(OT) Yeah!!! the World Cup has started!!

[Digi V]

yeah i just saw that.

ok, england needs to get eliminated for that, they need to be blown out the first game next round.

that was just dirty, real dirty, and he got away with it.

[dazzer]

wow, thanx for clearing up a couple of important points there, rik.

so, england should have beaten germany 3-2, not 4-2 then. and crouch is nothing more than a lanky hair-puller. i can sleep easy now.

what's your take on jfk and the grassy knoll?

[DeadlyKungFu]

ok, so... apparently I make 3.14 posts a day ,which is sad in itself.

Sad but mathematical that you post 'pi' times a day, it must be true.

Catching up on recorded games, Sweden looks great. The save by the
Paraguay defense off of the Swedish chip shot ~56 minute was THE defensive play, never stop. Love this game. Took tomorrow off, Argentina in the AM, 5 hours.

Anyone want to start making 2nd round matchup predictions?

[forge]

Did they show in Australian TV slow motion close up of that long fellow who pulled himself up by pulling T&T chaps hair before the score? rather weird, interesting that he cant be punished for that, neither the goal nullified.
Is it some Koohinoor curse that English cant win normal way like other teams do ( I just saw BBC documentary, the scientists from Oxford cleared beyond any doubt that the infamous 1966 Wemblay ball was never in)

sadly the times here are whack - I havent even waqtched the England paraguay yet because I heard the score here first and it's just not the same when you know the outcome

I was lucky I caught the amazing Australian win in the last 10 mins - that was pure fluke! (I mean me catching it, not the goals!)

[Angstrom]

Did they show in Australian TV slow motion close up of that long fellow who pulled himself up by pulling T&T chaps hair before the score? rather weird, interesting that he cant be punished for that, neither the goal nullified.
Is it some Koohinoor curse that English cant win normal way like other teams do ( I just saw BBC documentary, the scientists from Oxford cleared beyond any doubt that the infamous 1966 Wemblay ball was never in)

well, I read that comment and watched the Crouch goal again on the bbc replay thing on their website as I don't remember it like that at all. Watching again - Crouch jumps up totally normally and I watched it again about 20 times to check just then. At the height of his jump his left hand is placed across the shoulder of the t&t defender, but not before that. So I don't know what you saw.
I thought I'd check some trinidadian newspapers to see what they said about it - for a balanced view.
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,39224.html
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl ... =160967799
http://www.guardian.co.tt/sports2.html

odd, no mention of a Crouch foul there, could it be an invention of a German media? no surely not. Because it's reported lots of other places like er, nope. just german media and people saying 'german media said'

of course if Crouch is not allowed to jump and head a ball like everyone other attacker does and you want to knock that goal off, then perhaps a 1-0 victory is ok for you?

As far as hideous historical goals, oh for fucks sake, "it wasn't even in, so they didn't really win, whinge moan" .WTF
The score was 4-2 to England in 66. so according to you (and the whingers) it should have been 3-2. And that is not a win how?

[forge]

As far as hideous historical goals, oh for fucks sake, "it wasn't even in, so they didn't really win, whinge moan" .WTF
The score was 4-2 to England in 66. so according to you (and the whingers) it should have been 3-2. And that is not a win how?

sadly I think people only say that because they are so fucking sick of hearing about 1966.

[rikhyray]

I knew that! It always works the "wasn`t in" tease.So many years after and both Germans and English are so jumpy about it. So I got you! Even though it wasnt in, England deserved the win, if not for anything else then inventing this game. i found it fascinating the whole story, the KGB , political implications, very much insane indeed
i live in Frankfurt but I am as much fan of English as German team .no doubt Germany- England is always football at its best my all time favourite. Hope it will happen this time. Hard but fair, unlike Dutch spitters or girly Brasilians, so such foul does not really fit, you know what I mean, it is mans game , pulling someones hair , damn that is so sissy. English themselves should suspend him or at least kick his ass.
It was Austrian TV that spoted that foul and ask the Germans since they have better technology. Learning from the 66 I woudnt trust any BBC on the subject, if it took English some 40 years to admit the "ball wasnt in"

[rikhyray]

Hey you behind firewalls, Argentina destroying Yugos 3:0, actually should be 4:0 ( off side that never was)after 45 minutes only!

[rikhyray]

4:0 Argentina is probably the fittest team so far

[rikhyray]

6:0 final score

[Sales Dude McBoob]

6:0 final score

Thanks Ricky! You are our ESPN and we wouldn't dare change the channel.

[rikhyray]

6:0 final score

Thanks Ricky! You are our ESPN and we wouldn't dare change the channel.

Now i got to go so someone else must take over.

[Angstrom]

Holland 1 - ivory coast 0

24 mins: A double Dutch celebration, as goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has now gone a remarkable 1000 minutes without conceding a goal in competitive international football.

23 mins: GOAL Holland 1-0 Ivory Coast
He set it up, he scored it. A moment of brilliance from Robin van Persie gives the Dutch a first-half lead, the striker curling home the set-piece from 22 yards into the top corner beyond the reach of Jean-Jacques Tizie.

22 mins: Robin van Persie steps it up for the Dutch with a pacy, direct run at the Ivory Coast defence and his Arsenal team-mate Kolo Toure brings him down on the edge of the area.

20 mins: "It's not often you see Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue shown a clean pair of heels, but Arjen Robben did that a couple of minutes ago. Shame he couldn't get a cross in, too."
Graham Taylor, BBC Five Live summariser

18 mins: The Dutch are starting to get pinned back and Didier Drogba heads down for marauding left-back Arthur Boka to drill a shot wide.

17 mins: Arouna Kone shows good strength to shrug off Gio van Bronckhorst inside the penalty box but the angle is too tight and his hopeful shot flashes into the side-netting.

16 mins: Ivory Coast work some space down the Dutch right and it falls to Ndri Romaric 20 yards out, but his shot is easily gathered by Edwin van der Sar.

13 mins: Emmanuel Eboue looks for a penalty as Gio van Bronckhorst tussles with him in the penalty box, but the Colombian referee waves away his claims.

12 mins: Bakari Kone tries to create some space to have a shot on the edge of the box but his effort is blocked.

10 mins: The Dutch fans are making most of the noise and they have most to cheer about as their team enjoys large spells of possession, though Ivory Coast are defending stoutly at the moment.

5 mins: Robin van Persie feeds Mark van Bommel just outside the area on the right and the Barcelona midfielder's cross is agonisingly out of reach of Ruud van Nistelrooy's head in the box.

4 mins: Been here before, Manchester City fans? Didier Drogba uses his left hand to control a long through ball and referee Oscar Ruiz fails to spot the infringement - but Drogba wastes his cross anyway.

2 mins: The Dutch got us under way, and they have barely allowed the Ivorians a touch yet.

1700 BST: Friday's second Group C encounter kicks off in the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium in Stuttgart.

there's some kind of perverse plugin for firefox which will tell you scores.

sweatshop children working for nike will cry if you install it though
http://www.mozilla.com/add-ons/jogacompanion/

[rikhyray]

2:0

[rikhyray]

Ivorians are back 1:2 so still some chances for the Africas best.