2014 World Cup

[bennocelt]

I'm still not too sure about this. I've been seeing some comments(not on here, thankfully) about 'the end of an era', or worse, 'the passing of the torch' and stuff like that.

I think it was a case of a Spanish implosion (and Casillas mostly) with the Dutch having the ability to take advantage.

Spain were the better side for most of the first half I thought, and even when they went 2-1 down there was no sign of an era ending or alarm bells ringing. Then Casillas missed the flight of the ball for the 3rd, completely messed up for the 4th, and the 5th was a result of desperation.

The Dutch were good, and clinical at the end, but I can't read too much into it yet.

I think it's far too early to be calling it the end of an era, and after watching the Chile game, I still expect the Spanish to get out of the group.

Agree, it kind of all depends on what team is out on the pitch, would love to see Cazorla get some game time

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Strange that Luca Toni wasn't called up. They don't have anyone in his (or Christian Vieri) mould on the bench. Darmian on the right wing is crying out for Toni to get on the end of things. He's been scoring on average more than one in every two games this season for a cracking Verona team.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Pirlo is an absolute God. Not a pass wrong that half, and even when he wasn't touching the ball he was doing amazing things. As Dunphy said "Nobody's marking Pirlo. You can't."

[pineapple stu]

His first two passes went into touch! Just finding his range, George Hamilton said. He wasn't wrong in fairness.

Hard to see Uruguay getting points off either of these two, even with Suarez back

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Those foreigners. Always diving. :rolleyes:

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Well Italy didn't miss Montolivo at all. Candreva was class.

Giles and Dunphy making a point about how many England players were going down with cramp in contrast to Italy and how Italy used the humidity to their advantage.

[pineapple stu]

It's not that they used the humidity to their advantage; they just didn't give the ball away and forced England to do all the running.

Some free from Pirlo at the end

Sterling looks about 12 but had a super game. Can't remember the last time England looked that good in attack in a finals, even with Rooney on the wing.

[NeverFeltBetter]

All this talk before hand of English "youth" having an advantage. Man of the match was a 35 year old Italian who played 97 minutes, who was smashing the ball against the bar while English players were down with cramp. Very unimpressed with England. Rooney, Gerrard, very poor. Once Sturridge went off any spark they had vanished. I can easily see a refocused, Suarez-led Uruguay and progression chasing Costa Rica beating them.

According to Twitter, Italy's pass completion rate was over 92%.

[pineapple stu]

I don't know if Suarez - if he returns - will be enough to compensate for Uruguay's deficiencies. They were awful today.

I think England paid for a high-tempo attacking first half in particular. Italy's goal was perfectly timed and they could conserve energy and leave the running to England. Uruguay could hardly create a chance today; that'd be a big factor.

Uruguay aren't as good, and I think Manaus is about as bad as it gets in terms of humidity? England will need to tweak their team - Rooney was wasted on the left - but on the basis of today's two games, I don't think England should be too worried about facing Uruguay.

[geysir]

I thought England impressed, did well and came very close, though I was more impressed by Italy, playing their retro 70's style. That's Brady's type of football, he would have fitted into that slow placed, playmaker role like a glove. I didn't think beforehand that Italy would sit back on a lead but it's just their second nature, that's what Italy do.
Overall, 2 very good games from this group.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Amazingly entertaining World Cup so far. Only Columbia/Greece a bit dull. Really looking forward to Cote d'Ivoire and Japan.

[DeLorean]

Why are they called Cote d'Ivoire so often? We don't go around saying Espana, Polska, Italia, etc. You'd even see Cote d'Ivoire on wall planners even when the rest of the teams are in English.

[pineapple stu]

I wonder is it an official FIFA thing? Like how we're always Republic of Ireland even though no-one ever uses the term.

[pineapple stu]

Is there any particular reason for the blue/pink combination? Japan's keeper has one blue and one pink glove. One of the Italian players - and I think one of the players in this game too - hhs one blue and one pink boot. Seems a bit weird to be a coincidence

[DeLorean]

Some campaign by Puma (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup-2014/mario-balotelli-wearing-one-pink-3538445)

[NeverFeltBetter]

Drogba is sent on, and the Japanese defence is torn apart twice trying to adjust. Really disappointing to see, want Japan to be doing better than this.

[DeLorean]

They were starting to look ragged before he came on I thought. Stone wall penalty on Yaya Toure as well but he made the cardinal sin of trying to stay on his feet... crazy fool.

[DeLorean]

Honda very careless in possession, way too casual.

[strangeirish]

Honda very careless in possession, way too casual.
Think he ran out of gas...

[The Fly]

Why are they called Cote d'Ivoire so often? We don't go around saying Espana, Polska, Italia, etc. You'd even see Cote d'Ivoire on wall planners even when the rest of the teams are in English.

Because that is the official name of the country.

[Razors left peg]

Absolutely loving this World Cup so far. Pirlos performance the hightlight for me so far. 35 years old and he looked like he could have played another 90 minutes at the end, made Steven Gerrard in the "quarterback" role look like a joke. Was very impressed with Sterling before he got knackered, he is a serious prospect.

Cant wait to see how Messi gets on tomorrow and then the Portugal against Germany on monday.

[DeLorean]

Because that is the official name of the country.

Well yeah but presumably Italia and Danmark are official names also, but the English speaking world still refer to them as Italy and Denmark on their wall planners, etc.

[DeLorean]

Think he ran out of gas...

He ran out of gas pretty early.

[geysir]

Well yeah but presumably Italia and Danmark are official names also, but the English speaking world still refer to them as Italy and Denmark on their wall planners, etc.IC are registered under the name of Cote d'Ivoire with FIFA, that means the registered name will get some exposure.
Whoever else uses the french name would have to explain for themselves why.

[DeLorean]

So are most of the other nations registered in English or what?

[pineapple stu]

From wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_Coast#Names) -


In April 1986, the government declared Côte d'Ivoire [...] to be its formal name for the purposes of diplomatic protocol, and officially refuses to recognize or accept any translation from French to another language in its international dealings

So as far as they're concerned, the English for Côte d'Ivoire is Côte d'Ivoire. FIFA are bound by that offiically, I guess, but everyone else is free to ignore it.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Eamon Dunphy was certain Gerrard should have had a penalty. Even Gerrard - as graceless in defeat as he was - didn't mention that in his post match interview.

Dunphy was also certain that if Terry was playing, England wouldn't have lost, as Terry would have marked Balotelli better than Cahill did for the second goal.

His bias towards England and English clubs and overanalysing their uselessness grates on me sometimes.

Pirlo and Gerrard's performances and their night and day contrast proves just why Gerrard will never be one of the very best players. He got a lot of credit he didn't deserve for Liverpool's season, just like he did in the CL final in 2005 - when he was anonymous for most of the game. Lampard was a more influential player.

[The Fly]

Eamon Dunphy was certain Gerrard should have had a penalty. Even Gerrard - as graceless in defeat as he was - didn't mention that in his post match interview.

Dunphy was also certain that if Terry was playing, England wouldn't have lost, as Terry would have marked Balotelli better than Cahill did for the second goal.

His bias towards England and English clubs and overanalysing their uselessness grates on me sometimes.


I thought the Apres Match skit on him and Gay Byrne last night was hilarious.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Former France and Arsenal star striker Thierry Henry told the BBC that it wasn’t so much Rooney’s positional play that should be assessed but the importance of his miss in the second-half.

“I have missed chances like the one Rooney did in the second half at 2-1 down, but Wayne will know that in a game like this one, he has to score there. He didn’t, and that was the turning point for me.”

Henry knows all about fluffing his lines in big games.

[Crosby87]

Bosnia is going to win today.

[Stuttgart88]

Is there any particular reason for the blue/pink combination? Japan's keeper has one blue and one pink glove. One of the Italian players - and I think one of the players in this game too - hhs one blue and one pink boot. Seems a bit weird to be a coincidence
Lots of them doing it. Buffon's gloves are the same. It's basically Puma's latest gimmick but the supposed idea is something like "you need to be self confident to wear these" so it reinforces self belief. I think that's what I read when I noticed it first in the FA Cup Final.

Edit, sorry, just read DeLorean's response.

[geysir]

So are most of the other nations registered in English or what?
You ask a lot of questions.
But yes, IC are the only team on the FIFA list not in English.
Why is that? how is that? as Van Morrison says "it just is".
And that answers your original question Why are they called Cote d'Ivoire so often?
It's just another misplaced sense of political correctness, not unlike Andy Cole being called Andrew, because he once said that's what his mother called him.

[Crosby87]

Geysir is the coast actually made of ivory and if so was it nigel-harps that hunted all the elephants?

[pineapple stu]

But yes, IC are the only team on the FIFA list not in English.
Why is that? how is that? as Van Morrison says "it just is".
And that answers your original question
Except it doesn't, as we've already seen on this thread.

Switzerland beat Ecuador 2-1 with an injury time winner, having been 1-0 down. Missed this one; are either side likely to do anything in the next fortnight?

[Razors left peg]

Except it doesn't, as we've already seen on this thread.

Switzerland beat Ecuador 2-1 with an injury time winner, having been 1-0 down. Missed this one; are either side likely to do anything in the next fortnight?
No, it was a game with 2 average enough sides to be honest.

I expected more from Equador, I seen them live against Portugal last year they were brilliant that night, all pace and power. They didnt look anywhere near as good today

[Crosby87]

Google the picture of the people waiting on lines trying to get into the stadium....absolutely criminal.

[pineapple stu]

So goalline technology is in with a bang. Funny that no matter how many replays they showed of that, I still can't see that it was a goal.

Interesting that Honduras were still giving out about the decision though. Was the technology replay showed in the ground?

[SkStu]

Yes it was judging by the reaction of the crowd stu. What confused things unnecessarily was showing two decision points when there was only one that was in doubt.

Am I the only person that thought the technology did exactly what it was supposed to do and demonstrated that it was a goal? My initial reaction to the shot, in real time, was that it was a goal.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Love it. Absolutely love it. Twitter going into meltdown over BBC commentary team of Jonathan Pearce/Martin Keown, who don't understand how the tech works.

[pineapple stu]

No, it did exactly what it was supposed to do alright. Commentators on RTE saying it validated the ref's decision, but surely the ref took his call from the technology? I thought that was the whole point? Assuming that is what happened, the call was very quick, which is good.

Tbh, I missed the goal itself reacting to the shot coming off the post, so didn't get to see it in real time.

Not convinced by France though. Shades of 1998 about them; they've flattered to deceive in front of goal. Honduras have handed them two goals on a plate. Better teams won't do that.

[ArdeeBhoy]

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/worldcup/2014/0615/624056-goal-france-2-0-honduras/

[Charlie Darwin]

No, it did exactly what it was supposed to do alright. Commentators on RTE saying it validated the ref's decision, but surely the ref took his call from the technology? I thought that was the whole point? Assuming that is what happened, the call was very quick, which is good.

Tbh, I missed the goal itself reacting to the shot coming off the post, so didn't get to see it in real time.

Not convinced by France though. Shades of 1998 about them; they've flattered to deceive in front of goal. Honduras have handed them two goals on a plate. Better teams won't do that.
Far as I recall, the referee awarded the goal right away.

[Stuttgart88]

Doesn't the ref have a gizmo that buzzes when it's a goal though?

[pineapple stu]

Far as I recall, the referee awarded the goal right away.
He did; I'm just presuming that it was the technology's call rather than his call. Doesn't the technology send a signal to the ref when the ball goes over the line? That's just what I'm not sure on.

[Crosby87]

I was listening on the radio and the play by play guy kept mentioning the Honduras has not scored a goal at the wc since 1982, but he failed to say how many times they had the chance to...

[DeLorean]

You ask a lot of questions.
But yes, IC are the only team on the FIFA list not in English.
Why is that? how is that? as Van Morrison says "it just is".
And that answers your original question Why are they called Cote d'Ivoire so often?
It's just another misplaced sense of political correctness, not unlike Andy Cole being called Andrew, because he once said that's what his mother called him.

It was pretty much the same question over and over really. I couldn't let them think that I was satisfied that they cleared it up when I was none the wiser :) I knew it is obviously their official name, but I would have assumed that all the official names were in the official language of the nation in question. It seems this isn't the case so that explains it I guess.

[Charlie Darwin]

Doesn't the ref have a gizmo that buzzes when it's a goal though?
Ah right, I wasn't aware of that. Mad stuff.

[pineapple stu]

Another super game, this. Credit the Argentine manager for the half time changes. Messi now has more World Cup goals than Gary Breen!

[strangeirish]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqMpnR6CcAENzUP.jpg

[Charlie Darwin]

That was sublime from Messi. Still fewer goals than Tim Cahill.