2010 HWCI World Cup Pool - Pando! or Gordo?

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PANDO! or GORDO? 2010 FIFA World Cup

WHY FOOTBALL IS WONDERFUL .. ..

After the first two weekends, some observations .. ..

THE PRE-WORLD CUP CAMP IS VITAL!

This WC has proven how important your camp is > It has to have the perfect mix of serious training + fun to keep all your players/staff focused and entertained .. ..

The two hard years of qualification can all be ruined by a bad three weeks of camp, the result of over-training, boredom or too much fun! And, coming on the heels of a long domestic season, getting that mix just right is becoming so much harder .. .. For example:

ENGLAND (2010): Capello Mussolini has the players tired/intimidated! Three to four days of Capello at a time, but weeks are too long.

ENGLAND (2006): Too much fun + Too many WAGS! But they still made it to the knockout round.

USA (2006): Centered in beautiful Hamburg but camp still imploded.

USA (1998): Isolated in a French vineyard w/ Steve Sampson = u know what!

 NEUTRAL SITE MADNESS!

As most of us expected/hoped, the results from South Africa have shown that a non-traditional WC site = interesting results .. .. Is BRAZIL a non-traditional site?

DO FRIENDLIES MATTER?

Clearly they do > Regardless of the circumstances, the sides that won their last pre-WC friendly, did well in their first WC match and those that lost their last friendly, struggled mightily!

YOU BELONG TO ME!

The age-old analogy / the ball is money! Teams just need to value the ball and keep possession .. .. How many times do you see teams just punt the ball downfield to god knows where? Why?

INDUSTRY or BRILLIANCE?

Being a workmanlike side (like ALGERIA, NORTH KOREA, NEW ZEALAND) is fine but they will not win a miracle match until they find a bit of brilliance somewhere, and that comes down to an individual player .. .. In order to win that match, a moment of brilliance has to come from somewhere .. ..

GOALKEEPING!

Again, if you don’t have good, experienced goalkeeping, you stand no chance over the length of a tournament .. .. Maybe the best comparison is the kicking game in American football > They may not win you a game, but they can certainly lose you a game .. ..

AFRICAN FOOTBALL!

A shambles > We all know that organization & African football are two words that have never collided in the same sentence .. .. But here they are on the biggest stage and it’s still aimless .. .. If not a single African side can elevate their game in this tournament, then African football has gotten as far they can .. .. And, did you hear about the African team that ignored their pre-WC Camp and just booked them into a roadside motel? It’s all potty .. ..

IS FOOTBALL DETERIORATING?

I don’t think so .. .. Quality strikers are always a premium and with more countries improving, defences becoming more complex and the WC becoming more imposing/intimidating, it’s no wonder that the perceived decline in quality is becoming visible .. ..

I believe in the grand scheme of things, we are watching the game mature and evolve and taking it’s natural course – Besides, isn’t it fun watching ENG & FRA implode and watching GER & ESP lose? It’s all good .. ..

THE SECRET OF FOOTBALL!

“The modern game is 70% mental & 70% physical and if you score more than your opponent in a match, your chances of winning improve dramatically!!”