The 2010 World Cup final pitted two of the world's most skilled and dynamic teams...in a match that was among the most desultory in the history of the championship.
The Netherlands' thuggery was personified by Nigel de Jong's brutal foul on Spain's brilliant Xabi Alonso. The only thing worse than the cleat-first heart massage was the fact that it only drew a yellow card.
I'm a sucker for the Oranje, so I'm planning to forget all about that unfortunate series of events this afternoon when the same teams meet at 3:00 EST in their Group B opener in Salvador. The match marks the first time in history that finals opponents meet in the group stage in the subsequent Cup.
Hup, Holland, Hup!
Shlaras NY Times link in the last post was an interesting read. I've been rocking Lavers for almost twenty years and zfather has been wearing (not rocking) Nylites for over fifty years. zpeople are very ahead of the curve.
ReplyDeleteI assume "the Oranje" is a euphemism for some deviant act involving Teej and OJ.
ReplyDeleteTJ, OJ, and Rusty Staub in a Syracuse bar. Drinking vodka and Orangina.
ReplyDeleteCarrot Top was there as well.
ReplyDeletejohn boehner and george hamilton were sharing a table in the back.
ReplyDeletei believe today's match is at 4:00 est, rather than 3. having a bit of a rough go with time zones.
ReplyDeletemy schedule says three for today's game. i don't know how you can root for the netherlands after the last final. they played beyond ugly.
ReplyDeleteShut up, Catherine.
ReplyDeleteIt's a 3 pm start. Pretty excited that we get this match followed by England-Italy tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI just remembered that I watched the first half of the Spain-Netherlands game with Greg and his batshit crazy girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend).
ReplyDeletethe 2010 final was bizarro netherlands. they're so much better and more fluid than they played in that match. pretty sure it was fixed.
ReplyDelete'course, i listened to that match on the radio on the drive back to virginia from cape cod, so all i have to base my opinion on is tommy smyth's growing shock and displeasure with holland's play.
ReplyDeleteYou're spot on. That's what was so disappointing. Not the thuggery but who was committing it.
ReplyDeleteyep. that match had the potential to be soccer at its best. instead, the netherlands tried to drag spain into a pub league brawl. they deserved to lose.
ReplyDeleteIf only they'd had Ned Nederlander.
ReplyDeleteOr some purple passion.
The NYT takes on fraternities today:
ReplyDeleteNumerous studies show that members of Greek organizations drink more heavily than other students, and alcohol abuse is strongly tied to other forms of misconduct. But in interviews at multiple campuses, fraternity members said that their reputations had been tainted by the bad acts of others.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/education/fraternities-are-focus-of-measures-to-reduce-assaults-and-misconduct.html?emc=edit_th_20140613&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=59612748
Neadlehead Ned?!?
ReplyDeleteIsn't facilitating underage drinking the whole point of joining a fraternity? And avoiding the commute from Dillard.
ReplyDeleteInteresting kit choices from Spain and Holland. Can't I say I recall ever seeing the Dutch in dark blue.
ReplyDeleteSo...this game is pretty great.
ReplyDeleteoranje crush!
ReplyDeleteNot anymore. This is embarrassing. Terrible defense and even worse goal keeping for Spain. Wow.
ReplyDeletecasillas isn't having his finest moment, for sure.
ReplyDeletegood call, rob! netherlands looks like they want it. the problem could be that the spanish team is forbidden to have sex during the cup.
ReplyDeletealso interesting . . . a 3-1 soccer game is sort of boring, but once it becomes 5-1 it gets more interesting . . . the announcer just called it a "demolition."
at 4-1, the announcer said, 'spain's embarrassment is complete'. lord knows what 5-1 means.
ReplyDeleteand did dave just break out the hoary 'they want it more' chestnut. for shame, dave. for shame.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was Mexico that was forbidden from sex during the World Cup.
ReplyDeleteHolland's runs and finishing in the box were, at times, brilliant today.
indeed - they sent teasing, penetrating balls into the box the entire second half. ecstasy ensued for the dutch partisans.
ReplyDeleteTease the balls. Penetrate the box. Hoary chestnut. rob's writing a bodice ripper today.
ReplyDeletenot "they want it more." they want "it." sex. with hot dutch women . . . or dutch prostitutes. either way. you need to re-read my world cup preview from 2010.
ReplyDeleteterrible job by me. carry on, dave.
ReplyDeleteNobody's watching hockey?
ReplyDeleteI did not see this coming from Costa Rica.
ReplyDeletethat header was sick. incredible skill.
ReplyDeleteAll three Costa Rican goals were different forms of brilliance. One hell of a performance.
ReplyDeleteI bought a new vacuum today. I wanted a particular Panasonic because it was a Consumer Reports best buy. The salesman tried to convince me to get the Miele equivalent that cost more than twice as much. Part of his pitch was "it's built like a tank." He jumped up and down on it and said "I'd never do that with a Panasonic, it would break." I replied "I don't want anyone to jump on my vacuum, I just need to suck up dirt and cat hair. Gimme the Panasonic." He was deflated.
ReplyDeleteCote d'Ivoire is a big fan of wearing rash shirts as jerseys.
ReplyDeletethat salesman wants it!
ReplyDeletego italy
put my daughter to bed, settle in to watch some soccer. five minutes later she's screaming at the top of her lungs. she shifted in bed to get comfortable and whacked the back of her head on her bedside table. now we're in the emergency room getting surgical staples in her melon. good times.
ReplyDeleteI just realized that Tim Wright, a kid who went to my high school and Rutgers, had 54 catches and 5 TDs for the Bucs last year. Bad job by me.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the ER trip, Rob. Never a good time.
So this is the high scoring World Cup featuring sick headers? I strongly approve.
ReplyDeleteI always loved Drogba, even though I hated Chelsea. Good to see his entrance make an impact.
ReplyDeleteSayanara Japan! Mark's comment was prophetic.
ReplyDeleteTim Wright came on very strong late last year. He's in store for a big sophomore season. I'm a fan.
ReplyDeleteRob- eek. Sorry. Japan-Ivory Coast isn't exciting at all.
kid just told us she wanted to turn the game on, without my prompting. just in time to see drogba come on. proud dad moment.
ReplyDeleteSo the England team medic who got carted off? He was celebrating their goal and jumped. He landed on a water bottle and dislocated his ankle. The hospital reset it but he's out for the rest of the World Cup.
ReplyDeleteWas it Martin Gramatica?
ReplyDeletehello, gheorghies. back from the hospital for a nightcap. that kid owes me a couple of beers.
ReplyDeleteBill Gramatica is the Gramtica who tore his ACL celebrating. Sorry to be "well actually" guy but I can't let Bucs hate stand.
ReplyDeleteAccording to LeBron, "history is made to be broken." This is why athletes shouldn't be role models.
ReplyDelete