The Official World Cup 2010 Thread

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by crash_override

I don't really know **** about soccer. Like I said before, this is the first tournament I've ever really watched. But you can definitely tell the difference in the way certain teams approach the game.

Latin American teams play a more relaxed pace with plenty of emphasis on skill but teams such as Brazil and Argentina etc take a lot from the European game as well.

Southern European sides (Spain and Portugal) play similiar to above but at a faster more physical pace and Italy are historically reknowned for their tight defensive play.

Northern European sides put the physical over the skill factor with the Exception of Holland who are well known for their flair players.

Eastern European sides are like Latin American and tend to be very skilled, despite the lack of them at this world cup, but usually lack the team spirit to win anything.

African sides have great athletic ability, physical approach but often let down by their poor discipline.

Asian sides (Sth Korea and Japan) Run for like the whole match and have no shortage of skill bit often lack in physical tussles.

The above is a generalisation but I think pretty accurate.

[TheCunningStunt]

Originally Posted by right-track

...hard working never say die attitude, but seem to do everything in moderation. which isn't a good thing.
Patience. Also a bad trait when applied to football. Patient enough to actually run out of time.
An aversion to cheating.
An aversion to change (insular, typically English) which has blighted our game for years.
The fact that we only seem to get going when our backs are against the wall.
Not good. ^

We are really impatient and try and force the issue ALL the time, other teams are happy just knocking it about. We seem to try and break them down with 1 killer pass all the time, unnecessary play.

[Bulldog]

My condolences to our American buddies out there - while I couldn't actually watch the game, from what I've read it sounds like you were really unlucky tonight.

As for England-Germany on the morrow, I remain as optimistic as ever. If that's tempting fate, so be it, but as I've said before I've been waiting four long, tiresome years for us to be in a game of this magnitude, and I'm just gonna do my best to enjoy every minute of us in this world cup.

C'MON ENGLAND!!!

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by TheCunningStunt

We are really impatient and try and force the issue ALL the time, other teams are happy just knocking it about. We seem to try and break them down with 1 killer pass all the time, unnecessary play.

I think this has always been a lifelong debate about the English national side, to play like the other big teams and pass the ball around or play the English way which is based on speed.

[right-track]

Lets hope for England's sake this octopus gets it as wrong as I do...
BBC News - 'Psychic' octopus predicts Germany victory over England

For the record. I have no prediction about tomorrow's game against the Germans.

[Bulldog]

Originally Posted by right-track

Lets hope for England's sake this octopus gets it as wrong as I do...
BBC News - 'Psychic' octopus predicts Germany victory over England

For the record. I have no prediction about tomorrow's game against the Germans.

That's funny - my dog just predicted England's win by eating some Wiltshire ham a few minutes ago.

Who do you trust? Man's best friend or some pretentious German octopus

[Zaqarbal]

Predictions from edible animals use to be non reliable. I've eaten "clairvoyants" like Herr Kraken Paul thousands of times (it's a common Mediterranean food) and never sensed "the gift".

[right-track]

D-Day.

[TheCunningStunt]

I can already feel the pre match nerves

[right-track]

"We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.
The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction."

C'MON ENGLAND