What we learned from the World Cup 2010

[jetset]

That this sort of event really can bring nations together, if only for a honeymoon period

I guess you had to be there to get the full ambience, which was really quite something.

I didn't like all the drama-diving and fingerpointing ("Did you see that, ref...he pushed me!!!) but I guess that has all become part of the game.

There was a lot of bad stuff going on in the final - even Sepp Blatter commented on it this morning in a press conference, and I think that detracts from the game - 14 yellow cards and a red is pretty good going. With the eagle eyes of television network coverage and slo-mo it's kinda hard to conceal, but perhaps the game has developed that way because the fans like the added excitement/drama?

Regarding the ball, I'm no afficiando of the game, but the pros certainly appeared well able to control it on the deck; I was impressed with the skill of those guys when they were in full flight but could stop and change direction in a heartbeat. But the Jabulani (it means 'joy' ironically!) did look like a real bastard once it was airborne.

I also was less than impressed by the Dutch team's apparent bad attitude at the prize giving, and by the very physical game played by that guy Van Blommen (sp?) Couldn't help thinking that he would probably be more at home on a rugby field!

And finally....that FIFA is a very profitable business!

[jetset]

Looks like the Spanish team are getting a great welcome home from the TV news reports.

[jetset]

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wor...ers071110.html

[incrediblestuff]

Oh yeah - it's okay to act like a baby if you lose.

Imagine this: an Olympic award ceremony where the Silver medalist is awarded his medal, and he immediately takes it off and sulks off toward the locker room.

That's pretty much what the Dutch did - including their coach - right in front of the cameras and all. Geeze - what sore losers.

lol this drama is one of the reasons i stopped watching football when i was 18 or somewhere near it.
but i have to correct you on this particular match, the ref was a sod, its still not clear to me why cameras arent put to good use as they are in tennismatches, but that aside, it was obvious the dutch were very sportive in terms of wrong descisions of the ref, where as spain did the opposite: i refer to the corner being played to the spanish keeper and the freekick also, i hope you noticed that was an act of sportivity, where the dutch players protested against the ref's wrong descision, and even then the spanish were protesting like the drama queens they are.
however at the crucial moment of the deciding goal, there was an offside not granted, which leaded to the scoring oppurtunity.
then the dutch were the first to congratulate the winning team, but of course left the field quickly, and dissapointed, cause the sportivity had been pretty onesided, and the ref's descision still agonized the players, and the coach.
its pretty lame from you cheermeister to paint the picture like this.
seems like you still have some german blood left, that begins to boil at dutch people whenever the wc or ec is happening.
it was the same referee that helped the germans past england btw, also a wrong descision...

so what have we learned?
1 cameras are useless.
2 people see what they want to see

[free bet]

1: Goal line technology and more refs are needed, maybe TV refs or something similar

2: Offensive play counts!

[Casinomeister]

l
its pretty lame from you cheermeister to paint the picture like this.
seems like you still have some german blood left, that begins to boil at dutch people whenever the wc or ec is happening...

My comment was intended as a generalization - nothing towards the Dutch. The French acted the same way when they lost to the Italians in 2006

I too think they (the Dutch) got shafted a few times. Like when Puyol tackled Robben on the way to make a shot towards the end. That was effed up.

Anyways, I like everything about the Dutch people - everything except the way they drive

[SkBurner]

I think we learned that football (soccer) is still the number 1 sport globally, nothing can beat the WC. Plus, European teams are now the dominant force

Great tournament in the end and I watched most of the games (at home and at work). Many 'big name' players failed to turned up but this WC was about good attacking team play and I'm glad Spain won it with the way they play.

Germany looked a very good team too with their counter-attacking style, a young team that can only get better.

It's a shame the Dutch were so defensive in their play, I was expecting a far better final game that would have befitted this tournament.

Roll on 2014! (Euro's 2012 )

[Seaman63]

I think we have learned that an African nation is able to host a mega sport event like the Fifa WC. There were many concerns about the visitors from all over the world being safe, and as far as I know they were.

With the difficult history, high crime rate and poorness all around, they managed it to host a wonderful event.

And seeing the enthusiasm of the south african fans was really refreshing.

[Casinomeister]

I think we have learned that an African nation is able to host a mega sport event like the Fifa WC. There were many concerns about the visitors from all over the world being safe, and as far as I know they were.

With the difficult history, high crime rate and poorness all around, they managed it to host a wonderful event.

And seeing the enthusiasm of the south african fans was really refreshing.

Seems to me that no crime reports made the main-stream media. I was expecting to hear of car-jackings, robberies, etc. But nada.

Way to go SA

[chuchu59]

I read that some Hong Kong journalists were robbed at gun-point inside a car in the busy streets of Johannesburg while some others had their hotel rooms ransacked. Nobody was hurt though.