Goonersworld

Has had a serious knock on effect to my passion for the sport. I just feel like this world cup has been an embarrassment to the sport for so many reasons.

This knock on effect will only be temporary of course but even so I cannot believe that what is supposed to be the pinnacle of the sport has left me feeling so hollow.

I have enjoyed every major international footy tournament I have watched previously but I will forget this one in a couple of days apart from when I need to draw relevent references when we are talking about poor sportsmanship or diving, or bad decisions or poor football.

****!!!!

+1

Also I think I'm a jinx. Whoever I don't want to win a tournament badly seems to win these days...

I thought 2002 and 2006 were shite. Zidane's headbutt was immense though!

Well said Rev. what a forgettable and embarrassing spectacle it has been.

It was certainly a highlight of all that is wrong with the game today.

The las good international tournament was france 98.. It has been shiit since then

I thought it was a terrible world cup mainly because of the ball.

ProudGooner wrote:I thought it was a terrible world cup mainly because of the ball.

I don't buy into the ball argument. The players should have looked at their own technique, like Forlan did. But it has been a dull tournament. That's what happens with a bloated entry list (I dread a 24-team European Championship) and big names failing to perform. It's amazing to think that for all the talk of South African disastrous organisation, the only failings were on the pitch.

Hardly any good free kicks. Very few long range strikes.

You cannot blame the players for that. They have played all of their life using 1 ball and then Fifa decides to come up with a different one for the tournament.

If world class players are not able to adapt to it then who will? Obviously the ball has been a problem.

ProudGooner wrote:Hardly any good free kicks. Very few long range strikes.

You cannot blame the players for that. They have played all of their life using 1 ball and then Fifa decides to come up with a different one for the tournament.

If world class players are not able to adapt to it then who will? Obviously the ball has been a problem.

I've got to agree with Gunflash here. FIFA have used other f***ked up lightweight adidas balls in the last two tournaments as well, so it has been an issue for a while now. But on what Gunflash said, not only was Forlan pulling off good shots from all ranges, but his freekicks and corners were the most consistent in the tournament. Practice makes perfect! It's too much to ask from todays lazy professionals though, they can't even be bothered to practice with their weaker foot!

Only a few weeks before The Arsenal come and show us how it's done with our 4 new signings

Gunflash wrote:It's amazing to think that for all the talk of South African disastrous organisation, the only failings were on the pitch.

Very true.

Credit to the South Africans for that.

And for all the hoopla about the crime rate i can only recall a few incidents where hotels were burgled just before the start of the tournament.

All those misgivings about SA being too dangerous a place to go...

Before people start blowing SA for organising the WC, the pitches were an absolute disgrace for the most part.

Anyway I do agree this world cup was terribly dull. There was quite a few shite teams and others who didn't bother showing up.

the highlight of this world cup was the performances of the New Zealand team.

says it all really.