World Cup
 

Anyone been watching?

England are stumbling along but played two won two so not bad but could do (a lot) better.

Argentina look good.

Brazil were not too impressive and Ronaldo didn't seem interested.

I bet John's watching

Gail

How's Germany doing?

Germany are through to the 2nd round after beating Costa Rica 4-2 and scraping a win over Poland 1-0. Both those two teams now have no chance of progressing. If Germany can't beat Ecuador in their next game, the Germans will probably play England in the 2nd round... cue cheap jibes about the war and disgusting jingoism in the British press :mad:

England will be lucky to get past the 2nd round if they carry on playing like they have up to now. I alays support Spain, and they won their first game 4-0, so I'm really happy about that :woohoo:

Cool. I'm pulling for 'em for a friend of mine who is German (surprise, surprise) and is back home right now to see Germany win the whole thing [according to him :p] .

Another team I'm interested in is Sweden...how are they doing? I hear they're really strong this year, and thanks for the info by the way....

Sweden are playing right now! They're 0-0 with Paraguay so far but there's an hour to play yet. They drew their first game 0-0 with Trinidad & Tobago, so the Swedes received a lot of criticism for that - T&T are one of the least-fancied teams in the tournament. It's going to be tight for Sweden but if they can win this game tonight they have a great chance of progressing :)

I'd love to see a Germany/Sweden face off, but it sounds like the Germans would trounce the Swedes. I have another special place in my heart for the Swedes for various reasons :xoxo:

Woo-hoo!! You're making all this sound very interesting. I'm going to have to catch some coverage tonight. And good luck to England too!! I don't know much about soccer, does England usually have one of the best teams? And be honest! No bias! :laugh:

:laugh: No bias, honest. England usually have a good team, and are always well-respected by the other big names. This time round, people here have been saying it's the best English team for decades and that they have a real chance of winning - but so far they've looked really unconvincing in beating two unfancied teams. They'll have to turn it up to win the tournament! One of the biggest stories was that our star player, Wayne Rooney, broke his foot 6 weeks ago - now it's miraculously healed and he's playing again... hmmm...

I might add that the USA got a serious beating in the opening game against the Czechs (3-0) and they look like they're going to be on a plane home anytime soon :wavey: Shame 'cos they did really well last time.

The usual favourites Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France etc also look good, and World Cup Fever has seriously taken hold out here in the rest of the world!!

I've also got to say that there's a bit of a tendency here to make fun of how little Americans know about soccer - even Budweiser have a series of ads with American sports anchormen making idiots of themselves when they talk about the World Cup.

I also saw a clip of American people being interviewed in the street about what they thought of Maradona (Argentine soccer legend - one of the most famous players in history) and of course they all said stuff like "Oh yeah, I've got all her albums" and "I think she's a slut" etc - hilarious :lol:

Oh yeah, I know! But you know as far as cities in Texas go, we have some pretty big soccer fans here in Austin. I think it's due to the large population of international students we have here (BIG college town). Yeah, it's a shame about the Americans but hey, we can't be the best in everything now can we? :p All kidding aside, I wouldn't expect the Americans to have that great of a team anyway. I mean, soccer isn't really all that encouraged or supported over here like basketball, football, or baseball is :shrug:.


edit: and btw, I'm a tennis player so I totally know the "no-love" for other sports (but the 3 mentioned above) crap.

Yeah, you guys definitely have your own sports - I mean, baseball and American football are just so minor over here, and basketball isn't much more popular - yet soccer is the total opposite. Apparently in areas where there's a very high Hispanic population, soccer is more popular, but apart from that it's only played by kids, is that right?

NASCAR is another one - huge in the States, especially in the south, but over here we just laugh at it :o

We don't look awfully convincing do we? Still early days yet.

Wasn't there a website created "healrooney.com"

We do seem to get a bit carried away in England at major football tournements. And then it all ends in tears!

Anyway I got my flag on the car now so all will be well!

"Three lions on a shirt, Jules Rimmet still gleaming, forty years of hurt never stopped me dreaming"

Gail

:laugh: It does usually all end in tears, doesn't it? Ah well, it wouldn't be right somehow if we won it...

I was in Southampton only today, in the lovely Marlands shopping centre... I really know how to live :laugh:

Yeah, little kids play soccer but as far as pro-soccer is concerned, meh, people in the States couldn't really give a rat's ass. Well, at least down south they don't, I can't speak for those yankees up north and to the east :p .

NASCAR--I don't get it. But you are correct, it's very popular down here. I think it's kinda stupid. I mean, really, cars that go around and around on a track? Who cares? :laugh:

And your tracks don't even have proper corners on them - it's all drive fast and turn left, until some guy drives into you at 200mph - madness, but maybe that's what those crazy southern boys like to see!! :blob2:

Probably...the more insane and f*cked up, the better I guess :rolleyes:

I think that NASCAR business of going around a track over and over again is all rather repetitive but to each their own :shrug:

Oh, and I forgot to add..."proper corners" = cute! I need to brush up on my British English.

I work with a very dear friend of mine who is from London. She was schooling me on all the bad words in British English yesterday. We were laughing so hard we were crying. For instance, "gobble?" WTF?!!?!

Sweden have finally scored against Paraguay - it took them 88 minutes, but it looks like that will send them through to the 2nd round. Poor old Paraguay can't make it through now, so unless Sweden lose to England AND Trinidad beat Paraguay (not very likely), Sweden will progress :)

Yay Sweden! :blob2: :blob1:

I'm overjoyed. I hope they do well.

Now did you read my "gobble" post? :laugh:

:lol: 'Gobble' is a great word. You guys don't use it? You're seriously missing out :woohoo: Careful how you use it though... :rolleyes:

:laugh: exactly. Uh, no we don't use that word. We have another phrase for that one, actually, we have many phrases for that. Oh, and I didn't know that "wanker" was actually a bad thing to call someone. I thought it was just kind of a cute little phrase that meant idiot or something. Apparently it's worse than that, but noone can give me a translation and oh, how I do love that word.

A w*nker is literally someone who erm well how can I put this? Masturbates (there I said it)

It's taken to mean an idiot but it's not a word generally used in polite society.

Gail

Marlands? You should have gone in West Quay!

Gail

Wanker is a great word - very well-used among angry motorists when being cut up or attacked by psychotic cyclists or something. Like 'idiot' but much stronger, and definitely not for polite company!! :rolleyes:

Translating it is a toughie if I want to stay polite... wanking is a euphemism for keeping oneself sexually satisfied in the absence of a suitable partner :nod: So wanker is not a nice thing to be called.

I'll never forget that Wanker was Peggy Bundy's maiden name in "Married With Children" - I recall being thoroughly shocked when I heard that :lol:

Amen to that!! :blob1: :thumbsup: I was on the edge of my seat the whole game through, we were so close to scoring many times before that goal finally came. Ljungberg is now officially known as the saviour over here :nod:

I felt like roughing it :laugh: No, I had to visit there on business so I had no choice. I went to uni in Southampton so I have uh... memories of the place :) Some of them good.

I dont know why the USA got to the quarter finals last year and Claudio Reyna was included in the team of the tournement.

Could it be that in the US you don't really care for sports you can't totally dominate?

Whereas we Brits love sports we never win at. Last British mens singles champion at Wimbledon? Fred Perry :laugh: :laugh:

Gail

Um, yeah. What part of that don't you understand? :p :laugh: No, really, I've never given it much thought, but maybe you're on to something there. I mean, it is one of the only sports that the whole world shares, you'd think we could get into it, but you know, Americans are known for their rogue alienation from the rest of the world :rolleyes:

:laugh: :laugh: Love the Brits.

Yes, I think you're right. I'm not a soccer fan at all(I love American football), but I did watch that women's soccer thing a few years ago when the Americans won. If the U.S. was good enough to win the World Cup, I think more Americans would care. We like winners.:D

Virginia Wade did win nearly 30 years ago though.

isnt the US women's team better than the men's? or was that oh...years and years ago?

and what is the current standings? anyone?

NOTE: I'm sorry I didnt see this before I started my thread. I'll have a moderator delete mine as soon as possible.:sorry: Now onto more important things. Argentina kisked ass, The U.S is finished it appears, and my home country and host Germany won their first game!!:cool:

I really believe the U.S performance in I think it was '98? where they did well was a fluke.

Well, I hope you won't turn out winners tomorrow since you'll meet us (Italy :D )

Romy

Time for a musical interlude for inspiration...courtesy of Ricky Martin!
 

The US aren't out just yet, but it doesn't look good for them with Italy coming up soon.

Today Argentina whipped Serbia 6-0 - they were seriously impressive, and will take some beating. The Netherlands squeezed past the mighty Ivory Coast 2-1, which means the Africans can't progress any further, and the Dutch are through to the next round.

Mexico tied with Angola, so Mexico will need to do well against Portugal in order to progress.

a draw with portugal will do for mexico
iran would need atleast 3 goal win over angola to drop mexico if portugal wins iran today and angola´s defense seems okay.
iran might even win portugal and then everybody still has a chance
i haven´t seen either of argentina´s games,they seem excellent
tomorrow japan-croatia,both have good offense,crap defense
by the way when world cup was played in us in 94 the stadiums were full,so there are people who watch it,who knows,maybe they are the silent majority?

wer'e watching here and following both Japan (oops...Australia did them in in the end!) and England (grrr..they leave things to the last minute..AGAIN!!!) so wer'e crossing fingers and toes for tomorrows (Jap-Cro) match......don't suspect either will win the tourny though.:shrug:

"wanker" is an affectionate term of abuse. I feel it goes better as "f**king wanker" when directed at motorists.

"tosser" is another alternative to wanker with the same meaning.

I always find arsehole rather more colourful than asshole too. Guess thats an English thing. :shrug:

"gobble" ah yes. Meaning to eat quickly with rapid intakes.. Turkeys and chickens "gobble".

As for sports I think American sports are generally adapted from more established sports but changed because the average American attention span is shorter than the rest of the world.

It's why fast food was invented, no time to waste and "I want it now" mentality.

Baseball is basically cricket morphed into something that doesn't last five days and doesn't send you to sleep, the players still wear pyjamas though. Basketball is just a manly version of Netball IMO. Maybe the guys should wear short frilly skirts like the girls...

American Football is a sort of merger of Rugby and Football but more violent and glamourous than either although why its called football is beyond me.

Football got turned into "Soccer". I think until recently its really been a school sport mostly although its now taken more seriously considering every other nation in the world views it as the biggest sport on the planet.

Golf seems to work. That's a worldwide sport that has been embraced. My theory here is Americans have always been good at this so they decided to keep it as a national sport and so we have the PGA.

And tennis too. That worked for similar reasons.

Indycar is all glamour and no content. Boring until you get a crash.

The skill level is not exactly great. Mansell, Fitipaldi, Zanardi, Franchitti, Wheldon etc have all proven you can go over and win easily. Only Mario Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve went the other way and succeeded (Jacques raced in Europe and Japan for years anyway). As for Nascar...

Put your foot down and then turn left at the end of the straight. Then do the same again, four times a lap for 200 laps. yawn...

Dont worry hunny, The U.S will get it's ass kicked all over the field against Italy.:nod:

I'm just excited because Germany is 2-0 so far. I think theyre laying in the weeds for now. God, would all my relatives in Munich go NUTS if they won! For that matter, so would most of them over here.:laugh:

Portugal have got past Iran 2-0, so Portugal progress and Iran can't go any further. A tie for Mexico against Portugal will see them through, even if Angola beat Iran.

The Czech Republic amazingly lost 2-0 to Ghana, so the Czechs will now probably have to beat Italy to get through. Assuming that Italy beat the US and Ghana do the same, the Czechs will have to actually beat Italy or they're going home. Big surprise, that. Of course, the USA could still create an upset by not losing their last two games :)

Baseball is more like rounders and I also have no idea why American Football is called football.

Anyone who is really good calls football - football. You'll never be any good while you call it soccer.

Gail

Football's comin' home, it's comin' home, it's comin'. Football's comin' home!