2010 FIFA World Cup - South Africa (1 Viewer)

[Walter C]

And now, there is talk about banning those vuvuzelas.


I was hoping for a scoreless draw for Algeria-Slovenia, but with a winner in that game, means more pressure on the US.


And Germany did look unstoppable and probably the team to beat. I did not think a player can get a red card right without even getting a yellow card.

 

[Paul D G]

I don't really have a problem with the horns as I mentally tune them out eventually. My only real annoyance is that it's non-stop. I'd've figured they'd break out the horns after goals or other specific moments in the game.


I've been more annoyed by English crowds singing during home matches, which sounds roughly like "MOOOOOOOWAR-WAAAAAARGH-WEEEEEE-AAAARGGHHHH!"

 

[mattCR]

I haven't watched a game all the way through, because damn, the horn stuff is so f---'ing annoying.

 

[Jay H]

I do believe FIFA did request that the fans stop their incessent hornings during the national anthems but I have not seen most game beginnings so I don't know if that actually happened or not.


I think I am going to put one on my bike so the next guy some cager tries to cut me off, I can blow that 130dbs into his thick head.

Jay

 

[Walter C]

Originally Posted by Jay H

I do believe FIFA did request that the fans stop their incessent hornings during the national anthems but I have not seen most game beginnings so I don't know if that actually happened or not.

I think that is the only time I don't hear those horns.


I missed the tying goal by New Zealand, which happened in the additional time, because of ESPN3 going out on me. Now another group where all teams have 1 point each. While I think Italy will make it out of there, hard to say which one will be the 2nd one out.


The Group of Death starts play shortly. One very good team will not make it out.

 

[Walter C]

Looks like South Africa will be the first host nation to not make it to the knockout stage, as now, every team has played their first game.. They were clearly outplayed by Uruguay, who I see making out of Group A, along with France.


And a huge upset by Switzerland. But I still see Spain making it out of their group, assuming they get their act together in their next 2 games.


Sometimes, I forget that it's winter there, as I see fans all bundled up.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

I tuned into the US-England game, expecting to be bored as usual. But instead I heard that annoying buzz which I didn't know was the horns until a few days later. I thought something was wrong with the broadcast signal. It was worse than the monthly required emergency test signals that run every few days.


I don't know how anyone can stand to watch the whole game with the sound on, even a soccer lover, and I really can't understand how anyone could stand to attend the game unless they're deaf.


Does anyone really believe that without the letters "FIFA", people would think this was some Alpine sport or rugby?

 

[DavidJ]

They might be more than just annoying. WSJ.com - More Buzz on Vuvuzela: It's a Health Risk, Too http://on.wsj.com/c3fP5L

 

[Yee-Ming]

Originally Posted by Chris Lockwood

Does anyone really believe that without the letters "FIFA", people would think this was some Alpine sport or rugby?

IMHO two ways to look at it: either FIFA is trying not to be presumptious, or they're trying to expand the FIFA "brand".


I don't know about the USA, but I daresay that anywhere else in the world, a reference to a "world cup" is understood to mean this one, the football (soccer to you lot) one, no qualifier required. Only other "world cups" require a qualifier, e.g. the "Rugby World Cup" (coincidentally I just watched Invictus yesterday).


As an aside, most national football governing bodies are called the "[country name] Football Association" or something similar, but England's is uniquely "The Football Association", no qualifier required, unlike say their northern neighbours with the Scottish Football Association. A quirk (or privilege?) of being the very first one.

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt

Exciting game. England's vastly superior offense against Howard's rock solid goalkeeping after that opening shot from Gerard.

I'd hardly say England's attack was vastly superior. If anything they seemed a bit headless to me. As has been pointed out, England's second striker, Emile Heskey, has scored less international goals than the former international goalkeepers of Colombia (Higuita) and Paraguay (Chilavert). What that says about the standard of England's strikers...

 

[Parker Clack]

I have heard that the networks have added filters so the vuvu's annoying noise doesn't hit your set. Hopefully this will work. I wouldn't want to be in the crowd to have to hear that all game. They say the db levels approach 120.


I am surprised that someone in the crowd hasn't gone barking mad and tried to shove one of them down the throat of someone around him/her blowing on the damn thing.

 

[Steve_Tk]

This is the first world cup I've watched that I have not heard a single chant/songs sung by the fans. I even watched a player attack the goal after the whistle was blown and could of be given a yellow card, however, when he turned around and observed play was halted he kept pointing to his ears to say that he couldn't hear any whistles.

The stupid things are loudest during the South Africa games. Hate to say it, but I'll be glad when they are knocked out of group play. They lost their keeper to a red card yesterday.

 

[Steve_Tk]

USA stays alive!

 

[Walter C]

And they could have won the game, if not for that bad call, when clearly a bunch of the US players were being held.


Here's hoping a draw between Algeria and England.

 

[Ockeghem]

^^^


Yes, the commentators were all over the judging (officiating) today. I watched the second half via ESPN streaming.

 

[Carlo_M]

That disallowed goal was horrendous. If anything, there was a foul on Slovenia, who had a player bear-hugging Bradley on the free kick. No one was off sides, no U.S. player was committing a foul, that should have been the go-ahead goal.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I've watched the replay of the disallowed goal over and over, and I have no idea what the referee was looking at or what he called. As others have said, the play was not offside and the only possible foul was committed by the Slovenia player.


Hopefully the call will not cost the U.S. its opportunity to advance to single elimination. However, it could hurt them in their seeding in the next stage. A win versus Slovenia would have set them up to potentially finish first in the group. Now that is unlikely to happen (unless England cannot put away Algeria today).

 

[Ockeghem]

^^^


And as we now know, England was unable to put away Algeria today. BTW, that was a horrid call against the U.S. I learned that it was the assistant judge / referee who made the erroneous call. Oh well. That happens in several sports, and it seems to happen frequently.


If I understand this correctly, the U.S. is on to the next round if they defeat Algeria next. And if England loses (doubtful), they will be eliminated. Is this correct?

 

[Walter C]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

If I understand this correctly, the U.S. is on to the next round if they defeat Algeria next. And if England loses (doubtful), they will be eliminated. Is this correct?

You got it. Or they can tie, but only if England-Slovenia also ties and maintains their overall goal difference against England.


Basically, the US is in control of their own destiny.

 

[DavidJ]

Crazy up and down day for the U.S. team and its fans. Like others have said the call was ridiculous and it seems pretty indefensible to me. The U.S. has got to figure out their poor starts. They played great in the second half to come back, but they're really too good to put themselves in that position over and over again. After the England-Algeria result, the U.S. side should have a bit more bounce in their step.


My favorite comment about the officiating came from the ever opinionated and somewhat emotion Alexi Lalas: "Yeah, we don't want to dwell on it, but he was a disgrace. It was ridiculous." It was a heat of the moment response and normally I'd say it was overblown, national bias, but that seems to be the majority opinion around the world. The game was poorly officiated from the start. Of course if you believe some reports, FIFA likes the controversy. They probably love the Adidas ball too.


I'm looking forward to tomorrows game between Ghana and Australia. We've got a friend from Ghana coming over to watch the game so it should be fun.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I admit that I am not a fan of soccer and this world cup is not doing anything to change my mind. First there's those loud and extremely irritating zuzus or whatever they're called. Than the disallowed goal taking away an American victory. I know any sport is going to get its share of bad calls. What I find astounding is the referee is not required to explain what the call was. The players left the field not knowing what the infraction was. To my knowledge, there is still no announced reason for the call. Was it offsides or a foul? No one knows.


I don't know of a major American sport in which you don't know within minutes and usually seconds what the call is, bad as it may be. This kind of thing in soccer just makes it more difficult to take the sport seriously.