Soccer World Cup 2010

[JakeLucas]

Hey guys

With just 2 days to go, I'd like to bring in some pictures and team news and stuff to make this thread really informative and up-to-date - would it be okay to do all that here, or should I create a new thread?

Comments or ideas? I figure most of you in here have an interest in the game, so I reckoned I'd bounce it off you lot first.

-d-

This thread is as good a place as any other.

And one less thread to keep track of.

 

[Ekim23]

DAMNNN I m working the 11th !!!!

I wont even be able to watch france play... Damn it

 

[cornholio]

Hey guys

With just 2 days to go, I'd like to bring in some pictures and team news and stuff to make this thread really informative and up-to-date - would it be okay to do all that here, or should I create a new thread?

Comments or ideas? I figure most of you in here have an interest in the game, so I reckoned I'd bounce it off you lot first.

-d-

go on then! I'll be checking it out!

 

[blackbeltninja]

Hey everybody

So I was out and about last night and I took some pictures and I thought this would make for a great addition to the thread. Additionally, I nabbed some from the internet to complete the picture. Those first:

Some of the stadia.

The new Mbombela Stadium out in Mpumalanga (formerly Eastern Transvaal); right on the Mozambican border). Designers went for heritage and history with an African theme - note the zebra patterning inside and the giraffe motif on the outside.

Mbombela pays host to Honduras-Chile; Italy-New Zealand; Serbia-Australia and Ivory Coast-North Korea.

Next up is Durban's Moses Mahbida Stadium:

You can ride up over the arch in a cable car, if you like...

Durban has quite a few games: Germany-Australia; Spain-Switzerland; Netherlands-Japan; Nigeria-South Korea and the mouth-watering prospect of Brazil-Portugal as well as a 2nd round game (winners Group E vs 2nd Group F; probably Cameroon-Slovakia) and a semi-final.

More to follow.

-d-

 

[blackbeltninja]

More on the stadium front, here is the Calabash, aka Soccer City Soweto, hosting the opening game SA-Mexico on Friday afternoon and the final on 11 July.

In addition to those, Soccer City also has Netherlands-Denmark (that's the one Al Quaeda are hoping to bomb thanks to those Mohammed cartoons, allegedly); Argentina-South Korea; Brazil-Ivory Coast; Ghana-Germany, a 2nd round game (Winners A-2nd B; probably France-Nigeria IMO) and a quarter final.

And lastly for stadia, the one in my backyard; Greenpoint Stadium.

Just 3 minutes from the CBD and nestled between the foot of Signal Hill and tourist mecca the Waterfront.

This one was shot from on top of Signal Hill. Visitors to Cape Town will hear the Noon Gun, the historic cannon on Signal Hill, fire off at 12pm daily. Do not be alarmed - it's normal .

Greenpoint has France-Uruguay on Friday night; Italy-Paraguay on Monday (I'll be there for that); England-Algeria next Friday (same again); Portugal-North Korea and Netherlands-Cameroon (I'm currently selling my soul trying to blag a ticket to that) as well as a 2nd round (probably Spain-Portugal) and a semi.

So you have an idea of where you are, Signal Hill is the small mountain on the far right in the sunset picture; in the overcast beach one from across the bay, it is camouflaged up against Lion's Head.

-d-

 

[blackbeltninja]

What you need for the World Cup:

You will need to find a Vuvuzela.

For those not in the know, it's a cheap plastic horn which when blown correctly emits a sound somewhere between a trumpeting elephant (in baritone) and the sound of an approaching train . You WILL hear these all the time during the telecast. Yes, they are fucking annoying. Apologies.

Next, you will need to find or make a makarapa.

Basically, steal a hard-hat and cut some designs into it with a sharp knife, then bend them out for a clever, inspiring 3D-in-2D creation. Notice how these makarapas cover everything from product placement for a local convenience store (#6) to an Al Gore-esque message (#3), to a tourism promo (#1) as well as the teams (local boys Orlando Pirates are #2; the Netherlands #4, and UK football icons Manchester United #5).

If used cleverly, there is simply never a setting which cannot be made classy (or should that be more classy?) by a makarapa.

These amazing gentlemen have both makarapas and vuvuzelas. If you can pull this off, you will fit right in.

Lastly, you need flags, plural. See below.

-d-

 

[blackbeltninja]

You need flags. Loads and loads of them.

Local Cape Town 400-store-having megamall Canal Walk at Century City has done this in their food court:

Notice how we nab the tourists with friendly favourites McDonalds and Subway here in Cape Town. Not quite as uncivilised as you may believe here in Africa, eh?

And KFC as well. Hurrah!

And plenty of our own flags to boot:

You also need flags for your car, as I discovered in the hospital's car park this morning.

When you've done that, you need to put football things into your iconic Adderly Street fountain, right across from the statues of Diaz and da Gama who rounded the Cape back in 1488 and 1492 trying to find the route to the Far East from Europe.

Once you've done all this, you are 2 days away from World Cup 2010

-d-

 

[JakeLucas]

Oh, w0w blackbeltninja!

Thank you so much for all the great pics and descriptions! I love it!

You've really given us a good idea of the World Cup sights (and sounds) in your beautiful country.

Man, I really wish I could be there to see it all for myself.

Can't wait to see/hear/read more!

 

[blackbeltninja]

Further to the imagery of the World Cup, it might help to know the language:

Edited highlights from this article below.

To help foreigners fit in and avoid trouble during the World Cup, Oliver Roberts has devised this handy lingo guide


BABBELAS (BUBBLE-US): Hangover. Usage: "Jeez, I had too many dops last night. I've got a hectic babbelas."

BAKKIE (BUCKY): What Americans would term a "pick-up". A two-seater light vehicle with an open rear cargo area. The rear is often used to transport an impossible number of workers who stare back at you in traffic and make you feel awkward and a bit guilty.

BERGIE: Term used for a type of homeless person in Cape Town. Originates from "berg", which is the Afrikaans word for mountain, referring to the homeless people who used to live on Table Mountain but who now live mainly in the city. Pronounce the harsh "g" as if you've swallowed an insect and are trying to clear it from your throat.

BOET: Means "brother" in Afrikaans. An affectionate (though not too much) term for a friend. It's like saying "dude" or "buddy". Same with "Bru" (bro in American).

CAR GUARD: Found in most urban areas, a car guard's office is the parking lot. He keeps an eye on your car while you're at the match, in the mall or at the pub. You're expected to tip him when you return to your car and it hasn't been stolen or broken into. No. That's a lie. You'll be expected to tip him even if it has.

DAGGA: Again pronounced with a harsh "g". Marijuana. Illegal, but admittedly very easy to get hold if you're so inclined. Just ask your car guard.

DINGES (DING-US): An indeterminate, nondescript thing or term for an object whose name you've momentarily forgotten. Like this: "Please pass me my dinges there." "What?" "My dinges. I want to blow it." "You mean your vuvuzela?" "Yes, my vuvuzela."

DORPIE (DOORPEE): Small town. But no matter how small, you'll always find a KFC. And a pregnant 17 year old.

EINA (AY-NA): Expression of pain, as in "ouch". Usage: "Ooh, looks like Rooney just shattered his pelvis. Eina!"

EISH (AYSH): Common term that denotes a wide range of emotions from joy and surprise to confusion and anger. When in doubt, use it.

EITA (AY-TA): Casual African greeting, like "Hey". Actually, it's the same as "Howzit".

HUNDREDS: Normally repeated twice in a sentence as in "Hundreds, bru, hundreds." It expresses either total agreement as in 100% with what someone has just said, or confirmation that your life is all good (eg: "How are you?" "Ah, hundreds, man, hundreds"). Can also be used as a way of simply saying yes.

IS IT?: Actually pronounced "uzz ut". It's a casual way of saying "Oh really?". Usage: "Dude, I saw Messi coming out of a ladies toilet yesterday." "Uzz ut?"

JA-WELL-NO-FINE: Nobody really knows what this means, because it doesn't really mean anything. But we like saying it.

JUST NOW: An indeterminate amount of time. If a waiter says "I'll be with you just now", it could mean anything from five minutes, to 10, to never.

KAK (KUK): Literally "shit". Popular uses include "What a load of kak" and "Don't talk kak".
EDIT: Can also mean very - "that movie was kak funny."

LADUMA: Celebratory exclamation when a goal is scored. For best effect, try to hold the "u" for as long as possible on one breath, so that the "ma" comes out as a desperate choke. Laduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.ma.

MZANSI: Popular term for South Africa. Best describes our country's gritty energy and loud African spirit.

NOOIT (NOYT): Expression of disbelief or disdain. As in "Aah, nooit! There's chewing gum on my seat!" or "When I saw that advert with Ronaldo striking a homoerotic pose in a pair of tight underpants, I just thought 'Nooit, bru!'"

NOW-NOW: Not to be confused with "Just now". Now-now is a much smaller indeterminate amount of time. Hmm. Don't worry - you'll get it.

PHUZA (POO-ZA): A drinking session. "Phuza Thursday" is a noble tradition in South Africa. Try to uphold it while you're here.

ROBOT: When you're asking for directions and someone says: "Left at the third robot," it is not because our streets are overrun with menacing cyborgs made by Japanese scientists. No. A robot is simply our word for traffic light.

SHARP-SHARP!: Okay. This is a complicated one. An expression of agreement. Or a greeting. Or a way of saying goodbye. Or a way of saying "Okay, sure." Or a way of ... forget it.


TEKKIE (TACKY): Common word for sneakers.

TSOTSI (TOT-SI): Not just the name of the Oscar-winning film made by local director Gavin Hood. Tsotsi is a township term for a young boy who's already committing crimes like hijacking cars and stealing. Hopefully not from you.

UMLUNGU (OOM-LOONG-GU): African word for "white man". For a laugh, if someone says "Eita, umlungu!" reply "Sharp-sharp!"

-d-

 

[cornholio]

thanks for the info.

wow, calabash, moses mahbida stadium and greenpoint stadium are beautiful!

Yepp, those vuvuzelas are annoying
I put my tv on silent watching a Confed game once.. lol

But the hell, enjoy whatever you want + The chants from the stands will be even louder! Hosting the World Cup is such a great thing. Of course it's expensive and all, but judging from what happened here four years ago, it really creates a overwhelming athmosphere, it lifts your mood.

Enjoy it while it lasts!

 

[AnalblasT]

7 hours more

 

[blackbeltninja]

Okay everyone, it's almost time .

Today's games:

vs

South Africa (hosts) vs Mexico. Kickoff 4pm local time (GMT +2/CET) at Soccer City, Soweto (Johannesburg), in front of 95000 screaming fans (and hopefully 1 Nelson Mandela, although this seems unlikely given there was a family tragedy this morning with the death of a great-grandchild).

Players to watch:

SA: Stephen Pienaar - the Everton midfielder has had a good season and is on top form at the moment. He is expected by the locals to cause havoc down the right side of the pitch. Captain Aaron Mokoena has also had a solid season for unfortunate Portsmouth. SA will rely on his experience and calm-under-pressure attitude in the face of the Mexican attack. Goals are most likely to come from in-form striker Katlego Mphela and super-sub Bernard Parker, who hoofed in an absolute screamer against hapless Guatamala last week.

Mexico:
The squad are no doubt buoyed by their demolition of reigning champs Italy in a friendly last week. Surviving the sea of yellow jerseys in the stands and the wall of noise from the vuvuzela will be key to settling early and letting their style of play - wave after wave of speedy attack - dominate the game. Can the aging golden boy Blanco play a role at 37? Or will unfavoured Arsenal striker Carlos Vela perform like he did at the U17 World Cup in Australia and finally step up to take charge as his English club so desperately wish he would? Expect the usual grace under fire from Rafael Marquez to keep the defence cool and hopefully awake in front of nervy goalkeeper Perez.

Prediction
Tough to call. SA are riding a wave of popularity usually unseen for soccer which has always been less glamorous than rugby, and are carrying a nation united in football for the first time ever. Even the Springboks haven't seen this much outspoken support in recent times and the pressure might get to Bafana.

Mexico, on the other hand, are a side which proverbially blow hot and cold. When they're hot they're on fire, but when they're cold they are frozen.

I will put my cock on a block and predict 2-1 to SA.

-----------------------------------

vs

Uruguay vs France; the other Group A match is at 20:30 local time in Cape Town at the new multibillion rand Greenpoint Stadium.

The French have hardly looked solid throughout the qualifying campaign and needed a dubious refereeing decision to see off Ireland in order to get to the tournament. After stunning Brazil in the '98 final in Paris, Les Bleues failed miserably in 2002 and lost to Italy in the final on penalties in Germany in 2006. The squad is filled with a mix of youth and experience and loaded with plenty of creative and lethal players and on paper should not struggle to overcome the South Americans. Coach Raymond Domenech must be a very nervous man indeed.

Playmaker and targetman Diego Forlan probably is the key to Uruguayan success. However, they only managed to squeak into the tournament by one point over Ecuador and Colombia in the qualifiers and rarely crack a mention in discussion of Great Footballing Nations, which is a tragedy when you consider Le Celeste have won 2 World Cups in their history.

Prediction: France 2-0 Uruguay. The sheer class and quality of Les Bleues should prevail comfortably.

-d-
PS: These things are exhausting - anyone want to write synopses for tomorrow's games?

 

[Ekim23]

Go Franceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

[JakeLucas]

Okay everyone, it's almost time .

[ ... ]


-d-
PS: These things are exhausting - anyone want to write synopses for tomorrow's games?

Very good analyses and predictions!

Thanks for the time and effort. You're right, they are exhausting.

I wish I had the time (and the knowledge) to do a thorough analysis, but I will do a "quick and dirty" one for England vs USA.

Without the long tradition of soccer that England has, USA depends on their physical, fitness-based, "scrappy" style of play. This is what took Spain by surprised and scared Brazil in the Confederations Cup.

This style of play will work fairly well against England and the likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry, Frank Lampard, etc. But I believe the key will be USA's defense (Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, et.al.) and especially goalkeeper Tim Howard. Can they stand up to Gerrard, Crouch and Rooney?

Another factor -- injuries. Are Bocanegra and Onyewu 100%?

 

[AnalblasT]

Are you ready guys

Let the Battle Begin

 

[Under-taken]

Fucking Vuvuzela's (the african sirens) in the stadium, its like a hive of bee's raping mosquitoes every 2mins

 

[braex27]

Soccer it the absolute stupidist game there is. Just shows you how low humanity has sunk.

Soccer is the absolute BEST game in the WORLD!! WOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Don't forget Ballack has a bulge. It's called the ball(s)ack bulge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4HTau6c9_I

Ballack is HOT! Shame he isn't playing!!

You could say this about anything which doesn't appeal to you personally.

Still, the World Cup is going to be fantastic. All you nay-sayers can sod off!

-d-

Here, here.

Ahhh soccer, one of the few competitions the USA is not a hyperpower in. Seriously, I'm only nationalistic when we're not winning everything heheh.

Top 5 teams that I'll root for:

1. USA
2. Japan
3. Australia
4. New Zealand
5. Netherlands

YAY. Aussie Aussie Aussie OI OI OI!!!!

Oooh.

Given the odds and their respective footballing prowess, I'm not sure I'd put any money on any of those first 4.

Having said that, if any of them win you'll make millions!

-d-

We shall see Blackbelt. We. Shall. See.

GO AUSSIES!!!!

 

[braex27]

I'll be singing both of the National Anthems when Germany plays against Australia. But I bet Germany will win.

Nevertheless, Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi

That's the spirit, Tik Tok!

AUSSIES! WOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Are you ready guys

Let the Battle Begin

READY!!!!

 

[AnalblasT]

argggggggggggggggggg off side

 

[AnalblasT]

half time

RSA 0 vs 0 MEX