Is this competition still going? After a two day break from football, I'd given up and moved on with my life. Much like a 19 race Grand Prix calendar, this World Cup is beginning to outstay its welcome by an event or three.
I'm a great believer in breaking things down to their most vital components and throwing away any excess. Therefore having watched a penalty shootout the other day, I conclude football could be a lot more entertaining if they simply dispensed with all that 90 minute kick about thing, and got straight on with shooting balls at the goal keeper.
Much in the same way that Formula 1 could be improved if everyone just admitted the first lap is the only one that anybody overtakes on, and thus go straight from lap one to the final lap, before a champagne celebration on the podium. The enjoyment factor would still be the same, and 90 minutes of thumb twiddling could be eradicated from our busy schedules.
Imagine how productive business could be if sports fans got their weekly dose of action in 240 second bursts or less? Someone should introduce a Speed Sporting channel, a concept not dissimilar to speed dating, but where fans spend no more than 60 seconds on any single sport before moving onto something better looking.
Today's matches
In the short term, we're stuck with the old way of playing and watching the game. There are two matches today, if both go into extra time, that's four hours worth of passing to sit through. Just saying.
- Netherlands v Brazil - 15:00 (GMT+1)
- Uruguay v Ghana - 19:30 (GMT+1)
Sadly I don't have time to watch any of the above, I'm meant to be watching cars climbing a hill, repeatedly.
this post is A+
friend of mine was the only survivor of the Paraguay Japan game in the bar he was watching it. Everybody else simply left. His only hope was that someone would sneak some goal in so overtime and penalties could be avoided and sleep can come early ... Tough luck :-)
You know, to support your argument, that Red Bull icicle thing we watched was fast and fabulous, wasn't it?
that and the luge. maybe i could record football and watch it twice speed?
That would be brilliant!
ha ha :) Love it!
Today I am leaving work early to go to a friend's house to watch the Brazil vs. Holland game - he's having a BBQ and another friend who is Dutch is going. As we spend all day taking the **** out of each other, I shall be supporting Brazil with an appropriate T-Shirt :D
I also have to move up, I have to be at my seat in the bar 2 hours before kick off otherwise I loose my booking ... insane, but that is what happens when the serious games come. it hurts knowing that it was us who should have played Brazil today :-)
I agree, it does seem to be dragging. Hopefully it'll kick up a gear now, but I'll miss most of the games this weekend too.
As someone who likes sports that take a while to play out (cricket, Le Mans, Tour de France) I think this is something I would never watch!
I do believe shooting things at a goalkeeper is the whole idea of the game.
Get away with the 90 minutes and there will never be the replication of the great games, the tension, it just wouldn't be the same. I refuse to believe football gets boring unless we have to sit through a tournament featuring Stoke, Hull, Burnley and West Ham.
Go Holland and Ghana
I seem to recall someone asking for Portugal to be banned?
Proper Football pundit, is our RG ;)
They are the only rubbish international team.
Really??? I dunno. I watched France.
As in rubbish I meant boring. France did entertain us at times with their spectacular downfall.
Italy, England, etc...
or any team that defends with 11 players :-)
240 seconds per sport... that's about 1/50th of a curling match. You would have 1 stone played and the game would have to end.
Perfect :)
Go Brazil and Uruguay!
Just saying... :P
Fabio Capello is staying on at England. Phew.
But more importantly, Brazil v Holland, game of the tournament, you heard it from me.
Holland forced to make a change during the warm up, Joris Mathijsen out, Andre Oojier in. Who else is in for this one?
Goaaal Brazil, lovely play and Robinho scores.
I'm in the background. No TV...
Ahh shame, hi anyway.
hi, enjoy the 'jogo bonito' ;-)
Brazil simply looking epic, Kaka forces very good save from Stelekeneneburg
Brazil 1-0 at HT.
GOAL Holland!! Wesley Sneijeder, keeper completely missed the ball, 1-1-
Switched on in time to see some traditional Brazilian defending
Hi all
Hey Steven, I think Brazil should get Gomes in goal...
Looked like the keeper didn't shout for it. Not the kind of thing you expect from a Dunga team
Yep, a team based around perfect defending it seems.
Makes things, interesting.
Kaka should have scored
Kuyt scores for Holland!
Sneijder, sorry.
Basic goal from a corner. Should never have been allowed by Brazil
Marking was... minimal.
That is insane
Its going so very, very wrong for Brazil. Melo fouls Robben and then I think stands on him, stupid.
Brazil going out to Netherlands? Didn't see that coming!
They are going down with a fight, literally.
Surprised that the ref let Brazil take the goalkick with another ball on the field. He has been pretty pedantic so far
Looks like teflon gloves are back in fashion
Arjen Robben sleeping
I'm not sure how Holland didn't score there, 3 on 1 in the box.
Full time, Brazil ARE OUT.
Huntelaar took way too long to make the pass and Robben thought he had all day to shoot.
Not too much bother in the end though.
Didn't see this result coming.
This means unless Ghana win we are going to have a second country win the cup on another continent
When he did it I had visions of Brazil breaking up the park and scoring.
Hardly looked like scoring all second half.
Not at all convincing
NOOOOOOOOOOO :-(
well, it will be easier for Uruguay to get into the final now :P
(but it'd have been better by winning over Brazil...)
Wow
I assume 95% of people are supporting Ghana right?
Bound to be. I heard an interview a couple of days ago with a member of the South African organising committee and he said South Africa was having a Ghana day today and decided Ghana should be called BaGhana Baghana like Bafana Bafana
Uruguay strong going forward, could have scored if it wasn't for the keepers head
It's the old story isn't it. Just get something in the way of the ball
Yep, as long as it doesn't go over the line.
Can't believe this is still 0-0
Triffic keeping by Kingson, that header though, unbeliavable.
And Gyan, brilliant move from KP Boateng, this is brilliant.
Oooooh, Uruguay player looks to be out cold.
First time I didn't think the Ghana player touched him but it is clear from the replay he did.
How can he be comng back on after that? Must have been acting
Hmm, just a little whack to the head.
Boateng with a cracking bicycle kick attempt.
Holy cow!
1-0 Ghana
Muntariiiiiiiiii
I was just about to say that half is all the proof you will ever need that football can be entertaining without goals
Haha, can also be entertaining with a cracker too.
What a goal Diego Forlan
Two good goals, very neat free kick.
Stadium sounds, dead.
Keeper doing a Superman
Its that stupid ball again.
Keeper sleeping
Nearly a Paul Robinson moment.
Imagine he had been between the posts when he did that
I thought that was 2-1 for a second
A few clubs might be crossing him off their transfer wishlist.
Boateng should get a yellow card for that
If the referee thinks its diving, which he did, then yes.
Ooh, Forlan is playing. He's my favourite.
He's supposedly coming to Spurs this summer, so am hoping his price doesn't get to expensive after this
Hi Christine. He scored the equaliser. Great goal
Didn't know that
Yay!
We've been linked to pretty much all of the Uruguay squad, Cavani, Suarez etc.
#christineisawesome
Forlan is a legend! He was rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrubbish at Man Utd but I loved his rubbishness, so he left and turned out to be rather good elsewhere
Start at 20 seconds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH1UZu70NiI
Where is he now, please?
Atletico Madrid
Fantastic!
Extra time. Great game so far
Ah.
so.... i'm writing the football post.. any idea who is playing tomorrow?
Germany v Argentina and Spain v Paraguay
Lukeh says 'Athletico Madrid.' or something..
So did RG
right. thanks.
mr c is mean.
No help from Lukeh..
If I can write a tennis post you can do a football one.
he's watching the football..
Say what I said on twitter... ITV just said Ghana haven't scored more than 1 goal in their last 7 international matches.
Despite the fact their last game they won 2-1...
Top notch people they have
Time the ref started booking for acting
He should do, in the rules.
No need to stop the game for that
1 minute added for all thsoe injuries???
15 minutes to sort it out or penalties
This has penalty shootout written all over it.
The first half had 0-0 written all over it till the last kick of the ball
True enough
Penalties then..
Ghana hit the post!
Ghana PENALTY!!!!!!
Penalty
Didn't see the hand
Woah. I have no idea what just happened.
Clear penalty, unbelievable.
Clear hand ball on the replay
Ooh, I see the hand ball. Good reffings.
OMG he missed it
Oh my word.
One of the Uruguay players decided he wanted to be a goalkeeper
:D
Really good reffings
Football.
Totally insane.
DOes anyone know who hit that penalty?
I think it was Gyan.
Who has scored two pens in this WC already
Are we on the penalty stuff now?
We sure are.
After the
cuddlehuddleYes. 5 penalties for each team
Do they have to all be different people?
ah-ha, speed sporting, y'see.
i knew it would catch on.
Even after 120 minutes of the best football in the World Cup?
erm.
well i didn't have 120 mins. i do have 5 though.
FORLAN!
Yes. And if it is still level after 5 each it goes sudden death. 1 penalty each time repeated until we get a winner and a different playyer each time. Once everyone has taken one they go back to the start of the list and keep going that way till someone wins
FOrlan scores
Forlan scores, 1-0
YAY!
How do they decide who goes first?
This is the guy who missed...
And scores, 1-1
They toss a coin to decide which team goes first and then the manager decides which player in his team goes when
See who has the most bottle.
2-2
4 very good penalties.
Uruguay keeper is close to them though
camera down
Short run up
3-2
Forlan is awesome then. I knew it.
Enjoying the technicalities?
First miss.
Terrible penalty.
If Uruguay score no Ghana have to score their next two
Miles over
Nice rugby conversion
did pearce take that?
What the...
:)
:)
THat's 4 for each team so we are effectively at sudden death already
Heheh
If Uruguay score they go through now
What was that goalkeeper doing?
THat is such a risky penalty to take
YAY!
Cheeky little son of a ahem, nice pen. Shame for Ghana
More Forlan
Shame for Africa not to have a semi-finalist. In the end the guy who hit the bar in the last second of extra time cost his team
Yann Kermogant, thats how you chip a penalty.
Inconsolable. Just terrible :(
So the first semi-final reather surprisingly is Holland v Uruguay
Wonder where that stray e appeared from?
@tonyfernandes Bad day today. The wrong sides won. But worse of all the side that used their hands deliberately to stop gahna. Was that right.
I think that could have been the best match of the tournament so far
Can't argue with that. They need to bring in the rugby penalty try rule. In rugby if someone commits a foul that prevents a try being scored they give the try. Apply that rule there and you give the goal
@H_Kovalainen URU deserved to win GHA missed too many chances...
Chairman Allen's twitter seems to have screwed up. THe last tweet it is showing me is Heiiki 13 hours ago discussing Murray/Nadal
I do like that.
must've redirected his one web server to fota duties :)
i think we could do better...
I thought you already had
interesting thought on f1 penalties:
@3vilMonkey: he was sent off, misses the next game. Ferrari would be delighted if Hamilton missed the next race
fbfb requires christine to be available to type. it doesn't do live tweet updates.
The FIA has the power to ban drivers for as many races as it likes but you can't have it for every penalty
You had the sidepodcast twitter thing
Alternatively I am sure the world would have been happy if Ferrari had been banned from Valencia for Illegal testing
Wow... what a night of football. Brazil beat themselves and Ghana got cheated. My friend is happy though as her team got to the semis and so wins a bit of money...