Suarez was having a mundane Cup until he expected last match...
Largely, I think ESPN–with the exception of little bit of challenges in pairing broadcasters and FIFA’s way too much use of the super zoomed-in slow motion shot (who’s producing, Jerry Bruckheimer?)–has done a really good job of presenting the World Cup in the United States. Well done, Mickey Mouse Sports!
Even online in many cases. Jeff Carlisle–who TSG writer Brian Mechanick spoke with on the phone over the weekend–is doing just a bang-up job.
Now ESPN revises their “Best Players” Flash Do-Hickey and asks “Who is the best player left at the World Cup?”
Surprisingly, with the exceptions of low ranking for defenders Maicon and Lahm way too low, I think the public did a great job.
Here below is TSG’s quick reaction list when we asked the question, “On current form, who are the most critical players left in World Cup 2010.”
Frankly, TSG would have backtracked and selected Lionel Messi, *if he had put away a chance and Carlos Tevez wasn’t in supreme form. If Messi plays the #10 role to perfection against a team–like Germany–that has the defensive abilities to potentially limit him, I may, highlight may, eat my words on Maicon over Messi.
But not yet!
Will Wesley lead the Netherlands to that elusive land?
1. Maicon
2. Lionel Messi
3. David Villa
4. Mesut Özil
5. Wesley Sneijder
6. Carlos Tevez
7. Kaka
8. Luis Fabiano
9. Xavi
10. Luis Suarez
11. Robin van Persie
12. Arjen Robben
13. Diego Forlan
14. Philipp Lahm
You don't want to "f" with Lucio....really...
15. Lucio
16. Iker Casillas
17. Gonzalo Higuain
18. Julio Cesar
19. Miroslav Klose
20. Robinho
21. Thomas Müller
22. Asamoah Gyan
23. Andres Iniesta
24. Cristian Riveros
25. Fernando Torres
Gonzalo Higuain, who Shaun think is merely “Pippo Inzaghi +” and I contend is much more much be recognized with his official TSG video.
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Posted by maxq on 2010/06/30 at 2:03 PM
Doesn’t ESPN get their video from the official FIFA feed? If so, the super slo-mo isn’t really their fault.
Posted by matthewsf on 2010/06/30 at 2:07 PM
I need to check that out. Thanks for the comment.
I’d be happier with the gratuitous CONMEBOL pretty fan in the stands shot.
Posted by sfshwebb on 2010/06/30 at 2:43 PM
I actually think the super slo-mo is useful to the casual fan. It helps to show that a lot of the time strikers or people are not diving. At bar for the USMNT game people were screaming for blood and screaming dives against the Ghanaians until they realized in super slow mo that cleats did hit ankle. The same happened the other way when a Ghanaian would tackle a US player.
With the sport getting such a negative reaction to diving, the casual fan now thinks that everything is a dive. As long as they don’t show Tevez, i’m fine with it.
Posted by matthewsf on 2010/06/30 at 2:46 PM
The overuse of it….
Posted by Brad on 2010/06/30 at 9:38 PM
Martin Tyler made a mention of the slomo’s one game in the later part of the group stage. He said something like “The local directors here love these artistic shots. And the word artistic is of course in very large quotation marks.”
I like when they do slo-mo for fancy moves, fouls, and that sort of thing, but I hate hate hate when they do a slo-mo of someone yelling or reacting – it’s a stupid idea and it makes the player/coach look stupid in the process.
Posted by Matt Mathai on 2010/07/01 at 6:22 AM
Yeah, it’s a world feed and all the broadcasters have to use the same video. I love the occasional super slo-mo shot for the drama, but it was WAY overused. I have to do a Tarkanian and chew on a towel to stop yelling “There’s a F*)(*)*&^%ing GAME on!!!”
Posted by Jimbo on 2010/06/30 at 2:54 PM
I dunno, I really get the sense this is Forlan’s coming out party. I fully expect him to create or put in 2-3 goals against a very susceptible Ghana. Put him on the USMNT and we cruised past Ghana.
Posted by Brad on 2010/06/30 at 9:38 PM
Me and all the people I watch games with have all said the same thing. We think Forlan is going to make this his tournament.
Posted by Jimbo on 2010/07/02 at 2:35 PM
Put in a goal, and put in a penalty. My prediction stands!
Posted by dixon on 2010/06/30 at 2:58 PM
The tv is from the international feed. FIFA only lets one production company and camera crew film and produce each game. The announcers on ESPN (I think Martin Tyler) was commenting on it early on and said something like “We’ve got camera crews from different parts of the world and ours tonight seems to really like showing these close-ups, I wish they’d show the goal again though”