of posting on here ....)