| Pretty Little Flower |
06-17-2010 05:38 PM |
Re: The thread where Spring has sprung, and Penske has risen from the law. Word!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
(Post 426613)
Get back to me after Uruguay/Mexico.
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This could happen, but if you're Mexico, don't you think you can take the win and claim top seed. It could make a big difference in who you face in the knockout round. But who knows, maybe it will be a tea party.
I think there is something about a culture of playing for ties that may be more prevalent now, at least with some teams. I understand why Portugal and Ivory Coast would be content with a tie, although it seems that by not playing for the win, you are just deferring the inevitable(unless they think they can knock off Brazil). If I were either team, I would much rather go out hard gamble on a first round win than hope that I can beat North Korea by more goals than the other team can (or lose to Brazil by fewer goals). What really got me was the last play of the game. Ivory Coast has a corner and time has essentially run out. If they swing it in toward net, there is a decent possibility they could score the last second goal and snatch a heroic victory. The downside risk is the almost infinitessimal chance that Portugal will somehow intercept the corner, take it down the field and score in a half second. Instead, they play the corner short and the game is over. Why? Have soccer teams gotten so conservative that the one in a thousand chance Portugal can counterattack with a half second left outweighs the one in ten chance that you can score off the corner and be sitting pretty in the group of death. If so, then pansies like S-G E are indeed making the game more boring. |
