This World Cup sucks!
How do I know?
I'm here, that's how I know!
The world's greatest party is still the world's greatest party but as a footballing event, it blows. The standard of play is way below that of the UCL, Premier League, La Liga - heck there are some better pub leagues out there.
It's obvious to my untrained eye that the majority of players are shattered physically and emotionally. It even looks as though some of them can't even be bothered to be here and I don't blame them.
It is not all glamor and party, party if you're working, it's work. People seem to forget that fact. The players, journalists, volunteers, we're all not getting pissed up prior to the match and then embarking on a bender once its finished.
I can't wait for it to be over.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The goal that never was
It has taken 44 years but finally Germany has their revenge over England for 1966. No Russian linesman required this time, just a near sighted Uruguayan!
On that June day, 120 minutes were needed to sort out a winner between these two great rivals, only 90 were required in Bloemfontein as Joachim Loew's, young, unfancied team tore, Fabio Capello's golden era boys, a new one.
It was a performance to be proud of from the Mannschaft and one wonders just how far this team can go in the competition. They have sparkled, spluttered, groundout and now soared. I wonder what is next?
As the youngest squad in South Africa, many pundits, myself included, thought that the pressure would simply be too much. Even thinking that thought now, seems laughable, as the team plays with the spirit and confidence of hardened campaigners.
The again, what else should we expect from the country that is the ultimate World Cup competitor. Miroslav Klose is still the hungry goal scoring machine we saw in Korea/Japan '02. Philipp Lahm has smoothly inherited the captaincy from Michael Ballack without skipping a beat. Lukas Poldolski has rediscovered how to score goals while Mesut Oezil is on course to become a the tournaments best young player.
Were England outclassed, out thought and out played, the answer is yes. Might the result have been different 'if', I guess we'll never know.
As the minutes drained away on the 'Golden Generation' there was certainly time for reflection of what could've and should've been their 'finest hour'.
Yes, it is hard to choke down the blown call by Jorge Larrionda of Frank Lampard's drive though. Had it been mere inches, you could certainly understand 'human error' however it wasn't inches or even feet, it was a yard! To miss a goal like that on this stage is unforgivable and I'm fairly sure he won't be officiating the final.
In all fairness though, up until Mathew Upson had made it 2-1, Germany were completely bossing the game. Once again England failed to do the simple things, such as keep possession, track runners, defend and attack as a unit. With all the time that had been spent at the Royal Bafokeng training center, I'm surprised Capello hadn't figured at least that out.
Ultimately England aren't as good as they think they are. The basics of the game that most nations seemingly take for granted are still beyond our 'best' players.
A radical rethink must be undertaken and the English Football Association should go cap-in-hand to the victors of this game, Germany, and ask how it is done.
The Germany FA pumps millions into youth and academy football and as you witnessed, the results have been staggering. The English FA meanwhile wastes millions on an expensive coach, an ugly stadium and wining/dining junkets in South Africa - need I say more.
The post-mortem in England will surely be brutal and the questions many.
1. Should Capello resign
2. Was Wayne Rooney even fit
3. Was the John Terry saga, a distraction
4. Was the right squad taken in the first place
These and more will be endlessly discussed between now and Brazil 2014. Personally I'm disappointed but not surprised, after all, I've been conditioned to 44 years of failure.
What does hurt is that week-after-week covering the Premiership, I see these same players perform with a smile, confidence and swagger. In an England shirt that all drains away.
Congratulations Germany, you are a deserved winner just don't ever ask me about goal line technology and 1966!
On that June day, 120 minutes were needed to sort out a winner between these two great rivals, only 90 were required in Bloemfontein as Joachim Loew's, young, unfancied team tore, Fabio Capello's golden era boys, a new one.
It was a performance to be proud of from the Mannschaft and one wonders just how far this team can go in the competition. They have sparkled, spluttered, groundout and now soared. I wonder what is next?
As the youngest squad in South Africa, many pundits, myself included, thought that the pressure would simply be too much. Even thinking that thought now, seems laughable, as the team plays with the spirit and confidence of hardened campaigners.
The again, what else should we expect from the country that is the ultimate World Cup competitor. Miroslav Klose is still the hungry goal scoring machine we saw in Korea/Japan '02. Philipp Lahm has smoothly inherited the captaincy from Michael Ballack without skipping a beat. Lukas Poldolski has rediscovered how to score goals while Mesut Oezil is on course to become a the tournaments best young player.
Were England outclassed, out thought and out played, the answer is yes. Might the result have been different 'if', I guess we'll never know.
As the minutes drained away on the 'Golden Generation' there was certainly time for reflection of what could've and should've been their 'finest hour'.
Yes, it is hard to choke down the blown call by Jorge Larrionda of Frank Lampard's drive though. Had it been mere inches, you could certainly understand 'human error' however it wasn't inches or even feet, it was a yard! To miss a goal like that on this stage is unforgivable and I'm fairly sure he won't be officiating the final.
In all fairness though, up until Mathew Upson had made it 2-1, Germany were completely bossing the game. Once again England failed to do the simple things, such as keep possession, track runners, defend and attack as a unit. With all the time that had been spent at the Royal Bafokeng training center, I'm surprised Capello hadn't figured at least that out.
Ultimately England aren't as good as they think they are. The basics of the game that most nations seemingly take for granted are still beyond our 'best' players.
A radical rethink must be undertaken and the English Football Association should go cap-in-hand to the victors of this game, Germany, and ask how it is done.
The Germany FA pumps millions into youth and academy football and as you witnessed, the results have been staggering. The English FA meanwhile wastes millions on an expensive coach, an ugly stadium and wining/dining junkets in South Africa - need I say more.
The post-mortem in England will surely be brutal and the questions many.
1. Should Capello resign
2. Was Wayne Rooney even fit
3. Was the John Terry saga, a distraction
4. Was the right squad taken in the first place
These and more will be endlessly discussed between now and Brazil 2014. Personally I'm disappointed but not surprised, after all, I've been conditioned to 44 years of failure.
What does hurt is that week-after-week covering the Premiership, I see these same players perform with a smile, confidence and swagger. In an England shirt that all drains away.
Congratulations Germany, you are a deserved winner just don't ever ask me about goal line technology and 1966!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Playing on the Moon
The Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg might as well be on the moon.
Can someone please explain to me the logic of playing a match in a town that has one road in and out - pure madness. It's almost impossible to get to and when you do get here there is practically nothing in the way of services. It's no surprise that there are empty seats.
There is going to be more empty seats next week for Paraguay/Japan as well because FIFA just announced that tickets for the match were going on sale. This is a scandal - we're talking about a place in the last eight and it's not a sell out.
Every match at the World Cup should be a sell out and the reason they're not is down to greed. I hope that FIFA and Brazil take not of the logistical issues and not repeat the same mistakes in four years time.
For instance if you had a TST (team-series-ticket) for South Korea, in the knockout rounds you would have to go to Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Cape Town and back to Johannesburg. That is an insane amount of traveling in a country that is not equipped to handle the load.
To be a true fan in this World Cup you need to be A) Rich, B) Rich & lucky.
Don't worry though, when I'm El Presidente I'll make it a lot easier to navigate the world's greatest tournament.
Can someone please explain to me the logic of playing a match in a town that has one road in and out - pure madness. It's almost impossible to get to and when you do get here there is practically nothing in the way of services. It's no surprise that there are empty seats.
There is going to be more empty seats next week for Paraguay/Japan as well because FIFA just announced that tickets for the match were going on sale. This is a scandal - we're talking about a place in the last eight and it's not a sell out.
Every match at the World Cup should be a sell out and the reason they're not is down to greed. I hope that FIFA and Brazil take not of the logistical issues and not repeat the same mistakes in four years time.
For instance if you had a TST (team-series-ticket) for South Korea, in the knockout rounds you would have to go to Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, Cape Town and back to Johannesburg. That is an insane amount of traveling in a country that is not equipped to handle the load.
To be a true fan in this World Cup you need to be A) Rich, B) Rich & lucky.
Don't worry though, when I'm El Presidente I'll make it a lot easier to navigate the world's greatest tournament.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Football & stuff
Going to a World Cup match can be quite time consuming. Lunch time beers with Afrikaners, fighting traffic in Pretoria and trolling the streets for a decent massage with my mate Hyder.
We didn't find a massage although we did have a laugh taking a South African mini bus - there is always room for one more. 10 rand takes you just about anywhere and the passengers are a right laugh. The driver plays his own sounds...LOUDLY!!! No complaints from me though as I like a little rave
As for the match, it was all Spain but then 10 man Chile started making a fist of it. As the score filtered through from the Honduras/Switzerland match both sides realized that the status quo was good so the last 10 minutes was rubbish, oh well!
We didn't find a massage although we did have a laugh taking a South African mini bus - there is always room for one more. 10 rand takes you just about anywhere and the passengers are a right laugh. The driver plays his own sounds...LOUDLY!!! No complaints from me though as I like a little rave
As for the match, it was all Spain but then 10 man Chile started making a fist of it. As the score filtered through from the Honduras/Switzerland match both sides realized that the status quo was good so the last 10 minutes was rubbish, oh well!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Day America Believed in Football
A fine day for Uncle Sam in the beautiful city of Pretoria. There can now been no doubt that this sport has arrived in America. When Landon Donovan found the back of the net in the 93rd minute, a nation that for so long had refused to embrace the 'people's game' finally found it in their hearts to go yeah!
The Jib
The Jib is the art of getting into a stadium without buying a ticket. In South Africa I have met the master jibber, who for reasons of confidentiality shall remain nameless.
To date he has bunked into six matches. No venue is safe. Soccer City, Ellis Park, Loftus Versfeld, all jibbed and with incredible ease. At times, I the accredited journalist has been given a harder time entering stadiums.
The jib requires a large pair however the rewards are huge. The best seat in the house for FREE. The next time you see the stadium capacity announced at World Cup matches, please add one more for the master jibber.
To date he has bunked into six matches. No venue is safe. Soccer City, Ellis Park, Loftus Versfeld, all jibbed and with incredible ease. At times, I the accredited journalist has been given a harder time entering stadiums.
The jib requires a large pair however the rewards are huge. The best seat in the house for FREE. The next time you see the stadium capacity announced at World Cup matches, please add one more for the master jibber.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
World Cup Double Header
There is a badge of honor among journalists. To earn the badge you have to attend two World Cup matches in one day. Here at my 4th WC I finally achieved that honor as I watched both USA/Algeria at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria and Germany/Ghana at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
The late match wasn't exactly a spectacle however the early match was something special. A late, late, late Landon Donovan winner was needed to save the USA from falling out of the tournament as basically they went from the plane home to Group C winners. It was the kind of finish that everybody dreams about but rarely is lucky enough to see.
With England also winning 1-0 the 2nd round is set with the USA taking on Ghana while England get...Germany!
The late match wasn't exactly a spectacle however the early match was something special. A late, late, late Landon Donovan winner was needed to save the USA from falling out of the tournament as basically they went from the plane home to Group C winners. It was the kind of finish that everybody dreams about but rarely is lucky enough to see.
With England also winning 1-0 the 2nd round is set with the USA taking on Ghana while England get...Germany!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Compare this offering
Brazil at the airport - a different look from NIKE but still clever circa 1998.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Girls of Football
Girls of Football Slideshow: World Cup Insider’s trip to Zürich was created by TripAdvisor. See another Zürich slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
No party is complete without an opening night shindig. I'm going to get my tonk on and swing with the celebrities, dignitaries and the locals. Spook & diesel, it'll be lekker!
Here is the list of acts that'll be getting down and dirty.
Arsene Wenger is the man to party with at World Cups. He told me over drinks at the Jungle Club that his main target for next season is Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
This is the kind of move that will make Europe take notice and will surely soften the blow of losing Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona.
A straight swap will work although I can see the Professor getting a few quid out of the Spaniards.
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