# 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 10, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677 "2010-06-10T17:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 99
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1961 "2010-06-30T00:29:31Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Appears we have a few Spain bashing posters on-board. Bash on. Fact remains we’re one of the cleanest playing teams on the pitch as we got our very first (and the last team to do so) today – Xabi Alonso, deservedly so. > > Other than that, obviously we’re bound to get fouled a hell of a lot more than other teams – after all that’s what tiqui-taca does, tires and annoys the hell out of other teams with overwhelming possession and fruitless chases. > > I love it. No Pepto for me till at least Saturday. 🙂 Paraguay? You still have nothing to worry about. When you win that match, then you can start worrying. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1962 "2010-06-30T03:34:31Z")
> [@MD12](#): > > Paraguay? You still have nothing to worry about. “. . . I won’t be sending postcards . . . from Paraguay” I’ve decided to cheer for Uraguay, on the sound reasoning that they are the only team that was eligible to take permanent possession of the original trophy that has not won the title since Brazil did it in 1970. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1963 "2010-06-30T03:57:36Z")
[England Dressing Room Invasion Likely A Hoax](http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Police-England-dressing-room-invader-likely-a-t?urn=sow,252245) ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1964 "2010-06-30T05:13:07Z")
> [@HoboStew](#): > > I could even say dispense with the first OT. Regulation - penaltykicks - OT to decide it. LOVE this idea. I’ve seen it suggested that the PKs be held before the game starts. PKs-regulation-OT ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1965 "2010-06-30T08:23:36Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yeah, [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckuCB2sB0q0) video gives a better view of the whole incident. Unfortunately, there’s no good close-up of the whole thing, so we can’t really tell what sort of contact occurred between the elbow and the Capdevila’s head. What I loved is at about 0:04 in that video, he appears to be getting up, but then, seeing the ref approaching with intent, collapses again and rolls around for a few more seconds… ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1966 "2010-06-30T10:33:56Z")
The Spanish player milked the incident shamefully, but there is no doubt the Portuguese fella foolishly threw his elbow back, knowing there was a player right behind him. On any area of the pitch that is a sending off offense, and the guy deserved his red. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1967 "2010-06-30T10:54:11Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > The Spanish player milked the incident shamefully, but there is no doubt the Portuguese fella foolishly threw his elbow back, knowing there was a player right behind him. On any area of the pitch that is a sending off offense, and the guy deserved his red. I’m still not seeing any contact whatsoever. 😕 His arms swung as he jumped (of course they did - you try jumping for a high ball without moving your arms!) but by the time they did, Capdevila was already going down like he’d been hit by a wrecking ball. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1968 "2010-06-30T12:31:03Z")
It was funny how ronaldo was fouled a couple times, but the ref was having none of it. It was like the boy who cried wolf… ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1969 "2010-06-30T13:01:41Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > It was funny how ronaldo was fouled a couple times, but the ref was having none of it. > It was like the boy who cried wolf… Its easy to hold Ronaldo up to ridicule, everybody laughs at the image of him sitting there like a petulant child crying because he didnt get a free, but… You talk of the boy who cried wolf, implying that the majority of the times Ronaldo went down he was diving. Except, I don’t think really did. His first year at Manchester United, yes, he had a tendancy to go over, but that was something that left his game after a few years with Alex Ferguson. The fact is, Ronaldo ends up on the ground a lot because of the type of game he plays, namely, running at and trying to beat defenders at his top speed. Ronaldo is running past guys flat out, with his balance thrown one way to go around the defender. Any knock he gets is going to push him further off balance and to the ground. I thought yesterdays game pretty much summed up his whole career. Once again, we sneered at pretty boy Ronaldo, sitting there deploring the ref for some help, throwing our eyes up at his antics. And then the replays show that not only did he not dive, the defender had just put two hands on him and pushed him over. No free kick. The defender had clipped his leg as he ran past. No free kick. Not sure whats so funny about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1970 "2010-06-30T13:09:15Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > I thought yesterdays game pretty much summed up his whole career. Once again, we sneered at pretty boy Ronaldo, sitting there deploring the ref for some help, throwing our eyes up at his antics. And then the replays show that not only did he not dive, the defender had just put two hands on him and pushed him over. No free kick. The defender had clipped his leg as he ran past. No free kick. > > Not sure whats so funny about it. I acknowledged in my post that he was fouled in that game. And yeah, he does seem to get a lot of stick. But I don’t really watch domestic football, I only really follow the euro and world cup. And just from those competitions I’ve seen ronaldo make the most of a number of minor contacts. So sure, I get a little schadenfreude when he’s legitimately fouled and the ref’s response is :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1971 "2010-06-30T13:25:14Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > [ETA] It’s just occurred to me - there are now no World Cup games for THREE DAYS! What on earth are we going to do? We have no TV until Saturday because the guys putting new sod in our garden cut the cable line accidentally… so that’s fine with me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1972 "2010-06-30T13:40:05Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > [ETA] It’s just occurred to me - there are now no World Cup games for THREE DAYS! What on earth are we going to do? Go into Withdrawal. _Starts shaking_ ---
**Author:** ![wintertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c68b51/32.png) [@wintertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wintertime)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1973 "2010-06-30T13:42:16Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > So sure, I get a little schadenfreude when he’s legitimately fouled and the ref’s response is :rolleyes: I know, I’ve already mentioned this when we talked about diving and theatrics before: it can be helpful in certain situations but it’s also an unfair tactic that gets punished more than it might appear at first. Once you have a reputation for this kind of play, you won’t get as many calls in your favour as you should get and a player needs to make a visible effort for quite some time to change the perception of the referees, other teams and the public. This, of course, is unfair too because it doesn’t reflect properly the reality but, otoh, something like this is also a good example to point out to up-and-coming players: “See, this is what happens!” > [@](#): > > And to show what I know about footy, Del Bosque remained true to his double pivot and two forwards…and yet we played, by far, our best match of the tournament. – **RedFury** Good game, but still not on par with the performance prior to the Cup – which makes this victory even more impressive: You controlled the match for 88 minutes out of 90 and didn’t even have to play stellar. Damn. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1974 "2010-06-30T14:15:08Z")
> [@RedFury](#): > > Other than that, obviously we’re bound to get fouled a hell of a lot more than other teams – after all that’s what tiqui-taca does, tires and annoys the hell out of other teams with overwhelming possession and fruitless chases. “We’re not divers, we’re just _really good_!” Nice try, but that argument didn’t even work for me when I was a schoolboy. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1975 "2010-06-30T14:46:47Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m still not seeing any contact whatsoever. 😕 > > His arms swung as he jumped (of course they did - you try jumping for a high ball without moving your arms!) but by the time they did, Capdevila was already going down like he’d been hit by a wrecking ball. No, he swung his arm backwards before the jump for the ball. Watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1976 "2010-06-30T15:08:03Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Ronaldo is running past guys flat out, with his balance thrown one way to go around the defender. Any knock he gets is going to push him further off balance and to the ground. This doesn’t engender much sympathy. It’s a contact sport. If you’re running around off-balance such that the slightest touch topples you over, it’s your fault, not theirs. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1977 "2010-06-30T16:02:20Z")
> [@wintertime](#): > > …Good game, but still not on par with the performance prior to the Cup – which makes this victory even more impressive: You controlled the match for 88 minutes out of 90 and didn’t even have to play stellar. > > Damn. 😉 Oh I agree. We’ve played much better pre-tournament. Just saying this was the best performance so far, and yes, TBH, the match was rather placid for me to watch all considered. NB: Although bringing in Lllorente paid-off handsomely for Del Bosque, I still think we’re a better squad in the 4-1-4-1 with the “four midgets” Xavi, Iniesta, Cesc & Silva manning the midfield. But hey! Who am I to argue with results? > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > “We’re not divers, we’re just _really good_!” > > Nice try, but that argument didn’t even work for me when I was a schoolboy. Or I could simply point out the facts instead: [Teams - Top attacks](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/teams/attacking.html) [Teams - Top cards](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/teams/disciplinary.html) [Teams - Passes](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/teams/passes.html) [Teams - Passes length](http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/teams/passelength.html) Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1978 "2010-06-30T16:17:00Z")
What does any of that have to do with diving? ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1979 "2010-06-30T16:21:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What does any of that have to do with diving? As you said he before “We’re not divers we’re just really good” So he’s proving they are really good and thus not diving. Although I don’t see how the two could be mutually exclusive. It’s possible to both be really good and taking dives. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1980 "2010-06-30T16:24:11Z")
> [@Xan](#): > > As you said he before “We’re not divers we’re just really good” So he’s proving they are really good and thus not diving. Although I don’t see how the two could be mutually exclusive. It’s possible to both be really good and taking dives. Correct. But I contend through the shown facts that we’re indeed really good in the key areas that make opposing teams have to foul in order to stop you. Well, it’s not just _me_ as the facts that **RNATB** didn’t understand show. PS-“Dives” are carded. Again, we’ve only got _one_ – and it certainly wasn’t for diving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677.md?page=98) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677.md?page=100)