World Cup Fails

Missed Penalty from Franco Baresi - 1994 World Cup Final

2012-05-13T15:47:00.000+02:00

Franco Baresi was the first player to take a penalty shootout in the final match between Italy and Brasil in 1994. Unfortunately he missed the penalty. Italian footballer and captain of his team blasted the ball over the bar. Roberto Baggio missed the final penalty as-well.

El-Hadji Diouf's Dive for Penalty

2012-01-29T00:01:00.007+01:00

Senegal 3 - 3 Uruguay (2002 FIFA World Cup)
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Netherlands)
Diver: El-Hadji Diouf (Senegal)
Victim: Fabian Carimi (Uruguay)

Video:

Referee Mistakes: Germany-Spain (2010 World Cup)

2011-10-02T19:36:00.006+02:00

Germany 0-1 Spain

2010 World Cup in South Africa

Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

The Fastest Red Card in World Cup History

2011-05-15T23:22:00.007+02:00

The fastest red card in World Cup history was given to the Uruguayan player Sergio Batista after a terrible challenge on Scotland player Gordon Strachan in their first round match in Mexico, 1986.

Only 56 seconds had gone and he was sent off by the French referee Joel Quiniou. The match ended 0-0

Leonardo's Elbow on Tab Ramos

2011-03-17T00:24:00.008+01:00

The game between USA and Brazil at 1994 World Cup was notable for an elbow thrown by Brazilian defender Leonardo into the head of the USA's midfielder Tab Ramos. Ramos suffered broken cheekbone and spent the next three months in hospital. Leonardo was given a red card and was suspended for the rest of the tournament. USA lost with 1-0 after Bebeto scored Brazil's winning goal.

Ortega Headbutts Van Der Sar

2011-01-07T17:48:00.006+01:00

Argentinian football player Ariel Ortega was sent off in the 1998 World Cup quarter final match between Argentina and Netherlands for headbutting Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar. Van Der Sar confronted him after a dive in the penalty area, for which Ortega was just getting his first yellow card. Argentina lost 2-1

South Africa or South America? TV Station Fail

2010-12-06T21:41:00.008+01:00

WGN is a TV station from Chicago that made a ridiculous geographical mistake before the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. They confuse the host of the cup, South Africa with South America. As we can see they reported about "Controversy at the World Cup"

Source: Deadspin.com

The Corruption Scandal in FIFA

2010-11-02T19:04:00.005+01:00

The United States of America was involved in the corruption scandal made by the two senior members of FIFA soccer’s governing body. They were accused of offering the votes in exchange for financial payments. This controversy has resulted to the suspension of the Nigeria’s Amos Adamu and Tahiti's Reynald Temarii. Both of them are members of the FIFA Executive Committee. Temarii asked for £1.5 million from The Sunday Times reporters to fund the sports academy in New Zealand and Adamu $800,000 for constructing pitches in order to develop football classes for the youth in Nigeria. This is in exchange for the support for the United States for the forthcoming vote to come up with a decision regarding who will host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite, Ahongalu Fusimalohi and Ismael Bhamjee, former executive members have also been suspended. FIFA will select the two World Cup hosts on December 2 in Zurich.

The scandal has made many fans worried, but the President of FIFA and IOC (International Olympic Committee) member Sepp Blatter ensure all football fans that this scandal will not affect the game. It was twelve years ago, the IOC have found out that there are several members of the committee who has taken by bribery to secure the Salt Lake City as the host of the 2002 Winter Olympics, but there were no any criminal charges filed against them. The ten other members were sanctioned.

Betting and especially online betting is inseparable part of modern football that add excitement and fun to the matches for the people formerly not interested in this game. There are huge money involved within this betting. The huge money are also the start of more bribery and scandals within this exciting game. But, can we believe what Blatter said that they are going to do all that they can in order to stop any corruption within FIFA?

The Worst Official World Cup Songs

2010-09-09T14:30:00.005+02:00

1. Shakira - Waka Waka (2010 World Cup)

2. Toni Braxton & II Divo - The Time Of Our Lives (2006 World Cup)

3. Anastacia - Boom (2002 World Cup)

World Cup 2014 Logo

2010-08-15T12:55:00.013+02:00

At the beginning of July, FIFA - the international football organization unveiled the official logo for the World Cup 2014 which will take place in Brazil for the second time. The winning design was chosen from among 25 entries submitted to a judging panel that included Brazilian bestselling author Paulo Coelho, pop singer Ivete Sangalo, super model Gisele Bundchen and 4 other members.

The 2014 World Cup logo is a World Cup trophy formed of three hands, two green and one yellow, the national colors of Brazil and in red is written the year of the tournament.

According FIFA.com:

Victory and union are the two key emotive elements which are vividly depicted through the hands featured in the design. Whilst forming a clear link to the colours of the Brazilian national flag, the green and yellow colours also allude to two of the strongest features of life in Brazil – the golden beaches and beautiful sun reflected in the yellow tones, with green representing the strong tropical interior that Brazil is so famous for.

What is wrong with the World Cup logo:

Judging panel that included writer, model and a pop singer. Are they competent to choose football World Cup logo?
Hands are using in handball and volleyball but not in football
Distorted hands and too much space between fingers
What about the red colour? Brazilian flag doesn't have that colour
It looks like a facepalm
It looks like an amateur drawing

What do you think of the logo?

Fabio Grosso's dive for penalty

2010-07-11T11:56:00.005+02:00

Italy - Australia (2006 FIFA World Cup)
Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)
Diver: Fabio Grosso (Italy)
Victim: Lucas Neill (Australia)

Video:

Joan Capdevila's Dive

2010-06-29T22:45:00.009+02:00

Portugal - Spain (2010 FIFA World Cup)
Referee: Hector Baldassi (Argentina)
Actor: Joan Capdevila (Spain)
Red card: Ricardo Costa (Portugal)

Video:

The Worst Miss in the World Cup History

2010-06-24T19:48:00.005+02:00

Nigeria - South Korea (2010 FIFA World Cup)
Nigerian player: Yakubu Aiyegbeni

Video:

Keita's dive and the red card for Kaka

2010-06-20T22:34:00.013+02:00

Brazil - Côte d'Ivoire (2010 FIFA World Cup)

Referee: Stephane Lannoy (France)

Actor: Kader Keita

Brazilian player: Kaka

Video:

The Worst World Cup 2010 Shirts

2010-06-20T14:41:00.007+02:00

1. USA 2. Slovenia 3. South Korea

Ridiculous Dive (Daniele De Rossi)

2010-06-17T18:42:00.005+02:00

Italy - Paraguay (2010 FIFA World Cup)
Actor: Daniele De Rossi

Video:

David Seaman's mistake

2010-06-15T23:21:00.007+02:00

In the 2002 World Cup quarter final between England and Brazil, England took the lead through a Michael Owen goal in the 23rd minute. Rivaldo equalised in the 45th minute. Five minutes into the second-half Ronaldinho took a free kick from the right side of midfield. Everyone expected Ronaldinho to loft the ball into the middle of the penalty area including David Seaman who moved forward from his goal line, but instead of this Ronaldinho fooled England goalkeeper and found the top left corner of the net.

Later, Brazil win the torunament with a victory over Germany in the final match.

For this goal, David Seaman said:

I was expecting a cross but he mis-hit it and I've misread it and its got to be down to a goalkeeping error

Video:

Robert Green's disastrous mistake

2010-06-13T14:12:00.012+02:00

England's opening 2010 World Cup game against USA finished 1-1 after the disastrous mistake made by England goalkeeper Robert Green who fails to save a shot by United States' Clint Dempsey. In the 40th minute of the first half, US midfielder Clint Dempsey took a relatively slow shot but Green failed to gather the ball and wrote his name on the long list of blundering England goalkeepers together with David Seaman, Paul Robinson, David James and Scott Carson. Maybe even he will be remembered as the worst ever goalkeeper in England's World Cup history.

Some of the players and media blame Jabulani, World Cup ball for Green's mistake.

USA goalkeeper Tim Howard said:

He made some good saves but this ball is doing silly things and at this level these things happen.

Frand Lampard:

It was unfortunate. These balls are moving about. I don't know how much the ball moved.

On the other hand, goalkeeper Green refuse to use ball as an excuse:

The ball may well have moved. I don't often miss the ball by that much. It may have moved quite a bit but I'm not looking to make an excuse for what happened and I hold my hand up and take responsibility.

Here is the video of the goal:

Annoying Vuvuzela

2010-06-12T18:36:00.008+02:00

Instead of real football songs, chants and great atmosphere at the 2010 World Cup stadiums we can hear only the annoying sound of Vuvuzelas. Maybe the using of Vuvuzelas is a tradition in South Africa but in the rest of the countries the tradition is to enjoy in the football matches. With the sound of Vuvuzelas it is impossible. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...90 minutes some elephant noise directly into your brain....bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......90+ min. 64 matches!

The Worst World Cup 2002 Shirts

2010-06-10T18:25:00.006+02:00

1. Cameroon

2. South Korea

3. Slovenia

The Worst World Cup 1998 Shirts

2010-06-08T19:48:00.011+02:00

1. Mexico

2. South Africa

3. Tunisia

World Cup Quotes

2010-06-07T20:44:00.011+02:00

1. Carlos Alberto (Brazil's captain, 1970 World Cup):

We felt very good before the tournament. Pele was saying that we were going to win, and if Pele was saying that, then we were going to win the World Cup.

2. Tarcisio Burgnich (Italian defender in the 1970 World Cup Final):

Before the match, I told myself that Pele was just flesh and bones like the rest of us. Later I realised I'd been wrong.

3. Willem van Hanegem (After the match Netherlands-West Germany 1-2, 1974 World Cup):

I didn't give a damn as long as we humiliated them. They murdered my father, sister and two brothers. I am full of angst. I hate them.

4. Maradona (For the Hand of God goal against England in 1986 World Cup):

The goal was scored a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.

5. Sir Bobby Robson (After playing with Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup):

We didn’t underestimate them but they were a lot better than we thought.

6. Miroslav Blazevic (Croatian coach after his team defeated Germany, 1998 World Cup):

I told the players, if you win this match you will be world champions.

7. Ronaldo (After winning 2002 World Cup):

I'm sure sex wouldn't be so rewarding as this World Cup. It's not that sex isn't good but the World Cup is every four years and sex is not.

8. David Beckham (Explaining difference between English and Spanish customs, 2006 World Cup):

Before the Paraguay game we’ll all shake hands. At Madrid we all kiss each other before we go out. Against Jamaica, Aaron Lennon was waiting to replace me and as I approached I reached forward to kiss him, but then thought "no, better not".

9. Roque Santa Cruz (Paraguay striker, 2006 World Cup):

Maybe if it rains England can win the World Cup!

10. Lars Lagerback (Sweden coach after the match with Trinidad and Tobago 0-0, 2006 World Cup):

We played a really good game.

Benjamin Massing tackle on Claudio Caniggia

2010-06-05T20:30:00.006+02:00

Argentina-Cameroon, 1990 World Cup

In the 88th minute of the opening match of the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Argentine striker Claudio Caniggia, ran past few players and was badly fouled by Benjamin Massing. The kick was so hard that his own shoe came off. The Cameroonian defender got a straight red card and was sent off. This will be remembered as the best tackle ever.

Argentina-Peru, 1978 World Cup

2010-06-04T01:47:00.005+02:00

It was the last match in the second round of 1978 World Cup, Argentina-Peru. Argentina as host of the tournament needed to beat Peru by 4 goals to play in the final. They won 6-0 and qualified to the final match against Holland although some of the best Peruvian players of all times were there. Rumors suggested that Peru might have been bribed into allowing Argentina to win the match. Football fans also pointed out that Peruvian goalkeeper Ramon Quiroga was born in Argentina. Nothing was ever proved.

Argentina was World Champion for the first time. Brazil finished the 1978 World Cup in third place.

Official 2010 World Cup Ball

2010-06-01T20:28:00.011+02:00

The official 2010 FIFA World Cup ball made by Adidas is called Jabulani - that means "to celebrate" in isiZulu. Eleven different colors are used in the eleventh Adidas World Cup ball. These 11 colors represent the 11 players in every team, the 11 official languages of South Africa and the 11 South African tribes...and so on and so on...

But, look at few traditional black and white balls from previous World Cups. They look like football balls. Jabulani looks like beach volleyball ball. Not to mention the technology, 3D shapes, futuristic texture, promising for more goals...

All in all the official 2010 World Cup Ball fail!