True but only because my family is from Portugal (and England as well), so I had some ties after Team USA got kicked out.

I was watching Mexico because their were the only North American country left in the World Cup. Once Portugal is out of the race, my interest will end I'm thinking.

Then again that won't be the case because Portugal WILL win the World Cup. Go Portugal!!!

Pretty sweet app.. updates in realtime.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2010/worldcup/twitter.buzz/

wow two of my personal kryptonites Twitter and World Cup.

That was a pretty amazing game. Spain is so good.

_________________

WTF!!!! So the Spanish CHEAT?!?! One of the players from Portugal kicked (red card) out because a prick from Spain fakes getting hurt wow. Amazing, because there was no contact OR even that close to each other. You mean to tell me the Ref's did not see what a great actor was on the field today?

At least when everyone is challenged or in motion, I can understand that, but these guys were just stand near each other not even moving etc LOL

Yeah, I really love World Cup soccer I can tell ya. Filled with bad calls and cheaters too

Don't be an idiot. Every team in the World Cup has players that dive. The ref actually did a pretty stellar job in the match. Even basketball has people that flop (hello, Derrick Fisher). In any event, the match was settled before the red card was ever issued. Portugal couldn't hold on to the ball and they could not get it to Ronaldo when they did actually have it.

Neesha did you see what happened tho? lol You are ok with that type of call? I guess I don't understand the love for soccer that the world has, when a guy who was not even touched can get a player kicked out of a game. It makes soccer look bad to me.

I have seen soo many "interesting" events in a few weeks of the World Cup. As a new viewer for the World Cup and soccer, it's very ugly to watch. I guess you don't understand where I'm coming from. People who have grown up with the sport, or like/love soccer might be more forgiving than I. True of any sport really.

I'm sure if I try to get my friends to watch baseball...who think it's a slow boring sport might never be open and love it like I do lol Each their own I guess.

The replay they showed live had no contact at all, but now the internet is saying it took place seconds before the live replays (none which shows contact). If true, it was not the same thing my co-workers and I saw then.

I do want to see the "whole" replay to see what happened for real, but I think it's the same fake hit

Of course I understand where you are coming from. I hate all of the diving and bad referee calls as much as the next guy, but you can't discount the sport due to a few poorly-timed calls, if you ask me.

The MLB playoffs had SEVERAL terrible calls in the playoffs last year. So many, in fact, that they made new rules a few weeks later just to try to avoid those bad calls from happening again. That doesn't mean you have to start hating baseball because of a few blown calls. Did you see the botched call for the final out of the perfect game a month ago (there's a thread about it)? While that wasn't on the scale of a World Cup game, it was still a blatently obvious call that some dumbass blew that ultimately cost a kid his place in history.

Had you watched the entire game today, you would have seen the referee do a pretty outstanding job of NOT calling dives throughout the game. In one of yesterday's games (or the day before?), a guy was yellow carded for diving near the box. So while they do dive, the referees are getting better about controlling it.

Calls are going to be missed from time to time because of the human element. But that happens in every sport. Hockey used to have missed goals until they added the sensor and/or replay, goals called off because players were said to be in the crease even though they really weren't, etc. Does change need to take place in soccer? Absolutely. But sports that are so rich in history.... not just American history, but WORLD history, are going to be tough to change.

The bottom line is you should appreciate the game for what it is as a whole. To shun the sport because one guy may or may not have taken a dive in the 89th minute of a game just seems pretty silly. The replays didn't show what happened just before the guy went down, they only showed him go down. Perhaps he took a dive, perhaps he didn't. I will say that Spain has exactly ONE yellow card in this World Cup. So they are hardly the 'cheaters' you make them out to be.

And if you enjoyed watching the US team, you should stick around for the last few games. Brazil, Argentina, and Spain are all awesome to watch and all have very unique styles. It should be a fun finish.

Very good points, Neesha. I guess it's hard to swallow those calls when it's SO hard to score in soccer. That's what makes me mad because like in hockey, each goal is soo important.

Even tho I'm posting that I am done with the World Cup, I keep going back and watching the games like today (well on breaks and sneaking into the break rooms /grin). Like I said, I do enjoy what I have seen so far minus the issues I have listed here.

I will be going to some LA Galaxy games this season and they have been on fire so far. I'm following their stats online, but I have only watched one game on TV.

You are right about Brazil, Argentina and Holland with Spain. It will be some great games to be had I'm sure. Btw, when did you start watching and liking soccer, Neesha? In Texas, it's a hardcore Football and College Football state. Baseball and Hockey are the underdogs there from what I hear, and soccer I would think is VERY niche lol

I played soccer as a kid (I was pretty good, even scored 5 goals in a game and made the Blue Stars [All Stars] back in the day) so I have always sort of liked the sport from afar. Even back to the Indoor Soccer days, I'd watch quite a bit of Dallas Sidekicks games to see a little dude named Tatu who was pretty awesome (they are the only team from Dallas I have ever liked). With DirecTV I have GolTV and Fox Soccer Channel, so I have been watching La Liga and English Premier League games for several years.

I'm a big Real Madrid fan and also like the Houston Dynamo in the MLS (for obvious reasons). They've actually won a few championships, which doesn't hurt. Watching GolTV at night, as I lay in bed, is actually pretty relaxing.

PS: No vuvuzelas to worry about!

Oh cool info. It's interesting a lot of kids in America play soccer growing up, but move on to other sports. You would think the USA would love it since people start out with soccer as their first sport.

Some reason soccer is viewed as a "kids sport" here.

The UEFA package with DirecTV is only like $50, and you get so many games for it. Once the cup is over I'm definitely ordering that.

Also the refs in the game yesterday were loose with the cards on Portugal, but they had established themselves to be a rough team in the first three games, so they were probably cracking down pretty hard. It was the refs that got the player kicked out, not the flop. If the ref sees something he thinks is a foul, he should do something about it. Even if he didn't actually see it. This has happened at least a dozen times in this cup alone.

_________________

Neesha your upbringing was similar to mine. Different parts of the country view soccer differently, too. I grew up in Pennsylvania and soccer was *huge* there for youth sports. It was by far the most played sport... I made a traveling team and was pretty good. When I moved to FL, everyone played baseball and football.

I started playing adult indoor soccer this past winter here in Atlanta. There's a good system for adult indoor in Atlanta, believe it or not. Problem is, I'm 33 now and it absolutely wrecked my knees. I learned I can't do the same shit I used to... got patellar tendonitis in both knees and I'm in PT now, heh. It was fun as hell, though.

I'll admit that I've watched soccer a few times and it's just kinda.....boring. =O

They kick the ball back and forth and back and forth for 90 minutes and the games can and do end with 0-0 ties because it's so rare that anything happens?

I'll be honest, it reminds me a lot of Nascar. A whole lot of nothing back and forth for a long time with the hope that something happens by the time the end comes along.

I dunno, cars pass each other every single lap in Nascar. There's drafting in every single lap in Nascar. I think by "hope that something happens" you mean "hope I see a wreck". :p

It really just comes down to what you enjoy. I could sit all day, every day, and watch baseball, but others go nuts watching just a few innings of a game - especially a pitcher's duel. There's only so many ways you can try to explain why you like Soccer (or any other sport) to a non-fan. Either they get it, or they don't.

By the way, here are the "obvious reasons" why I like the Dynamo:

Yes I do think I can get into soccer indeed /grin

Good picture Neesha haha

Brazil going DOWN!

Awesome. I got an invite to watch the Tuesday 2:30 game in our R&D lab in 3D. Looks like I get to watch my favorite team. Woot Netherlands!

What a meltdown from Brazil. Surprising. So it'll be Uruguay or Netherlands in the final from the left side, looks like whoever makes it out of the right side (Spain!) is going to win if they play their game.

_________________

What about Germany? They might make it to the final

Brazil looked like a bunch of whiny bitches the entire game. It was like Dani Alves multiplied (I fucking hate that guy).

ps:

Man those ladies are smoking HOT!!!! /drool

Biggest choke in the history of the World (Cup) just happened. Unreal.

That was an incredible game between Uruguay and Ghana. The drama, the excitement, everything. It was my first penalty kick match I have watched as well this World Cup, so the drama was even more intense.

I feel sorry for that guy. No team from Africa had ever made it to the Semis, and that was his opportunity to do it. Amazing. That is going to be one moment that will be extremely hard to let go of... Thankfully he is only 20 so he still has at least two more Cups in him to redeem himself *hopefully*.

I played soccer for 8 years as a child, but I know very little. Watching these games, however, I am starting to pick up on at least some of the technique and "plays" that they make. Like one poster above, at first I just saw a bunch of people running back and forth kicking a ball. Now I can see some offensive plays being set up, and some of the strategy involved.

Although I highly doubt I will watch much soccer after the World Cup, and I highly doubt soccer will become more popular in this country for the over 13+ age group after this World Cup... it does have me hooked for a few more games

_________________

Yeah I was watching it and again. Like a lot like the shoot outs in Hockey haha. Edge of your seat action the whole time.

Germany looked awfully good this morning. Granted Argentina's defense leaves much to be desired, but I could tell that Germany has some great offensive team work going on.

_________________

Yeah Germany OWNED Argentina and I'm surprised at the 4-0 score. This makes things more interesting indeed. Spain's game is still 0-0 atm

Go Iker!

Now that's something you don't see every day. Back-to-back PKs!

The Spain game was dramatic as hell, but Germany is going to win this thing unless my boys somehow play on their level, which they have yet to do in the cup.

_________________

The next two games should be awesome, and on a side note. I did watch the LA Galaxy game yesterday, and it was fun. Seemed kinda of fast paced to me which I liked. My friends and I will be going to some Galaxy games in the near future.

Oh, and there were only like one yellow card and it was good to see no bs calls too

MLS is really pretty good soccer, better than the bad rap it gets on the international level. For the most part the teams are competitive with each other, so you're bound to get good games most of the time. It's why I have FC Dallas season tickets (also because Pizza Hut park owns and because I have a friend who does tickets for them).

Of course, it's not the Premiership, Bundesliga or Serie A, but it's still good. Also if you like the sport, you should do yourself a favor and get the UEFA package with DirecTV, it's only like 50 bucks for the year and you get all of the games for basically all of the major European leagues.

_________________

Or just get the Sports Package with GolTV and Fox Soccer Channel. You'll get plenty of EPL, Serie A, and Spanish Primera (La Liga) games that way. They just need to go HD (supposedly happening in a few months).

Thanks for the info guys. I'll be picking something up indeed. I just got done watch today's match and what a game! The last few mins were epic like no tomorrow haha.

Holland in the final for the first time since 1978! Too bad they will lose like the last time /grin

Spain/Germany about to start, this is probably going to be a hell of a game. I'm wearing my red and blue scarf at the desk with a justin.tv feed going.

_________________

You're wearing a scarf?

I don't like them benching Fernando Torres, even though he hasn't really done much.

Yes!

_________________

Binkee's officemates are going to hold an intervention pretty soon.

I will also be wearing said scarf at a bar in Vegas on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the outcome of today's game.

_________________

Spain has had a lot of good looks and are not finishing. Wonder if this will come back and haunt them. The German GK made an AMAZING save.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL

it's awesome when that happens while i'm on the phone with a client - i had to mute my headset and fist pump for a couple of minutes

_________________

woot

_________________

Sadface. I was hoping for my two favorite teams, Germany and Netherlands. Either way, someone will win the World Cup for the first time (Netherlands).

What a great game, and I'm starting to really get into these soccer games more. Spain controlled and set the tune for the whole game and their goal was amazing I thought haha.

Oh, the games I have been watching lately are a lot cleaner btw. No BS calls and cards like the first few rounds. Maybe FiFA is more focused with their officials etc

I really think this works out better for the tournament, because Germany would absolutely destroy the Netherlands in the final, like they'll absolutely destroy Uruguay in the consolation. They really thrive on high-attacking teams, and are only weak against possession teams, like Spain. Netherlands is kind of an attack/possession hybrid, but they also rest on their heels quite a bit, which will destroy you with Germany's relentless attack. Spain is more of a possession team, so playing hard defense and then countering will work out much better for the Neds.

I still think Spain wins though.

_________________

Apparently I'm #3 at the office gym world cup pool. I forgot I picked Spain against Netherlands. Unfortunately #2 also has Netherlands winning, so I'm mathematically eliminated.

Spain wins the World Cup for the first time!

Hell yeah that was cool. Unfortunately my Spain home shirt is now o allege because it doesn't have the star.

_________________

God bless typing that on an iphone. Outdated I think is what I was going for there.

_________________

For those interested, GOL TV is now in HD on DirecTV (channel 620).

Nice, I'll check that out. Just got the Fox Soccer Plus with Gol TV package on DirecTV so I can watch a ton of European stuff this year. Season starts like next week, so that's awesome.

_________________

Now DTV just needs G4TV in HD and I'll be content!

When are they going to get ESPN the Ocho?

Never.