Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

looks like hes a fan of RyJ

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

and Cohiba

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

The diversity in the World Cup program. You don't have to be qualified...

I didn't see the controversial call, but was it the Ref from Mali or the AR on the touch line who made the call? The person who would have the best line for the offside call would be the AR, and the AR could possibly overturn the Refs call...

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Go South Africa!!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Thanks for the pic, Moe :) Unfortunately no more Greece :( At least we held Messi scoreless. I'm so disappointed. I feel like I wasted 2.5 hours watching today. Hopefully Greece can build on their performance and bounce back in the next World Cup.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Maybe they should recruit you as an Enforcer type player Christos ;)

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

U.S. predictions for tomorrow?

Mine... 2-0 U.S. Altidore and Donovan get the goals.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

If the US doesn't get into the next round it will be a joke...that's 2 perfectly good goals disallowed...

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Justice!

De Bleekere used to be one of the best refs in Europe, but he lost it. Disallowing that goal was a joke, just like the red card for that Algerian player (other players were protesting, not the captain)

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Glad someone on the USA team finally realized the object is to get the ball into the net when looking at an empty one, not shoot beside it!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Man this game made me sweat.
Unreal the opportunities missed.

In the end, the US came out on top of their bracket. Who would have given them a chance out of it, let alone to end up on top of it.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

....and murderers.

Here he is with a Cohiba.

Seems he is a big fan of Fidel and Chavez also.
Great, super guy.:rolleyes:

Ever the provocateur, soccer legend Diego Maradona says he wants to add a new face to his tattoo collection — which already features the visages of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara — la jeta de Hugo Chávez:
Diego Maradona said today that he wishes to get a tattoo of the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, after having branded his skin with the faces of Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Argentine-Cuban guerrillero Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Now that is was a game!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Best sports moment I've seen in a long time.
USA USA USA!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

The US game was intense...looking forward to the Ghana Germany game later this afternoon.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Usa goal!!!!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Wow

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Anybody watched any of the WC on their cellphones? Wondering how that looks?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

:usa Congratulations Team USA!!! :usa

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I just figured out something that may give you a laugh... I will preface it by saying I am such a dumb arse...

I was watching the USA game earlier and as soon as we scored I posted the above. Later as I was rereading the posts and couldn't figure out how others had posted about the USA result before me... Yep... I was watching the match recorded on DVR!!!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

He lost it a while back when he pretty much eliminated Chelsea versus Barca with his bad calls. Have no idea where FIFA finds these jokers. I predicted balls calls today 3-4 days ago when FIFA announced he would be refereeing USA game to "atone" for the Mali clown in last one.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

:r

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/2496/malireferee.jpg

My apology for questioning FIFA referee selection process, they seem to be an equal opportunity employer after all. Mali ref at the USA Slovenia match...

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

goodbye Italy, who would have thought that before the WC?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Interesting how a lot of the big European teams are doing poorly. France last in their group winless and Gone. Italy in trouble about to be Gone. Spain losing to the Swiss. Germany losing to Serbia. England tying the U.S. and Algeria. The big European teams are looking vulnerable. The only teams holding their own is the Netherlands and Portugal a team historically the most likely to fold up with dominant talent.

On the other hand South American teams are looking outstanding particularly Argentina. Still Brazil is Brazil, Uruguay looks tough, Paraguay is playing well, Chile is playing well and they are all leading their groups. Five of eight groups are lead by South American teams and the other three groups don't have a South American team.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Both Argentina and Brasil profited from obvious and blatant non-calls by referees (hand balls), but hey, who's counting. Once both are in knock out stages we'll see if they actually play better than EU teams. I wonder if FIFA will now institute a "Hand of God" trophy for the most inventive hand ball play...

The ref discussing Fabiano's hand ball with the player seconds after allowing it to stand (smiles and all) is the most disgusting moment of the WC so far. I am sure its not the last one, either.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I agree...I can't believe that the media didn't make a bigger deal about that. There was barely any mention of it anywhere in the British media and was hardly mentioned in the media here either. Crazy!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Fabiano handled TWICE on that same play. OK, maybe the 4 officials did not see one handball, but all four then missing a second one as well? What are the odds of that?

And then Fabiano and Maradona get into a verbal spat over whose was really the "hand of God" and FIFA still doesn't do crap.

It breaks anyone's mental and then physical state when you realize you are playing against a ref. Same thing happened to USA guys in Algir game, Dempsey's face said it all for the last 20 odd minutes and his body showed general dismissive/disinterested attitude, he simply moved with no emotion.

Had both Brazil and Argentine's first goals in both games not stood (correctly so, both being obvious hand balls instantly replayed on giant screens at both stadiums for refs to double check IF they wanted to), both games would most likely end on a different note, I am sure. Both opponents were playing pretty organized game up to that point and in both cases the game changed on the dime right after.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

are you sure that the images were replayed? As that is against FIFA regulations. Images of fouls, offside etc etc aren't allowed to be shown on the stadium screens.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I am not absolutely sure, but you can see those in the stadium watching the screens right after goals. What do the screens show, then, save for ads and the crowd? Interestingly enough, we do not see the screen on TV, either.

Let's say I am wrong on this point, no big deal to me, do you agree with both goals being counted when we can clearly see hand balls on TV screens (on the plays themselves, not just replays) and all 4 officials not seeing both? I was saying "Handball!" to myself, before any replays were played, we're talking old, smallish TV screen here without high resolution.

And in case of Fabiano there is absolutely no doubt the ref has seen the handball as he gleefully discussed it with the player right after, smile and all. Who said bribery of refs is dead (in whatever shape/form it takes place)? Actually, Fabiano played handball twice to his advantage, on same play no less, as I pointed out above.

Ghana will be a tough game without a FIFA/ref playing favorites, but then again Ghana is the only African team left and something tells me the deck is going to be stacked yet again.

I just hope we get a decent ref tomorrow, for a change. Two in a row is brutal, 3 in a row is a kiss of death. FIFA is obviously stacking the deck against USA so far all the while claiming the sport brings people together? I guess only vodka does that.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Maybe you should tune into figure skating instead. :2

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Nice article and video I just read/watched. Pretty cool to see the reactions for around the country. :tu

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wor...van062510.html

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Terrific. Thanks for posting this, Adam.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Do you really think judges there are any better? I am not the only one questioning FIFA's political correctness in allowing refs from non-soccer leagues (have no idea what else to call them) to be on the big stage. Ever see that in any other sport? Oh, right, figure skating...

I am guessing you never played organized soccer?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Not only have I played but I've officiated for 12 years and taught introductory and intermediate referee classes.

But what the hell do I know?

My point is that if you are so disgusted and put off by it all, turn the sport off and go watch something else.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Its World Cup, what do you mean turn the TV off?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

It's all very subjective in terms of making the calls. FIFA's wording in a lot of the rules are purposely vague to allow discretion to be used in making calls. Sometimes a handball isn't a handball.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

To which "rules" are you referring?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

That was F*ckin awesome!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Goals are allowed to be shown, fouls etc are not. I know because there was a lot of discussion and the rules were made after the worldcup for club teams in 1995 where my team Ajax beat Gremio and a Gremio player got send off because of a replay on the stadion screens. First (and last) time that ever happened.

No doubt about some major **** up's by the refs. But it is a fast game on a large pitch with split second decisions, and those old FIFA farts won't allow replays or technical help. You can't blame the ref for all bad calls.

yeah, that was weird and discussed at the Dutch football talkshows, nobody understands.

On the other hand, the FIFA wants to grow in the US, so they might make up for previous ****ups and pick their side.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Go USA! I can't wait for the game to start.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

What a shame... Looks like Im rooting for Argentina now.

On the bright side, Ive discovered the joys of watching the games on the Spanish channel. Out of desperation (the streaming signal kept going out) I found the game online in Spanish. Yes, I have no clue what they are saying (sounds mostly like players names to me) but at least I dont have to listen to those irritating ESPN commentators. Those guys irk the chit out of me... doesnt it seem like the are constantly looking for useless banter to jabber on about?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

<vuvuzela>BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZ</vuvuzela>

Ok, USA. You've won me over. I won't run screaming from the room when futbol/soccer comes on now.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

What a game! Sad we lost, but I am glad US Socer has gained more fans.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Regardless of the outcome, the patriotism beats strong in my heart.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Watch that video Adam posted, it brought tears of pride to my eyes!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I actually think ESPN has done a good job. However, back when I had my bud(big ugly dish) I'd search the skies for backhaul feeds and watch the games in Italian- some great announcers there! I find the endless "gooooal" yell to be a bit old, now, frankly. I don't know about now, but back in the day the Italians didn't even use the term "goal." They said "rete" for "net."

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

:fl and I thought we were friends Moe, and that you would support The Netherlands now that Italy and the USA are eliminated.





































;)