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Post by dem bones on Jun 23, 2010 8:42:41 GMT
This is it boys and girls. Don't worry about the kill the poor budget - after the world cup's over I'm gonna reform VAT and bring Tory govt. down like we did last time - but today we got more important matters at hand. Hey, England squad (and i KNOW you're reading this)! the media back home are crucifying you. The phone-ins are the preserve of wall-to-wall moron!. But some of us ain't lost the faith! in the words of the sage M.E.S. "its not 1974/ its not 1976/ you are not at Stamford Bridge/ you are on a Boer ridge/ take care of the invention of your nation/ because you're England!" Not to mention "Socks up at last/ or be a Brazilian breakfast" a shame to see the hosts go out but delighted they signed off with a famous win. Raymond Domenech has elevated losing the dressing room into an art form, ungracious sod, too. won't be sorry to see the back of Greece and their brand of anti-football (imagine if they'd been in England's group!). The South American sides are playing as though they're actually happy in their work and have been a joy to watch. similarly the African sides may be falling one by one but they've all given it a good go. Congrats to South Korea on making it out of a tough group. R.I.P. Frank Sidebottom, renaissance man. On a sad note, R.I.P. Mancunian legend Frank Sidebottom (Chris Sievey, 1956-2010), papier-mâché headed ukulele wizard, broadcaster and founder of the Altrincham & District Amateur League's finest Timperley Big Shorts F. C. who died on Monday June 21st after a long battle against cancer.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 24, 2010 21:38:13 GMT
dear my world cup diary. a much more like it England last night and stap me if Italy and Slovakia didn't serve up a classic this afternoon! loads of incident, controversy, goals, outrageous dramas queenery - great football one minute, the dark arts the next. a brilliant watch for the neutral. very well done to Japan who played some lovely stuff and looked formidable against Denmark. dark horse semi-finalists?
particularly sorry to lose New Zealand (unbeaten and finished above deposed world champions!), Australian (great fightback after Germany game; if harry kewell hadn't been harshly sent off i reckon they'd have done Ghana), Cameroon (for their part in the thriller with Denmark), Serbia (great win over Italy) and hosts S. Africa. can't say i'll miss everyone's mates France, Greece (murder on the eye) or Algeria (ditto).
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Post by marksamuels on Jun 25, 2010 21:07:56 GMT
Chile have got to be my second team now! Super silky skills, insane hacking down of their opponents, sendings off, and parking everyone behind the half-way line at 2-1 down. Brilliant! Mark S.
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Post by noose on Jun 25, 2010 21:15:33 GMT
As this will be my only foray into the world cup - can I say that the Brazil Portugal match was one of the most banal things I've ever sat though in my life. Utter dross. Good luck to England on Sunday! Think it'll be a close game, but the Sassenachs will edge out the Germans 2 -1.
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Post by marksamuels on Jun 25, 2010 21:20:08 GMT
The Brasil vs Portugal game was mind-numbingly tedious.
There wasn't even a dirty foul on the ;)er
Mark S.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 25, 2010 21:34:32 GMT
Portugal were exactly the same in their opener against the Ivory Coast. It's a shame how the fixtures panned out in that group - if Portugal and the Ivorians had met in the final group game we'd either have had a classic football match or the filthiest clash of the competition, possibly both. Haven't the sendings off been soppy? when you think of some of the vicious lunges and outrageous dying swan antics that have gone unpunished, the Chile guy could consider himself very unfortunate tonight although his mates are nothing if not competitive. with apologies to my German friends on the board but needs must in a crisis!
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Post by marksamuels on Jun 25, 2010 22:25:37 GMT
The Greatest World Cup Team of all-time: Brasil 1970. The Masters. God-like beings from football Paradise sent to show the world the true meaning of "the beautiful game". Self-evident isn't it? Their 1-0 win over England? The classic 4-1 final against Italy? It's self-evident. Isn't it. ISN'T IT? Watch this and prepare to have your cosy illusions shattered in true Vault of Evil style... Mark S.
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Post by David A. Riley on Jun 26, 2010 8:19:36 GMT
Disappointed with that video, Mark. Where were the severed heads being used as footballs?
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Post by dem bones on Jun 26, 2010 9:03:09 GMT
Shows you how far ahead of their time they were. Forty years on and England still couldn't quite master the same tactics against Algeria.
Come Tuesday night we could be looking at a very strange last eight. Japan are pleasing on the eye and i fancy them to beat Paraguay. Ghana are perhaps a shade fortunate to get through and i can see a USA victory tonight. Uruguay-South Korea wouldn't have sounded that appealing two weeks back but they've both impressed and this could well be the surprise treat every world cup seems to chuck up. can't really see Slovakia getting any change out of the Netherlands.
Portugal-Spain: Potentially the feast of silky skills and hot red card action that Portugal-Ivory Coast could and should have been. Alternatively, Portugal might opt for their impression of Greece yet again and a tedious stalemate will be settled on penalties.
Germany-England; Call me mr. psychic but, though this one may well go to extra time, it won't be decided on penalties.
Argentina-Mexico. These two contested a truly brilliant game at the Germany 2006 world cup with the Argentinians eventually taking it 2-1 in extra time. Mexico might just have enough in them to do everyone a favour.
Brazil-Chile: As we've seen, Mark's fave raves are up for a scrap but i can't help thinking that having approximately three quarters of their squad suspended for this one will cost them.
so if all goes to plan, the last eight pans out as
USA Uruguay England (shock!) Mexico (enormous shock!) Netherlands Japan Brazil and bloody Portugal.
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Post by dem bones on Jun 27, 2010 16:12:00 GMT
going to try and cheer myself up now ...
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Post by dem bones on Jun 28, 2010 16:36:38 GMT
three great games,and a heartbreaking mismatch later and its clear my psychic powers need a serious overhaul. Ghana proved me utterly hopeless by putting on a terrific display to beat an admirable USA, both sides giving it everything they had. Uruguay continue to impress. South Korea gave them a proper game without really looking like they could claw back a second. Argentina-Mexico was another absorbing contest which could've ended up 6-5. England-Germany: We woke up for approx 20 minutes at two down and even if the disallowed goal changed the dynamic of the game, to watch the lads give up on 1-3 was painful. Germany fully deserve to progress and at least they've spared us the trauma of having to face the free-scoring Argentina with our shell-shocked defence. was it the Spanish media who referred to "Safe hands" Seaman as playing like "a lump of meat with eyes" after another shocker in an England shirt? They'll have enjoyed yesterdays performance then.
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Post by noose on Jul 2, 2010 16:11:01 GMT
Brazil are out. Never thought I'd write those words.....
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Post by dem bones on Jul 6, 2010 10:12:22 GMT
Brazil are out. Never thought I'd write those words..... and i never thought i'd get to want a Uruguay-Germany final! The quarter finals kept things weird and wonderful with Uruguay-Ghana a strong game of the tournament contender. Neither deserved to lose. Germany are the new Holland (but with a great togetherness to go with their talent). Holland, ironically, are playing like the Germany of old and have forgotten what its like to lose a competitive match. only Spain-Paraguay of the last eight ties ended how i thought it would. Pundit of competition (so far): Paul the octopus. Diego Maradona insisted and, no doubt believed, that it was "God's will" Argentina beat Germany in their extraordinary quarter-final clash. Paul the psychic Octopus was unimpressed and predicted a win for Joachim Loew's men. If we'd only put our faith in his tentacles of truth we'd be *drum roll* squids in. Reputation to die for: Japan's (now ex-) coach Takeshi Okada, "The man with no smile." Can't say i blame him moment of the tournament. Felipe Melo's graceless stomp on serial face-clutcher Arjen Robben (Brazil v. Netherlands). Melo's subsequent sending off ties with Kalu Oche's (Nigeria V Greece) as most mindless and costly to teammates. All-round entertainer of competition. Diego Maradona and his cavalier to the point of kamikaze anti-tactics. If he quits as Argentina boss, can we have him? Glam fans of the tournament. Robbie Earle's "extended family" among the orange contingent. Sometimes you're almost glad when England have a wretched campaign moment (before a ball had even been kicked) ... 'Battle of Santiago' of the tournament. Nothing much to shout about really. Ivory Coast-Brazil was close in the first half, Uruguay have cleaned up their act and Portugal - despite red card - were relatively restrained versus the Spaniards. But we live in hope.
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Post by Craig Herbertson on Jul 6, 2010 11:20:27 GMT
I had Argentina all the way but that was before I knew about the magic octopus. I now rely on him for all future predicitons
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Post by franklinmarsh on Jul 7, 2010 7:53:02 GMT
Holland through (and I missed the punch up!) and the octopus has picked Spain....
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