World Cup Sound of Football Podcast - Germany 4 Australia 0

Chris, Graham and Terry return for a new podcast and it's time for another 'book-ended' edition as we discuss the Germany v Australia game before kick-off, at half time and after the final whistle.

We're rather pleased with this format and hope you find it entertaining. You can listen to the podcast here or if you right-click on that link, you can download the MP3. Alternatively, you can subscribe via the your reader of choice or via our iTunes feed.

World Cup TV Preview: 14 - 16 June

Monday 14th June

12:30 Netherlands v Denmark, FIFA World Cup Group E, ITV1/ITVHD
Out of all the teams categorised as ‘favourites’, only Germany have impressed thus far, but the Dutch can add their names to the list by beating a tricky Danish side. Bert Van Marwijk will be relieved to welcome Arjen Robben back to something resembling full fitness after a hamstring injury, but he looks set to sit this one out. That means Rafael van der Vaart will get a run-out, while for the Danes, ‘Super Klas’ Bendtner has a groin injury and will also take his place on the bench. Sorry Graham – that Golden Boot award for the Arsenal striker may have to be put on ice for a while.

15:00 Japan v Cameroon, FIFA World Cup Group E, BBC1 / BBCHD
It’ll be interesting to see how the Beeb package this one given that it’s very much on the undercard of today’s fixtures. The Indomitable Lions will look to follow Ghana’s lead as the first African team to win a game on their home continent, and given Japan’s propensity for scoring own goals, they might just get it. Not only that, but Japan have a problem to overcome in the form of scoring goals at the right end of the pitch, so Cameroon should be good for at least one point if not three from this match.

19:30 Italy v Paraguay, FIFA World Cup Group F, BBC1 / BBCHD
So many injury worries litter the early part of this World Cup, and this game is no exception. For Italy, Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi have both had calf problems with only the latter looking likely to figure in this match. The Paraguayans have been sweating over key striker Oscar Cardozo’s ankle injury and it looks like he’ll be absent. Man City fans – expect to see Roque Santa Cruz taking his place alongside Borussia Dortmund’s Lucas Barrios.

Tuesday 15th June

12:30 New Zealand v Slovakia, FIFA World Cup Group F, BBC1 / BBCHD
The Slovaks' involvement in major competitions has been rather stop-start over the years, whether as part of the former Czechoslovakia or as a nation in their own right. It’s therefore good to welcome them back to the fold and here they’ll have a chance to impress against an All Whites side that might struggle to contain them.

15:00 Ivory Coast v Portugal, FIFA World Cup Group G, ITV1 / ITVHD
Portugal’s qualification for the finals was not entirely convincing and that makes Ivory Coast the ideal opponents to judge how good they really are. Cristiano Ronaldo will have a key role to play for Carlos Queiroz’ side (especially as his last competitive goal for Portugal was in Euro 2008), but so too will Didier Drogba for The Elephants – presuming he’s shaken off his elbow injury, that is. Should be a cracker of a game and one well worth leaving work early for if you get the chance.

19:30 Brazil v North Korea, FIFA World Cup Group G,  ITV1 / ITVHD
Before you all say ‘one-sided’, consider this: Brazil have struggled to beat sides that parked the ubiquitous bus, and if there’s one nation that believes defence is the best form of attack, it’s North Korea. Just ask any South Korean. That said, Brazil have skill, organisation and discipline in abundance and should, in reality, be no match for the canny East Asians.

Wednesday 16th June

12:30 Honduras v Chile, FIFA World Cup Group H, ITV1 / ITVHD
And so to the battle for second place behind Spain in Group H. These two stalwarts of the 1982 World Cup will be looking to get three points in the bag to gain an early advantage over Switzerland (who play later). Chile would appear to be favourites given their impressive qualification under the stewardship of former Argentinean head coach Marcelo Bielsa. Their team is built on the foundations of the successful Under-20 World Cup squad that finished third in 2007, and their style is quick and wing-based. A dangerous prospect for a Honduran team who, if they can’t get their noses in front early, could find themselves quickly overwhelmed.

15:00 Spain v Switzerland FIFA World Cup Group H, BBC1 / BBCHD
Despite winning Euro 2008, some people still doubt Spain’s ability to win the World Cup. More fool them, we say. To begin with, Spain face Switzerland having played them 18 times before and won won 15 of them (they drew the other three). Add onto that the fact that Spain have won all their First Round group games in the last two World Cups and it seems this slightly humdrum Swiss side will have got their work cut out.

19:30 South Africa v Uruguay, FIFA World Cup Group A,  BBC1 / BBCHD
And back we come full circle with this Group A tie between two sides that will be relatively satisfied with their respective first games. The hosts gave a good account of themselves against Mexico and are undoubtedly buoyed by that vuvuzela-enhanced home support. Uruguay can best be described as ‘no frills’ although Diego Forlan might have swung their game against the French on a better day. If he can find the target today, Bafana Bafana might be in for a slight setback.

denotes match to be covered by The Sound of Football Podcast.

denotes match we recommend you leave work early to see. 


(All times - UK.)

Football Americana Week 12: Pontius hat-trick downs the Sounders

Just a quick one from me this week, with four midweek matches taking place in Major League Soccer before it takes a short break for the World Cup, where Bob Bradley's USA kick off against England tomorrow.

Chicago Fire hosted Colorado Rapids in Bridgeview, and the two battled out a thrilling 2-2 draw. Conor Casey superbly set up Omar Cummings, who took the first goal well. Marco Pappa equalised for the Fire with a cheeky low free kick halfway through the first half, and then gave them the lead on the stroke of half time. They had to settle for a point, though, because Casey got himself on the scoresheet with a glancing header past Andrew Dykstra.

The biggest news this week was from Utah, where Real Salt Lake ended LA Galaxy's unbeaten record in 2010 with a 1-0 win. Believe it or not, the match was halted early on due to lightning, which forced the players from the field. It took 80 minutes, but Javier Morales won it for RSL with a neat finish past Donovan Ricketts to make Jason Kreis' men the first team to beat LA this season.

Kansas City Wizards dismissed Philadelphia Union in the first half at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Kei Kamara opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes, thumping in from the edge of the area. Graham Suzi doubled the lead with an easy finish provided by Ryan Smith, and the Union once more ruined any hope they had of a comeback by having a man sent off. Michael Orozco saw red after his second bookable offence, a very clumsy tackle on Josh Wolff.

The final game took place late on Thursday at Qwest Field, where a hat-trick described as "resourceful" by the official MLS match report only told half the story as DC United left the other Washington with three points in their back pockets. Chris Pontius' first goal was well made by a lovely dummy but deflected horribly past Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Keller then made two horrific errors as DC ended up with a 3-0 lead, spilling another well worked effort from Pontius over the line, and then letting the 2009 rookie's header across goal swerve in off the far post.

Stoppage time goals from James Riley, via a deflection, and Fredy Montero took the edge of a great result for United and made them sweat at the end, but they are three points gratefully received. Keller, meanwhile, said afterwards that he wants to play another year - but not if he plays like that.

You can see all that action here and the latest standings here, where you'll see that United are finally off the bottom of the East, where the Union now prop them up. Aside from that, nothing too much at the top or bottom has changed apart from RSL's win dragging them a tad closer to LA. Have a fantastic World Cup.

World Cup Kit Parade 2010: Adidas

In the first of a four-part series, Some People Are On The Pitch assesses the wide range of football kits you’ll be seeing during the 2010 World Cup, looking at the output of each manufacturer in sequence. 

Adidas

With twelve World Cup countries in its portfolio, Adidas is once again assured of maximum visibility when the competition gets underway tomorrow.

As is not uncommon, the German company has ensured a modest degree of individuality to creep into the designs for its top teams while others have had to settle for an off-the-shelf template outfit. France’s blue home shirt, for example, features red and white flashes in a nod to some of its former designs including those for Euro ’84 and World Cup ’98.

Germany’s white shirt for home games has an understated yet smart trio of pinstripes in the colours of the national flag running from top to bottom, dissecting the club crest as it does so. A nice touch and a world away from the bold, some would say ‘garish’ shirt of World Cup ’94.

Japan’s home and away shirts both feature a short red block appearing from the underside of the collar – something you won’t find on any other country’s shirt, but given its slightly mystifying nature, perhaps that won’t be regarded as any kind of tragedy.

Denmark, on the other hand, have a curious white band going across the chest of their shirt, made up of eleven rows of dotted lines forming an illusion of visual perspective. The lines are supposed to be a tribute to the efforts of the eleven men making up the Danish team – a distinctive design and one which does Adidas great credit.

Sadly not every team wearing Adidas at this year’s World Cup are quite so lucky. The home shirts for many teams such as Greece, Slovakia, Spain and Nigeria (as well as the away versions for others including Denmark, Argentina and Paraguay) look like the kind of thing your ambitious Sunday League team would be happy to wear given half a chance. Sitting somewhere in the middle of the Adidas World Cup range, however, are the hybrids – those shirts which look like they were taken one step on from the base-level design but no further than that.

For examples of this, see the home shirts for South Africa and Mexico, replete as they are with two strange under-arm blobs. We’re sure they would’ve been something more distinct, but perhaps the designer took an early lunch and never came back. Oh well, you can’t win ‘em all...

Taken as a whole then, Adidas have produced a smart range of shirts and kits which are understated in their style, but style there most definitely is. You won’t find anything wacky or beyond the realms of good taste – moreover, you’ll get style in abundance even if, at times, there occasionally seems to be a lack of imagination.

Coming soon: Part 2 - Nike go for the sublime and the ridiculous...

Our great thanks go to John Devlin from True Colours Football Kits (www.truecoloursfootballkits.com) for the use of his excellent football kit graphics. To see all of John's World Cup kit designs in greater detail, click here.)