Confederations Cup 2013

[Charlie Darwin]

Anybody else watching?

Brazil-Japan last night was a bit flat, even if it did produce this:

http://cadfael.tv/image/src/1371323128993.gif

Ray Houghton just seized on a mistake by the Mexico defender Rodriguez, saying "you're always told as a kid, never play square balls." And this is why Ireland are so good at football, but we always hit the ball forward.

[BonnieShels]

Enjoyed that first half.

Wanted to go to bed early tonight but totally forgot about ESP v URU. DAMMIT!

[IsMiseSean]

I can't take Sadlier and Whelan in the same studio....

[BonnieShels]

I can take the fact that Pirlo is gonna be on the pitch in 10min.

Can't stand Whelan!

[IsMiseSean]

I switched over to the BBC, Pat Nevin isn't bad. Back to RTE for George & Ray though...

[Charlie Darwin]

It'll be a good night of football alright! Might not be another this competitive. Barzagli should be off though.

[BonnieShels]

Didn't realise it was on BBC3

[Charlie Darwin]

For what died the sons of Róisín?

[BonnieShels]

This game is pants.

[Charlie Darwin]

Spain are playing no better than they did against us and they're giving Uruguay the run-around. Lugano is cursing his ill-luck that he doesn't have Darren O'Dea beside him.

[CraftyToePoke]

Watching on BBC. The Spain game. Its a tough night to be in a Uruguay shirt.

[Charlie Darwin]

Tahiti look strong this year.

[BonnieShels]

I only just turned it on. What were the 3 goals like?

The Spain game is gonna be a car crash of the highest order.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't know, I missed them as well. A couple of very neat passages of play the last couple of minutes though. Vahirua looks decent.

[BonnieShels]

I like the idea of the Confederations Cup but the patronising tone of any game involving the Oceania sides, esp since Oz went to the AFC is tough going.
It's hard to fathom football in the OFC outside of Oz (in the old days) and NZ. It seemed that every WCQ campaign involved Oz racking up cricket scores and then beating NZ to get to a play-off.

Only checking it out there I had assumed that because Tahiti beat New Caledonia in the OFC final that they were stronger but it seems not.

[Stuttgart88]

BBC commentators were gushing over everything Brazil did. I think it's always the same when Brazil do anything half decent. They've got some super players but they've yet to properly impress me as a team. I'd like to see how well they play when they're chasing a game against well organised opposition.

Italy looked good. Balotelli may be a nutter but I enjoy watching him. Chiellini looked very good last night. Very imposing.

[Charlie Darwin]

Ronnie Whelan is, before our eyes, turning into the right-wing uncle you dread talking to at Christmas.

[BonnieShels]

The comparison of the quality of Sadlier and Moloney to the crap on BBC is stark.

Ronnie is acting the petulant goon.

[cornflakes]

Ronnie Whelan reckons because Tahiti are so poor they shouldn't be allowed to play.

I think we should apply that logic to punditry and take him off the telly

[Charlie Darwin]

I bet Ronnie is ****ing sick right now.

[BonnieShels]

Ronnie is a acting like a tosser. A petulant tosser.

[Charlie Darwin]

Funny he wasn't saying things like this when Ireland were getting slaughtered at the Euros.

[IsMiseSean]

What was Ronnie's problem?? Yes Tahiti were pi$$ poor but take it as it was... And give them some credit for getting a goal!
I hate saying this but fair play to Sadlier for defending them at the end

[BonnieShels]

I actually thought Sadlier was very good and handled himself well. Ronnie shouldn't be allowed near a studio again after that.

[dong]

The bit where he said "yeah but that was a shock" after Maloney pointed out that we were hammered by Germany was embarrassing.
A great player, but a poor analyst of a game.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sadlier gets a bit carried away sometimes but he's alright and sees things in a bit more context than the other lads. And he actually watches football from other countries - and by other countries I mean countries that aren't England. Ronnie has always been terrible. Hopefully the demise of Premier Soccer Saturday hastens his disappearance from public life.

[BonnieShels]

It's crap when we all agree.

[Grafter]

Sadlier gets a bit carried away sometimes but he's alright and sees things in a bit more context than the other lads. And he actually watches football from other countries - and by other countries I mean countries that aren't England. Ronnie has always been terrible. Hopefully the demise of Premier Soccer Saturday hastens his disappearance from public life.

To be fair, Ronnie has done great work to highlight erectile dysfunction among men of a certain age.....:silly:
http://cdn1.independent.ie/migration_catalog/article28803713.ece/ALTERNATES/h342/micky-harte

[BonnieShels]

And does good work for MG because of his daughter. He was a legend. But a terrible pundit and commentator.

[Grafter]

And does good work for MG because of his daughter. He was a legend. But a terrible pundit and commentator.

Agreed, the Faroe Islands match last week was a new low in terms of moaning.... it makes viewing so horrible and aggravating in my opinion. I suppose a strongly worded letter could be sent to Ryle Nugent, RTE Sports head? He must have noticed it by now? I recall RTE ditched Stapleton when they realised what they'd acquired after USA 94.... still immortalised by Barry Murphy on the comedy circuit!

Still when you think about it, when you're took out of education and sent over to UK at age of 15 like Whelan, Stapelton, O' Leary et al... you can't expect super communication skills in all cases in later life IMO....

[Charlie Darwin]

I'd hardly say it's a lack of education. Dunphy might not have finished school but he's smarter and more well-read than 90% of the population. He's just a cynical ******. And not being well-educated doesn't mean you're not intelligent or articulate. We're ignoring the context here - people like Whelan get away with this **** because they're encouraged to. They're surrounded by people who say "oh yeah, great point" and nobody really challenges them because they're Irish legends. Say what you like about Sadlier (or even Dunphy), but he's had to establish himself as journalist against the weight of not being a legend. Dreadful pundits like Whelan and Houghton haven't had to face that. They've been given an easy ride because of what they achieved on the field.

[BonnieShels]

Brilliant point CD. And that's it. I can see Daragh Moloney exploding one day though. I would like Sadlier and Souness in a studio together. As bad and as tension filled as HT tonight was on RTE it was nothing in comparison to the inanity of BBC.

[Grafter]

I'd hardly say it's a lack of education. Dunphy might not have finished school but he's smarter and more well-read than 90% of the population. He's just a cynical ******. And not being well-educated doesn't mean you're not intelligent or articulate. We're ignoring the context here - people like Whelan get away with this **** because they're encouraged too. They're surrounded by people who say "oh yeah, great point" and nobody really challenges them because they're Irish legends. Say what you like about Sadlier (or even Dunphy), but he's had to establish himself as journalist against the weight of not being a legend. Dreadful pundits like Whelan and Houghton haven't had to face that. They've been given an easy ride because of what they achieved on the field.

True, there was a moment in first half of Faroes game when Whelan spew some venom about Ireland and you could notice Hamilton trying to impress Whelan by agreeing with him with a similar snide remark... they basically came off as two bitter old men...

But yes the legend card is common but the likes of Houghton at least show some enthusiasm.... it's the sense of entitlement that some ex players have that irks but still they have all been indulged to behave in the way they do... legends afterall!:rolleyes:

[Charlie Darwin]

It pains me to see Kenny Cunningham struggle to get a decent slot when those gob****es are dominating the box. I wouldn't be hugely surprised if Ryle Nugent factored this into the decision to drop the show. We have some good pundits in this country but they're not given the plum jobs.

[pineapple stu]

Whelan has history of that attitude; remember him saying Debrecen shouldn't be in the Champions' League cos they weren't good enough (just before Liverpool struggled to beat them 1-0 at home)

[ArdeeBhoy]

Whelan worse than Sadlier?
Embarrassing all round.

Try Steven Reid? Or even a D.O'Leary?

[geysir]

Yet another 'clean sweep for Spain year' is the likely outcome and for the next decade if the youths and u21's are anything to go by.
The u21 Euros was similar to the 2012 Euros in many ways, England going out dismally along with Germany, Italy turning up the books in the semis and Spain lording it in the final over Italy.

There's some good games coming up in this Confederations cup, I never paid any attention to this competition in the past.
2 easy group games left for Spain, while whoever gets through the other group will be well knackered for the final.

[Charlie Darwin]

Are Nigeria that bad? It was hard to tell from the Tahiti game. I hope to god somebody at RTE has the sense to give Ronnie the night off when Spain play Tahiti. And every other night.

[TheBoss]

Are Nigeria that bad? It was hard to tell from the Tahiti game. I hope to god somebody at RTE has the sense to give Ronnie the night off when Spain play Tahiti. And every other night.

I thought Nigeria were terrible to be honest. To say that Tahiti played well at times, says all you need to know about how bad Nigeria were during the middle part of the match. Once Vahirua for Tahiti got tired, was when Nigeria started their late goal spree.

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought Tahiti's touch and passing was very good, which I suppose makes sense given how much beach football is played there. I don't think Nigeria would be unique in looking very poor or average against weak nations.

[pineapple stu]

I didn't see the game, but given Nigeria were 3-0 up within half an hour, did they just let up after that?

[BonnieShels]

Essentially yes. I fear for the Spain game.

15-0...

[pineapple stu]

It's Spain.

95% possession, 2-0.

[ArdeeBhoy]

What are the odds on Spain? 1-200?

[pineapple stu]

Yep. That's what Paddy Power are offering anyway.

1/100 on over 2.5 goals. 8/1 on a 5-0 win, and 7/1 on a 10-0 win.

[DeLorean]

It's Spain.

95% possession, 2-0.

You can get less than 2.5 goals at 14/1 if you fancy that!

[Charlie Darwin]

Ronnie is in a much better mood today. He appears to have decided that both teams should be allowed continue in the tournament.

[Charlie Darwin]

Worst Brazil side Ronnie has ever seen. How long before he starts calling for them to be banned from the World Cup?

[geysir]

I think Ray could get a job as a personal trainer to Neymar, to help him iron out the many deficiencies (according to Ray) in his game.

[Charlie Darwin]

I imagine the limit of Ray's advice would be "you should have hit that across the goalkeeper".

Ronnie's on the warpath after finding out the Italians played beach volleyball the day after the Mexico match.