The Official World Cup 2010 Thread

[Soda Jerk]

I hope Spain get turned over. I hope they get bulled at every set piece, because the Germans have about foot on all of them. I just can't stand Puyol and Xavi and their whinging faces, moaning about everything. Capdevila has a track record of being a filthy, filthy cheat, and he plays #11 despite being a fullback. Unforgivable.

I don't think they'll miss Muller too much. He's scored a few, but they don't really have any stand out players. It really has been a team effort, whereas Spain have looked ordinary, except for Villa.

Germany to win 3-1. Spain will have alot of posession, like the Argies did, but I don't think they'll get through too often, like the Argies didn't.

[Paranoid Android]

Xavi don't do no wrong!

I agree Germany have been great throughout their team but I think Muller has consistently been great and very important for them so I can't see them suffering at least a little without him.

I hope Torres doesn't play tonight, personally I'd like Torres and Xabi Alonso removed to be replaced by Cesc and Llorente (maybe Pedro), but this wont happen.

[calum]

I hope Torres doesn't play tonight, personally I'd like Torres and Xabi Alonso removed to be replaced by Cesc and Llorente (maybe Pedro), but this wont happen.

If I was Del Bosque I would be tempted to find a way to drop Busquets. He contributes nothing, as far as I can tell. (Cue someone rushing in to explain to me that i just don't understand holding midfielders like Andy Gray does)

Xavi don't do no wrong!

This is true. When things go wrong it's invariably the fault of the nasty men who do things that aren't in the spirit of the game, like tackling. Anti-footballing bastards.

[Soda Jerk]

Xavi is good at football when the ball is in play. When the ball is out of play, there is a good chance he's being a pissy cunt about something.

[delboy]

pretty cagey first half, think the Spanish are very slightly on top. Looked a good shout for a German penalty though. Hope it opens up second half.

[Guest idol_wild]

Fuck it - van Bommel is awesome and I totally echo Calum's sentiments about his effectiveness. Along with Philip Lahm, van Bommel has been one of the best players in his respective position of the entire tournament so far.

That said, he is a dirty hacking bastard. But I fucking love players like that sometimes.

[Alphas]

I hope Spain win the World Cup as it means Scotland will once again be unofficial world champions when we turn them over in the Euro qualifiers. SWING ON THE BAR!

[Soda Jerk]

Urgh. Spain are going to win it. That's just horrible. Horrible reality. Germany should have won it, because they are good to watch. Not Spain, who just fanny about, and any decision that doesn't go their way is CONSPIRACY. Fuck those guys.

Like when the ball went out for a throw. It wasn't even a close decision, but almost all 11 of them did the throw in gesture to make sure Germany didn't take a corner. Their pissiness synchronizes in moments of unity. I just can't stand every one of them.

[The Kernel Loaf]

Urgh. Spain are going to win it. That's just horrible. Horrible reality. Germany should have won it, because they are good to watch. Not Spain, who just fanny about, and any decision that doesn't go their way is CONSPIRACY. Fuck those guys.

Like when the ball went out for a throw. It wasn't even a close decision, but almost all 11 of them did the throw in gesture to make sure Germany didn't take a corner. Their pissiness synchronizes in moments of unity. I just can't stand every one of them.

[Alkaline]

Better team won tonight. Spain looked more dangerous for the most part. Germany missed the depth Muller gives on the right and Trochowski is miles better on the left. I felt that because Spain packed the midfield it stifled a lot of Germany's movement and the flow of the game.

[Hugh_Jazz]

Germany were better side in the first half. For all the pretty passing, Spain were toothless until they upped the pace in the 2nd half......from there on, Spain were awesome.

Great header from Jonathan Creek.

Germany are a better side than Holland. Spain to win a fairly boring, one-sided final.

[Shaki]

Spain to win a fairly boring, one-sided final.

Say it ain't so

I've missed most of The Dutch games. From what I've seen they don't excite me other than the football machine that is Wesley Sneijder. Spain haven't really dazzled either. I hope someone breaks Robben's leg but nobody pays any attention in a 'boy that cried wolf' sort of way and so he bleeds to within an inch of his life in front of billions of people.

Gutted for zee Germans. Good on Jocky Low though, they'll be a force for the next 6 years or so as long as there is a goal machine to replace Klose. Hopefully Poland will continue to churn out the big game players for them.

[waltz]

I find it really weird that Germany are out. Can't get over it. Don't have any emotional attachment to them but it's just a bit... weird.

[Paranoid Android]

Germany were pish and were showed up against a good team.

Spain showed that they are great.

I am Drunk

Shame the game wasn't better tonight

because the final will be easy

SPAIN

I STILL accecpt no negative criticism of Xavi

he is the KING

We have seen that this WC has been lacking in top quality as a 50% Spain is better than the rest

I have to work soon. booooooooooooooooooo

come on sunday

woohoo

[Pierre Von Mondragon]

'Mon Holland, lets face it, they are most like the NE Person of fabled repute, from a wind blasted stretch of the North Sea, reserved, yet with dry sense of humour, invented the words dreich and Mastrick, #1 420 mofos, special award for sevices to genetics, whats not to like.

[Soda Jerk]

I hope Holland win 1-0. I hope the Dutch score from an offside position with a blatant handball, to see the Spanish erupt and burst into flames. I think they would literelly get the referee in the headlock or tie him to the goalposts whilst they all yell at him. I hope Capdevila gets elbowed right in the fucking mouth for real this time too.

My favourite part of the semi finals was when Forlan stepped up to take a free kick. He whispered something in the referees ear with a wry smile and pointed at the goal. I like to think he said "It's going in, this"

[Lemonade]

I want Holland to win. I don't know why I hate Spain so much, since I actualy love the country and the people, I just hate the football team. I think it may stem from my utter hatred of all things Liverpool FC, and thus I wish nothing but badness for Alonso, Torres, Riera et al. And Benitez, the fat tit.

Mind you Holland have Dirk Diggler, or whatever he's called.

[Soda Jerk]

Yes. Spain and Liverpool hate. Get in.

I do quite like Xabi Alonso, but I don't know why. He seems like a nice chap. Holland have alot of likeable players though. Robin Van Persie is the man, and I currently like their slap-head celebration they do when they score with a header. I'd actually like to see that esculate worldwide, and be done everytime a header is scored. Especially if they are short on hair, like Sneijder and Robben.

Sergio Biscuits is such a useless footballer. I can't even remember him touching the ball last night. It's like Bosque picked his favourite players, and thought "Ah, we've only got 10 here. What do we do??" and he's filling a shirt to simply make up the numbers, but they don't pass it to him, incase he balloons it right into his own goal.

[Guest idol_wild]

I think Spain should just fuck right off, frankly. I do really appreciate the way they move the ball around and move for the ball, but they are more conniving than people realise. Plus they weren't actually all that great last night - Germany played equally as decent - they just managed to get a set-piece right, for a change.

Plus the footage of them celebrating behind Bastian really irked me. In fact, it angered me.

Fucking cunts.

Fuck right off, Spain.

[Captain America]

I like Spain, I watched two of there games with the Spanish when I was over there last week and it was great atmosphere. I think a bunch of there players come accross as right decent guys also, especially Pique and Casillas.

The only thing that annoys me is they dont shoot. Oh no you shoot, no YOU shoot, no YOOU shoot. Just SOMEONE shoot, for fucks sake.

However I've been supporting Holland the whole tournament as they're always my team when Scotland aren't playing. So, Kom op Nederland!

[Hugh_Jazz]

I want Holland to win simply because of Clarence Seedorf.

He's the only thing that makes BBC's coverage bearable. Top-class punditry.

[calum]

Disappointed that Germany are out. Can't complain about the result though; Spain were the better side on the night.

We have seen that this WC has been lacking in top quality as a 50% Spain is better than the rest

What do you mean by 50%? Other than Torres, I don't think Spain have been out of sorts. They may be about 50% as exciting as they were at the Euros, but to my mind that's down to Del Bosque's tactics rather than players underperforming. It's very difficult for ball-players like Xavi and Alonso to show how good they are when the only movement in the team comes from Iniesta and Ramos. As a result, they've spent the majority of games slowly knocking the ball around the midfield with no real direction, and patiently waiting for the defence to panic and get sucked into the ball, or for Villa to do something special. For a team with so many star creative players, they've been unbelievably reliant on Villa.

If Italy or Germany played the way Spain have - two holding players, crowded midfield, loads of possession for possession's sake - I reckon they would get slaughtered for being dull. I don't have a problem with Spain's style of play, but I don't think it's nearly as attractive or entertaining as people tend to make out.

[Soda Jerk]

I don't have a problem with Spain's style of play, but I don't think it's nearly as attractive or entertaining as people tend to make out.

I agree. It's certainly not entertaining. Possession for possession's sake, as you said, is dull. I'd much rather watch a game where a team are being daring, possession keeps changing hands, and it's end-to-end all the time. You pose more of a threat of catching the opponent on the counter if you get let the other team play a little, instead of trying to find holes in what is essentially a flat back 10, as they pass it around for minutes on end. I've not enjoyed watching any of the Spain games.

[Woodsinho]

I agree. It's certainly not entertaining. Possession for possession's sake, as you said, is dull. I'd much rather watch a game where a team are being daring, possession keeps changing hands, and it's end-to-end all the time. You pose more of a threat of catching the opponent on the counter if you get let the other team play a little, instead of trying to find holes in what is essentially a flat back 10, as they pass it around for minutes on end. I've not enjoyed watching any of the Spain games.

It is an excellent defensive tactic though, Germany had to run so hard to get the ball back that by the time they did manage to gain possession they were too knackered to do anything with it.

I'm pleased that there's going to be a new winner added to the list, hoping for a Dutch victory on Sunday.

Extra Bonus World Cup History Fact: Either Holland or Spain will become the third nation to have won their first World Cup away from home soil following in the footsteps of Brazil in Sweden, 1958, and (West) Germany in Switzerland, 1954.

[Soda Jerk]

It is an excellent defensive tactic though, Germany had to run so hard to get the ball back that by the time they did manage to gain possession they were too knackered to do anything with it.

I'm pleased that there's going to be a new winner added to the list, hoping for a Dutch victory on Sunday.

Extra Bonus World Cup History Fact: Either Holland or Spain will become the third nation to have won their first World Cup away from home soil following in the footsteps of Brazil in Sweden, 1958, and (West) Germany in Switzerland, 1954.

The winner will also be the first European team to win a World Cup outside of Europe.

That reminds me. No one has mentioned the altitude for a while. Did it just go away? pesky altitude