I think it's fair to mark down Franz Beckenbauer as "not a fan" of how South Africa 2010 is shaping up.
Der Kaiser ("the king"), as he is known in Germany, apparently was asked why Germans have purchased fewer than 7,000 of the 21,000 tickets to SA2010 set aside for them.
And the former German captain and national team coach went off.
To wit:
He believes getting to South Africa and finding lodging there is too difficult and too expensive (can't argue that), that ticket prices are too high (hmm; has he priced a Super Bowl lately?) and that security concerns are legitimate.
Here is Der Kaiser, via AFP and the Johannesburg Times: "Not only are there doubts by those thinking of travelling there, because of security, but the tickets are too expensive. What normal person can afford 5,000 to 6,000 euros for one week?"
And after noting that no organizing committee can ensure safety for fans, he added, "People need to be watching out everywhere they go. It's best to be over-cautious, stay in groups whenever possible."
Yes, this is just one guy sounding off ... but it's one guy who happens to be the most important figure in German soccer (he also is a member of Fifa's executive committee).
Be interesting to see if SA2010 organizing committee boss Danny Jordaan feels obligated to respond to this batch of criticism.
Read more!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
England: Won't Be Caught Up in Own Enthusiasm
It's coming full circle. The easy qualification from a weak group, the self-congratulation, the beatification of the coach, the applause for the skill and great of the players, the fevered plotting of the "easy" route to the semifinals ...
And now someone involved in English soccer has thought to remember that, hey, nothing in the 2010 World Cup is guaranteed.
English veteran Frank Lampard said he and the lads won't get caught up in the unbridled enthusiasm.
Lampard told AFP that "The experienced players who have been here before know that it doesn't really matter what you say before the tournament or what your form's like a few months before the tournament. What really matters is how you play when you get there.
"You get asked the question a million times: 'Can you win it?' And the obvious answer is, 'Yes, we can if we are playing well,' but you have to go there and win it."
What? We can't just award this one to England on the basis of being Masters of the Game and winning the 1966 World Cup?
It's good for England that at least one of its key veterans is giving voice to the realities of it all. Unreal expectations almost always lead to real disasters. Read more!
And now someone involved in English soccer has thought to remember that, hey, nothing in the 2010 World Cup is guaranteed.
English veteran Frank Lampard said he and the lads won't get caught up in the unbridled enthusiasm.
Lampard told AFP that "The experienced players who have been here before know that it doesn't really matter what you say before the tournament or what your form's like a few months before the tournament. What really matters is how you play when you get there.
"You get asked the question a million times: 'Can you win it?' And the obvious answer is, 'Yes, we can if we are playing well,' but you have to go there and win it."
What? We can't just award this one to England on the basis of being Masters of the Game and winning the 1966 World Cup?
It's good for England that at least one of its key veterans is giving voice to the realities of it all. Unreal expectations almost always lead to real disasters. Read more!
Monday, January 18, 2010
But of Course It Didn't Cost Him Time
Update on blog item below:
Thierry Henry, not punished for handball.
Shocking.
Fifa is like the pope: Infallible. Or it's like your annoying friend ... and never admits to a mistake.
The excuse here was the one we anticipated: No legal right to proceed.
Next case! Read more!
Thierry Henry, not punished for handball.
Shocking.
Fifa is like the pope: Infallible. Or it's like your annoying friend ... and never admits to a mistake.
The excuse here was the one we anticipated: No legal right to proceed.
Next case! Read more!
Handball Could Cost Henry World Cup Time
Thierry Henry, the French national guilty of the infamous hand ball in a decisive World Cup qualifier vs. Ireland, will get up in front of a Fifa disciplinary hearing today to talk about what happened.
The worst-case scenario is not a good one for Henry or France.
The veteran striker could be hit with a suspension, and could miss a match of two at South Africa 2010.
More likely, is ... nothing. Which will annoy the Irish and much of the world soccer community -- or at least that part of it convinced France might getting ready for the 2014 World Cup if not for the Henry handball -- which set up the winning goal by William Gallas.
Henry will argue that soccer's laws on handball punishment pertain only to infractions that prevent a goal from being scored.
Henry's handling only kept the ball in play, from where he passed it to Gallas. No rule seems to apply to him.
But Fifa hasn't always been consistent when it comes to its judgments, and perhaps throwing Henry under the bus, as the cliche goes, might make it seem as the organization realizes the magnitude of the error.
Still, the smart money is ... nothing happening at all. Read more!
The worst-case scenario is not a good one for Henry or France.
The veteran striker could be hit with a suspension, and could miss a match of two at South Africa 2010.
More likely, is ... nothing. Which will annoy the Irish and much of the world soccer community -- or at least that part of it convinced France might getting ready for the 2014 World Cup if not for the Henry handball -- which set up the winning goal by William Gallas.
Henry will argue that soccer's laws on handball punishment pertain only to infractions that prevent a goal from being scored.
Henry's handling only kept the ball in play, from where he passed it to Gallas. No rule seems to apply to him.
But Fifa hasn't always been consistent when it comes to its judgments, and perhaps throwing Henry under the bus, as the cliche goes, might make it seem as the organization realizes the magnitude of the error.
Still, the smart money is ... nothing happening at all. Read more!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Dempsey: One of Those Injuries That Matter
I mentioned this a month or so ago ... that one of the difficult tasks for anyone who pretends to be up to date on the fortunes of the 32 teams headed for South Africa 2010 is to have a grasp on injuries.
And when it's not your national team, or one in your region, you may not notice when a guy goes down with something, and you go around thinking John Smith will be facing your team in group play when he's actually still in a cast.
Well, one of those apparently serious injuries happened to a U.S. player today.
The player? Clint Dempsey of Premier League side Fulham, injured in a 2-0 defeat at Blackburn today.
His coach believes Dempsey suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament. And if he is correct, Dempsey may be out of the World Cup, which begins on June 11 -- and on June 12 for the United States, in a match vs. England.
Dempsey is only, oh, the second-best attacking player on the U.S. team. He plays on the wing and has moments of true inspiration around the net.
He has been enjoying his best season, at Fulham, and would have been counted on for long minutes and even a goal or two at South Africa -- where he scored three goals in the Confederations Cup last June, including strikes against Brazil and Spain that helped the Americans finish a surprise second.
If Dempsey is out, the U.S. is seriously compromised because it does not have much depth of talent, particularly among players who can actually score. There is the First XI, which actually has about six First XI quality players ... and now one of them is injured, perhaps badly.
Just put it in the back of your mind: One of the best U.S. players is down and maybe out of the World Cup. A day ago, they seemed like a potential dark horse candidate to get into maybe the final eight. Not so much so, now. Read more!
And when it's not your national team, or one in your region, you may not notice when a guy goes down with something, and you go around thinking John Smith will be facing your team in group play when he's actually still in a cast.
Well, one of those apparently serious injuries happened to a U.S. player today.
The player? Clint Dempsey of Premier League side Fulham, injured in a 2-0 defeat at Blackburn today.
His coach believes Dempsey suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament. And if he is correct, Dempsey may be out of the World Cup, which begins on June 11 -- and on June 12 for the United States, in a match vs. England.
Dempsey is only, oh, the second-best attacking player on the U.S. team. He plays on the wing and has moments of true inspiration around the net.
He has been enjoying his best season, at Fulham, and would have been counted on for long minutes and even a goal or two at South Africa -- where he scored three goals in the Confederations Cup last June, including strikes against Brazil and Spain that helped the Americans finish a surprise second.
If Dempsey is out, the U.S. is seriously compromised because it does not have much depth of talent, particularly among players who can actually score. There is the First XI, which actually has about six First XI quality players ... and now one of them is injured, perhaps badly.
Just put it in the back of your mind: One of the best U.S. players is down and maybe out of the World Cup. A day ago, they seemed like a potential dark horse candidate to get into maybe the final eight. Not so much so, now. Read more!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
We Have Maradona to Kick Around Again
Diego Maradona has served his two-month suspension for using vile language while talking to reporters after Argentina clinched a spot in the World Cup.
We've missed him. When the biggest fool among the 32 coaches in South Africa 2010 is absent ... the comedic value of the event just plummets.
Diego will kick off his return by flying to Pretoria to check out Argentina's base camp for the 2010 World Cup. Though the Argentines may not need it past the group phase of the event.
You wouldn't think he could do much damage there, in Pretoria, looking at a hotel and some practice fields. No players to confuse. No game plans to mess up. No lineups to pull out of his hat.
Unless he starts spewing obscenities at South African reporters, perhaps.
Welcome back, Diego. Read more!
We've missed him. When the biggest fool among the 32 coaches in South Africa 2010 is absent ... the comedic value of the event just plummets.
Diego will kick off his return by flying to Pretoria to check out Argentina's base camp for the 2010 World Cup. Though the Argentines may not need it past the group phase of the event.
You wouldn't think he could do much damage there, in Pretoria, looking at a hotel and some practice fields. No players to confuse. No game plans to mess up. No lineups to pull out of his hat.
Unless he starts spewing obscenities at South African reporters, perhaps.
Welcome back, Diego. Read more!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Knife-Proof Vest for SA 2010 Fans?
The company's name is Protektorvest, and what it will sell you is a knife-proof vest for $69.95.
And it is getting a lot of attention, both positive and negative in South Africa, host of the 2010 World Cup.
The firm selling the vests appears to be South African, too.
One school of thought is, "If anyone knows what kind of protection you need in South Africa, wouldn't it be a South African firm?
And the second is, "This is someone hoping to take advantage of irrational fears from First World fans."
Anyway, it's getting a lot of notice. Including in the Daily Mirror of England.
Here is the link to the story about the vest.
Returning to the on-one-hand, on-the-other frame of mind ...
South Africa is a dangerous place. We have established that. Maybe not dangerous in an Angola sort of "organized rebel group" way, but in a "50 murder nationwide daily" way.
Sascha Cotura, co-founder of the company, says, "Of course people think it is crazy, but South Africa is is famous for knife crime."
Ao, a knife-proof vest? Maybe it's not that crazy.
And to spiff up the whole sale, you can get your knife-proof "Protektorvest" in your nation's colors.
Meanwhile, the Football Supports Federation of England is suggesting the knife-proof vest is is unnecessary and a fear-mongering concept. Said FSF spokesman Michael Clarke: "This will just panic people and introduce a degree of tension. They are not exactly going to endear fans to the host nation and we would advise them not to buy these things."
Anyway, if you're thinking of going and you want some sort of protection from a stabbing, here is the link to the Protektorvest company site.
The company co-founder says he's just offering a service. ''I can imagine that the organizers of the World Cup say it is safe, but fans want to do what they can," Cotura said. "Football fans can get into trouble. They can be drunk and rowdy unlike in other sports, so they can have problems. If they approach situations with the wrong attitude it could go horribly wrong."
Hmm. Hard to argue with that. Read more!
And it is getting a lot of attention, both positive and negative in South Africa, host of the 2010 World Cup.
The firm selling the vests appears to be South African, too.
One school of thought is, "If anyone knows what kind of protection you need in South Africa, wouldn't it be a South African firm?
And the second is, "This is someone hoping to take advantage of irrational fears from First World fans."
Anyway, it's getting a lot of notice. Including in the Daily Mirror of England.
Here is the link to the story about the vest.
Returning to the on-one-hand, on-the-other frame of mind ...
South Africa is a dangerous place. We have established that. Maybe not dangerous in an Angola sort of "organized rebel group" way, but in a "50 murder nationwide daily" way.
Sascha Cotura, co-founder of the company, says, "Of course people think it is crazy, but South Africa is is famous for knife crime."
Ao, a knife-proof vest? Maybe it's not that crazy.
And to spiff up the whole sale, you can get your knife-proof "Protektorvest" in your nation's colors.
Meanwhile, the Football Supports Federation of England is suggesting the knife-proof vest is is unnecessary and a fear-mongering concept. Said FSF spokesman Michael Clarke: "This will just panic people and introduce a degree of tension. They are not exactly going to endear fans to the host nation and we would advise them not to buy these things."
Anyway, if you're thinking of going and you want some sort of protection from a stabbing, here is the link to the Protektorvest company site.
The company co-founder says he's just offering a service. ''I can imagine that the organizers of the World Cup say it is safe, but fans want to do what they can," Cotura said. "Football fans can get into trouble. They can be drunk and rowdy unlike in other sports, so they can have problems. If they approach situations with the wrong attitude it could go horribly wrong."
Hmm. Hard to argue with that. Read more!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
