FIFA...

Anybody watching soccer games? It's a big hit in Europe and Central America I guess, dunno about here..
My daughter and hubby are very into it, I am not so crazy but I enjoy it.

I am curious about vuvuzelas - it's quite an intriguing instrument. I think I like it, although I must admit I get tired of it pretty fast.

Risa

I am not into it, but my husband loves it. He is German and now that Germany annihilated the Brits 4:1 he is on cloud 9. We are living in London and went out for dinner on the evening after the game. He had to promise me to not gloat about Germany's victory as I did not want anybody to spit into my dinner ...

P.

Risa, England were dreadful. I am not a fan of football these days, but this team is not even a team.
They played as if they had never seen each other before...

Saddest thing was a disallowed goal on Sunday which was in by a mile and the ref. has since apologised.
It might have made some difference as they were clearly demoralised, but the Germans beat them.
The German team is pretty pathetic as well comapred to their old selves.

Petzi, my family on my dads side are German, but my cousin said it would have been hollow to win on a disallowed goal that should not have been.....hard not to gloat though eh?? England V Germany always a grudge match...

As for those damn horns....we had to turn the sound down, it was really hurting my head.
Their has been loads of complaints and I am told some ~English clubs have banned them over here.

Actually the Anerican team played pretty well....for us we are a disgrace, we made up the damn game...

No comment....
It's HIGHLY and STRONGLY felt here.
Last Thu we were kicked out, it was a SHOCK...a real wound which is still hurting. We're used to better results and we were shameful this year

As for vuvuzela, I hate them, but they are part of the South African traditions....

Ivy, our neighbours are Italian, we could hear the last few minutes when we knew they were down.
The cheering and shouting was confusing, then to hear what happened with them picking up goals....

My neighbour Carlo was born here, once Italy are out, he then supports England....her mother is German so I guess they will get behind them now. I guess I would too if they go to the final, but I somehow doubt it if they don't play any better. They beat us, but we were awful.

It is a strange and surprising tournament this time.
Petzi I know what you mean about our lads, they are on a hiding to nothing.
Our clubs are full of non Brits, so when we come to form a team as a country, most of the talent cant play for us of course.

I think less "foreign" (sorry) players in the league, and maybe an English manager would make a difference.
BUT since we dumped competitive sport in the schools and kids are glued to computers, in this country at least they say the talent is not coming.

Oh well, maybe by 2014?

I didn't know what they are so I looked up vuvuzelas. I read that they can cause permanent hearing loss. I don't watch soccer anyway and with these damn horns, it is insured that I won't watch it.

Chris

I have absolutely zero interest in any sports. I went past the channel broadcasting the games and heard the vuvuzelas but didn't know what they were at the time. I thought there was a problem with the audio. I can't imagine any migraineur being able to tolerate listening to them through the TV or even worse, in person.

Oh yeah, the disallowed goal - we too were fuming over it- what for are these technologies if you are not using it for crissakes!
all you have to do it is instantly PLAY BACK in slow time, and you could clearly see that there was definitely a goal!

sheesh! so what the heck!!

So I am very sorry for England to lose, and offer my heartfelt congratulations for Germany for their win!!

Italy - yes that was very sad - I wish you guys could have more fun, at least getting further ahead in the games.
I can imagine the heartbreak in the country so in love with soccer.
Why, right after the game has ended they showed one player who was openly, deeply sobbing right there on the field. I was so sorry for him and the Italian team. I could clearly see how important it was for them.

Perhaps the next FIFA will be more fortunate for you guys, fingers crossed.

Spain and Brazil seem to be doing very well this year, it will be very exciting seeing these two teams play against each other!

Risa

Risa,

Fifa , well one guy called Sepp Blatter, wont allow the technology to prevent those occurances.
Apparently it happened in another match as well.....

When you see the technology at Wimbledon, (which we are also enduring right now)....there is no comparison.
We have John Mcenroe to thank for that....You must be joking...Ha!!
Now he commentates.....

You will be thrilled to hear the ref. who made the bad decision has apologised.
At the very least they could have shown him the VT at half time.

If they cant afford the technology, what's wrong with a little man to sit behind the goal....

Oh well , it's all over for us now.

Might watch the final...

You all might identify, as I do, with an American civilian attached to the U.S. army in Germany who threatened his neighbors with an ax because of the vuvuzelas! He was so fed up with the noise that he couldn't stand it anymore. Now they're looking into whether to charge him criminally. I'd charge the neighbors for disrupting the peace!

There's a radio station here that comments in a very, very funny way all world cup matches.
We turn off the TV audio and turn on the radio. No vuvuzelas!!!! And lots of fun

Pen, I agree with you about foreigners. The team that this year won the "Serie A" (corresponds to the English Premier League) has NO Italian players. Not even the coach is Italian.....

As for Blatter, I have no comments. In 2002 Italy was out because of a corrupted Mexican referee who got money from South Korea and made Italy loose. There was a trial and the referee was found guilty and had to pay for this. Technology like the one used for tennis would have not allowed such a shame....

I am sorry for England, they deserved more even if I found the team a little bit tired. Probably the long run by major clubs in the Champions League has somehow affected the preparation.

I support Spain now. I hope they can go straight to the final, they're very good and motivated.

Vicky,

your American buddy had obviously not grasped how massively popular and important soccer in Europe is. When the national team plays an important game like last week, everything grinds to a halt while the nation is gripped by mass hysteria und unusual behavior. Work stops and the streets empty while everybody gathers in front of a TV screen. I am sure you have similar sporting events un the US, where Americans temporarily go completely bonkers.

Threatening his German soccer fan neighbors with an axe will probably not have endeared him to anybody over there. I can only advice him to follow the rule "when in Rome do as the Romans do".

P.

Petzi,

We don't have sports like you described. Work stops for nothing related to any kind of sports. Maybe that we have different seasons of sports so it NEVER ends. There's always finals for something and some people get wound up for different sports but it's not a national fever that happens.

Becky,

What happens is people who are huge fans book time off work to watch matches that occur during their work time.
Shops dont shut, or trains stop running. However the World cup is a big deal. I cant think anything else has this effect.

For most people, think of it like the Super Bowl. All those that love it will try to be sure they see the game.
BUT this is international so people who dont actually hate football watch to support the country.

Do you have internationals? Was there a lot of support for USA in the World cup over there.

Personally I am glad it is only every 4 years...

Pen,

Super Bowl is probably the biggest event but it's always on a Sunday night. So we don't see people taking time off since most people are already off.

Internationals...well I don't think there is much for that. Wimbledon is probably the only other big international sporting event but there aren't that many tennis fans. The biggest sports here are baseball, basketball, American football, and maybe hockey.

Becky

Whereas work doesn't shut down, productivity certainly drops during the College Basketball Final Four tourney.

I walk through and can see it or hear it on staff computers.

Plus, there is all that time spent on doing the gambling pools!

I would add Stanley Cup is the big play-offs here, that keep people glued to the TVs and those who can attend go to the games, but I agree nothing compares to the electricity of the soccer games, not even Super Bowl.

Poland, too is very into soccer but I've heard ever since the fall of German Wall
home clubs are badly underfunded and struggling, so, if there is any talent not much is showing for it, sigh.
And I don't know it that's true, but also if whoever plays very well runs away to much much better paying foreign clubs. I would understand that.

Risa

I think maybe what comes the closest is "World" Series, SuperBowl and the College Basketball playoffs. Still, not everyone is involved in either one so they don't have as severe impacts. I don't pay much attention because I have little interest in Baseball, American Football, or Basketball.

Now, any kind of racing, yes. Cars, planes, boats, horses, motorcycles... Now I know racing does not exactly fit with my green sensibilities. But I walk or ride public transportation most of the time. Besides, I'm all in favor of racing people powered and electric powered vehicles too.

Chris

Germany trashed Argentina 4:0 yesterday.
The husband is high on adrenalin. I might pop one of my beta-blockers into his coffee to calm the poor man down again ....

P.

wow, what a rush!, the semifinals finally here, spectacular matches excellently played by Netherlands and Ghana,
with heartbreaking lose to Ghana - have you seen these pole bounce offs - what a tragedy to Ghana,
the last African country in the games, we were so rooting for them guys!,

then the Paraguay and Spain with a terrific win for Spain by victorious David Villa (isn't that guy cute! or what!) -
I was so sorry for Paraguay player Morel (I think ) who lost their chance at this one time penalty kick and cried so hard at the end.

Then Argentina vs Germany - hope you've seen this Marc! with incredible 0:4 for Germany - really breathtaking match! Diego Maradona on the sidelines, looking crushed, and who wouldn't be. If Argentina could score at least one that would be so much easier to bear the loss, but zero, ouch, that hurts bad.


My prediction is, it could be Spain vs Germany at the end, or anyone from Spain, Germany Netherlands against each other. Can't wait for Tuesday to see what the new games will bring!

Risa

The tension intensifies- yesterday Netherlands won, today Spain - and what a spectacular head goal from Spain scored by Puyol!

can't wait to see the last game on July 11th!
Both of the teams have equal chances - they both are so good.
It's going to be a teeth clenching match!
who's gonna be watching ?
I know I am!

Risa

Heard a joke the other day.

Q. Why did the chicken cross the road?
A. According to the FIFA ref, it never did!

I'm with you Risa!!! I love the World Cup. What an excellent game by Spain...I wasn't sure if they would be able to pull off a win against Germany.
Spain vs. Holland....a first-win for either country!

T

I'm dutch canadian....been cheering my peeps on the whole way!

Yesterday I was at the mall and they had stadiums set up for everyone to sit and watch the matches.

I also live near "world cup central" also known as Commercial Drive. This entire street goes mad every four years...it's very neat. Every cafe has extra sets brought in and shops are so packed that people watch from outside on the sidewalk.

Last cup we never slept because the noise kept us up daily.