The 2014 FIFA World Cup
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@Maynard:
Keen marketing by FIFA to ensure that James scored in a Colombia loss.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Did you not think it was a penalty?!
I'm saying they picked a penalty that guaranteed him a goal when there was a safe margin. Tons of fouls on the kid all game long.
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As far as denouncing FIFA has become an issue here: I think the IOC is just as bad, only less in focus here at the moment. These large organizations of the most popular sports have become big business, while many of us still would prefer to have them as the non-profit set-ups they once were, where rich enthusiasts in the mold of Pierre de Coubertin would donate their time (and name) for the benefit of enabling, organizing the sport they were enthusiastic about. Now it's a highly attractive career target to become a sports functionaire, and not a few prove susceptible to the many benefits and temptations of the field. But as long as we all watch the World Cup (or the Olympics) and pay for tix, merchandise as individuals, while fortunes change hands for airing rights and sponsoring, I see little hope for improvement.
Sorry for the rant, now back to Argentina-Belgium.
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Vincent Kompany is so f'in good it defies logic.
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Hehe right when I saw this post he got nutmegged for a near goal. This game I thought was so much more orderly and well officiated than that disgrace yesterday.
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Kompany made the mistake that led to the goal.
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Yeh, but for the other 89 minutes he was good
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Me
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Yes, this was another nerve-wrecker. The better team won in the end, but I couldn't help admiring the Costa Ricans, this David up against a Goliath, giving it all they got and getting so very close, including their sudden storm of attack at the very end of extra time.
So now we have two absolute classics in the semis, Brazil-Germany and Netherlands-Argentina, all worthy of being the grand final. The Dutch are the only ones who've never won this….. -
Tim Krul is a hero.
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No wonder van Gaal put Krul on for the penalties - he has arms like Mr Tickle!
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I found his behavior towards the Costa Ricans opposing him (addressing them, moving in front of them instead of staying where he should as a goalie, in short psychological warfare) totally unsportsmanlike and irritating. He should have been told off sharply by the ref, and shown the yellow card (if not red!) in case of repetition.
That's not to neglect his performance during the actual penalties. But fair behavior it wasn't.
