Some final World Cup blather

[thewayne]

Wow, the final game was amazing. It's a shame that it couldn't be decided in regulation or overtime, I thought it sad that it had to be decided with penalty kicks. But what absolutely amazed me was the head-butt! What a way to end your career, much less for that act to be remembered as the last thing you ever did on the field.

Unfortunately I didn't get to see the third-place Germany/Portugal game, it was shown on an ESPN channel that's part of a subscription package that we don't get. Much thanks to Wuglet for sending me a YouTube URL that had highlights of the game.

Here's something you may not have heard about: the Berlin coordinator shot himself in the head after Sunday's final in an apparent suicide attempt. Story here.


And now a question for those of you more knowledgable about the structure of the World Cup: how is it organized? It strikes me as sort of the same organization as the Olympics, so that, for example, a player for Country X who is a citizen of Country Y plays for Y's team, and they take their best players for said team. Is that more or less correct?

Comments

[maegwin-of-hern.livejournal.com]

Well, most members of Germany's national soccer team actually play in German soccer clubs, but you're right: it doesn't matter whether you have a contract with a club in Portugal or Iran or wherever, when it's a game nation/nation (instead club/club), you play for the nation to which you have a citizenship. I'm curious about double citizenships, though. Does that mean they can play for both nations or just for the one where they reside most of the time?

[wuglet.livejournal.com]

The thing with the double citizenship is that the player usually plays for the country he resides. But once a player has played for one country he can't change his mind and play for his other country some years later, it's a Fifa regulation I think and is called "Kaderbildung" (squad-building).

And to Zidane: The Fifa is checking the incident, Zidane will get a disciplinary procedure AND they check if Italy must be deprived of the title!
Because Materazzi clearly provoked Zidane, and if he said something discriminating regaring race, nationality, culture or descent, Italy can be disqualified which would result in losing the title. O.o'

The last word isn't spoken in that matter it seems. Although I would prefer if they suspend Materazzi for a number of international games instead of depriving Italy of the title. It was a single action, it would be unfair if the whole team got punished for it.