The Official 2010 Football & World Cup Thread

Bah. Living in the States means that one of the only times I get to watch quality football is during the World Cup. No boycott for me.

I think it's silly beyond comprehension that Henry is getting most of the heat from this incident. I don't think he did it on purpose (just a reflex, imo), and even if he did, it's certainly not his fault that the referees are incompetent. I mean, how hypocrite can you get - it's not as if incidents like this don't occur on a daily basis in the football world. The only difference is that usually the referees are at least semi-awake and blow the whistle.

Jimbo wrote: I think it's silly beyond comprehension that Henry is getting most of the heat from this incident. I don't think he did it on purpose (just a reflex, imo), and even if he did, it's certainly not his fault that the referees are incompetent. I mean, how hypocrite can you get - it's not as if incidents like this don't occur on a daily basis in the football world. The only difference is that usually the referees are at least semi-awake and blow the whistle.

Although I agree that Henry does not warrant getting the sort of flak he is receiving (as you stated, it was an instinctive reaction that all players make in similar situations) I do not agree that the match officials were incompetent. From the position of the linesman and referee at the split second the incident occurred, IMO neither could see Henry's left arm. They can only call what they see, and I actually have a great deal of sympathy for the ref as he would have known from the reaction of the Irish players that there was something terribly wrong with this 'goal' but he HAD to award it, as he did not see any infringement. The matter of a replay is now squarely in the lap of the French FA, as they are the only body that can sanction such a occurrence. Whether the willingness is there is open to debate, but judging by the remarks of Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona, Emmanuel Petit, Bixente Lizarazu etc it seems that the French public are quite embarrassed about the whole sorry affair.

As for the remarks of Roy Keane re What Goes Around Comes Around, Get Over It etc such comments need to be appraised in the light of an ongoing vendetta between their author and that of the FAI that has festered for years. I do actually subscribe to the view that Roy Keane is borderline mentally deranged and should seek professional help before his inevitable sectioning in the years to come. He is another Gazza just waiting to happen. Let's just hope to God that Ipswich Town FC is still standing at the end of his tenure as manager....


Edited by ExittheLemming - November 22 2009 at 04:37

akamaisondufromage wrote: Drew wrote: Tuzvihar wrote: I'm gonna boycott the World Cup. Who's with me? I'm with you- watching the sport is like watching paint dry. And then you have you deal with all the acting, whining- terrible sport.   YOur loss Drew!    I guess there's not enough razzmatazz to keep you Americans Awake for 90mins?

akamaisondufromage wrote: Drew wrote: Tuzvihar wrote: I'm gonna boycott the World Cup. Who's with me? I'm with you- watching the sport is like watching paint dry. And then you have you deal with all the acting, whining- terrible sport.   YOur loss Drew!    I guess there's not enough razzmatazz to keep you Americans Awake for 90mins?

I don't see is as a loss, but more of a victory. As far as the "razzmatazz" I find more than enough pleasure in baseball and American football.- Heck, even golf and women's equestrain has far more to offer.

@Crimson87: I regard WC'94 as the best one since the death of romantic football (last to be seen in Coppa del Mondo '90). 1998 and 2006 were OK but just that, and 2002 was mediocre. Or were you upset because the Argentinian team went off in the first preliminary round? 

Sorry, I meant eliminatory not preliminary (is eliminatory a word?)

WC 90 was the last tournament where I've seem romantic football played - Holland, England, Cameroon are the brightest examples. Even Germany was different to what was to become.

When I "calculate" the enjoyment I get from a WC, the performances of my favourite teams don't count; that's why I think I have a more objective view.

Actually I adore the Italian style football, I find it very artistic in an intellectual, calculated way. Just like Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael etc. are in art.

But I think this WC will be Spain's, and that is going to mean colour, explosion, extravaganza, just like Miro, Picasso, Dali, Goya, etc...

el dingo wrote: harmonium.ro wrote: But I think this WC will be Spain's, and that is going to mean colour, explosion, extravaganza, just like Miro, Picasso, Dali, Goya, etc...   So do I - at least they're my "second team" (if such a thing truly exists)

el dingo wrote: ^   How about that Chimp on Blue Peter? (Beats self up)