The World Cup

[Jeff Wrangler]

Can anybody explain to me why football--soccer if you're an ignorant Yankee like me--is called "the beautiful game"? I've heard it used a couple of times this week in news reports about the run-up to the beginning of the World Cup competition.

[oilgun]

You probably have me on ignore so you won't see this, but hey, here it is:

The Beautiful Game is a nickname for association football, first said by the Brazilian footballer Pelé, although football commentator Stuart Hall is the only individual to have claimed to have coined "The Beautiful Game". In his youth, Hall admired Peter Doherty when he went to see Manchester City play at Maine Road and used the term "The Beautiful Game" to describe Doherty's style when playing. Consequently, he used the term "The Beautiful Game" in his commentary career later on in life which popularised the phrase.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beautiful_Game

[southendmd]

In case he does, I'll quote you so he can see it.

You probably have me on ignore so you won't see this, but hey, here it is:

The Beautiful Game is a nickname for association football, first said by the Brazilian footballer Pelé, although football commentator Stuart Hall is the only individual to have claimed to have coined "The Beautiful Game". In his youth, Hall admired Peter Doherty when he went to see Manchester City play at Maine Road and used the term "The Beautiful Game" to describe Doherty's style when playing. Consequently, he used the term "The Beautiful Game" in his commentary career later on in life which popularised the phrase.[1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beautiful_Game

[Penthesilea]

The Netherlands beat Spain with 5:1!

Now that's what I call a surprise, a big one. What an exciting match, it was plenty fun to watch.
Our family has a little football pools game. You get one point for betting on the correct winner and three points for predicting the exactly correct result. No one scored a single point tonight, all six of us betted on Spain as the winner, even though the Netherlands are a well-established football nation.

The Netherlands beating Spain isn't that unlikely to think, but 5:1 isn't just a victory, they mopped the floor with the Spaniards in the second half. Wow.

[oilgun]

The Netherlands beat Spain with 5:1!

Now that's what I call a surprise, a big one. What an exciting match, it was plenty fun to watch.
Our family has a little football pools game. You get one point for betting on the correct winner and three points for predicting the exactly correct result. No one scored a single point tonight, all six of us betted on Spain as the winner, even though the Netherlands are a well-established football nation.

The Netherlands beating Spain isn't that unlikely to think, but 5:1 isn't just a victory, they mopped the floor with the Spaniards in the second half. Wow.

No kidding! I really felt bad for my idol, Iker Casillas!  Spain was totally humiliated.  I was really conflicted because I love both teams.  It was an exciting match and van Persie is the hero, that head shot was sublime!

[Mikaela]

I'm not all that into football, really, but wow! that Spain/Netherlands match was fantastically entertaining and great PR for the sport.

[Penthesilea]

No kidding! I really felt bad for my idol, Iker Casillas!  Spain was totally humiliated.  I was really conflicted because I love both teams.  It was an exciting match and van Persie is the hero, that head shot was sublime!

I'm not all that into football, really, but wow! that Spain/Netherlands match was fantastically entertaining and great PR for the sport.

Yes on all accounts!
We had been looking forward to this match and our expectations were exceeded.

It was an exciting match and van Persie is the hero, that head shot was sublime!

Yes, I loved that one, too! He outright dove into the ball. I couldn't get enough of it and apparently neither could the TV people. They showed it almost a dozen times from all angles and in slow-mo.

I was pretty neutral in the beginning, but the Netherlands totally won me over. And they can thank me for tie-ing the score shortly before half-time. I had said they need to make the 1:1 now, before the 45 mins are over - and then they did!

[Penthesilea]

As an aside: Torres lost not only his long hair, but also the too blond highlights.

[Penthesilea]

What was that?
Germany beats Brazil 7:1! In a World Championship semi-final. Un-f*cking-believable.
We couldn't fathom what was happening right before our eyes. Somewhere in the press today I read the sentence Germany was just as shocked as Brazil which I think is pretty apt. Only with the better outcome for us of course.

Well done, German team!

[Jeff Wrangler]

Well done, German team!

Congrats to the German team.

Somebody oughta make a movie about that game. 

[oilgun]

Congrats to the German team.

Somebody oughta make a movie about that game. 

And it would be a tear-jerker.

[morrobay]

from reddit.com:

This sad Brazilian fan was shown crying. But no ones published this beautiful picture of him handing the trophy to a German fan. He was quoted as saying "Take it to the final! As you can see, it is not easy, but you deserve it, congratulations" (Roughly translated)





http://www.reddit.com/user/gabyxo

[Front-Ranger]

The way they talked about the game reminded me of that night of the Oscars when Brokeback didn't win, when we were so sure it would!

[CellarDweller]

I was in a pub in Berlin the night Germany won 7-1.  The enthusiasm was crazy!

[Penthesilea]

I was in a pub in Berlin the night Germany won 7-1.  The enthusiasm was crazy!

  Yep, I easily believe that. Must have been quite the experience!

Yesterday the players came back and there was a big welcome home reception in Berlin, around the Brandenburger Tor. It started with two hours delay because a) the plane being late and b) the truck with the players couldn't get through the city due to too many people on the streets along the way.

[CellarDweller]

Very cool!!!