2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

The Game Room
1481

It’s apparently an Adidas thing, called a “TechFit PowerWeb,” which according to their website is “scientifically proven to increase speed.” You can see a plain shirt with it here: http://www.shopadidas.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3211832&cp=3748172.3769878.3748174.3748184.2039608.2039611.3855121&cid=E18317&shopGroup=R. Here’s what it looks like on the French shirt: http://www.shopadidas.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4018182&cp=3748172.3737562.4065452&cid=P04020&shopGroup=R (the one on the left).

Personally, I think it looks ridiculous.

1482

How long has youtube had that soccer ball button that adds the vuvuzelas to any video?

It’s that little soccer ball in the corner.

1483

No offense, but this makes no sense. So if betting for the England-Germany game is currently Germany -125 (I just made that up), and then we find out that Rooney, Lampard, Terry and Garrard all caught dysentery at a South African B&B (Brothel and Breakfast) and won’t be playing, every bookie in Germany still has to offer Germany at -125? I know that you used “typically” in your comment, but please tell me why odds don’t change.

I agree that if your premise is true regarding fixing odds permanently, then soccer bookmaking would be harder. But I see no reason why bookmakers would ever do this to themselves, and still believe that football and basketball are significantly more challenging for bookmakers.

1484

I’ve been making quite a comeback in the Yahoo pool. I was nearly dead last a few days ago but have gone 12/15 this week with one correct score as well. Fourth place!

1485

This has been a very surprising World Cup so far. France and Italy are gone, England made it through by the skin of their teeth (what a weird phrase) after a tie with Algeria of all countries. North Korea made fools of the Brazilians. Japan beat Cameroon AND Denmark. Spain lost to the Swiss. Should be a very interesting second round

1486

**Portugal vs. Brazil 10:00 A.M. EST

Ivory Coast vs. Korea DPR 10:00 A.M. EST

[size=6]Chile vs. España 2:30 P.M. EST

Switzerland vs. Honduras 2:30 P.M. EST[/size]**
Football is no fun. I’m a wreck already. :frowning:

But enjoy the day.

1487

So, how are the players in the WC paid? Do they earn a salary or is it all performance-based?

1488

Well New Zealand’s impossible dream is over, but at least we finished ahead of Italy in the group. I thought the All Whites were a good example of teams playing to their limitations. Lacking the class to score lots of goals they did what they could, defended hard and tried to capitalise on whatever few chances came their way.

The Slovakia/Italy game sounds as though it was pretty crazy.

1489

Depends. They’re definably super-pampered as far as accommodations etc, bur obviously the bigger Federations offer the bigest bonuses.

IIRC currently Spain has the biggest performance incentive, with 600,000 Euros for winning it all. Obviously this is negotiated between Captains and their Federations. Further they also negotiate objectives – meaning the stage they achieve. Highly doubt Italians and French are too happy about their financial gains…

1490

In terms of who needs to do what to move on:

The morning matches are easy: Brazil has clinched a place in the knock-out rounds, and will win the group if they win or draw.
Portugal will win the group with a win, finish second if they draw, and probably finish second if they lose.
To finish second, Cote D’Ivoire needs to win, have Portugal lose, and either
(a) have the total goal difference by which they and Brazil win be 9 or more
(b) score at least 7 goals more than Portugal and have the total goal difference be exactly 8
(c) score exactly 6 goals more than Portugal, have the goal difference be exactly 8, and win a coin-flip.
North Korea cannot go through to the knock-out rounds.

This one’s quite a bit more complicated.

Chile wins the group with a win or a draw.

At the other end, Honduras can go through if they beat Switzerland by 2 goals AND Chile beats Spain by 3 goals. (Also, for every extra goal they beat Switzerland by, the Spanish loss can be 1 goal smaller. But Spain needs to lose for Honduras to go through).

Spain wins the group with any victory over Chile coupled with a Switzerland loss or tie.

If both Spain and Switzerland tie, Spain will move on to the knock-out round. Likewise if Spain ties and Switzerland loses.

If Switzerland wins and Spain loses or ties, Switzerland finishes second.

If both Spain and Switzerland win, things become complicated.

(a) If Spain and Switzerland both win 1-0 (or any other identical 1-goal victories), Spain wins the group on goal differential, and Chile finishes second based on its head-to-head vs. Switzerland

(b) If Switzerland wins by 1 goal more than Spain beats Chile by, and scores at least one more than Spain scores in their match with Chile, OR Switzerland wins by 2 or more goals more than Spain wins by over Chile, Switzerland wins the group, Spain finishes second, and Chile is eliminated.

(c) If Spain beats Chile by more than one goal, and Switzerland does not fulfill the conditions in (b) above, OR if Spain beats Chile by one goal, and Switzerland wins by one goal, but the Swiss-Honduran game is higher scoring, Spain wins the group and Switzerland finishes second, with Chile eliminated due to goal differential or total goals.

Clear as mud?

1491

Sure they are, and constantly. Online books change the odds (incrementally) on every bet dozens of times each day, and I’m sure brick and mortar casinos aren’t all that much slower.

1492

[del]Three[/del] Four things:

  1. I hate soccer’s version of offside.

  2. Go USA!

  3. Also go Japan! (for whom I voted in the who-will-win poll). I was very happy the pizza place I went to for lunch today had their game on the TV.

  4. I’m listening to matches during my morning commute. I absolutely LOVE the color commentator on ESPN Radio. He’s a cranky, yet enthusiastic old(?) Irishman who makes listening to the games better than watching them. Best color guy ever, who is he, anyway?

1493

Actuality not at all. Wish I had your patience to do as much.

Very well done. Thank you.

1494

I love this photo of Bill Clinton having a beer with the team after the USA game.

When do the babes show up?

:smiley:

1495

I saw someone at the end draping what looked like an Algeria scarf around his neck. I think Clinton should have given that person his necktie.

Speaking of which, I haven’t seen as much swapping of jerseys after the final group games. Is it just that one team’s too excited and the other is too bummed to bother with it?

1496

I’ve still seen it, though you may be right.

Did the French team swap jerseys? Their coach seemed like a jerk.

1497

That Honda fellow is amazing. Just watched the Japan/Denmark game. The last goal was a thing of beauty (actually, so were the other two) but watching him in open play throughout the match was terrific.

His ball control is superb - the ball seemed to stick to his feet. I won’t say he’s Johann Cruyff, but I could have been fooled for a few minutes. Is he just that good, or was this unusual for him?

1498

Great pic. I’ve seen the swapping going on, but on American TV, they cut so fast to the booth and then commercials–they cut almost as the time is called. It’s annoying and they don’t do that for American football or baseball. Grrrr.

1499

We’re not talking about online books or brick and mortar casinos. We’re talking about British-style bookmakers.

1500

Yes, New Zealand did very well, and came close to nicking a win against Italy.

Japan were good last night, they’ve really improved.