Italy’s Riccardo Montolivo (rear) reacts, after Italy’s missed goal chance, during their 2010 World Cup Group F soccer match against Slovakia at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg June 24, 2010. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
Referee Oscar Ruiz of Colombia shows the red card to France’s Yoann Gourcuff (C) during their 2010 World Cup Group A soccer match against South Africa at Free State stadium in Bloemfontein June 22, 2010. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado
The other desperate losers of the campaign were Italy and Switzerland. The champion of 2006 had lack of organization on the pitch and they had quite difficulty in finding the goal scoring positions. Ankaragücü player Vittek ended Italy’s dreams by scoring two goals. Switzerland started the cup with the magnificent win over Spain but they were defeated by Chile and in the last game they were held to a draw by Honduras.
Spain’s Andres Iniesta celebrates after scoring against Chile during a 2010 World Cup Group H match at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria June 25, 2010. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
ROUNDUP
USA vs Algeria World Cup Match Could Set New Internet Traffic Record
from Mashable! by Adam Ostrow
Shadows, Modernity and Drama at the World Cup
Agony. Pure unadulterated agony. If you just watched the USA squeak by Algeria as I just did you know what I mean. I wanted to wait to see if the USA qualified to advance before this second post to determine my authorial sentiment from this point on. Hope lives for the USA. (Please excuse my bias once more?it?s just been a long time coming to not be embarrassed on the world stage)
US, France and Germany: Divisions and Lack of Professionalism Everywhere
We all need more team spirit. Obama’s Afghanistan team is in disarray. Their egos seem to be as bloated as the ego’s in the French soccer team.
South Africa: The Social Media World of Vuvuzelas
from Global Voices Online by Ndesanjo Macha
South Africa: Definitions of Vuvuzela
from Global Voices Online by Ndesanjo Macha
World Cup fans keeping their pants on
According to a news report from South Africa published in the Irish Times, sex workers are experiencing an economic downturn during the 2010 World Cup rather than the expected upswing. Only those working closest to the stadia are finding that business is brisk.
Martinique, Guadeloupe: French Football Flop now Racial Controversy?
The French national football team has been through some rough times prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but the past three days have stirred up old issues around ?Les Bleus?.
Italians question nationhood after football defeat
Time for grown up football relations between England and Germany ? let?s have Klinsmann in the BBC studio on Sunday
from Jon Worth
Paraguay: Match Against New Zealand Paralyzes Country
By Silvia Viñas
Paraguay is playing New Zealand in the World Cup for their opportunity to make it to the second round. The blog Rescatar [es] reports that buses that are normally packed in the morning were empty today; and, although productivity is down, everyone is hopeful about the result.
The Palestinian vuvuzela , Khaled Hroub
When Mexico scored against France in faraway Polokwane, the blaring noise of vuvuzelas was merely the background to the joyful screams and cheers that filled the open garden of the elegant Azure restaurant in Ramallah. My Palestinian friends sitting round the table responded to my question as to why on earth Mexico enjoyed such massive support by saying it had to do more with Nicolas Sarkozy and his alignment with Israel rather than any admiration of Mexican football. A few years ago, one elaborated further, France was a football favourite of Palestinians, but that was when Jacques Chirac was the country?s president and Zinedine Zidane (born of an Algerian family) its star player.
Algeria: Defeat by USA Brings the Country Back to Earth
Algerians went from hope to disillusion as they realized that patriotism alone isn’t enough to win football matches. Indeed, their dreams were dashed on Wednesday in Pretoria, South Africa, when the U.S. soccer team beat them at the FIFA World Cup by 1 goal to nil, hence eliminating them from the competition.
Algerian bloggers have been commenting on the defeat, like Aberrahmane who writes [Fr]:
das schon! indeed
Mavi Boncuk
Germany trembles to the knockout stages
In the deciding game in Group D shoots Mesut Özil the 1-0 win over Ghana – and saves the entry of Germany into the fourth round , where it meets England.
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