[demonrail666]

Yeah. There's growing fears about Rooney's fitness so close to the World Cup. I'm gonna watch the highlights of the Spurs Man U match. Chelsea are a long way from getting it done. It's in their hands but I can see them dropping points somewhere along the line in their last three games against Stoke, Liverpool and Wigan. Man U's, against Sunderland and Stoke is a bit easier - although I'm convinced Stoke could be a banana skin for either of them. Either way, the Chelsea Liverpool game is gonna be huge.

Far more importantly, West Ham look to have almost certainly avoided relegation.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Yeah. There's growing fears about Rooney's fitness so close to the World Cup.

mhuaaahaahaaahaaahaaa!

(sorry, i had to say that)

i always favor south american teams-- no matter which one-- we 3rd worlders gotta stick together-- magical realism & what not!

[demonrail666]

I imagine if you asked English fans, most would say their second national team is brazil. There's a romance about a country that once had a player called Socrates while we have to content ourselves with names likes Crouch.

Although I do get a bit fed up during World Cups, when the commentators waffle on about 'the beautiful game', and 'samba football' whenever Brazil play, a style they haven't played since the early 80s. They'll have one or two flair players but the rest of the team are really solid and quite workmanlike. There's certainly nothing about today's Brazil that comes anywhere even close to this.

[space]

dear demonrail666,

mom says "hi"!

I say "yr welcome".

kindest regards,

yr past-future step-son

 

[demonrail666]

Good God, It's Gidget!!!!!!

[SonicBebs]

massive game now for palace tomorow. with sheffield wednesday losing yesterday we can be safe if we win against west brom. They're allready promoted so have nothing relly to play for.
then its the game of the season next week. bricking it to be honest....

[chicka]

thank you very much space.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by SonicBebs

massive game now for palace tomorow. with sheffield wednesday losing yesterday we can be safe if we win against west brom. They're allready promoted so have nothing relly to play for.
then its the game of the season next week. bricking it to be honest....

Yeah, i really want Palace to stay up, especially now Simon Jordan's pretty much gone. Sincere good luck.

[chrome noise tape]

 

sometimes he's really the special one...well i hope he wins the Champions League.

[demonrail666]

 

[pokkeherrie]

^Awesome.

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Although I do get a bit fed up during World Cups, when the commentators waffle on about 'the beautiful game', and 'samba football' whenever Brazil play, a style they haven't played since the early 80s. They'll have one or two flair players but the rest of the team are really solid and quite workmanlike. There's certainly nothing about today's Brazil that comes anywhere even close to this.

Fully agree with this, even though I'm not old enough to have watched the 1982 World Cup myself. But their recent World Cup teams were usually a lot more defensive than commentators said they were.

On the other hand, even their defenders can score goals like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwPoqd3t2wE

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by pokkeherrie

^Awesome.




Fully agree with this, even though I'm not old enough to have watched the 1982 World Cup myself. But their recent World Cup teams were usually a lot more defensive than commentators said they were.

On the other hand, even their defenders can score goals like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwPoqd3t2wE

Fucking hell! I've not seen that one before.

There's a beautiful irony about that 82 Brazil team in that they didn't actually win the world cup, instead going out at the group stages. That actually reminds me a bit of Holland going out of Euro 2000 in the semis(?) despite being the best team there by a long way. It's what makes football what it is, I suppose.

[SonicBebs]

no way was that handball!
still, well done Inter. Didn't think they would do it but they held on well

[the ikara cult]

like all of us, i was well disappointed that Barca went out, I can only hope Bayern Win the Final.

[chrome noise tape]

Originally Posted by chrome noise tape

 

sometimes he's really the special one...well i hope he wins the Champions League.

bye bye suckers!!! ah! ah!... ( where's messi now?! )

[demonrail666]

yeah, gutted about Barcalona last night. The second goal should've stood, although I also think the sending off was a bit much too. I'll definitely be supporting Bayern in the final. I hate the way Mourinho sets his teams out. It's effective but kills games stone dead.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

I imagine if you asked English fans, most would say their second national team is brazil. There's a romance about a country that once had a player called Socrates while we have to content ourselves with names likes Crouch.

Although I do get a bit fed up during World Cups, when the commentators waffle on about 'the beautiful game', and 'samba football' whenever Brazil play, a style they haven't played since the early 80s. They'll have one or two flair players but the rest of the team are really solid and quite workmanlike. There's certainly nothing about today's Brazil that comes anywhere even close to this.

fucking a, that video rules, overly grandiose shit music & all.

the commentators-- they've gotta "exoticize" the brown man no matter what. "magical realist football"! yes?

ha ha @ sócrates vs. "crouch"

i didn't know england had this love for brazil-- what about argentina though?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VXbqA1YRqY

[SonicBebs]

yeah, we all love Argentina especially diego

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

the commentators-- they've gotta "exoticize" the brown man no matter what. "magical realist football"! yes?

I know you mentioned 'magical realism' light heartedly, but in a way that's precisely what it is. As football becomes more corporate it needs to invent some kind of distant romantic ideal and Brazil (admittedly a team with an incredible history) fits perfectly. "They all learned to play on the beach you know. That's why they're so skillful." It's ridiculous. Similarly, Germany always gets cast as the pantomime villain with endless references to their "machine-like efficiency" while England is always "passionate" and "direct". It's taken commentators until quite recenrtly to realise that Italy's national team, rather than reflect its flamboyant national stereotype actually plays far more like Germany 'should' than actually ever have.

i didn't know england had this love for brazil-- what about argentina though?

Yeah, Argentina are a bit of a hate figure in England, but it stems more from the Falklands war than Maradon's whole 'hand of god' thing, although that definitely compounded it. Personally though, I really like Argentina's national team. Maradona, whatever he did in 'that' match, is still the greatest player I've ever seen and would happily join any church that placed Carlos Tevez as its God.

Also, you'd need to look hard to find a more brilliant goal than this anywhere, ever: a goal that's probably done more to close the art-science debate than any academic ever has:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R_iYLca2gc

Never get bored watching that.

[blunderbuss]

Nice one Fulham!

Not usually a team for which I have much fondness, but I'll make an exception this time. A wonderful fairy story.

Пятхъдесят Шест - Have a great evening (well, lunchtime / afternoon for you, I guess) on May 12th!