Nice dreads, bad results. The World Cup 2010 lion may not be smiling after 3 games.
Usually host nation teams do OK during a World Cup. England, France, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, South Korea? Well next year South Africa could well be set to be a complete ‘no show’ for the host nation. Which by the way would be absolutely SUPERB!
Bafana Bafana, who qualify for the tournament instantly by hosting the Worlds greatest competition, are on a horrendous run of form or ‘lack of’. They have now lost EIGHT of their last nine games. In fact they have won just 3 of their last 14 games. They have played Spain, Brazil and Germany but if you have any ambitions to give your supporters some hope for the World Cup you have to beat Iraq and Finland. See for yourself, results here.
Even FIFA’s chief idiot, Sepp Blatter, is disappointed with South Africa’s form, stating that time was running out for the team to be ‘competitive’ before next summers tournament.
“I’m very disappointed that since 2004, when South Africa was awarded the hosting of the World Cup, the results of the team have not been good.”- Sepp Blatter
Bafana Bafana coach Joel Santana is still holding on to his job, just. South Africa will decide Santana’s fate in November.
Now, up there at the top, I said that it would be ‘superb’ if South Africa left the competition after just 3 games. I don’t have any personal grudges against South Africa or its people, but I just cannot stand that awful buzzing noise that fills the air when South Africa’s fans blow those stupid Vuvuzelas. Why oh why would you do such a thing? I actually DO know why they do it and quite frankly its not a good enough excuse to allow such a ridiculous behavior to be tolerated. So come 2010, I hope that one: England have Bafana Bafana in their group, and two: They disappear at the group stage, if only to save the sanity of football fans all over the globe.
fun fact: disappearing at the group stage, I believe, would make them the 1st host nation not to reach at least the second round (including all those years when qualification was more like invitation, etc etc)
If they finish last in the tournament, or just in front of Bahrain, what are the odds they change the host qualification rules? It would be nice if we didn’t have to worry about qualifying for 2018.
unfortunately I think attendence will be low at this world cup (economy, violence, distance) and they’ll be handing out free tickets to locals a la the confederation cup. I think we’re stuck with the vuvuzela the whole tourny
“They require some lip and lung strength to blow and emit a monotonous noise like a deep foghorn or an elephant”
I always thought they sounded like large angry swarms of bees
@Whiz, it will depend on the game. Stadia are smaller than in other countries and I am guessing the big nations will sell theirs. However the infrastructure is pathetic. Getting from one game to another is a nightmare. This could be the worst WC experience ever for the travelling fan.
@Clemantona I HATE BEES, even Brentford!
“This could be the worst WC experience ever for the travelling fan.”*
*until 2014
As dumb as it can be sometimes (especially now that the WC is being hosted in more exotic locations), they absolutely must let the host nation qualify automatically. It’s mad to not let them be involved
Well Georger, I believe trains exist in Brazil right? Even if you may get killed taking one. 2018 is when people really see how its done.
Brazil’s stadium infrastructure sucks massive dong though, plus the stabbiness, I still think it will go down as the biggest WC disaster.
2018 will be an exercise in American efficiency and English inability to play in hot weather.
JT: the least they could do is not give them a seed if they don’t get their s**t together.
Georger. Newsflash 2018 will be going to England mate. Great stadiums already in place, easy travel up and down the country. Its all ready. You had it in 94, don’t be so f**king greedy!
We’ve got bigger and better stadiums now, never mind the fact that NYC, LA, San Francisco, and San Diego are all getting brand new football stadiums in the next five years.
And if you’re banking on your highway system and stadium proximity getting you the tournament, just remember that you just wrote that SA has none of that; yet they still got it.
Georger: The US already showed the world how the World Cup is done right in 1994. 2018 will be a tour de force of size and enthusiasm. FIFA will line its pockets with so much filthy luchre that the US will become the alternate host. Every other quadrennial will be a chance for the US to host the WC, while the rest of the world fights it out for the right to host in the other quadrennials.*
*Wishful thinking.
When England hosts it in 2022, we’ll learn even more about hooliganism, small stadia, and bad food. Not saying it won’t be fun, but it won’t be the US.
Indeed, the US knows how to do it right. Like letting Jon Secada fracture his collarbone, and Diane Ross missing a PK
We shall see Georger. No way you are getting it again so soon against an England bid. NO WAY.
Europe have already had it twice since North America last had it, f**k Europe.
If you’re gonna trash talk Diana Ross, I’m gonna have to come out of the booth again.
@JT: How would you even know? England didn’t even make it to the US in ’94.
I had television to witness that monstrosity, and considering the USA’s form in 90 and 98, we all know the only reason the US made it to USA ’94… that glory known as automatic qualification!
Qualifying for 90 and 98 means we wouldn’t have qualified for 94? The only thing that sucks more than our performance in 90 and 98 is your logic!
I’ve got some free time today, does anyone want to help me see if we can get JT onto a terror watch list?
Is Blatter really upset about South Africa’s form? I mean, they had four years to fix the entire infrastructure of the sport in their country; that includes the youth program, the league, the “second tier” nature of the sport in a country ruled by rugby and cricket, and the lack of any quality players not playing for Everton. They’ve improved since they got the bid, but the bid doesn’t automatically bestow awesomeness on your team; if you have twenty years to prep, than MAYBE you can get a jump on things. Four years doesn’t even give your youth academies time to build up players.
So, you saw the games on TV and you think that allows you to judge what the host country experience was like? because on tv they show so much more than the game. how exactly are the games on the field representative of the host country? that’s like saying, i saw the super bowl abomination that was Indianapolis v. Chicago ergo Miami is a terribly city to host an event.
I’m pretty sure we still hold the record for highest attendance of a WC, and we would shatter that if we had it again.
Georger: you qualified in 90 and 98 but were shockingly awful. It doesn’t speak well of the USMNT to gush over them making it past a CONCACAF mess that was a lot worse than it is today.
TFA: wind your neck in. I said the opening ceremony was the epitome of “doing it right”
True but there were also less spots up for grabs in 90 (2) and 98 (3). Would we have even qualified in 90 if it weren’t for the Mexicans getting DQed?
(side note, I could go for a blizzard right now)
@Magnakai Haaskivi Maybe they spend some cash and get a good manager?
@Georger. We last had it in 66. No way you get it, right after Brazil? No F’ing chance.
Oh, so the Toni Braxton event at the WC 2006 was better?
Why the hell do people think Brazil is our neighbor? London is 500 miles closer to Rio than LA is.
I firmly believe we will get 18 or 22. But I think Australia or Russia should get one of them. Europe doesn’t need another one after getting two of the last three.
@Canary-phile: Yeah, but Europe has something like 50 countries that could host and North America has 2. So you have to go by regions and not the actual country. Europe has hosted twice since North America last had it and only 1 North American country is still in the running. So it has gone: N. America, Europe, Asia, Europe, Africa, S. America, and _____? Seems N. America is due for the rotation.
(and yes I realize Russia is in UEFA, but Russia isn’t in Europe, doesn’t count)
Oh wow we get England and Denmark on FSC today. Thanks a bundle Fox.
@TFA Nonsense. Not my problem you stand alone.
@Georger. Bite me.
Hey don’t get me wrong, England would be cool (and let’s face it, with your youth setup, you’ll need all the help you can get qualifying for 18 and 22!), I just don’t see you getting it after France and Germany got it so recently.
I’d love an American World Cup, but I’d almost prefer to have one in a small European country. Can take trains to more than one stadium that way. Here in America that’d be a little tougher.
@Canary-phile: Actually, I think it is your problem because there is an informal rotation system for the World Cups. It’s not set in stone but they like to spread it around. England is at a severe disadvantage having hosted so frequently and so recently. Plus, with Jack Warner pooh-poohing England right now, the England bid is a bit shaky.
Ryan I feel you on that. I think Belgium/Netherlands would be awesome, but apparently they don’t have the stadiums to do it.
Ned’s Ontology: “I want” = “Metaphysical certainty”
I think I can find a couple of flaws with this theory.
That theory was debunked in the late sixties