World Cup 2010

[sidewinder]

wtf?

Yeah - that affected all of the viewings in HD at the pubs and clubs.

Us cheapskates viewing in non-HD at home were unaffected

[J.A.W.]

wtf?

Yeah - that affected all of the viewings in HD at the pubs and clubs.

Us cheapskates viewing in non-HD at home were unaffected

Was viewing in HD at home and did see it - very clearly, I should add

Luckily we don't have any commercial breaks during games, only during half-time. The vuvuzelas are bad enough, we don't need anything on top of that...

Poor guy.

[J.A.W.]

A fully justified straight red for Australian Cahill. Ugly foul.

Judging by this game, Germany are one of the better teams.

[Van Basten II]

With more luck Klose should have already passed Ronaldo on the all time scoring just with this game...

[brownie]

Germany produced the best - and most effective - soccer display up to now!

They will go far if they keep on playing at that level!

[Brad]

I don't agree on the red; yellow yes, red no. The refereeing had another questionable moment: the yellow on Cacao in the 92nd. Please.

[J.A.W.]

I don't agree on the red; yellow yes, red no. The refereeing had another questionable moment: the yellow on Cacao in the 92nd. Please.

Cahill went for the leg, not the ball. It was an ugly foul, punishable by a red card according to the instructions the referees got from FIFA ahead of the tournament.

I didn't see Cacau's foul - if there was one.

[Brad]

I don't agree on the red; yellow yes, red no. The refereeing had another questionable moment: the yellow on Cacao in the 92nd. Please.

Cahill went for the leg, not the ball. It was an ugly foul, punishable by a red card according to the instructions the referees got from FIFA ahead of the tournament.

I didn't see Cacau's foul - if there was one.

He was called for diving.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Think I will watch with the sound off , those horns are annoying

I agree, that loud, monotonous vuvuzela sound is really very annoying

Seriously. I flipped on the Ger-Aus match when it was 2:0 in order to tape for tonite and was wondering what that weird noise was. Thought there was some engineering glitch up in the announcer's booth......then spied this AP headline.

Vuvuzela drone killing World Cup atmosphere

[Brad]

There is some talk about banning them from the cup. It's apprently a tradition at South African matches. However, some traditions are not always good ones

[Jim R]

I expected much more from Serbia. I hadn't seen them play recently, but I had heard that they might be strong enough to win their group. Too many missed chances, and that hand ball was just inexplicably stupid.

Germany looked very sharp. Australia (the "hard tacklers", who must remember to tackle the ball), lived up to my expectations, the way they fouled recklessly (Moore, Neill, Cahill). The reason that Germany's Cacau was carded (unfairly) was because the Mexican ref thought he was diving, when in reality he was simply jumping (wisely, imo) to avoid one of those late tackles. He didn't want to be injured- especially with the match being in the 91st minute. Bad call against him. I think the straight red on Cahill was questionable, and probably should have been a yellow, but that's a judgement call that I wouldn't be inclined to argue against strongly.

Thus far, the referees have generally been very, very good. After what we witnessed in the group stages in 2006, I must say I'm pleasantly surprised by this (but it's early yet...).

I haven't even watched the Algeria-Slovenia match yet, and from what I've read here, I may not bother.

[Van Basten II]

If the games were poor on paper today they look better tomorrow, pretty intrigued by monday's matchups Netherlands and Denmark is one of the most intriguing games of the first tour, Japan-Cameroun could be fun and it's the entrance of the third team that I do feel has a chance to win it all Italy against Paraguay.

For those who are wondering , I think they are five teams with legitimate chances Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Italy and Germany.

[sidewinder]

Was viewing in HD at home and did see it - very clearly, I should add

I was talking about viewings in UK pubs and clubs.

Edited June 14, 2010 by sidewinder

[brownie]

If FIFA does not want to ban the use of those damn vuvuzela horns, I hope they manage to restrict their use (for instance only when goals are scored or at the end of the matches)!

Part of the pleasure of watching soccer games was enjoying the moments when crowds remained silent and then roared to cheer (or diss) actions.

Now the only sounds we hear is the constant drone of those horns

[J.A.W.]

Was viewing in HD at home and did see it - very clearly, I should add

I was talking about viewings in UK pubs and clubs.

I know, I was kidding

(though I did watch the game in HD at home )

[J.A.W.]

There is some talk about banning them from the cup. It's apprently a tradition at South African matches. However, some traditions are not always good ones

A World Cup official has said that they won't be banned. Dutch TV has already turned the "stadium sound" down relative to the commentators' voices after numerous complaints from viewers.

[Van Basten II]

Not as bad as the english commentator made it to be but not a memorable one either, expected better from the Danes, they were first in qualification in a tough group, but their way of playing was too sterile and lacked imagination. Would love to see more of Elia for Holland. Meanwhile good win for them.

If FIFA does not want to ban the use of those damn vuvuzela horns, I hope they manage to restrict their use (for instance only when goals are scored or at the end of the matches)!

Don't see how you can do that, either they can bring them or they don't, it is a bit like asking fans to only dance when their team is about to win or scoring. My only worry is that fans will export them and start using them in domestic and Continental competition throughout the world

[J.A.W.]

Only watched part of the second half of the Netherlands v. Denmark game, so I can't really comment. I got the impression that it was neither good nor bad.

[correction] Just saw a bit more and it wasn't very good.

[Brad]

Only watched part of the second half of the Netherlands v. Denmark game, so I can't really comment. I got the impression that it was neither good nor bad.

[correction] Just saw a bit more and it wasn't very good.

Unfortunately work intervenes (darn!) and I didn't see the match. Just more of the same I assume that we've seen from everybody except Germany and maybe Argentina.

[Van Basten II]

Another tedious half of Futbol, this is getting repetitive, thanks to non imaginative Cameroon and defense minded Japan.

Of all the five groups that have played, the only one I find compelling is the B group.

[J.A.W.]

Another tedious half of Futbol, this is getting repetitive, thanks to non imaginative Cameroon and defense minded Japan.

Japan v. Cameroon is a very, very poor game, one of the worst I've seen so far in this tournament. Ugh.

[Van Basten II]

The second half was a bit more compelling, with Japan barely resisting to Cameroon , in an upset win for them.

By the way, is it me or the attendance at the games is a dissapointment, a lot of empty seats even for games involving African nations.

[J.A.W.]

By the way, is it me or the attendance at the games is a dissapointment, a lot of empty seats even for games involving African nations.

A disappointment for the organizers, I guess. Thanks to the noise of those vuvuzelas it doesn't make any difference for the volume of the sound coming from the crowd...

[Van Basten II]

That was not the result expected, then again there is still one half to play for Italy.

[Clunky]

I hope the quality of the football improves as everything I've seen has been very dull indeed- apart from the Germany /Australia game.