lucas_leobas Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Argentina won in CONCACAF.The weather in SA in June will be their winter, temperatures more conducive to European football. The CONMEBOL dominance outside Europe has nothing to do with weather. 1962 and 1978 World Cups in Chile and Argentina were winter WCs just like South Africa's. On the other hand, WCs in Europe are sometimes in scorching weather due to the summer conditions. It's like the fact that a movie can't win a Best Picture Oscar without a Best Editing nomination: there's no explanation, but that's just the way things are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micheal_warren Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Upsets galore! Every cup adds just a couple more upsets than the one before, it seems. It would be great if the All Whites (New Zealand) could upset Paraguay or Slokavia!!! A draw for us would be an upset! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotosy Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 .I think it's a psychological thing... I agree that teams like Cote d'Ivoire, Spain, Serbia or Paraguay could easily beat most of their opponents in any match... or even the smaller ones like Honduras or New Zealand... but playing the World Cup is really different... better teams in other ocassions couldn't beat their own favouritism and had lost against the classic teams (Brazil, Italy, Germany,... ) its a world cup factor, thats why I belive that one of these "classic teams" will won in 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Brazil or a African team will win this WC.Well, according to the history. Only Brazil won World Cups outside its continent. A fairly meaningless statistic in all honesty, especially when you consider the climate at this particular world cup will be much more favourable to Northern and Western European teams in particular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogerioandrade Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Germany has a pretty tough group. Agreed. Serbia and Australia both have some great talents and Ghana is kind of misterious to me. People say Ghana has a good team but they sometimes fall to their own lack of emotional control when things are not ok. Germany is always strong at World Cups and may qualify in 1st place with some effort. I imagine a fierce battle for the 2nd spot among the other three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feheva Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Upsets galore! Every cup adds just a couple more upsets than the one before, it seems. This is not what the statistics show. Lats WC was almost completely upsetless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyelBrazil Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Argentina won in CONCACAF.The weather in SA in June will be their winter, temperatures more conducive to European football. Come on, Mexico geopolitically is Latin America... I want to see Argentina winning a World Cup in Europe... They simply can't. Only Brazil made the World Tour on winning World Cups... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faster Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Come on, Mexico geopolitically is Latin America...I want to see Argentina winning a World Cup in Europe... They simply can't. Only Brazil made the World Tour on winning World Cups... Its still a different continent and has a weather pattern during the tournament that is not similar to Argentina's during their football season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feheva Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 For me, weather has almost no influence in a world cup... The 1994 WC in USA was really hot and 7 out of 8 teams in the quarter-finals were europeans, including a nordic one (Sweden), which finished in third place... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citius Altius Fortius Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 It already happened... France 3 - Brazil 0 in 1998... LOL lol - I wouldn't call France an "easy" opponent... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRATK Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Why would the South African climate affect South American teams? I still don't understand it... South Africa has a very similar climate with the South American countries and in the same months of the years... besides, American countries are more used to play in higher elevations than the European countries: Johannesburg is over 1,700 m and La Paz and Quito, where almost all the players have played at least once, are over 3,000 m... I don't know if there is an European city as high as those cities... And if there is a chance that the South African climate could be favourable to the European players... don't forget that almost all the players of South American countries have played a lot of years in Europe so there won't be a lot of differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feheva Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Why would the South African climate affect South American teams? I still don't understand it...South Africa has a very similar climate with the South American countries and in the same months of the years... besides, American countries are more used to play in higher elevations than the European countries: Johannesburg is over 1,700 m and La Paz and Quito, where almost all the players have played at least once, are over 3,000 m... I don't know if there is an European city as high as those cities... And if there is a chance that the South African climate could be favourable to the European players... don't forget that almost all the players of South American countries have played a lot of years in Europe so there won't be a lot of differences. Well said! O also don't get all this fuss about the weather... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 It's not so much that South Africa's climate won't favour the South Americans, it's more that it won't kill-off the Europeans. The heat of some countries' summers has had a visible effect on teams not used to playing in them, but they won't have that problem this time round. A high-tempo, pressing game, of the sort favoured by, for example, England, should be easier in South Africa than in other climates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 Well said!O also don't get all this fuss about the weather... That's because you live in a country where it's always hot, you lucky git! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted December 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 All I can say is expect mixed weather. Its not a European Winter in Cape Town, more like May/June in London. Its cold at night in the highveld but don't expect rain. Expect a few snow capped mountains in the Cape and Drakensberg. Durban is hot and humid, basically summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feheva Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 That's because you live in a country where it's always hot, you lucky git! I would say that where I live in Brazil is mild, not hot. However, in the north, central and northeast regions is quite hot, and being a descendant of germans and hungarians, I tend to get very peppery ( ) when I go to these places. I lived in London for four years. I don't see the english squad benefiting from the weather anywhere, since there's no such weather in any other country in the world. Anyway, as I said before, the 1994 WC in USA was reaaaally hot and the Europeans did really well, even though we got the cup at the end. I still believe that weather has almost no influence, positive or negative, on squads in a WC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faster Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I guess you didn't watch the Iranian games at the last world cup then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feheva Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I guess you didn't watch the Iranian games at the last world cup then. I don't recall their matches... What do you mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westfale Posted December 7, 2009 Report Share Posted December 7, 2009 I dont have anything to say about the weather.... Germany is now stronger, but without the home support. I dont expect them to get to the semis. Ghana will be tricky and it is possible that two brothers are playing against each other. One for Ghana and the other one for Germany! If we survive the group stages, I hope we will avoid England too. They are my favourites alongside with Spain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted December 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 The FIFA 2010 World Cup Draw: Was Cape Town Ready? Tuesday, 08 December 2009 09:52 A global television audience estimated at around 700 million people tuned in to watch the FIFA 2010 World Cup draw that took place at the Cape Town International Convention Center (CTICC) on Friday 4 December. With the City and its preparations firmly in the international spotlight, a key focus point was the level of security provided by the local and national authorities who, in addition to catering for more than 30 FIFA dignitaries also had to contend with the influx of team delegations, celebrities and tens of thousands of excited fans who wanted to be as close to the action as possible. So far as the World Cup is concerned, this was probably as close to the real thing as the country will get before 11 June 2010. Pasco's TravelSafe security team was deployed for the week in support of a number of VVIP clients and celebrities attending the event, and are able to provide a first-hand account of the level of preparedness shown by the Mother City. In this feature, we consider a number of factors that will determine the overall success of FIFA 2010 and the extent to which Cape Town impressed or disappointed on those criteria. Commenting first hand on overall security aspects of the event hosted in Cape Town, Pasco CEO George Nicholls noted security capacity and capability was vastly improved than that provided during the mid-year Confed Cup. “With the South African Police Service assuming overall responsibility for the event, it was clear that the lessons learnt from the mid year event had been taken on board. The Police provided a capable and very professional level of service. It was encouraging to see that security was taken extremely seriously and the attention to detail, such as the provision of adequately trained resources and well informed, experienced police officers at key points was well received.” Counter-Terrorism 9/10 As we have noted in previous feature articles, the threat of a terrorist attack directed against FIFA 2010 and associated events does not rank highest in terms of probability but it remains the key security concern because of the impact that a terrorist strike would have on the event. South African government authorities were therefore at pains to reassure the country (and the world) that a tight security cordon would be thrown around Cape Town for the World Cup Draw. The fact that no incident occurred can of course be taken as an indicator that the security preparations were adequate, but there will no doubt be those who would reason that a concerted and well-planned terrorist attack would have created extreme chaos despite all of the security preparations put in place. The reality, in this regard, is that any event at any venue in the world is to some extent vulnerable to persons determined to disrupt it and inflict civilian casualties. It simply is impossible to secure every public area, short of preventing the fans from participating in the event – which in itself would be a major symbolic victory to terrorists. So far as preparations in Cape Town were concerned, our opinion is that the fundamentals were all delivered on: key areas were locked down, a restricted airspace imposed and effectively controlled, and potential threats dealt with quickly and effectively. Our liaison with the police authorities suggested that there was an impressive collation and management of intelligence, which is vital to the prevention of terrorism. Behind the scenes, disaster response and management teams were briefed and prepared. Importantly, all of this was accomplished without creating the impression that one was in a war zone or police state, which allowed for a festive atmosphere to prevail throughout the week. Taking all of these factors into account, we give the City a score of 9/10 for its counter-terrorism preparations. Crime Prevention 7/10 Relatively few serious crime incidents were reported during the event. Reports that two foreign television crews were robbed in the City were however disturbing. Although both crews graciously conceded that the incidents could have happened anywhere in the world, inevitably the question that is begged is whether the City deployed sufficient police resources to ensure adequate patrols of all major public areas and tourist attractions, in addition to securing the official event venues. While we must concede that our primary focus was on the official event areas, our sense during the week was that elsewhere in the City there was perhaps too much reliance on electronic surveillance (fixed and airborne cameras), which is of limited deterrent value when it comes to preventing opportunistic crime. Unfortunately, we anticipate that television crews and photographers could be targeted during FIFA 2010 because of the relatively high value of their equipment and the authorities may need to consider steps to improve general crime prevention in the host cities. On a positive note, we found all of the police and traffic authorities that we encountered to be friendly and willing to help wherever possible. We give the City a score of 7/10 on general crime prevention during the week. Accreditation 6/10 From what we observed and based on comments provided by numerous dignitaries, several hiccups occurred with the accreditation process. Although many of the problems were the result of late applications for accreditation, this is in the nature of major events and it is evident that the event organisers will need to factor late and last-minute applications into their planning for FIFA2010. It should however be accepted that organisers are faced with the difficulty of balancing ease of process with ensuring adequate security, and the security checks required before issuing accreditation cannot simply be done on a while-you-wait basis. While we believe that much of the criticism directed against organisers for the problems encountered with accreditation may be justified, we cannot fault the enthusiasm of the many volunteers who worked late into the night attempting to ensure as smooth a process as possible. We give the City a score of 6/10 for the efficiency of the accreditation process. Hospitality 10/10 If there were any doubts ahead of FIFA 2010 that South Africa as a nation was fully behind the country hosting the World Cup, Cape Town quickly put those concerns to rest. Visitors to the city were welcomed with genuine warmth and enthusiasm, be it in the Waterfront Hotels or in the townships such as Khayaletsha. Given that the bringing together of diverse communities through the shared passion of football is the ultimate social dividend of the World Cup, we cannot fault the City for showing its best face to the world. 10/10 on hospitality. The New Airport 7/10 The new departures section of Cape Town's International Airport was opened in time for the event. Certainly a vast improvement on the congested domestic departure terminal that had serviced the airport for many years but a few grumbles were heard about the fact that after passing through the security check-points the only restaurants are at the far end of the terminal, leaving some passengers with a long walk back to board their flights. There were also signs of a few teething problems with boarding procedures, but these should be ironed out by June 2010. 7/10 for the airport, but we expect some improvement in coming months. General Comment On the whole, the FIFA 2010 World Cup Draw was a major milestone on the way to the main event and for the most part Cape Town did not disappoint. The key challenge ahead for organisers and security providers will be to ensure that the intensity of the 2-day event in Cape Town can be sustained for a full four weeks in 2010. 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Faster Posted December 8, 2009 Report Share Posted December 8, 2009 I dont have anything to say about the weather....Germany is now stronger, but without the home support. I dont expect them to get to the semis. Ghana will be tricky and it is possible that two brothers are playing against each other. One for Ghana and the other one for Germany! If we survive the group stages, I hope we will avoid England too. They are my favourites alongside with Spain. England has an easy enough group and should Germany win its group, they have a relatively simple road to the semis with Argentina or Mexico being their likely quarterfinal opponent. Germany's quality is far superior to the USA's. If things go as expected the bottom half of the draw will be: Argentina vs Mexico/South Africa Germany vs USA Italy vs Cameroon/Denmark Spain vs Portugal/Cote d'Ivoire Germany is playing better then Argentina at the opponent and the only possible scare is if France finishes second in Group A something that is possible, but I think the French will marginally get their act together. Spain will likely take care of Portugal and Italy and that leaves a semi-final between Germany and Spain. Obviously the Spanish are the favourites but Germany is no slouch of a side and they have every possibility of winning. And this is if everything goes to plan. Germany side lose to Croatia in 1998 and Bulgaria in 1994. So we never know. But I would rank Germany and England roughly equal likelihood to take the title with Spain and Brazil above them and Argentina and Netherlands below. If I had to pick the semi-finals without trying to predict possible upsets I would say that it would be Brazil vs. England and Germany vs. Spain. But anything can happen. Very few people predicted a Italy vs France final last time, going into the tournament Argentina and Brazil were the much fancied sides with Germany, Netherlands and Portugal in the middle and France and Italy supposedly on the downside. I am a bad Canadian for saying this but I would rather see Germany win the World Cup next year then Canada win any golds in curling and hockey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCatra Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 I don't see England reaching the semi-final. I would be really surprised if that happens. Every 4 years we hear the same arguments on how England is one of the big favorites to win the cup, how some of their players are sooo brilliantly , etc, and England disappoints every time. Also we always hear how at least one of the top 4 powerhouses (Bra-Ita-Ger-Arg) will suck badly in the WC because their bad performance in the qualifiers... and every time it's proved wrong. I wouldn't put England or Spain ahead of the football powerhouses. The big 4 are always the favorites, doesn't matter what they did in the qualifiers. Just remember brazil in 1993, brazil in 2001, italy in 1981, italy 2005, etc, the Germans always reach at least the quarters (plus they hold the record for the most finals played alongside with brazil) and the Argentinians always fills up a squad with a loy of talented players... The only form that matter is the form achieved in the 2 weeks prior to the WC. So I wouldn't rule out Argentina just because of Maradona. They wont have much pressure during the preparation and I can see them doing really well in the world cup (reaching semis, at least). Don't count any of them out prematurely because they'll prove you wrong. That's what I learned watching the WC since I was a kid. having said that, I put $25 in a Brazil vs Argentina Final but I'll be cheering for the Netherlands. They deserve a WC already and I don't want Brazil to win because if that happens teixeira will be crowned the king of brazil for the next 4 years and the level of robbery/corruption in the preparations for Brazil2014 will be unsupportable . It's not so much that South Africa's climate won't favour the South Americans, it's more that it won't kill-off the Europeans. The heat of some countries' summers has had a visible effect on teams not used to playing in them, but they won't have that problem this time round. A high-tempo, pressing game, of the sort favoured by, for example, England, should be easier in South Africa than in other climates. anyways, most of the players live and play in europe... so if the weather affects an english player it will affect a brazilian player too. nothing changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DannyelBrazil Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 anyways, most of the players live and play in europe... so if the weather affects an english player it will affect a brazilian player too. nothing changes. True Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob2012 Posted February 9, 2010 Report Share Posted February 9, 2010 New England away kit launched at Kasabian gig last night: The red crew-necked jersey is almost identical to England's victorious strip from 44 years ago, moving away from the modern design of recent shirts. With a plain, single-colour design and a notable lack of additional trim, the classic Three Lions logo is headed by a low-key embroidered red star, raised above the surface to signify England's sole World Cup triumph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ikarus360 Posted February 10, 2010 Report Share Posted February 10, 2010 Hmmmm arent England getting too cocky these days (as well for the media supporting the team) ?. I hope they dont get a bad surprise in the end.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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