yes yes I know like I said I am well aware of Haka and their usage...I have even performed a fair few in my time in school over here all I was saying is that I had not recalled a Haka at previous playoff games (but then again I did not attend those games or pay that much attention). I thought FIFA was not as welcoming for that sort of cultural tradition as their Rugby equivalent In the CC 2017 this was the quote by one NZ player "I think it's more of a logistical thing from FIFA. "It's a very strict timeframe leading up to the games. You have to be out of the tunnel six minutes before kickoff, lining up four minutes before kickoff" http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/333088/haka-a-no-go-for-fifa Maybe thats why it was performed in the tunnel by a group rather than on the field by the players (like the All Blacks) btw our cultural response was the witch doctor cursing the NZ team...this caught NZ press and fans by surprise and amusement
its terrible when performed by non rugby players...I remember a swimming team giving it a go... then again even Rugby had terrible Haka's back in the day...the 80s is when the Haka began to be treated with the respect and practice it deserves by the players
loved it and was fairly certain that opposition players knew they were not literally going to get their heads cut off...but people like to complain about everything these days
Rooting against: 1. Russia - they f*cked with our election 2. Saudi Arabia - no passion and just seem to buy everything, although I'll root for them against Russia! 3. I can't think of anybody else although that could change. Rooting for: -England, my heritage. -Peru, the shirt, the heritage. -Mexico, it'd be great for Mexican Americans and America in general. -Costa Rica- never been but everybody says its a great country. -The two sub-sahara African teams, always root for poor countries as long as they are entertaining.
We Frenchies have liberated you from those exploitative autocrats and that's how we're thanked for. I knew it ! Just kiddin'.
That is actually how most Americans think! But in my case, my family immigrated from England, so I grew up rooting for England as a serious contender while America were our "just happy to be here" second team.
Hey us 'exploitative autocrats' liberated you from those Nazis and that's how we're thanked for it, I knew it! Just kiddin' ;-)
I once heard an English commentator mentioned that both Donovan and America are good "impact subs". They enter in the second half.
Totally agree on the hate thing. As a Mexican fan, I've always noticed Portugal gets an extreme amount of hate like we do. People act as if they didn't deserve the Euro. Wasn't a fluke like Greece. They have been to the final before.
My list.... 1. Mexico- underrated, gets a tough match in the round of 16 since 2006. Loads of hate towards them. Plays a beautiful style of football and never bunkers or gives in to defensive anti football tactics, no matter the opponent. 2. England- Love their style of play, their fans. Rooting for them as I consider them my 2nd favorite team. They get a lot of hate, just like Mexico and Portugal. 3. France- great style of play, great squad this year. Love the culture, language. 4. Spain- I kind of like them. Barely. 5. No 5th. I'm indifferent about the rest. Dislike 1. Columbia (spelled it this way on purpose, sue me bitch). They think they're hot shit, just like Chile. Overrated. Chile, Uruguay along with this team annoy me. 2. Uruguay- Overrated, Mostly because of the easy path to the semis in 2010 and because of their dusty titles from eons ago. 3. Panama- bunch of flopping pieces of garbage. Play anti football, flopping aggressive tackling style of play. If they're winning, they'll start flopping 20 minutes before the match is over. 4. Iran- fans are a trollfest, but I don't have anything against their team. Actually, mostly indifferent towards them, will be neutral watching their matches. Hard a hard time finding a 4th. 5. Don't mind the rest.
Yeah the whole "Portugal didn't deserve to win the Euro" is ridiculous to me. It's not like they went through the whole knockout stages of the tournament winning on PKs. They won and nobody stopped them.
It was a hard fought title and fully deserved. They had a weak half of the ladder? Sure, but you can only beat what you have in front of you. And they still had to oversome the victor of the other half - France.
Like Croatia (I like their style and they have a beautiful country) Brazil (The greatest football nation of all-time, they have returned to Jogo Bonito under Tite) Iran (I have a few Iranian friends) Peru (after beeing absent from the World Cup for 36 years I want them to do well) Spain (I enjoy to see them play) Dislike Serbia (non football-related reasons, enemy to Albania) England (most arrogant fans) Germany (They won 4 years ago. I don't want them to win again. Saudi Arabia (again non football-related reasons, enemy to Iran) Iceland (since their fairytale story in EURO 2016 they are tremendously hyped)
Prefer 1.Japan 2.Iran 3.Mexico 4.Egypt 5.Korea Don't want 1.Portugal 2.England 3.Germany 4.Uruguay 5.Belgium
easy path for uruguay in 2010? they solid won the group of death, get past a versatile korean side, had 95.000 against the in a memorial quarter final and came close to beat the dutch in the semis.... and forlan became the best player... but well, ok, overrated.
South Africa had a pretty tough group as a host, but that the first time ever I've heard their group being called the "group of death". The comment funnily omits the way Uruguay 'memorably' qualified for the semis. Came close to beating the Dutch? Sorry, you must have been watching some other game. They failed to take the lead even once and they for were beat by the 73rd minute. Scoring a consolation goal in extra time does not constitute 'coming close to beating the Dutch'. Overall they had good tournament, but the only team that was considered elite that they faced was France, and they totally feel apart at that tournament. Comparitively speaking they had a pretty easy route.
Like Germany Croatia (mainly because of the class of 98, even though at our expense ) Iran ( Do not know much about the current team but like the country, Khusrow, Saadi Shirazi, Hafez and Hashemian from his Bundesliga days) Mexico Greece (from the Rehaggel days, a much better underdog version of Iceland) Also like: USA, South Korea and Cameroon of the 90s. Dislike Netherlands Belgium: I just do not get the fuss over the current Belgian side. No doubt they're a collection of talented individuals, but that's about it. Switzerland: The very anti-thesis of football. Italy: Have our number in the WC/EC most of the time. EC16 was the exception. Chile: Very rough team, which is talented enough to win purely on merit yet chooses to play rough/dirty football.
Wrong there man! a LOT of football fans around the world have a deep admiration for Brasil and their "jogo bonito", besides, who is not a fan of Pele and the 1970 team? I can tell you from personal experience when i went to Italia 90, a whole group of Swedish fans, from the same hotel i was staying, had the Brasilian jerseys on when we went to see them against Argentina. As for me: Like: All the Conmebol teams, as i hope to put on a great show this WC. Dislike: Mexico - The fans and media really overhype this "ok, not great" team. England - Spain - Any team that plays boring defensive football