World Cup 2010

[Jon]

Clearly a yellow-card offense, right?

Looks like a flop to me.

[CIT]

Rumor on the streets is part of NK brainwashing is convincing them they are rich and the rest of the world is poorer than them.

Nah, they know that they are poor, but the official government line there is that it's only because the Man (i.e. the USA) and his lackey (i.e. Japan) is keeping them down.

Also, a couple of players on the NK team are actually not from North Korea, but are Zai-Nichi Chosenjin.

[GaijinPunch]

Also, a couple of players on the NK team are actually not from North Korea, but are Zai-Nichi Chosenjin.

I'm pretty sure it's another word when they live there as the zainichi means "living in Japan". You mean they actually immigrated to NK? Or NK people that live in Japan? I was under the impression on diplomats and very select few were allowed to live abroad.

[Khan]

Clearly a yellow-card offense, right?

He clearly went down for 1 reason, Kaka has smelly armpits! just look at the way he clutches his nose to get away from the smell

[Jockel]

How i hate those cheating bastards.

[1up]

going to be an exciting 3rd round I think. France has to be extremely lucky to advance. They have to win by atleast 3 goals and Mexico cant score any. England can only advance with a win. Same thing with Italy.

Been a lot of surprises this time around

[CIT]

Also, a couple of players on the NK team are actually not from North Korea, but are Zai-Nichi Chosenjin.

I'm pretty sure it's another word when they live there as the zainichi means "living in Japan". You mean they actually immigrated to NK? Or NK people that live in Japan? I was under the impression on diplomats and very select few were allowed to live abroad.

No, Zai-Nichi Chosenjin are indeed North Korean citizens living in Japan. Currently there are about 150,000.

Generally they are the decendents of forced laborers from Japan's expansionist period, who stayed on in Japan after the war for a number of reasons, but opted for North Korean citizenship (North Korea was more popular after the war, because they styled themselves as having liberated Korea from the Japanese, whereas the South was seen as corrupt, partly because the US put the collaborators from Japanese rule back in power there).

The North Koreans in Japan founded a powerful organization called Chosen Soren that to this day has de facto legal immunity in many regards. One of the reasons for this is that the Japanese had so little interest in integrating Koreans into their society that they just let them do their own thing. Chosen Soren runs its own schools and university and makes a lot of money with pachinko parlours that gets sent to North Korea to support the government there.

It's a fscinating and complex topic (I wrote a whole thesis about it at university). I even visited one of their schools, which was quite bizarre because you get little school girls with Hello Kitty pencil cases sitting in a classroom with Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il's portraits on the wall.

This is a pretty good movie about Zai-Nichi Koreans if you're interested:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/GO-DVD-行定勲/dp/B ... 761&sr=8-1

[GaijinPunch]

Very interesting. You know, when there was the big NK fallout here when they came clean on the abduction incedents in 2001 I believe, there were reports of old Japanese people giving "North Korean school kids" an earful, and I just couldn't figure out WTF they were referring to. I just assumed they were children of diplomats, but I guess that explains it.

[1up]

Nigeria can blame themselves for not advancing. How in the world did he miss that goal from 5ft away? Even I could have scored that goal?

French failed like I knew they would. Domenech looks like a man who doesnt give a rats ass about anything. People have hated him for a decade but it sure helps knowing someone high up in the french footy organisation.

Excited to see if England can pull a big W out of the hat today.

[alenmcmilan]

I would like to vote on USA. I think this world cup will have a USA, I scenes before every USA series i was felt all the player has a very nice stamina and sports man spirit.

[null1024]

Gah, I hate this 2 match at the same time bullshit. Watching the US match on my laptop, goddamnit, I hope we win.
The US was doing pretty good, and then around the end of the first half they started to get progressively worse...

England's doing pretty good in their match [up on the TV, my mum wants to see that match instead... -_-].

[GaijinPunch]

Damn - who do we have to blow to get a fucking goal?

[CIT]

Argh! So frustrating! The Americans have had a dozens chances, but nothing worked. And then yet another stolen goal.

[GaijinPunch]

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I knew we could beat Al Jazeera!

Why am I drinking at home alone?

EDIT: The poor suckers at the UK game waving the English flag.

[null1024]

Holy shit US goal! 1-0 win!
US and England going through, US top of Group C!

MY MIND IS FULL OF FUCK [but I'm happy]!

[CIT]

ROUND-OF-SIXTEEN!!!!!!!! WHEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

[caldwert]

Now, we need Germany to beat Ghana. That'll get us either Ghana or Serbia, then England vs. Germany on Sunday. I still can't believe the US pulled that out. That was a classic US choke job there. We're still playing like shit in my book. Absolutely no build up on the ground, just long ball play and the typical US move of try 8 million crosses with no results. Bradley needs to start Feilhaber from the get go. Algeria didn't have its best player today though, Oguchi Onyewu.

[GaijinPunch]

Okay, I don't know why I calculated that as UK getting knocked out. Sucks to e Slovenia. They were ahead by 2 points.

[neorichieb1971]

I only watched the skysports live telescript thingy. Scary stuff.. as each minute passed my nails were bitten to flesh.

[neorichieb1971]

Okay, I don't know why I calculated that as UK getting knocked out. Sucks to e Slovenia. They were ahead by 2 points.

when it started USA and England had 2 points each.

Slovenia had 4

Algeria had 1

Since you get 1 point for a tie and 3 for a win

Slovenia ended on 4 as they started
England and USA got 5, but USA went top because they had scored more goals

Algeria ended on 1 point.

To be honest any late goal could have turned it for any of the teams. I originally thought USA and England were going to win the group and advance but I never thought it would be in such tight circumstances. England are playing pretty crap really. I didn't see the game but a 1 goal win isn't exactly a top 8 team comfort win like it should have been. England are playing more like 40-50th top team, not 8th.

[CIT]

If Germany beat Ghana, they'll face England in the next round. Will be another classic for sure!

[neorichieb1971]

I sense your optimism.

[brentsg]

Sets up 2 fun matches for Saturday.. can't wait!

(refs can still suck it)

Edit some more: Love the ESPN poll. Will the goal today have a long lasting effect on soccer in the USA?

Ha.. I'm sure the folks that didn't give 2 shits about today's game are ordering USA jerseys right now..

[Ed Oscuro]

Some off-topic nonsense: So Matt Taibibi wrote some stupid thing back on the tenth. I think everything he wrote can apply to any game's fans, but his reasoning for soccer moms sending their kids into soccer is not offensive so much as wrong: Soccer is basically the only sport with its own list of fatalties while playing (other sports get shoehorned into the main article, and soccer's prevalence through the world still means is takes up like half the article with car crashes and the like). It's a highly demanding sport - aside from basketball, hockey, and of course martial arts, it strikes me as one of the most potentially dangerous sports and most physically demanding. (Nevermind the epic 59-point tie at Wimbledon earlier today, to be completed tomorrow; that ten-hour match has set records).

Also, I'm a bit late with this but I can't be the only one feeling some satisfaction that South Africa has become the first hosting team to miss the semifinals. Nothing against the post-apartheid made-for-movies love story about the sport bringing people together, but rather it's payback for those damn horns.

Edit: Text of reply to same article linked above (repeats some things but hell, it's worth it as a response)

I'm late to the party, but have a gander at Wikipedia's lists of fatalities in sports. Soccer has such a high market penetration that soccer alone takes up a good quarter of the page with car crashes, but when you get to actual on-field fatalities, it has its own separate list. Soccer is not a game for out-of-shape washed-up players. Everybody loves The Babe but his heart would've turned inside out just watching soccer. The ball itself is a weapon - not as dangerous as getting hit in the eye by a fastball or slashed across the jugular with a hockey skate, but you still don't want a concussion. In those sports, at least, there's a large industry based around protecting players; the goalie uniform became the archetype for intimidating serial killers, and baseball players have made an industry out of getting hit by balls - some, like Damion Easley, taking three a game without padding.

I'm by turns laughing at and hating the Seanbaby-esque '00 era diss-everything tone. The diss on this year's mascot would be flat but Victor's hilarious illustration saves it.

The real reason this World Cup sucks is not corrupt Indian intrigue, the obvious missteps of FIFA, or the refereeing, but because of the hearing-loss factory of the stands in South Africa. (The Onion's headline: "South African Vuvuzela Philharmonic Angered By Soccer Games Breaking Out During Concerts.") Some small consolation that South Africa becomes the first host nation to miss the semifinals - the apartheid made-for-movies love story be damned; that's justice.

I'll always put baseball first, though. Well, curling too (we recently had the U.S. Curling Nationals nearby in Kalamazoo, Michigan, so there's local pride if nothing else. It's an interesting lunch break sport, like horseshoes...or golf, on a smaller scale.)

[BulletMagnet]

the U.S. Curling Nationals...in Kalamazoo, Michigan

They need to find some town actually named "Podunk" and hold it there to make it perfect...unless the mythical "East Bumblef*ck" actually exists.

[Ed Oscuro]

the U.S. Curling Nationals...in Kalamazoo, Michigan

They need to find some town actually named "Podunk" and hold it there to make it perfect...unless the mythical "East Bumblef*ck" actually exists.

Hey, I take offense to that. (Even though Kalamazoo isn't helping matters by still using the tourism slogan of "Yes, there is a Kalamazoo!") Over 300,000 in the surrounding area on top of 70,000 in the city itself...I wouldn't exactly call it "Podunk." The nearby Air Zoo (museum) alone has some stuff you won't find anywhere else in the world.

All Michigan's really lacking is interesting landscape (in the southern portion anyway) with hills and cliffs like in Vermont or even New Jersey. It's pretty flat in Michigan. Not Nebraska-flat, but enough.

Well, and jobs. But hey we've got GM, lithium batteries and wind turbine plants right?

[BulletMagnet]

Heh, sorry, I just couldn't resist.

[t0yrobo]

Kalamazoo might not be great, but at least it's not Muskegon. 15% unemployment baby! Curling's a interesting activity though. It's more or less bocce on ice from what I've seen, I can get into that.

[Skykid]

Slovenia got shafted!

But it's okay, cos England when through after being the worst team in the tournament (alongside France) in their 2nd match.

Just want to say WELL DONE to the USA - I've never seen a team get ripped off so many times with disallowed goals in a world cup. They thoroughly deserved to go through.

Japan tonight, the tourney's heating up.

[Dragoforce]

Hoping for Denmark, but something tells me that Japan will go through in the end.