The World Cup: Difference between revisions
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[[File:world_cup_trophy_s_6174.jpg|frame|Shiny, ain't it?]]
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Full name being the [[wikipedia:FIFA World Cup|FIFA World Cup]] (''Fédération Internationale de Football Association''- the governing body of [[The Beautiful Game]]),
It is also much more prestigious than almost any other sporting event - about the only other event that comes close is the Olympic Games, and even then many nations would gladly swap a fistful of Olympic Golds for a World Cup win. Apart from anything else, many Olympic Gold medals are awarded every two years, but there's only one World Cup winner every four.
For a team to win the World Cup means the players will be heroes for life in their native country (especially in those nations such as England and France where success is rare; in those nations such as Honduras and Trinidad & Tobago where success hasn't even come yet, the fact that they qualified to participate is enough to have a freaking National Holiday), and for the country itself can have far-reaching socio-economic effects. West Germany's surprise win against the much-vaunted Hungarians in 1954 is credited with cementing that country into a unified, confident nation-state instead of a broken, battered, occupied country. France's win in 1998 on home soil (against [[Lightning Bruiser|Brazil]], no less) with a majority of black and Arab-descended players is said to mark a turning point in positive race relations in France.
The first contest was in 1930 in Uruguay, and was won by the hosts, with only 13 entrants (it was supposed to be 16, but the long trip to South America by ship meant many of the countries across the ocean - mainly the European ones - declined the invitation). [[World War II]] meant there were no contests in 1942 and 1946. The latest contest was held in South Africa in 2010, for which 204 countries went for 32 places, and ultimately won by Spain.
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* Asia had a knock-out stage followed by a 4-team group phase, followed by a 2 five-team groups. The top 2 from each went through and the third placed teams played off to qualify for a play off with...
* Oceania's champion was decided after the gold, silver and bronze medalists from the South Pacific games predictably lost in a four-team group with New Zealand, since [[Land Down Under|Australia]] has decided to 'relocate' to Asia.
* Europe had 8 groups of 6 and one of 5; the nine champions qualified, the 8 best runners-up played-off at (semi-)random for 4 places.
For 2014, the number of places for each continent are the same, but the games involving the playoff teams (1 Asian, 1 CONCACAF, 1 South American, 1 Oceanian) aren't pre-arranged; the pairings will be determined later. Also, Africa sees a change, as the second round of groups is removed to be replaced by play-offs before and after the group stage. So now 40 teams (28 go directly to the group stage, the rest have to play-off for the final spots) compete in 4-team groups, with the 10 group winners entering a play-off stage against each other to determine the 5 qualifyers.
The winners so far have been:
* Uruguay (1930, 1950) -
** Instead of 2 stars for their 2 world cup wins, their shirt holds 4 stars, the 2 extra ones for their victories in the 1924 and 1928 Olympics, held before the World Cup and which they deem to be just as good as.
* Italy (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
** [[Benito Mussolini]] may have had something to do with the first two, hopefully his regime just hijacked the glory!
* Germany (1954, 1974, 1990- all as [[West Germany]], 2014)
** They have qualified for all the World Cups they've entered, and [[East Germany]] qualified for 1974, beating eventual champions [[West Germany]] in the group
* Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
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** Controversially won in 1978 with a military Junta in tow ([[The Falklands War|Later rectified.]])
** And the '86 win was no less controversial with the infamous "Hand of God" goal by Diego Maradona against England in the quarterfinals
*** Argentinians on the other hand, consider the "Hand of God" as something glorious not shameful.
* France (1998, 2018)
** Win in 1998 helped reinforce an anti-racist attitude in much of France, as the winning side had several African-French players like Patrick Vieira and Lilian Thuram.
* Spain (2010 -
**
It is notable that all of the teams who have won the World Cup so far have been from either Europe or South America.
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The hosts were/are/will be:
[[
{{examples}}
* [[Absurdly High Stakes Game]]: A surprising amount of one-upsmanship in side bets on the 2010 World Cup. First, Diego Maradona <s>promised</s> [[Fan Disservice|threatened]] to run naked through Buenos Aires if Argentina won the World Cup. Responding to this, a Paraguyan lingerie model offered to run naked through Asuncion if her country won.<ref>
* [[
** The 2011 Women's World Cup had its first champion with a spotless record, as Japan lost a game in the group stage.
* [[Alliterative Name]]: Zinedine Zidane (France), Bob Bradley (USA), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Shane Smeltz (New Zealand), Damien Duff (Republic of Ireland), [[Loads and Loads of Characters|to name a few.]]
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** Don't forget 2010, in which England was eliminated by Germany, in a game which included a ball kicked by England across the goal line but not counted by the ref. (Ironically, England's 1966 win included a goal many Germans believe to have not crossed the line.)
** In 2002, England also lasted two rounds fewer than Germany, having been eliminated in the quarterfinals while Germany made it to the finals. It it's any consolation, England were eliminated by the same team (Brazil) that defeated the Germans during the finals.
* [[And the Adventure Continues...]]: Congratulations, you won the World Cup! Now what? Come back again to the next competition 4 years later to defend your title. But first you must go through a qualifying process which took roughly
** Until 2002, the defending champion did not need to go through qualifiers. Apparently, FIFA changed the rule because of France's horrible performance in that year's World Cup (in which they, defending the 1998 title, were flushed out in group stage ''without even scoring a goal!'') The host team remained the only one exempt from the need to go through qualifiers.
*** FIFA was proven right when Italy repeated France's performance in 2010, dropping out of the competition without winning a single game. Likewise France, the previous runners-up, also dropped out after much drama and no victories.
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* [[Cold War]]: Hamburg, 22 June 1974, [[East Germany]] 1-0 [[West Germany]]. [[It Got Better]] for West Germany though!
** But it didn't affect the WC as much as the Olympics, where amateur athletes had to compete with the top-level ones from Warsaw Pact countries. The World Cup wasn't easy for Olympic champions USSR, Yugoslavia (both reached only one semifinal and finished 4th), Hungary (a surprising second - when everyone expected a title - in 1954), Czechoslovakia (second in 1962), Poland (third in two Cups) and East Germany (only qualified for 1974, and finished 6th). Bulgaria, runners-up in 1952 and bronze medallists in 1968, fared even worse - during the Cold War era, they qualified for the World Cup five times and didn't win a single match in any of those tournaments.
* [[
* [[Consolation Prize]]: Not only medals for 2nd place, but a match (the third-place play-off) held the day before the final to decide who finishes third.
** Since nobody cares very much who comes third and the pressure to succeed is off, this is often the most enjoyable game of the whole tournament.
* [[Cool Mask]]: Some Mexican fans dress in a very ''Lucha Libre'' style in the stands!
* [[Corrupt Corporate Executive]]: A large part of the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, whether unfounded or not. Back in 2009, two FIFA executive members had been caught selling their votes for the World Cups by [[Useful Notes/British Newspapers|the Sunday Times]] and were subsequently suspended. Further allegations of corruption by the English, against their rivals for the 2018 tournament, the Russians, probably [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|ended up killing their bid]], and the announcement of Russia landing it was met mostly with derision about Russia "buying the World Cup". Ten years earlier, A German satire magazine tried to [[Comically Small Bribe|bribe some officials with a $20 gift basket]] just to see what would happen. See [[wikipedia:Titanic
* [[Cultural Posturing]]: There's no greater forum for it.
* [[Curb Stomp Battle]]: Happens with some regularity due to the weakest teams (usually from Asia, Oceania, Central America, and a few Africans) being seeded with the [[That One Boss|strongest ones]] in the group phase. Scores of 7-0 (Portugal vs North Korea, 2010, the [[Irony]] is that the North Koreans were expecting to get back at their elimination at 1966, then [[It Got Worse]]), 8-0 (Germany v. Saudi Arabia in Sapporo in 2002), 9-0 (Hungary v. South Korea in Zurich in 1954, Yugoslavia v. Zaire in Gelsenkirchen in 1974) or 10-1 (Hungary v. El Salvador in Elche in 1982 - the largest score in the competition so far) or happen every now and then.
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* [[Did Not Do the Research]]: In 1974 the game Poland vs. West Germany, the winner of which would go on to the final against the Netherlands. The assistant coach assigned to observe it could not make it (he was sent home after throwing a bottle out of his hotel room and almost hitting players), and the overconfident Dutch did not bother to send a replacement.
** You will be surprised at how many [[YouTube]] videos listed Clint Dempsey's goal for the US against England as an own goal by Robert Green.
*
** Fewer people, however, were surprised when Turkey lost against Brazil.
*** South Korea itself also qualifies in 2002; honestly, before the tournament began, who in the world would have expected them to beat ''Portugal, Italy, and Spain'' in the tournament?<ref>
*** A very similar thing happened with Ghana in 2006, where most people, who had been pleased just to qualify for the first time ever, started thinking "Holy crap, we might actually do this!" after beating the Czechs and the USA. Then Brazil showed up and the rest is history.
*** An example from the 2010 Qualification. Republic of Ireland are in a group with (then) World Champions Italy, and Bulgaria. Italy and Bulgaria are expected to ease through. Ireland decided to throw a green spanner in the work by drawing with Italy and beating Bulgaria to ensure a play-off spot. In said play-off, Ireland are beaten by France in Dublin, and are expected to be curb-stomped in Paris. Instead, Ireland defy the odds again, and nearly pull off a miracle by running circles around the French. Then Henry cheated.
*
* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: After the 1994 Cup, Cameroonian goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell and Colombian defender Andrés Escobar ended up paying for their countries early exits (the former got his house torched, and the latter got killed - see [[Serious Business]], below).
* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: The inaugural championship in 1930 doesn't have a third place match. Consequently the 3rd and 4th placed teams (USA and Yugoslavia, respectively) were determined by their overall performance.
* [[Enemy Mine]]: The national teams often collect players that play for rival teams the rest of the year. Some of which are, in fact, [[wikipedia:El Clasico|famous]] for ''that'' [[wikipedia:Arsenal F.C. and Chelsea F.C. rivalry|bitter]], [[wikipedia:Liverpool F.C. and Manchester United F.C. rivalry|historical]] [[wikipedia:Derby della Madonnina|rivalry]].
* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: Plentiful. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130722005327/http://www.kickette.com/files/2010/06/nandofit.jpg Look] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20130722024527/http://www.kickette.com/files/2010/06/reinacasillasvaldes-reuters1.jpg these] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130722001939/http://www.kickette.com/files/2010/04/davidvillatakemenow.jpg fine] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130722050614/http://www.kickette.com/files/2010/07/spainsecrets.jpg examples] of [https://web.archive.org/web/20120716020818/http://www.kickette.com/files/2010/08/fabio-ap.jpg estrogen-baiting][https://web.archive.org/web/20100601002105/http://newscaster.eu/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ITLAY-Champion-of-FIFA-2006-World-Cup.jpg gents]- and that's just from the 2006 and 2010 champions. On the other hand, there's no shortage of [[Ms. Fanservice|good-looking women]] in the Women's World Cup.
* [[Everything's Squishier with Cephalopods]]: Paul the psychic octopus [http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/oct/26/paul-octopus-dead-psychic-world (R.I.P.)].
* [[Every Year They Fizzle Out]]: Oh poor Spain. They got better, with their victory at the World Cup 2010 as the climax.
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** Mexico has never made it past the round of 16 since Mexico 1986.
*** Though Mexico only reached the quarters playing home. And their streak of five second rounds isn't too shabby (specially because A)Norway, Belgium and Croatia <ref>[[Snub By Omission|and a terrible French team]]</ref> were eliminated to reach them and B)the regularity earned them a seed in 2006).
** Egypt has to be the most shocking example. It is widely considered the best team in Africa, having won the African Cup of Nations 7 times (including the last 3 editions) and advancing to the semifinals 4 times more, it's usually among the 30 best teams in the FIFA ranking and has beaten its own record of consecutive matches without being defeated in 2010. Furthermore, its two best
** In the women's side there's Brazil, with a team as strong as the male one (among other players there's Marta, chosen as the world's best player ''five years in a row'') but not as victorious - runner-ups in 2007, 3rd place in 1999, two quarterfinals and two group stages.
*** To be fair to Brazil, their women's team literally makes do with nothing. Women's soccer was banned until only recently in Brazil, and unlike every other Women's Soccer/Football power, Brazil has no professional women's league. The women are forced to wear old mens' uniforms, they don't get paid at all (and if they do, it's months late), and the women's team is understaffed (As in while the US traveled with a number of chefs to keep the players happy with familiar foods, Brazil has 0 cooks. They eat what they can get). They are a world power despite being little more a ragtag bunch compared to much more well-funded teams like the United States.
** The Czech Republic. Their Cold-War era united Czechoslovak team won EURO 76, but their 2006 counterpart, despite being ranked in the top 5 of most soccer rankings, fizzled out in a group containing the USA, Ghana, and Italy.
* [[Exposition Diagram]]: You don't understand what a 4-4-2 formation is? Wait for some graphics to come up at the start of the match to show you!
* [[Fan Nickname]]: Pretty much every team has one. It's usually referent to the team's
* [[Far East]]: Korea and Japan tend to get lumped in stereotypically together - even by FIFA!
* [[Fascist Italy]]: Got ''very'' involved in the 1934 World Cup in Italy, down to a Copa del [[Benito Mussolini|Duce]] which was awarded with great fanfare while the official trophy was given to the winners as well. A telegraph from Mussolini allegedly saying "Win or Die" allegedly caused Hungary to throw the 1938 final, although this has never been proven.
* [[Field Promotion]]: It is difficult to imagine what Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be feeling in South Africa, after he gained his place following Robert Enke's suicide.
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* [[Glorious Mother Russia]]: Brazil in 1958 feared playing the USSR because of their "scientific" football. They needn't have been, what with Garrincha dribbling three markers at different moments of the match.
* [[Glory Seeker]]: Pick your own example of a player who ends a promising move from his team by having a shot from no-chance range instead of passing to a team-mate in a better position.
* [[Heel Race Turn]]: [[Turncoat
** An interesting case in 2010 had two half-brothers playing for different national teams: Jérôme Boateng playing for Germany and Kevin-Prince Boateng playing for Ghana.
* [[Hello Boys]]: Interesting ambush marketing campaign by a Dutch brewer (Bavaria) had several girls in mini-dresses designed to catch the attention of the cameraman during the Netherlands vs Denmark game, with the dresses well known to the Dutch public as associated to the brewer. FIFA, who is sponsored by another brewer (Budweiser) were not too happy.
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** Another good example: West Germany against England in 1966 and 1970. In the final in 1966, England won 4-2, but in the quarter-finals in 1970, West Germany came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in extra time.
** Sticking with West Germany, they met Yugoslavia in the quarter-finals in three consecutive World Cups: 1954 (2-0 to the Germans), 1958 (1-0 to the Germans), and 1962 (1-0 to Yugoslavia).
*
** For "resurrections" as players, Ronaldo in 2002 (after the [[Heroic BSOD]] in 1998 and suffering with injuries in-between the 1998 and 2002 tournament) and Paolo Rossi in 1982, both with the title and the Golden Boot.
* [[History Repeats]]: Some teams face each other very often. The record is 7 times, for Brazil vs. Sweden (which includes the 1958 final... and Sweden have never won: 3 draws and 4 defeats) and Germany vs. Serbia/Yugoslavia (German 4, one draw, plus one victory for each Yugoslavia and Serbia)
* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: Own goals...
* [[Homogenous Multinational Ad Campaign]]: In the biggest sporting event in the world with ad boards, the only way to work.
* [[Hope Sprouts Eternal]]: Oh [[Little No|no!]] The World Cup is over. All is lost. [[And the Adventure Continues...|On to the next tournament.]]
* [[Idiot Ball]]: Wayne Rooney moaning about the fans after an awful performance for England against Algeria. Eloquently rebuffed in [https://web.archive.org/web/20120622113952/http://www.spaotp.com/2010/06/what-load-of-rubbish.html this article].
* [[Instant Win Condition]]: Golden Goal in 1998 and 2002 allowed Laurent Blanc (France v Paraguay '98), Henri Camara (Senegal vs Sweden '02), Ahn Jun-Hwang (S Korea vs Italy '02) and Ilhan Mansiz (Turkey vs Senegal '02) to end the game, no questions asked.
* [[Interrupting Meme]]: The vuvuzelas are '''''BRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!'''''
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** The final of 1962 (Brazil vs. Czechoslovakia) and a semifinal in 1982 (Italy vs. Poland) were also repeats with bigger value.
* [[Men Buy From Mars, Women Buy From Venus]]: Ad breaks tend to involve commercials aimed at men during the World Cup, even though there is a high number of women watching. Indeed the [[Trope Namer]] Mars have made themselves the Official Chocolate Supplier to the England Team!
* [[
** David Beckham getting sent off against Argentina in 1998. England would lose the game on penalties; headlines the next day famously said "10 heroic lions, one stupid boy."
** Brazil also subverted this in 2010 with Felipe Melo - sure, he scored an assist against the Netherlands. But in that same game he scored an own goal <ref>although FIFA later changed the attribution to Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands</ref> and got expelled after ''stomping'' a Dutch player ''on the ground'' (final score: 2-1 to the Dutch), Brazil managed their best performance (3-0 against Chile in the second round) without him, and overall he played [http://twitpic.com/21wrfz horribly] ''and'' [[Unnecessary Roughness|violently]]. That's one player who ''deserved'' to be blamed.
** In a strange case after Spain's defeat to Switzerland in 2010, the British press said that Spanish people were somehow [[Yoko Oh No|putting the blame on the goalkeeper's girlfriend]] ([http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/18/spanish-goalkeepers-girlfriend-distracts-british-press/ no one could prove it]). Then they were champions, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140601133553/http://ultimahoraonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/sara_carbonero_4.jpg she] was "absolved", and it was [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFbF60NQAbE&feature=popular literally] [[Sealed with a Kiss]]. The British press ''themselves'' claimed they were being [[
** Blamed for Argentina's loss against Germany in 2006: Cambiasso. The guy who kicked (and missed) the last penalty. Poor guy had nothing to do with his teammates' failures.
** After the 2010 final, the Dutch Media attempted to blame referee Howard Webb for their loss as he missed a corner decision for the Netherlands prior to the Spanish goal and even claimed he favoured Spain in general. However it's widely considered Webb, who was probably too lenient on the Dutch, could (and according to Netherlands legend Cruyff ''should'') have sent two Dutch players off before it was even half-time. In particular Nigel de Jong's infamous 28th minute ''mid-air'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2NqS4IBLxw "tackle"] on Alonso's chest somehow avoided a straight red. Spain were likely the best passing team in the world and being a ''single'' man down to them with so long to go in the match would have likely all but ended their chances.
* [[My Significance Sense Is Tingling]]: On ITV's first game of the World Cup, presenter Adrian Chiles revealed his "lifelong talent" by missing the opening goal of the World Cup [[Stealth Pun|going to the toilet.]]
* [[Never Accepted in His Hometown]]: So you've moved abroad and become a hero, winning bucketloads for your club. Sometimes no-one knows that at home. Previously German-based English midfielder Owen Hargreaves was this until he broke into the side during the 2006 tournament.
** Plus he was born in Calgary and was cut from a Canadian youth team as a youngster. Which is one of the reasons why he ended up playing for England.
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: Zinedine Zidane, the hero of France. Taunted into [[It Was His Sled|Headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 final.]]
* [[Nominal Importance]]: [[Blatant Lies|Maradona won the 1986 World Cup on his own]] (some would say [[A Worldwide Punomenon|single-handedly]]) say the media. How does that make the other Argentines feel?
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* [[No Sense of Direction]]: Own goal...
** How about [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnZSO4bkz48 own foul]?
* [[Not Cheating Unless You Get Caught]]: Some teams, who will remain unnamed, seem to have this as a motto!
* [[Older and Wiser]]: Ex-players return as coaches. 2 ex-players have coached the World Cup winners; Mario Zagallo of Brazil (1958-62 player, 1970 coach) and Franz Beckenbauer of West Germany (1974 player, 1990 coach).
* [[Opposing Sports Team]]: The United States, whom everyone loves to thump on even though they are a mid-level team at best.
** This is probably because soccer/football is one of the few sports that the rest of the world are clearly miles better than the U.S., primarily because it is their primary sport. Even in other countries where they have other sports that are more popular (rugby in Australia, hockey in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, possibly Russia, baseball in Japan), soccer is a solid no. 2 or 3 sport... not in America, where it's probably the 5th sport at best. The very best athletes in other countries end up playing soccer; here, they end up playing basketball, football, and baseball. Combine that with traditional American disdain for soccer/football, and you wind up with the rest of the world looking down their collective noses at us for not "getting" the de facto official world sport. Though we're beginning to close the gap. However, this is completely averted on the women's side of the sport, as the United States has won two Women's World Cups and is a perennial favorite to win it all.
** In Australia it's by no means a "solid no. 2 or no. 3 sport", being up against [[Australian Rules Football]], [[Cricket]], and two forms of rugby ([[Rugby League]] and [[Rugby Union]]). Tennis, basketball, and swimming are probably in the mix as well.
** A few (particularly Wales, Scotland and either side of Ireland) consider the England team to be this as well - just google "Anyone But England".
* [[Passing the Torch]]: Happens when the old man retires and the great new hope turns up.
* [[Politically-Correct History]]: 2010 - Spain's first World Cup semi-final. Technically true, but the implication was that Spain had achieved their best result at a World Cup ''before'' beating Germany. Spain finished fourth in the [[wikipedia:1950 FIFA World Cup|1950 World Cup]] where no semi-finals were held - instead, a final group stage with the group winners was held.
* [[Popcultural Osmosis]]: Some people are on the pitch. [[wikipedia:They think
* [[Psychic Powers]]: Paul the Octopus, who predicted correctly the winner of every match that involved Germany in South Africa 2010, and the winner of the final. Sadly, he passed away after the World Cup, but a [[Serious Business|shrine was built on his memory]] on the Oberhousen Sea Life Centre in Germany.
* [[Pyrrhic Victory]]: In South Africa 2010 Luis Suarez committed an intentional (and blatant) handball on the goal line in the dying moments of extra-time against Ghana to prevent them winning the match. It worked despite the penalty awarded, but the red card he received kept him out of his dream encounter with the Netherlands and his absence was likely a factor in Uruguay's subsequent loss.
* [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]]: The same US team that defeated England 1-0 in 1950 qualify as this (with the goal scored by a Haitian dishwasher no less! No, really.)
* [[Royal Brat]]: The Kuwaiti sheikh Fahid Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, president of his country's FA, who interrupted their game with France in 1982 to contest a decision! (see [[
** [[Can't Get Away with Nuthin']]: FIFA fined him $10,000 for the disruption. Plus, Kuwait took in another goal soon after.
* [[Rule of Sean Connery]]: A World Cup official film seems good enough. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiXl5rt5e7Q One narrated] by [[Sean Connery]] (and scored by [[Yes|Rick Wakeman]])? Pure awesome!
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ns3lvU9r88 Another] has one of the actors listed under [[Rule of Sean Connery]], [[Sean Bean]].
* [[Sacred Language]]: All referees are expected to speak English in the modern World Cup.
** Pretty much because the referee '''must''' be from a different country than those playing to ensure impartial decisions. Or so it seems.
*** Different ''continents'' actually. Unless two teams from the same continent play against each other. Then it could be a referee from that continent, just not from either country.
* [[The Scapegoat]]: After losing the final in 2010, the Dutch media and players piled the blame onto English referee Howard Webb. He failed to give a corner to the Netherlands before the build up to Spain's goal in extra-time and was accused of favouring Spain. All well and good until you consider the actual events of the match. The Dutch's main strategy had largely consisted of [[Unnecessary Roughness|kicking lumps]] out of Spanish players. Thus setting the tone for 14 cards to be shown (9 to the Dutch), not to mention killing the game as a spectacle. General consensus among neutrals was that Webb was actually ''far too soft'' on the Netherlands. Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff not only later slammed the Netherlands for their dirty tactics calling them "vulgar" and "anti-football" but also slammed the referee for not sending off ''two'' Dutch players in the first half alone. De Jong did admit he should have seen a straight red card for his infamous kick on Spain's Alonso.
* [[Second Place Is for Losers]]: Who remembers West Germany's run in 1986? Who loved Argentina in 1990?
** Who loved Argentina? Neither Brazil (rival whom they eliminated in the round of 16) nor Italy (home team which they eliminated in the semifinals - the audience even booed Argentina's anthem, despite them playing in Naples, where Maradona was a big idol at the time)!
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** 26 years earlier, Brazilian coach Zagallo said "We're gonna make juice out of the Clockwork Orange!" Needless to say, the Netherlands won 2-0 and got their place in the final.
* [[Theatrics of Pain]]: Increasingly professional footballers, ''despite being healthy adult men'', cannot come into contact with, run past or even go near an opposition player without falling and writhing dramatically on the ground. (see also: [[World of Ham]]) As Robin Williams put it:
{{quote|
* [[Throwing the Fight]]: there are several occasions where the only possible explanation for the result is the teams conspiring to play for a mutually beneficial result, or, more rarely, a team throwing a match for an easier draw in the knockout stages.
** The West German side lost 8-3 to the Hungarians in the Group Stage of the 1954 World Cup, which ensured that the Germans would go through the runners-up bracket. The Germans faced the Hungarians again in the final, and walked away with a 3-2 victory.
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* [[Too Many Cooks Spoil the Soup]]: Arguably the star-studded midfield of Brazil in 1982 and the wonderful attack of Argentina in 2010, not a lot of defending was considered.
** The latter in particular; Maradona did not call defenders Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti... who had just won the [[UEFA Champions League]] with Inter. [[What an Idiot!]].
* [[
* [[Training
** The North Koreans' training is rumoured to be this.
** Before the 2002 Japan/South Korea World Cup, Guus Hiddink, Korea's manager at the time, supposedly gathered the team together some weeks before the tournament and put them in a military boot camp. This helped to build stamina and seemed to bring the team together, as the South Koreans showed great energy and willing effort in their matches along with appearing to be a very together group of players.
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** And the Battle of Bern (Hungary 4-2 Brazil), 1954 (not only had three expelled players, but also had a field invasion and a horrible brawl after the game).
** [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY8O9qhFbj4 Harald] [[wikipedia:Harald Schumacher|Schumacher]].
** The Netherlands are involved in a few notable examples:
*** The 1974 The Brazil-Netherlands match is legendary for being a disappointment due to the violent play. One Journalist in the Netherlands found himself blackballed during the WC in 1974 for commenting on the roughness of the Dutch team.
*** The "Battle of Nuremberg" in Germany 2006 is the record-holder of red/yellow (4 red, 16 yellow) cards in the World Cup. Portugal would eventually win 1-0.
*** The second instance being in the final of South Africa 2010 with Spain, an image from which has the dubious honour of illustrating the [[Unnecessary Roughness]] page. It currently holds the record for cards given during a World Cup Final (13 yellow, 1 red). Neutrals pointed out that the Netherlands would have been ''fortunate'' to have 10 men on the pitch come half time, never mind the 11 they actually left with at the interval.
* [[We ARE Struggling Together!]]: The French team in 2010.
* [[We Used to Be Friends]]: In the modern World Cup, opponents who are team-mates in club football appear in opposition. Ronaldo and Rooney in 2006 would be a good example. Also the Boateng brothers, who faced each other in 2010 in Group D on the German and Ghanaian teams (apparently they're half-brothers and not that close IRL).
* [[We Win Because You Did Not]]: A draw for a poor team against a good team feels like a win for them! And a loss for the good team!
** Case in point: England's run in 2010. A draw against USA was treated as a humiliating loss for England and a soaring victory for the USA. A boring 0-0 against Algeria caused the England fans to boo the players at the end of the match.
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* [[Wounded Gazelle Gambit]]: Sadly, seen way too often in the World Cup.
* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: West Germany lost 8-3 to Hungary in 1954, which put them in the [[Idiot Ball|"group runners-up" half of the draw]], allowing them an easier route to the final than the Hungarians who had to fight past Brazil (literally, in the "Battle of Bern") and then defeat Uruguay. Furthermore, German coach Sepp Herberger had predicted that if his team made the finals, their most likely opponents would be Hungary. Therefore, he played his reserves in the aforementioned 8-3 loss, withholding from the Hungarians firsthand knowledge of his strongest team. Armed with more rested bodies and better knowledge of the opposition, the Germans defeated them in the final.
** Under the controversial and [[Calvin Ball|decidedly oddball rules]] of the 1954 World Cup cumulative goal differences were not taken into account, in the event of the second and third of a group being equal on points, a deciding game for second place became necessary. West Germany was equal on points with Turkey, so Herberger sensibly decided to rest some of his best players for the additional game with Turkey rather than seriously attempt to defeat the Mighty Magyars (in the event of a defeat his best players might not have been able to defeat the Turks in the decider). Also because of the rules of the competition, it was hard to foresee who each team would come up against, because in the event of two teams being equal on points for first and second place, lots were cast. It was unforeseeable bad luck of the draw that determined that Hungary would come up against Brazil (2nd in Group 1 even though it had a better goal difference than Yugoslavia) and Uruguay (2nd in Group 3 even though it had a better goal difference than Austria)
Not each team of every group was scheduled to play each other. Each team played only two matches (the estimated favorites were not to play each other) - so the Hungarians and the Turks never met. If the final games would have been played, most probably West Germany would have come out on top of Turkey after beating them 4-1 in their regular match, Turkey not having played Hungary and West Germany not having played whipping boys South Korea. Actually this was made to prevent favorites from being eliminated, but Turkey was only placed as a favorite since the seeding took place before the qualifications were finished and Turkey replaced more fancied Spain, whom they eliminated in the qualifiers. Oddball indeed.
** Some consider the defeat listed under [[Cold War]] to also qualify: the defeat made West Germany avoid Netherlands in Round 2, eventually leading them to face the Clockwork Orange in the finals.
* [[Yamato Nadeshiko]]: The ladies from the Japanese Team in the 2011 Women's Cup were nicknamed "Nadeshiko Japan". [[Plucky Girl|And they actually]] [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|won the Cup.]]
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