Sometimes the most compelling stories of the Soccer World Cup 2010 are not to do with the grand entrance of some team that is destined to win. They are the stories of the committed teams that give the play their best shot in the hope that they might taste the glory of lifting the trophy. It would make a really wonderful story if an outsider such as Japan was able to snatch the cup from the establishment teams. The positive attitude that the Japanese contingent has shown will serve them well when it comes to executing the game. The coach Takeshi Okada has said that they have learnt a lot from the friendly that they had with Netherlands. They believe that it is possible for them to cause an upset when they meet up.
Confidence is not an issue with the Japanese team after they managed to get a win out of the tie with Cameroon. The final score on that occasion was one goal for no reply. This means that they have accumulated points within the group and could change the qualification dynamics if they win their match. What is even more important is the way that they are embracing the event and their position as underdogs. Rather than sitting in self pity they are actually working to ensure that they are getting a good deal out of the preparation time. They are also sending signals to their opponents that they are not yet a lost cause.
It will be interesting to see how the Japanese fair against the Netherlands. This is one of the great European teams and they are expected to make an impact on the big stage. If Japan is able to pull off what many would consider an upset, then they will be one of the contenders to take to the quarter finals or even semi finals. It is not yet clear that the Japanese team is the best in the world but they can play with the best of them on any given day.

It is always a joy to watch the transformative nature of information technology on a traditional sport. The iPad is the latest marketing tool in the hands of NHL Hockey which is being used to highlight the effects of the sport on the public and also to act as a publicity campaign for the various activities. One would expect that the scheme will make good headway with the younger members of the NHL Hockey fan clubs. I think that it is a great way to access some of the great features that they have promised to the customers once they buy the gadget.
For example they can get access to the live scores that tell them what is happening with the highlighted NHL Hockey matches. They also have access to the statistics and player profiles from a variety of sources including the official NHL Hockey website. For those that have the bandwidth there will be condensed twelve minute versions of the NHL Hockey games as well as the highlights of the matches. Each game will be programmed to go over the key points at the end of the session and in effect the players will be available watch from the comfort of the fan’s home. The archive facility on the NHL Hockey iPad will mean that people can go back in time to check the events that happened in a particular game and they might even be allowed to do some sort of comparative study between the old and the new. Quite simply put, the NHL Hockey iPad is an absolute winner and it would not go amiss on the mantelshelf of the committed fan.
The cost is likely to be promotional in the initial stages so that the NHL Hockey iPad will grow onto the public as they get to know its benefits and potential pitfalls. I personally believe that it is a stroke of pure genius to come up with such an innovative arrangement that seeks to bring NHL Hockey closer to the people who enjoy watching it on a regular basis.