FIFA World Cup 2010

[RedheadDane]

Australia beat us at the test match earlier... but it was the ball's fault, Morten Olsen said so himself!

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

was a pretty boring game I thought. But hard to really take anything out of a friendly, the mentality and intensity just doesn't exist.

--

The dutch got a nice win against ghana, but I wasn't overly impressed by their performance. They had moments when they played the ball around really nice, one touch football, was good to watch (van bommel's ball = win). But then there were moments (especially the first half hour) where they played pretty pathetic. The goal they conceded seemed like a joke. Defensive blunder.
But yeah,it is a friendly, so i didn't expect a lot. Good confidence boost I guess.

 

[RedheadDane]

I didn't even watch it... just zapped through it a couple of times... (geeeh... I didn't even know there'd be a match.)
The only reason I know about the result is because I saw something about it rather briefly on the news...

Either way; don't think I'm going to watch that much. 22 men running around on a grass field, trying to get a ball into some cage-like thingies on each end of the field... meeeh...

 

[theyoungest]

was a pretty boring game I thought. But hard to really take anything out of a friendly, the mentality and intensity just doesn't exist.

--

The dutch got a nice win against ghana, but I wasn't overly impressed by their performance. They had moments when they played the ball around really nice, one touch football, was good to watch (van bommel's ball = win). But then there were moments (especially the first half hour) where they played pretty pathetic. The goal they conceded seemed like a joke. Defensive blunder.
But yeah,it is a friendly, so i didn't expect a lot. Good confidence boost I guess.

Usually the friendlies are far more pathetic. And when you win 4-1 with a decent performance, you can't complain. I just hope Van Marwijk realizes that you can't leave Van der Vaart on the bench. Hard working Kuyt can do his hard work in training, and leave the match to the real stars of Dutch football.

 

[craig1985]

I'm looking forward to the Ghana v Germany match. I hope for entertainment purposes Kevin-Prince Boateng (who really isn't that good) plays. No way will the match finish with all 22 players IMO.

 

[craig1985]

Giovanni dos Santos's brother Jonathan was left out of Mexico's World Cup squad, which in turn has led Giovanni to throw the hissy fit to end all hissy fits and is strongly considering refusing to play for Mexico ever again.

HTFU.

Not that he is any good, otherwise why would of Barcelona have sold him?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Usually the friendlies are far more pathetic. And when you win 4-1 with a decent performance, you can't complain. I just hope Van Marwijk realizes that you can't leave Van der Vaart on the bench. Hard working Kuyt can do his hard work in training, and leave the match to the real stars of Dutch football.

haha I came on to post the exact same thoughts

RVP, with robben and VDV supporting on the flanks (a forward role though). Sniejder playing attacking midfield, with de jong and van bommel behind.

Imo that is the strongest line up were gonna have. Kuyt was god awful last night. Babel topped him when he came on though. Surely huntelaar gets a run against Hungary.

 

[RedheadDane]

Here! For your viewing pleasure; the perhaps most brilliant advert ever
(And some rather creative footballing!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1hMSL7vyD0

 

[Moondance]

Soo, as it stands the WC will be without Drogba, Essien, Rio Ferdinand, John Obi Mikel and Ballack (although with young guys like Özil and Kroos that isn't too great a loss for Germany) through injury.... And there's still a week to go. Getting pretty serious.

Also, four of those injured guys are Chelsea players... Weird coincidence.

 

[theyoungest]

I think you can add Robben to that list, unfortunately.

 

[Moondance]

I think you can add Robben to that list, unfortunately.

Yep... He was able to walk off though, so my hope is that he'll be out for only 2, maybe 3 weeks. Provided we win our group our 2nd roud game would be June 28, which he could make. If there's a serious tear, or some reopening of old scar tissue then we're talking minimum four weeks and probably 5-6 and no WC.

Also, Robben is a former Chelsea player..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDZBgHBHQT8

 

[craig1985]

Soo, as it stands the WC will be without Drogba, Essien, Rio Ferdinand, John Obi Mikel and Ballack (although with young guys like Özil and Kroos that isn't too great a loss for Germany) through injury.... And there's still a week to go. Getting pretty serious.

Also, four of those injured guys are Chelsea players... Weird coincidence.

Pirlo is no certainty either.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Yep... He was able to walk off though, so my hope is that he'll be out for only 2, maybe 3 weeks. Provided we win our group our 2nd roud game would be June 28, which he could make. If there's a serious tear, or some reopening of old scar tissue then we're talking minimum four weeks and probably 5-6 and no WC.

Also, Robben is a former Chelsea player..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDZBgHBHQT8

my hope too.
We can cope without him in the group stages. But following that, he would com in very handy.

I'm anxious for the scan results.

 

[Moondance]

Huzzah... Robben is probably good for the WC... Unsure whether he'll be good for the Denmark game already, but he'll definitely be able to participate.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I'm looking forward to the Ghana v Germany match. I hope for entertainment purposes Kevin-Prince Boateng (who really isn't that good) plays. No way will the match finish with all 22 players IMO.

Why are you so sure about that?
KBP will probably not try to kill anyone. And Ballack, who is usually the guy who'd foul harshly and provoke the opponents anger isn't around.

I never understood how the German media and Ballack could critizise Boateng in such a way. Ballack has ended the machtes of more playes than Boateng has.

It seems btw. that Boateng will play. He had a very good first game as a starter.

But besides that:
it'll be the last match in the group for Ghana and Germany.
So it might be out of that reason a very very interesting game.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Why are you so sure about that?
KBP will probably not try to kill anyone. And Ballack, who is usually the guy who'd foul harshly and provoke the opponents anger isn't around.

I never understood how the German media and Ballack could critizise Boateng in such a way. Ballack has ended the machtes of more playes than Boateng has.

It seems btw. that Boateng will play. He had a very good first game as a starter.

But besides that:
it'll be the last match in the group for Ghana and Germany.
So it might be out of that reason a very very interesting game.

I agree, assuming this game will be a card fest because of the ballack and boateng incident is silly.

This is the world cup, these guys will know they have to act professional (especially with the card-happy-refs of modern day football). As for motivation, it being the world cup (and potentially a huge game in terms of tournament progression), it will be a great game to watch.

--

nice news about robben. Still nothing to be pleased about though. Hopefully he can recover in time for the 2nd round (whom if they take top spot, will be playing someone like Paraguay or Nigeria.. maybe even Italy if they fail to take top spot.)

--

4 more sleeps

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

No Belgium (again), so now Slovenia is my team
(because there's 2 slovenian players from my favorite team, AA Gent: Suler & Ljubijankic)

And i pick Argentina for the win!

 

[Bala Verde]

Ah, the rivalry between Germany and the Netherlands leaves no subject untouched

Youtube persbericht in German/Dutch

 

[ak-zaaf]

Pretty funny piece on Cracked.com: a-world-cup-preview-for-people-who-dont-care

The Basics
The World Cup is held every seven years, with 32 nations from around the world competing in a tournament of the lowest common denominator of sports: soccer. Following preliminary group stages, the evening gown stage and the final knock out games, one team will eventually triumph. The country that wins the World Cup then takes over the presidency of the One World Government for the next seven years.

 

[Anonymous]

someone forgot to include scotland.. :/

oh well, looks like im supporting USA, Algeria and Slovenia

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Nani is out.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jun/08/nani-out-world-cup-2010]

 

[craig1985]

I have to say I don't rate him that highly.

 

[Moondance]

I have to say I don't rate him that highly.

Nani is a hot-or-cold player. From what little I've seen of Manchester United this year Nani has sometimes been in devastating form (like in the return game vs. FC Bayern in this years' CL) and sometimes been completely absent.

On the balance I think this hurts Portugal, although it doesn't look like they were going to get this shit together anyway.

 

[craig1985]

At the ridk of incurring isso's wrath, I just can't stand the Portugal team. Over-rated IMO.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Nani is a hot-or-cold player. From what little I've seen of Manchester United this year Nani has sometimes been in devastating form (like in the return game vs. FC Bayern in this years' CL) and sometimes been completely absent.

On the balance I think this hurts Portugal, although it doesn't look like they were going to get this shit together anyway.

He is a little like nasri in that sense.

Rate him or not, rest assure this is a big loss for ronaldo.
Even if he wouldn't have been good at the world cup, him being a bigger name in the team would have taken pressure off Cristiano. This only adds to the load for him (whom in reality is their key for success).

Portugal will have a hard time getting through the group (por vs ivory coast is gonna be epic), let alone farther in the tournament.