Popularity: 2% [?]

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The slums in Villa Fliorito on the outskirts’ of Buenos Aires wear a deserted look today. The most beloved child of this slum doesn’t live here anymore. This child has moved from one of the poorest locations in Argentina to lead its campaign in the biggest sporting event on this planet- The FIFA World Cup 2010.
This child has brought grace to the football, also a unique individuality which makes this game as inspiring as it is. In the of the 1986 World Cup quarter finals against England, this child was thrashed by all for pushing a ball into the goal using his hand. For him it came “both from Diego Maradona’s head and ‘The Hand of God’.”Only four minutes later, this child dribbled past six English players, running more than half the length of the field, finding the net for what was eventually voted as “The Goal of the Century”. By now this child had grown into a legend called Diego Maradona.

As a manager of the national team at the World Cup, Maradona is living the game again. His boys are playing with their own passion- his bear hugs do play some role in victories as well. Back home in Argentina, the same slum where Maradona was born and started to play the game will join the country with a hope that their favourite son will restore the country the same glory where it was once. If that happens, the slums in Villa Fliorito will cheer the loudest and longest that day.

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The Germans ravaged the English, trampling over their hopes and perhaps ending several careers. But spare no tear, sit tight. Welcome to knockout soccer. The clock’s running and another of the Giants shall be heading back home soon; Spain or Portugal. If the afore-mentioned were battles, a war awaits in the quarters where the two teams who have scored the most number of goals in the tournament so far: Argentina and Germany meet for a face off!

On one side are Maradona’s mavericks that have been playing breathtaking football in this tournament. With Tevez and Higuain amongst goals and looking dangerous, Argentina has little to worry about attacking especially with Veron and Milito looking better than ever and feeding their hungry forwards with such accuracy. But Argentina’s ace of spades is undoubtedly Lionel Messi who seems to tie the ball to his left feet every time he touches it! The Argentineans’ shall dribble and dash and will be a threat every time they’ll get forward.

The Germans on the other hand shall count on the likes of Ozil, Muller and Podolski. Almost unheard of before the WC, they are well on the way of becoming masters in their own right. Miroslav Klose is indeed a legend in the making and is just three goals away from becoming the highest goal scorer in the history of cup football. The Germans shall be playing a more open and attacking game looking to exploit the weakness of Argentinean defense.

The Germans are like the well-oiled cogs of a German automobile and Maradona’s men shall have to weave some more of the magic they have been displaying throughout this WC to win.
Who shall crash, who will burn?

The wise have said: patience is a virtue, so behold it and wait for the 3rd of July.

Popularity: 7% [?]

People call them exes and we call poles apart. Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegen were part of a happy family once upon a time, Tiger used to be the richest sportsmen in the world and Elin used to pride herself of being the wife of the greatest golf player the world has ever produced. Before November the story of Tiger and her Elin was alike a tiger in an open forest with his cubs and tigress. They used to be the talk of the town and their relationship was being stated as an example for couples, and since then happiness is an oblivion term for them. Since November last year as many as 11 affairs of Tiger have become public. His wife has parted ways. The court refusing the custody to him is as sure as the Sun’s rise every morning. He has lost sponsors worth millions. His personal life has been ruined. His professional life has received a set back, from which it will be a Herculean task to recover.

Still both of them united to celebrate Sam’s birthday. Both the parents of Sam brought down the wall separating them and spent time with false smiles on their face. A big cake was brought and cut for the occasion. Tiger did not come alone to the party he brought a lady with him and that pretty much did upset Elin.

Tiger on account of US Open had to miss his daughter’s birthday on 18th June. He promised further never to miss any more birthdays. Hope this promise is stronger than the promise he took while walking down the aisle.

Popularity: 6% [?]

When FIFA chief Sepp Blatter talks about technology, it feels like the days of Stone Age have made a reappearance. According to him, the use of technology will deprive the public of debates that follows the infamous incidents on the field. His stance is totally correct, if only FIFA was a public speaking forum and not a Football Association.

The voices calling for the use of technology had been growing for quite a long. But on Sunday, when Frank Lampard was denied a legitimate equaliser and Carlos Tevez awarded a controversial goal, they only grew louder. Maybe on Sunday, the stakes were too high to keep these voices down.

The bigwigs at FIFA cite the costs, the delays and a reduced authority of match officials as the reason for non action. Let’s take all these one by one. Firstly, cost excuses are nothing more than theoretical argument from FIFA (FIFA is earning $2 billion from the current World Cup). Secondly, since the referrals will happen when a break is already taking place-either a celebration or a standoff over a goal, the delay reason falls flat on its face. Thirdly, FIFA would do well to acknowledge that making a wrong decision and then thrashed by the global media and the audience alike is more undermining than using technology to make a correct decision in the first place.

FIFA has to ensure that the rules of the game are followed and the best practices are implemented. The argument by FIFA that technology is not a solution towards a “zero faults” system is absolutely true. But an even bigger truth is that there is no better aid then technology towards such a solution.

Popularity: 2% [?]

There were six of them initially. Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Ghana and hosts South Africa. For the teams from Africa, being a part of World Cup means much more to them than football. It’s about the pride, a struggle for self-determination. It’s about a demand for respect.

Unfortunately for Africa, all teams except Ghana fell at the first hurdle. Now a billion Africans will join 24 million Ghanaians in placing their hopes on The Black Stars. For Ghana, this success doesn’t come out of the blue skies. After being quite a story in the 2006 where as debutants they reached the second round, Ghana was the first team to qualify for this World Cup, the first African team to win a match here and the youngest team in this tournament.

When the young Ghana team takes the field against USA on Saturday, one thing will unite the Africans- Hope. And as the legendary Abedi Pele, one of the greatest African player in the history of the game put it- “An African team will lift the trophy.” Hope is what it all takes.

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Indeed this edition shall go down as the one with most upsets. For, in an unprecedented event in World Cup history, both the finalists of the previous version have been routed out in the first stage itself.

I stand stunned and can barely believe these words even as I type them, the World Champions finish last in Group F with a paltry two points.

I watched helplessly even as Robert Vittek scored a resounding goal in each half to post a 2-0 lead at the Ellis Park Stadium. But Antonio Di Natale made it 2-1 with nine minutes on the clock for the Azzurri to somehow scrape the 1 point that would have saved them the blues.

But Slovakia substitute Kamil Kopunek decided the match in the 89th, running onto a throw-in before lifting the ball brilliantly beyond advancing goalkeeper Federico Marchetti. Substitute Fabio Quagliarella made it 3-2 with a superb injury-time strike and Simone Pepe came close as the Italians gave it everything they had in the hopes of averting a shambolic exit.
At the end of it all the only analogy I could draw was: had soccer been tennis, Slovakia would have been the un-seeded underdogs who managed an upheaval by ousting the World Champions, no more, not by a stroke of luck or chance but sheer craft and innovative approach to the game.

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You’d be forgiven if on Sunday, you mistake the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein to be a battlefield instead of a football stadium. In Europe, from now till Sunday, the World Cup is only about that one game. That game between Germany and England on Sunday. And it’s not only this game that is being talked about. The game in the World Cup of 1966, in 1970, in 1990 and the rest including the one on the cards.

The classic World Cup hostility between England and France will be resumed in Bloemfontein on Sunday. The battlefields have been drawn and the statements have started to emerge from both the camps. The Germans fear, and rightly so, that Wayne Rooney might explode into the kind of form that has eluded him till now in the world cup. The English meanwhile know deep down their throats that they will have to play their hearts out in order to have any chance against the Germans.

As we get to the fag end of the tournament, every player knows that his team is only four games away from the legendary status. From now on emotions will take the centre stage. There will be lots of fouls, lots of cards, lots of swearing and lots of hitting the woodwork. From now on, every win would be a classic victory, every loss a glorious failure.

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Hollywood actress and supermodel, Kim Kardashian is finally into dating spree once again. The American celebrity has repeatedly been spotted with NFL star Miles Austin. The television reality star of “Keeping up with the Kardashians fame” was spotted cuddling with the Dallas Cowboy Player. One of the friends of Kim has reported that Kim wants to take it slow with Austin, and that they are certainly dating, but for now she doesn’t want to rush anything. Some of her friends have also commented that she is curiously interested in dating someone who “gets her busy lifestyle.”
Kim has recently broken up NFL star Reggie bush a few months ago, who was also a NFL player. It seems like the supermodel has some weakness for Sportspersons. Kardashian and Bush split-up in March earlier this year after dating for Two years. Bush was spotted flirting with numerous women in a New York City Club, and it is being touted has the reason for their break-up. Kardashian has earlier also been reported of flinging with Cristiano Ronaldo. And very recently was pictured with 16year old Canadian Pop singer Justin Bieber in Bahamas. Although she has as denied any Link-ups with the child star and turned down the rumors by saying that they are just friends.
Coming back to the Austin link-up, sources said that they both recently met in an LA restaurant, and exchanged their numbers then and have been meeting quite often thereafter. Sources say that they both are happy to be together, and have reported Kim has the dream girl of Austin. The news definitely comes in as a relief to Justin Bieber Fans, and they perhaps will just hope that Kim’s new relation actually works out.

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