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The 2010 World Cup

theITGuy said:
I read an interesting stat...over Heskey's career he has the same number of goals than Miroslav Klose has just in World Cups alone...14...:D

Seriously I didn't even know he played in South Africa...

-J.-
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Hmm, and there was me thinking Klose was good...! :rolleyes:




;)
 
takao said:
to add insult to the injury:

Mario "The Goal-Missing Machine" Gomez has already scored more goals for the germans than Heskey did for england
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Well, considering 'Rob Green' was our joint leading goal scorer at the World Cup...

;)
 
awmazz said:
Asia, Oceania, Sth America and Concacaf have 1/2 a spot each I think, which they alternate with each other every four years to play-off for, so allocating the Oceania 1/2 to Asia would mean the Sth American and Concacaf play-off will always be with each other. It coud become a permanent fixture for the 'last WC spot'.

Oceania is separate from Asia really simply because the distances involved. Nations like Tonga or Vanuatu simply don't have the financial resources to fly their team to places like Syria or Iran etc for half of their matches. It's okay for minnows in Europe like San Remo or Lichtenstein who can hire a bus for a road trip I suppose, but Asia including the Pacific would span half the planet and require long days in planes and airports. Even NZ's budget would be stretched to its limit.

The Australian soccer federation only really started making moves to join the Asian federation once they knew they could afford it (and guarantee FIFA that they could) which was only in recent years. 25 years ago they would have gone broke spending millions trying to compete in Asia with little return on their money. Now the sport's more popular though, so they can do it and even proft from it.

PS. The distances involved was also a hurdle just for setting up the national league here. A Perth vs Sydney club game involves the same distance as from Lisbon to Moscow, just for a weekend club game. You need to guarantee enough revenue just to cover the costs of all those plane tickets every week, and Sydney vs Perth isn't exactly Eurpoean Champions League revenue!
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good points, but they could solve it during multiple phases: a regional phase were travel would be a little bit more limited and then a final phase to determine the teams that go. let's say, for example, that in the final phase you'd have 3 teams from oceania and 13 from the rest of asia. this wold limit the major traveling to the strongest nations, but at the same time give everyone a more fair chance.

same in my opinion should occur with south and north america with 8 slots all together,
 
I think I can hear the big sigh of relief coming from accross the pond now...:D

Heskey had some skill in holding up the ball and providing assists, but he is not the kind of player you are going to win trophies with. I think Crouch was a better option in the "Hesky" role, because he is a striker who actually scores goals. Not that Crouch was world class, but he was better than Heskey, who seems to have spent his career having people struggle to explain why he was there.

England needs strikers who score goals. Not Heskey.

BTW, I'm sure you've all heard by now that Thierry Henry has also retired from international football....a more dignified end to his international career than Nicholas "Judas" Anelka and Patrice "Fletcher Christian" Evra should have.
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I think I can hear the big sigh of relief coming from accross the pond now...:D

Heskey had some skill in holding up the ball and providing assists, but he is not the kind of player you are going to win trophies with. I think Crouch was a better option in the "Hesky" role, because he is a striker who actually scores goals. Not that Crouch was world class, but he was better than Heskey, who seems to have spent his career having people struggle to explain why he was there.

England needs strikers who score goals. Not Heskey.

BTW, I'm sure you've all heard by now that Thierry Henry has also retired from international football....a more dignified end to his international career than Nicholas "Judas" Anelka and Patrice "Fletcher Christian" Evra should have.
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:D
he is getting more press now then when, unknown to most, he apparently was on the team.
in any case, i don't fully understand the criticism.
it's not as he had a contract that he had to be called on.
ultimately the responsibility stays with the coaches who wanted him to play with the team.
 
Don't panic said:
ultimately the responsibility stays with the coaches who wanted him to play with the team.
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Indeed, and he played under, what, four England managers? So he must have shown that he had the tools. For some reason he just never used them. I've seen older video clips of him and he seems to have been faster and, critically, more agressive and selfish earlier in his career.

The bottom line is, England seem to have just one truly world-class striker: Wayne Rooney. Nobody else comes close. Fortunately for England, he's young enough to have a couple more World Cups in him. So he can have a team built around him. Now you just need five midfielders, four defenders and a keeper, plus a few bench players. :D

EDIT: I find it odd that Maradona has been retained by Argentina. Their collapse against Germany exposed El Diego's coaching limitations because they played like a bunch of talented individuals without a proper leader. However, this news gurantees that Maradona's tremendously entertaining hijinks as national coach will continue for years to come. :D

P.S. It just occured to me that it must be part of Ferguson's deal with Satan that as long as Manchester United are successful, England will stink. ;)
 
Lord Blackadder said:
The bottom line is, England seem to have just one truly world-class striker: Wayne Rooney. Nobody else comes close. Fortunately for England, he's young enough to have a couple more World Cups in him. So he can have a team built around him. Now you just need five midfielders, four defenders and a keeper, plus a few bench players. :D
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i totally agree with Wayne being the only world class striker and perhaps crouch being the only international class replacement apart of that.. were there actually any controversies before the world cup which strikers go to the world cup for England ? in germany that happens all the time (especially now having strikers aching to be the replacement for Klose) .. the english seem to have a ridiculous lack of depth after a single great striker
similiar to the defensive midfield where there is Hargreaves (when fit) and then pretty much nobody

what could have worked for england though is playing 4-5-1 with using Rooney on the left wing just like spain did with Villa and thus have that central free role available for gerrard... because he can't stay on the wing to save his life

Lord Blackadder said:
EDIT: I find it odd that Maradona has been retained by Argentina. Their collapse against Germany exposed El Diego's coaching limitations because they played like a bunch of talented individuals without a proper leader. However, this news gurantees that Maradona's tremendously entertaining hijinks as national coach will continue for years to come. :D

P.S. It just occured to me that it must be part of Ferguson's deal with Satan that as long as Manchester United are successful, England will stink. ;)
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well i don't think it's that bad to keep maradona i just think he needs an assistant who actually tell him if he is doing it wrong...as a motivator he is fantastic.. perhaps it just was to early to leave zanetti at home
 
Fizzoid said:
Well, considering 'Rob Green' was our joint leading goal scorer at the World Cup...

;)
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poor greeny.

that ball was hit harder than anyone wants to admit and he didn't have time to get his body completely behind it.. because the ball was hit harder than anyone wants to admit...


poor greeny.

that ball was hit harder than anyone wants to admit and he didn't have time to get his body completely behind it.. because the ball was hit harder than anyone wants to admit...


poor greeny.

that ball was hit harder than anyone wants to admit and he didn't have time to get his body completely behind it.. because the ball was hit harder than anyone wants to admit...

.... ......
.... .... ... ... ..... .... ...... .... .. ..... ... .. ..... ... ... .. ... ... .... ........... ...... .. .. ..... ... .... ... ... ...... .... ...... ..... .. ..... ...


:D ;)
 
Plenty to keep the football fan busy...besides the aforementioned MR Fantasy League, MLS is in full swing, there will soon be a smattering of international friendlies, the summer transfer market is already active, Diego Maradona is still the Argentina manager and Sepp Blatter is still ensconced in the front of the buffet line. :D
 
Tilpots said:
Alright. Well, how about this:

The MacRumors Fantasy Football League 2010/11

You can spend countless hours figuring out how to fill your $100 million allotment on your 15 man squad. If that doesn't help, I'm sorry friend, it's gonna be a long, long road for you.;)
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Excellent, thank you for the info!

Jaffa Cake said:
You know, that may just be the greatest post Tilpots has ever made, or indeed will ever make. :D

Actually, this is also a convenient point to flag up the Football Thread 2010-11 for all our post-World Cup football-related tomfoolery. ;)
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I shall check it out, it feels good to be back into football.

Lord Blackadder said:
Plenty to keep the football fan busy...besides the aforementioned MR Fantasy League, MLS is in full swing, there will soon be a smattering of international friendlies, the summer transfer market is already active, Diego Maradona is still the Argentina manager and Sepp Blatter is still ensconced in the front of the buffet line. :D
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The problem is, I saw an MLS game a week or so ago, Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew. The game was horrible. :( It doesn't look promising ... yet ...
 
Tilpots said:
And here I thought I still had potential. Guess my best days are now officially behind me. Time to wade into the iPhone forum.:(
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Don't do it! Such a sensless waste of life.... :eek:

iShater said:
The problem is, I saw an MLS game a week or so ago, Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew. The game was horrible. :( It doesn't look promising ... yet ...
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I think horrible is a strong word....it wasn't a "thriller", but it wasn't a terrible match. The commentators leave something to be desired still (although one listen to ITV demonstrates that most nations share this problem ;)). Though, I was iffy about MLS myself till three or four years ago. After watching three full seasons I am now a convert. I've seen plenty of horrible matches in the Premier League and Serie A too.

I suggest you keep watching, and we can argue endlessly about it in the Football Thread 2010-11. ;)
 
Tilpots said:
At least the the Open is on. Golf, I know, but it's a Major. Will do for the weekend, anyway.
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There, fixed that for you. Taking my boys to St Andrews tomorrow.:) 60 GBP for me to get in but the boys get in for free. They are pestering me to take them to a football match but I think it'll cost me a bit more than that for a mere 90 minutes.

I think the R&A have really got their juvenile policy right, take note football associations. 6 British Players in the worlds top 11 (or 5/10)?
 
Lord Blackadder said:
Don't do it! Such a sensless waste of life.... :eek:

I think horrible is a strong word....it wasn't a "thriller", but it wasn't a terrible match. The commentators leave something to be desired still (although one listen to ITV demonstrates that most nations share this problem ;)). Though, I was iffy about MLS myself till three or four years ago. After watching three full seasons I am now a convert. I've seen plenty of horrible matches in the Premier League and Serie A too.

I suggest you keep watching, and we can argue endlessly about it in the Football Thread 2010-11. ;)
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i've seen MLS matches go both ways. ping pong style and then some very good footy. I've EPL, and lower divisions, do the same thing but not as much.

Adder, I know you've told me before but, who is your MLS fave?
 
So, the word is that the World Cup earned FIFA a cool $2 billion. :eek: Most of that was earned by having Pakistanis make Jabulanis for next to nothing and shutting local African businessmen out of any sort of WC advertising. Yay FIFA. :rolleyes:

pachyderm said:
Adder, I know you've told me before but, who is your MLS fave?
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Columbus are my "local" team, being about 2.5 hours away from my ancestral Blackadder manor. The USA national squad is my top team to support, followed by Columbus. Liverpool is the team I follow in Europe. So I am a bit of football polygamist. :D
 
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