The Chinese may have racked up the most gold medals at the last summer Olympics, but Asians haven’t had anywhere near the same impact at the World Cup.
Soccer
Taking On Vuvuzela Inc.
One thing seems certain as the great global debate continues to rage over whether the South African vuvuzela should be banned from World Cup stadiums or not: someone is going to find a way to make a truckload of money out of the rumpus. And a couple of companies are already seeking to do just that by moving fast on what’s become the …
Away from the Hermit Kingdom, North Korea Faces the World
Every World Cup needs its mystery team, usually a side of minnows few know very much about — in 2006, the “Soca Warriors” of Trinidad & Tobago played that role with cuddly, heart-warming gusto. It’s a bit harder to attach that sort of sentiment to North Korea, whose dictatorial regime is one of the most alienated and vilified in the …
Eljerio Elia, the New Flying Dutchman
He hasn’t made too many of those “five young players to watch at the World Cup” lists, but that didn’t stop Dutch winger Eljero Elia – in his 30 minute cameo on Monday – from briefly setting the tournament alight with some breathtaking skills and thrills. Coming on as a substitute for the listless (and, IMHO, overrated) Rafael Van Der …
Cameroon’s Domitable Lions: What Was Their Coach Thinking?
Samuel Eto’o and Cameroon look like they’ve booked an early flight home from South Africa after an abysmal performance that saw them lose 1-0 to Japan. And that result was a fair reflection of a game in which the “Indomitable Lions” simply failed to play the game necessary to make the most use of the talents and athleticism of some of …
90 Seconds With … Socrates
He was the thinking man’s player on the field and he certainly had the thoughtful name off it. Brazil’s 1982 World Cup captain Socrates (or Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, MD, Ph.D to give the man his full due) was a wonderful midfield dynamo, who played for his country 60 times, scoring an impressive 22 goals …
Cue The Benny Hill Theme
An own goal that even cracked the guilty Danish defender up, and a pounced-on shot off the post that by all rights should have been cleared to the other end. That was the extent of offensive brilliance in the Netherlands’ 2-0 win over Denmark–a match in which a 0-0 (read “nothing nothing”) would have been a truer reflection of the …
Gazza’s Grief: A Sobering Reminder
Twenty years on from his breakout efforts at Italia ’90, Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne continues his tragic, downward spiral as he was admitted to hospital after a car accident in his home town of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Vuvuzela: Call It This Cup’s Atmospherics
Succeroos
Sorry, but no: despite an over-zealous red-card of Cahill (versus two well-deserved yellows for Teutonic dives), Australia was more conspicuous in stinking the Durban joint out tonight than Germany was in winning. Yes, four Gs are impressive. But Germany scored that many in their maiden match in 2006 against Costa Rica–who, frankly, …
Efficient
Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose only managed three goals apiece during the entire Bundesliga campaign last season. Within 30 minutes of Germany’s opening fixture against Australia, they’ve both scored. Just what is it about the World Cup and the Germans coming good?
Argentina Almost Thwarted by the Hands of God
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On a weekend that will be remembered for goalkeeping howlers, it’d be remiss to not applaud the efforts of Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who was named man of the match on Saturday despite his side losing 1-0 to Argentina. Enyeama pulled off a string of …
Forget “les Bleus”; Allez les Verts!
Just how out of touch are the French pols who–led by President Nicolas Sarkozy and his government–continue to stigmatize immigrants and “foreign” forces undermining French national identity? Just six months after French politicians angrily denounced the supposed treason of French ethnic Arab youths celebrating the Fennecs securing …