Monday, June 21, 2010

FIFA World Cup 2010 Day 10: Another stunning result from a European heavyweight

It seems that the trend of upsets and unexpected finishes for European favorites in this year's tournament is far from over. Day 10 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw yet another highly favored European squad, this time defending champion Italy, perform way below that which was expected of them.

Facing the lightly regarded New Zealand team, the defending champions settled for a disappointing draw (1:1) in their Group F match. This makes their final group stage match against Slovakia extremely crucial as they may face elimination if things go awry.

The contrasting reactions of both teams after the draw was indicative of the magnitude of the surprise draw.

In a report published in Yahoo! Sports by Andrew Dampf, AP Sports writer, the delight in the New Zealand camp was clearly seen in this quote from its coach:

“I think that stopped the nation,” New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert said. “It’s the most incredible result we’ve had across the board. As a football coach, it’s way above anything we’ve achieved in the history of the game.

“We are always daring to dream. At the World Cup anything is possible— we’ve seen some strange results—but nothing as big as that one.”

On the other hand, the disappointment was extremely evident in the quote of the Azzurri coach, also from the report published in Yahoo! Sports by Andrew Dampf, AP Sports writer:

“We’re just sorry we didn’t win a match we could have,” Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. “If we didn’t win against New Zealand it’s our fault. Once again, the opponent scored on their first chance. We were able to control the game after that, but this was a match we should have won.”

With the way things are going, I wouldn't be all that surprised if the defending champions get ousted from the tournament after only the group matches. How bizarre can that be if that indeed happens...


Source: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/italy-held-to-stunning-1-1-draw-by-n-zealand--fbintl_ap-wcup-italy-newzealand.html

Sunday, June 20, 2010

FIFA World Cup 2010 questions from an interested follower...

A lot of controversies surrounding this year's World Cup tournament. I must admit though, it just makes the event even more interesting for casual followers like me.

I do have a few questions in mind though as I am not an expert in the sport.

1. Given the controversial ejection of Brazilian star Kaka, I was wondering, what offenses would warrant a yellow card? How about a red card?

2. Is there any possibility that the red card issued to Kaka would be recalled by the organizers after a review of some sort?

2. How come the great Ronaldhino is not playing for this year's Brazil team?

3. With Kaka probably out of the lineup in Brazil's next group match, how do you think would the team fare versus Cristiano Ronaldo and the entire Portuguese team?

4. What do you think is the reason behind the European team's early struggles in this year's World Cup? How come it seems as though only the South American teams (i.e. Argentina, Brazil) are performing at par with their expectations?

Hope you guys can chime in with your valuable answers and opinions so as to help me further appreciate the sport.

Red Card to Brazilian Star Kaka: Another lapse in officiating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup?

Wow! With just less than a week passing by after the reported poor rating given to referee Koman Coulibaly, another referee is under extreme scrutiny for a controversial stint in one of the games' group matches. This time, Stephane Lannoy of France is on the hot seat, apparently due to the unwarranted red card issued to Brazilian star Kaka, and the hand balls not called on Luis Fabiano (which led to a goal that put Brazil up 2-0).

With the possible suspension to the Brazilian star, fans all over the web are once again outraged. Here is a glimpse of a few comments from Twitter:

trendingnewsnet: Dunga brands Kaka red card ‘totally unjustified’ – AFP: Globe and Mail Dunga brands Kaka red card 'totally unjusti... http://bit.ly/dk026Q

tanpicasso: go brazil portugal next ronaldo is a problem tho lets see. tht was a bogus call on kaka for givin him a red card that the player sold

davidTrussler: Kaka red card for #bra was ridiculous. But they were guilty of a load of play-acting themselves during the game. #worldcup

Annellybelly: These refs are smoking something...KAKA didn't deserve that red card...ugh

Davis70: Soccer gone wrong the last 5mins. Kaka fine with red card.

kaumudi_b: And kaka gets a red card due to #civ players' drama! get a life losers! :X

yaah_: RT @taytorswift13: Retweet if you think tehy should suspend that referee for giving Kaka the red card!

Apollolink: Kaka getting a red card = bullSHIT.

kimmieenicole: That red card pissed me off. Horrible call..the man dropped down like Kaka tried to kill him

Robertax0: I'm so tite, red card to kaka? WTF.Stupid son of a betch.It was an accident dam mofo wasn't watching were he was goin.bem feito fdp -__-

OzzieR89: But uhh a red card for Kaka=not good.

stephyy92: Are you kidding me!! Kaka did not deserve that red card!!!! >:|

Even users in Youtube have some choice words on the controversial call:

JdMetal
obviously its nothng, kaka just shielding his body, and referee should'nt give cards based on what that ivory coast had told him....should what he sees and his own judgment...

Mucky1little2me3
That card was total Bullshit! If anyone needed sending off it was that twat for pretending he had been elbowed in the face. FIFA need to act on this, this diving and rolling around is really ruining the game.

Balthic
Seriously, do professional soccer players develop extremely sensitive pain sensors or something? Every little nudge has them rolling around on the ground in mock agony, and doing that annoying thing where they cover up their face like they're in excruciating pain.

slipknot
@snaforfun the first one was a card but the second wasn't fucking player just do it just cause their losing the player from ivory brought shame to his team and he didn't even push him the guy ran into him

omgsofierce17
wtf even a frikin blind man could of told you that asshole faked it and the stupid ass referee took it, fuck him either he had a favourite or he was paid off. bullshit.

Brazil saves World Cup 2010 favorites in its entry to the knockout stages

Finally, a familiar sight...

Amidst the topsy turvy in this year's World Cup meet, with highly touted teams (mostly from Europe) falling short of early expectations, we finally see one development that all of us are familiar with -- Brazil making waves in the games... Or, should I make it BRAZIL STAMPING ITS CLASS OVER ITS COMPETITION?!

In its earlier match, the five time champions beat out Ivory Coast 3-1 to advance to the round of 16.

The match was a highly physical and of course, controversial one, with hand balls by Luis Fabiano, and an ejecton to Brazilian star Kaka for getting 2 yellow cards.

With the 2 yellow cards, Kaka is expected to be suspended for Brazil's next match, against the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal team.

In a report by Tales Azzoni of the Associated Press, both coaches showed disappointment in the officiating, with the Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson expressing dismay at the hand balls:

“It shouldn’t have been allowed,” Eriksson said. “They got a goal free. That’s a 2-nil goal—that changed everything.

“It’s even more difficult if he’s allowed to use his hands. Of course it’s a hand ball. It’s not once, it’s twice.”

Brazilian coach Dunga on his part, had this to say regarding the ejection of his star player:

“The red card was completely unfair,” Brazil coach Dunga said.

Source: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/brazil-beats-ivory-coast-3-1-to-reach-2nd-round--fbintl_ap-wcup-brazil-icoast.html

FIFA World Cup 2010 Schedule: Month long festivities for the whole world

More than half of the group matches have already been played; and we have all been treated to a number of unexpected developments. Upsets here and there marked the first half of World Cup 2010 with France, Spain and Germany falling prey to their lesser favored opponents.

I just hope the remaining matches could at least equal, if not surpass, the entertainment value and unpredictability provided by the games from the first half.

Here is an outline of the remaining group stage matches taken from wikipedia.org:



Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_FIFA_World_Cup_schedule

FIFA World Cup 2010 Update: Controversial Refereee gets poor rating

The drama continues in this year's FIFA world cup as controversial referee Koman Coulibaly gets a poor rating following an expedited review of his performance Saturday. This was reported by Yahoo! Sports' Martin Rogers in the subsequent article:

"JOHANNESBURG – The referee who disallowed a potential game-winning goal for the U.S. against Slovenia was given a poor rating following an expedited review of his performance Saturday, according to a FIFA source.

FIFA’s referee committee reviewed the video of Team USA’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia in which Mali referee Koman Coulibaly denied Maurice Edu’s 85th-minute strike. Coulibaly appeared to rule that an American attacker had impeded a Slovenian defender, even though video replays showed no definitive infringement..."

With the said rating, Coulibaly seems to be headed for an early vacation in as far as refereeing for this year's World Cup is concerned. This was reported by Yahoo! Sports quoting a FIFA source as saying: "If he is found to have made a serious mistake, especially one that affected the outcome, then he would be highly unlikely to play any further part in the tournament,”.

There's still the possibility of him being used as a fourth official though. This could be good news as Coulibaly is a part of a three-man crew, also featuring Redouane Achik of Morocco and Inacio Candido of Angola as his assistants. A Coulibaly rule out from future matches would also prevent his colleagues from taking part.

Source: http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/source-u-s-slovenia-ref-gets-poor-rating--fbintl_ro-referee061910.html

Malian referee under extreme heat for controversial call

It appears that the referees are once again getting the blame for a game's undesirable outcome.

Just like in other sports (i.e. basketball, MMA, boxing, etc.), the referees are taking the heat from the fans as a controversial call leads to a 2-2 draw between world cup teams USA and Slovenia in their June 18 match.

Malian Referee Koman Coulibaly made the controversial call at the 86th minute of the match, when American Maurice Edu scored another goal that could have given team USA the lead at 3:2. Coulibaly disallowed the goal due to offside.

The result? Huge outcry from the fans as evidenced by this sampling from twitter:

elkabong: I am absolutely, positively fucking apalled by the actions of the Slovenian team, and those of Koman Coulibaly. People should be rioting.

rt_mundial2010: Sudafrica 2010: 10 Catastrophes Blamed on Koman Coulibaly, the Awful Ref http://trim.su/X7TS (by Digger) #Sudafrica2010, #Mundial
chris_leung: The #USA #Worldcup team "got jobbed by Malian referee Koman Coulibaly" - Sports Illustrated: http://bit.ly/aGRDJu

leeunidas: Dear Koman Coulibaly: - We know you fucked up our goal. You know you fucked up our goal. Its over now, so... http://tumblr.com/xjhbv9vmr

MrSportsBlog: U.S. soccer team reels from bad call on Edu goal by Koman Coulibaly http://bit.ly/civSjs

MrSportsBlog: Many Americans still mad about lame World Cup ref Koman Coulibaly http://mrsportsblog.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/soccer-call-equals-robbery/

cvilleminer70: I DONT CARE WHAT ANY ONE SAYS USA WON 3-2. Koman Coulibaly NEEDS TO FUCKING GO.:

luketadams: Friday was an awful day for USA Soccer, the World Cup & Koman Coulibaly but it was a great day for Jim Joyce & Don Denkinger.

reemsaied: The Thief From Mali, referee Koman Coulibaly robs #USA from 3-2 win over #Slovenia. http://ow.ly/20N6I #worldcup2010

ryanrees1: @GoalUSA I do not think that referee, Koman Coulibaly will ever get a Visa or Green card to the United States after that pathetic display.

I definitely can't blame the fans for feeling this way, given the degree of difficulty in scoring in the sport. But I can't help but feel for the referee. Indeed, hard would be an understatement if you are to describe the task of officiating matches, especially at a stage as big as this.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Who will win FIFA World Cup 2010??? An interesting view from an interesting source...

I came across this very interesting article from ezinearticles.com on the probable winner of the FIFA World Cup for 2010...

Who Will Win FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010? A Tarot's View
By Apurv B

June 2010 is here and all the soccer lovers are supporting their teams with full love energy and enthusiasm. Every Soccer fan has a question in their minds "Will their country lift the FIFA World Cup 2010?" Everyone is guessing the future, and thus we wanted to see what tarot cards say about the future of Soccer World Cup 2010's teams. We don't know yet but we may see Brazil vs England World Cup 2010 Final. Let's say what tarot cards say about these Soccer Teams namely, Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands.

Argentina: Tarot cards say that Argentina's team carries the energies of a moving force both physically and emotionally. Somehow there is a big hint of financial problems for the team, which means that they may not make it to final. Cards also indicate that these financial worries will smooth out soon but very slowly, which further tells us that this team may enter quarterfinals/Semi Finals stage but chances of winnings are not huge. If they really want to be in the Final and win the show, they need to apply huge amount of effort. Also they will need to be 100% sure that they do not miss a single opportunity. Tarot reading says that team players are not willing to change in the given circumstance, which they need to work on towards meeting their goals.

Brazil: Tarot cards say that Brazil's team will have a lot of Money in their pocket plus huge recognition and fame. The series may not start well but as the series will go on things will come together for Brazil and start falling into places. Luck will have its hand as well, which will take this team to new heights. The team will have to work as one and enjoy the fruit of their labour. New players will be very useful for the team, specially players between the age of 21-30 with quick mind. All thumbs up for Brazil, looks like they are in final with huge chance of winning the tournament.

England: Tarot Cards say that England's team have will have great surprises and that too pleasant ones. Are they making it to the Finals? We say "Maybe yes!" Tarot Reading indicates that the team will be making good strategies and work with proper planning in each game. There are prizes and honours indicated in the cards, success in the foreign land which is South Africa. The Intellectual Boss/Coach is going to play a major part in the team's success. There is good amount of Money coming their way even after the tournament with new contracts on the way. Again thumbs are up for England and again looks like Brazil they also have good chance to make it to final and winning the tournament.

Germany: Tarot cards say Germany's Team may not make it to finals as there are confusions and double mindedness shown in the card. The players may miss opportunities to score the goals because of this issue, which means they may miss the pass or headers at the right time. There is frustration in the team's efforts and despite their efforts they are a bit doubtful in their hearts. They will need to look straight at their goals or we must say opponent's Goals. They must not lose their hopes and keep their calm. If they bring calmness to their team then and only then the Good fortune will strike them and Something Good Might happen. Money is hemmed between the troubles and worries. So far we believe they will not make the Finals of FIFA World Cup 2010.

Italy; Tarot cards say that Italy's team will go on the right path in this series. But they have to be really careful with their planning because unless they will not put their plans into action they may find it very difficult to enter the finals. They also need to choose the players very carefully and consider all the possibilities before forming the team and must not overlook the players. Skills are more important here than the names. There are lots of joys in the card which means that team will have lots of success but the money is not there and thus we believe that this team may make towards semi finals/quarterfinals.

Spain: Tarot cards say Spain's team have very less chances to make it to the top. The team is not sure about their strengths and weaknesses and are very much reliant on luck as well. Efforts and efforts are indicated and the success will come in different form. The luck will although favour them in the tournament but they will always have fear of failure in their minds. If they can overcome this problem they may go a bit further.
Netherlands: Tarot Cards says Netherland's team will be saving their energies for the right time to strike. There is a hint of selfishness in the team which may mean that there can be change of mind of passing the ball to a player or just trying to hit the goal themselves. The players need to work as a team and believe that only one player is playing and that is their country. The chances are finals are very less. Lots of efforts are needed.

The Tarot cards according to above discussion indicate that four teams look promising namely Brazil, England, Italy and Argentina. These teams look like going towards the top ranks. These teams had most favourable Tarot card Readings and thus we have come to such a conclusion. We believe we have not hurt anyone's feelings regarding the possible outcome with the Tarot views towards FIFA Soccer World Cup 2010. Rest all is in the hands of God. We wish best of luck to all the teams and also want all teams to remember there is only one Goal, opponents Goal.

Apurv Bhalla
http://www.fortunecartomancy.com/article_13.html

... Quite an interesting insight coming from the tarot readings provided by Apurv. While I'm quite sure that some would object to the abovementioned forecasts, one cannot deny the entertainment value the above findings possess (especially with the recent struggles of both Spain and Germany).

At the end of the day, however, the use of tarot reading, even for the possible results of FIFA World Cup 2010, however absurd it may be for some, only shows us one thing. That there is no question to the magnitude of the sport's popularity.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Apurv_B

2010 FIFA World Cup... Will this be a year of upsets?

With the surprise early losses of 2010 FIFA World Cup favorites Spain, France, and Germany, will this be the year of upsets in the sport the whole world is closely watching?

Apparently, twitter agrees, with a number of users talking about the various twists and turns of the games. Just to quote a few:

Surfindia_FIFA: UPSET @ FIFA World Cup 2010 - SERBIA defeats GERMANY by 1-0. German striker Mirsolav KLOSE receives "Red Card".

RealSaudKhalid: 4th consecutive upset of the FIFA World Cup 2010 :(

matsy72: Upset after Upset in FIFA World Cup 2010

Abigrock: #fra first team to ze knocked out of ze world cup fifa 2010 by mehico? #mex big upset for ze french

LightUpRoy: RT @murzie: FIFA World Cup 2010 Update : France defeated by Mexico 0-2.. Is it an upset? http://fb.me/BbxVCVey

AsharDelhi: First major upset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup - Spain losing to Switzerland..

joysen08: The lost of Spain against Switzerland could be the worst upset in the FIFA world cup 2010! i wonder what happened to the Euro champions?

Such drama in the biggest stage of the world's most famous sport; and this, considering that the tournament is only in its Group stages. Indeed, this would make for an extremely exciting world cup tournament.