World Cup practise

[Steve Bildermann]

Like everybody else here at FG I'm just counting the days to the 2010 World Cup (359 BTW)

24/7 wall-to-wall coverage of the Japan team and the Japan Team and even more of the Japan team will be such a change from the farce of seeing all the games with all the other teams at the last World Cup I watched through the booby hatch bars.

Anyway....here's one guy showing how the 'World Cup penalty box dive' should be done.

[2triky]

Like everybody else here at FG I'm just counting the days to the 2010 World Cup (359 BTW)

24/7 wall-to-wall coverage of the Japan team and the Japan Team and even more of the Japan team will be such a change from the farce of seeing all the games with all the other teams at the last World Cup I watched through the booby hatch bars.

Anyway....here's one guy showing how the 'World Cup penalty box dive' should be done.

Have you been watching the FIFA Confederations Cup? It's a nice distraction until the big dance next year in South Africa.

[Greji]

Have you been watching the FIFA Confederations Cup? It's a nice distraction until the big dance next year in South Africa.

It's a bit difficult to find time to watch on J-TV, as the template of the moment calls for the immediate airing of non-stop Okada interviews to be shown the minute any announcer so much as hints at, or mentions soccer. All interviews describe Okada's new secret plans and strategies that will take Japan in to the jun-keisho round in Africa.....

[2triky]

It's a bit difficult to find time to watch on J-TV, as the template of the moment calls for the immediate airing of non-stop Okada interviews to be shown the minute any announcer so much as hints at, or mentions soccer. All interviews describe Okada's new secret plans and strategies that will take Japan in to the jun-keisho round in Africa.....

Ah, I see.

I guess your only recourse might be to try to find one of those websites that streams the games on to your computer, probably inconvenient I know.

Incidentally, I saw Brazil totally crush Italy today, 3-0...

[IkemenTommy]

Waaah.. cry me a river.

I don't know why there is so much hype when Japan will not even make the Best-16 (Sweet 16 or whatever you call it). Japan media goes in a state of shock every time they lose an international game as if they were the heavy favorite. Japan is just lucky to be in a weak division to make it past the qualifier for the World Cup.

[Behan]

Wait a second...

Japan will win the world cup because they don't eat pizza.

[Mike Oxlong]

Wait a second...

Japan will win the world cup because they don't eat pizza.

You're right, of course...no self-respecting person would call this pizza.

[Yokohammer]

The funny and somewhat sad thing about the last match with the 'Roos was the deja-vu media aspect.

The last time Japan was trounced by Australia (not, traditionally, a soccer-playing country), Japan scored one goal and the Japanese announcers were all, like, "yes, Japan is just playing cat and mouse with the Aussies now. Tiring them out. It's a sure win ... (etc. ad nauseam)". And then in the last few minutes of the game the Roos turned it around and beat the crap out of 'em.

It was the same thing this time. One Japanese goal and the local media were in serious national wank mode. "Behold the power of Japan soccer! ... etc." Yeah, yeah ... and then history repeated itself and all of a sudden the J-media were in apologist back-pedal mode with repeat showings of the one Japan goal, which did not win them the game, and interviews with the coach and players that revealed some stunningly naive psychology.

And then there was Tulio with tears in his eyes, and later the pizza comment.

When I was in school – in Oz, at an international school in Japan, and in the US – I was taught that "it's not about whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." That, to me, is sport.

Cry if you win, cry if you lose, and then make excuses that belittle your opponent ... such a crock of unsportsmanlike hooey.

[wuchan]

[quote="Yokohammer"]
When I was in school –]
japan........ sportsmanlike............. uhhhhh.........DOES NOT COMPUTE>>>>>>>100101110101111010101101110110011010101110101010101010010101110101010101010100111010101000101

[AssKissinger]

Waaah.. cry me a river.

I don't know why there is so much hype when Japan will not even make the Best-16 (Sweet 16 or whatever you call it). Japan media goes in a state of shock every time they lose an international game as if they were the heavy favorite. Japan is just lucky to be in a weak division to make it past the qualifier for the World Cup.

[SIZE="6"][B]BULLSHIT!!![/SIZE][/B]

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/qualifiers/index.html

Asia is given only 4.5 spots for 43 teams whereas Europe gets 13 places for 53 teams. Japan is fucking good man. How far they'll go remains to be seen. Sports coverage in Japan definitely sucks though.

[IkemenTommy]

[SIZE="6"][B]BULLSHIT!!![/SIZE][/B]

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/qualifiers/index.html

Asia is given only 4.5 spots for 43 teams whereas Europe gets 13 places for 53 teams. Japan is fucking good man. How far they'll go remains to be seen. Sports coverage in Japan definitely sucks though.

I'll raise the bar. Talk to me when they come in the best-32 then.

[2triky]

I'll raise the bar. Talk to me when they come in the best-32 then.

HAHA...the World Cup Finals only consists of 32 teams...

[Greji]

HAHA...the World Cup Finals only consists of 32 teams...

That might be what he meant

[2triky]

That might be what he meant

Yes, sir. I believe you're right

[Behan]

The funny and somewhat sad thing about the last match with the 'Roos was the deja-vu media aspect.

The last time Japan was trounced by Australia (not, traditionally, a soccer-playing country), Japan scored one goal ...

I don't think that Japan should have even been allowed that goal in the World Cup as their players had interfered with the Australian keeper. Interfering with a keeper's movement gets a whistle from a lot of refs.

[canman]

Steve I agree with you. Can't wait for the 2010 World Cup, but I have a feeling that the Japanese team will disappoint. I don't think they are a bad team, just their style is not suited for the world game. Here in Asia, they can do well, but just like in (ice) hockey, they are technicians, love to pass and wait for the perfect shot, but when that is not practical, they seem to lose all instinct and run willy nilly around the pitch, or ice, whatever the surface may be. Also as in hockey, they don't have the size to match the stronger and bigger European or South American teams.

[Gilligan]

Steve I agree with you. Can't wait for the 2010 World Cup, but I have a feeling that the Japanese team will disappoint. I don't think they are a bad team, just their style is not suited for the world game. Here in Asia, they can do well, but just like in (ice) hockey, they are technicians, love to pass and wait for the perfect shot, but when that is not practical, they seem to lose all instinct and run willy nilly around the pitch, or ice, whatever the surface may be. Also as in hockey, they don't have the size to match the stronger and bigger European or South American teams.

canman, I don't necessarily disagree with you here, but even were they to shoot more often, they can't seem to develop anyone who can score consistently. Forget about the soccer-equivalents of say a Mike Bossy or an Espo, Japan doesn't even have the soccer-equivalent of a Peter McNab.

[canman]

Wow Gilligan, you are pulling some names out of the past! Peter McNab! I agree with you, but you have to shoot, and hope for the best, more than Japan does. That is why I couldn't figure out why the Japanese weren't all trying to learn like Shunske to bend then around the post.

[2triky]

Stunner.

USA beats Spain 2-0 to advance to the final match in the Confederations Cup. This is against a Spanish team that had a 35-match unbeaten run. Historical.

[Greji]

Historical.

Historical, or hysterical?

[2triky]

Historical, or hysterical?

Indeed. Point taken.

[2triky]

So the Sunday Confederations Cup Final between the USA and Brazil is the veritable match between David and Goliath, to use a biblical metaphor. Given the two upsets the USA caused to get to this point hopefully it will be a competitive, exciting match.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Soccer is so ghey.