World Cup 2010

[gcp]

Getting out of hand, the pulling by the Dutch, very dirty.

[gcp]

Horrible officiating! But Brazil for some reason fell apart so congrats to the orange, they fought hard for it and got it! I just wish the theatrics would stop once and for all, load them up with reds and they will!

[gcp]

Dunga resigns, and takes full responsibility for today's loss. Now that's a proponiths. Lets see if he too will not accompany his team back to Brazil but instead stay in SA to enjoy the rest of the WC like ours did.

Bad day at my household but that's what makes this sport so much fun! Dare I say I now support Uruguay? I may be the true jinks instead of the accused, Mick Jagger. :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

[gcp]

That how you defend against Argentina, you control the ball, you control the midfield and you score on em 1st. Get the picture on what superb defending is? Go Germany.

[gcp]

The Arhentines are acting like spoiled brats, nagging and complaining, theatrinismoi! A couple of red cards should end that $it.

[gcp]

Did I mention that's how you defend against Argentina? 2-0 no wait, it's 3-0 :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: Maradona, I guess it's back to cocain for ya. OOOps, tesara kai ti tesara.....

OK guys this game's fun is now over so lets go back to seriousness. The German methodical structuer, concistency, work ethic, fitness, organization, and strength is a few of the traits we Greek need to master before we can become competitive. But I am afraid we don't have it in us, sadly.

[gcp]

Forgot to mention on other tidbit, for those of us that may still want to claim that we are a only small nation with limited manpower, Uruguay is 2.5M population.

[Genome]

Forgot to mention on other tidbit, for those of us that may still want to claim that we are a only small nation with limited manpower, Uruguay is 2.5M population.

Population of World Cup 2010 Nations

These are the approximate/estimated populations of all the 2010 World Cup nations (in millions), take a look at some of the countries beneath Greece and what they accomplished, then let that excuse of population be gone forever! The problem is structural! (EPO, coach, the way talent is recruited and used in the league, etc ...)

308 - United States

192 - Brazil

155 - Nigeria

128 - Japan

111 - Mexico

82 - Germany

65 - France

60 - Italy

52 - England

49 - South Africa

48 - Korea Republic

46 - Spain

40 - Argentina

35 - Algeria

24 - Ghana

24 - Korea DPR

22 - Australia

21 - Cote d'Ivoire

20 - Cameroon

17 - Chile

17 - Netherlands

11 - Greece

11 - Portugal

8 - Honduras

8 - Switzerland

7 - Serbia

6 - Denmark

6 - Paraguay

5 - Slovakia

4 - New Zealand

3 - Uruguay

2 - Slovenia

Source.

[Lazarus]

Nothing makes me happier than seeing Italy and Argentina getting their asses whooped!

Maybe there is a God after all!!!!! :D

[gcp]

I heard on TV yesterday that the Germans implemented a 10 year plan to revive their NT's success. What a surprise that long term vision, methodology, and planning win the day, once again.

I remember distinctly that the Germans wanted her otto to coach their NT, right after the 2004 Euro, and he turned them down. I guess he loved Germany more than he'd ever love Greece because by declining he did his country the biggest patriotic favor anyone could have. Not that the Germans would not have canned him right after his first couple of unsuccessful outings because they would have....

[gcp]

Shameful display by the orange, absolute hacks!! And their coach with the removal of the medal displayed all the negative characteristics and the lack of sportmanship he obviously over-instilled into his side. And Greece made the article a couple of times, non-of-which was in a positive light.

This article's reporter has put down very-very eloquently my exact sentiments, food for thought for the future of this "can be beautiful" game!

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcu...world-cup-final

[zenon]

That article is the biggest looad of pretentious bullshit I have ever read.

About thye only thing I agreed with was the bit about the ball.

Every team that was there desrved to be there because they played and won enough games in there relevent qualifying competitions to qualify. Simple.

Maybe teams like australia and USA should be made to qualify in more diffcult circumstances.......no I didnt think so.

Maybe all these teams that have rent a foreigner in theit teams should be made to play their own people. Thats never going to catch on.

Just because the dutch who everyone painted as a free flowing football loving football side showed they can be as dirty and behave like thugs on the pitch doesnt mean that all these other teams should be bad mothed. Crap article.

[Euro2004]

Shameful display by the orange, absolute hacks!! And their coach with the removal of the medal displayed all the negative characteristics and the lack of sportmanship he obviously over-instilled into his side. And Greece made the article a couple of times, non-of-which was in a positive light.

This article's reporter has put down very-very eloquently my exact sentiments, food for thought for the future of this "can be beautiful" game!

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcu...world-cup-final

Mate you have to let go of this idea that defensive football is somehow inherently bad. Robben should have scored that "one on one" and then it's a totally different outcome. They nulified Spain's threat for much of the game and it nearly worked for them. The Dutch have always been an attacking team and have never won anything. These last couple of years they've been defensive and it has worked for them, making the final of the world cup. Their backline is mediocre, they have no chance of out-attacking top offensive teams. The Dutch did what they had to do and in the end they were unlucky, that's life.

North Korea played a high line against Portugal and look what happened there! Footballers have a responsibility to their fans, and that is to achieve success. Their responsibility is not to entertain the neutral. This is a ridiculous and the journalist clearly cannot understand football. He should stick to baseball

[gcp]

Euro, it would behoove you to keep in mind that to win at any cost is the Coliseum barbaric mentality you're adhering to, while disregarding the principle of the Olympics and “evgenes athlitismos” which was the ideal your own ancestors pass down, if not to the world, to their own at least.

But to get back to yesterday’s events, it's not defensive football that detracts, it's the dirty, cheating, hacking play that bothers me and the rest of us purists that would rather compete "well" and loose than to cheat and deliberately hurt others, to the point of ending careers, to win one match. So, I think the writer, and the rest of us of like mind, perfectly well understands ALL sports. Win at any cost, to include turning a beautiful game into a pity to watch is not entertainment, and wining at any cost is not the point. That's why rules are established in sports. This "free for all" mentality, "I'll do what I have to to win" is nothing more than admitting the other guy is better than you so you have to resort to trickery and dirty play to out do him, for the moment, because eventually you'll be uncovered just like our NT was uncovered right after 2004. Actually I'm surprised you can't see these elementary principles, as being Greek you ancestors laid it all out for you, but because you don't so here's some food for thought from those of us who still care to aspire to higher principles: "it's not what you do but also the style in which you do it that'll make you be looked upon as a class act". And the Dutch, but above all their coach, today look utterly ridiculous and more beaten than ever!

[zenon]

Dont disagree wiuth your sentiments at all.

I do disagree with the article suggesting that because the dutch were basically thugs in orange that all the smaller nations (in football terms) do not deserve to be there and that playing defensive football is bad.

As much as I did not like Ottos style of play, especially towards the end of his reign, it served its purpose.

During 2004 it was not totally defensive like it eventually became and at no point did Greece play like a bunch of thugs, kicking the opposition off the park.

Defensive football has its place when played fairly.

To be honest Spains football brand is not the best style, in my opinion, I prefer it to be more free flowing rather then the tippy tappy triangles that they play.

But thats just it, thats only my opinion.

As long as football is played within the rules then anything goes.

I was trying to figure out what it was about the article that also irritated me but couldnt until I read euro 2004s response that the writer should stick to baseball......bingo!

[Clover22]

Euro, it would behoove you to keep in mind that to win at any cost is the Coliseum barbaric mentality you're adhering to, while disregarding the principle of the Olympics and “evgenes athlitismos” which was the ideal your own ancestors pass down, if not to the world, to their own at least.

But to get back to yesterday’s events, it's not defensive football that detracts, it's the dirty, cheating, hacking play that bothers me and the rest of us purists that would rather compete "well" and loose than to cheat and deliberately hurt others, to the point of ending careers, to win one match. So, I think the writer, and the rest of us of like mind, perfectly well understands ALL sports. Win at any cost, to include turning a beautiful game into a pity to watch is not entertainment, and wining at any cost is not the point. That's why rules are established in sports. This "free for all" mentality, "I'll do what I have to to win" is nothing more than admitting the other guy is better than you so you have to resort to trickery and dirty play to out do him, for the moment, because eventually you'll be uncovered just like our NT was uncovered right after 2004. Actually I'm surprised you can't see these elementary principles, as being Greek you ancestors laid it all out for you, but because you don't so here's some food for thought from those of us who still care to aspire to higher principles: "it's not what you do but also the style in which you do it that'll make you be looked upon as a class act". And the Dutch, but above all their coach, today look utterly ridiculous and more beaten than ever!

Totally right on the money!

[Clover22]

And I have to say Iam absolutely disgusted by the Spain-Holland match; this has got to be the worst WC finals EVER in history in terms of level of play, but also the cheating, diving, shoving, dirty pathetic football both sides are responsible for. I've never seen anything like this and I've watched many WC finals, all since '82 plus the others in documentaries and stuff. Whats with this "win no matter what" mentality? Are you a lesser human being if you don't win? How about being thankful for the fact that you MADE IT to a WC final? Are the Dutch going to go home and cry now? They certainly don't deserve to be congratulated after that display.

I remember the '98 finals when Brazil were just sitting around after the match looking like they just came back from a funeral. Bad sportsmanship. You made it to the final and played your best, be thankful asssholes!

[Genome]

And I have to say Iam absolutely disgusted by the Spain-Holland match; this has got to be the worst WC finals EVER in history in terms of level of play, but also the cheating, diving, shoving, dirty pathetic football both sides are responsible for.

Disagree ... Spain came out to play football, the Netherlands came out to play (American) football.

[PAO_OR_DEATH]

That article is the biggest looad of pretentious bullshit I have ever read.

About thye only thing I agreed with was the bit about the ball.

Every team that was there desrved to be there because they played and won enough games in there relevent qualifying competitions to qualify. Simple.

Maybe teams like australia and USA should be made to qualify in more diffcult circumstances.......no I didnt think so.

Maybe all these teams that have rent a foreigner in theit teams should be made to play their own people. Thats never going to catch on.

Crap article.

THIS ^^^ very very bad article

to be fair, this was a typical final for this 2010 tournament. BORING, bad calls, bad play, bad sportsmanship and the best team at the tournament didnt win.

I know most people are saying the ducth are thugs, but to be fair, the spainish were diving to get cards.

ALSO, I feel there was a great injustice to heitinga receiving the RED when PUYOL did the EXACT same thing in the 85'' and wasnt shown the second yellow...THIS would have changed the match dramatically.

TEAM of the tournament....NEW ZEALAND!!! undefeated ooooooooooooooooe

my player of the tournament....JACK the Octopus

anyway whats done is done, a new name on the cup. positive.

[gcp]

I think I do know what truly irritates in this article and that is the writer’s reference of Greece being a football minnow and a defensive team that does not play the pretty game. Well, he is right on both counts, and most of us around here have admitted as much, and more. Or is it because the thoughts are emanating from an American that’s offensive to you? If the answer is yes I’d like to remind you that the USA has performed consistently better than Greece, in every WC and beyond, so under that logic we Greeks have much less room to talk than Americans. Or is it because the writer happens to be American all he is capable of understanding is baseball (a very arrogant presumption if you ask me!!)? I’ve lived in the US since 1975 and I absolutely detest baseball, don’t know the first thing about the game and don’t ever want to learn it either so where do I fit in? Should I too be forced to follow a sport I detest because I live here and should keep my football opinions to myself because I don’t know any better and/or so as not to irritate some Greek sensibilities of an all out defensive play being necessary because the GNT can't do better without such a game? Come on guys, please think through things before you publicly post aerologies ok?

As for the defensive game, I have admitted multiple times around here that it absolutely does have its rightful place! What the GNT did in 2004 was not pretty to the rest of the observing Europeans but it was a masterpiece to me. Why? Because I saw the rock solid Elliniki psixi of 11 players rise up in unison to overcame all obstacles thrown at them. Their defensive tactics absolutely helped them get there but they were not hacks and didn’t get yellow/red carded at every other play. They did it like men and within the accepted rules of conduct! Plus they had the desire to win and achieved the impossible by sheer will of character, hard work, and a bit of luck. So don’t even begin to compare the tactics of yesterday’s abominable, intentionally fouling orange, and their temper tantrums during and after the match, with our NT of 2004!! But what can one expect from people that to this day prefer to wear wooden shoes, kalous sta podia kai kalous sto mialo :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

[gcp]

zenon, are you saying the writer should stick to bingo? ;)

[gcp]

Clover, I am glad to see we finally agree on something :tup: :tup:

[gcp]

So PAO_OR_DEATH who was the best team in your opinion?

As much as I didn't appreciate the Spanish style of play, I too feel the little triangle passes detract from the flow of the game, it was proven the most effective with all-comers but the Swiss. So, I think the best team did get the cup....but I am open to substantive suggestions....and I am sure you meant Paul the octopus??

[gcp]

From the Forlan interview:

Finally, were Spain worthy champions?

No doubt about it. They played the best football over the course of the tournament, they managed to bounce back quickly from their defeat against Switzerland and they always looked to take the initiative. Let me take this opportunity to congratulate their players and coaching staff. Let’s hope one day it happens to us too!

Forlan is a class act!

[Akritis_1944]

This article's reporter has put down very-very eloquently my exact sentiments, food for thought for the future of this "can be beautiful" game!

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcu...world-cup-final

The guys opinion is just that. His ignorant and bias opinion.

Fancy placing Greece with Honduras and North Korea.

Greece qualified through Europe and also played a playoff match so they rightfully deserved their place in the tournament.

As for the performances they showed at the tournament (and also the last 5 years) then the writer might have a point. We all know we were awful. But as were many teams. Why signal out Greece for specific attention? Let's have a shot at the awful England/Nigeria/Italy/Switzerland/Australia/Denmark and even the USA.

What has happened at this tournament is for the history books....Now thankfully Otto's disgraceful reign (2005-2010) is history.

Man I am still really annoyed at how Otto treated the Greek fans with his tactics and his lies about their defensive mentality. He should have been sacked after that Sweden match at Euro 2008. We were the defending champions and Sweden is NOT a super power footballing nation and he sent out the team with 8 behind the ball and a 5 man defensive line and instructed the players to pass amongst themselves at the back and worst of all, he lied during the post-match conferences and said he didn't understand why the players were so defensive!??! YOU instructed them to play like that, you superstitious kraut bastrd!!!

We are not the third world, we deserve much more respect.

Good riddance...he might fool an ignorant world but he won't fool me, a proud Hellene. :nono:

Rebirth begins in Serbia on August 11.

I don't care whether we win or lose or draw. I just want there to be a clear plan from Santos as to which players and what system he uses. We might play a catenaccio style or rely on the counter attack for goals and that is fine, but I don't want to see that flinstone kickball that Otto ingrained intot he players.

I will NEVER pine for Otto's management. He took us 1000 steps forwards to our first ever major tournament but in the end he pulled down his liederhosen and took a steaming dump on our football side and on us as a people.