Fifa under fire as spotlight stays on 'ambush advertising'

Two days after 36 blondes hired by a hitherto obscure Dutch brewer were ejected from the stadium for breaching Fifa regulations, the incident was still the talk of the tournament, dominating front pages and new bulletins for a third day.
If Fifa's intention was to deny the Bavaria brewery publicity at the expense of official World Cup beer Budweiser, they have failed.

The logos on the women's dresses were as tiny as the hemlines were short, but Fifa's heavy-handed reaction has brought the affair international attention and risked a diplomatic row with Holland, whose foreign minister has branded their handling of the incident "absurd".
The involvement of former Wimbledon midfielder and ITV pundit Robbie Earle, revealed as the source of the women's tickets and sacked as a result, has simply stirred interest in an issue that is usually the preserve of trademark lawyers and industry specialists.
Yesterday Fifa confirmed that two Dutch women suspected of orchestrating the stunt had been arrested and would face charges and prosecution under legislation introduced specifically to protect the rights of the organisation's sponsors.
A spokesman for the South African police said they would be prosecuted and tried within days in special fast-track courts introduced for the tournament.
"They are on their way to court as we speak, on three charges – contravention of the Merchandise Mark Act and contravention of two sections of the special measures regulations," the spokesman said.

Dutch foreign minister Maxime Verhagen condemned Fifa's handling of the incident, saying it was absurd that the pair had been arrested. "The arrest and [criminal] charge is a disproportional reaction," he said in a statement released by the Dutch foreign ministry.
"It is outrageous that the two women have a jail term hanging over their heads for wearing orange dresses in a football stadium. If South Africa or Fifa wants to take a company to task for an illegal marketing action, they should start judicial procedures against the company and not against ordinary citizens walking around in orange dresses."
South Africa introduced legislation to provide protection for Fifa's sponsors, who have paid an estimated $1.2billion to be associated with the tournament. With sponsors providing a third of the revenue from the event protection is seen as crucial to maintaining the value of the rights. The UK has introduced similar legislation to protect the 2012 London Olympics.
At its most draconian, such legislation gives stewards the power to prevent spectators wearing a T-shirt branded with a rival company's logo to enter a stadium.
The World Cup has always attracted ambush marketing on a more industrial scale however, and the battle between legitimate sponsors and their rivals has become a feature of the corporate age of sport that began with the 1984 Olympics.
The continued focus on the mini-dress stunt marks it out as a classic "ambush", the result of an orchestrated and deliberate marketing campaign by Bavaria.
At the 2006 World Cup the company handed out branded lederhosen to Dutch fans who were asked to remove them by stewards before entering stadiums.
This time the logos were smaller but the ambush was far more sophisticated and coordinated.
The company began screening adverts in Holland earlier this month featuring the mini-dress girls and hired a Playboy model to promote the idea. It was this ad campaign that attracted Fifa's attention, and when the women removed T-shirts to reveal the dresses they stepped in.
A spokesman for London 2012 said they have the power to remove people from venues and seek criminal charges, but would treat incidents on a case-by-case basis.
"We have legislation to protect our partners but we will take a measured and pragmatic approach to these things. If there are two or three people in branded T-shirts clearly trying to make an impression, we will ask whether they are in camera shot and whether it is a big deal before we take action to remove them."

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The vuvuzela has been muted!!! South Africa 0 Uruguay 3: match report

Having had a public holiday to await the game that should have taken their team to the brink of the second round, South Africa awakes on Thursday morning to the sobering realisation that Bafana Bafana may very well be evicted form their own party on Tuesday.

They will need victory against France in Bloemfontein but, depending on the result between Raymond Domenech’s side and Mexico on Thursday, even that might not even be enough. Furthermore they will have to do it without the influential holding midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi and Itumeleng Khune, the goalkeeper, both of whom are suspended.

Diego Forlan was the inspiration for a professional Uruguay, who eased past a desperately insipid Bafana Bafana. You knew there was trouble when the vuvuzelas went quiet. As Forlan’s shot nestled in the net an eerie hush fell over the Loftus Versfeld stadium. This was not what was supposed to happen.
Bafana had started nervously, just as they did against Mexico on the opening day in Soccer City. And just as in that game, they struggled to cope with the fluid attacking formation as Oscar Tabarez promoted a third striker, Edinson Cavani, to the starting line-up. Uruguay were menacing. Just a minute before Forlan scored, Luis Suarez wriggled past Bongani Khumalo - not for the first time - and shot into the side-netting.
Forlan got lucky with the goal itself. Diego Perez passed to the Atletico Madrid striker midway in the South African half and he turned, teed himself up, and struck the ball ferociously at goal. His shot clipped Aaron Mokoena’s shoulder - should he have got closer? - and the deflection put serious dip on the ball and it looped over the head of the helpless Khune.
The crowd, wrapped up for another night that was plunging towards zero, tried to rally the team but they were struggling to cope with Uruguay’s physically intimidating tactics. Katlego Mphela, the lone striker, was too easily bullied by the Uruguay centre backs, Diego Lugano and Diego Godin, while Jorge Fucile slammed Teko Modise to the turf with an off-the-ball body-check.
As with the Mexico game, Carlos Alberto Parreira needed to shake his charges up at half-time. They emerged before Uruguay and Mokoena got them in a huddle to delvier what looked an impassioned speech. They had 45 minutes to lift the nation. They failed.
The pattern of the first-half resumed. Forlan sent in a series of dangerous set-pieces - South Africa in their impatience were giving away too many cheap free-kicks - and from one angled delivery Lugano managed to completely mis-timed what was a clear header.
South Africa were losing what little composure they had left. Dikgacoi had already been booked - ruling him out for France - for slamming into the back of Luis Suarez in the first half when he went recklessly in on Maxi Pereira. He just got a toe to the ball but then crunched the Uruguay right-back. Massimo Busacca, perhaps elated at his compatriots’ earlier triumph, was indulgent.
With 66 minutes played, Bafana created their first, and only, proper chance. Siboniso Gaxa delivered an excellent cross to the near post for Mphela, who had slipped free of his Uruguayan handlers for once. Despite goalkeeper Fernando Muslera committed to a punch he could not steer his header goalwards. Still it was better than nothing.
At the other end, they were fortunate not to go further behind. The outstanding Forlan curved in a perfect cross for Cavani but the Palermo striker took a hurried swipe and completely failed to make proper contact.
It was merely disaster deferred for Bafana. With 15 minutes to go that hush descended again. After Forlan’s shot had deflected into the area, Khune came flying out in anticipation of a Suarez shot but the prolific Ajax striker merely touched the ball away from him. Khune’s boot clipped Suarez’s. Penalty. The Uruguay striker had dived earlier and practically did the splits this time. But it was a penalty nonetheless.
To make matters worse Khune was sent-off - Busacca had no choice - and Steven Pienaar, who had been surprisingly quiet, was taken off so that Moneeb Josephs, the back-up goalkeeper could come on. Not even a wall of vuvuzela noise could put off Forlan. He brought the stadium - bar a pocket of delirious Uruguayans, to near-silence.
The 10 men of South Africa needed to hold out as goal-difference could well be a factor in deciding who goes through. They failed in that modest task, though, Alvaro Pereira heading in Suarez’s lobbed cross in stoppage time.

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Biggest shock of the World Cup! Spain 0 Switzerland 1: match report

Switzerland pulled off the biggest shock of the World Cup so far when they beat European champions Spain 1-0 in Group H on Wednesday, their first ever victory over their opponents in 19 games.

Gelson Fernandes' goal after a mix up in the Spanish defence gave the Swiss a shock 52nd minute lead and Spain, for all their talent and guile, were unable to find a way through the massed ranks of white Switzerland shirts




The Swiss share the lead in Group H with Chile, who beat Honduras 1-0 earlier on Wednesday.
After a forgettable first half, the Swiss looked like spending another 45 minutes defending for their lives until goalkeeper Diego Benaglio's long clearance was allowed to bounce and Fernandes pounced when the ball emerged from a clutter of bodies.
The European champions, many pundits' favourites to win the tournament, enjoyed a near monopoly of possession for much of the game but were unable to convert the chances they created.
Coach Vicente del Bosque, who had started the match with David Villa as a lone striker, brought Fernando Torres and Jesus Navas on after the goal to try and rescue the game but they were unable to find a way through.
Xabi Alonso hit the underside of the bar with a fine strike in the 70th minute, Navas shot lamely at Swiss goalkeeper Benaglio when through on goal about a minute later, and Gerard Pique squandered another chance on the next Spanish attack.
Eren Derdiyok, playing in place of his injured captain Alex Frei, then jinked his way through the defence to almost double the Swiss lead but, to the relief of the Spanish, his shot came bouncing back off the post.

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Maradona hits out at Pele and Michel Platini

Argentina coach Maradona, whose relationship with three-time Brazilian World Cup winner Pele has always been soured by verbal jibes between the two men, urged Pele to "go back to the museum" in a lively press conference in Pretoria prior to Thursday’s Group B clash with South Korea.
Pele had labelled Maradona’s appointment as Argentina coach as a mistake and suggested he had only taken the job to solve money problems. And with Uefa president Platini, who played in three World Cups for France, also questioning Maradona’s coaching credentials, the man now infamous for his ‘Hand of God’ goal against England in 1986 reacted in explosive fashion

Maradona said: "I'm not surprised (by Pele’s comments). Pele should go back to the museum.
"And as for Platini, I'm not surprised because I always had a distant relationship with him, we would just say hi and goodbye.
"But we know what the French are like and Platini is French, he believes he's better than the rest of us."
And when asked for his opinion on the controversial Jabulani ball being used at this World Cup, Maradona dismissively suggested that matter could be solved by Platini and Pele.
He said: "The ball is an issue, although I don't want to go into that because everyone is talking about it.
"But it's important. It does play a part and I'd ask Pele and Platini to go and play with it and take a look at the ball and stop talking about me."
Argentina can secure a place in the knock-out stages with a victory against the South Koreans tomorrow.
The two countries met in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, with Maradona claiming that Koreans played ‘taekwondo rather than football’ during a 3-1 win for the Argentines.
And with Cristiano Ronaldo complaining of a lack of protection from referees during Portugal’s 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast on Monday, Maradona has warned the Koreans not to get physical with his star player, Lionel Messi.
Maradona said: "The referees have a lot to answer for if you want to see a match where the stars won't be hampered.
"If Korea do something to Messi or (Carlos) Tevez they'll have to get a yellow card and the second time they'll be off.
"We came here to see wonderful football and those who don't want to see that can go home.
"We're here to see the likes of Messi and Kaka and that's great. We don't want the spectacle to be affected.
"Referees have to be strict, they have to pull out the yellow card. We've got to be careful with this.
"We don't want it to be too rough, you don't want to risk your life. You have to play a fair match because we don't want to break any legs."

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Brazil attack North Korea for 'spoilsport' defensive tactics

Coach Dunga and his players said that North Korea's massed defence simply made life too difficult for the five-times world champions on Tuesday, who are more comfortable facing teams who open up and attack.
"It was a very complicated match because they closed down the spaces," said striker Luis Fabiano after Brazil struggled to a 2-1 win over the World Cup minnows

"It was difficult for the forwards because there was a sea of Korean players and the ball just didn't reach the front," he added.
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar also complained of the inconvenience caused by the opposition.
"It's boring to play against a team like that because you have to attack all the time," he said. "North Korea were trying to play on the counter-attack."
Felipe Melo said that North Korea played with "two lines of five" and Michel Bastos agreed that the Asian side's ultra defensive tactics made it tough for the Samba boys.
"It's not easy to play against a team which just plays in defence. It makes things really difficult for us," he said.
In central defender Juan's opinion, it was all typical of modern football.
"That's football today," he said. "A national team without any sort of tradition at the top level, but who mark well and just worry about defending."
Dunga, who has turned Brazil into a team which depends on counter-attacks and set pieces for goals, agreed with his players.
"When you meet a team who play attacking football, it allows you to create space," he said.
"When you play opponents who close ranks, you have to speed up the game, you misplace passes, you have to be persistent, so it's not easy to play against that sort of team."
Dunga's Brazil have thrived against teams who have taken the initiative, especially in the World Cup qualifiers when they won 3-0 in Chile, 4-0 in Uruguay and Venezuela and 3-1 in Argentina.
But they were held to 0-0 draws at home to Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina and Venezuela after their opponents packed their defence.

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Honduras 0 Chile 1: match report

Jean Beausejour scored the only goal as Chile claimed their first win in the World Cup finals for 48 years with a 1-0 win over Honduras.
Beausejour knocked in a cross from Mauricio Isla in the 34th minute to give the Chileans three points in Group H.




Chile came close to doubling its lead on several occasions. In the 62nd, forward Alexis Sanchez dragged a clear-cut chance wide after he was put through by playmaker Jorge Valdivia. And in the 64th, defender Waldo Ponce saw his close-range header saved by Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares.
Chile was on the offensive almost from the start, with midfielder Matias Fernandez threatening in the second minute with a free kick that curled just over the bar.
Valdivia tapped one in the net in the 75th but was ruled offside.
Honduras found it difficult to break through a well-organized Chilean defense, which was led by Gary Medel, and was restricted to long-range efforts, primarily from lone striker Carlos Pavon.
Honduras' best chance came from midfielder Ramon Nunez, who threatened with a free kick in first-half injury time that was tipped over the bar by Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
Chile's last victory at the World Cup came on June 16, 1962, when it hosted the tournament and beat Yugoslavia 1-0 for third place.
This is Chile's first World Cup appearance since 1998, when the team managed to get past the group stage with three draws.
Chile plays Switzerland next on Monday in Port Elizabeth, while Honduras will face Spain at Ellis Park.

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Ten Arrested In Mogadishu For Watching Match On TV!

At least 10 people have been arrested by Islamic fighters who accused them of watching the banned screening of World Cup football matches currently going on in South Africa.

The groups imposed a ban on the viewing and screening of the matches in Somalia but local fans have been daring to watch the games at the homes of those who can afford to install satellite dishes.





According to Radio France Internationale, unconfirmed reports say that two people were also killed after Islamic fighters stormed a house in Mogadishu as youths were watching live matches from the World Cup in South Africa.

The factions argued that watching the games, or playing football, is a waste of money and time and that the sport is a western influence on Somali Muslim society.

Residents in the government-controlled side of the capital Mogadishu freely watch the games in the few cinemas that dare to screen the matches, while others share with relatives and neighbors who have satellite dishes.

Islamists groups who control much of south and center of Somalia, including large swathes of the capital Mogadishu, also banned the airing of music by local radio and TV stations.

In February this year, these militant groups sprayed bullets and killed two people and injured several other football fans who were watching a European Champions League match at a cinema hall in Mogadishu.

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Photos: Body Painted Porn Stars Play Soccer in Berlin during the public viewing of the World Cup!

The World Cup in South Africa is currently showcasing some of the finest soccer players on the planet, but another soccer competition featured a different kind of talent.
On June 12, during the public viewing of the World Cup's Germany vs Australia match, body painted porn stars played some "Sexy Soccer Erotic football" at Traumstrand Berlin! Here are the photos, enjoy!!

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(photos/Getty Images)

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Sexy Dutch dances and preforms striptease at Netherlands vs Denmark Match!!!!

We already showed you some photos of the thirty-six sexily dressed Dutch women, but these ladies became more popular then the players themselves, so here are some more!

This time, we bring you even more as one of them was caught while dancing and performing striptease during the match!! Enjoy!!!

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Group H Betting Preview

Group H Outright Odds
Spain - 4.40
Switzerland - 151.0
Honduras - 501.0
Chile - 51.0

They who shall be last shall be first or words to that effect. Red hot favourites Spain will hope that the above comes through as they along with Switzerland are the final teams in the tournament to see some match action. Along with Chile and Honduras this is a group that has the potential to provide more goals than any other.

Chile qualified in second spot behind Brazil in the South American group. It was their best ever achievement as La Roja reached their first finals since 1998. Repeating their third-placed finish from 1962 may be a distant dream but getting out of the group is their initial target. If any side is going to have a crack at Spain then it's Marcelo Bielsa's entertaining outfit.

Honduras are making their first appearance at the finals in 28 years after qualifying in dramatic fashion. Results went their way on the final day as they sneaked past Costa Rica and with several of their team playing in Europe they are not the whipping boys many are portraying them as. Recent form hasn't been good and away from Honduras they are patchy but they will be hopeful of picking up at least a point.


Spain are the red hot favourites and go into the tournament on a wave of goodwill and patriotic support. Rampant in qualifying the Spanish have demolished any side which has encountered them since that shock defeat against the USA a year ago. Boasting an incredibly well balanced squad with multiple game changers it's understandable why the bookies favour them to land their first world crown. Only questions is, have they peaked too soon?

Switzerland showed they are a team for the future by scooping the Under-17 World Cup last year. Transferring that form to the senior team is a bigger task for the savvy Ottmar Hitzfeld as the Swiss struggled big time in friendly matches before a morale boosting draw with Italy. They will be organised but lack the star quality to progress beyond the group stage.

Betting Potential
Clearly backing Spain is the way to go so put your money on them to win all three games and consider the handicap market. Against Honduras for example the favourites at -2 is a tasty 2.04. A dual forecast of Spain/Chile to progress is 1.57 while you will get long odds of 9.0 of Vincent del Bosque's side being eliminated in the first round.

To Qualify
Chile 1.05
Honduras 5.50
Spain 1.05
Switzerland 2.50

Not To Qualify
Chile 2.10
Honduras 1.10
Spain 9.0
Switzerland 1.50

Best Bet
Obviously Spain to go through at 1.05 which won't make you rich unless you are placing major sums. A better bang for your buck is David Villa to score in every group game at 6.5. He will rip the best defences to shreds and the three sides in Group H are certainly not in that category.

Outside Bet
Over 2.5 goals at 2.17 in Chile Switzerland game. As we expect the Swiss to lose their first match against Spain they will need to adopt a more positive approach against a Chile team who generally play open attacking football. Goals look likely as we will be past the tentative opening phase.

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