World Cup

[moonshake]

[not that clay]

So who won?

Brimstead United #2!!! Woohoo!

[Martin]

My friend Totto's solution to the vuvuzela menace. Most homeviewers won't have the sound equipment needed, but it should really be a piece of cake for the broadcasters to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IciYpkNyJg

[Matthew_S]

A small point, but one thing I am enjoying about watching the games is how critical the commentators are of the players, the coachs, the play in general.

"That was a terrible cross."

"I have no idea what his plan was with that pass."

"Coach X's decision to play Player y made little sense and finally, a substitution is called."


You just don't hear this type of statement in baseball, hockey, etc...

[johnintheuk]

Just a note for the fantasy World Cup players, there's a second round game tomorrow as well as the final two first round games. Don't forget to set your round 2 starting 11 (and make your free transfer if you want to do so) http://en.mcdonalds.fantasy.fifa.com/M/myteam.mc?event=2

[Martin]

So of course my last (of round 1) desperate attempt to advance in the FOTFF ranks backfired horribly today. I went all out on Spain v Switzerland. My two most expensive players on the pitch - David Villa and Iker Casillas. Casillas as captain too. Surely the most impressive team of the last couple of years, the reigning European champions, who'd pretty much not lost a match in three-four years, would make mincemeat out of a poor, injury-filled Swiss team? Villa, with 8 goals in the last 9 matches, would surely put away a couple against this lackluster team, while Casillas would keep a clean sheet?

Yeah. No.

[Chris L]

A small point, but one thing I am enjoying about watching the games is how critical the commentators are of the players, the coachs, the play in general.

"That was a terrible cross."

"I have no idea what his plan was with that pass."

"Coach X's decision to play Player y made little sense and finally, a substitution is called."


You just don't hear this type of statement in baseball, hockey, etc...

Who is the soccer announcing equivalent of Bill Walton?

[not that clay]

So of course my last (of round 1) desperate attempt to advance in the FOTFF ranks backfired horribly today. I went all out on Spain v Switzerland. My two most expensive players on the pitch - David Villa and Iker Casillas. Casillas as captain too. Surely the most impressive team of the last couple of years, the reigning European champions, who'd pretty much not lost a match in three-four years, would make mincemeat out of a poor, injury-filled Swiss team? Villa, with 8 goals in the last 9 matches, would surely put away a couple against this lackluster team, while Casillas would keep a clean sheet?

Yeah. No.

I had David Villa too, and Fabregas, who didn't even play. Grr.

[yesno]

http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/

[johnintheuk]

So of course my last (of round 1) desperate attempt to advance in the FOTFF ranks backfired horribly today. I went all out on Spain v Switzerland. My two most expensive players on the pitch - David Villa and Iker Casillas. Casillas as captain too. Surely the most impressive team of the last couple of years, the reigning European champions, who'd pretty much not lost a match in three-four years, would make mincemeat out of a poor, injury-filled Swiss team? Villa, with 8 goals in the last 9 matches, would surely put away a couple against this lackluster team, while Casillas would keep a clean sheet?

Yeah. No.

I had David Villa too, and Fabregas, who didn't even play. Grr.

Torres and Silva here. I was hoping for big points from these two but Silva was quiet and Torres is still recovering from injury, only played 29 minutes and didn't do too well.

Hopefully they'll do better in round 2...

[dave from knoxville]

http://www.theonion.com/articles/south-african-vuvuzela-philharmonic-angered-by-soc,17625/

[dave from knoxville]

""Do you know how difficult it is to get everyone situated, tuned, and focused for a vuvuzela concert?" said Julliard-trained vuvuzelist Donald Frederick Gordon, a noted soloist and renowned performer whose boyhood dream of playing vuvuzela in every stadium in South Africa is now at risk. "These brash, inconsiderate outbursts of impromptu athletics have made us a laughingstock of the international music community. We have already had cancellations from the Vienna Boy's Choir and guest director Seiji Ozawa, who no doubt fear for their reputation should the Philharmonic continue to be mocked by these incongruous sportsmen.""

[Martin]

Believe it or nuts, but the Swedish avant/electronica composer Håkan Lidbo was just commissioned by Swedish public radio P2 (a channel playing mostly classical music) to compose a piece for vuvuzela. It's gonna be three minutes long, and it's supposed to be done by next week. I'll be sure to link to it when it premieres.

[fonpr]

Believe it or nuts, but the Swedish avant/electronica composer Håkan Lidbo was just commissioned by Swedish public radio P2 (a channel playing mostly classical music) to compose a piece for vuvuzela. It's gonna be three minutes long, and it's supposed to be done by next week. I'll be sure to link to it when it premieres.

Is Han Bennink involved, Martin?

Spell-check doesn't recognize Han?   We're doomed!

[Stan]

A small point, but one thing I am enjoying about watching the games is how critical the commentators are of the players, the coachs, the play in general.

"That was a terrible cross."

"I have no idea what his plan was with that pass."

"Coach X's decision to play Player y made little sense and finally, a substitution is called."


You just don't hear this type of statement in baseball, hockey, etc...

 Clearly you don't watch Mets games on SNY.