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The World Cup
- Thread starter Tobytook
- Start date
oh no!!
Korea LOST!!
*i guess people should know that by now* well...it was always a bit of a stretch to imgaine them in the finals, anyway. 3rd is good enough for Korea, since we were never expected to go this far so hopefully they'll win the game for 3rd vs. ???. *sigh* but still....i'm kinda disappointed they didn't make it (but then who wouldn't?) -B
alright....predictions for the turkey/brazil match!
Korea LOST!!
*i guess people should know that by now* well...it was always a bit of a stretch to imgaine them in the finals, anyway. 3rd is good enough for Korea, since we were never expected to go this far so hopefully they'll win the game for 3rd vs. ???. *sigh* but still....i'm kinda disappointed they didn't make it (but then who wouldn't?) -Balright....predictions for the turkey/brazil match!
Well, nobody could say that the game was rigged, could they? In fact, the offside given against Korea in the closing minutes turned out to be mistaken. Karmic justice, perhaps? (By the way, they’re not third yet. The playoff for 3rd/4th is on Saturday.)
To give a bit more room to the match-fixing hoo-ha, I don’t think it was fair for everyone to badmouth the Korean team itself. The players (and Guus Hiddink) could not have been part of any conspiracy, even if there was one. They just went out there and tried to win games. And well done to them, for that. They made for interesting viewing. Mark Radcliffe, on BBC Radio 1, commented that seeing the Koreans play is like "watching a goalkeeper and ten Olympic sprinters" – and he was right: they put in 110% every time.
The conspiracy theory does have some weight, though, when applied to the higher echelons of business and government. With referees and assistant refs brought in from some of the poorest nations, the potential to influence or corrupt officials increases dramatically. I’m not saying that officials from developing countries have less moral fibre. I’m just saying that £50,000 is a much greater sum of money for them – it’s a truly life-altering sum, in fact, for themselves and their families – than for those from more economically fortunate regions.
Having given the theory some credence, though, I do think that if there really were a conspiracy, its application in matches would have been subtler. The bad calls and bewildering decisions have been, to my mind, too blatant to be anything other than stupid human errors. If matches were fixed, I think the fixing would have been better orchestrated.
Still, it’s impossible to deny that this tournament has been dogged by official mistakes, deliberate or not. When Korea knocked Italy out, most Brits disparaged the Italians for "unsportsmanlike conduct in defeat", and there were a lot of comments like "Lose with a bit of dignity, can’t you?" However, in light of the gross mis-management of the Korea/Spain quarterfinal, we’ve started to see it in a different light. To be fair, if England had gone out in the way Italy did, there would have been a national outcry. If we’d gone out like Spain did (two legitimate goals disallowed, etc), we’d probably have gone to war with someone.
Anyway, it’s Germany and (yeah, I’ll say it) Brazil in the final, then. Which means I’ve sort of lost interest now. Trivia fact, though: the two countries have never played each other in a World Cup final. My money’s on Brazil, but my attention is elsewhere now that the One-Day Triangular series is coming up, and – most importantly – Wimbledon has begun.
A good first day at the tennis, then. Bit of drama with Kournikova crashing out (as usual, these days). She got dead stroppy with the BBC interviewer after the game, too. Very childish, unpleasant and unprofessional. She is (or can be) a good player, and I wouldn’t deny her physical attractiveness, but by all accounts she’s not a particularly nice person behind the camera. Serves her right! But at least Greg Rusedski and Barry Cowan kept the Brit flag flying – through to the second round. Henman’ through with an easy victory, too, but he’s got no chance of winning the whole thing. His game’s fine, he just hasn’t got the confidence; never has had.
(Come on, lad! – prove me wrong!)
Third time in a row for the sheer almighty Oestrogen Titan that is Venus Williams, I reckon. (She’s the real Scary Spice!) Watched her demolish this little British teenager on Centre Court earlier. I wouldn’t like to play her at tiddly-winks, let alone anything else!
A Wimbledon thread, perhaps. Or maybe not.
Tobytook
To give a bit more room to the match-fixing hoo-ha, I don’t think it was fair for everyone to badmouth the Korean team itself. The players (and Guus Hiddink) could not have been part of any conspiracy, even if there was one. They just went out there and tried to win games. And well done to them, for that. They made for interesting viewing. Mark Radcliffe, on BBC Radio 1, commented that seeing the Koreans play is like "watching a goalkeeper and ten Olympic sprinters" – and he was right: they put in 110% every time.
The conspiracy theory does have some weight, though, when applied to the higher echelons of business and government. With referees and assistant refs brought in from some of the poorest nations, the potential to influence or corrupt officials increases dramatically. I’m not saying that officials from developing countries have less moral fibre. I’m just saying that £50,000 is a much greater sum of money for them – it’s a truly life-altering sum, in fact, for themselves and their families – than for those from more economically fortunate regions.
Having given the theory some credence, though, I do think that if there really were a conspiracy, its application in matches would have been subtler. The bad calls and bewildering decisions have been, to my mind, too blatant to be anything other than stupid human errors. If matches were fixed, I think the fixing would have been better orchestrated.
Still, it’s impossible to deny that this tournament has been dogged by official mistakes, deliberate or not. When Korea knocked Italy out, most Brits disparaged the Italians for "unsportsmanlike conduct in defeat", and there were a lot of comments like "Lose with a bit of dignity, can’t you?" However, in light of the gross mis-management of the Korea/Spain quarterfinal, we’ve started to see it in a different light. To be fair, if England had gone out in the way Italy did, there would have been a national outcry. If we’d gone out like Spain did (two legitimate goals disallowed, etc), we’d probably have gone to war with someone.
Anyway, it’s Germany and (yeah, I’ll say it) Brazil in the final, then. Which means I’ve sort of lost interest now. Trivia fact, though: the two countries have never played each other in a World Cup final. My money’s on Brazil, but my attention is elsewhere now that the One-Day Triangular series is coming up, and – most importantly – Wimbledon has begun.
A good first day at the tennis, then. Bit of drama with Kournikova crashing out (as usual, these days). She got dead stroppy with the BBC interviewer after the game, too. Very childish, unpleasant and unprofessional. She is (or can be) a good player, and I wouldn’t deny her physical attractiveness, but by all accounts she’s not a particularly nice person behind the camera. Serves her right! But at least Greg Rusedski and Barry Cowan kept the Brit flag flying – through to the second round. Henman’ through with an easy victory, too, but he’s got no chance of winning the whole thing. His game’s fine, he just hasn’t got the confidence; never has had.
(Come on, lad! – prove me wrong!)
Third time in a row for the sheer almighty Oestrogen Titan that is Venus Williams, I reckon. (She’s the real Scary Spice!) Watched her demolish this little British teenager on Centre Court earlier. I wouldn’t like to play her at tiddly-winks, let alone anything else!
A Wimbledon thread, perhaps. Or maybe not.
Tobytook
conspiracy? I don't think so
I agree, if there really was a huge, blundering conspiracy going on *gasp! heaven forbid* it wouldn't be so obvious. Not to sound *close minded* against this stuff, but basically, anybody with a hyperactive imagination or really bitter grudge can think of things that could probably link Hugh Hefner to Doris Day. Yes, there is enough evidence and wild "what if this was linked to this! " flying around in abundance, but I just say, for god's sake, it's not the end of the world (or the ruin of Italian soccer, as the head coach says so delicately) I truly am sorry that all those incredibly stupid decisions made by the refrees cost teams many hardships, but there is always room for improvement next world cup season, and there is the euro thing coming up. -B
Yes, of course i know the 3rd place match has to be played...thats why i said
I agree, if there really was a huge, blundering conspiracy going on *gasp! heaven forbid*
it wouldn't be so obvious. Not to sound *close minded* against this stuff, but basically, anybody with a hyperactive imagination or really bitter grudge can think of things that could probably link Hugh Hefner to Doris Day. Yes, there is enough evidence and wild "what if this was linked to this! " flying around in abundance, but I just say, for god's sake, it's not the end of the world (or the ruin of Italian soccer, as the head coach says so delicately) I truly am sorry that all those incredibly stupid decisions made by the refrees cost teams many hardships, but there is always room for improvement next world cup season, and there is the euro thing coming up. -BYes, of course i know the 3rd place match has to be played...thats why i said
*i am SO watching that game!*
All good things...
Insane linesmen and X-Files-intensity conspiracy theories aside, I'd say this has been a cracking World Cup, and also a cracking good Book Forum chat.
Good luck to Germany, Hol. This time tomorrow, you and a few million others might well be quite happy chappies. Either way, it's been a nice zippy discussion thread.
See you in 2006.
Tobytook
- still more interested in Wimbledon now, sad to say.
Insane linesmen and X-Files-intensity conspiracy theories aside, I'd say this has been a cracking World Cup, and also a cracking good Book Forum chat.
Good luck to Germany, Hol. This time tomorrow, you and a few million others might well be quite happy chappies. Either way, it's been a nice zippy discussion thread.
See you in 2006.
Tobytook
- still more interested in Wimbledon now, sad to say.