2010 World Cup Thread

[brinoch]

I wont be surprised to see France tie all 3 games 0-0.

 

There's the first red of the tournament. Hopefully our boys will see that and be reminded to be careful.

[bukie]

Watching this one, South Africa could totally advance in this group.

[bukie]

I wont be surprised to see France tie all 3 games 0-0.

 

There's the first red of the tournament. Hopefully our boys will see that and be reminded to be careful.

Technically a second yellow, though. Two yellows in 10 minutes of play, though.

[jersey cubs fan]

aren't you not allowed to use your hands?

[bukie]

aren't you not allowed to use your hands?

If it's incidental contact, it's not a foul. Like the "kicking the puck into the net" rule in the NHL.

[bukie]

Free kick from just outside the box for France, may be the last chance at 92 min.

[jersey cubs fan]

aren't you not allowed to use your hands?

If it's incidental contact, it's not a foul. Like the "kicking the puck into the net" rule in the NHL.

 

oh, the replay looked much more harmless than live action. Where on the arm does a handball start?

[bukie]

If ever there was a good chance of a 0-0 game, it's a France-Uruguay game. The streak of 25 years since a goal was scored in a France-Uruguay game continues.

[UMFan83]

2 ties and 2 total goals scored is not exactly going to captivate the US casual fan base haha

[SpongeWorthy]

Here's my problem with soccer:

 

75% of what comes out of the announcers mouth (rough estimate) is about how Player X needs to or usually does better when shooting, crossing, heading, etc. except guys are routinely launching the ball 10 yards off target or going way over their teammates head when crossing.

[bukie]

aren't you not allowed to use your hands?

If it's incidental contact, it's not a foul. Like the "kicking the puck into the net" rule in the NHL.

 

oh, the replay looked much more harmless than live action. Where on the arm does a handball start?

 

It is a "direct kick foul" if a player (other than the goalkeeper inside his own penalty area) deliberately handles the ball (meaning to deliberately touch the ball with any part of the arm from the finger tips to the top of the shoulder). If the player handles it for the purpose of preventing an opponent from gaining possession, it is a "cautionable offense" and a yellow card should be given. If a player deliberately handles the ball to deny an obvious goal scoring opportunity (e.g., to prevent a breakaway or to deliberately stop a shot), a red card should be given and the player "sent off". However, a hand ball foul should not be called if: (1) a player is instinctively trying to protect himself from injury or (2) the player did not deliberately touch the ball but the ball hit his arm & he did not move the arm toward the ball (however, if the player's arms were in an unnatural position such as above his shoulders or sticking out to the sides, then he should be called for a handball).

[Mark Priors Calves]

Group A is wide open. I hope RSA advances.

[brinoch]

Yeah, it was the right call. A good rule of thumb on handballs is to ask: if you take the arm away, what would have happened? If your answer includes hitting the potential offender's body, then you generally wouldn't call it.

[wvcbxl]

Here's my problem with soccer:

 

75% of what comes out of the announcers mouth (rough estimate) is about how Player X needs to or usually does better when shooting, crossing, heading, etc. except guys are routinely launching the ball 10 yards off target or going way over their teammates head when crossing.

 

So you have a problem with the announcers, not with the game?

[SpongeWorthy]

Well I think the announcers have unrealistic expectations with the level of precision, yes. But that's not where my problem lies.

 

Obviously any sport where you play primarily with your feet is going to be less precise than a sport played with your hands. I do think that's a reason why the sport hasn't caught on big here--there aren't enough "things" happening.

[brinoch]

Well I think the announcers have unrealistic expectations with the level of precision, yes. But that's not where my problem lies.

 

Obviously any sport where you play primarily with your feet is going to be less precise than a sport played with your hands. I do think that's a reason why the sport hasn't caught on big here--there aren't enough "things" happening.

 

There's a lot more action in soccer than in football -- by time of play, at least.

 

I think it has caught on here. It's not to the level of the big three yet, but ESPN wouldn't be doing what it is doing if it weren't popular.

[jersey cubs fan]

There's a lot more action in soccer than in football -- by time of play, at least.

 

That's skewed by the fact that the clock doesn't stop and neither does play. But there's not much going on for much of that action.

[wvcbxl]

there aren't enough "things" happening.

 

Sorry, but I lol'd.

Lots of things happen during a soccer game, I just think you get a better feel watching a game in a stadium than on TV (the disadvantage being having no replay though)

 

From what I've been able to watch (on TV, obviously), neither of today's games was particularly good. (imho, the second one was just plain bad).

[imb]

there aren't enough "things" happening.

 

Sorry, but I lol'd.

Lots of things happen during a soccer game, I just think you get a better feel watching a game in a stadium than on TV (the disadvantage being having no replay though)

 

From what I've been able to watch (on TV, obviously), neither of today's games was particularly good. (imho, the second one was just plain bad).

 

the second game was awful, but it's always fun to see the french look awful

[jersey cubs fan]

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/11/2010/06/500x_worldcupbrawl.jpg

[hardcorecubfan]

2 ties and 2 total goals scored is not exactly going to captivate the US casual fan base haha

 

My thoughts exactly. Until they devise a way to produce offense it will always be a secondary sport in the US

[Exile on Waveland]

About what I expected from that game. And, actually, the French in general. Here's why:

 

France's last five tournaments with a healthy Zinedine Zidane:

 

1996 Euros -- Semifinals

1998 World Cup -- Champions

2000 Euros -- Champions

2004 Euros -- Quarters

2006 World Cup -- Runners Up

 

France's last two tournaments without Zidane:

 

2002 World Cup* -- Group A last place (zero goals)

2006 Euros -- Group C last place (one goal)

 

I tried to keep this in the Zidane era -- allowing leeway for 2006, obviously. It would look even worse if I included the era after Michel Platini and before Zidane.

 

 

*Zidane was injured and hobbled around France's final game.

[hardcorecubfan]

For a great, simplistic explanation of why americans don't like soccer Stephen Colbert did a great job last night. LMAO over it. It is just a matter of scoring basketball had the same problem in the 60's and 70's and they finally opened the game up to more scoring and the fans started to show up

 

(My daughter does play soccer so I am not anti-soccer)

[Guest]

Group A is wide open. I hope RSA advances.

 

Part of me things they missed their chance today, though I hope I'm wrong. They could have gone up 2-0 but the player couldn't put the ball on frame and then they had a breakaway sent off the post at 1-1 late in the game.

[brinoch]

Group A is wide open. I hope RSA advances.

 

Part of me things they missed their chance today, though I hope I'm wrong. They could have gone up 2-0 but the player couldn't put the ball on frame and then they had a breakaway sent off the post at 1-1 late in the game.

 

I hope so, too. Personally, I really thought Mexico and RSA looked better than either of France or Uruguay. France should be good with their talent, but they weren't. Maybe they can turn it on. Uruguay was playing for the draw, and France just couldn't pick them apart.