This is it!!

Had goosebumps as I was listening the the BBC World Service last night, and heard Archbishop Desmond Tutu introduce Nelson Mandela to the excited crowd during the opening ceremony! Peter Gabriel's early 80's Biko song keeps popping into my head with all the soccer coverage (we've come a long way since)!! I predict we're all winners. - Larry

Larry,

Yes, we all be winners!

... but there will only one that take home the Cup... this is what I mean ...

Abe

Perhaps the definition of "winners" should be explored....

And Bafana scraped through with a 1-1.

I am about 1 km away from the Fan Fest - big screen on the cricket stadium. The cars were parked across the street from me.

The Vuvuzela is a bit noisy for the taste of me. At 66 I prefer some quiet.

Yes, I heard that the vuvuzela are really noisy, but this is the World Cup! It happens only once every four years!

Abe

For me it would be once in a lifetime having it that close.

My grandson also have a vuvuzela and being an ex-trumpet player I had to try and play it like a bugle.

I can only manage 2 notes (sounds like an octave apart)

sports just suk

I'd rather watch a geography bee

Guess,

I know your feelings ... I also do not like spectator sports, with the exception of the World Cup. I grew with soccer and I really think that if there is one sport that every person on the face of the earth should love is soccer!

There is nothing else out there...

Abe

Watched part of the France - Urugay (sp) match last night - what a lousy match.

Hi Abe, Hendrik and others following World Cup Soccer action here: Just watched - while enjoying lunch at my local sports-restaurant w/ my six-year-old - USA tie England, 1-to-1. That's pretty respectable! Of course, I had to ask my waitress to turn up the muted sound (like Rodney Dangerfield used to say, Soccer still gets little respect in heartland USA). As for who will take the cup, I don't know, but will keep following, mostly via BBC WS Radio. Also, will be signing up my daughter for summer soccer soon, so will do my part for the future of the game here in the U.S. - Larry

I think I may get fat watching TV, I'm retired and all the games are on TV. My other sport is cycling and they now show several of the tours and classics in addition to the Tour de France. I think there will be a few day's overlap between the cup and the tour. I wonder if Rooney will relax, he plays so well in the Premier League and then chokes in the big international games, he did seem to relax towards the end of today's game. He can be a potent force.

I'm amazed that they get away with so much holding, there are defenders rolling their hands in the attacker's shirts for the set pieces and an Argentinian forward had his arms locked around the nearest defender when their goal was scored.

England 1-1 USA
Blimey...even I could have saved that goal!
England should have had David James in goal.
Mind I am sympatetic...there isn't a goalie alive who hasn't fumble one.
Del

There's a pretty strong "bring back Jamie Theakston" campaign building round here.

Yeah, I saw some that pro celeb charity thing, he was pretty good.
Accurate kicking is vital too...and organising the defence... you're sort of captain of the defensive set up.
Del
_{(Goalkeeping is more complex than most people realise.
Shot stopping is the easy bit. Hardest thing is that decision when to come out and claim the ball...summed up in that well know song 'Should I stay or should I go'.)}

I hear that Green went in the changing rooms after the match; put his head in his hands, and, dropped it.

Yes, my first thought upon hearing about the keeper error was how would Del or for that matter all Brits be taking this"?

Some have suggested he be benched. Is this likely?

Well, I swore, threw the remote across the room and said words to the effect that I could have saved it.
That's the irony, a Sunday league keeper would have save hit, he'd have just booted it away or shovelled it around the post.
It doesn't matter too much as we will still get through to the knock out stages. Better to make your mistakes early and to slowly improve. Don't want to peak too early.
It was actually a good game, I was impressed with the USA's defence, there were several balls pinged in low across the six yard box which had goal written all over them, only to be cut out by an outstretched American boot.
England had several good chances but they weren't taken...notably Heskey, who did ok otherwise but couldn't score in a house of ill repute.
Del

Wot Del sed. Green now realizes that his life in professional football will be shadowed forever by that moment - the more he can do to dig himself out, the better. If he does anything as bad again, he's finished.

He didn't get there by being a pub league star - he has a lot of background/ability/talent/whatever (otherwise he wouldn't be there) - he'll be good next time (_{or I won't be alone in walking/crawling/swimming down there to disembowel him} ).

It was a good match - the USA defence (defense?) was good. You should've heard the groans of despair from the crowds in the pub as yet another attempt was foiled. The USA didn't seem too hot on the attack, tho'.

I would play him. The OG was an aberration, the reasons that existed for picking him originally haven't disappeared.

I admit it,

I don't follow soccer "Football" that much. being a Midwest USA person. But i did watch the USA England match, and yeah that goal my grand ma could have stopped. anyway, what i was confused about is time.

How long is a period suposed to be? It was weird watching the clock time "UP" most other sports time down. but ok, I can live with that, But how much time is there supposed to be in a half? 40, 45, 48,, 49 and 22 seconds? or what? The first hals stopped on some weird time.

Then when it was just past 90 minutes on the clock, the play by play guys say something like we got 3 minutes or so to play or how ever long the officials want to add.

WHAT!!!!??? is there no time limit?

I know if it's tied and England just got a goal, and a minute later som odd time is out there and the officials say the game is over. HUH? man if thats in the rules then no wonder why the sport will never ever catch on in the USA.

we want to know to the hundredth of a second when the game is finished.

45 minutes each way, plus however much the ref has totted up a 'stoppage time' due to injuries etc. The ref's word is final.

Hi "No Say Something",

Yes, stay out of "football" soccer. You are concerned with little details but not with the sport. Watch baseball! Why? Because you know the "rules". Every sport has something interesting when you want to like it, Gil.

I would rather watch paint dry than watch soccer (Futbol) USA

Depends on who is playing. Argentina played a good match - Germany also - Barcelona was wonderful this year. Several of the other world cup matches were a bit behind paint drying. Good passing and tactics are interesting. Just booting the ball form end to end (nornmal) is really sad.

Hi Russ,

You are right! Some games are interesting and others are pushy. See the interest of the game and you get the picture.

Never watch a paint drying! It's the same colour or close between wet and dried. Also, it can be hazardous with solvents. Use waterbourne paints and let dry without your presence. It's a good time to see a game of "football" soccer, Gil.

It takes patience to appreciate soccer. That's why Americans tend not to like it. We are an impatient, impulsive people. But if you can watch baseball or golf, don't complain to me about how boring soccer is.

There is an ebb and flow to the game. Despite the lack of scoring and scoring chances, the teams are constantly striving against each other. Think "immoveable object versus irresistable force," though some games are lopsided. It's a beautiful game because the motion and timing of several or many players creates points, and the scoring can come from many directions, many sources. It feels like watching water flowing.

I watch our MSL team play and think, "I could do that if you scrubbed 25 years off my chassis." But I could not figure out how to play the level of soccer I watched Saturday.

Good answer.
Like most games, until you play it you don't understand the subtleties, if you play golf you appreciate how they shape their shots. In football if you've played it you see what's going on..when someon kicks it seemingly into the middle of nowhere, it's because he's expected someone to be running into that gap. Othertimes a runner won't receive a pass but he's drawn away a defender from the guy who does get the ball. Other players seem to casually saunter around and the suddenly pop up at the right time and place to score. As one guy breaks forward someone else may hold back to cover the space he's left. Again like a golfer they can make the ball swerve and check into a runner's path, or curl it round the depairing goalie.
Most of all I love watching the way the goalies arc through the air in a big catly leap and break their fall on a hand and forearm as they land and roll having tipped the ball over the bar.
I knew it was time to quit when I would land like a sack of spuds.
Del

Hi Lynn,

I found Americans chauvinistics at place of impatients. For example, in the 60s, Japanese started to sell cars in North-America. American car manufacturers said, we never match the Japanese view as a "market for customers". They continued up to total bankruptcy the same inside policies to create cars: We make what we want and the customers need to buy it. Baseball and golf are the best example of non-impulsivity but were started or "presque" or popularized by Americans. So, they like these sports and pay high prices to watch or follow. We have the question, the other 6 billions are ignorants? At the World Cup, the first games are slower in actions than later. Everyone keep the energy for the later games. Some teams can be killed by starting with big efforts. Example, this year, the Canadians lost to Flyers by being used before against two big teams. It was the same between Germany and Hungary in 1952. Beat the Urugayans and Brazilians killed the best team of the World Cup. Sport is one but fatigue and injuries are other factors. It's adjustment to the moment counts and not the performance, efficiency, and beauty of the sport, Gil.

Hi Guest,

Never watch a "football" soccer game. Follow only the ball. When you observe 3 passes between the same team players, it's so so game. When the same team passes the ball 6 or more times in between the same team players, you have a decent game. When you have more than six passes between the same team players, I turn off the TV or change channel because the difference is too big between the two teams. It's the same when I watched the Philies beaten by the Expos in Montreal with the score of 11-0. What's interesting? It's depends between the TV and the receiver, Gil.

kickball is the worst sport ever televised! what a boring display of nothing. I dont call it football, because to you need to be a man to play football, girls and wussies play kickball!

I am sure you like to watch baseball or golf...