Africa’s celebration of the beautiful game has ugly consequences for club sides in Europe
South Africa
Keeping ScoreWorld Cup
World Cup Miracle: Could the U.S. Win the Whole Thing?
Oh my, scratch the obits – on both sides of the pond.
The Agony of Defeat (Not To Mention Group Suicide)
And so the miracle the entire world had waited for transpired after all. No, France didn’t pull itself out of the pathetic, self-mocking off-field tantrums for which it had become a laughing-stock in recent days. And didn’t knock in enough goals to beat South Africa and sneak into the knock-out round as Mexico lost against Uruguay. …
France: World Champion–Of Pathetic Controversy
Herewith an update to my earlier post about Nicolas Anelka’s obscenity-driven verbal assault of coach Raymond Domenech Friday night. It now serves as a perfect reflection of the incompetence and hypocrisy of the entire French Football Federation responsible France’s South African debacle on and off the pitch.
Is England The Most Boring Team in the World Cup?
This is the second time I’ve trekked to a stadium to watch England play in the World Cup and – bar the first four minutes of the first game, when Steven Gerrard struck a composed goal – my God, they’re dull.
South Africa’s World Cup Experiment: It Works!
As most people know by now, the big idea about staging the World Cup in South Africa, the grand experiment, is trying to change the perception of the country, and perhaps a continent. So: is it working?
That Giant Sucking Sound
Isn’t just France, but Raymond “I am not an idiot” Domenech drawing in his last, horrid breath as French coach. Just a few comments:
Switzerland to its Footballers: Thanks Very Much, Now Go Back to Where You Came From
It’s common to celebrate the tapestry of nations coming together at World Cups. The globe unites under a shared passion, and, for one month every four years, it seems hundreds of millions of people assume new nationalities. What other event could transplant the bitter South American rivalry between Brazil and Argentina onto a slum in …
A Glum Reality Check for the World Cup Hosts
While Spain’s 1-0 loss to Switzerland was the first upset of World Cup 2010, the only surprise in South Africa’s 0-3 defeat at the hands of Uruguay was the score-line — and the fact that Diego Forlan managed to keep his shirt on after scoring (he’s lately had a bad habit of earning mandatory yellow cards by whipping it off to celebrate …
What the World Cup Means to the Burmese
Live Blog: Ivory Coast vs. Portugal
The hopes of a nation can now rest on a protective cast. The Ivory Coast’s — and TIME 100 cover star – Didier Drogba has been given special clearance by FIFA to wear it on his broken right arm for his side’s group game against Portugal. Reason enough to live blog this massive match!
Assessing Asia’s World Cup Performances
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.
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 …
