Hmmm...

[diemme]

Not exactly unhappy but not entirely happy either. Uruguay isn't so very far from here and it would be like having a home side in the final. I'm curiously eager for it all to be over and I'm not sure why. Silly season will follow hard on the WC's heels and that's only going to drive me insane.

Comments

[andolinn.livejournal.com]

Well, I was kind of rooting for the Dutch, because they're too good to have never won the WC. But I'm not nuts about another all Europe final. It's the bloody World Cup after all.

And Diego Forlan was just such a fucking hero, carrying his team along and coming in with the armband when his captain was injured. Also, Cavani's cheekbones! Yum.

So yes, I too am ambivelant.

[diemme.livejournal.com]

I have a few acquaintances who believe that FIFA doesn't want non Europeans crashing their most exclusive party - the final.
Considering Brazil were in the final three times running...

[andolinn.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it's anything so formal...but...

I really need the animated Diego Forlan icon here. The one where he's pointing and making faces. (Sorry, I'm too lazy to open photofuckit and upload it at this time of night.) I don't actually DO animated icons and I still think I need it.

[diemme.livejournal.com]

From the start of this competition I felt FIFA wanted a different type of final from 2006. The Italian and French teams of 2006 were canny, strategic and thoughtful and that didn't translate into the end to end, goal filled action that pleases the neutrals. Germany - Netherlands, say, could produce a 4-2/2-4 scoreline. I thought all the cards early on were attempts to deter serious handbags in the semis and final.

You should go for it!

[andolinn.livejournal.com]

I don't actually blame FIFA there. Their job is to promote football and the Italian/Paraguayan style of sitting back defending and waiting for a break may have gotten Switzerland a win over Spain, but it's not that fun to watch. So unless you really love the team doing it...it's kind of like a Mets-Yankees World Series!

That's an interesting thought about the cards. Except that they were so inconsistent. And what about the allowed/disallowed goals? They really need limited instant replay capacity. They just look foolish without it.

[diemme.livejournal.com]

I felt in the early rounds there were lots of cards given for things that would have been let go in league play. It seemed like an attempt to be hard nosed from the beginning.

I don't know when they're going to admit they need it either. As you said even one replay per coach per half would be an improvement.