Entries tagged with pwc

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Reminders

I forgot to say earlier on - remember to go and vote in Heat #2 of 2005 - Veronicas and t.A.T.u are still neck and neck in the run-off and it's pretty close for spot number 5 in the heat itself.

Also the Pop World Cup continues on Freaky Trigger! Current matches are Algeria vs Slovenia (vote Slovenija!), Ghana vs Serbia, Australia vs Germany and Denmark vs Netherlands - some cracking tunes fielded there so listen and vote for your favourites!

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Heads up!

- Remember you've got until 5pm tomorrow to get your nominations in for the Best Song of 2005.

- Also, the

poptimists-endorsed Pop World Cup 2010 has kicked off over on Freaky Trigger! The first Group A matches are up, with South Africa v Mexico and Uruguay v France providing some fine pop gambits. Listen and vote for your favourites using the polls on each post.

- Apparently Lady Gaga's dog (who appears in the Bad Romance video) is called Lava, but she used to have another dog called RUMPUS who sadly died. Poor Rumpus!

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The Pop World Cup: THE FINAL

Portugal vs Czech Republic

After FIVE MONTHS of poptastic polltastic play, the Pop World Cup final has finally arrived. And what an occasion it promises to be. We've seen shocks, clashes and some titanic performances, including two magnificent semi-finals. Can Portugal and the Czech Republic give us a final worthy of the name? Find out by going to http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/popworldcup, downloading their tracks and voting in the poll below. No team talks this time, so let's look to our expert summarisers to find out what's at stake...

PORTUGAL: Loto - "Back To Discos"

( Road to the final )

CZECH REPUBLIC: Sarka Vankova - "Lasku Davej"

( Road to the final )

( The rules...and THE POLL )

For more pop world cup action, check out the third place match, taking place today at the SukratArena.

Deadline on votes is noon on Monday. This is also your last chance to publicise the pop world cup elsewhere!

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THIS 'SWAY' TO THE FINAL!

Pop World Cup Match Report

Germany 2 ENGLAND 3

Germany's veteran side were undone by a crushing spell of England dominance in their round of 16 match, leaving

sbp drinking from the bitter cup of elimination as

zenith's army marches on. Leading at the break, England's hungry young side were put on the back foot by an immediate German equaliser, but showed massive character to come back with two goals in ten minutes. A German strike in the dying seconds of the tie proved no more than a consolation.

sbp faced criticism for relying on a star-studded, but aging back four, which proved vulnerable to the raw pace and flair of the English forwards.

zenith meanwhile has seen his Pop World cup campaign back on track after a shaky group stage performance, and can now look ahead to the quarter finals, where England will play either Portugal or the Ivory Coast.

"Come on zenith, put Embrace on in the quarters!"

The next Pop World Cup match is between Ecuador and Trinidad and Tobago, and will start as soon as I get the Ecuador track off of

skillextric and put it up.

FIPA apologises for the delay in results, caused by a week-long summit in France thrashing out the finer details of the B-Side Rule.

Final Result

Germany - 114 points
England - 126 points

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The Pop World Cup: Group Stage Roundup

It's HALF TIME in the pop world cup. Well not really, the competition is going on until June, but we've now heard half the songs we're going to hear. Here's a post to round up the stuff we've heard so far and see how it's gone. Have you enjoyed it? Has the standard met your expectations? Any really amazing discoveries? Notice any trends?

I'd like you to vote in this poll if you've been taking part in the PWC - you don't have to have voted in all 8 groups or anything like that. I want you to pick your EIGHT favourites of the thirty-two tracks we've heard in the group stage. This has two functions - firstly it helps me sort out the tracklisting for the special souvenir PWC CD that I'm giving away at the pop quiz on Thursday. And also the top 8 in the poll will go through to the eventual Player Of The Tournament vote at the end of it all. (I know this involves a certain amount of memory stretching but it really would be useful!)

( And now over to our team in the studio )

All tracks available at: http://www.freakytrigger.co.uk/popworldcup/

I've had lots of fun so far and I hope you have too.

(PS: If you have enjoyed the PWC, feel free to promote it on yr LJ or elsewhere online!)

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SPAIN STUMBLE SETS UP JUICY CLASHES

Group H Final Results

The Pop World Cup Group Stages ended with a bang - or maybe a bark - last night as Ukraine's shock win over Spain let them leapfrog the Iberian side to top Group H. Spain, already qualified after a win over the Saudis, stumbled to unexpected defeat as their brisk but one-dimensional attacking play simply could not cope with the Ukranian tricks and tempo changes. Spain went ahead within the first five minutes, but proved incapable of defending a lead and were punished on the break twice by their flamboyant opponents. The defeat leaves

katstevens with a very difficult tie against France in the round of 16 - a game pundits are already predicting to be one of the matches of the tournament. Meanwhile Ukrainian boss

juror8 is rewarded for his bold tactics by a winnable game against minnows Togo.

A Tunisian fan looks on in horror as the Saudis equalise

Tunisia's slim hopes of qualification rested on their ability to get a win over Saudi Arabia and on results elsewhere going their way. In the event neither end of the bargain was upheld: despite leading for much of the game they were unable to land the killer blow and a Saudi equaliser sent

dorsalstop's dreams crashing to earth while restoring some pride to

martinskidmore's side. The results in this group have been a poor reflection of two teams who have played good football throughout but who have simply lacked the firepower of their European opponents.

Group H Results In Full
UKRAINE - 148 points (Qualify as winners)
SPAIN - 136 points (Qualify)
TUNISIA - 113 points
SAUDI ARABIA - 103 points

( The Round Of 16 Schedule )

Watch this space at lunchtime for a poll to find the players of the tournament so far.

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The Pop World Cup: Group H

After eight weeks of thrilling competition the group stages reach their conclusion, as we decide who the final two qualifiers for the knockout stages will be. Gypsy punk, Iberian electropop, North African hip-hop and Saudi subtlety vie for your attention and votes. After some poor attendances at the previous matches we're looking for big crowds here!

You can find all PWC entries here. If you can't download or are having trouble let me know either in the comments box or at freakytrigger@gmail.com.

So here are the four Group H contenders, with exclusive team talks from their managers.

( Group H )

So how will matches be decided? HERE'S HOW.

( The rules...and THE POLL )

Initial results up tomorrow. Next week there will be a special poll designed to find the player of the tournament so far, and then the first of the round of 16 clashes....Germany v England (

sbp and

zenith be warned!)

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SWISS GO CUCKOO OVER REF'S SLOW CLOCK

Group G Final Results

Switzerland missed out on the second round by the narrowest of margins last night after a last-minute France goal enraged fans and left gaffer

braisedbywolves gutted. At 90 minutes the Swiss were going through having fought a brave rearguard action to hold the rampant Group G winners to a draw - or so it seemed. Then the referee signalled an astonishing seven minutes of injury time and it was in the sixth of these that a rampaging France run finally drew blood. France end the group with an 100% winning record and their fans were singing manager

atommickbrane's praises last night. The Swiss camp were less impressed, however: "That amount of stoppage time is ridiculous," one source close to the manager said, "The game should never have gone on so long. It seems that if you talk in capitals enough and spell words funny, refs bend over backwards to help you.".

Togo fans in party mood.

The result means that Togo's comfortable win over South Korea sends the African side through on goals scored. Togo bounced back from a defeat by France and were in upbeat mood as they dominated the hapless South Koreans, whose vocal support failed to disguise obvious deficiencies on pitch. Korea have endured a disappointing world cup and go home without a point - commentators back home have suggested that boss

darkpigeon should have spent more time on training in the studio. Togo meanwhile have performed above expectations and

stevem78's canny tactics have won him a lot of respect. Togo will face the winners of Group H, whose final group stage games begin tomorrow.

Group G Results In Full

FRANCE - 156 points (Qualify as winners)
TOGO - 104 points (Qualify)
SWITZERLAND - 103 points
SOUTH KOREA - 77 points

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MANAGERIAL VACANCY

The Pop World Cup was shaken to its foundations last night as

giddyoldgoat sensationally RESIGNED from the Saudi Arabia managerial role, mere DAYS before their Group H clashes began. The departing manager blamed "technical difficulties" for the split but sources close to the Saudi camp had understood that his 'improv' tactics had proved controversial with the players, some of whom did not see eye-to-eye over his definition of a 'free role'. The Saudi PA have asked FIPA to draw up a managerial shortlist, and several out-of-work bosses are believed to be eyeing the post with interest, though to be fair even before this upheaval the Saudi team were considered underdogs in their group.

The Group H matches will be postponed by one day as a result of this.

Prospective managers should meet the following criteria:

- able to locate a Saudi Arabian pop track by Wednesday evening.
- not currently managing a team still in the contest
- that's it.

Holler in the comments box if you're interested. Joint managerial CVs will also be considered.

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FRANCE IN THE DRIVING SEAT

Group G Initial Results

A late France winner last night stunned South Korea and left les bleus perched on top of Group G. France's performance merited the win though the group favourites will have to work harder against Togo and Switzerland if they are to avoid any slip-ups. South Korea meanwhile will be frustrated after they looked to have earned a draw: they worked tirelessly to contain France's flair players but ultimately could do nothing against a 90th minute wonder goal.

In the other group game, Togo and Switzerland shared the points with an entertaining draw. On this form there looks to be very little between these sides and both look capable of winning on their day. Togo made an encouraging start and got themselves on the scoresheet early, but Switzerland worked hard and kept the scoreline manageable: in the second half it was the Swiss who were brighter while Togo wilted, and the eventual equaliser came as no surprise. Both sides had a chance for a winner but it was not to be and the draw leaves every side in Group G with it all to play for.

(Vote in Group G here)

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The Pop World Cup: Group G

The penultimate games of the group stage throw up some intriguing clashes. Hotly tipped France will be looking to win through in relative comfort, though rumours of last-minute selection wrangles point perhaps to a camp in turmoil! Switzerland will be hoping its tidy game sees it through, South Korea will be taking inspiration from fellow Asian qualifier Japan's fine Group Stage performance and finally the minnow's minnow, Togo, will be hoping to cause a major upset. Intriguing, to say the least!

You can find all PWC entries here. If you can't download or are having trouble let me know either in the comments box or at freakytrigger@gmail.com.

So are here the four Group G contenders, with exclusive team talks from their managers.

( Group G )

So how will matches be decided? HERE'S HOW.

( The rules...and THE POLL )

A Special Note on Ticket Allocation: Managers and spectators are encouraged to promote the Pop World Cup event wherever they see fit. HOWEVER managers who are found attempting to influence the PWC votes outside the

poptimists community may be subject to a points penalty!

Interim results up tomorrow!

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BRAZILLIANT! SAMBA STARS TOP GROUP F

Group F Final Results

Brazil narrowly beat Japan to top Group F in last night's entertaining game, though in truth the result could have gone either way. With both sides already qualified, the game had the feel of an exhibition match in places, with both teams eager to avoid hard challenges and showing off the arsenal of tricks and skills that had seen them convincingly beat their Group F opposition with a game to spare. Brazil go through to the round of 16 to face the unfancied Czech Republic, and after this display

thenipper can convincingly argue that whatever the betting says, it's his team, not Japan, who are favourites to go all the way. Japanese gaffer

cis will be perfectly happy with her team's performance, though, and may feel that this defeat owed as much to luck as any real superiority. Japan performed better in every game and seem to be hitting form at the right time, which should worry their second-round opponents Ghana.

Brazilian fans celebrate pop success

In the other group F match, neither Australia or Croatia will be pleased with their bore draw, which means neither team can go home with a win to their names. Both teams had committed fans but most neutrals will have been left with the impression of competent, defensively-minded outfits which simply came up against far superior opposition on the day. Australia boss

catsgomiaow will be left rueing her team's lack of striking opportunities, and Croatia's

anatol_merklich will chalk this one up to experience and hope for better results in 2008's Europop Championships.

In the end, this group was all about Brazil and Japan, and after last night few would bet against these teams meeting again in the final.

Group F Results In Full

BRAZIL - 152 points (qualify as winners)
JAPAN - 141 points (qualify)
AUSTRALIA - 95 points
CROATIA - 92 points

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AUSSIES GO UNDER - BUT NOT DOWN

Group F Initial Results

Brazil ran out worthy winners over Australia last night in their Group F opener, but the Poperoos had their share of chances and goals in a thrilling encounter. Brazil played dazzling football and never looked like losing, but thanks to some excellent team play in the Australian midfield, they never truly dominated. Both camps seemed optimistic last night - pundits are already comparing

thenipper's side with PWC 1970's Tropicalia heroes, and every neutral must be looking forward to their clash with Japan. As for the Australians, they refused to be downhearted in defeat. "If we play like that against Croatia and Japan, we'll qualify", said a source close to the team.

In the other group F game, two late goals gave Japan victory over a dogged and well-drilled Croatia side. The win was a fair reflection of Japan's greater skill and attacking play, though for most of the match they couldn't find a way through a maze of Croatian bodies. Commentators have wondered if the weight of expectations is affecting Japan's play, though with an ultimately comfortable win under their belt the team and management will have no such complaints.

(Vote here to affect the course of Group F.)

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BOUNCHING CZECHS END AMERICAN DREAM

Group E Results

America fell at their first Pop World Cup hurdle last night, despite getting the win they needed over a shambolic Italy side, as results elsewhere refused to go their way. Coach

alexmacpherson's faith in youth now seems foolishly misplaced after the USA team - many pundits' favourites to go all the way in this final - crashed out in the group stage. Recriminations will no doubt follow though the supporters can at least take home the memory of promising individual performances, and this win against Italy showed the developing side to have plenty of midfield sparkle. The defence that let them down against Ghana and the Czechs held firm, though in truth they won't find much easier opponents than this. The Italian press has been open for calling for

boyofbadgers head, though some neutral observers have suggested that his side were unfairly judged by commentators expecting more traditional Italian tactics.

A USA fan...or was it one of their strikers?

A draw in the other game, between the Czech Republic and Ghana, was enough to send both teams through. The Czechs were raw but busy; the Ghanaians content to stroke the ball around without really pressuring, and the result suited both sides. For the Ghanaians this campaign has been an unqualified success so far and

julietk will be looking to continue that winning streak. The managerless Czechs meanwhile are in dreamland, and a succession of bosses have been linked with the post -

mostlyconnect and

awesomewells are the names most often in the frame. Cynical observers have pointed to the lack of interest in pop back home, and the weakness of the group the Czechs came through: no matter who they appoint, they will be underdogs up against the big names of Group F.

Results In Full
GHANA - 142 points (Qualify as winners)
CZECH REPUBLIC - 134 points (Qualify)
USA - 126 points
ITALY - 98 points

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RUTHLESS GHANA LEAVE ITALIANS ON THE ROPES

Group E interim results

The Italian Pop World Cup challenge was in danger of falling to pieces last night after a heavy defeat to Ghana found supporters questioning the wisdom of

boyofbadgers' tactics. The result leaves Italy - tipped before the tournament for a semi-final place - staring yet another early exit in the face. The Italians played a hard, physical game and were clearly hoping to unsettle a languid Ghana side, but this approach backfired spectacularly and Ghana's first two goals were both deserved penalties. Down to 10 men, Italy rallied somewhat but could do nothing to prevent the game becoming a rout. The talk within the Italy camp last night was of unity though, with the manager quick to defend his players and to dismiss suggestions they would struggle against the US, a team he described as "awful". Commentators back home are less sure though: "The idea was to prevent the kind of prima donna behaviour we've seen at previous tournaments by selecting some lower-league players and forging them into a team" said one, "Clearly it isn't working." Meanwhile, the Ghana team were celebrating, though in truth they aren't likely to encounter such generous opposition again in this tournament.

In the other Group E game the US and the Czech Republic played out a high-scoring, but messy draw. Both sets of players lack experience at this level and it showed, with almost all the goals being down to basic defensive errors. Several commentators doubted the ability of a very young US side, and their inability to overcome the hastily pulled-together Czechs seems to justify such fears, though other observers saw a great deal of promise in

alexmacpherson's team. The managerless Czechs meanwhile won applause for playing well as a team, though their lack of flair was all too apparent. On this showing neither side really deserves a second-round place, but if Italy's implosion continues one of them is sure to qualify.

(Vote here to influence the course of Group E.)

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Pop World Cup - Updated Schedule

Just to dispel any confusion as to who's playing when.

Feb 15th (ie TOMORROW!) - Group E (Czech Republic, Ghana, Italy, USA)
Feb 22nd - Group F (Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Japan) - this looks like Group Ov Death II to me, get those mindgames going!
March 1st - Group G (France, South Korea, Switzerland, Togo)
March 8th - Group H (Saudi Arabia, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine)
March 15th - Germany vs England
March 22nd - NO MATCH cos I'm on holiday, results of G vs E will go up but not a new game.
March 30th - Cote D'Ivoire vs Portugal - on a Thursday not a Wednesday, cos I'm still on holiday on the Weds.
April 5th - Trinidad and Tobago vs Ecuador
April 12th - Iran vs Serbia and Montenegro

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BISMILLAH! IRAN HOLD ON TO DUMP MEXICO OUT

Group D Results

Ten-man Iran fought a fierce rearguard action to hold a lead against Mexico last night and emerge from Group D as winners. The Iranian bandwagon had looked in serious danger of faltering after a shock defeat to Portugal, and tensions were high before the match. Iran scored early but had their goalscorer sent off for a provocative celebration in front of the Mexico fans. When play eventually restarted Mexico laid siege to the Iranian goal but could not find a way through. Controversial boss

dubdobdee will face Serbia and Montenegro in the next round, while Mexico gaffer Victor faces a long flight home.

A Mexico fan sits stunned after defeat to Iran.

The Mexican team were in despair after reports filtered through of Portugal's last-minute equaliser against a gutsy Angola side, a result which put the Iberians through on goals scored. The draw was no more than Portugal deserved - they were unfortunate to fall behind and controlled much of the game thanks to the dazzling skills of their US-born playmaker. Angola boss

martinskidmore will chalk this one up to experience and certainly his boys enjoyed the World Cup party.

thebopkids meanwhile will be planning his strategy against another African team, Cote D'Ivoire, in the round of 16.

Results In Full

IRAN - 124 points (Qualify as winners)
PORTUGAL - 119 points (Qualify)
MEXICO - 112 points
ANGOLA - 104 points

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DUTCH FANS RAGE AS REF SENDS HOLLAND HOME

Group C Report

Group C has given us some fantastically tense football and its final matches were no exception, with Holland boss

freakytigger raging at the ref's decision to disallow a last-minute goal that would have sent his side through and Serbia and Montenegro home. As it is the ugly draw between these sides means the Balkan nation goes through on goals scored and it's manager

umlauts who will be celebrating tonight. "The decision was a travesty," ranted the angry

freakytigger, "That referee should never have been officiating at this level." The controversy centred on an intervention by

miss_newham, whose ballot reading in part "Give Holland one or two extra points" was rendered invalid by FIPA for not having specified points totals. A FIPA official, coincidentally also named

freakytigger, dismissed the Dutch protests: "The referee's decision is final and the Dutch manager of all people should know this."

Ivory Coast fans celebrate their Group C triumph

In Group C's other game Cote D'Ivoire gave a vibrant second-half display to defeat Argentina and send the Africans through to the second round as group winners. "This is a magnificent day for all of Africa," said a spokesman. The Ivoirian pop federation had surprised many by its appointment of

poptasticuk, a young manager with a seeming lack of interest in African football, but she's proved her doubters wrong and will face the runner-up in tomorrow's Group D clash. Argentina supremo

carsmilesteve saw his side play bright football but was left ruing their lack of stamina in the final stages of the game.

Final Score
IVORY COAST - 132 points (Qualify as Group winners)
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO - 130 points (Qualify as runners-up)
HOLLAND - 128 points
ARGENTINA - 110 points

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The Pop World Cup: Group C

Style, sex, skanking and shouty men are the order of the day in Group C, which seasoned commentators have already in the pub called the GRUPO DEL MUERTE. Argentina look to join Ecuador in the round of 16, Holland and Serbia and Montenegro look to buck the trend of European underperformance and the Ivory Coast is the first African team to take to the field in this competition.

You can find all PWC entries here. If you can't download or are having trouble let me know either in the comments box or at freakytrigger@gmail.com.

So here are the four Group C contenders, with exclusive team talks from their managers.

( Group C )

So how will matches be decided? HERE'S HOW.

( The rules - and THE POLL )

Some indication of results will be given tomorrow.

Commence the mind-games!

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ZVEN-SATIONAL ENGLAND BREAK SWEDISH HEARTS

Pop World Cup - Group B Report

It's England v Germany in the last 16 as

zenith's men forced their way out of the group stage with a gritty victory over Sweden. The shocking success of Trinidad and Tobago had left England and Sweden with everything to play for in this final group game. A draw would have sent Sweden through, and the tie was deadlocked for long periods but England's slow build up ultimately paid off. Sweden's team had plenty of prior tournament experience but some critics back home have suggested this had led to complacency - their young manager

the_roofdog will be downcast tonight. The result leaves

zenith with plenty of ammunition against those commentators who suggested that England's game was drab and anti-pop, though with a very tricky tie against Germany to look forward to he won't be resting on his laurels yet.

Sweden fans' joy turns to despair

In the other group B match Trinidad and Tobago brushed aside Paraguay to emerge as group winners and set up an intriguing game against Ecuador, which the Caribbean team must be approaching as favourites.

jel_bugle has been effusive about the wealth of options at Trinidad's disposal and his confidence has not been misplaced so far. Paraguay gave a good account of themselves in all their games but a place in the last 16 always looked beyond them.

Full Results

Trinidad and Tobago - 156 points (QUALIFY AS WINNERS)
England - 127 points (QUALIFY)
Sweden - 119 points
Paraguay - 100 points