Russia with a gasp of hope!
Opening game howlers by the keeper do seem to be a hallmark of Capello teams…
I just noticed something: no vulvuzelas!
Why would there be? They aren’t a feature of the vast majority of football crowds in the world, thank fuck.
If the U.S make it out of the group, they can beat this Russia. If they are playing this Russia. Not the Russia that beat Portugal in qualifying.
I’ve heard the stupid things at mlb games.
Thank you FIFA for banning them from this years World Cup.
Didn’t realise they were specifically banned, but even if they hadn’t been, you wouldn’t have heard them in Brazil. They seem to be very much an African thing.
Oh, sure, a few idiots might have brought one along, but they wouldn’t have been noticeable over the general crowd noise.
Vuvuzelas exist in Brazil too… According to my girlfriend. She says they are common there but the powers that be were smart enough to abolish them.
Hate to fast forward so much, but does anyone know what the Eastern US game times will be for the Russia and Qatar World Cups? I’m wondering if this will be the last one that I will be able to watch at a normal time for at least 12 years. :eek:
I think even the NCAA (or the NFL) got on-board the banning-wagon, possibly in response to the 2010 World Cup.
You’re mistaken though; they’re not just an African thing - they’re quite popular in other less-traveled parts of the world.
Fair enough - maybe it’s just us Europeans who never come across them.
As to game times, I dunno. Western Russia would be about 8 hours ahead of EST, I think. So if games are played at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm local time, I suppose they’d be at 10pm, 1am and 4am EST. No idea if that level of detail is even known at this stage, though.
You made me chuckle. 
Ochoa was good, but I didn’t think he was that good. He had a few first half saves that were amazing but the commentators were fellating him for some second half saves that basically just required him to remain where he was.
In at least one case, I think he “blocked” the ball before he even realized it was coming at him. Still a hell of a game though. Good for Mexico.
2002 in Korea and Japan was pretty rough for the US time zones. Almost all the games were at 2:30 AM or 7:30 AM New York time.
I remember going to watch England vs Brazil at my work in London at about 7am that year. There was a sort of “Breakfast Party” atmosphere, at least until England lost. You couldn’t get a seat in the cafeteria. But even here, yeah, the game times were bad.
South Africa was good here - more or less the same time zone.
Was funny - I noticed a lot of Brazilian guys with foam hands saying “Filme Eu!” (roughly, “film me”, as you might have guessed) and mentioned this to a Brazilian friend. She told me that the reverse of those foam hands were painted with the suggestion that the Brazilian president should take it up the ass, or words to that effect. Apparently this has sparked a debate about good manners.
So the first round of games is now in the books… what are people’s votes for highs and lows?
For me…
Worst game: easily Nigeria vs. Iran in a snoozey 0-0 draw. Mexico vs. Brazil showed that 0-0 doesn’t have to be uninteresting.
Best heart shown by a totally overmatched team: Australia is no one’s pick to pick up even a single point, and went down quickly 2-0 to Chile, but fought back to 2-1, and then kept applying pressure and kept it close and exciting the whole game (before conceding one more nearly at the end)
Best goal: Van Persie’s jumping-fish chip-shot header for Holland’s first goal vs. Spain. In addition to being a key moment in what turned out to be a memorable game, this was both a brilliant and a hilariously weird goal. It looked like something that would be animated by someone who wanted to come up with something that looked cool but hadn’t actually watched very much soccer
Most embarrassing moment: Russia’s goalie utterly flubs a fairly routine shot, shades of England vs USA 4 years ago
Most surprising result: Costa Rica over Uruguay 3-1. Costa Rica were basically afterthoughts to a tough group, pretty much the punching bags as Italy, England and Uruguay fought over the two relevant places. Not so much, it turns out.
Most entertaining game: Holland, apparently still pissed about 4 years ago, utterly demolishes the defending champs 5-1
Iberian teams look shaky. Brazil has played what my friend called “fuck me” defence. Can’t see neither progressing far at this rate, and my money is on Portugal exiting in the group stage. Spain probably will improve once the Cup goes on. Brazil will be found out, badly by the likes of Holland or the Germans at this rate.
Fabio Capelli loves him some Moscow players, yet since a Zenit (St. Petersburg) player, who started on the bench (Kershakov) saved his team’s collective ass to get that point, maybe he’ll have Lodygin in goal next game?
Ha! Da and yes!
If I remember rightly, I went to the pub for that and drank Guinness right beside someone eating their breakfast. That didn’t feel weird at all.
I’m kind of amazed they got a licence to be open. Or maybe they didn’t …
Indeed. Who would have predicted that after the first round of games the two heaviest defeats were for Spain and Portugal?