Reflections on South Africa 2010

pickarooney

Kiwi_knock wrote: »

A big disappointment was the treatment of the ref by certain players, calling and gesturing for cards. The way Howard Webb was surrounded tonight was a disgrace. I know all the fouls merited yellows but Webb did not need to have half the Spanish team crowding him calling for a yellow. I was actually shocked that Xavi did not go up with the refs to collect his medal the way he acted tonight, always the first man in to "advise" Webb. It is a disgraceful part of football but one that can be readily eliminated from the game, hopefully FIFA see fit to ban all players apart from the captain talking to the refs.

I thought they already had passed some directive to ban players from remonstrating with the ref but it's all just bull**** until the core issue with officiating is sorted out - there is no respect for the referee, plain and simple, from any quarter. The ref should be the most important person on the pitch in terms of how the game is run. That should be blindingly obvious but we see time and time again that the players just refuse to accept this.

With the players having no respect for the ref, the managers and fans having even less and even FIFA with their bad faith approach to referee's infallibility making things worse it's not going to sort itself out.

We all saw the match between Portugal and Holland where the ref was absolutely lambasted for having the cheek to uphold the rules and book players for bookable offences. While he may have gone a little over the top, he had the right idea and more refs should be encouraged to book and send off players flagrantly flouting the rules as regards violence and gamesmanship.

Players in general are far too spoilt to actually respect the ref on a personal level the way we see it in rugby, for example, but if they're being properly dealt with for the bollocks they seem to think is OK to be carrying on with they'll eventually have to come around to the idea of respecting the rules.

Brendog

It was a boring world cup.

It'll be remembered for abnoxious noise and one of the main influences for video referencing within soccer


without any shadow of a doubt should be brought in.


BRING ON BRAZIL 2014

JerryHandbag

The thing is, when I think of the phrase World Cup Legends, instantly the heroes of the WCs of the 60s/70s/80s come to mind, the players like Pele, Maradona, Cryuff, Eusebio, Bobby Charlton, Mario Kempes etc. I wonder when the "World Cup Legends" TV programmes are being compiled in 30-40 years, what players will be picked from this and indeed the last couple of World Cups?? Very few I'd say.

And the standard of free kicks & corners, long range shooting, and general crossing of the ball was shocking. People blame the ball, except it didnt seem to bother Diego Forlan.

Boskowski

JerryHandbag wrote: »

I wonder when the "World Cup Legends" TV programmes are being compiled in 30-40 years, what players will be picked from this and indeed the last couple of World Cups?? Very few I'd say.

There's always very few. What's wrong with Forlan and Iniesta?

fryup

overall i taught it was ok really, better than italia 90 & usa 94

the main problem with the world cup is that it is way too big way too long

they need to reduce it to 16 teams again, or maybe have it knock-out from the very start

JerryHandbag

Boskowski wrote: »

There's always very few. What's wrong with Forlan and Iniesta?

The best of this World Cup sure, but not in the same class as the list of players I named.

gandalf

This World Cup was very poor with the exception of one or two moments. The Final game was dreadful, I mean really really dreadful, worse that the USA 94 one which I didn't think was possible before yesterday evening.

The one thing I was glad about was having a team win it that hadn't before.

Heres hoping that Ireland make it to Brazil in 2014!

pickarooney

Boskowski wrote: »

There's always very few. What's wrong with Forlan and Iniesta?

Forlan didn't win it and Iniesta's footballing contribution will be (or should be) overshadowed by his pathetic cheating.

USA 94 was a cracking tournament. Are people just remembering the final or what?
Give me matches like Romania-Argentina, Brazil-Holland or Sweden-Romania and I'll watch them all day long. Not so much of the Ireland-Norway though, which large patches of this competiton resembled. Hagi, Stoichkov, Romario, Baggio - these were real stars bringing it on when it mattered.

mike65

fryup wrote: »

the main problem with the world cup is that it is way too big way too long

they need to reduce it to 16 teams again, or maybe have it knock-out from the very start

If only! Well 24 is okay but no more. Maybe fewer European places

fryup

gandalf wrote: »

This World Cup was very poor with the exception of one or two moments. The Final game was dreadful, I mean really really dreadful, worse that the USA 94 one which I didn't think was possible before yesterday evening.

nah! it wasn't that bad at least the game opened up towards the end and there was a goal.....in 94 it was a nil-nil soozefest from start to finish

Boskowski

pickarooney wrote: »

...overshadowed by his pathetic cheating.

Ah come on, he wasn't THAT bad. He is a comparably small framed skillful player. He will always go down easyish. So he did a few times and in fairness he got hit hard a few times too. His 'cheating' would def'ny not stand out for me when I think about him as a player.

pickarooney

There's going down easyish and there's throwing yourself over when nobody is near you and pleading for (and getting) a yellow card for the opponent. The latter is unforgivable and should lead to a lengthy suspension.

Boskowski

JerryHandbag wrote: »

The best of this World Cup sure, but not in the same class as the list of players I named.

Mario Kempes?!? Excuse me, I do remember him, how was he more classy as Forlan? He was quite rough IIRC.

ArmaniJeanss

davyjose wrote: »

Did you notice all the empty seats? that is a complete disgrace. Can you imagine that tournament being played in any other country (that would be allowed host it) having so many empty seats?

England, Italy and France have hosted these competitions in the last 20 years with plenty of empty seats.
42000 for a semifinal of Euro96 at Old Trafford, loads of empty seats for the England Germany semi final of Italia 90, plenty of empty seats even for French games at France 98 despite them being given away for some games.

Football fans, even in the so-called 'football countries' just don't go to games they have no interest in, no matter what the occasion.
Heres the attendances of Euro96, a country whose media would have you believe that every game will be a sellout many times over if they get the 2018 gig.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_1996#Quarter-finals

Boskowski

pickarooney wrote: »

There's going down easyish and there's throwing yourself over when nobody is near you and pleading for (and getting) a yellow card for the opponent. The latter is unforgivable and should lead to a lengthy suspension.

I agree on that one. The whole attitude of the players towards the ref thing is a complete disgrace and of course sends all the wrong signals to the kids watching at home. Unless drastic action is taken very soon it's only going to get worse from here on in.

Blazer

Het-Field wrote: »

Teams like Honduras and North Korea had little or no business at the World Cup. I make exception for New Zeland who stunned us all by garnering three points.

I hate this crap...they qualified, they deserved to be there. Doesn't matter how crap or poor they played at the WC.
It's the same train of thought that people like Sepp Blatter think " I'd rather France than a mickey mouse team like Ireland at the WC".
Same goes for those countries who dismiss small countries like England /France and then get a shock when they get beat by them..

Prufrock

There needs to be reform in how the game is enforced by refs. Video replay and yellow/red cards being issued for worthy offences. There is no respect for the referees and with the amount of mistakes they make its no wonder.

It was a terrible WC IMO. Thank god Forlan won the golden ball. The only positive to come out of the whole thing.

Yakult

I wonder how many players take acting lessons for those theatrical dives? Too many players go down like 2 years olds trying to play soccer. Ruins the game.

aidan24326

fryup wrote: »

overall i taught it was ok really, better than italia 90 & usa 94

USA 94 was a great world cup apart from the final. Had a few cracking games and some memorable performances.


This WC was pretty unmemorable overall. There was scarcely a good game in it, and not one that would be considered a classic or even close to it. Anyone who thinks this was a good world cup is very easily pleased.

rossie1977

mike65 wrote: »

The bad

The ball

Source of so many bad dead balls and wayward shots. Sure some coped better but its clearly a flawed design.
.

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Good. The ball looked a little dodgy, the best team on the planet won. I'm not a complainer. Football won in the end.

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

If I'd known how this World Cup would have turned out I might not have been as gutted about the play-off game in November. Vuvuzelas, dodgy balls, some shocking refereeing decisions and fewer goals than I expected is what I'll remember from this tournament.

Pauleta wrote: »

The Vuvuzuela's and the ball ruined it.

the ball was fine, just that players today are s*ite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhS7AuE0dww

Laois_Man

The worst day of the tournament was the day Holland beat Brazil

The Spain -v- Brazil final was the one we all wanted to see....well all neutrals anyway. I still can't decide how it would have gone, I'd love to know, but we never will.

Disappointing performances from the likes of Ribery, Gourcuff, Anelka, Henry, Rooney, Gerrard, Messi, Ronaldo, Eto'o , Pirlo, kaka, Drogba, Torres,

Especially Kaka....he was actually awful - Messi was over-praised for every stupid little thing he did...predictably!

Could add Robin van Persie to that list too.
Holland could have won it were they not carrying him for the entire tournament!

gandalf

Laois_Man wrote: »

Could add Robin van Persie to that list too.
Holland could have won it were they not carrying him for the entire tournament!

The guy got absolutely no service at all so he can hardly be called a disappointment!

irishh_bob

id put it on a par with 2002 which too was a pretty poor world cup

Laois_Man

gandalf wrote: »

The guy got absolutely no service at all so he can hardly be called a disappointment!

Wonder how the scored 12 goals then....and but for the brilliance of Casillas, would have had another two last night!

JerryHandbag

Boskowski wrote: »

Mario Kempes?!? Excuse me, I do remember him, how was he more classy as Forlan? He was quite rough IIRC.

Where did I say you dont remember him? Ok, knock him off my list so, since I'm obviously not old enough to remember him playing, or Pele for that matter. :rolleyes:

My point was when people look back at who were the legends of the World Cup in decades to come, and in fairness Kempes would be picked before Forlan. He won the golden boot, scored 2 in the final, and actually got a winners medal. Forlan did have a great WC, but didnt even make the final.

homerjay2005

i would rate it 7 out of 10.

alot of poor games, lack of atmosphere and possibly alot of tired players after a hard season, alot of top players picked up knocks.

best game for me was england v germany. 5 goals, counter attacking, huge debate and maybe an incident which will change the way football is officiated on for ever.

roll on brazil.

Ardennes1944

couldnt get into it atal. rarely watched a full game. hope the germans win it the next time round.

Boskowski

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Where did I say you dont remember him?

Sorry, this is where my English lets me down. I didn't mean to say you doubted that. All I meant to say is 'I remember him'. A very early memory, but I do.

And while he achieved the things you listed and he was the talking point of the tournament you wouldn't award him a place in the all-star lists of WC history.

steelcityblues

Laois_Man wrote: »

The worst day of the tournament was the day Holland beat Brazil

The Spain -v- Brazil final was the one we all wanted to see....well all neutrals anyway. I still can't decide how it would have gone, I'd love to know, but we never will.

Disappointing performances from the likes of Ribery, Gourcuff, Anelka, Henry, Rooney, Gerrard, Messi, Ronaldo, Eto'o , Pirlo, kaka, Drogba, Torres,

Especially Kaka....he was actually awful - Messi was over-praised for every stupid little thing he did...predictably!

Could add Robin van Persie to that list too.
Holland could have won it were they not carrying him for the entire tournament!

I think a Germany-Uruguay final might have been a cracker. Brazil were not a complete side to me this year.

Disagree with a few of the disappointing performances you list - like Eto'o, who still scored 2 goals in a team not exactly filled with international class players. Wasn't Gourcuff's fault either that selfish 'team-mates' did not want him involved. Henry didn't feature enough of course.

Never understood why Kaka was put in the same bracket as Messi/C.Ronaldo/Torres before the tournament - remember how ineffective he looked at times in Germany four years ago. Same again here!

Leiva

Half empty Stadiums when there are 100,00's of African kids that would give their right arm to see any WC10 game.
Bringing the WC to promote the love of football me Boll0x , shame on you FIFA .

Should have had a "bums on seats" project with local schools etc when they knew tickets sales were low for certain games .

SuperInfinity

I did not want to see a Brazil - Spain final.

Brazil were horrible this year. They were all defensive, I can't see why anyone in their right might would would want to see Brazil over Netherlands. They barely beat North Korea, had at least one goal against Ivory Coast that should have been disallowed. They had more fouls in the game against the Dutch... Netherlands were playing a rough game and getting away with it, but the Brazilians turned into wild animals and could have ended someone's career with the way they were playing.

The only people who wanted to see a Brazil Spain final are five year old kids who think Brazil play the "smooth silky sexy samba soccer skillz" and other people clueless about soccer who think they always must be good and attacking because they're Brazil, when nothing could have been further from the truth this year. They were a disgrace.

They should have brought back Ronaldinho and fat Ronaldo, then maybe they've had a chance of winning it.

yahoo_moe

Tom Humphries on the less positive aspects of hosting a WC here. Great read and something that I'm sure crossed many of our minds at different points.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0712/1224274512450.html

Leiva

yahoo_moe wrote: »

Tom Humphries on the less positive aspects of hosting a WC here. Great read and something that I'm sure crossed many of our minds at different points.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2010/0712/1224274512450.html

Great article .

Quote :
"And then you have to deal with Fifa. And their likes and dislikes. Fifa had €2.6 billion in TV and marketing rights tucked away before a ball was kicked here and unconfirmed reports suggest they retain 94 per cent of total profits.


Holy sweet define