World Cup Open Thread - Day 9
Today we have some impressive matchups:
Slovakia v Paraguay - 7:30am
Italy v New Zealand - 10:00am
Brazil v Ivory Coast - 2:30pm
Slovakia and Paraguay are already under way and Paraguay is already up 1-0.
Personally I'm excited to see my Azzurri play and hopefully see them win to solidify a spot on top of the group.
Brazil v Ivory Coast is enough said as this Group of Death match will be compelling to see.
I'm a little behind on the DVR, so I cant really participate too much in the open thread.
Schedule my day around this Ivory Coast/ZBrazil game. Cant wait to watch it.
Here's our preview of the game today over at the JCB.
Enjoy the soccer
Nice to see the Italians retain their place as the world's leaders in both diving and carrying a tray of drinks.
If this doesn't make you root for the Kiwis, I weep for you:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?
Apparently Krypton's soccer team is awesome too, because Superman was from there.
That guido looking guy, he was on Jersey Shore right? haha
and deeply pathetic, too."
-ESPN commentators talking about Italy diving. Well said, boys.
... that when an Italian player falls down I assume a dive until proven otherwise.
Sooo many opportunities... argh....
So close. Great footwork in the box.
...All Whites. Hold on.
...for Wood there.
...for time wasting, apparently.
The Italians seem to have solved this ball. A couple of great shots from distance with even better saves from the keeper.
....dangerous but Nelson blocks the shot. Hockey fans should appreciate that one.
...belies the complaint that draws are boring.
A draw where both teams are trying their damnedest to win ... not so much.
We just had a Coulibaly sighting
...probably have one more attack from the Azzuri to withstand before they achieve a spectacular result.
...result for New Zealand. What an effort.
woo!
Good thing for Italy the ref didn't eject the Kiwi and instead just gave a yellow. Historically Italy plays much worse when they have the man advantage.
... that New Zealand would not only get the draw but feel hard done by the penalty that was given, I'd have asked what color the sky was in your universe.
Is there anyone else they could play up top besides Iaquinta? I've never rated him highly and it seems they are missing that goal poaching touch that Luca Toni gave them in the recent past.
That being said, I think the fact they've conceded against Paraguay and New Zealand is more troubling. Italy always wins with defense and this group (especially with Buffon injured) doesn't seem quite as sharp on the back end (Maybe just the result of Cannavaro's age?).
...post-game interview was just shown. He called the Italian goal ridiculous on a call that wasn't a foul. He's right.
Italy better feel very fortunate. They were gifted this draw by the official.
Top shelf from the right side, in part thanks to a defender whiffing on a tackle.
KaKa.....still makes me giggle.
First looked incidental, bounced off where both players' arms were while going up for a header (Fabiano's arm just happened to be on top). Second one ... only thing I can think of there is that it hit so close to the shoulder that he couldn't tell it was arm and not shoulder.
Ref pointed to the bicep as they were running back. Apparently he didn't have a problem with it. I still think it was probably a hand ball.
Ugly finish. That dive by the Ivory Coast was epically bad.
That was easily the most pathetic dive of the WC so far, but I can't blame him. Brazil had been diving as pitifully as Italy for half the game. What goes around comes around.
The problem is, that red card hurt Cote d'Ivoire worse than it hurts Brazil. I assume Portugal will beat North Korea tomorrow, maybe by 2 or 3, so if the Ivorians want to get through they'll need Brazil's help; they need to lay the wood to North Korea and hope Brazil does the same to Portugal. It'll be just that much harder for Brazil to get those goals without Kaka and frankly all they care about is a draw anyway.
I wouldn't assume Portugal is going to beat North Korea. If you read ZonalMarking it seems like they are playing right into DPRK's hands. Also, I think you'll see Brazil go for the win. They're playing Portugal, after all.
But their B squad could lay the wood to Portugal, if their qualifying form is any indication.
Does the get 2 and get suspended rule reset between rounds? If it doesn't, KaKa was kinda lucky to get his second and miss the third game of this round. Assuming Brazil holds on, they advance, so the next game is less important than the following.
Used to be that if you got your second in the group final, you were suspended for the first knockout game but if you had only one at that point, the slate was wiped clean. Thought I heard someone say they moved that back a round now, so it resets after the first knockout game, but I'm not sure.
yellow cards reset after the group stages
to have the cards reset before the semifinals (2nd stage of the knock outs).
...they reset for the second round.
...After I wrote that, I thought I should check myself. The point, apparently is to ensure that only players who receive two yellows or a straight red in a semi will miss the final.
[FIFA] has shifted its usual amnesty for yellow cards from the end of the first round until after the quarterfinals. That means players would only miss the final if they receive two yellow cards -- or a red, naturally -- in a semifinal game. (In the past, players could carry a yellow into the semifinal.) A spokesman said the rule-change issue first surfaced back in 2002, when Germany's Michael Ballack couldn't play the final.
Let's say, for instance, that we end up beating Algeria and advancing, and (for reasons known only to Bob Bradley) Findley plays in the round of 16 and gets another yellow. Would he have to pick up a fourth in the quarters to get suspended again, or would getting the third one get him suspended?