posted
The thing we can all get most excited about is who we desperately DON'T want to win, something that isn't a regular feature of OTF tournament following. That chimes in with my feeling that this competition, though setting records for viewing figures, merchandising, etc., is not capturing the general imagination. Controversy dogs the Italians and Portuguese, the Germans are the hosts and had a draw they could warm up their average-team grindathon with and the French have put off arguing just long enough to play a couple of good games but are full of aging old buffers who could fall out spectacularly at any moment.
Even Korea/Japan retains more of an aura of magic and mystery than this competition has do far acquired. So what will the long term legacy be? Could this be where the 1990 feelgood factor starts to go into reverse?
Posts: 6605 | From: the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea | Registered: May 2002
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posted
what "1990 feelgood factor?" the feeling good that 2006 will at least not be as bad as 1990?
Posts: 265 | From: u.s. southwest | Registered: Jun 2006
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posted
Yeah, that last bit may be more of an English angle. The rest of it holds good for everywhere else, I think, though.
Posts: 6605 | From: the Mission Bell to the Deep Blue Sea | Registered: May 2002
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posted
I'm pretty certain that now Brazil are out, next Sunday's final will have the lowest viewing figure ever for a World Cup Final on British television. Less than 3m, I reckon, especially if it's Italy-France.
ITV may even cancel its coverage altogether and put on an old episode of The darling buds of May , instead.
So in terms of how the end of the tournament is remembered, I don't think it will be.
Posts: 15858 | From: this corner of the bar you can only see half of the big screen | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Having been there, I will remember it as my first world cup and talking to people who've been to a few others, it was a great party in a proper football country which has not been the case since 1990. The football, bah, you get all worked up about your team and you think all the others aren't that good or you expect too much from them.
Posts: 16714 | From: Outskirts of Manchester | Registered: May 2002
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posted
It will be remembered for Zidane rising Bixente Lazarus style to steer France to Total World Glory.
Posts: 14591 | From: Paper Street | Registered: May 2002
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posted
It will be remembered as the tournament where the world was in thrall to a new generation of heroes, and kids everywhere rushed out into the streets to practise walking stiffly from the halfway line to the penalty spot, breathing heavily, eyes focused, dreaming of Ein Elfmeter Bonito.
Posts: 3795 | From: tomorrow, your time | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
For the first time since 1982, all four semi finalists are European teams.
Maybe we can now finally stop all that jogo bonito rubbish... with Brazilians doing almost unbeleivable ball tricks being used constantly in TV commercials. After all, in a real game, nobody ever has time to do those tricks.....
Posts: 317 | From: somewhere nice | Registered: Mar 2005
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quote: After all, in a real game, nobody ever has time to do those tricks.....
Well ... Zidane manages to make time to do them and actually make them significant ...
Posts: 3378 | From: just this side of beyond all hope | Registered: Sep 2002
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quote:For the first time since 1982, all four semi finalists are European teams.
Which is why the results of the last two days have made me really depressed. Not that I have great feeling for either Argentina or Brazil, but in the grand scheme of things...four European teams? I don't know, I'm just not really interested right now. I'll watch, of course, and I'm sure I'll pick a team I hope wins it all, but still...
Posts: 16877 | From: Gobias Industries | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
Actually a France v Germany final could yet happen and could yet define the tournament.
They do actually look the best two sides in the tournament.
Overall thugh too much negative thinking by players and coaches and the cheating is really getting me down.
At least half the players in the tournament are looking to dive at any opportunity, every team seems to be trying to get opposition players sent off, and most of the players seem intent on rolling around in agony to bring about stoppages in play.
Posts: 4815 | From: London | Registered: May 2004
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