Can Greece find the net? Can Japan sustain their effort for the whole game this time?
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by Randinho| 48 Comments
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Can Greece find the net? Can Japan sustain their effort for the whole game this time?
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Morzer
Japan to win 2-0. Although it might be quite a grim game to watch.
? Martin
Bankers really haven’t changed.
Story about how Grand Central managed to not be destroyed by greedy fucks.
MattR
@Morzer: So you are saying I should bet on Greece?
Amir Khalid
@MattR:
If Greece is the way you are feeling …
Morzer
@MattR:
I always advise betting against my predictions.
MattR
@Amir Khalid: @Morzer: I wouldn’t bet on a Greek team in disarray. For some reason, feeling a 1-1 draw.
Keith P
Yes, it is within their capabilities. Yes, it is also possible.
Consider this my contribution to every one of these WC “posts”.
Morzer
@MattR:
I just have trouble seeing the Greeks discovering how to hit the side of a barn door.
scav
@Morzer: That’s my usual attitude toward my natural attempts at spelling.
As I’ve nothing to go on and humbolt and I have already (nearly) discussed octopus recipes for this match, I’m thinking the Greek recipes for grilled look slightly more tasty than simply plopping it on top of sushi. Although I’d be happy with either.
MikeJ
@? Martin:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPtjyqgZAUk
Corner Stone
@Amir Khalid: It’s what I heard, for this match.
MattR
@Morzer: 2-0 Japan is looking better than 1-1 right now
Amir Khalid
Hmm. Neither side is looking very distinguished right now. This could fizzle out into a draw.
Amir Khalid
@Amir Khalid:
But can Japan capitalise on their advantage in numbers, and win this?
scav
@Amir Khalid: The universe and the gods trying to keep things interesting?
Summer
Why was that a red card? I’ve got offsides down, but I’m not so clear on penalties.
scav
@Summer: Guard says he was already on a yellow, does that help?
WaterGirl
@ Randinho up top
I’m really enjoying your little conversation starters for all these threads. This will show my age, but they remind me of the questions at the end of the old Batman shows when I was a kid:
Will Batman be able to get out of (whatever jam he is in)?
Will Robin escape from the riddler’s grasp?
For some reason which escapes me, Batman was the only TV show we were allowed to watch during dinner. (We had a little portable TV in the kitchen.) Seems like a funny choice, but it was a big deal back then!
edited
Amir Khalid
BBC live-blogger expects Greece to park the bus in the second half. Not sure if they will, though.
Summer
@scav: It just seemed like a legitimate attempt at the ball, and his response to the ref seemed measured and even polite. Whoops, seeing now it was a second yellow card? That makes sense. Sorry for digression!
WaterGirl
@Amir Khalid: What the heck does “park the bus” mean?
BTW, I think you have a misspelling in your comment at #4. :-)
Morzer
@Amir Khalid:
It’s pretty much their soccer tradition. Basically they are the You Shall Not Pass (And We Don’t Know How To Pass) team.
raven
@WaterGirl: Rocky and Bullwinkle had great titles for their episodes:
A Creep in the Deep or Will Success Spoil Boris Badenov?
Morzer
@WaterGirl:
Park the bus (in front of the goal) = all-out defense.
Amir Khalid
@WaterGirl:
By today’s standards, Adam West looks a little chubby in his Batsuit. And it was a silly show, in keeping with the prevailing mainstream opinion of comic-book stuff. You would never see such a silly Batman today, even on the Cartoon Network.
WaterGirl
@raven: They were the best! I LOVE rocky and bullwinkle and the rest of the crew. I wonder if it’s on TV anywhere as reruns.
scav
Had to go look it up to be sure, because I had been wondering how a bus could become parked after not seeming to ever to have been moving in the first place.
? Martin
@WaterGirl: ‘Park the bus’ means to move your players to defense and simply stop anyone from getting through, basically ceding your own offense. It means to either play for a draw in a situation like this and take the 1 point, or if you’re leading, to hold that lead.
It may be a strategy entering a game against a clearly stronger opponent, or employed at the half by substituting out some of your offense for defenders. Experienced viewers would be able to tell by who gets subbed in/out or by the formation on the pitch. If you only see 1-2 guys move forward with the ball (leaving 8 behind the ball), they’re parking the bus.
WaterGirl
@Amir Khalid: You are being too harsh! It’s just that they didn’t take themselves seriously. Okay, yes, it was very silly, but we liked it.
Amir Khalid
@WaterGirl:
“Parking the bus in front of goal”, to use the expression in full, means having (almost) the entire outfield keeping the goalkeeper company in/around the penalty area (the big rectangle around the goal). It originated as a tactic used by weaker teams playing away against stronger ones. It was the visiting team who came by bus, you see, so …
WaterGirl
@? Martin: @Amir Khalid: Interesting!
Some people do that when playing cards, too. I think it’s much more fun to play to win (!) than to play not to lose. But I guess I wouldn’t be opposed to using it as an occasional strategy if it kept my team in a tournament.
Edited to add Amir after I saw his comment.
Morzer
@WaterGirl:
It’s often used by teams who are are trying to avoid relegation to a lower division, or who think they have a better chance of winning a penalty shoot-out in elimination games.
? Martin
@WaterGirl: It’s seriously frowned upon if done from the start. Games are frustrating to watch. A better tolerated if saved until later to protect a slim lead. Frowned upon more heavily if used to protect a large lead.
But yeah, used in other games as well.
(I’ve seen that opening shot at goal from midfield work surprisingly often. Goalies are easily bored.)
raven
The soccer equivalent of the four corners.
Amir Khalid
Not the most eventful football match ever played, is it?
Morzer
@Amir Khalid:
Mistakes were made.
? Martin
@Amir Khalid: Red card has been the highlight so far.
Morzer
The Greeks look like the annual meeting of the Richard Nixon Impersonators Society.
MattR
@? Martin: IMO, this is an acceptable position to bunker down. Glad the Greek’s aren’t doing so, but understandable if they were.
WaterGirl
Thanks everyone for all the info on parking the bus, all very interesting!
Steeplejack
The Japanese cannot hit the broad side of a barn.
Amir Khalid
@Steeplejack:
And the Greeks can’t behave themselves.
Morzer
I fear the Japanese may be destined to die Honda-ing.
Amir Khalid
This has been an only fitfully interesting match between two teams with no real attacking menace. I will be surprised if there is any change in the score.
Morzer
I feel as if that game lasted about five hours. What a miserable display by both sides.
Amir Khalid
I’m glad it’s over.
scav
At least some of us have now learned another thing to do with busses.
Tripod
Dreadful