Hot World Cup Posts
Triolectics: Three sided football
An interesting game that borrows from the most popular sport in the world. Developed by Asger John in 1964, not as popular as Joel Silver's Ultimate Frisbee. Worth watching.
News: What changes need to be made before USA vs. Algeria?
Posted with permission via HereComeTheYanks.com I will get this out of the way early and then not mention it again...the referee for the USA vs. Slovenia game was awful. He missed key plays and called back the goal that would have sent the USA to victory. Nothing he did was good...as evidenced by FIFA's (supposed) forthcoming grade of a "poor performance" and relief of all further World Cup center refereeing duties. He was horrible, and cost us the win...for the most part.
News: World Cup Fans Gone Crazy
14 photos of fans gone nuts.
News: Why is Everyone Wearing Purple & Orange Cleats
Notice how it seems like every player is wearing the same cleats this year? Well, according to Nike almost 40% of the World Cup roster is sporting their new Mercurial Vapor VI boots. Originally endorsed by Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, the colorful kicks are catching on for more than their fashion-savvy model.
How To: Just How Important is the World Cup?
Holy Trinity important.
News: 66 Crayon Carvings of World Cup Players
Diem Chau was commissioned by Wieden + Kennedy to carve 66 crayons for Nike's promotion of World Cup 2010. More here.
News: Giant World Cup Dung Beetle
The World Cup's opening ceremony has taken place at Soccer City just outside Johannesburg, featuring local dance troupes and a giant dung beetle...
US - Slovenia: Something To Make Us Smile
Two Points for Flinching? I wish... In a game marred by a terrible start by the US and a the worst call in World Cup history by the referee as he called back the US's winning goal in the 88th minute.... The bright spot of the match.
News: The Americans
I linked this for the article. Just kidding. Will you look at them?!
Shakira: This Time for Africa
What, no Shakira?!I looked on the board and it wasn't posted. Waka Waka *cough* nose job! *cough* Waka Waka.
News: Victory Out of Harmony
Credit.
News: I'm Apologizing Ahead of Time...
Thought maybe you were getting something good, huh? Happy World Cup.
News: 2010 World Cup Printable Bracket
Bracket via ESPN DOWNLOAD: Official Excel Template for 2010 World Cup Bracket
News: How'd North Korean Fans Get to the Games?
North Koreans Not Known for Their Jetsetting This article from Deadspin does a bit of investigating into exactly who the DPRK fans are.
WC 2010 grim view: low scores, low attendance.
I still have hope that this will be a good World Cup... This article aggregates a lot of things that have been said about the World Cup experience this year (South Africa's infrastructure, low scoring games, uninteresting first round match-ups, etc). I've noticed in a few broadcasts that upper seating areas are not filled to capacity and maybe the vuvuzelas make up for this. I think this will change once the Knock-out stages begin, but Nick Webster has a point:
News: North Korea, the ultimate underdog
I really enjoyed this article.
News: Attendance woes make FIFA take notice.
This article aggregates a lot of things that have been said about the World Cup experience this year (South Africa's infrastructure, low scoring games, uninteresting first round match-ups, etc). I've noticed in a few broadcasts that upper seating areas are not filled to capacity and maybe the vuvuzelas make up for this. I think this will change once the Knock-out stages begin, but Nick Webster has a point:
News: World Cup Refs Get Crash Course in Cursing
With 32 countries, comes 32 different ways to verbally defile your mom. Watch out Rooney, FIFA is cracking down on your dirty mouth. Sure, a British official could catch his dirty mouth, but Saturday's England-US game was officiated by a Brazilian.
News: Pepsi to Follow Maradona, Get Naked if Argentina Wins
via AdAge Argentina's Head Coach Diego Maradona declared that if his team won the World Cup, he would streak nude through the streets of Buenos Aires. Well, the trend is catching on.
News: French unions eye fighting reforms with vuvuzelas
This made me laugh.
News: The Sexy Football was Already Here...
Or at the least, Sexy Has Been in Lisbon! There are definitely ladies (Kardashians, Hiltons, et al) that have made the journey to South Africa for more than the matches.....
News: Rare Rooney photos (drool, Rooney fans, drool)
Satisfy your Rooney cravings
News: Sexy Soccer Girls Moving...
Sorry, its just too good not to post.
News: Could the World Cup ball be to blame?
Check out the link, where Ivory Coast coach lends some support to those complaining goalkeepers and speaks out against the Jabulani ball.
Vuvuzela: An idiot's guide ;)
This should finally explain how to play a vuvuzela properly.
News: Yes, more 3D.
This is a follow up to my last post on watching games in 3D. My main concern (because apparently I'm something of a technical snob, since no one else I went with considered it an issue), was that I perceived a lack of definition for a theater presentation.
First Round: What really grinds my gears.
What do you guys think about all these "pleasant" ties? I'm so not cool with waking up to watch a game, only to fall asleep again. The lack of goals scored in these first few games is really discouraging and detrimental to new viewers and the growth of the sport in the U.S. This is apparently one of the lowest scoring World Cups in a long time.
News: Google street view All World Cup Stadiums in S. Africa
Check out the google maps of all world cup venues. Some street views actually go inside the stadium!! Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, South Africa is one of the few stadiums at sea level.
News: Not too late for a friendly Fantasy Bracket bet...
It's not too late to setup a bracket with your friends, you can just do it for the next round. Yahoo does a good job of managing points and picks and that way no one has to print brackets out! Very easy. Check it.
News: Dodge Challenger Commercial Aired During US v England
The Red Coats are Coming
News: Interactive World Cup Explorer
Make sure to click through for some bad-ass Flash-based World Cup explorer. I'm not sure whether something like this was available for the last world cup, all I know is that I'll be using that site quite a bit.
News: Remove the vuvuzela horn noise from World Cup Games
It's a really simplistic solution, but apparently it works. Just change your settings on your TV!
News: No More Vuvuzelas...?
Please.
News: Analysis of the England vs. USA match
Posted with permission via HereComeTheYanks.com Ok, so my prediction of a 3-1 USA victory didn't come true. But I can honestly say that I am extremely happy with a 1-1 draw!! There were times where we looked shaky (first 15 minutes). But there were also times when we were taking it to them (Jozy's great run down the flank only to be denied by the woodwork).
News: FIFA Ranks Top 50 Teams (5/30/2010)
Top 50 Teams in Order Brazil
News: England vs. USA Preview
Posted with permission via HereComeTheYanks.com 1776...a group of colonies walked away from the British, effectively starting a war that ended in the defeat of the mighty Brits.
News: Opening game in 3D. First impressions.
I've been curious to watch one of these famed '3D' games for a while now. Last April at NAB, I attended several 3D panels and folks from ESPN suggested that one of the strongest experiences that would bring 3D into the home would be live sports. I've missed opportunities to watch the PGA Masters broacasts, and NCAA games, but being a hardcore Soccer (Futbol) fan, I've been most excited about this possibility. It did not disappoint, but not without some concessions. I will be as detailed as po...
World Cup Tech: Fine-Tuning the Beautiful Game
Cool infographic about the history of improvements in ball and shoe design across the world cup years.