WORLD CUP 2010

No clever thread titles. No fannying around. Just the beauty of the best tournament in the world.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EcBpvUhPBeU/SXdA8LJ8S-I/AAAAAAAAAIc/BZgckmBuEpc/s400/zakumi2.bmp

HE'S READY.

I shall play no further part in this thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEVdca9U9LM

I woke up this morning and the very first thing that popped into my head was "shit the World Cup starts today". It was like being a kid at Christmas.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ov1vR6RVtkQ/Scy2zvgOtzI/AAAAAAAABOY/LKy1pHz2gMI/s400/02Vader.jpg

IS TIME

Good old Stig Tofting.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3226/2674794110_20c8fb916f.jpg

HE'S MAKING THE CIRCLE BIGGER:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM_Ew6zsnDY

SHE'S WAKA WAKA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0

I'm supporting whoever Shakira's supporting

I didn't know that Chile line up in a 3-3-1-3 formation. I had no idea L-Jagz was managing them to World Cup glory.

http://news.3yen.com/wp-content/images/WAKA-WAKA-FONZIE.jpg

As a child I believed that 1-3-3-3 was the ideal formation, based entirely on the neatness with which one could line up a Subbuteo team on the pitch. It left no gaps. You even had a spare defender left over just in case, but he ruined the perfection of it so I'd probably've gone with 3-3-3, had I got the chance to manage in the world cup as a nine-year-old.

I woke up this morning and the very first thing that popped into my head was "shit the World Cup starts today". It was like being a kid at Christmas.

ahah, same here (and I woke up at 4.30am !).
anyone knows why shakira is present at every WC ?? (ok, only the previous one and this one but still...).

Shakira's probably the ultimate globalised pop star, more so than anyone from the US or UK.

i don't even know what time the first match is. or who's playing. but i'm XCITED

Opening ceremony at 1pm, kick-off at 3pm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfcuYtgv_Y0

I actually don't think there's anyone in the world who is more excited about the World Cup than Desmond Tutu. Dude can still work a crowd.

<3 Desmond

And, oh god, the first game's on ITV. Hope they're not in control of the cameras.

They're never in control of the cameras. Commentators sheepishly apologising for a lenghty close-up of a pair of jiggling Brazilian breasts is a World Cup institution.

I just saw Mark Viduka on television wearing a brown suede jacket and eating donuts in order to remind everyone THAT NOT JUST ANYONE GETS TO GO TO THE WOOOOORLD CUP

Is he still playing?

he's certainly still eating donuts

Mad rumours going round right now that Thierry Henry has failed a drugs test. If this is true the whole of Ireland is going to piss itself laughing.

Mad rumours going round right now that Thierry Henry has failed a drugs test. If this is true the whole of Irelandthe world is going to piss itself laughing.

― Matt DC, Friday, 11 June 2010 12:01 (20 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

http://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Henry.jpg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/11/nelson-mandela-great-granddaughter-killed

RIP Nelson Mandela's 13-year-old great-granddaughter, killed in a crash on the way home from last night's concert.

:(

permaban mark g and history mayne

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00278/Waldo_Ponce_278323s.jpg

HE'S READY

Via Twitter: "South Africa fan saw BBC mic, said to me: 'South Africa 0, Mexico 3!' Me: 'Really?' He roared: 'NO! THE OPPOSITE!' and burst out laughing."

this is taking forever, can they play the first game now? i've got nothing(lots but meh, laziness) to do till 3.

fuck it, i'm watching old royal rumbles and eating niknaks for 2 hours.

Watch last night's concert: http://worldcup.vevo.com/

tinariwen! saw these guys on the smallest stage on roskilde a couple of years ago...

so psyched. south africa - mexico could probably be a pretty good opening game too

fuck it, i'm watching old royal rumbles and eating niknaks for 2 hours.

Bloody students

no die antwoord no credibility

not a student anymore, should be bloody taxpayers

Tinariwen are the best music in the world for when you're at a festival with a hangover and the sun's beating down.

http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab134/ClutchlessBurgers/vuvuzela.jpg

aaaaaaaaaaargh

http://www.pcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dungbeetle.jpg

that's 50ft tall right?

R Kelly

What was giant cockroach thing all about (I had the sound off?)

I might have to miss the rest of this to go to a pub.

ITV's streaming thing = well rubbish.

R Kelly was in Kampala at the same time as me, half the city went to the gig. He played for exactly the contractual one hour and spent the last five minutes looking at his watch. Dude can charm an audience like Desmond Tutu.

wow this schedule really sucks for people on the west coast.

lol at argentinian training

watching via http://zattoo.com/#UK_itv1

not a student anymore, should be bloody taxpayers
― name (a hoy hoy), Friday, 11 June 2010 11:42 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i've got nothing(lots but meh, laziness) to do till 3.
― name (a hoy hoy), Friday, 11 June 2010 11:29 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

bloody lazy pen pusher more like ;)

huh, broke lesner won the royal rumble. forgot that ever happened. football started yet?

i'm watching despierta america on univision and the hosts haven't stopped dancing for the last 45 min -- there's a little countdown in the corner too

We found an old Royal Rumble tape at my parent's house from c.1990 that had Rik Flair in a crowd of about 12 wrestlers - no-one was fighting him so he threw himself over fresh air and lay down injured for a couple of minutes.

Missing the opening ceremony :(
Toying with going out for the first game but can't really afford the time out of work :(((

watching via http://zattoo.com/#UK_itv1

It's working for me

Sounds like some good tunes being played before the matches.

whatever happened to guardado?

This is exciting!

Chiles is doing OK so far. I liked the fighter jets roaring past him.

I have just written the fixtures in my diary. In the Guardian's schedule the QFs and SFs overlap! I think this cannot be correct.

It's really exciting.

Sounds like the stadium is full of bees

... get used to it, if you can

It kind of makes me think something scary is about to happen to David Duchovny

Don't think any England games can possibly happen during weekday 9-5 hours, by the looks of it? NHS just sent out a customarily charming "if you're off sick during the world cup you will be killed" staff e-mail irregardlessly.

embrace the parping, killjoys

Sounds like the stadium is full of bees

It's a beautiful sound. I have entire CDs that sound like this.

You NEED John Champion for this.

V exciting!! Love the parping bees imo

i'm getting used to it

The parping always makes me imagine the stadium is full of this guy and his pals, having just arranged some particular sweet stones.
http://www.virginmedia.com/images/makka_pakka_christmas08.jpg

Fuck off Blatter

Drury will do.

PASSION. HOPE. BEES.

Pretty awesome having it in Africa

and the World Cup isn't bad either

Why do they have some dude on the PA system speaking slightly ahead?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tYc7QKYLbE

^ keep thinking this is starting

Bets on how long this thread will be come the final?

what is sepp blatter and teddy long's stand up routine like?

not the vuvuzelas!!! arrrrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhh
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4MqTCIDKhU

I'm not considering it as starting until tomorrow, when I can stay home and be glued to it all day.

Kind of awesome to be one if those kids imo

Also west coast truly suxors

Release the bees!!!!!!

http://i42.tinypic.com/11kfukj.jpg

Vuvuzelas actually quite useful for drowning out Drury

To be honest, i only watch it for the obligatory hot football fan women in the crowd shots.

whoa pienaar's hair

Bets on how long this thread will be come the final?

― I am utterly and abjectly pissed off with this little lot (Tom D.),

5K posts/week probably

home after a week away with five minutes to spare, exquisite timing. So are we doing a fantasy thing?

how many minutes into the first game before the local director cuts to a shot of a beautiful woman in the crowd?

whats w/ pienaar's hair?

AND SO IT BEGINS :DDDDDDDDDD

http://www.welt.de/multimedia/archive/00355/Joachim_Loew_skepti_355495g.jpg

Aguirre, Wrath of God

Don't think any England games can possibly happen during weekday 9-5 hours, by the looks of it? NHS just sent out a customarily charming "if you're off sick during the world cup you will be killed" staff e-mail irregardlessly.

― MPx4A, Friday, June 11, 2010 2:48 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

embrace the parping, killjoys

― MPx4A, Friday, June 11, 2010 2:48 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

when i worked in the nhs (2k2 era) they basically let people watch the soccerball in the canteen

aguirre, wrath of dentures

man the ITV SD stream is so gross : (

Yeah apparently before my time they called a fake admin meeting during an England game and put TVs and cake in there!

This BBC Liveblog is patently not updating every 30 seconds

WHAT PART OF THE PITCH IS THE BALL IN RIGHT NOW "CHEESEY", EARN YOUR FUCKING MONEY

btw lol at this

http://www.theonion.com/interactive/the-onion-sports-introduction-to-world-cup-soccer,17558/

lol spurs players

Contemplating skiving off work right now...What possible good could I do at work? I hate this west coast timing srsly ugh

"Best ball of the match so far." O RLY

this is looking like a fucking rout and only after 2 mins

Thank God for DVRs and streaming

link that isn't itv or zattoo plz

veetle do, clint?

pienaar's hair looks like it usually does? with the comment upthread i was hoping for some sort of taribo west

how are they making so much noise? how many of them are there?

veetle is taking ages to d/l another link plz

tvcatchup.com?

oh, it's down; every office worker in the uk must be slamming it

Sounds like the stadium is full of bees

This is where my obligatory Xenakis reference for the year comes in :-)

how about this?

Is this the right thread to post score updates for Blueski?

how are they making so much noise? how many of them are there?

1000025.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZNFYQfjF3M

how many of them are there?

94,000 seats. presumably its a sell out. maybe a third of the spectators have vuzuvelas? pure guessing.

No, I thought I was getting used to the vuvuzelas but I'm not. Have put on Stockhausen's Helikopter-Quartett.

This is where my obligatory Xenakis reference for the year comes in :-)

It's making me feel sleepy. I once put some Canadian electroacoustic music on during a Cup semifinal and zonked out before extra time.

terrific tackle.

drowning out itv commentators i could listen to children be murdered.

This is where my obligatory Xenakis reference for the year comes in :-)

"La legénde d'Eer" one presumes?

ffs dos santos you'd be awesome if you could actually finish did you learn nothing kicking it with leo

Don't think any England games can possibly happen during weekday 9-5 hours, by the looks of it?

What time is our final group game against Slovenia? BBC website has it as 3pm on a Wednesday, so I've been working on the assumption I'll miss the whole thing.

"La legénde d'Eer" one presumes?

Mostly, but he used massed horns in quite a few of his works. Might check up on this a bit more when I get home tonight.

Which Canadian Michael? Paul Dolden?

Dos Santos is having a great game apart from the whole shooting-on-target thing.

Was thinking massed bees more than massed horns (xp)

O shit yeah sorry I'm on holiday then so I had it down mentally as one I wouldn't miss.

The second round is Saturday 26th evening or Sunday 27th afternoon depending on whether (if?) England finish 1st or 2nd, quarter finals for Group C guys and semis and final are all weekends/19:30s though

I signed Efrain Juarez for Forest on FIFA 09 Manager Mode. He was...useful

is it me or are mexico playing 4-2-4? :)

30,000 vuvuzelas then? blimey

"...less tuneable than bees."

Was thinking massed bees more than massed horns (xp)

It reminds me of a bee army descending on us all when those horns would come in. xp

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/makingwaves/calling-off-worker-bee.jpg

every veetle link is so shit

that would have been better than that iniesta chip assist btw

Terrific save just then from the South African keeper.

really don't get this scheduling - totally hopeless for latin/north america and even most europeans are at work right now. who did they schedule this match for, the middle east?

Which Canadian Michael? Paul Dolden?

Yes! I think was it Veils, actually.

chiles before the game, watching the s african players dance on to the pitch: "fairly sure andy townsend, gareth southgate or EVEN MARCEL DESAILLY have ever come on to the pitch that way"

"natural rhythm" moment 1 of 10,000

the last World Cup kicked off around the same time. i distinctly remember just walking out of the office mid-afternoon to watch the opening ceremony.

"why didn't vela just hit it?"

Commentator obv. not good enough at his job to wiki him and find out he plays for Arsenal.

also :( vela

who did they schedule this match for, the middle east?

One game in the (late) afternoon, one in the evening, usual set up

terrific call by the linesman but :( vela

so the vuvuzuelas (sp?) kill the atmosphere and mean no crowd noise, totally shit.

why ":("? there's nothing :( about a goal being correctly chalked off, you cheesy Arsenal nob

:D

:) was just hoping he would add a couple mill to his price tag this summer.

south africa determined to score that david silva goal huh?

wondering how it sounds inside the stadium. I'm pretty certain I would feel nauseous.

chiles before the game, watching the s african players dance on to the pitch: "fairly sure andy townsend, gareth southgate or EVEN MARCEL DESAILLY have ever come on to the pitch that way"

It's like ITV went "look, Adrian, you're not at the BBC any more, any chance you could pepper your dialogue with a few more racially awkward moments?"

think my brother's out there if not yet then soon. will be interesting to see how reduced the bee count is for tomorrow night (assuming it will be).

so the vuvuzuelas (sp?) kill the atmosphere and mean no crowd noise, totally shit.

I guess also that people are too busy buzzing to do any yelling?

SA looking good

I like the buzzing, it adds to the atmosphere for me.

good point about not hearing the crowd as well tho, might be nice to hear singing for example

terrible match so far

agree entirely w/ Matt

I guess also that people are too busy buzzing to do any yelling?

Not sure you can really watch the game very well either

Hope we're gonna get full-on bees + drums for the Brazil games

Good game, would be a terrific one if Adebayor wasn't the player bought in to teach the Mexicans the offside rule.

so the vuvuzuelas (sp?) kill the atmosphere and mean no crowd noise, totally shit.

Stop harshing my buzz.

Vuvuzelas do kill the atmosphere - exactly the same sound during half-time as when Mexico scored.

Yeah, there's no ebb and flow to the crowd noise, doesn't match up with the game at all.

yeah exactly...no crowd noise for entire world cup....

Hold on, Mexico have scored?

I blame whoever produced those Keane albums

Imperfect Crowd-Noise Forever

I mean people were calling for them to be banned after the Confederations Cup but FIFA trotted out some line about the unique vibrancy of a World Cup in Africa

yeah exactly...no crowd noise for entire world cup....

Dunno, depends on the fans really? I'd assumed the vuvuzelas were mostly being carried by SA frans, but I could be wrong. Would be a bit weird for the stadium to be making the same noise during, say, Germany v Serbia.

can I say FUCK YOU ESPN3 for having your beautifully high-quality stream include commentary in Arabic... I just want to listen in!

Dunno, depends on the fans really? I'd assumed the vuvuzelas were mostly being carried by SA frans, but I could be wrong. Would be a bit weird for the stadium to be making the same noise during, say, Germany v Serbia.

The bees were present in every game in the Confederations Cup

Yeah, there's no ebb and flow to the crowd noise, doesn't match up with the game at all.

My thoughts exactly: it's not that the buzzing itself is annoying, it's the relentlessness of it coupled with the total lack of variety in pitch or volume. You don't get the sense that anyone in the ground is watching the game, it just seems to be filled with buzzing robots.

haha woman on camera just then was awesome

watching on itv but i'm so not keen on the bbc new live text window, why have they crammed all the text on the left now with a huge blank window on the right?

horns aren't bothering me, they were for the first few minutes but got used to it.

mexico seem to be doing to SA what they did to England. SA to win this one then?

lol at this guy on 5 Live, asking the supporters questions but no one can understand him b/c of vuvuzelas.

SA to win this one then?

Sepp will have his fingers crossed

Hope second half will be better. And I hope France x Uruguay will be more exciting. Maybe a fight between Henry and Lugano.

The bees were present in every game in the Confederations Cup

I imagine a lot less fans from other countries bothered to go to the Confederations Cup though. I live in hope.

SA were picking up in the last few minutes there, i hope they keep that momentum. altho i have mexico to win this 2-0 in the works comp.

Silverstreak on in between games tonight. and i really need to do some shopping

yeah the vuvus were playing in every game at the confed cup.

maybe if mexico score they'll shut up? you're not vuvuing anymore!

I wouldn't think too many people travelled to the Confederations Cup though, no?

South Africa aren't very good but they'll win this, maybe from a set-piece. Mexico evidently can't finish and judging by the England game they can't really defend either.

I swear I've heard this tune before, but it might just be a case of deja vuvu.

woow

woooooooooooo!

And they're off...

that was an immense pass

blimey

lol Tydesley.

"goal for all africa" oh fuck you commentator. ffs

XD

Awesome

yeah pretty epic tydesley

that pass really was beautiful. and trrfic finish

found the English stream just in time for that

xps fucking hell this commentator

All African teams now one goal up.

lol martin tyler 'you can write a thousand songs for a player named ShabalalalalalaLA'

it's a sweeter strike with every replay

It's Drury

"what a moment in the history of sport"

what...s africa scoring? what a total twat.

xp and he's a c*nt

Missed it. Arse.

Mexico have been looking awfully static. (I'm watching a TF1 stream, which is almost as annoying as English commentary.)

World Cup is lacking some Ray Hudson commentating action.

So yeah every other goal in this World Cup is going to be a ridiculous speculative long-range ripper, right? England should have put Thudd in the squad for the ball alone.

this is another game too where in first half, beglin kept saying how mexico were playing better etc, when it appeared to me that they actually weren't, at all.

x-post that wasn't a v long range shot was it?

You already have Gerrard and Lampard, Matt.

to be fair Matt it's not like Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney can't hit 'em

posted that anyway because FUCK XPOSTS

I just find it funny that even when Tyldesley isn't commentating, people give him shit. Probably still deserves it though.

Wish they'd show the goal from swoopycam

tbf if dos santos and franco could finish this would currently be 5-1 xpost

How old is Dos Santos?

football is for people

LOLOL

oh god... "in a little village where theyve only just got electicity".. FUCK OFF DRURY

No way is that the first game those villagers have ever seen ffs

the whole "little village cam" shit is already fist clenchingly annoying

x-post otm!

"That's not even a telly, it's a bedsheet."

that goal just as important as the dropkick that won the rugby world cup according to drury. just so you know.

every word he says is in this OH THE JOY tone

he's going to start comparing that goal with Mandela's release any minute now

also when s africa scored he did a little mock african accent and roared "BAFANABAFANAGOLLLLL"

Dos Santos was born in 1989---was also thinking he was pretty young.

hope someone steals his car while he's commentating this

You know the 'little village cam' will be in a pub in Manchester when England score, and in a pub in Liverpool when England concede.

little england cam

"this is the first time they've seen a game here in bury...it's not even a tv it's the xl england shirt of that bald fat man near the front turned inside out"

A pub in Liverpool when the dj refuses to spin some phil collins

mexico better score, my accumulator is dying on its feet

was also thinking he was pretty young.

He games has had all the qualities and all the faults of youth.

mexico better score, my accumulator is dying on its feet

― Ronan, Friday, 11 June 2010 16:27 (34 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

the most important goal since nelson mandela achieved his goal of being released from prison

The Long Ball to Freedom

Going straight to the Carlos Vela News blog to see how they rate his performance.

It occurs to me that Mexico are actually rubbish

Was that a penalty?

also when s africa scored he did a little mock african accent and roared "BAFANABAFANAGOLLLLL"

― Ronan, Friday, 11 June 2010 16:24 (4 minutes ago) Bookmark

i didn't clock who scored at first and just assumed he was improving the whole SHABALALA thing

even more confusing when beglin added a couple more lala's on after

* improvising

Don't really see why that shouldn't be a penalty tbh

The Long Ball to Freedom

― I am utterly and abjectly pissed off with this little lot (Tom D.), Friday, 11 June 2010 15:30 (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

well played sir

Francisco Rodríguez totally knocks Modise w/o any ball contact or frankly even any attempt to make it.

the worst part is he prob had rehearsed bafanabafanagoal

Probably because the guy didn't dive, that's usually why those aren't given

come back Big Ron, all is forgiven

GET IN THERE

no horns!

equaliser!

oohoh

no fucking horns!

(sorry.. prediction league result now correct)

lol the vuvuzelas fall silent PAAAAARRRRP

blanco loves those short corners but he f'd that one up

quite certain that Marquez is the most attractive player of the tournament so far.

good thing there was no defense

they've left apartheid unmarked at the back post there and it's nipped back in to ruin the greatest sporting moment of all time

oh shit no more goals plz

Missed that too. This whole working-at-work thing is well overrated.

they've left apartheid unmarked at the back post there and it's nipped back in to ruin the greatest sporting moment of all time

ahahahaha

a rubbish goal all round

Rafael Marquez was my hero for no real reason at the last world cup

blanco looks like he can barely even run

Mexico might nick this I reckon

Worst thing to happen to the African continent since the ebola virus

yeah looks that way

espn radio broadcast slightly behind actual game: learned about the goal BEFORE the announcers. heee!

tommy smith (pre-mexico goal): "sun is not shining in the stadium anymore but the sun is certainly shining in the hearts of the south african fans."

Ronan, you utter genius

what's Jim Beglin got against Uzbekistan, then?

Too hard to pronounce

tommy smith (pre-mexico goal): "sun is not shining in the stadium anymore but the sun is certainly shining in the hearts of the south african fans."

Read somewhere that Tommy Smith once said, quote, "I don't mind n***ers, but I wouldn't want one as a neighbour." Not that relevant, just felt like mentioning it

xp apparently not enough to just patronise South Africans

oooooooooooh

world peace, thwarted by a post

how long must s africa bang the ball against the post of injustice

a nation held its breath? surely a continent?

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha keeper off his line ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
HA HA HA HA HA

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

(er.. anyone listening to radio?)

that post was FW De Klerk, standing in the path of Nelson Mandela's long ball to freedom

peres has come

ho ho ho

South Africa should be gutted not to have won that - bet ITV pundits don't take that view, they're just happy to be there

a draw, the fight continues.

mexico's defence is woeful

A 1-1 draw shows just how far this nation has come.

Shame it wasn't a Tutu.

Zulus Mexico

This World Cup being held in Africa has brought the continent back 40 years and forward 20 in the hearts and minds of ITV commentators all over the world.

I really hope South Africa don't go out as a result of a controversial refereeing decision.

here's something nate silver made about the world cup, i don't know or care to know anything about this game, this "soccer," but it looks like it might be useful somehow, it's neat looking anyway, soccer on you soccer heads

http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/3517/spi6112010.png

^ US stats obsession LOL

spotted on my local MLS borad:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k82/nowak10/d7d7ce2f.jpg

TF1 has Pires as an 'expert' commentator and they just asked him what players and what formation he would use if he were Domenech. LOL

are england really more likely to win the world cup than portugal?

They've got a easier route to the final I think

xp they don't have brazil and spain in their half of the draw i guess?

I still think it's possible that Portugal won't even get out of their group.

same

anyone needing some cheap digs at usa, i wrote this...maybe only funny if you're 11, or maybe not even then, but nonetheless...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8730000/newsid_8735300/8735318.stm

you wrote it?

haha at manchester team everton wednesday

anyone needing some cheap digs at usa, i wrote this...maybe only funny if you're 11, or maybe not even then, but nonetheless...

Nah, thumbs up man

The BBC have Drury-free highlights up on their website commendably quickly. SA goal was beuatiful

I lolled at 'rimshot'

According to Akamai, web traffic to global news sites today is up by half on the previous record set on US election day in 2008.

Bummer. I only watched the first half of this game. The sound of vuvuzelas was insane! BTW, we figured out it's a B flat.

'everton wednesday' got a big guffaw from me, immature titters throughout, great use of 'soccerball', 9/10 imo

WHERE'S BORGHETTI? i miss him

he would score like ten goals @ this game

where would I buy a vuvuzela?

Tesco has them.

ty :)

I wish I had one in my office.

Adebayor as pundit!

Gary Walker's nicknamed him 'Manu' as you can't say 'Lazy cunt' before the watershed.

ffs, could just hear Lawro moaning on about something in the background then. Couldn't they leave even one negative cunt at home?

Need to start an Adebayor "Of course" drinking game.

Jesus christ, Hansen communicating in sign language to Adebayor

pretty thankful for henry's hand ball right about now

Should have asked Adebayor about Gallas...

Wonder if this stadium will give us swoopycam action?

ou est le jibester

Mexico looked dominant in the first half but poor final pass/finish cost them (see also: Mexico anywhere ever). SA looked really composed and in control for most of the second half and probably deserved more than a draw. Hoping for another draw tonight to win some money.

Going out for the evening and watching Fra vs Uru when I get back - guarantee someone will randomly say "what about that France/Uruguay goal eh?" to me before I get home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAdGzreAEFI

LOLVOU

gah! espn 'live match audio' is playing Espn news Lakers basketball wtf wtf wtf. GAAHHH. Fuckers!

boy this r a dull game

Interesting game this. Diaby has had free rein over the middle of the park to the extent that it didn't look like anyone else is there. Uruguay's cramming and jamming at the back has kept France out, though - the effective scrappiness of their defending is weirdly reminiscent of Greece in '04, except Uruguay like playing in the other team's half too. Forlan looks like he'll create something more than anyone else in the game. He's quite the player, isn't he?

Think there'll be a goal. Difficult to tell who'll score it.

Oh yeah I am sure lj is loving this. doesn't make it less dull.

At least it's only nerves, though. Not every single pass going sideways.

Damien Johnson chatting to Lee Dixon isn't the same as Ray Stubbs looking terrified of Marcel Desailly. Particularly that time it was raining, and there was only one umbrella. And Marcel had it. And Marcel could not have been happier about that.

I wish there'd been a winner this afternoon, it would've raised the stakes a bit here. Both sides here are far better than the two this afternoon I reckon, they just look much sharper.

when did toulahan get so old?

Can you get Five Live commentary on red button? I tried earlier but can't figure out how...

watching on French tv & the announcers keep referring to the referee in red as "le Chinois", when his nationality/ethnicity obviously ought to be irrelevant...but that's France for you.

And he's Japanese.

it certainly is a nation of many left backs

haha that's great!

Tbf, France have a little reason to be peeved at his refereeing.

Can you get Five Live commentary on red button?

Only on Sky, not Freeview.

I'm on Virgin. Flaps. There's a stream on the Beeb site, but I have a nice big telly that doesn't have buffering issues, so.

Why IS Malouda not playing? Mystic Meg ask if Domenech was SINGLE? today?

Lodeiro + Suarez = Hopeful fun times. :)

And here's Nicolas Lodeiro, one of Tim Vickery's favourite subjects. Then again, the way Vickery writes about guys, it's like they all have golden paintbrushes for feet.

Lodeiro appears to be about 5'3".

lol it kicked off

Anelka's first WC match? Really?

forrrlan! wait... that didn't go in?????

wow that Uruguay sub has a proper S American footballer haircut!

Yup, he's always been too young or stroppy or playing for Bolton to even make the squad before

I'm going to be thoroughly sick of the note b-flat by this time next month.

So basically instead of crazy Jabulani-induced 25 yarders we're getting a month of piledrivers which are deceptively eight feet wide

FFS WHY IS IT ALWAYS ARSENAL PLAYERS?

we're getting a month of piledrivers which are deceptively eight feet wide

France were doing this 20 minutes in ffs.

Anyone seen Diaby during the past 15 minutes?

lol Henry claiming handball

DRUDGE SIREN HENRY CLAIMS HANDBALL DRUDGE SIREN

yeah lawro wtf using ribery and gignac out of position in each others positions...

EVERYONE IS EVEN, WE ARE ALL EQUAL...PRAISE THE BEES

That was alright. Pleased that France showed a bit of urgency. Would've liked a bit of competence too but hey ho. Those two should go through, but won't.

It was like Arsenal on a bad day.

I am rooting for another day of ties tomorrow

Eeh. Uruguay fought hard - nervous, limited, but they've spirit about them. They can get out the group, may well get better as the tournament goes on.

I did the predictor spreadsheet earlier, had France somehow making the final where they lose 3-0 to Holland. The 3-0 to Holland bit of that is the only really plausible bit now.

I dunno. Not a good game, exactly, but one that sort of eases you in a bit. Also, if you thought that was bad - South Korea vs. Greece starts things off tomorrow...

xpost

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1196/659183829_d872bbbb4d_o.jpg

france should urgency? whens?

I hope they put that text on the tickets xp

Adebayor's eyes have turned suspiciously red since half time.

that fella from bolton v. ninis >>>>> ribery thinking about kids and not starting malouda v. lodeiro not starting and getting sent off in 5 mins

Not a great opening day tbh, despite all these wonderful shots of villagers watching the magic box etc

I didn't know Gourcuff was Casey Affleck. I'm pretty sure this is the only way I've ever seen France play (without Zidane)

Franc are frustratingly lacking in options for actually scoring.

In other news, Alexei Lalas should be euthanized.

I bet Argentina - Nigeria tomorrow could be exciting.

Shearer meets Rooney- like Frost/ Nixon with even worse haircuts.

I like Rooney, he at least tries to answer the questions.

ffs Shearer blowing his own trumpet - did he edit this himself?

yeah he gives it a go. Shearer on the other hand makes Garth Crooks look like Paxman.

That was a terrible game - Domenech was mental not starting with Malouda and France looked pretty terrible. Sidney Gouvou annd Abu Diaby FFS.

Can't work out whether it actually is the ball or whether all those shots swerved wide because the players are just a bit rubbish.

govou transparent as usual but that's pretty harsh on Diaby who orientated play quite well

Not a great opening day tbh, despite all these wonderful shots of villagers watching the magic box etc

― Ismael Klata, Friday, 11 June 2010 21:33 (Yesterday) Bookmark

haaaaaa

i can imagine so many americans tuning in today and being like wtf, this shit is weak.

i missed the first match, but uruguay/france was such a snooze.

tomorrow's only bright spot is argentina/nigeria. us, england? can hardly think of two teams that play less gracefully.

you're wrong on that latter point

sorry, i didn't mean to dis the greeks

2010 will be the year Slovenia redefine "the beautiful game".

someone hasn't seen Switzerland play 'football'

slovenia, algeria!

HTML Playground needs Dell's picture-thread response to the WC tbh

what is this "hot tamale playground"?

it's great art iirc

Domenech was mental not starting with Malouda

I think BBC said something about some bust up with Malouda y'day at a team meeting.

thanks for the chad props, yes "rimshot" was the subject of a "can we say that" discussion, it gets funnier each time i hear it even tho didn't intend it in a rude way at all.

here's the bonus web clip that we couldn't fit into the tv piece: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8730000/newsid_8735400/8735409.stm

Been digging the bees today. Keep thinking it's this about to start https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIlkiLj32eQ

just saw the o.g. again and 'the wieners are on me' = haha oh wait shit :D

govou wearing number 10 is an insult to zidane

http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jun/Week2/15648018.jpg
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jun/Week2/15648043.jpg
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jun/Week2/15648040.jpg

They're pretty good at reminding people why to hate them.

that independent cover is v dope imo

Obama v Gerrard? Tough call.

Things John Terry did not say to Wayne Bridge's girlfriend:

"Now it's time to deliver"

AMIRITE

First game tomorrow: 4.30am pst
Get up to watch, or watch on TiVo in the afternoon?

Feel like it's the World Cup, should make an effort...but ugh single digit morning time...then again: naps!

wow imagine he'd gotten her pregnant and she'd chosen to keep it xpost

anyone needing some cheap digs at usa, i wrote this...maybe only funny if you're 11, or maybe not even then, but nonetheless...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_8730000/newsid_8735300/8735318.stm

― Ronan, Friday, June 11, 2010 12:28 PM (9 hours ago) Bookmark

don't even have the guts to make it so that americans can watch it.

i wish i was back in a bar in brooklyn watching this match 2moro

"reaching final could boost UK economy by 2bn pound"

aren't we giving that straight back to you tho as reparations

no last I heard you were giving us the english channel

oh shit, just like london bridge

good luck rebuilding THAT shit in the arizona desert mind

damn yeah that's gonna be double hard without mexicans

Carlos Vela's Bridge to Nowhere

hey veg grrl, west coast here too. 4:30 is ruff stuff but skorea greece can't be worth getting up for right. i'm gonna try to get up thursday for argentina though, that'll hopefully be worth it

Time zones suck imo. Good call on Thurs Argentina...solidarity!

My timing was great for an East Coast visit, I should actually be able to keep track of the matches in real time. Caught both today and was baffled by some of the ESPN commentary, so many well polished cliches. Also I kept thinking Ally McCoist was talking about "France's white men" rather than "wingmen."

You'd think South Korea vs Greece didn't look promising but tbh it can't be any worse than last night's second half.

I recorded France vs. Uruguay. Should I not bother watching?

First WC bet up - double on two draws yesterday turned £2 into £20.

Was in the pub so just kinda lost interest as it went on, football was decent enough at times but there was no real excitement. First group game syndrome.

Watch it on fast fwd!

Not a bad plan

Loving the vuvuzelas btw, it's like having the Taj Mahal Travellers playing thru every match

South Korea v Greece = battle of two blokes who sit on Celtic's bench. Exciting times!

Vuvezelas = a giant bluebottle in your ear, or a temporary attack of tinnitus. Was watching England v Pfunk Allstars or whatever they were called the other day and the other half thought I was watching motor racing.

WC highlight show on ITV4 now, I'll make do with that, though I love the way the ball bounces on x2 fast forward.

Vuvuzelas = 2 minutes of "oh that's really loud and sounds great" then 88 minutes of "actually they're really shite and completely kill any sense of the game affecting the crowd so stfu!"

Vuvuzelas = La Monte Young doing the in-game entertainment

Calling bullshit on the notion that the vuvezelas mean you can't hear any cheering as a goal goes in - you could hear the crowd after the South Africa and Mexico goals. But there are other things (brass, chants, drumming etc) that would get completely wiped out.

y'all need to get with the drone imo plus here's hoping it drowns out any cunts with trumpets playing "The Great Escape".

Also it was awesome the way the drone stopped for a minute after Mexico equalised.

Predict TV producers fucking with the sound levels to take them out or amp them up as and when they please

I do wonder whether South Africans are even into football - it seems to be all about the vuvuzelas, spotting yourself on the big screen, and cheering absolutely everything. There was even a reference in the commentary to swathes of empty seats after half-time. Reminds me a little of the IPL.

Vuvuzelas >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the ITV commentary on that South Africa goal

xpost

This is all big sporting events tho. Lots of English teams averaging 5000-odd gates suddenly find 30,000 fans from somewhere if they got to Wembley.

LOL WHAT'S THAT BIG HUMMING SOUND HURRRRRRRR

getting out of bed at 7am on a saturday all excited to watch greece vs south korea makes me feel alive. <3 the world cup.

roberto martínez in the espn studio. i really love the way his accent has come on. schmeichel-esque. superb.

ooh hello korea girls

a lot of empty seats in that crowd wtf?

bzzzzzzzz :(

greek economy, greeks gods, usa vs england all get a shout out before the coin toss.

whats with the stuttering reception itv ?!

Seems fine here Ste, where you watching from?

GET IN

Oh yeah!

xp , from uk, seems to have stopped now as well

i'm in uk, Manchester, not noticed anything.

sound was ok, picture just freezing. only happened about four times but yeah seems to have sorted out now.

South Korea look really sharp. THERE'S HALF-A-DOZEN HERE FOR YOU TODAY BOYS

yeah s korea looking really good here, shame i have greece down to win on my prediction comp

It may just be the France-Uruguay effect but this game is wildly entertaining to me

ROK have players over every time they break but they don't seem to know what to do with the ball. they should be killing the tactically naive africans hellenes.

oh ref!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAArgh shaaame

fucking glorious pass though

Christlike throughball

ohhhh that's a video game thru ball. triangle!

There is a sort of video-game like lack of selfishness to S Korea, they just seem to be keenly looking for the right pass no matter what

this ref is shit. Skorea look great. That big fucking pitch black shadow is a stadium design fault

watching this baws ITV.com stream in silence I can hear the bees in my head. They got me.

final ball from greece has been both a tragedy and a comedy

Oedipish

That big fucking pitch black shadow is a stadium design fault

http://www.mullsports.com/images/spider.jpg

At least I cd see what was happening under the big dandelion

the tops of the stadium, not the shadows, look bizarre to me like they're cgi or something

not a classical performance from greece but their coach looks philosophical about it. i wonder if any of the greeks is going to step up and be a hero, and earn their place in the pantheon.

not sure how good korea are, but greece appear to be terrible.

steve mcmanaman's skin has cleared up. obviously getting direction to speak more slowly so the muricans can decipher his scouse.

What's the point of having that halftime chat thing with people that mumble and aren't interested?

park jesus

Hey remember when Greece could defend?

lovely finish

Nice!

<3 world cup!

haw my ITV.com stream has somehow fallen behind everything else on the page, so I can see "54' goal" on the bottom bar while the game itself is at 49'. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT.

have totally missed this game so far, is it worth my looking for the goals online?

Really enjoying SK v nice controlled passing with odd bursts of pace and skill. Greece look clueless - 2-0 down at don't seem to give much of a shit about anything.

At least Sami won't be tired for pre-season (hopefully pre-season with someone other than Celtic).

Sami hooked as I typed that :)

Yeah, SK have been the most attractive side to watch so far. They always look to keep the ball on the floor.

I don't think any of the Greeks will be tired this evening, never mind pre-season

jesus. greece are making sk look like brazil here

have totally missed this game so far, is it worth my looking for the goals online?

― i once saw chippy vela has a good game, honest... (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 12 June 2010 13:43 Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

First goal pretty ordinary set piece but second was a nice run and finish after some comedy Greek ball control.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5Sn_6Qn_Lk

Someone needs to bail out Greece.

3 massive chances for greece in the last 3 minutes, hmm

Greece are gonna get one of these on target eventually. Koreans need to step it up again.

They're misguided to try and sit on this lead the way Greece have defended.

What A Mezés

Pittaful really

The Greeks? Yoghurt to be kidding me.

just rolled my own eyes at myself

job done surely now

In your face, L0u1s J4gger

Some of them Greek players shd be sacked. See how they like cashing a gyro for a while.

The main flaw with the team they couldn't run as fast as the South Koreans due to being feta.

Argentina x Nigeria next. Now we're talking.

(Well, I said the same thing yesterday before France x Uruguay)

Come on you Super Eagles

is kanu still about?

It's kind of late but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur5fGSBsfq8

He's about alright

about fifty

someone just asked me: is kanu still ALIVE?

Which is the best stream if the ITV one breaks down?

nwankwo kanu interview on some ryoji ikeda shit

heinze far too slow to play fb these days

Isn't it on BBC

Yep

BIG MICK IN THE AREA

haha those horns just never stop do they

Based on the anthem most of the crowd is Argentine.

yeah looks pretty 'blue' out there

This is gonna rule hard. Maradona appears to be Terry Venables in a beard.

:D

LOOOOOOOOOOOL Tevez

WELCOME TO SOUTH AFRICA

the diamond formation can be great but the problem is always the wide mid positions, whether to play cmids or slightly tucked-in wingers there

veron and di maria are about as different as cld be in most aspects

love nigeria from when they weren't crap but hoping maradona gets this to work somehow......

ESPN dork talking about Argentina "exuding an aroma of goals."

lol could be four nil up after 5 mins

Big Mick otm re: horrible marking

i;m actually starting to get nervous about the england game, so far i've been casually loving these first games as a neutral. i keep forgetting that its our turn soon

Heinze!

goal for "the Manchester United defender of a few years ago!" wtf

BBC definitely mute the crowd noise somewhat. Flicking between their coverage and RTE's the difference is quite noticeable. Anyway, this looks like it could be embarrassing for Nigeria.

Nah, Argentina don't look that solid at the back.

But Nigeria look worse.

Do they dope test managers btw?

gray rainy morning, perfect excuse to watch

was wondering if Maradona is going to start snorting the line markings if they get up a few points

ESPN dork again: "plenty of SILK and STEEL mixed into the Argentine FABRIC." Good grief.

Five Star fan

Haha Maradona all "Oh yeah, you need the ball here."

nigeria's best player in the absence of mikel is arguably peter odemwingie

swedish coach typically dull and unimaginative

Yeah Nigeria ought to be showing more ambition getting forward, they've had good chances but Argentina look happy enough to sit back and counter them.

this was the tard playing elmander on the right wing two years ago, worse even than the english for insistence on 4-4-2

"While Heskey, whose England place in the subject of fierce debate, found the back of the net a mere five times for Aston Villa last season, spot-kick specialist Vincent Enyeama dispatched nine penalties for Hapoel Tel Aviv."

lol didn't practice throws in training then

i couldn't tell what was wrong with it?

Didn't get it back behind his head for a start.

Pundits can slobber over Argentina all they want at half time but if Nigeria get the ball wide and get guys running in from the midfield they've got every chance of getting back in.

But...but Messi's got the ball on a string!

Messi's great but Argentina have shown no mind to kill this off.

Not at all sure about Samuel wrestling his marker out the way on that goal btw

messi hasn't even been ~that~ great by his standards

Dunno, two good shots stopped by good saves, looks dangerous more or less every time he's got the ball.

Jurgen Klinsmann made a little-known comeback under a false name in 2003. He appeared for Orange County Blue Star in the American Premier Development League as the striker "Jay Goppingen". He scored five goals in eight matches.

the best outcome for argentina is that messi takes to the system and the championship left winger at rb experiment is quietly shelved

wkik Juergen, totally

Yeah Klinsmann is basically too good to be here

Nigeria have got no movement when they get forward. So stolid.

http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2010/06/12/covers/front061210.jpg

Good Luck USA

Nice cover. It's not to be taken literally, right?

Washington crossing Delaware as we speak...

Having 1 dude on yr team who can cross a ball might be a plan, Nigeria

You gotta score from there

That was even worse.

ALSO FROM THERE ODEMWINGIE YOU TIT

It's the big net. You kick it in there!!

want a I LOVE NIGERIA scarf

poor pass on that counter by tevez, who seems a bit unnecessary in this team

Thought Tevez has been pretty good tbh, there seems to be a second gear mentality about the whole team at the moment

about the whole match in fact

Ooh that was all but in. Argentina need to put this to bed.

Jonathan Pearce reduced to composing Messi fanfic now

Lol

sir alex vindicated by veron's performance today. Lolmmentators.

South Korea must fancy their chances of getting out of this group.

wtf was that a laser pen on messi then?

or sniper

A big striker and South Korea could be a damn good side.

+ a goalkeeper

Think it's hard to tell about South Korea cos their opponents were so bad, which is also the case with Argentina today.

UCHE THAT'S GOTTA HURT

what an idiot

WTF

Argentina kind of deserve to lose a goal now

not seen anything spectacular yet in any of these 1st matches.

Is Tevez actually one of the problems here? Lost count of the number of times somebody has run past him on the overlap and he passed the ball backwards instead?

xpost

Opening games are gonna be cagey, I don't believe Argentina wd be fannying around like this if they weren't a goal up for example.

Or if Nigeria could get a bloody goal

Nigeria hates scoring

Did he really say to stay tuned cos we were gonna get a chance to hear from former professional and UEFA-trained tactician Ray Winstone?

Messi missi

Lagerback out

americans: what channel number is espn on the tv in my hotel? is it different in every town? i can't find it. telemundo commentators are fools.

not exactly a goalfest thus far - Heskey will sort that out

Hmmm, who do I want to get acute laryngitis first, Lineker or Shearer?

Not trying a sports bar, caek?

Shearer.

these guys are making a very special personal appearance at the bar i am watching the england game in: http://www.austinaztex.com/. gonna try and find their quartermaster and ask him what he thinks about rooney in right D and who he likes for the england goaltender draft.

That's quickfire poll #5 sorted out

Caek: it's different in different cities/cable providers.

xxp, yeah, just wanted to see mcmanaman and whoever about on the argentina match. going to the official "team USA" bar for the england match.

xp, yeah, i thought so. could my tv not have it? is it free or do i need digital or cable or something (which i don't think this tv has)

This afternoon's England-USA game is on ABC, which should be a low number on the cable as it is an over-the-air network as well.

I will be getting terribly drunk in a bar for the england game, so that game is not a problem.

Oh I think that game might be a problem

yeah, my tummy is going a bit squirty tbh, and i don't think it's the jalapeno cheese.

Are you going in English regalia? As a Redcoat perhaps, or maybe up the ante with an oily bird mascot?

Espn's a cable channel. But even cheap hotels have a handful of cable channels usually

caek - espn is a cable/sat channel, so yeah, it's very possible your hotel doesn't have it.

(secretly I think we might turn out to be a lot more convincing than we have been for a long time but I've watched too many World Cups to say that out loud)

It can be our secret

telemundo has dancing girls in england shirts

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10300045.stm

"Argentina has never won a world cup in a tournament where the mascot wasn't wearing a hat"

^ love that there are people in the world who find out this kind of shit

bit hot hear for a redcoat tbh.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f325/caek/IMG_3355.jpg

"the three lions behind Frank's shoulder there - maybe it's an omen that we're in a country that actually has lions"

love caek's hat :D

yeah, cowboy town

We just got abused in the pub for watching the Argentina game when Scotland aren't even in it so we have no right to watch the tournament.

Dude doing it was our failed Labour cadidate at the last council elections. O_o

at least he failed :)

Capello will have announced his team to the players by now

I reckon England will go with
Green
Johnson, Terry, King, Cole
Lennon, Carrick, Lampard, Gerrard
Heskey, Rooney

what happened to that henry drugs rumour?

I think it started as a joke with that gif I posted upthread somewhere then grew false legs on a few blogs

http://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Henry.jpg

http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/oddballs/830486-thierry-henry-world-cup-drug-ban-hoax-sweeps-internet-after-joke-video

I reckon:

James
Johnson, Terry, King, Cole
Lennon, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole
Rooney, Heskey

lol

ha, without metro, i'm out of the loop.

ok i'm off to get sunburnt and shouted at by radge soccerball fans. good luck usa.

i think you've been framed is gonna be the highlight of itv tonight.

http://twitter.com/DTguardian

#Eng team is coming in for #usa match as: Green; Johnson, Terry, King, A Cole; Lennon, Lamp, Gerrard, Milner; Heskey, Rooney #worldcup 4 minutes ago via web

Milner stuck out on the left then.

I was right about the bit I wanted to be wrong about. Positive spin: Gerrard - Lampard in the middle is a statement of "we're going for it" if true.

lol

http://twitter.com/livevuvuzela

=======<() EËNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEÉEEEEEEEEEEEËEËEEEËEËEEEËEË about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

Shd have a sweep on how many minutes of the tournament Green can play before he is a broken man who has to retire from professional football.

David Cameron really is a repellent failure as a bullshiter

Did you see that bit on Screenwipe (or something else with C Brooker) where he was trying to talk football with some black kids from South London and completely failing to understand them? I'm cringing thinking about it.

he = Cameron, if that wasn't clear

wasn't that Boris?

He's up on his sports tho - he called Paul Collingwood 'Colin Wood'. xpost

Thing I saw was Cameron. He was asked who would win the league and made a gag about The Blues winning that went down like a burning spitfire then someone said "who's gonna come fourth" and Cameron couldn't work out what the kid was saying.

I'm pretty sure Boris does that sort of thing on a daily basis tbh.

Caek - if Eddie Johnson of the Aztex is there, tell him I have very fond memories of the job he did for me on FM09 when I was managing Hyde United.

Haha the American pregame footage would fricking start with U2z

Oguchialu Chijioke "Oguchi" Onyewu (born May 13, 1982, in Washington, D.C.) is an American footballer who plays as a defender for Milan of Italy's Serie A and the United States national team. He is often referred to by the nickname "Gucci Mane"

U2zzzzzzzzzz

Do Americans get much pre-match analysis?

HANDY HINT: you can watch one BBC website match highlights package in the space of an ITV ad break.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtYaypsLNKU

Frank gave the M.E.N an exclusive performance at The Salutation pub off Oxford Road. The song is inspired by his mother and his collection of England shirts – home, away and ‘goalie’.

He said: "It is my official unofficial World Cup song and all the money that I raise from the single will be going to charity.

"I think it’s that good that Wayne Rooney will be singing it when he comes back from the World Cup."

Do Americans get much pre-match analysis?

Not with Alexi Lalas involved, no.

Gah and now the ESPN dude is gesturing at McManaman with a vuvuzela.

I like the sounds of that. Who else do you have doing your coverage?

John Harkes and Martin Tyler calling the match for us. Yay?

findley starts, clark starts

They've all but been calling Capello a Eurofag. "He likes fine art, fine wine -- US coach likes Springsteen!"

ABC is now explaining Bafana Bafana to us. They are doing this by getting a guy who is not a cornfed beefy American dude to do the narration.

gonna admit that basically that carlsberg team talk ad has made me want england to get pissed on 5-0 in every game, or "eng-i-lund" as they are known in swarthy englishman advertising speak. that and the english flag being owned by supermarket booze promos...

At least the US team look like soccer players this time, rather than a bunch of indie musicians.

xpost

that plus 95 percent of the TV & radio coverage is pushing me close to agreeing

wonder about the pluses and minuses of jay demerit at centre back tho. i mean he's clearly earned his place in the team, he's definitely not without value. he deserves to be there. but there are pros and cons about him appearing, when you break it down into positives and negatives. he is there on skill tho, i guess, when you consider it.

can't help but think tho, with demerit, what are the i dunno, good and bad things about him being there???

I was thinking ITV were doing a good job but these past five minutes = erk.

Chiles enjoying his new job a wee bit much...

McManaman saying Lalas is nuts, advantage: Ruud! Kinda. Now, more ads.

Jay Baruchel and Ian Brown, together at last.

cut to the stadium already

Keegan predicting 4-1!

First dude that quotes Henry V, Richard II or Nelson and I put the telly thru. Also FFS SOMEBODY GIVE KEEGAN A VALIUM

Plus side: ITV don't seem to have Kasabian on the playlist.

Nice to see Landon having a wee chat with his kid while everyone else ignores theirs

star wars adidas advert looked well made.

Hopefully we'll get a memorable play-out of that Cast song at the final whistle.

Boy, does Fabio look sharp.

"Expectation may be too high but we are definitely gonna win this tournament"

Anybody who sings for the Queen is a twunt

Doesn't football TV usually have "this is the one" by the roses?

What's with the little kids. Is this a NAMBLA convention.