World Cup Diary - Part XV
The streets around Stuttgart's Schlossplatz are filled with colour ahead of the clash between Spain and Tunisia - some fans dressed in the red and yellow of Spain, others in Tunisia's red and white. But what stadium officials are looking at is not which team people are supporting - but what company made their shirt. Up to 1,000 Dutch fans watched their side play Ivory Coast in their underpants on Friday after they were denied entry to Stuttgart's stadium for wearing orange trousers with the name of a Dutch brewery which was not an official sponsor. Faced with missing the game or ditching their orange lederhosen - given away by the brewery - they made the obvious choice. Fifa officials said the trousers were an attempt at so-called ambush marketing - where a company tries to gain free publicity - and that they had to act to protect the interests of sponsors.
Laura Smith-Park is reporting the above for BBC, follow the link for the whole article. I wonder if it's even worth the high BP to still get aggravated over that courtesy of the FIFA, but it's frigging par for the frigging course. BAH!
Also, I am not at all pleased with the fact that another bunch of hooligans were arrested following the England/Sweden game. The heck's that all about? Go, play Counterstrike or something, but for the love of Pete, people are actually enjoying themselves and, bless my soul*), even without the lot of you around. Go wreak somebody else's party. Preferably on another continent
But enough with that, now to the games.
Mexico is taking on Portugal.
In a way at least. Most of the interesting players of the Portuguese were not even benched, they were somewhere in the stadium in suits. SUITS! Sheeeesh. Still, they managed a 2:1 against Mexico, which was a bit on the disappointing side. Figo is another one of those guys who's just not succeeding anymore. Looks like it's not only ME getting old. Anyhow...Mexico should go to the nearest Cathedral to light some candles, as...
Togo only managed a draw against Iran, another pity. Which means that Togo and Iran are gone, yay for the latter, shame for the first, but, well, sometimes it ain't meant to be. A mediocre performance by one team is enough to have another team drop out.
FINALLY the Ivory Coast wins. They score 3 goals against Serbia Montenegro, who are unable to score more than two goals against the Ivorians. Not that you hear me complaining, but that's the spirit. You're at the World Cup, each and every game ought to be played at 100%. Which they sure did. The Montenegran Serbs (or however the heck you call them) and the Ivorians especially. The FIRST team in 24 years that could WIN a game after being two goals behind already. In case you want to know, the last game managing that feat were uhhh...the Germans (West) against France at the World Cup '82 in Spain. I actually remember that World Cup, not much of it though. But I used to have a small football and...well, nevermind. I still have that football from the 79 Argentinia one somewhere around here, a yellow ball with the mascot and...ummm...yeah...where was I...Ivory Coast? I hope to see you again in four years in South Africa.
Now the real upset though. Argentinia vs the Netherlands. No score. None at all. We maybe ought to introduce another rule. If in the third and final game, the two leaders play against each other and the outcome of the came is of no real consequence for their advancement, the other two teams advance in their stead if no goal is scored at all.
Thank you, NEXT
*) Look at me being almost all political correct. Who would have thought....
Laura Smith-Park is reporting the above for BBC, follow the link for the whole article. I wonder if it's even worth the high BP to still get aggravated over that courtesy of the FIFA, but it's frigging par for the frigging course. BAH!
Also, I am not at all pleased with the fact that another bunch of hooligans were arrested following the England/Sweden game. The heck's that all about? Go, play Counterstrike or something, but for the love of Pete, people are actually enjoying themselves and, bless my soul*), even without the lot of you around. Go wreak somebody else's party. Preferably on another continent
But enough with that, now to the games.
Mexico is taking on Portugal.
In a way at least. Most of the interesting players of the Portuguese were not even benched, they were somewhere in the stadium in suits. SUITS! Sheeeesh. Still, they managed a 2:1 against Mexico, which was a bit on the disappointing side. Figo is another one of those guys who's just not succeeding anymore. Looks like it's not only ME getting old. Anyhow...Mexico should go to the nearest Cathedral to light some candles, as...
Togo only managed a draw against Iran, another pity. Which means that Togo and Iran are gone, yay for the latter, shame for the first, but, well, sometimes it ain't meant to be. A mediocre performance by one team is enough to have another team drop out.
FINALLY the Ivory Coast wins. They score 3 goals against Serbia Montenegro, who are unable to score more than two goals against the Ivorians. Not that you hear me complaining, but that's the spirit. You're at the World Cup, each and every game ought to be played at 100%. Which they sure did. The Montenegran Serbs (or however the heck you call them) and the Ivorians especially. The FIRST team in 24 years that could WIN a game after being two goals behind already. In case you want to know, the last game managing that feat were uhhh...the Germans (West) against France at the World Cup '82 in Spain. I actually remember that World Cup, not much of it though. But I used to have a small football and...well, nevermind. I still have that football from the 79 Argentinia one somewhere around here, a yellow ball with the mascot and...ummm...yeah...where was I...Ivory Coast? I hope to see you again in four years in South Africa.
Now the real upset though. Argentinia vs the Netherlands. No score. None at all. We maybe ought to introduce another rule. If in the third and final game, the two leaders play against each other and the outcome of the came is of no real consequence for their advancement, the other two teams advance in their stead if no goal is scored at all.
Thank you, NEXT
*) Look at me being almost all political correct. Who would have thought....