Posts Tagged ‘World Cup’

Online TV Supports World Cup Fans

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Spain vs Germany 2010

After watching last nights long awaited world cup semi final between the current european champions Spain and the impressive, high goal scoring Germany, which I must say was a very tense match especially as I was watching it with a spaniard who was endlessly shouting at the television thinking he was really there in the staduim.

 

At the half time break the score was still an agonising 0-0 and during the tv adverts there was a constant push for Internet Marketing of the world cup where so much information is accessible online these days, for example if you had missed any of the previous games you were able to watch them on the internet, being able to view all the live match statistics as well as join an online forum to discuss your own thoughts and post your own comments.

 

The World Cup has been such a success for South Africa and given the country the boost its needs to attract higher tourism levels.

 

I cannot imagine how online businesses, not just in South Africa, but worldwide have increased the Search Engine Optimisation on there sites to gain sales and further business, especailly anyone selling those noisy trumpets also known as a vuvuzela which I saw being sold in a local supermarket, as if hearing them on the tv isnt bad enough!

 

The football stadiums in South Africa were very impressive, especially the one in Durban which was were Spain were to get a suprised 1-0 defeat to Switzerland match. A friend of mine was lucky enough to see that match as he was visiting family down there.

My friend predicts that the Netherlands are in for winning the world cup, because he has holland in the sweepstake at the Ecommerce website design business he works at.

 

Some of the football sites also have some fantastic web design too!

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Replacing The Old Guard : Who Can Italy Look To For Euro 2012 And World Cup 2014?

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

Italy’s squad is older than most, and Marcelo Lippi has not been spared criticism for the age of the team.  The likes of Gianluigi Buffon (32), Fabio Cannavaro (36), Gennaro Gattuso (32), Gianluca Zambrotta (33), Andrea Pirlo (31), Mauro Camoranesi (33), Antonio Di Natale (32) and Vincenzo Iaquinta (30) are all certainly unlikely to be around when the next World Cup in Brazil takes place, so just who can Lippi, or the next manager of the Azzuri, call on to replace this ageing generation?

Lorenzo De Silvestri    Defender     (Fiorentina)    Aged 22
De Silvestri, who stands at just over six feet tall, comes from Lazio, where he recently served as fullback.    When he moved to Fiorentina in 2009, De Silvestri came into his own in the form that served him in representing Italy from U16 to U21. A marauding, powerful full back, he gets forward well and looks to be a possible long term replacement for Gianluca Zambrotta in the national team.

Davide Santon        Defender    (Inter)        Aged 19
Santon, who played for Inter in 28 games and Azzuri in five, has set himself apart as an excellent defender with an ability to play either flank with ease. Santon’s energy is boundless; his energy on the pitch has earned him a comparison to Paolo Maldini by Italian head coach Marcelo Lippi. Technically sound too, Santon, barring injury and a dramatic loss of form, should be a member of the next few Italian squads at major finals events.

Mario Balotelli        (Striker)    (Inter)        Aged 19
  Mario Batelli, though prone to fights and poor sportsmanship, may be one of the best attackers or wingers wearing the Italy soccer jersey in upcoming games.  Batelli’s run-ins with both fans and management only serve to distract from his excellent record: the player scored twenty goals in 59 games and notched 6 and 16 for the U21 Italian set. Batelli is sure to see the Euro 2012 qualifiers, when the Italian team will be looking for a new strike force.

Federico Macheda    (Striker)    (Man Utd)    Aged 18
A fiercely underrated player that has yet to regularly make the first team at Old Trafford, Macheda is set to have a great next season and catch they eye of Azzuri management. Macheda’s strength as a striker coupled with his intelligence gives him a boost in scoring goals. His particular talent is scoring with his back to the goal, and he has been capped at U21 for Italy; if Macheda makes a difference in the first team for United, he should end up with a spot on the Italian national squad.

Antonio Candreva    (Midfielder)    Udinese    Aged 23
Finding a replacement for Andrea Pirlo may be the Italian sides greatest challenge in the next few years and one possible replacement could be Candreva. Pundits speculate that the Udinese midfielder will make his loan to Juventus a more permanent situation, especially since his abilities to play the entire midfield and master the perfection of Pirlo’s holding, creative role have been urging a permanent position.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Online TV Supports World Cup Fans

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Spain vs Germany 2010

After watching last nights long awaited world cup semi final between the current european champions Spain and the impressive, high goal scoring Germany, which I must say was a very tense match especially as I was watching it with a spaniard who was endlessly shouting at the television thinking he was really there in the staduim.

 

At the half time break the score was still an agonising 0-0 and during the tv adverts there was a constant push for Internet Marketing of the world cup where so much information is accessible online these days, for example if you had missed any of the previous games you were able to watch them on the internet, being able to view all the live match statistics as well as join an online forum to discuss your own thoughts and post your own comments.

 

The World Cup has been such a success for South Africa and given the country the boost its needs to attract higher tourism levels.

 

I cannot imagine how online businesses, not just in South Africa, but worldwide have increased the Search Engine Optimisation on there sites to gain sales and further business, especailly anyone selling those noisy trumpets also known as a vuvuzela which I saw being sold in a local supermarket, as if hearing them on the tv isnt bad enough!

 

The football stadiums in South Africa were very impressive, especially the one in Durban which was were Spain were to get a suprised 1-0 defeat to Switzerland match. A friend of mine was lucky enough to see that match as he was visiting family down there.

My friend predicts that the Netherlands are in for winning the world cup, because he has holland in the sweepstake at the Ecommerce website design business he works at.

 

Some of the football sites also have some fantastic web design too!

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

Antidotes To The World Cup Vuvuzela

Friday, June 18th, 2010

You’ve all heard them by now, even if you don’t know what the correct name is, but what if you could block the annoying sound emanating from your TV set this last week or so? You know the sound! It’s like watching the director’s cut of “The Attack of the Killer Bees” in magnificent Stereo Surround-O-Rama. Frankly, the Vuvuzela may be an African tradition, but it irritating, loud and distracting.

 

Now’s the time to look to antidotes in the shape of a few early Christmas gift ideas, because if we don’t there’s going to be people all over the World still hearing that buzzing in six months time.

If you’re after something a little more unsual, but that still makes a practical Christmas present, then you don’t need to look any further than the iLogic Sound Hat available in shades of black, white, or pink for the ladies. The added bonus with these beat box beanies is they will keep your ears warm in the winter whilst plugging right in to your iPod and yet, cleverly, not annoy your friends or family with that all too familiar wail associated with normal ear buds.

 

If hats aren’t your thing, then try out the perfect present for him or her with the ZaggBud Noise Cancelling Headphones. Not just Vuvuzela proof, these buds are clever enough to detect an incoming call on your iPhone and with the inbuilt switch and microphone, allow you to answer the call without unplugging or messing around with the phone!

 

Finally, if you think that ridiculous horns call for drastic measures, relieve the tinnitus-inducing frustration with a Flying Animal. The monkey yodels, the pig ‘oinks’ and the rooster crows in flight and when it hits your chosen target. There’s also a hidden upside to throwing these animals about your home. They should only be used by children over 12, so if your offspring are all 11 or under, tell them they can’t legally throw them back at you. They seem to believe anything at that age, bless them. Even that England are going to win the football World Cup!

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace

A Family Affair?

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

  For better or worse, manager-father, player-son teams are in it together. Those looking to cause shenanigans will claim that favouritism among father and son teams causes problems.  Brian Clough, when he managed his son Nigel at Nottingham Forest, refused to even acknowledge him by his first name, simply referring to Nigel as “our Number 9”.  Managers who manage their sons may, far from being too lenient with their offspring, be too critical. It is a fine balancing act for the manager and the player and it can be problematic.

Not that this will be a problem for Bob Bradley and his son Michael during this summer’s World Cup Finals in South Africa.  One exception to the rule seems to be the Bradley family, US Coach Bob Bradley and his son Michael, who will compete in the World Cup Finals together this summer in South Africa.

Michael Bradley was born in Princeton, New Jersey when Bob was the coach of the Princeton University soccer team.   When Michael was young, his father received a position coaching the MLS Chicago Fire,  and Michael was raised in Palatine, gaining a love for the game that rivalled that of his father.  After Bob gained a position with the Chicago Fire, Michael grew up in Palatine, and began to enjoy the sport immensely.

After an impressive career in Junior leagues, Michael signed up with the MLS Superdraft in 2004 and was selected 36th overall by the New York Metrostars, who just so happened to be coached by his father. Michael’s first professional season didn’t turn out as planned when he suffered an awful foot injury, but his second year kicked off to a fantastic start for both of the Bradleys; Bob succeeded in leading his team to playoffs and Michael played in all but two of the games and headed his first goal to a shocked Chivas USA, securing a spot in the playoffs.

Bradley soon gained attention of foreign teams, leading him to leave the Metrostars in 2006 to play for Holland’s SC Heerenveen team.   Bradley’s success continued with Holland as he played well enough to land the team a place in the UEFA Cup and achieving an incredible 20 goals in the 2007-2008 season.

After Bradley’s success with Holland, bigger clubs started paying attention, including Birmingham City, whose relegation from the Premier League preventing them from getting him in their soccer merchandise. Borussia Moenchengladbach instead snapped up the midfielder and he has become a regular player for the German side, playing 58 times in the Bundesliga and scoring 7 goals.

Michael Bradley’s success so far exceeded expectations that most took it for granted that he would be promoted to the National Team (and he was). Bob Bradley began coaching the team in 2006, leading Michael to become  the core of the US midfield, setting up plays so that offensive players such as Landon Donovan can exercise the freedom to get towards the goal.

The US team is thankful for the father and son duo as they head on to the World Cup Finals in South Africa this summer.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Live
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace