Daily Archives: June 8, 2010

Bielsa’s Chile the most tactically-exciting side

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Marcelo Bielsa
“Judge Chile by looking at their squad list and you might be rather underwhelmed, but many of those who saw Marcelo Bielsa’s side in action throughout qualification see them as the most intriguing prospect on offer in South Africa.” (Zonal Marking)

Germany more aesthetically-pleasing than usual
“They haven’t got any great players, but you can never write them off” is the usual line about Germany. In 2010, that old cliche might not be appropriate.” (Zonal Marking)

Paraguay – functional rather than spectacular
“Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino has used his pre-tournament friendlies for experimentation, both in terms of formation and personnel, making his starting line-up for the opening game against Italy difficult to predict.” (Zonal Marking)

Nigeria may struggle for creativity in midfield
“Nigeria have traditionally been the strongest African nation, at least in terms of the quality of players they’ve produced. The likes of Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Cameroon and Egypt have shown quality at points throughout the past two decades, but Nigeria has produced a stream of genuinely top-class players.” (Zonal Marking)

World Cup 2010 a feast of technology and tribalism

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“Don’t be surprised if there are fewer meetings booked over the 31 days starting June 11. Chances are there will be fewer people at their desks, too, more people responding to e-mails on their BlackBerry and, oh yeah, the network might be a little sluggish as well. That’s because the FIFA World Cup 2010 finals kick off at 10 a.m. Friday, June 11 as Mexico takes on hosts South Africa.” (The Globe and Mail)

Thirty-One World Cup Shirts

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“It’s that time again. Back by popular demand (to be precise, two people), it’s time for our quadrennial report of all the team shirts that will be on display at the upcoming World Cup. As ever, the menu is overwhelmed by items produced and designed by the twin behemoths of the sportswear universe, Adidas and Nike. Whether they have been using their market domination to the benefit of the sartorial elegance of international football, however, is something of an open question.” (twohundredpercent)

World Cup Predictions, Betting Tips, SEO SEO

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Tiziano Vecellio, Venus and Adonis
“Just when you think that David Bowie has retired from the site, that the Goblin King will no longer grace our presence, that Jorge Luis Borges really is dead and not just waiting for a USMNT run to the finals, bam. It hits you. Despite the odd jokes, obscure historical references, and kinda weird pictures, we at Futfanatico give you the best betting tips for the World Cup while mocking the SEO keyterm Google carousel in an ironic act of betrayal, subversion, and delightful perversion. Thus, here are your WORLD CUP BETTING TIPS.” (futfanatico)

A Sport Blogger’s Reading Habits

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“These are my answers to a fairly random and unserious set of questions, culled from Norm and Tiberius Gracchus. I can’t help thinking that they are most aimed at exactly the kind of reader that I hate most of all – you’ll see what I mean. Nevertheless I’d be very interested to hear your own answers, or answers to whichever of the questions you find interesting, in comments. Private habits can be revealing. I’m not sure that this particular private habit is. But I’ve done my best.” (More Than Mind Games)

“Soccer On Holiday”, Stephanie Lim

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“When Norman Einstein’s own Stephanie Lim set off for South America some months back, I asked her to keep an eye out for the games people play and a camera handy to document them. Of course, on the world’s fourth largest continent, the game people play is by and large futbol. The importance of the beautiful game in South America, even for all the lofty words it inspires, is rarely overstated. In her travels through Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay, Stephanie unsurprisingly found even though the sport was at rest professionally, the game was always in motion, in streets, on beaches, in cafes… even in train stations. With the World Cup just around the corner, consider this concise photo essay a tribute to the sport’s enduring power and the fan’s creative impatience.” (Norman Einstein’s)

World Cup Group D Preview: World Cup Buzz Podcast

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“The deepest group in the tournament was made all the more interesting when injuries to Michael Ballack and Michael Essien took the two biggest names out of Group D. On this episode of the World Cup Buzz podcast, myself, Laurence McKenna and Kartik Krishnaiyer consider what the absences of Ballack and Heiko Westermann do to Germany’s chances to get out of a group that also features Ghana, Serbia, and Australia. Along the way, we hear thoughts from Andy Brassell, Raphael Honigstein, Jonathan Wilson and Simon Hill.” (EPL Talk), (World Cup Group A Preview), (World Cup Group B Preview), (World Cup Group E), (World Cup Group H), (World Cup Group F)

Video Of The Week: “The Match Of The Century” – Italy vs West Germany, 1970

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Italy, Gennaro Gattuso; Germany, Arne Friedrich
“The other week, we brought you the 1970 World Cup semi-final between Brazil and Uruguay in its entirety, and this week it’s time for the other semi-final from that tournament between Italy and West Germany. Italy had started the 1970 World Cup finals slowly. They won their group, but only managed one win, by a solitary goal against Sweden, and two goalless draws, against Uruguay and Israel, to make the quarter-finals of the competition. It was at this stage that they finally sparked into life, beating the host nation Mexico by four goals to one in Toluca after having gone a goal down early on in the match.” (twohundredpercent)

Portugal 3-0 Mozambique – Video Highlights and Recap – Friendly – 8 June 2010

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“Portugal played their last friendly match before starting the group stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The match was against African side Mozambique on Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Portugal received some bad news prior to the match as Manchester United player Nani would be unavailable for the entire World Cup.” (The 90th Minute)

USA vs. England – An Ode to the U.S. Soccer Community

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“The Yanks are coming; you could hear them coming for months. For most of the U.S. players’ lives, they would have told you that they couldn’t have chosen a more splendid life, but it’s times like this where climbing the ladder to the highest echelons of the game almost shatters the nerves.” (Nutmeg Radio)