was really stoked to watch the World Cup final yesterday, and have to say... overall i thought the game was kind of boring — almost two straight hours of gameplay with no goals... damn... but Spain finally found the back of the net with like a minute to spare, which was amazing... and to be honest, i thought they played a better game.

felt like Holland was just playing kind of dirty... and i couldn't believe how many yellow cards were given, too... i'm still kind of shocked that guy that did the flying kung-fu kick to the chest wasn't given a red card right off the bat... when it happened i was like "daaaaaaaamn!"... then on the replay, i was wincing because you know that shit had to hurt.

so i'm happy that Spain won, and can't believe that Paul the octopus was right once again. simply amazing.

p.s. Octopus oracle Paul to retire... damn, that sucks.

afterall... Paul the octopus has been right the whole time, so why not?

either way, hope you guys enjoy the game!

didn't seem like the germany i've been watching the last few games... the passing, the quick breaks, the team work getting opportunities setup... but hey, it still looks like the Final this weekend should be pretty awesome with Spain v. Netherlands. heh.

man, i feel exhausted.

i'm kind of torn between watching the online video stream of the game at work... or trying like hell to avoid hearing about it, and watching it tonight when i get home... hmmmmm.

yeah, who am i kidding.

p.s. World Cup ball gets NASA's official mark of disapproval

half-time update: scoreless at the half (0-0)... a few shots on the goalees but not many — kind of surprised that spain's been able to keep the ball so much.

feel kind of bad for Messi... he was supposed to be one, if not the best players, around and he didn't score a single goal in the world cup... that's gotta sting for a guy like him, i'd imagine. *wince*

looks like spain beat paraguay 1-0 — what a crazy game that was, too... first half kind of stunk, but those back-to-back penalty shots was effin crazy, man.

what a game, and i still can't believe those two goals the dutch managed to score -- talk about having some luck on your site... sat here going "holy shit! holy shit!" on both of 'em... and i can't believe that brazilian dude stepping down on that guy, getting him ejected from the game with a red card — seriously, that was fucked up... but he also screwed his team over, too.

was surprised to see brazil kind of lose control of the game like that... i'm still really surprised, since i totally thought that brazil would beat netherlands and was kind of looking forward to a possible Brazil v. Argentina match. oh well...

related: Two in three people want video replays, poll shows

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – About two-thirds of people think video replays should be used to avert refereeing blunders like those that marred two World Cup games at the weekend, a survey showed on Thursday.

Blatter needs to go... seriously, wonder what it takes to get this guy fired.

first one of the World Cup... fuck yeah.

update: oh shit, dude from japan just hit the top bar and missed...

update 2: paraguay hit them all, and won that game. daaaaaaaaamn.

Blown calls have spread like a rash at the World Cup, highlighted by a pair of howlers Sunday that should have erased any lingering doubts. The refs need help.

The days when FIFA, soccer's governing body, could ignore technology as a way to improve officiating are already numbered. The change won't happen at this tournament, but not too long after, FIFA boss Sepp Blatter and his henchmen will yield to pressure and reverse the organization's decades-long stance. [...]

England faced Germany in the first game — the same opponents who played a 1966 World Cup final that swung England's way in overtime after what has come to be called the "Wembley goal," and all these years later, remains the sport's most controversial tally. Working with the same tools their predecessors had at their disposal 44 years earlier, referee Jorge Larrionda and linesman Mauricio Espinosa were presented with an eerily similar decision late in the first half.

This time, a shot by England's Frank Lampard hit the crossbar, rebounded to the ground and then spun back in the direction of the field, where German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer gratefully collected it. Unlike the 1966 game, there was no consultation between ref and linesman and what was clearly a goal — replays showed the ball was well over the line — was simply waved off.

In the later match, Mexico faced an Argentina squad coached by former great Diego Maradona, whose "Hand of God" goal might have been even more controversial than the England's 1966 tally, except that it took place in a quarterfinal.

so maybe, just maybe, we'll see some instant-replay or allow coaches to throw a "challenge" card on a bad call? about fucking time... now if only they could do something about some of these pussy players falling to the ground, crying like little babies in mock pain everytime the wind blows — hasn't been too bad in most games, but it really is annoying as hell.

LONDON (Reuters) – British newspapers were unsparing in their condemnation of the England soccer team after they were defeated 4-1 by Germany in the second round of the World Cup in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

The headlines made grim reading with both the players and coach Fabio Capello carrying the can for the last-16 exit.

"You Let Your Country Down" was the front page of the mass circulation The Sun which devoted its first nine pages to England's defeat.

The back page said "Time's Up Fab" calling for Italian Capello to resign.

Even Frank Lampard's first half "goal" that was not given despite the ball bouncing well over the line when the score was 2-1 was not held up as an excuse.

"Lampard Travesty fails to hide England defects" said the Daily Telegraph while the Daily Mail reaction was "Awful England Have No Excuse."

Despite arriving in South Africa as one of the favourites England misfired through a group containing the United States, Algeria and Slovenia and were outplayed by Germany.

"By the bedraggled and humiliating finish here, even the old standbys, the cry of injustice and the desperate grasp for the moral victory had been torn into ruins," wrote John Dillon in the Daily Express.

man, i was really looking forward to watching the Germany v. England game, figuring that it'd be a great match... but damn, England just got worked over by the germans... i felt for the fans, though, since that's how i felt saturday watching the US team against Ghana.

it sucks.

RUSTENBURG, South Africa – Grim-faced American players filed by one by one on their way out of Royal Bafokeng Stadium. Their World Cup was over.

They'll have four long years to dwell on what might have been, how the most-talented team in U.S. soccer history was knocked out in a game the Americans were convinced they should have won.

No nail-biting comeback this time. The U.S. relied on late rallies once too often.

Life on the World Cup edge came to an exhausting and crushing end against a familiar foe Saturday night, when Ghana — led by Asamoah Gyan's goal 3 minutes into overtime — posted a 2-1 victory that ended a thrilling yet futile tournament for the United States in the second round just when it seemed the Americans had a relatively easy path to the semifinals.

"We felt like we had a great opportunity," goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "We just gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb. We just couldn't come back."

Kevin-Prince Boateng put Ghana ahead when he stripped the ball from Ricardo Clark in the fifth minute and beat Howard from 16 yards. It was the third time in four games the U.S. fell behind early, and once again the Americans rallied.

Landon Donovan tied the score with a penalty kick in the 62nd minute, his record fifth goal for the U.S. in World Cup play, after Jonathan Mensah pulled down Clint Dempsey streaking in. But that was it.

There was no offense left, no spark, no fire — unlike the first-round come-from-behind draws against England and Slovenia, and Donovan's memorable injury-time goal against Algeria that lifted the U.S. into the knockout phase.

i'm stil pretty bitter... second World Cup in a row that we've been beaten by Guana... fuck'n hell, man.

p.s. US soccer pres: We failed to meet expectations