Wow, strange feeling for me to write about the Round Ball Game called POOFBALL… errr sorry I mean FOOTBALL, or SOCCER as it is more properly known in South Africa.
The world’s biggest sport, today starts it’s biggest tournament, the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 in Brazil.
Being a Sports lover, I suppose is what it’s all about, so here goes with a SPECIAL ARTICLE on the world spectacle!
Gooooooooooo Bafana Bafana…. errr sorry, they’re not there, right?
Hahaha
Excuse the ignorance, me maties… but at the same time enjoy yourselves!
Here’s more about the tournament of Oscar-Driven stars on Tik:
Brazil kicks off the World Cup on Thursday hoping to unite the football-mad country after a chaotic seven-year build-up plagued by violent protests.
The 32-team extravaganza gets under way in the teeming mega-city of Sao Paulo, where the host nation’s beloved ‘Selecao’ faces Croatia at 17:00 Brazil Time (22:00 SA Time) in front of 61 600 supporters and a worldwide television audience of several hundred million.
Thursday’s Group A match signals the start of a month-long football fiesta taking place against backdrops which showcase Brazil’s breathtaking diversity, from the picture postcard beauty of Rio de Janeiro to fading colonial grandeur of Manaus, deep in the Amazon.
After years of apathy and simmering resentment at the tournament’s record $11-billion price tag, Brazilians were grudgingly embracing World Cup fever in the final hours before the big kick-off.
SuperSport
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari urged compatriots to unite behind his players as they launched their bid for glory.
“To all Brazilians I want to tell you the time has arrived. This is our World Cup,” Scolari said in an eve-of-tournament rallying cry.
The popular Scolari, who masterminded Brazil’s last World Cup win in 2002, said his team were seven matches from immortality.
“The first step is Croatia,” he said. “After that we have six steps that we want to go up if we want to win the World Cup.”
As the last of the 32 teams who will contest the greatest prize in football arrived in Brazil, mounting evidence of World Cup fever was visible.
Rio’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue has been illuminated in the colors of all nations taking part while Brazilian flags fluttered from cars, bars and apartments as excitement built.
In Rio de Janeiro, some of the 600 000 foreign fans travelling to Brazil thronged the famous Copacabana beach, staging impromptu football matches.
Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio was among the overseas multitude jetting into the country, taking in the tournament from the luxury of a mega-yacht offshore.
Twelve government leaders or heads of state will be among the VIPs at Thursday’s opening ceremony.
But even though more Brazilians are sporting the yellow jersey of star forward Neymar, discontent continues to bubble.
Scattered protests are planned in several host cities during the tournament.
And while Sao Paulo subway workers late Wednesday voted against a repeat of the strike which plunged the city into gridlocked paralysis last week, airport workers in Rio were planning a partial 24-hour walkout.
“We’re Brazilian and we continue to root for Brazil, but it’s our duty to fight for workers rights,” union leader Rui Pessoa said.
The multi-billion-dollar cost of the World Cup has angered many in a country which has chronically under-funded health and public services and violent crime.
Rage at poor public services morphed into a nationwide movement during last year’s Confederations Cup test event, with deadly clashes rippling across the nation.
For the World Cup, a vast security blanket is being deployed, with 150 000 soldiers and police on duty along with 20 000 private security officers.
Brazil’s leader Dilma Rousseff warned that her government will not tolerate a repeat of last year’s protests.
“We will guarantee the security of Brazilians and of those who come visit us,” she said.
Football’s governing body Fifa begins the tournament under mounting pressure over allegations of corruption linked to its decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Fifa President Sepp Blatter has responded to the scandals by shoring up his power base.
On Wednesday he signalled his intention to seek a fifth four-year term next year, despite calls for him to step down.
“My mandate will finish next year… but my mission is not finished,” he said to boos from sections of the Fifa Congress.
For all the off-field problems dogging the build-up the tournament itself has the makings of a classic.
Reigning champions Spain are bidding to make history by becoming the first side from Europe to win a World Cup in South America, which last hosted the tournament in 1978.
Vicente del Bosque’s side have dominated international football for the past six years, winning two consecutive European championships either side of their 2010 World Cup triumph.
Neimar ek sê julle, dit was ‘n goeie goal!
@ Nama:
I have at least 100 unread mails in my gmail account for all sorts of special offers and all the newsletters and stuff I never read.
62 @ MacroBok:
G-Mail is Gatkant Mail…
Julle moet sê as julle Rugby-Talk Mail adressies wil hê… dis verniet
Only the Germans (in soccer) and the Stormers (in rugby) can defend a lead for most of the time.
Croatia’s early lead was not good for them.
Brazil has looked a bit shaky on defence!
Nou wanneer sien ons die eerste skrum?
Haha
@ MacroBok:
Always say “NO” when you sign up to a new account and they ask you if they can forward your address to another party.
@ grootblousmile:
Verduidelik vir my die gatkant van Gmail, want soos jy weet is dit waar ek is op die oomblik.
Nama wrote:
Don’t forget about the Italians… they usually park a bus in front of their goal on a good day and 2 busses on a bad day.
Flok, maar die ouens is vallerig… en skree-erig
@ grootblousmile:
Jy herinner my nou aan my groot vriend wat se, hy hou nie daarvan om sokker te kyk nie. Die manne speel dan vir 90 minute, dan is die telling 0-0.
68 @ Nama:
Klein flokken Mail boksies… net 5mb Groot, of 5mb op ‘n slag.
71 @ Nama:
Ja, hulle hardloop die hele tyd en fokkol doen nie… sal mens mos moeg maak… hehehe
@ robzim:
They have changed the way they play with all that South Americans in their league, I think.
Defence is still their no. 1 priority, (like with AC and JW) but I think they’ve started to be more attacking as well.
Skop die bol, skop hom terug vir jou maaitjie, hy skop hom weer vir jou, die maaitjie val, trek sewe gesigte en skree vir almal… snaakse gamepie
Vat die man laag man!
Hahaha
Lemoenetyd
Nou wat doen hierdie tjokkers halftyd, koekies en koffie, koek en rooi koeldrank?
@ grootblousmile:
Herinner my aan ‘n klomp army ouens wat by ‘n skool kom en vra: “Watse sport speel julle?”
“Sokker, meneer.”
“Kom ons speel gou ‘n wedstryd.”
Daai soldatjies hardloop hulle in hul moer in agter elke bal, asof hulle flanke/forwards is en 13 jarige laaities maak hulle baie moeg in ‘n halfuur.
As hierdie ouens speel, tik die minute af, 1 miljoen, 2 miljoen, 3 miljoen…. dollars!
OK, nou’s hulle 1 / 1… nou beginne hulle weer heel van voor af… fokkit
@ grootblousmile:
As jy skaak speel, dan sal jy sokker beter verstaan.
HM se, skop die bal in hulle helfte/kwartgebied. Scholari se, speel die bal rondom ons middellyn sodat ons HULLE uit hul helfte uit lok. Dit gee ons ‘n beter kans om AGTER hul verdeging te kom en ‘n doel te skop.
So daai, wanneer die manne vir mekaar agter die middellyn pass, is nie verniet nie.
Mens kan sien Brazil hettie ‘n lekker fetcher nie… en hulle agsteman jaag kak aan!
Croatia speel nes die Lions, hardloop te alle koste van hulle eie lyn af…
@ grootblousmile:
Alles hang natuurlik van jou ingesteldheid af.
Sommig ouens le en kyk vanaand die US Open en daai is vir hulle die lekkerste.
81 @ Nama:
Skelm flokken wetters… jy kannie my bal kry nie, watch ek fok jou nou lekker rond… vatso jou vabond!
Laduuuuumaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
@ grootblousmile:
81 @ Nama:
Ek speel skaak soos ek rugby speel, my agterlyn lê diep… my voorspelers (Perde) maak sag voor, speel so nou en dan wyd na die kastele toe, hardloop interessante lyne met my biskoppe… en dan moer ek hulle met my X-faktor speler (koningin).
@ grootblousmile:
Game plan. Hoe se die AB afrigter altyd na hulle die Bokke gewen het? We starved them of possession.
Dis hoe die AB wen en dis hoe jy in sokker wen.
Die span met die meeste besit, wen die wedstryd 9/10 uit.
@ grootblousmile:
Wat is jou wen persentasie?
87 @ Nama:
Ah, ek sien, possession rugby… ek meen sokker.
Ek het baie laat leer skaak speel. My eerste jaar op kol, so ek is ook nie ‘n meester nie.
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