[Hip Priest]

I thought you might like to know that, referring to the readiness of referees stopping play for free kicks in this tournament, one of our commentators said that this World Cup would be remembered for the 'number of times that referees have blown up'.

A charming image.

Ooh, Ghana have just been denied a penalty...

[elix it]

How sad...

[sonicl]

Well Italy have capialized on one of those gaps...

2-0

[Hip Priest]

...and Ghana are getting 'frustrated', to use commentator parlance!

FT, Italy 2 - 0 Ghana.

Another good game. In terms of fast, end-to-end football, maybe the best so far.

Ghana are good - better then expected - but Italy were a class apart. Fast, skillful, athletic, aware of each other's movement (on the whole - they failed to pass to Toni on a few occasions when he was in excellent position) and totally committed.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

Ok, so I'm done pouting now, and I'm trying hard to be positive. After all, it was only one game. Few teams would have beaten the Czechs today. I'm not giving up on them yet...

Italy - Ghana was entertaining. I lost track of how many times Ghana should have scored. I'm not sure why someone would think the African nations have been impressive on defense though, after all they've given up five goals. You expected worse?

Picks for tomorrow:
Togo over Korea!
Switzerland shocks France!!
Croatia....beats Brazil!!!!

UPSET TUESDAY!

[Hip Priest]

Brasil and France should be able to get a decent enough start today (although the Swiss know ow to keep tight defensively), and I'm personally hoping that South Korea will be able to repeat their success from four yeras ago, at least in part.

I left work to work from home yesterday, so that I couldalsokeep an eye on hings - today's afternoon game is a BBC one, so I can watch it at work on the computer. The modern world has it's benefits...

[Hip Priest]

South Korea vs Togo in half an hour. South Korea will be keen to prove that the fourth place in the last World Cup was more than just a one-off. To do so they will have to play well, and be confident in the final third (so often their problem). A good start against Togo is vital - on paper, Togo are posibly the weakest of the African presence at this tournament. However, they do have speed, fitness and strength on their side - they are physically stronger than anyone the Koreans usually encounter, so the Premiership experience of players like Park Ji-Sung will be especially important today.

Togo qualified ahead of Senegal, but they've had a lot of trouble in their camp, and their team has been somewhat huurriedly thrown together (5 or 6 of them had never met until very recently!). Will that distract them or focus them?

[i'm a guitar]

3:30 missing and counting...
waiting for the soccer machine crush your rich countries...heheheheh(cruel laugh)

[sonicl]

I didn't get to watch S Korea v Togo live, but I've seen the highlights and all three goals were great.

France v Switzerland is boring me to tears though.

[acousticrock87]

I thought Togo did well. Their goal was amazing. I only saw the first 30 minutes or so, but it looked like a really good game.

[Hip Priest]

Two contrasting games from group G: Korea vs Togo was full of good attckig football, Korea doing well to come back; France vs Switzerland harkig back to the days of Italia '90 and Sweden '92, dull football with no real focus.

It's only 6 years since France were champions. They have Zidane, Ribery, Viera, Henry. In the squad they have players like Chimbonda and Trezuget - yet they enter a football match already settling for a draw. How can such a squad of players, most of whom are real stars at top clubs, be that way? What a shame for their fans. One can only hope that some amount of passion and a will to win are discovered by the time they play on Sunday.

[johnnywinternoshow]

my captain for today just scored a wondergoal! I didnt get to see the games earlier but heard france - switz was boring

[Hip Priest]

Well done, johnnywinternoshow. I don't think any of my players have scored yet!

It was an excellent goal. Croatia have mostly kept Brasil at bay, but the Brasillians have looked the better team overall - more likely to do something special. I hope Croatia press hard in the second half, as they look capable of getting back in the game.

That said, I have to add that even by Brasilian standards, Kaka and Ronaldhino are a class apart.

[johnnywinternoshow]

heh from football365.coms media watch section...

Mediawatch has never before stumbled across the States-based twincities.com, the website of the leading newspaper for the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in the heart of middle America, but the opening lines of its World Cup editorial suggests that it is redder than the sunburnt cardinals standing in front of the Red Sea eating tomatoes:

'If the government really is serious about identifying illegal immigrants, it soon will be provided a unique opportunity to record their whereabouts.

'All the Department of Homeland Security has to do is monitor the city-by-city television ratings of this month's World Cup soccer tournament. Agents should be dispatched to any area in which the ratings reflect an unnaturally high level of interest. That likely signals a concentrated pocket of illegals.'


also on football365.com's mediawatch
From Canadian TV's coverage of Mexico v Iran:

Anchorman: "Craig, how will the Mexican goalkeeper approach this game, given what's happened to him this week?"

Craig Forrest: "Well, his father passed away on Thursday - he'll be disappointed with that..."


What The Rest Of The World Is Saying
From ESPN's coverage of Portugal vs Angola:

"Portugal, a nation of just over 10 million, it's capital is Lesbian...erm, I mean Lisbon."

No wonder it's such a popular holiday destination.


What The Rest Of The World Is Saying, Part Two
From ABC's commentary of England v Paraguay:

"There can't be a player with more hype surrounding them than Michael Beckham."

[atari 2600]

I was too busy to see much of anything today.

Believe me, I need the business bad right now though as my shell game is breaking down & I'm headed towards certain bankruptcy if things don't pick up soon. I've been in this same spot many times though & it's always worked out, so I'm hoping things will do just that.

I have THURAM Lilian in for France & he cost me a point.
I have ZIDANE Zinedine in for France today & he cost me four points.
I have MALOUDA Florent in for France & that result was a zero.

For the Brasilians I have Kaka, Ronaldinho, & Ronaldo in & I'm not sure what the points are just yet. Finally, one of my players scored a goal in Kaka, but, dang it, I had Ronaldo as captain.

The good news is that there are still many games yet to be played, I suppose.

[Hip Priest]

Hello again. Some random misplaced thought about this world cup:

There have been no penalties so far.

Togo vs France will match two teams with 51 places between them in the FIFA world rankings.

Mexico vs Angola will match two teams with 55 places between them in the FIFA world rankings.

Some of the refereeing has been shocking.

None of my fantasy players have scored a goal yet.

But tomorrow I have Shevchenko (Ukraine) and Santos (Tunisia).

The French could have won today, if they'd gone for it.

[acousticrock87]

I have Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, too, with Adriano. Ronaldhino was definitely the star of the first half. I kind of fell asleep at half time, heh. But the ball seemed to come back to him every 3 seconds, no matter where it went. I don't know how many shots I got but I probably won't get many points. Ronaldo apparently didn't feel like playing today.

[Hip Priest]

The points are already up mate.

Ronaldhino netted me 5.5 (doubled to 11, due to captaincy).

He's f****** awesome. As is Kaka.

You picked up 7.5 points today.

[acousticrock87]

Oh, that was fast. Thanks. I should have captained Ronaldinho, too.

Did everyone know you can set up each day ahead of time, including a new captain for each day? I already have my whole week picked out. I'll make adjustments accordingly, of course, but it's helpful.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

It looks like my predictions were off, but it could have happened. Give or take a few moments and it would have.

I figured with all the distractions with their coach, Togo would look flat. Not the case. Good for Korea though, nice win.

Did anyone else realize Switzerland probably would have that game if the Swiss player would have just knocked the ball in with his head, rather than try and cheat with his flying fist? Morons. France looks like they're about to implode.

What a great atmosphere for the game in Berlin.

I need to pay more attention to my fantasy team...