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SaberDance
Federated Suns
Colonel
Joined: 07-May-2004 00:00
Posts: 837
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 Posted: 10-Jun-2006 06:41 Post subject: World Cup Soccer |
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In honor of the World Cup starting off today, and in the spirit of this multi-national board, I give you this
I'd appologize to our Italian friends, but, nah. All's fair in love and futball.
_________________
"Politics is the Art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, misdiagnosing the problem, and applying the wrong solution."
-Groucho Marx
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 10-Jun-2006 15:13 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Currently if you are from the following countries you are not friends....
Ghana
Czech Republic
Italy
Then any other team Sam Army faces in the following rounds.
In 4 weeks we can become friends again.
AWAD- With the Ivory Coast Argentina game on
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 11-Jun-2006 05:38 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Bah, it doesn't matter who wins. Seeing a good game is all that's important.
(that doesn't mean that I want you to win  )
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The dragon NEVER sleeps!
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 11-Jun-2006 14:55 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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I know where you are going to be tomorrow. I am going to take a 2 hour lunch.
AWAD- USA! USA! USA!
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 11-Jun-2006 16:17 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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May the better team win.
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The dragon NEVER sleeps!
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Nightmare
Lyran Alliance
Kommandant-General
Joined: 03-May-2002 00:00
Posts: 2214
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 00:31 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Not just better. Let the deserving team win.
Sideways-topic? When the US first entered the World Cup quite a few of us cheered them on. Seeing a new team taking on the old hands is always stirring.
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A tree fall in the forest, and no one is around, and it hits a mime. Does anyone care?
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 02:57 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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True, now wee need to watch what's happening on the battlefield... err... play ground...
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The dragon NEVER sleeps!
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Wanallo
Federated Suns
Leftenant Colonel
Joined: 02-Jan-2004 00:00
Posts: 671
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 07:48 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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How much attention is the world cup getting over there in the states? I never really thought about it before but Football (soccer) is hugely popular throughout the world, however the home grown US sports like Basketball, American Football and Baseball seem much bigger. How many people are following the world cup over there?
Just to show a comparison, 75% of England watched our opening game against Paraguay. About 42 million people. For such a small country, thats alot.
On a side note, there's only one team for me...
Three Lions!!!
_________________
Constant exposure to dangers will breed contempt for them-Seneca
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 09:14 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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With the NBA and NHL Finals going on right now, some coverage. ESPN Sport Center does highlights every night. There is a special World Cup program every night now. Also every single game is being broadcast.
So far the US has not played so the interest is not big. Hard core like me, immigrants, and second generation people have the most interest, so I would say 20 million. Big thing is the game is played in the middle of the work day. US employers are not as kind about skipping work. If the US makes it out of group play then interest will peak.
But what is so interesting in the US, the number one youth sport is soccer (football). You go some suburbs and there are a dozen pitches with games going on simultaneously and hundreds of kids and parents. It has not paid off into the Pro Leagues.
Our Pro League, the MLS, is growing and semi stable. Will never overtake Football. What is important is our leagues are made up of locals. Years ago our national team was half naturalized US citizens from somewhere else or second generation kids.
With all that said, I will take a long lunch today and go watch the game.
AWAD- USA! USA! USA!
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 09:18 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Well the Three Lions better get it together. Beckham got robbed ,(ruled own goal) of a goal but they did not look so good. Not bad, but not the greatness expected from England.
Do not need the shocker of tying little T&T like Sweden did. That was a great game to see such a small team just gut it out and attack.
AWAD- USA! USA! USA!
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AWAD
Draconis Combine
Chu-sa
Joined: 06-Feb-2002 00:00
Posts: 766
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 13:48 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Time to go puke. The better and more deserving team won. To bad your tall striker got hurt.
USA played so flat and lazy. Against a great team you are bound to get smoked. That last goal was all hustle, we had none. The second goal was a rocket, but the defense let him stand out there.
I think Arena made a mistake going with Donavan and Macbride. I thought against such a tall team he needed speed. He changed that but Beasly just stood there. Why he was not yanked? Reyna I think is over rated. He just does not fit the way the Americans play.
If we lost but played like T&T or Ivory Coast I would be happy. We just rolled over and whimpered.
AWAD- USA! US.... o hell if they are not going to try why should I
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Sleeping Dragon
Draconis Combine
Tai-i
Joined: 06-Apr-2005 00:00
Posts: 4820
Location: Czech Republic
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| Posted: 12-Jun-2006 15:20 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Well, even if you don't win, you still have some valuable experience and with one lost match the cup is not over yet.
We may still meet again ...
Koler's leg isn't in good condition at the moment and they say the he won't be able to play for the rest of the world cup. That's bad because he can do a lot of work, but maybe we'll be lucky... (I hope so)
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The dragon NEVER sleeps!
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Wanallo
Federated Suns
Leftenant Colonel
Joined: 02-Jan-2004 00:00
Posts: 671
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2006 11:01 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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England's performance wasn't particularly thrilling to be sure. But thats the nature of the world cup. Most of the bigger teams with bigger reputations tend to stiffle a bit on the first day. Look at Portugal, Holland, Argentina and Italy, all won but their performances were not anything special.
On the other hand, Mexico/Iran, Togo/S.Korea were two of the best games ive seen, the smaller nations have alot less to prove and just play all or nothing. Their perfomances often take larger teams by suprise.
One thing I will say in the USA's favour, they are really under pressure from other fans. The players get alot of abuse because of Iraq and the whole superpower status. What the HELL that has to do with football is anyone's guess. But its not helping their play for sure.
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Constant exposure to dangers will breed contempt for them-Seneca
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Wanallo
Federated Suns
Leftenant Colonel
Joined: 02-Jan-2004 00:00
Posts: 671
Location: United Kingdom
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2006 11:01 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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England's performance wasn't particularly thrilling to be sure. But thats the nature of the world cup. Most of the bigger teams with bigger reputations tend to stiffle a bit on the first day. Look at Portugal, Holland, Argentina and Italy, all won but their performances were not anything special.
On the other hand, Mexico/Iran, Togo/S.Korea were two of the best games ive seen, the smaller nations have alot less to prove and just play all or nothing. Their perfomances often take larger teams by suprise.
One thing I will say in the USA's favour, they are really under pressure from other fans. The players get alot of abuse because of Iraq and the whole superpower status. What the HELL that has to do with football is anyone's guess. But its not helping their play for sure.
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Constant exposure to dangers will breed contempt for them-Seneca
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SaberDance
Federated Suns
Colonel
Joined: 07-May-2004 00:00
Posts: 837
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| Posted: 13-Jun-2006 15:09 Post subject: RE: World Cup Soccer |
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Three distinct topics:
1.) Ouch. 3-0 Czech Republic, and yeah, I saw the highlight reel. My dog couldn't roll over and play dead better than that (and he's been dead for two years). Congrats to the CR, and I hope we wake up and play better against Italy and Ghana. I'd say Ghana would be easy, but I seem to recall they drop kicked France in 2002, so nothing here is guarenteed.
2.) Believe it or not, there is a lot of discussion among some serious geeks, ranging from the halls of acadamia, to the editorial page of the New York Times, to the occasional spat between me and my brother about why football isn't very popular here in the states, and yet the kids play it a lot.
My personal favorite theory is that soccer doesn't appeal to Americans. It seems far too elitist. Until recently, the people who followed football were following foreign club teams who were all athletic rock-stars. It's hard to get excited about Brazil or England's teams if your a middle class or working class American. That it was upper-middle class and rich Americans watching the games didn't help. My agreement with anyone ends there.
I tend to think American football and Baseball appeal to Americans because they have a spot for everyone. From the lanky runners to the bruising hitters, those sports appeal to our egalitarianism. Football is for cross-country runners who can do squats.
3.) As for super-powerness and the USA at this world cup, without dipping too deep into the political well, England and the USA have been bickering with Germany about a number of things (security, legal prostitution, WWII, you get the idea) for a while. FIFA generally stayed out of it, so it was just governmental, but then FIFA had to weigh in on a rocket attack on Israel from Gaza. Then much hit fan. Add additional concerns about Iran and it's president, general diplomatic gruffness between the USA and many of the competing nations, and you have a tense situation. It isn't all that far removed from the Cold War Olympic games, just no nukes, and we're all mostly friends here.
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I'll close with a joke.
Once upon a time, France self-destructed, England ran away, and left the USA to take on the Germans after first dealing with Mexico. World War One you think?
Nope, World Cup 2002.
_________________
"Politics is the Art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, misdiagnosing the problem, and applying the wrong solution."
-Groucho Marx
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