WORLD CUP 2010

Happy hour starts in 5 minutes
Well, here it is Gentlemen! We are a little more than 2 hours from the start of the World Cup Finals. It has been a while since I was this excited for a World Cup, much less a final, thanks in part to this gathering of men who have reminded me of how great a sport fútbol is.
 
Heading out to a local Mexican restaurant in an hour or so to catch the game with family/friends. Should be a good one. Think I'll be quietly rooting for the Netherlands :) It's been a memorable World Cup. Only wish the US was playing today. Frankly - I think this World Cup they really had an opportunity to go deeper than they did.
 
The ref is doing a good job of giving out cards trying to maintain control of this game. The unfortunate part is that he is likely gonna end up giving a second yellow to someone and one of these teams could end up playing a man down.
 
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This is shaping up to be one great World Cup final!

I will say the Dutch are lucky they are not playing a man down after the challenge by De Jong against Alonso. This is not an MMA match.
 
Robben will be seeing that one for years in his nightmares if the Dutch drop this match.
 
Neophyte said:
Robben will be seeing that one for years in his nightmares if the Dutch drop this match.
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Looks like David Villa may be having the same type of nightmares after that one.
 
Robben's a moron. Goes down at the drop of a hat normally in an attempt to get the card and this time stays up when he was sure to draw at least a yellow, if not a straight red, then talks himself into receiving a yellow for jawing at the ref. Geez.
 
Neophyte said:
Robben's a moron. Goes down at the drop of a hat normally in an attempt to get the card and this time stays up when he was sure to draw at least a yellow, if not a straight red, then talks himself into receiving a yellow for jawing at the ref. Geez.
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Perhaps looking for redemption for the miss earlier then exhibiting frustration at himself and taking it out of the ref.

I gotta say, they chose a good referee. This guy has called a good game!
 
Spain got exactly what they deserved! Congratulations to the first time World Cup Champion!
 
So, four years away from the next WC, to be held in Brazil.

Who is going?

If you save $100 a month, starting now, the trip is completely paid for. Or, if you put all of your purchases on one good credit card, you can likely amass enough points to make it free.

They do have some incredible travel packages where you pay a base rate, and that includes airfare, hotels, and tickets for the matches for as long as your team can survive.
 
Elephant said:
Perhaps looking for redemption for the miss earlier then exhibiting frustration at himself and taking it out of the ref.

I gotta say, they chose a good referee. This guy has called a good game!
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Interesting...the consensus I've seen seems to be this guy called a horrible match.

I gotta say - 120 minutes of soccer with only one goal - definitely NOT the way to get Americans interested in the sport. Yawn.
 
Lanky Livingston said:
Interesting...the consensus I've seen seems to be this guy called a horrible match.

I gotta say - 120 minutes of soccer with only one goal - definitely NOT the way to get Americans interested in the sport. Yawn.
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Of course I am making that statement as a former referee, but he gave cards as needed. The Dutch were making a lot of take downs from behind so the Spanish began to do the same and he was handing out yellow cards to keep the game from getting out of control. As the first half progressed we saw less of this.

The one thing I can say is he could/should have given a red card to De Jong. But I believe he made the correct call since the Dutch would have been left playing a man down for the entire 2nd half and part of the 1st and FIFA would not have wanted that for the WC Final game. It was a difficult game to call and I believe he did a good job of not allowing it to get out of control. This was one of those games that could easily have gone that way. I have seen it happen too many times.
 
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What's ridiculous to me is that Robben needed to "go down" for the Spanish to get a red card on his breakaway. Lalas and other ESPN guys were commenting on this, and said it was a mistake on Robben's part.

WHAT?! They are encouraging diving. I would say other than low-scoring, diving is the main reason Americans aren't into soccer, maybe #1 for a lot of people. It should be a foul regardless of if he pretends to fall and be "severely injured" and roll around in agony on the ground.
 
Lanky Livingston said:
I would say other than low-scoring, diving is the main reason Americans aren't into soccer, maybe #1 for a lot of people. It should be a foul regardless of if he pretends to fall and be "severely injured" and roll around in agony on the ground.
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Like you, I hate diving more than anything.

That being said, I don't believe FIFA is losing sleep over gaining interest in America.

Just like the NFL doesn't care so much about being popular in China or India.

Soccer already dwarfs the NFL. They aren't exactly hurting for money.
 
MikeSr619 said:
soccer dwarfs the NFL?

http://www.bgobsession.com/showthread.php?p=35585
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Those are largely US numbers. Soccer draws internationally. In the UK alone it is estimated that some 20 million viewers yesterday watched the match. Some 32 million people in Germany watched the Semi-Final between Germany and Spain (40% of the Germany population).

I realize 40 million for the NFL draft seems like a big deal (and it is, really) but when you get right down to it, the NFL does not have an event with the potential to draw over 700 million viewers world wide (the expected numbers for yesterdays Final).

I remember being in India for the Super Bowl in 2004 (with the new infamous Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction) and while there were a few TVs around with the game on, most that I saw had on a cricket match between the Indian national team and Australia. It wasn't even a match that counted, just an exhibition but it drew more viewers than the Super Bowl.
 
Mike, no offense, but I don't think you are completely getting the scope here. The World Cup group matches are drawing over 100 million viewers. Those are Super Bowl numbers for the World Cup equivalent of regular season games. The English Premier League regular season matches routinely draw 25 million in SE Asia alone. Factor in the numbers from Europe, Africa and South America and those matches are likely in the very same 100 million area.

There is a reason that Man U is the most valuable sports franchise in the world.

The NFL is big. Really big. In the US. It does well as a single game outside the country and it might do well enough to support teams in Canada or Mexico but notice that the NFL Europe league folded up shop and came home. The league is almost exclusively American players with the odd guy out of Australia, Canada or Africa. Look at any of the top Euro soccer leagues and you will see very international rosters (often 75% foreign) that draw international audiences because they love the player.

I am not saying that the NFL is not a major sports power in the world. It is. But it is not in FIFA's league. No one is.
 
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