World Cup 2002

[mccutcheon]

Holy Fuck USA goes up 3-0 and wins 3-2 against Portagal!!!!!!! Fuck a fucking duck with luck this is the biggest win in USA history and I would say the biggest upset in the cup so far. Ireland ties gerrmany and this really helps their chances of advancing.

[mccutcheon]

PLAY-ACTING RIVALDO IS A PUSSY

YOKOHAMA (Reuters) - Brazil's Rivaldo has been fined £4,500 for play-acting in Monday's World Cup game against Turkey, the first punishment of a player in a crackdown on 'simulation'.


Rivaldo clutches his face and chest in 'agony' after being struck by the ball on the legs (Allsport)

The World Cup disciplinary committee studied a video of Rivaldo's theatrics and decided the Brazilian, a former world player of the year, was guilty of simulating a foul, FIFA said on Wednesday.

Turkey midfielder Hakan Unsal was sent off after kicking the ball at Rivaldo as he waited to take a corner in Ulsan, South Korea. Although the ball hit Rivaldo in the legs, he collapsed dramatically to the ground clutching his face in apparent agony.

Referees have been instructed to crack down on play-acting at the tournament. Brazil won the game 2-1.

Increased expertise with free kicks up to 30 metres from goal is a key factor behind the FIFA clampdown on player theatrics which resulted in the fine for Rivaldo after Brazil's 2-1 win.

The world governing body has instructed referees to act swiftly against players who throw themselves dramatically to the ground in an attempt to claim a penalty or a free kick when they know they have not been fouled.

'More of the world's players, and especially coaches, train to cheat the referees with simulated fouls,' said referees' committee member Volker Roth of Germany.

'They try to simulate fouls because now players are able to score with a free kick from 25 metres. This has been happening in the last one to 1-½ years.'

Italy's Pierluigi Collina, named the best referee in the world for the fourth time last January, said policing the divers among the 32 teams at the month-long finals was the most challenging task facing the 36 World Cup referees.

'We cannot continue to have such behaviour on the field, not only towards the referee but also towards the opponent because it's not fair to win a match only because of diving or a penalty got by simulation,' he said. 'It is very, very bad behaviour.'

[mccutcheon]

My favorite player of the Cup is Roque Santa Cruz of Paraguay. He is a goal scoring machine with strong fitness and he also looks super cool with an Oasis or McCutcheon haircut instead of all this shaved headed nonesense. He looks like a regal young George Best, and your girlfriend fancies him.

[martino]

yup, he's cool.

(i wouldn't go so far as to say he has the mccutcheon look though, until he starts wearing candy around his neck).

word has it the japanese girls are all gaga about my country's Karsten Jancker. in comparison to Roque Santa Cruz, he looks like a fucking monster -- all muscles topped with an ugly-ass shaved head. but then, japanese girls have been going gaga for hello kitty for over a decade now so perhaps they need something new.

i think the topic is pretty interesting in respect to body aesthetics. camilla paglia wrote some time ago that soccer bodies are much more interesting and much closer to the classic greek ideal than the padded, hunky US-football style.

she is a lesbian but i agree. i think the ahnold schwarzenegger look of maxi muscle volume is over and that soon people will strive for some of that steve mcqueen style.

by the way, i think women soccer players are super sexy sometimes -- just check out some of the girls on the fantastic US team!

[mccutcheon]

Note to Martino: Those are glass beads, not candy, from around the world and I have worn them around my neck as good luck since almost drowning in Greece and coming up washed ashore missing my swim trucks and holding both ends of the necklace in one hand that I retrieved from the undertow. I had to walk down the beach naked to retrieve my swim trucks, but this being Greece no one cared about that. There was pleanty of hot hot flesh.

Most football players are much better in the body and mind than US football players. Even though I love both sports football is the one I played my whole life. I'm even off the drink now to keep my body and mind in shape (as well as to stay out of dogy videos I don't even remember) for the new season kickoff Sunday 1pm Seattle time. Unlike the World Cup matches this one will not be on ESPN.

There are some hot girls on the fantastic US women's team and they even take their shirts off when they score just like the boys!

This morning I was up by 4am Seattle time and made my way in the dark to Tonys house to watch the France game. they played a hell of a match and once again hit the bar. France is not having any luck with the wood work this Cup and despite three of the best strikers in Europe still have not scored a fucking goal. After Herny who fancies himself Spiderman ( a childhood comic book hero who has now made it in Hollywood) , went off France had to play down a man for over an hour. Even with only ten they fought hard and had chances. Now we have to wait and see if they can be brilliant against Denmark.

Tonight I'm sleeping over at Tony's house. He is English and they play Argintina in what proves to be one of the most heat rivalries in this Cup. Should be fucking mind blowing.

[mccutcheon]

These are the stories of our Wold Cup lives Martino.

Tony was over at his mate Arrons house- he's Irish and both Tony and Arron play on my footie team- so as the second minute of extra time is almost played out Tony thinks fuck this, I've stayed up all night and Ireland don't get the love even though they don't get outplayed, the Germans get the three undeserved points. Being English, Tony has no love lost for the Kraut side. So Tony goes to have a crap and is sitting on the pot when all of a sudden the house explodes with Arron's screams of delight.

[mccutcheon]

Proof that God is on England's side this time or just one fucking crazy keeper.

St Etienne, 30 June 1998 - England versus Argentina. David Batty stands over the penalty spot. Twelve yards away Carlos Roa bounces up and down his line, eyeing the England midfielder intently, hunting for a weakness. Batty starts his run-up; Roa shuffles, takes a step to his right and two nations hold their breath.
Carlos Roa is about to become a hero. For Argentinians, it doesn't get any better than beating England - and Roa believes they will do so again.

"Argentina are so strong," he says. "Just look at the way they qualified. Their attacking options are phenomenal, the side's settled and they'll have the whole country behind them.

"The national team mobilises people like nothing else, and England-Argentina is the classic match: two historic rivals, face to face. Argentinians live it with such passion, such intensity.

"And this year the intensity will be even greater because of the crisis the country's going through - our people need some happiness; they want to escape their problems, and what better way than by beating England in the World Cup?".

Nor is it just a case of beating them. After England's disappointing opener against Sweden, defeat on Friday would be near fatal. For the second tournament running, Argentinians could revel in shattering England's World Cup dreams.

For all the passion, however, Sapporo will surely lack the drama of St Etienne. For a start, Argentina know what they are up against this time. These days Michael Owen is European Footballer of the Year; back then he was an unheard-of 18 year-old kid.

"We knew nothing, literally nothing, about him," admits Roa, "and then he scored that amazing goal. Owen has so much quality but Argentina will be ready for him for this time."

While Owen's wonder-goal catapulted him to stardom, that second round clash at France 98 changed Roa's life, too. Not that he realised it at the time. "When you're playing, you don't know what's going on around you," he says, "even when it gets to penalties, even when one save will put you through - I was just concentrating on Batty."

"I hadn't seen any videos, so I watched him carefully. I thought about how he took his run-up, the way he paused before striking the ball, how he was feeling and, thank God, it worked.

"But all I saw was Batty. My perspective was narrow, physical: it's impossible to comprehend the enormity of what you're doing.

"It was a fantastic match, probably the best at France 98, and winning on penalties made it even better, even more epic. Everything hinged on that one moment. David Batty and I were all that mattered - everybody was watching us.

"After the game I spoke to a friend on the phone and he told me what happened. At that very moment, he said, there was a deathly silence all over the country, like a huge intake of breath, a gasp of expectation ...

"Then, when I made the save, Argentina exploded".

Yet Roa admits the outcome could have been different. "David Beckham's red card changed the game," he says. "Everyone was talking about it in the dressing room afterwards. It was good for us and marked a definite before and after: if Beckham hadn't been sent off, the result might have been different. We might not have got to penalties at all"

And Roa might not have been the hero.

Nor will he be this year - the man who stopped England in 1998 has not made Argentina's squad. And not because of injury, either: Roa's problems haven't so much been physical as metaphysical.

Roa is a Seventh-day Adventist, a strict vegetarian and teetotaler who carries a Bible everywhere he goes. Nicknamed The Lettuce for his diet, Roa refuses to play before sundown on Saturdays - a decision which ended any chance of repeating his heroics in Japan.

Despite being first choice - and fit - he has played just eleven times for Real Mallorca this season, after Champions League qualification forced them to switch their league games to Saturdays.

Unlike Jonathan Edwards, however, Roa refused to back down on his principles, even as the World Cup slipped away. "It was frustrating," he admits, "but I never considered playing on Saturdays".

Saturday no-shows are just the tip of the religious iceberg, however. In 1999, while still Argentina's No. 1, Roa retired from football altogether to prepare himself for the apocalypse, scheduled for the new millennium.

Roa moved to an isolated mountain retreat in Argentina where he could - as he now puts it - "be closer to my family" or - as he then put it - "prepare for the end of the world, in a place where He will provide everything we need".

No one knew where Roa had gone. A reporter from the Argentinian daily Olé tried to seek him out, but his club had no idea where he was. Nor did his agent. And it was no use asking his family: they'd gone with him. Nor was there any point ringing him - Roa had given away his possessions, including his mobile, and the retreat, where he planned to tend his orchards, had no phone.

Eventually Roa was tracked down to a village called Villa de Soto where he was, indeed, awaiting the end of the world, fulfilling his duties as a "priest" to his family.

But, when the four horsemen of the apocalypse failed to show up at his door, Roa re-appeared and contacted Real Mallorca, who welcomed him back with open arms.

Roa insists that his faith was unaltered by the world's refusal to end. He simply states, rather coyly, that "the break did me good - I came back relaxed, happy and keen to return to football."

And though some teammates thought he was mad, Roa claims that his decision to "take a sabbatical" was fully respected. "No one questioned me at all," he says, "not even the press."

What the reaction would have been in England is another matter, of course, and Roa is quick to defend Glen Hoddle. Told of Hoddle's sacking as England manager following his controversial remarks about reincarnation, Roa turns to me and says, rhetorically: "I assume there's a democracy in England." I nod. "Well," he continues, "Hoddle's beliefs, however debatable, should have been respected - like mine were."

"You do have to realise that what you say can have repercussions, however: my principles have effected my career and I accept that. I'll miss the World Cup, but I've got the satisfaction of having played for Argentina".

"This time it's my turn to watch: I'll be getting up really early for the matches, just like everyone else and jumping and shouting and going crazy in front of the telly, cheering on Argentina, desperately hoping - like the whole nation - that they beat England again."

[martino]

oops glas and not candy -- sure i should have seen that. i have an interesting greek beach story too, remind me to tell you some time.

in a way i envy you mc cutcheon because four in the morn could be a great time for watching the Cup -- even if it means walking a few miles and visiting tired or drunk friends. or even getting on their nerves. or even getting filmed when you are deranged or indisposed. i know all that.

over here we get the games at lunch time or in the early afternoon. people leave the shops, scuttle away from early lunches and then go to bars for the games. the city gets deathly silent as traffic dies and you can see no more pedestrians on the sidewalk. a faint din of tv commentators can be heard and then shouts and screams when somebody scores.

i saw the germany-ireland game in an irish pub. luckily i pass as irish any day but the groans after the 1:0 were accompanied by mutters of "fug fuggin fuggers move ya fug", and less than friendly looks. i met this guy called rory, paid for a few of his guinneses -- in fact i treated one or two of his friends and his girl friends -- but after a while, as the looks got unfriendly, i thought what the hell am i doing here, i'm not normally a stupid fuck, this is germany but i shouldn't be in in an irish pub during the germany-ireland game, what am i, suicidal?

but then the irish goal in the 92 minute, hugs and kisses from the girls, drinks from the blokes, dancing on the tables, damn i hate to lose and i hate it when my team doesn't win but to be quite honest i had a great time yesterday afternoon in the irish pub, in frankfurt germany.

[mccutcheon]

Is anyone in England having some fun? England 1-0 Argintina.

Michael Owen the Boy Wonder is now The Man!

[<pigboy>]

maybe... but it was beckham who scored... owen missed at least two goals.

[mccutcheon]

Owen hit the inside of the post. Owen was the one fouled inside the box to set up the penelty kick. But Becks did put it in. Right.

[mccutcheon]

Don't believe me... here is The Guardian.

Then, just as the game looked to be drifting towards a goal-less first half, England went ahead. Sinclair found Owen, just inside the area. He shifted the ball from left to right, before nudging it past Pochettino. Instead of letting him through, the Argentina defender clipped his front leg. Referee Pierluigi Collina had no doubts, even if some of us did: penalty.

In truth it wasn't David Beckham's best-ever spot-kick. In fact, it was probably his worst. It was a wild, nervous shot, reminiscent of an under-nines boys game, almost straight down the middle. Cavallero, perhaps stunned with shock, didn't move. England were 1-0 up, Beckham ecstatic.

[<pigboy>]

"Owen should have done better with the goal at his mercy."

- BBC Sports

[mccutcheon]

Holy cannoli, when was the last time the Italian side gave up two goals in the World Cup? Especially after being up by one!

Amazing, this Cup runith over with the upsets.

Egads enchilada, will Mexico win this new Group of Death?

[martino]

lotsa stories that are just waiting to be told!

adieu les bleux!; cry for me argentina!; klose's mechanical forehead; how the south africans used -- in the end, to little avail -- black "sangomas" magic; and all the other wonderful little stories that are happening every day of this spectacular world cup.

i myself cannot write anything because i promised not to reveal results again.

so write on, mc cutcheon, write on! why nothing in the past three days?

has rosie been giving you obscene phone calls, or is the rachael lawsuit getting you down? or are you just pooped out from the first sleepless WC week?

well, no matter really. as they say, soccer is not a matter of life and death -- it is much more important than that. i have a 30 euro bet on germany vs brazil for the finals and another 30 E bet that the US will make it to the quarterfinals. anybody game?

winners can opt to receive locally, as my guest to the world cup 2006 in germany. interest will be added, of course. losers pay in beer in seatlle in august.