WORLD CUP

[Joemailman]

Vuvuzelas may be banned from tournament.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2010/article-1286265/WORLD-CUP-2010-Vuvuzelas-banned-admits-organising-chief-Danny-Jordaan.html

[wootah]

Although I hope you're right, Joe, I'm afraid this won't be the case. The reporters over here switched back to the old microphones which are closer to the mouth to limit the vuvuzela-noise for the viewers at home.

Regarding USA's match: as a neutral spectator I thought the 1st half was entertaining, the second far less. The USA captain (Bocanegra) played very shaky in the first quarter of an hour, had trouble with the quick Lennon and the goal was far more his fault than Onyewu's. Onyewu did what he was supposed to do when you play a 4 man zone defense; step out to the man with the ball. It was Bocanegra failed to close the center behind him. For me, Onyewu was USA's man of the match. Remember; he didn't play for a year due to an injury. I also liked USA's right back; not afraid to take on his man 1 to 1.

In general the tournament has started of slowly; all teams seem to be afraid to lose their 1st match, rather than trying to win. This is somewhat logic. The qualifying and build-up to the tournament has been going on for months now. If you loose your 1st match, there's a very big chance you will be eliminated, so no one wants to risk it. But this will change. If you are new at football/soccer; don't give up yet. The fun is just starting; as of the next set of matches, teams will HAVE to win, a draw is no longer sufficient which will undoubtedly add to the spectacle.

Also some amazing teams have not played yet. If you like attacking soccer, you should definately watch Holland today; they have great attacking players and they play full force for 90 minutes. That and they have the craziest fans in the world.

What I liked until now;
* Best player I've seen: Messi (ARG), no suprise there. Second place goes to French midfielder Diaby; he was fysically dominating Uruguay.
* Best goal: Tshabalala (RSA) during the opening match. Second place yesterdays header of Klöse (GER) against Australia.

Btw, Peter King's column about the world cup is the biggest piece of crap I've ever read. It must be nice to go to South Africa with your wife, watch the world's greatest sporting event, write some utter nonsense and get payed for it.

[retailguy]

How is that any different than his football columns? :P

[wootah]

How is that any different than his football columns? :P

He doesn't have the soccer players' cellphone numbers yet so he cannot use namedropping as much?

[red]

i agree the vuvuzela's should go bye-bye. it only takes less then a hundred asshole blowing those things to drowned out the atmosphere of 40,000 to 90,000 other fans

i don't care if it is african tradition. you wouldn't allow someone to blare an air horn for a whole game.

i feel bad for the fans from around the world that have paid tens of thousands of dollars to go to the games and have to sit with that crap

this is by far soccer's biggest stage, their showcase, and there's no doubt that the horns are turning of a good majority of the people tuning in

[pbmax]

He can be such a hack as a writer, which is unfortunate as he used to have such tremendous access to information that you couldn't get anywhere else except for Will McDonough.

I read someone predict this would happen after the first goal:

It had a goat -- England's goalkeeper Robert Green, who Bucknered

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz0qqBfZeFQ

He is exactly right of course, except this goal did not turn a championship into a defeat.

[crosbiegrad]

I'm Scottish so soccer is my first sport and naturally I cheer for anyone playing England and got a kick out of Altidore breezing past Jamie Carragher (he's a total prick). If your new to soccer I'd try giving one of the Dutch or Brazilian games a watch as your first game, they play much more attractive footie than the Uber defensive teams like France and Italy

[pbmax]

... The USA captain (Bocanegra) played very shaky in the first quarter of an hour, had trouble with the quick Lennon and the goal was far more his fault than Onyewu's. Onyewu did what he was supposed to do when you play a 4 man zone defense; step out to the man with the ball. It was Bocanegra failed to close the center behind him.

This account from SI differs in assigning responsibility for that goal I believe. Can you identify where you agree and disagree with this?

We hear about players "switching off." Clark apparently forgot to switch on at the opening whistle. He lost track of Gerrard on England's first real surge. DeMerit couldn't contain Emile Heskey's target work as the England frontrunner led Gerrard perfectly. The Liverpool star's two touches were precise and the Three Lions roared.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz0qqHjOOjv

[red]

I'm Scottish so soccer is my first sport and naturally I cheer for anyone playing England and got a kick out of Altidore breezing past Jamie Carragher (he's a total prick). If your new to soccer I'd try giving one of the Dutch or Brazilian games a watch as your first game, they play much more attractive footie than the Uber defensive teams like France and Italy

absolutely, brazil is the team that hooked me once upon a time. it was either the US world cup or the one before. but ever since then i try not to miss one of their games

very fun team to watch

[Bretsky]

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/soccer/96263754.html

[Joemailman]

FIFA backs Vuvuzelas

"I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound," the FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in a Twitter message on Monday. "I don't see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country."
Blatter went on to ask: "Would you want to see a ban on the fan traditions in your country?"
FIFA and Blatter have strongly backed the use of vuvuzelas since they were introduced to the wider football world at the Confederations Cup test event in South Africa exactly a year ago.

http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/article/2010-06-14/fifa-backs-soutn-african-fans-on-blowing-vuvuzelas

[pbmax]

A plus two on the side of the World Cup. Boobs: is there anything they can't do?

http://twitpic.com/1wtmer

[swede]

#19 looks like an extra that wandered off the set of "Planet of the Apes Meets Invictus".

[swede]

Those breasts will have to be numbed before I can examine them.


Num num num num num num num num num!

[wootah]

Can you identify where you agree and disagree with this?

Of course. I'll try to show the standard set-up of a 4 man defense in zone. I've been studying this thoroughly to teach it to the 13 year olds that I'm coaching, so here we go .

Standard position with the ball on the flank:

--O---------------
-X1---------------
-----X2------X4---
---------X3-------

O is the opponent with the ball. X1 should push him to the middle because that's where the spaces are small (a lot of defenders in little part of the field).
X2 supports X1 and is responsible for possible central attackers.
X3 supports X2 and is responsible for possible central attackers and together with X4 take care of the 'balance' in the defense.


Now if the man with the ball is in the middle, which was in the USA's case:

-----O---------------
-----X2--------------
--X1----X3---X4------

X2 steps out to slow this man down (Onyewu). What should happpen is that X1, X3 & X4 shut the middle down immediately, even if there is space available on the flanks, that's not as bad as space available in the center (where the goal is). One of the basic rules of soccer is to keep the middle crowded. X3 (Demerit) did this somewhat, while closely marking Heskey, who was still able to pass the ball behind X2 in the hole where Gerard appeared.

USA's situation with Heskey being O2 and Gerard O3:

-------O1-------------
--O3--X2-O2---------
X1--------X3---X4----


In my opinion, Bocanegra (X1) failed to close the center down and stayed to much to the left, leaving a hole behind X2's (Onyewu) back where the ball was eventually played in.

Now, this is the standard zone marking in theory. In practice variants can occur, it can be decided in the locker room that Clark (a midfielder) should play man to man to Gerard, in that case of course, he was responsible. Also, zonal defense is based on a lot of communication during the game; you're not following just one opponent so to make life easier on each other, the team should talk when players 'transfer' their opponent to a teammate. I don't know if there was any communication between Clark & Bocanegra on who should take who. This is not easy in the heat of the moment, and probably things happened too fast. In that case, it seems that the standard principle of 'pinching' the middle by X1 & X3 should've occurred which didn't happen. Bocanegra should've followed/closed down Gerard & Clark should've taken Bocanegra's position IMO.

A similar 'mistake' was made yesterday in Holland vs Denmark during the second goal; the centre back (X3) stepped out to slow Sneijder down. X4 failed to close the inside, Sneijder was able to get the ball to Elia who had room in the center to finish. The ball hit the post, but Kuyt followed up and scored.

------------O1-----------
------------X3--O2-------
---X1--X2---------X4-----

01= Sneijder, O2 = Elia.