The Pop World Cup: Trinidad and Tobago vs Ecuador

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

One of the more intriguing second-round clashes here, as dark horses Trinidad and Tobago look to capitalise on their group stage win and Ecuador seek to create what would surely rank as an upset. All Pop World Cup tracks can be found here - let me know if you have any downloading or playback problems.


Trinidad And Tobago

Nikki Crosby - "I'll Learn To Wine": Gaffer jel_bugle refused to speak to the media but a reporter in his camp sent this report in: "All is in not well in the camp of Trinidad and Tobago! Following Sir Lancelot's stunning group stage victory the squad has lost some of its earlier focus and aggression. One senior player was quoted as saying "We've only seen the gaffer once this week, he had a big grin on his face, none of his usual banter about destroying the opposition". The manager has appeared rather distracted at press conferences, muttering that he needs to check his email or asking "was that my mobile?" Speculation has been rife in the tabloid press that the manager has been illegally approached by a rival nation, though he would not been drawn on this matter, answering the question with "A man is created for his acts. His goal is paradise", leading to some strange looks from the assembled journalists. Asked about his team selection for the first knock out round the manager gave little away, stating that the song was not about wine or whining, but about dancing, a persons need to express their inner desires, before checking his mobile again. Asked if he thought Trinidad and Tobago could win the Pop World Cup he empathically replied "When I see a man in a state of anxiety, I say, What can this man want? If he did not want something which is not in his power, how could he still be anxious?" Again much to the bafflement of the audience."

Ecuador

Paul Avion & Par Avion Band - "Pop Music United": Boss skillextric told us "A somewhat mercurial talent (i.e. we've heard two of his songs and the other was rubbish), Avion was born in Quito but has mainly learnt his trade in the overseas leagues, having spent time in New Orleans before moving to to the pop pressure cooker that is Los Angeles a couple of years ago. The legions (LEGIONS) of fans that we picked up in our group stage second-place triumph (TRIUMPH) should continue to expect the unexpected - a subtle, refined short passing game, waiting patiently for the breakthrough. We know we're up against it here, but we've got faith in this one. And no matter what else, this is probably gonna be the only song in the tournament that cops a lyric off Robert Wyatt, which must be worth something."


So how is the match decided?


The knockout rounds work very much like the group stages, except now you get TEN points to divide between the two teams, and you don't have to give a team a point if you don't want to.

(PLEASE vote according to the relative strengths of the entries, though, not just pick the one you want to win and give it 10 automatically!)

The voting will be done by text poll - this is to keep the results secret. Please enter your scores as follows

"Trinidad - 5. Ecuador - 5"

Except with the "5"s replaced by your scores. If you want to vote but can't use the LJ poll, please email your scores to freakytrigger@gmail.com.

[Poll #701529]


You have until TUESDAY to vote in this poll, and results will be up next Wednesday. Check back on Monday for the half-time score.

Comments

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I have voted.

Impressed by both teams here. Very good use of flat back four by Trinidad, with the diamond shape in midfield proving every effective in counter-attack. I expect them to score an early goal and then perhaps try and sit on that for the rest of the game. I wonder if they'd be able to kill it off and shut out Ecuador completely though. I think Ecuador have a more slowburn approach, I can see them conceding early but hanging on well and battling back as the match progresses, resulting in a very tight finish - perhaps even going right down to penalties.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The actual mechanism for determining scorelines is available in the pub, on request.

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

In my entirely personal scoreline, Trinidad&Tobago scored two goals in the opening minutes of the game. But the second half sees Ecuador getting back into it, definitely.

[(Anonymous)]

As performers hereabouts do their first listen before reading the inspirational text, there has been much initial confusion among the T&T's as to whether they are to whine or wind or what, and this distracts from the music's "kicking in" right away - enough so as to put into question whether the team will, in fact, survive. I've always found whining an effective survival technique, myself, but apparently it's not what's required in this instance.

The Ecuadorians seem poised to take advantage of their opponent's disarray, but they suffer from uncertainty as to how to do so. Should they play with an exquisitely sensitive detachment, or should they swell with passion? Should they make their exquisitively sensitive detachment into a swell passion? Or if that isn't possible, can they get away with "passing off" the former as the latter? (The Ecuadorian squad's mentors, the Pet Shop Boys club, faced similar uncertainties that they never fully resolved, though they wrestled with the uncertainties more tenaciously than the Ecuadorians have thus far.) A fascinating team, these Ecuadorians, but the viability of their style of play is a subject for further research.

[(Anonymous)]

Oops! Forgot to sign the previous post.

Tenacious Spice

[(Anonymous)]

"Exquisitively"?

Tenacious To The Point Of Absurdity Spice

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

ecuador very nearly THREW THE GAME for reminding me of m0mus!! :(