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The World Cup Thread
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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:52:13
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Just a couple of days to go now.

How many more stars can get injured in that time? But just so this isn't so scarce let me demonstrate the awesome power of the World Cup. It can make Craig Foster praise (sort of) defensive teams:

"The 2009-2010 titles of Inter Milan, courtesy of cautious but devastating counter attacking football under Jose Mourinho, gives us a reference point for the prevailing football paradigm in the World Cup finals starting in just a few days.
                                   

Many teams will adopt the same formation and play largely on the counter attack, most of us will therefore hope that a proactive nation will take the trophy.

But the lesson from Mourinho’s serial title acquisition in the three major clubs he has coached is not that cautious football prevails, because the success of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and AC Milan in the last decade proves that greater success comes from dominating matches.

The lesson that holds greater promise for Australian football, and for our team about to start its second consecutive campaign, is the importance of team.

Mourinho’s tactical qualities are exceptional in their attention to detail, but it is easier to, as Ruud Gullit stated last year, “demolish a house than to build one”, meaning it is a simpler matter to defend and counter than to dictate the play.

The Portuguese master’s primary weapon that has led to his ascension to the peak of world football, is his capacity to unite a group of disparate, highly paid, and often selfish footballers into a united group with a fierce common focus.

In short, he creates a team ethic where none exists.

He accomplishes this through a phenomenal ability to create a rapport with each individual, to make every player believe in his methods, and by creating a division between his team and the rest of the world that produces a powerful driving force for each of his groups.

His players love him because he protects and supports them, except for those that break team ranks, and his leadership is strong.

He leads, and the playing group believes, and follows as one.

In essence, (taking away Mourinho’s ability to engineer a result through sound game insight and suitable tactics, albeit rarely easy on the eye) the ‘special one’ is paid somewhere up to $20 million Australian dollars per season to create a strong team ethic under the most difficult of circumstances, with a squad of players of different nationalities, quality and ambitions.

Take his move to Real Madrid last month.

Even before he had taken the reins and signed the deal, Mourinho had a message for the stars of Madrid, delivered, as always, through the press.

When asked how he would handle the massive egos of the group, he stated that “the players are not the star, the coach is not the star, the team is the star”, and left no one uncertain that each Madrid player would be expected to commit fully to the group and the team project.

Now, what’s the message out of this for Australia?

Simply this, that what Mourinho is paid millions to create, and the core skill that has created his achievements, is already our strength.

Australia has the greatest team ethic, culturally speaking, in world football as we are a country that frowns somewhat on individualism or selfishness in sport, we prefer that every player is seen to be a solid team member. This is what will carry Australian football onto great heights in future decades.

Each nation is different, and has varying expertise in the four necessary football fields, physical, technical, tactical and psychological, but for many the last quality is the hardest.

Whether being able to perform under sporting pressure, being able to overcome insecurity at the top level of the game, or the ability to pull together as a group rather than try to fulfil personal interests, most countries have difficulties when it comes to being able to compete as a strong collective group.

Australia does not, nor will we ever.

It is one of our greatest qualities that will one day see us win the holy grail, the World Cup itself, and is the exact quality that some coaches are being paid incredible amounts of money to create.

Many countries have technical qualities and superb tactical preparation, but lack a winning mentality and team ethic.

Australia is the opposite, and the good news is that whilst the first two can be ‘bought’, that is, knowledge and expertise imported and applied, the latter are the most difficult to acquire.

In international football, it is cultural, and with limited time in charge of a group relative to club football, it is harder for a coach to change the internal dynamics if they do not already exist.

Our boys always have a chance to achieve great things at any World Cup because they are, Australian, and this team ethic is vital, irrespective of how a team plays.

To attack or defend is a philosophical or tactical choice.

To play as a genuine team always a significant determining factor, and once again the Socceroos will show the world that it is a quality that Australia has in abundance."

Forward that shit to Fink. I don't think he'll even be supporting Australia at the WC given the lack of Carle, Oar and the pressence of Verbeek.

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:56:04
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I'm only interested in england and how they will fail again.

Probably with penalties.

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:04:23
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They're destined for the quater finals as usual. Hopefully Rooney picks up a minor injury in their first game so he doesn't waste their energy on nothing.

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:27:12
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I know this ^ Hrm

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:01:49
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Say, what's the #2 sport in popularity for europe and australia?
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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:17:47
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Rugby or cricket.

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:48:04
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gamingeek said:
Rugby or cricket.

 Maybe true for the UK, Ireland and Australia

I think for most of continental europe it may be basketball

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:24:42
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Hey, has any one made a rugby or cricket videogame this gen for you guys?
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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:30:15
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angrymonkey said:
Hey, has any one made a rugby or cricket videogame this gen for you guys?

Nobody really cares.

Even though they are big sports, they are a lot less popular than football.

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:33:36

angrymonkey said:
Hey, has any one made a rugby or cricket videogame this gen for you guys?

 yes EA makes them ... every fuckin season.  they may only get released in the UK though, mind


you get the idea

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:37:19

bugsonglass said:

angrymonkey said:
Hey, has any one made a rugby or cricket videogame this gen for you guys?

yes EA makes them ... every fuckin season.  they may only get released in the UK though, mind

And even we don't want them.

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Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:54:49

angrymonkey said:
Say, what's the #2 sport in popularity for europe and australia?

It what I've observed in Australia it goes like this:

1. Rugby League (ahead by a L O N G shot).

2. Cricket (But it's no where near as popular as Rugby and almost taken over by:

3. Australian Rules Football.  This would be in second place but people who love Rugby HATE the AFL.  Until about 20 years ago it was the VFL (limited to just one state), so it's still an emerging sport.

4. Soccer TIED with Mens Basketball.

5. Women's Netball.

and then individual sports move up the ladder whenever they happen, like Tennis or surfing, or lawns bowls etc...  I tell you though Aussies LOVE sport.  In the US we can only sustain MLB, NFL and NBA -- down here they even cover grass hockey.

Edited: Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:42:37

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Thu, 10 Jun 2010 03:33:49

aspro said:

It what I've observed in Australia it goes like this:

1. Rugby League (ahead by a L O N G shot).

2. Cricket (But it's no where near as popular as Rugby and almost taken over by:

3. Australian Rules Football.  This would be in second place but people who love Rugby HATE the AFL.  Until about 20 years ago it was the VFL (limited to just one state), so it's still an emerging sport.

4. Soccer TIED with Mens Basketball.

5. Women's Netball.

and then individual sports move up the ladder whenever they happen, like Tennis or surfing, or lawns bowls etc...  I tell you though Aussies LOVE sport.  In the US we can only sustain MLB, NFL and NBA -- down here they even cover grass hockey.

Where the hell do you live?! Nyaa

Then again things are complete different in Victoria, but still.

Netball should be way ahead of Basketball, surely? Nobody likes basketball unless it's the olympics, but Netball is pretty popular all year round. Plus Rugby Union is pretty popular. Proably more so than League in some places.

In Victoria it goes like:

1: AFL

2: Cricket

3: Football

4: Rugby League

5: whatever is fashionable at the time.

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Thu, 10 Jun 2010 05:32:27

Foolz said:

aspro said:

It what I've observed in Australia it goes like this:

1. Rugby League (ahead by a L O N G shot).

2. Cricket (But it's no where near as popular as Rugby and almost taken over by:

3. Australian Rules Football.  This would be in second place but people who love Rugby HATE the AFL.  Until about 20 years ago it was the VFL (limited to just one state), so it's still an emerging sport.

4. Soccer TIED with Mens Basketball.

5. Women's Netball.

and then individual sports move up the ladder whenever they happen, like Tennis or surfing, or lawns bowls etc...  I tell you though Aussies LOVE sport.  In the US we can only sustain MLB, NFL and NBA -- down here they even cover grass hockey.

Where the hell do you live?! Nyaa

Then again things are complete different in Victoria, but still.

Netball should be way ahead of Basketball, surely? Nobody likes basketball unless it's the olympics, but Netball is pretty popular all year round. Plus Rugby Union is pretty popular. Proably more so than League in some places.

In Victoria it goes like:

1: AFL

2: Cricket

3: Football

4: Rugby League

5: whatever is fashionable at the time.

Yeah, that's how I'd break it down for Victoria too.  I'd forgotten about union.  League people appear to hate it as much as any other code of football.  Here in QLD, if you are not into League you are considered to be strange.  It's pretty much the only sport.  They give a nod to cricket.

Me personally, I like MLB then NBA, then AFL, and that's it.

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Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:23:54
Ah fair enough. I always thought that Super 14s and that sort of stuff might be more popular in Queensland given that there's some big teams there, aren't there?

That competition is pretty foreign in Victoria, though, and I'm too lazy (have no interest in it) to look into it.

I used to like AFL funnily enough, but eh it's changed completely. Apart from the Bulldogs a few years ago I wasn't seeing any entertaining matches that weren't finals, and they were more entertaining for grit and determination than nice passages of play. That said I don't watch it much, so...

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Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:50:22

Foolz said:
Ah fair enough. I always thought that Super 14s and that sort of stuff might be more popular in Queensland given that there's some big teams there, aren't there?
...

Yeah, but there is no interest unless you are from the region they are in.  

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Fri, 11 Jun 2010 15:56:43

Watching the first game.  South Africa v Steel's Burros.

What a terrible game.  Oh well, hopefully we'll get some good games in the later stages.

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Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:37:40
Second half ... so much better.  The burros are down one - nil.  Go Africa!

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Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:41:32
Burros equalised.  Stupid goal to concede but ... it's 1 - 1

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Fri, 11 Jun 2010 17:11:38

Ended a draw.  Good game overall, especially the second half.  Fair result too.

Roll on Uruguay v France tonight.

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