World Cup 2010 - South Africa Thread

[StolenThunder]

Plus to ensure you always got a result in each and every fotball game would recquire extra time/penalties etc. Games would just go on way too long. In knock out competitions it obviously makes sense but overall it'd ruin football.

I mentioned this in TNZ but it's worth mentioning it here too because it's fun. When MLS was set up there was no such thing as a drawn game. Instead at the end of 90 (not 120 minutes), they had a 35 yard shoot-out.

One striker, one keeper and 7 seconds to put it in the net. Once the keeper had touched the ball the striker wasn't allowed to touch it again. Bit of an insane system. I can't find any good quality MLS videos of one, but here's an example from an amateur level: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hlkvgZ1LQg

I follow sports where drawing isn't possible - I'm a keen basketball fan - but it entirely suits football and it's also not 'no result'. It has its own significance.

 

[Iasius]

I think we have a team that can surprise, but it's definitely not finale material without a huge amount of luck.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Aussie Aussie Aussie!!! Oi Oi Oi!!!

 

[stoneroses]

One nill to Germany. Can't say I am shocked at that.
The best news is they think about banning those awful vuvuzela horns from games. They kill the atmosphere stone dead I thought I had contracted tinnitus. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/8737504.stm

 

[clint g]

Ouch and germany scores again

 

[Shaytan]

Germany is good, it's annoying...

 

[ST-One]

For god's sake!
It sounds like the stadium is attacked by those aliens from Voyager's 'Macrocosm'.

 

[Count Zero]

Nice game so far. I like the way Germany plays (didn't think I'd ever say that out loud), although they're probably too young to get very far in the knock-out stage.

 

[ST-One]

Nice game so far. I like the way Germany plays (didn't think I'd ever say that out loud), although they're probably too young to get very far in the knock-out stage.

I don't know shit about football, but shouldn't youth be a plus?
And, a few of these guys were in that team four years ago during the Sommermärchen.

 

[Shazam!]

I don't know shit about football, but shouldn't youth be a plus?

You generally need a good balance of youth and experienced level heads who can see a game out.

After all, you win nothing with kids.

 

[Shazam!]

Germany is good, it's annoying...

What's more annoying is that it genuinely is a case of Germsny being good rather than Australia being bad.

EDIT: As if that was a red card >: (

 

[Defcon]

EDIT: As if that was a red card >: (

Yeah, even the German commentator said as much, and usually their comments aren't overly impartial.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Poor decision with the red card. It's tempting to go back to asleep, but hopefully can stop anymore goals from the Germans.

 

[Shazam!]

They should introduce the sin bin. The contest is basically over with half an hour to go.

 

[Roger Wilco]

Germany is good, it's annoying...

Australia isn't putting up much of a fight.

 

[Shaytan]

It's really, really annoying.

 

[clint g]

I guess Australia is going by the "if you're going to lose, lose big" philosophy

 

[Borgminister]

Taping it now. Thought Germany had some key players injured?

 

[Roger Wilco]

Ballack. But I've always thought he's overrated anyway.

 

[Count Zero]

I don't know shit about football, but shouldn't youth be a plus?
And, a few of these guys were in that team four years ago during the Sommermärchen.

Yes, some of them are well experienced, but some have very little experience in international matches that count. To be successful at a World Cup, you also need a lot of cleverness, and those young guys will probably lack that.
But those are only general observations. In football, everything can happen.

Taping it now. Thought Germany had some key players injured?

That's true. The most notable player missing is Michael Ballack, who's very important for the German midfield. But in this game, I didn't miss him at all. Seems that he's been replaced quite effectively, though it remains to be seen whether that's also true against the really good teams.