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France battles fallout over World Cup team furor
When France won the World Cup in 1998, poll numbers of top French political leaders surged and the country claimed a vindication for its model of assimilating ethnic minorities from former African colonies. How times have changed. This year’s squad, by boycotting a practice session after striker Nicolas Anelka was sent home for insulting the coach, has handed France worldwide ridicule.

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Many great games have been played in the history of football, this not only including the world cups but many other tournaments and not only those played by national teams but those on a club level yet it is when a match takes place in the world cup that it will for the most part hold longer in the memory of those who witnessed it. Naturally, with football games as with most other matters there are certain elements at least in my opinion that a game must have to be considered amongst the greatest of all times and the first I would say is having been played by not only great teams but players of equal grandness as individuals. For instance we might go back to the days when Stabile’s Argentina lost to Cea’s Uruguay in the first ever final back in 1930 which ended in a score of 4-2 or we might move closer to the present when Walter’s Germany shocked the heavily favorite Hungarians led by Puskas  by 3-2, this after trailing by 2-0.

Second I would say that a game has to be one where the result is of such importance that it will prevent one of the two teams in question from going on in the tournament, while the other either wins it or at least advances to the next round. This adding greater significance to the result and thrill to fans; who will either see their team progress in the tournament or be eliminated. Of course having stated this it would be unfair to claim that there have not been matches of great quality; were elimination or advancement did not come as a direct result of the game. As an example of this we might look to the following games.

USSR 4 Colombia 4 (first round, Chile 62)

This a game in which Col scored the first and so far last Olympic goal in a world cup for Colombia.

Brazil 2 USSR 1 (first round, Spain 82)

Brazil 3 Romania 2 (first round, Mexico 70)

Germany 4 Sweden 2 (second round, Germany 74)

Third and almost needless to say the game should be close to the point of being what could be hailed as a cliffhanger; where in looking back we might say either team had it in their grasp to win. All in a contest which could even be qualified as a “seesaw” affair; in which teams took turns in being on top. For if it is an easy victory by a comfortable margin; then we might say it was great performance by one side but hardly a grand match. As examples of this I might refer to the following matches.

-Germany over France in penalties (Spain 82, semifinal) in a game which ended 3-3 after overtime and being the first game in world cup competition ever to require the use of penalty kicks which not only handed Germany victory but passage in to the final vs. Italy. All in a game which at one point saw Germany trailing 3-1.

-Italy vs. Germany (Mexico 70, semifinal), ending 4-3 in Italy’s favor; this despite Germany getting the opening goal in the first period of overtime and subsequently taking a 2-1 lead.

-Italy vs. Brazil (Spain 82, second round with passage in to the semifinal being up for grabs) ending 3-2 in Italy’s favor and though Italy was at no point in the match trailing; they were level which given goal difference from previous games would have meant their elimination and Brazil’s qualification.

-England vs. Germany (Mexico 70, quarterfinals); this perhaps a game which is often overlooked given the Italy vs. Germany which followed yet it had the qualities of a great one. As it not only included five goals but an overtime that saw Germany score a goal to win 3-2 after having been trailing 2-0 in a match they managed to equalize in regulation time.

-Hungary vs. Uruguay (Switzerland 54, semifinals); this a game which saw the “mighty Hungarians” hand Uruguay their first defeat in world cup competition but not after having to be taken in to overtime by a Uruguayan team which despite trailing 2-0 during regulation time managed to equalize matters. This match concluding at 4-2 in Hungary’s favor though many argue Uruguay would have won had one of their shots which hit the post in the dying moments of the game would have gone in. The game was eventually decided by two goals in overtime by Kocsis; whose marker had been forced to leave the game due to injury, this at a time when teams were not allowed to substitute players, forcing them on a number of occasions to continue short handed; as Uruguay was on that day.  As a footnote it could be said this encounter will also be remembered for those who were absent due to injury; Puskas for Hungary and Varela for Uruguay.

Fourth, both teams need to be playing up to their full capacities which allows for flashes of brilliance on both teams and in all aspects of the game. This indicating that the goals which come were due to not only faults by defenders but skill on the part of the goal scorers. Many would even argue that it is this factor which leads to all the rest for once we get two great teams on the same field, both having great games; it is then that we get matches to remember like the ones I have mentioned. Of course sometimes it can be perhaps not a great team playing above themselves as was the case when North Korea in 66 almost defeated Portugal yet fell to defeat by 5-3. This in spite of scoring the first three goals of the game in that unforgettable quarterfinal match in the world cup held in England.

Fifth and perhaps as a personal choice; a game has to include at least five goals. It is in my opinion when we see the scoring of goals in quantity that we really feel the emotions of football, for it is when this occurs that we can witness “seesaw battles” as well as more memorable plays. This being the case since most people will tend to remember plays in which a goal was scored instead of those that did not lead to a goal. In the history of world cup football many such high scoring affairs have dazzled the fans such as the following games. Naturally, we should always bare in mind that a high number of goals scored does not necessarily make for a great match but it can make it one to watch again and again on youtube.

-Austria 7 Switzerland 5 (quarterfinals, World Cup Switzerland 54)
This game holding the record for most goals scored in world cup game up and till this day.

-Brazil 6 Poland 5 (first round, elimination, World Cup France 38)
This a game in which Poland’s Wilimowski became the first player in a list of not many even till this day to score four goals in a World Cup match though he is the only one to have done it in a loosing effort.

-Argentina 6 Mexico 3 (first round, World Cup Uruguay 30)

-Hungary 8 Germany 3 (first round, World Cup Switzerland)
This the first of two games played between these two teams in that same world cup.

-France 7 Paraguay 3 (first round, World Cup Sweden 58)
Both teams went on to the next round.

-France 6 Germany 3 (for third place, World Cup Sweden 58)

Sixth, a game must contain not only goals but a lot of near misses which can sometimes be just as exciting as a goal. This due to how it can make those watching speculate as to what would have been, as it is when goalkeepers make great saves or sometimes even defenders that we see the competitive nature of a game. Sometimes games can even be just as thrilling with only two or three goals as those that had many more, such as the following cases.

-France 1 Brazil 1 (quarterfinals, Mexico 86)
This match won by France in penalties with Zico missing a penalty in regulation time.

-Germany 1 England 1 (semifinals, Italy 90)
This match also ending up in penalties, which Germany won to reach the finals.

Seventh, a game or at least to my passions should contain overtime, this to indicate that 90 minutes was just not enough to settle the issue. This also bringing in to the equation the factors of better conditioning and even tactics on the side of the trainers; who did not bring on their substitutions either too soon or too late.

In conclusion I would say there are many factors that determine what a great game is, many which I have mentioned but in earnest I would say that the main one is that the game be one where offensive play is allowed and both teams try to win and not just not to loose. Of course defense should also be present but not as a way that limits itself to maintaining a score till penalties arrive but as a strategy that wishes to win. Ultimately in this I would say that the point is for the fans to enjoy the spectacle and this is what counts most of all yet it is this which can not be accounted for but in the joy brought on to those who see the games. Therefore it is to those fans that I say the game is to be enjoyed as it has been since the beginning.

World Cup 2010: Portugal vs. North Korea Live Stream (Free Online Video)
Portugal thrashed North Korea 7-0 to end the Chollima’s hopes of reaching the next round. The win moves the Seleccao into second place in Group G with four points, two behind Brazil. Post from: Daily Contributor World Cup 2010: Portugal vs. North Korea Live Stream (Free Online Video)

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Texas Instruments, Azcom Technology and Nash Technologies present the industry’s first live 32-user femtocell …
LONDON, June 21 /PRNewswire/ — FEMTOCELLS WORLD SUMMIT -Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) in collaboration with Azcom Technology, a leader in providing cellular communications software solutions, and Nash Technologies, a wireless communication system development and support company, is announcing the industry’s first live demonstration of a 32-user femtocell solution at the …

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