Monthly Archives: June 2010

Slovenia 0-1 England – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 23 June 2010

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“It was a must win for England as they faced Slovenia in their last group stage match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They have struggled in their first two matches while Slovenia have impressed with a win and a draw. Slovenia would advance with a draw, win, or a USA loss in the other match.” (The 90th Minute)

World Cup 2010: Slovenia 0-1 England
“I think it’s fair to say that the introduction’s already on site, so I’ll just go straight into the game. England line up as a 4-4-2, with Gerrard on the left and Milner on the right, and Defoe partnering Rooney up front. As with last night’s Nigeria-South Korea report, I’ll include how the group stands, and any changes. 1. Slovenia 2. USA 3. England 4. Algeria” (twohundredpercent)

Slovenia 0-1 England
“England finally made their presence felt at the World Cup by securing the win they needed over Slovenia in Port Elizabeth to reach the last 16. Jermain Defoe’s close-range strike midway through the first half was enough to give Fabio Capello’s side the three points they required to avoid an early departure from South Africa and finish second behind the United States in Group C. And after the misery of Friday’s draw against Algeria in Cape Town and the controversy surrounding former captain John Terry’s comments about the mood in the camp, Capello will have been delighted to see England produce a hugely improved performance under pressure.” (BBC)

From Lalas to Landon: What Is The American Style Of Play?

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“The idea of a distinctive national style of play is not entirely foolish, but the stereotype — being a stereotype — is not exactly a straightforward representation of reality. There are many examples of this, but I’ll give you a timely one from Gabrielle Marcotti today on the English belief about the robotic German style of play, one ever undermined by how numerous German players actually play.” (Pitch Invasion)

France and Raymond Domenech exit World Cup by betraying their heritage

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“La fin. Let the discredits roll. Let Les Bleus depart the total shambles that they are. Their World Cup 2010 experience has been so unfathomably awful, it is hard to know where to begin with the inquest. A poll conducted by Canal Plus split the blame pretty evenly between the players, the manager and the French Football Federation. All of them have blundered their way through South Africa in their own special way.” (Guardian)

U.S. has destiny in its own hands

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Landon Donovan
“Another World Cup, another scenario in which the U.S. has its destiny in its own hands. The question is: Will the Americans seize the moment and advance to the knockout stage, or will they suffer an early exit for the second tournament running? The circumstances are simple: Beat Algeria and the U.S. is in the second round. Even a tie, combined with the right result from the England-Slovenia match, could allow the Americans to progress.” (ESPN)

Questions for Judgment Day
“My wife had a kid on Sunday. Day 10 of the World Cup. She thoughtfully waited until Brazil had swatted aside the Ivory Coast before looking over to me, bedraggled on the couch, and declaring “Ke nako” (it’s time, the official World Cup slogan). The birth of our child brought joy into a world that had been distinctly mirthless since Friday’s England-Algeria debacle, a 90-minute spectacle so unfathomably dire that I found myself accidentally cheering for the Desert Foxes at times and was overwhelmed with nostalgia for a return to the good old days of English footy, when Sven-Goran Eriksson was commanding at the helm, the WAGs added depth and seriousness to the news reporting from Germany, and a plethora of insightful autobiographies were released by the team’s leaders the moment they came home.” (ESPN)

Why the U.S. will win
“The task at foot against Algeria tomorrow is simple: win and the Americans are in. Win big, and they’re even likely to finish first in their group. (Plus, given their last match, it can’t hurt to load up on some spare goals in case a referee starts hallucinating in the penalty area.) And while I’m not dumping Gatorade on my Landon Donovan action figure just yet, here are five reasons why I’m keeping some on ice.” (ESPN)

Live From South Africa: How the English Hate Themselves
“Watching the dispirited, sad, frankly pathetic display the English team put on against Algeria, I couldn’t help but wonder what we can learn about this nation that once ruled the world. Over and over again they looked like over-privileged, over-priced, over-pampered aristocrats, with all the skill in the world, and absolutely no heart. It was like they never met each other. How do we explain how a team with some of the greatest players in the world, from a country that actually invented the game, could be so horrible?” (Huffington Post)

World Cup 2010: Stakes are high but we are not afraid, say Slovenians
“Fabio Capello sends his side out at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium tomorrow afternoon with his opposite number warning that, whereas Slovenia pinch themselves at being on the verge of the knockout phase, England’s weighty reputation demands they progress to the second round.” (Guardian)

World Cup 2010: Rooney hampered by fatigue and pressure, says Ferguson
“Sir Alex Ferguson has been so concerned about Wayne Rooney’s state of mind in the World Cup he has broken off from a holiday in France to ring the out-of-form striker and urge him not to succumb to what the Manchester United manager described as the ‘debilitating’ atmosphere in the England camp.” (Guardian)

South Korea holds on for thrilling draw, takes 2nd in Group B

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“South Korea has been a regular at the World Cup. All but one of its previous seven appearances ended disappointingly in the first round. There was, however, the 2002 tournament it co-hosted with Japan, when the South Koreans went to the semifinals. On Tuesday, they added another memorable chapter to their soccer history by advancing out of Group A with a 2-2 draw against Nigeria.” (ESPN)

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 22 June 2010
“It was a crucial match in Group B as Nigeria faced South Korea with a spot in the knockout stage on the line. A win from Nigeria would likely put them through while South Korea would likely need only a draw. It was a match with neither side an overwhelming favorite and both with a good chance to get a result.” (The 90th Minute)

Argentina rallies in second half to beat Greece, wins Group B
” Look out, world. Even playing mostly backups Argentina looks good. Martin Demichelis and Martin Palermo scored second-half goals Tuesday as Argentina beat Greece 2-0 at the World Cup to win Group B. Coach Diego Maradona replaced seven starters from the Albiceleste lineup that ran up a 4-1 victory over South Korea — the other team to make it out of the group — but it didn’t matter much. Argentina still won its third straight game.” (ESPN)

Greece 0-2 Argentina – Video Highlights, Recap and, Match Stats – World Cup – 22 June 2010
“Argentina looked to clinch the title in Group B as they faced Greece on Tuesday, June 22, 2010. They have won their first two matches and have looked very strong in the tournament. Greece lost their first but won their second and would likely need at least a draw against Argentina to advance.” (The 90th Minute)

Uruguay 1-0 Mexico: the best two sides from Group A progress

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“A strange match, considering both teams’ prisoner’s dilemma in this final group game. Both sides were going for the win, of course, but the match is difficult to analyse because the mentality of the sides changed at various points in the game. Mexico started playing with their normal mentality, then switched to an urgent attacking strategy just after half-time, when they became aware of the South Africa v France scoreline. Finally, when they heard France had got a goal back, they reverted to a more cautious approach – still trying to score, but acknowledging that conceding a couple of goals on the counter-attack was not a risk worth taking.” (Zonal Marking)

World Cup 2010: Mexico 0-1 Uruguay
“My first memories of Uruguay as football team – and quite possibly of their existence as a country at all – came from the World Cup in 1986. They were in Scotland’s group then, and were portrayed as thugs, a bunch of big cheating, spoiling, fouling, cynical bruisers who would – if the ref let them – hack Scotland’s magnificent collection of creative wizards out of the tournament. In the event, of course, Scotland did get some help from the ref; Uruguay played the last 89 minutes with ten men, but a Scotland side who had in any case already lost to Denmark and Germany weren’t good enough to break them down.” (twohundredpercent)

2010 FIFA World Cup Group A Final Standings: Uruguay & Mexico advance
“Group A has finished play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Uruguay winning the group and Mexico advancing by placing second. South Africa made a run to challenge for the second spot but lost on goal difference. France failed to win a match and was a disappointing last with only one point.” (The 90th Minute)

Mexico 0-1 Uruguay – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 22 June 2010
“The two teams leading Group heading into the final set of matches met as Mexico faced Uruguay. A draw or a close loss would likely see both teams go to the next round as they had the advantage of goal difference on South Africa and France.” (The 90th Minute)

France 1-2 South Africa – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 22 June 2010
“South Africa faced France as both teams looked to sneak into the knockout stage. Each side needed a win, the other match to not end in a draw, and to make up a significant margin in goal difference. While France would normally be the favorite in the match their off the pitch problems would give South Africa a decent chance.” (The 90th Minute)

World Cup 2010: Spain 2-0 Honduras

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“The part-timers from Honduras took on the mighty European champions Spain with it all at stake: a loss for the Spanish side would see the tournament favourites eliminated at the first hurdle. What could possibly happen? Well, naturally enough, Spain won at a canter. However comfortable the performance, though, the margin of victory could yet cause some furrowed brows and frenzied abacus work come this Friday evening’s Group H deciders.” (twohundredpercent)

Spain 2-0 Honduras – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 21 June 2010
“The favorites heading into the 2010 World Cup, Spain, looked to rebound from a loss in their opening match as they faced Honduras. A loss for either side would be disastrous and likely end their chances of making it out of the knockout stage.”(The 90th Minute)

Argentina’s National Sport In Crisis

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“Argentina’s officially designated national sport is not soccer, despite all cultural and economic appearances to the contrary: it’s pato, Spanish for duck, a game that’s something of a hybrid between basketball and polo and is nowhere near as popular as soccer. It’s called pato because a live duck was once used instead of a ball, as Argentina Travel Planet helpfully explains…” (Pitch Invasion)

Being Dunga

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Dunga
“Anyone nicknamed Dopey– or as the moniker quite nicely translates into Portuguese, Dunga–will be an easy mark for ridicule. Even Carlos Dunga’s most tender gestures, like wearing attire designed by his daughter to big matches, result in the commentariat doubling over in cruel laughter at his expense. But in this World Cup, he has cut an image that is more villainous than comic. He is cast as the heartless assassin of joga bonito, the mercenary who took a pillow and snuffed the élan out of the Brazilian game. Where Maradona is portrayed as lovably unable to control his appetites and Domench as a hapless buffoon, the biopic of Dunga’s life will star Gary Oldman.” (TNR)

France vs. South Africa, Then and Now

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“In 1998, as the French team prepared to play their first World Cup match, they heard singing from the opposing team’s locker room. The Bafana Bafana — in their first World Cup appearance after the end of apartheid, fielding an integrated team — were gearing up to play with song, and as the two team’s marched down the tunnel out onto the pitch, they continued singing, sending echoes through the halls. For Lilian Thuram, born in Guadeloupe, and Marcel Desailly, born in Ghana, it was a deeply moving moment.” (Soccer Politics)

French Racism and Les Bleus
“Yesterday I participated in two discussions about French football. The first, on the English-language TV station France 24, had a perfect line-up: one person defending the classic “football is alienation” thesis, a sports journalist seeing politics as mainly being projected onto sport, and me, the cultural historian imagining everything as politics.” (Soccer Politics)

Whatever: A French Perspective on French National Team’s Implosion
“I’ve translated an article by Simone Capelli-Welter, a regular contributor to So Foot. It’s a fantastic piece, and in it you can hear an all too familiar frustration with the drama, the hysteria, and the contradictory flows of media discourse on such implosions. This an unauthorized translation – but I am so sick of ESPN/CNN’s stupid reporting on this story that I couldn’t help myself…” (From A Left Wing)

The Anatomy of England

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“Jonathan Wilson is a very smart man and a very knowledgeable football writer. He has already written two glorious football books (Behind the Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football and Inverting the Pyramid: A History of Football Tactics) which will put him very high on the all-time greats list. His knowledge of tactics is prodigious and he is by some distance the leading.” (Pitch Invasion)

World Cup 2010: Fans, robbers and a marketing stunt face justice, Fifa style

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“The Johannesburg magistrates’ court is the sort of unloved municipal building whose corridors smell of damp and bureaucracy, and whose chilly courtrooms recall Bismarck’s observation that those who love sausages and believe in justice should never see either being made.” (Guardian)

Developing Soccer in South Africa: Where’s the Game?

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The vandalized locker rooms on the pitch
“I’ve seen a lot of soccer in a little over a week in South Africa, but I realized something strange the other day: almost all of it has been in stadiums. The trope of African soccer is the barefoot child playing on a dirt field with a rag ball—and in my previous experiences in Africa that scenario has been harder to avoid than to find. But in the greater Johannesburg megalopolis circa 2010 the grass roots game seems conspicuously absent from anywhere other than FIFA propaganda.” (Pitch Invasion)

Does England Just Need a Good Shag?

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“Things are not looking good for England. Two draws against opponents many in the global football community had quickly written off. The passes aren’t coming through, the runs are being cut off, the set pieces are blasting over the cross-bar. Exasperation was clear and bright red on the faces of players during Friday’s match against unexpectedly impressive Algeria. They were snippy with each other, with the officials and with their coach. Their game could simply be described as frustrating. While I don’t want to discount Algeria’s quality of play, I think England’s poor performance in the match and the World Cup as a whole can be blamed on Coach Fabio Capello’s overzealous coaching tactics. Not on the field, but in the bedroom.” (TNR)

Henry Winter Interview: World Cup, Premier League and Custard Creams

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“EPL Talk’s Laurence McKenna had an opportunity recently to sit down with Henry Winter, one of the most accomplished English football authors and writers in the United Kingdom. Just minutes before the England versus Mexico friendly at Wembley, McKenna had a chat with Henry Winter, outside the hallowed Wembley Stadium, about several fascinating topics revolving around the World Cup, England national team and the Premier League including…” (EPL Talk)

World Cup 2010: Chile 1-0 Switzerland

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“Well if I’ve only got one pre-tournament prediction right so far, I’ve got it right even more convincingly than I imagined – that the South American teams would all do well. Their combined record for the first two rounds of games reads Played 10, Won 8, Drawn 2. (Compare and contrast with the combined records of Europe’s big five: England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy can boast Played 9, Won 1, Drawn 5, Lost 3 – with Spain still to play this evening.)” (twohundredpercent)

Chile 1-0 Switzerland – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 21 June 2010
“Two teams who could take control of Group H met on Monday, June 21, 2010 as Chile faced Switzerland. With both teams winning their opening match, it was a chance for either side to move one step closer to the knockout stage. Switzerland has been on a solid defensive streak but showed against Spain they are capable of gettting forward.” (The 90th Minute)

Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast: Brazil always in control

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“Classic Brazil under Dunga. A comfortable victory, won by controlling the ball when they have it, and controlling the space when they don’t. Brazil kept the same first XI as in the first game – a proper XI, numbered 1-11. Sven-Goran Eriksson made a single change – bringing back Didier Drogba after his elbow injury, with Gervinho (surprisingly) dropping to the bench.” (Zonal Marking)

World Cup 2010: Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast
“There is a lot of hyperbole spoken about the Brazilian football team. Probably more than is spoken about any club or national side on the planet. It’s almost a mythology. Admittedly, it’s a mythology based on a handful of the most gifted players that have ever lived (see, even I buy into it, to a degree): Pele, Garrincha, Rivelinho, Zico. Even Brazil teams have their fair share of poor players in the national side: Serginho, Roque Junior, most of the team they took to Italia ‘90. It’s because of the former group of players that every Brazilian who is remotely half decent becomes overrated to the point of greatness: Careca, Romario, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and of the current crop Kaka.” (twohundredpercent)

Italy 1-1 New Zealand: Why did Lippi start with a 4-4-2?
“A heroic defensive performance from New Zealand, who now have two more points than most people expected, but Italy’s tactics made it easy for them. Italy had a change in goal because of Gigi Buffon’s injury, but otherwise Marcello Lippi kept faith with the same ten outfield players that started the 1-1 draw against Paraguay. New Zealand boss Ricki Herbert also used the same players as in their 1-1 draw against Slovakia.” (Zonal Marking)

Portugal 7-0 North Korea: Korean defence pushes up, Portugal exploit the space
“A crushing victory in a game that was extremely tight for the first half hour. Portugal made four changes from the first game. Hugo Almeida was in as the lone striker, Simao Sabrosa was on the right wing with Miguel behind him, and Tiago replaced Deco. North Korea were unchanged from their 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the first game.” (Zonal Marking)

Portugal 7-0 North Korea – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 21 June 2010“Portugal faced North Korea in a Group G match needing a victory as they would face Brazil in their final match. North Korea would be eliminated with a loss in the match. Portugal are battling Ivory Coast for the last knockout stage spot from the group as Brazil have six points from two matches and already clinched their knockout stage spot.” (The 90th Minute)

South American stars shine in South Africa

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“The time for definitive conclusions on the World Cup is 12 July. Until then, as we have already seen, Monday’s marvel can easily be transformed into Friday’s flop. On what has been served up so far, though, it is safe enough to argue that Brazil look best equipped to win the competition. The 2010 model might not be the easiest Brazil side to love but it is one of the hardest to beat. Well balanced, physically and mentally strong, sure of what it is doing and blessed with deadlock-breaking moments of individual magic, Dunga’s team will take some stopping.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

World Cup Typography: Paul Barnes

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“Football and typography may seem like an unlikely pairing, but they’ve been getting along quite well since a while. In 2006 Dalton Maag claimed the team with the best typography won the World Cup. The type and logo design agency with offices in London, Brazil, and Cairo designed Puma Pace, used for the football shirts of world champions Italy. This year the shirts of the Puma teams again caught the attention of type spotters.” (The FontFeed)

Foul Enough

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“Alex Massie is a smart and fair-minded man, but in this case he is wrong—at least, by the standards he lays out. Alex argues, drawing on this post by Simon Haydon, that because Carlos Bocanegra did indeed foul Nejc Pečnik on Landon Donovan’s 86th-minute cross into the Slovenian box, referee Koman Coulibaly was indeed warranted—or at least not unwarranted—in making the call he made.” (Run of Play)

Referee Bashing 101

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“Paul Kennedy recently noted at Soccer America that we owe a big thank you to Koman Coulibaly, the suddenly world-famous referee who made a controversial call against the U.S. a few days ago. “He accomplished what no one else could in more than 100 years. He made Americans care passionately about soccer.” Indeed, I may have to take back what I wrote last week in my post ‘Happy at the Margins.’ Maybe soccer has arrived in the U.S. On Friday it suddenly seemed as if we’ve joined the venerable ranks of the aggrieved nations of international soccer, the righteously indignant, the purveyors of rage and — in some quarters — bizarre, xenophobic, and racist conspiracy theories all aimed at one man and his whistle.” (Soccer Politics)

Out of Tune and Harsh

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“hat do we mean when we say a referee’s decision is “harsh”? In talk about soccer it’s a term of art, having shades of meaning it lacks in other contexts. Consider the red card Australia’s Harry Kewell got in Saturday’s match against Ghana. On ESPN’s halftime show, Ruud Gullit and Roberto Martinez debated it. “It is a red card,” Gullit said, “he stopped it with his hand.” (Not true, actually: it was his upper arm, which was nearly pinned to his side. But I digress.) Martinez didn’t simply disagree with Gullit, but said that he thought the red card was “harsh’.” (Run of Play)

Epoch of Days

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“The France crisis was visible from space for weeks before it hit, like a blot on a map churning its way toward some helpless island port. Weather services beeped out bulletins; brave teams of scientists piled in a helicopter and flew toward the raging edge. Rain shredding the surface of the sea told the world that William Gallas was never going to survive a dune-buggy crash so that Patrice Evra could lead his men in peace.” (Run of Play)

New Zealand Notches Historic Tie With Italy

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“We know, we know: Italy always starts slow. But come on. This is ridiculous. Italy, the defending World Cup champion, tied New Zealand, supposedly the worst team in the tournament, 1-1 in Nelspruit on Sunday. It was the greatest moment in the latter’s nearly nonexistent World Cup history and one of the lowest for the former.” (WSJ)

World Cup 2010: Italy 1-1 New Zealand
“When the World Cup was expanded to twenty-four nations for the tournament in Spain in 1982, the decision didn’t come without criticism. Some of it was reserved for the fact that twenty-four nations meant that the tournament had to take an almost absurd looking shape with two group stages (which was jettisoned after one tournament), but the majority of it was reserved for the notion that an expanded World Cup finals would lead to lopsided matches, with new teams getting thrashed out of sight by the old guard. The transitional period was difficult one (El Salvador’s 10-1 defeat at the hands of Hungary springs immediately to mind) but, over all, this expansion was required to make football more of a global game.” (twohundredpercent)

Italy 1-1 New Zealand – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 20 June 2010
“The reigning World Cup champions played their second match of the World Cup looking to get three points against New Zealand. They were the huge favorites heading into the match but New Zealand are a side that has surprised by making it to the tournament and getting a draw in their opening match.” (The 90th Minute)

World Cup 2010: Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay

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“So, it’s Sunday lunchtime and time for the stout yeomen of Slovakia and Paraguay to enter into battle in The Group (so far) Of Parity. Slovakia need a win more desperately than Paraguay today, having been held by New Zealand in their opening match. They will, of course, finish their group matches against Italy. Paraguay, by contrast, will take on New Zealand in their final match and may well consider that a draw today will be enough to leave them in pole position to qualify for a place in the last sixteen. Curiously, though, Paraguay have chosen to play three forwards this afternoon. Are they going to go for it anyway? It would certainly seem that way. It may be that they already have one eye on the next round of the competition. Winning today could well prove to be the difference between playing the Netherlands and playing Japan or Denmark in the next round. A draw would do them today, but a win would be even better.” (twohundredpercent)

Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 20 June 2010
“Paraguay looked to move top of the Group F standings as they faced Slovakia who could also do the same with a victory. Either team would be in great position to move onto the next round with a victory. A draw for Slovakia would put them in a tough spot with their final match against Italy.” (The 90th Minute)

Winning for “El Mariscal”

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“There are several reason why I enjoyed Paraguay’s victory over Slovakia. First, there’s the obvious. As almost every Paraguayan team in history, this group understands football first as a physical game. It is no coincidence that Paraguay is one of the few teams in the world—and certainly in this continent—so clearly identified with the ancestral values of its indigenous people, the Guaranies. This is not ‘el equipo paraguayo’; this is el ‘equipo guarani”. The indomitable culture of the Guarani is as much a part of Paraguayan football culture as Maori tradition for New Zealand. This Paraguayan team lives up to its billing. The Italians had a terrible time with Paraguay’s midfield.” (TNR)

Facing Algeria

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“Since last December’s World Cup draw, the Algerian team has been, to my mind, underestimated. They’ve certainly had their ups and downs, and the coach has taken risks by incorporating some new players who weren’t present in qualifying. And the goalie who played so well against England, Raïs M’Bohli, did so during his first full international game for the team. But what we saw against England suggests that, in fact, this team will present a very strong challenge next week against the United States.” (Soccer Politics)

Anelka’s Outburst Shows Up French Shortcomings

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Nicolas Anelka
“Sitting an watching from the other side of “La Manche”, one of the few crumbs of comfort for England supporters over the first week of the 2010 World Cup finals has been the apparent disintegration of the France team over the same period of time. This reached its natural conclusion yesterday, when Nicolas Anelka was sent home from the tournament over a his refusal to apologise for a verbal attack upon the French coach Raymond Domenech during their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mexico on Thursday evening. Anelka has, unsurprisingly, subsequently announced his retirement from international football.” (twohundredpercent)

US-Slovenia Analysis and Ratings

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“As is my custom, I begin with three general thoughts about Friday’s 2-2 U.S. Men’s National Team draw with Slovenia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Everyone knows how the Yanks responded to abject adversity last summer. They came out and pummeled one of the best sides in Africa 3-nil. With help from Brazil, this set the stage for the gargantuan effort and upset of Spain, and for forty-five minutes on the same field they played on Friday, they had Brazil on the ropes before succumbing in the second half of the Confederations Cup Final. Friday, the Yanks had no such grace period to recover and no top-three side in the universe to aid them in their quest for a miracle.” (Yanks Are Coming)

Brazilian media piling on the pressure

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“Brazil approach their second game in the World Cup with anxieties about future opponents tempered by the insipid 0-0 draw between Ivory Coast and Portugal. History should also provide comfort for Brazil in relation to Ivory Coast – Sunday’s opponents would join Zaire, Algeria, Cameroon and Ghana as African teams who have succumbed to the five-time champions at the World Cup.” (WSC)

World Cup 2010: Slovenia 2-2 United States of America

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“I’ve seen both of these nations in major competitions. As you may have noticed from the Slovenia-Algeria report, I saw the Slovenians at Euro 2000. The USA however, were one of the teams playing at my first live World Cup match in 2006 – their opponents were Italy, in what was one of the games of the tournament. And that was the point at which my view on American’s playing football changed. It was all down to the fans who travelled to Germany. On the upside, they were very enthusiastic about the game, and (unlike the perception from the more ignorant sections of our media – i.e. most of it) were very knowledgeable about the game, as you would expect people who’ve flown thousands of miles for as little as one game to be.” (twohundredpercent)

For U.S., Only Frustration Is Clear
“In the 85th minute Friday, the referee Koman Coulibaly gazed into what was supposed to be a penalty area but was actually a mosh pit. Sure, the Slovene players were committing acts usually experienced during the arrest scenes on “Cops.” But the Americans were also doing their share of slam-dancing and assorted frisking maneuvers usually reserved for the security line at the airport.” (NYT)

On Feeling Cheated: Notes on USA – Slovenia
“Sport culture seems to be the one discursive space in which we can declare that we were robbed, that our team was cheated, that the game wasn’t fair – and we don’t come off as bitter or resentful. This sort of anger – at being kept out of the World Cup finals by someone’s handball, or at being cheated of the three points awarded to a win by a rogue referee – is perfectly allowed – a certain sense of injustice is in fact nursed into an art.” (From A Left Wing)

England 0-0 Algeria: shocking display from Capello’s players

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“A terrible performance from England in a game completely devoid of any attacking inspiration. Algeria defended excellently in their unusual 3-4-2-1 shape and got the result they were playing for, but England made it easy for them. England made three changes from their first game against the United States. David James replaced Robert Green after his mistake, Jamie Carragher replaced Ledley King after his injury, and Gareth Barry replaced James Milner after his nightmare on the left.” (Zonal Marking)

World Cup 2010: England 0-0 Algeria
“It would appear that Wayne Rooney is of the opinion that the England football team (and, especially upon this evening, his performance in particular) is worthy of the undying support of the English people and, in particular, of those that have given up valuable holiday time and a fistful of cash that they may or may not be able to afford to travel to South Africa to watch their national team. That any of these people made actual, material sacrifices to be in Cape Town this evening has, presumably, never occurred to him. There are plenty of criticisms that can be levelled at England supporters, but to assert that they are not “football supporters” only serves to emphasise the unreality of the world in which the likes of Wayne Rooney live.” (twohundredpercent)

Hitler Hates Vuvuzelas In A Major Way (VIDEO)

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“He’s baaaaacckk, and he joins everyone but South African fans in his complete loathing of the detested vuvuzela trumpet. Threatening to ruin World Cup coverage for fans everywhere, the ‘swarming bees’ noise is especially hurtful to Hitler, as Germany is supposed to meet Brazil in the finals and the Fuhrer was so looking forward to all the wonderful Brazilian singing and drumming.” (Huffington Post)

Brazilian football has moved from poetry into prose

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“‘It’s just like watching Brazil,’ English supporters sing when their club produces a brilliant moment. Well, watching Brazil is no longer like watching Brazil. We all have in our heads past Brazilian sides playing jogo bonito, the beautiful game. Watching the current side puff and grunt against North Korea, on a freezing Johannesburg night on Tuesday, felt more like watching Blackburn Rovers. By the final whistle, Ellis Park was half empty.” (FI – Simon Kuper)

World Cup 2010: Ghana 1-1 Australia

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“This game sees us pass the halfway point of the group stages. By the end of Friday, we’ll have lost half of the teams, and we’ll know the shape of the knockout stages. Once we reach the knockout stages, most of the contrasting games (whether in ability, age or experience) will be over, and the main contrasts we’re likely to get between opponents are playing style and location. Ghana and Australia are as big a contrast as you can get. Australia are an aging team, with a wealth of experience. The nucleus of the squad is from the team that reached the last 16 in Germany, with six of them being aged 30 or over.” (twohundredpercent)

Australia 1-1 Ghana – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 19 June 2010
“Ghana could move on top of the Group D with any result while Australia needed some points after their opening loss to Germany. A win for Ghana would put them three points clear of Serbia and Germany who both have three after two matches. Australia wouldn’t be eliminated with another loss but would be in very tough shape without at least a draw.” (The 90th Minute)

Not Watching the World Cup

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“The World Cup is an experience. The sport is exciting, but it’s much more than that. A game is a narrative arc, fulfilling itself in an ending we all see coming. Cascading, pitching, reaching plateaus at completely obvious and utterly unexpected times. It is an arc only in the sense that before the game, there’s nothing but the promise of something. Moments of excitement—whether plentiful or scarce—pitch the game’s progression upward. Then once the 90 minutes are up, the arc once again comes to rest. Draw or not, there is some sort of resolution.” (Run of Play)

Soccer Music Politics

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“By now, we have all heard Shakira’s edifying ‘Waka Waka,’ the official theme song of the 2010 World Cup. I promised myself that I would keep this post short, so please allow me just to note that I believe the majority of the conscious world has found this song to be, at various times, putridly abominable, horrifically terrible, terribly horrific, condenscending to Africans, ignorant, frivolous, foolish, a representative of the Gap commercial-ification of everything that used to be holy and complex and interesting, Exhibit A in the thesis that the Apocalypse is near, the death blow to optimism. Thank you, Shakira, you have done it again. And curses, you’ve already made me write a hundred words about you!” (Soccer Politics)

World Cup tactics: After the false nine, the ‘false 10′

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“The concept of the false nine – a centre-forward who drops deep – is well established in modern tactical thinking, but in the early matches of the World Cup we have seen glimpses of another player, who facilitates the work of the false nine and operates in tandem with him to destabilise opposition defences: the false 10.” (Football Further)

Soccer Hatred Roils Brazil

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“The extreme size of America’s extreme right became a trending topic in Brazil when Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck attacked the Brazilian national pastime, linking its concept of team play to Marxism and socialism. President Lula is a big futebol fan and 58 million Brazilians have gained internet access thanks to his ‘one nation for everyone’ strategy that projects the good side of globalism.” (Huffington Post)

Holland 1-0 Japan: Little tactical excitement

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“There have been a few low-key games at the World Cup so far, but this was one of the worst. Holland continue to disappoint with a lack of attacking flair, whilst Japan were content with a draw, and didn’t threaten until the 90th minute. Both sides kept faith with their opening day line-ups. Holland continued to play both Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder despite the impressive substitute appearance of Elijero Elia against Denmark. Arjen Robben was not fit enough for consideration.” (Zonal Marking)

Netherlands 1-0 Japan – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 19 June 2010“The Netherlands, one of the countries who has yet to win the World Cup but always a threat, faced off against Japan in Group E on Saturday, June 19, 2010. The winner would be in great position to win the group while a loss wouldn’t hurt either side as both had three points going into the match.” (The 90th Minute)

Disciplined Algeria battles hard to hold England to goalless draw

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“England is looking nothing like the soccer power it’s supposed to be. Underdog Algeria held the Three Lions to a second disappointing World Cup draw, a 0-0 tie that left the Group C wide open and is sure to have English fans furious after their team arrived in South Africa as a favorite.” (ESPN)

England 0 Algeria 0: match report
“England continue to contest their own game at the World Cup – the Fear Factor. Alarmingly lacking in belief and energy, Fabio Capello’s side continue to splutter whether at altitude or now at sea level. Heaven knows what Franz Beckenbauer will make of this. England fans did: they howled in derision. After a second successive point, it’s back to the drawing board for Capello, who desperately needs to shake Frank Lampard into life and devise a system that brings more out of the dispirited Wayne Rooney before the final Group C match with leader Slovenia.” (Telegraph – Henry Winter)

World Cup 2010: Wayne Rooney’s woes reflect the despair of all England
“An anomaly Wayne Rooney was eager to correct was that he had picked up more red cards at World Cups than he had scored goals. Sendings-off led successful strikes 1-0 as the Premier League’s best player arrived in South Africa hoping to justify the extravagant praised piled on him by some of the world’s best judges.” (Guadian)

England 0-0 Algeria
“England’s World Cup hopes hang in the balance as they were held to a disappointing draw by Algeria after a wretched display in Cape Town. Fabio Capello’s side now need to beat Slovenia on Wednesday to ensure qualification to the knockout stages. England felt the full force of the fury of the thousands of fans who flooded Cape Town in the vain hope of seeing a performance that improved on their first draw against the United States in Rustenburg.” (BBC)

England 0-0 Algeria – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 18 June 2010
“England looked to respond from a disappointing 1-1 draw against the United States as they faced Algeria in their second group stage match. A loss for Algeria would mean they would have no chance to get out of the group stage while England can’t clinch or be eliminated with any result from the match.” (The 90th Minute)

Bradley’s late goal follows Donovan score as U.S. salvages draw

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“Down two goals and facing an abrupt end to their World Cup, the Americans turned to their leader — and Landon Donovan turned around the match. Donovan scored early in the second half, and Michael Bradley tied it in a furious second-half comeback, giving the United States a 2-2 draw against Slovenia on Friday that kept alive the Americans’ chances of advancing.” (ESPN)

World Cup 2010: Slovenia 2-2 United States of America
“I’ve seen both of these nations in major competitions. As you may have noticed from the Slovenia-Algeria report, I saw the Slovenians at Euro 2000. The USA however, were one of the teams playing at my first live World Cup match in 2006 – their opponents were Italy, in what was one of the games of the tournament. And that was the point at which my view on American’s playing football changed. It was all down to the fans who travelled to Germany. On the upside, they were very enthusiastic about the game, and (unlike the perception from the more ignorant sections of our media – i.e. most of it) were very knowledgeable about the game, as you would expect people who’ve flown thousands of miles for as little as one game to be.” (twohundredpercent)

Slovenia 2-2 USA
“Michael Bradley struck a dramatic late equaliser as the United States came from two goals down to draw with Slovenia in a pulsating Group C encounter in Johannesburg. It seemed Slovenia were heading through to the last 16 when the superb Valter Birsa put them ahead with a curling effort and Zlatan Ljubijankic drilled in to double the lead shortly before half-time. But US coach Bob Bradley made a double change at the interval and the move paid immediate dividends, Landon Donovon racing clear on the right and firing high into the roof of the net.” (BBC)

USA Denied A 3-2 Win Over Slovenia By Referee Koman Coulibaly
“The United States rallied back in Friday’s match against Slovenia to get a 2-2 draw. This is a good result considering they went down early but the real story is the disallowed goal late in the second half.” (The 90th Minute)

USA Fight Back For Thrilling 2-2 Draw
“After falling behind 2-0, the USA fights back for a point with a 2-2 draw.” (ESPN)

Mexico 2-0 France: Organised v disorganised

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“Tactics can only explain a team’s victories or defeats to a certain extent – this awful French performance was quite clearly a failing in terms of motivation, team spirit and countless other factors that aren’t directly concerned with strategy. Nevertheless, tonight did demonstrate something important – a well-drilled teams of decent individuals will generally triumph over a disorganised bunch of top-class players. France were woeful, but Mexico were excellent.” (Zonal Marking)

France 0-2 Mexico – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 17 June 2010
“France faced off against Mexico in a match that would likely determine the winner of the Group A. All four teams had a draw in the first match but now needed to start getting results to get one of the two spots to the knockout stage.” (The 90th Minute)

“Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!”
“The second of the three games in the World Cup group stage began two days ago. After the cautious play of many of the opening matches, this round of games promised a much higher level of intensity. A bad result here could spell the end to a team’s World Cup. On Wednesday, we saw the host nation’s defense break down in the second half, leading to a 3-0 Uruguay victory and, more poignantly, the complete loss of hope of the South African team’s supporters as fans filed out before the game’s end and radio stations later pleaded with the populous not to lose interest in the tournament.” (Vanity Fair)

World Cup 2010: France 0-2 Mexico
“It’s hotting up, you know. Two terrifically entertaining matches this afternoon in South Africa have continued the 2010 World Cup’s awakening from slumber, and this evening France play Mexico in Group A. France’s advancement to the finals wasn’t, of course without controversy, but there is no place in their starting eleven this evening for Ireland’s bête noire, Thierry Henry. Should he come on at any point, you will probably be able to hear the booing that will come from the other side of the Irish Sea from any point on the entire planet if you cup your ears and concentrate hard enough. Irish supporters could indulge themselves, keep the sound turned down and imagine that the green-shirted Mexican team is Ireland, should they choose to.” (twohundredpercent)

Images from Africa

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“Below you will find photo series displaying different aspects of African football. The photos are kindly shared by Twenty Ten: African Media on the Road to 2010 (and beyond).” (Play the Game)

Handmade Soccer
“Children from the pastoral tribes of Southern Ethiopia and Northern Kenya are often responsible for household and community chores. Many of them do not have the opportunity to attend school.”> (Twenty Ten)

As Yet Within That House

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“One of the hard things about forming an outlook on the World Cup is that when an event gets this much attention, the flow of commentary is so fast and broad that every possible angle is exhausted and trivial positions develop a kind of insubstantial politics. Conventional wisdom starts to seem like an ideology, and if you’re not careful, your own feelings about what happens will be dictated by where you want to stand in relation to that ideology rather than by what you actually think. There’s a pundit position, a cognoscenti backlash, an uber-cognoscenti counter-backlash, and so on till after midnight. Your heart and the stadium get farther and farther apart.” (Run of Play)

Notes from South Africa 2010: On the Invention of Tradition

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“The clichéd tourist fare in South Africa outside the World Cup seems to mostly involve two components: big animals and ‘traditional’ dances. To the dismay of almost every South African I meet, I’m not much of a big animal person. The famous game parks, no matter how spectacular, are not on my itinerary. The ‘traditional’ dances, however, are harder to avoid. They are also, in my experience, harder to make sense of in this World Cup of vuvuzelas and the invention of tradition.” (Pitch Invasion)

Serbia 1-0 Germany: red card changes the game

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“A game that was shaping up to be an interesting battle until Miroslav Klose’s unnecessary sending-off towards the end of the first half. Serbia won but failed to impress, whilst Germany had the better of the second half despite their numerical disadvantage. Germany predictably kept the same eleven which thrashed Australia 4-0 in the first game, and they set out in the same 4-2-3-1 system.” (Zonal Marking)

World Cup 2010: Germany 0-1 Serbia
“The German side who sparked this World Cup into life with their 4-0 win over Australia, a German side so effortlessly impressive that they brought all the very best paranoid and stereotypical utterances about “Ze Germans” out of the normally *cough* very reserved and neutral British press, were back in action today. But you’d have had to be a very brave man, or a very proud Serb, to have seen this coming. In fact, although Serbia were much improved on their opening performance against Ghana, it’s still difficult to believe it happened.” (twohundredpercent)

Germany 0-1 Serbia – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 18 June 2010
“Germany could come close to clinching a spot in the next round as they faced Serbia on Friday, June 18, 2010. Serbia lost their opening match to Ghana and needed to get a result to keep their knockout stage hopes alive.” (The 90th Minute)

A Blue Flame

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“It’s strange to say, but I feel a powerful sense of relief tonight. I’ve been rooting for France steadily since 2006, through the crash-and-burn of Euro 2008, through a qualifying campaign that constantly seemed like Waterloo (with Serbs instead the English), through the ire of Ireland, optimistic to a fault. And today, all I can say is that I feel a weight off my shoulders: barring some miracle against South Africa, I don’t have to see Domenech again, don’t have to watch him twist, squeeze, and ruin a group of remarkably talented players any more, don’t have to watch figures like Thuram and Henry end their international careers in the worst possible way.” (Soccer Politics)

Spain 0-1 Switzerland: Spanish failings the main reason for the scoreline

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Margaret Gradwell, Indaba Series
“We were looking for Spain to really get the tournament going – they did exactly that, but by being on the end of the biggest shock so far, rather than providing an amazing attacking display. Switzerland’s win was remarkable – to keep a clean sheet against this Spanish side is very impressive. Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side did not actually play particularly defensively – they rarely had the ball, certainly, but they broke in numbers and frequently got four men in the box when they had the ball in an attacking zone.” (Zonal Minute)

World Cup 2010: Spain’s nightmare – an early dream final with Brazil
“Two wildly contrasting states jolted this World Cup to life, with North Korea (totalitarian) roughing up Brazil and Switzerland (laissez-faire meets conservatism) shocking Spain, the European champions, in Durban. With the first upset of the tournament the iconoclastic Swiss may have spoiled the dream final. If the favourites finish second in Group H they are likely to collide with Brazil in the second round.” (Guardian)

Unflinching Swiss Give Spain a Jolt
“Beautiful to watch and all but impossible to beat for the last two years, Spain has not yet figured out how to combine artistry and victory in South Africa. Since winning the European championships in 2008, the only blemish on its record was a surprising 2-0 loss here to the United States in last year’s Confederations Cup. But the even bigger surprise came Wednesday on a lovely late afternoon in Durban, where Spain was beaten, 1-0, by Switzerland in the World Cup opener for each team.” (NYT)

Withering World Cup & Brazilian Brightness

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“Theories abounded that this World Cup would favor attacking teams. The cold weather was supposed to lead to superior fitness and, ergo, a goalfest of epic proportions. However, these scientific theories overlooked a very simple fact – we live in the dark ages of soccer. Despite Barcelona’s great season a year ago and Spain’s title as European champion, the tendency to pack the box and not risk tossing numbers forward plagues the world of football like pox-carrying rats. These locusts have resulted in a paltry first round goal total and abysmal goal per game percentage.” (futfanatico)

The memories come flooding in

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“The crowds had gathered near the Hector Pieterson Memorial, and a group of schoolboys stood together on the street, in their iron-crisp uniforms, singing at the top of their lungs. Through our open van windows, it sounded like a song of celebration, a joyous song. But our driver, a 45-year-old former soldier named Jan, felt the hair on his arms go up. He had not been back to Soweto since his military service ended in 1994, when the apartheid regime fell and the soldiers were told to go home. Now that song brought him back to the freedom riots here, the burning tires and the bricks. The memories came flooding in.” (ESPN)

“You idiot. Go kill yourself!”: Watching Ghana beat Serbia, in Serbia.

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“I am probably watching soccer with the wrong person. As my friend D. and I walk through the 40-degree heat of downtown Belgrade, where she grew up and returns in the summers, I spot a building-high vertical banner of an enthusiastic, fit young man in body paint hawking soda. ‘Refresh Your World!’ it implores.” (Soccer Politics)

On “Men With Balls”

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“This moment from Point Omega kept coming to me yesterday during the Brazil versus North Korea match. Not only for the suspense that was ‘trying to build,’ but for the curious fact that I was sitting in a white-cubed art gallery, my eyes fixed mainly on the projected match but occasionally straying over to another screen, this one showing Douglas Gordon’s Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait, the film, made with Phillipe Pareno, that famously tracked Zidane — and Zidane only — with 17 cameras over the course of a match.” (TNR)

Argentina 4-1 South Korea: Attacking talents overwhelm Korean defence

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Gonzalo Higuain
“A game that Argentina dominated from the first minute, and the scoreline is an accurate reflection of the balance of play. Diego Maradona changed Argentina’s shape slightly, resulting in a more balanced and dangerous side when going forward.” (Zonal Minute)

World Cup 2010: Argentina 4-1 South Korea
“‘There’s enough material here for an entire conference,’ said the psychiatrist in the Fawlty Towers episode entitled, funnily enough, ‘The Psychiatrist.’ Argentine coach Diego Armando Maradona, we are told, is a modern day Basil Fawlty. A six-one loss to Bolivia, selected 107 players, scraping through to the finals, picking his 36-year-old mate who hadn’t played for Argentina this century, not picking Esteban Cambiasso…or any full-backs, or getting the best out of Lionel Messi. That’s been the narrative.” (twohundredpercent)

Argentina 4-1 South Korea – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 17 June 2010
“Argentina faced South Korea in a match of the two teams who won their opening matches in Group B. A win for both sides but likely qualify them for the knockout stage. South Korea were impressive in a 2-0 win over Greece but would be the underdogs against Argentina, who created several chances but only beat Nigeria 1-0 in their opening match.” (The 90th Minute)

Greece 2-1 Nigeria – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 17 June 2010

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“Two teams who needed a result to have a realistic chance of making it to the knockout stage met as Greece faced Nigeria on Group B play. A loss wouldn’t end either teams chances but a win was definitely needed for Greece who will play Argentina in their next match.” (The 90th Minute)

World Cup 2010: Greece 2-1 Nigeria
“Finally the tournament has come to life. In the twenty four hours before this game we’ve had some fine football played by Switzerland, Uruguay and Argentina, some drama and our first proper upset in the first of these games. We’ve even had some controversy going on off-the-field too. If we needed a reminder that behind this celebration of world football lies a grubby marketing exercise then there’s the faintly scandalous decision to prosecute two of the women involved in Monday’s ambush marketing stunt (which seemed, in any case, not to break any of FIFA’s strict rules) at the Holland v Denmark game.” (twohundredpercent)

World Cup Security Guards Strike

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“Dozens of security workers walked off the job hours before the Brazil-North Korea soccer match Tuesday night here, the latest in a series of labor strikes that have challenged organizers of the World Cup in South Africa. With the latest strike at Ellis Park stadium, soccer’s governing body FIFA has now been forced to ask the police to take over security at four World Cup stadiums around the country. The other three stadiums are located in the cities of Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Cape Town, Durban and Ellis Park — as well as Soccer City in Johannesburg — had contracted security services to Stallion Security Consortium, the local World Cup organizing committee said.” (WSJ)

The Toughness Game: An American Style of Soccer

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“The US game against England–a 1-1 tie, as everyone knows–was real entertainment and also, for me, a moment of revelation. After an early goal, when it seemed like it would all be out of reach very soon, star-studded England seemed troubled by the innocent, sincere play of the Americans, who were able to pull even later in the first half and keep it at that for the rest of the game.” (Soccer Politics)

Spain 0-1 Switzerland – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 16 June 2010

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Johannesburg
“The tournament favorites, Spain, opened the group stage with a match against Switzerland on Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Spain has been notorious for not living up to the hype in World Cups but can they change that this year? They come into the World Cup as reigning European Champions and probably the most talented starting 11 on the planet.” (The 90th Minute)

World Cup 2010: Spain 0-1 Switzerland
“The important thing with covering a World Cup which has been so slow to start as this one is, basically, to at least try and keep yourself entertained. As such, our intrepid crayon-tester and some-time football journalist Dotmund had something of an ‘episode’ and decided to file his report of the Group H match between the reigning European Champions Spain and Switzerland in handwritten form. With sketches. He hopes this novel approach will become the paradigm for all sports reporting in this country. We are just glad that it keeps him off the streets.” (twohundredpercent)

World Cup 2010: Gelson Fernandes seals Switzerland shock over Spain
“The World Cup has its first shock and, as unexpected results go, it could be that this tournament sees nothing quite so remarkable again. Spain may be sublime on the ball but there is no use out-passing opponents without out-scoring them and they learned that the hard way here in Durban against a limited but ultimately jubilant Swiss side.” (Guardian)

Honduras 0-1 Chile – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – World Cup – 16 June 2010
“Two teams from the Americas met as CONCACAF side Honduras faced CONMEBOL side Chile. Honduras is only playing in their second World Cup while Chile is playing in their first in several years. A result is a must for both sides who are in the same group as Spain.” (The 90th Minute)