Only 105 days to go…
1. Since 1877, referees had the right to dismiss rule-breakers from the playing field, but it was in 1909 that the rules relating to how it's done was codified. Yellow and red cards were devised later.
In which World Cup were yellow and red cards first used?
A) 1938 (France)
B) 1954 (Switzerland)
C) 1970 (Mexico)
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C) 1970. In the first game under the new procedure, four Soviets and one Mexican received yellow cards. There were no red cards issued in that year's tournament, however.
Above, England's Wayne Rooney applauds Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen's decision to give him a yellow card during a 2005/06 Champions League game. Nielsen, encouraged by Rooney's enthusiasm, decided to show Rooney a red card as well.
2. Between June 4, 1950 and February 18, 1956, Hungary lost only one game. That loss came against West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final game in Bern, Switzerland. Hungary defeated Germany earlier in tournament. What was the final score?
A) 6:1
B) 7:2
C) 8:3
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C) 8:3. They then scored two goals within the first 8 minutes in the final, but West Germany came back to win on a soaked field 3:2 in a game Germans call Das Wunder von Bern ("The Bern Miracle"). Helmut Rahn scores the winning goal in the picture above. The Hungarians in 1953 were the first country to defeat England on English soil, defeating them 6:3 at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 people. Six months later, Hungary beat England 7:1 at home, England's worst loss ever.
3. What is the name of the Italians' famous, and feared, system of defending?
A) Calcio
B) Catenaccio
C) Difendissimo
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B) Catenaccio. The word means "door bolt" and the playing system refers to a defense working in a chain formation using another defender behind to pick up loose balls, look for unmarked attackers and redouble marking. Catenaccio should not be confused with Cicciolina, an Italian porn star/politician who has offered to sleep with Saddam Hussein in order to achieve peace in the Middle East.
4. The 2010 World Cup, the sixteenth World Cup tournament, will be held on the African continent for the first time. Who will be the hosts?
A) South Africa
B) Libya/Tunisia (co-hosts)
C) Morocco
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A) South Africa. The final vote for allowing South Africa to host was over Morocco (14-10). Libya was interested in co-hosting the tournament, but this was not going to be allowed. Tunisia withdrew once it knew it would not be allowed to co-host with Libya. Complicating matters even further, Libya stated they would not allow Israel to play there if they qualified. No word on whether Cicciolina tried to get involved here.
Ligue 1 (France)