2014 FIFA World Cup

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Bad news everyone (and please let's not have a political conversation here, I just thought it was worth a laugh).

Ann Coulter: 'Growing interest in soccer a sign of nation's moral decay' - Extra Mustard - SI.com

Someone beat you to it on the previous page. She prefers the individual selfish play of basketball vs. the team sport of soccer.

On a side note, think Jozy will be able to go for Tuesday?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Galaxy

Someone beat you to it on the previous page. She prefers the individual selfish play of basketball vs. the team sport of soccer.

On a side note, think Jozy will be able to go for Tuesday?

Oh - missed that. Nuts.

I'm not hopeful on Jozy on Tuesday.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Blackadar

Given that we just got out of the Group of Death, I'm not second-guessing Klinsmann on anything.

Every time we end up in a group, it seems to be "THE GROUP OF DEATH". Isn't is pretty much "any group that's kinda hard and includes your team" is the group of death? I would think Groups B or D are harder.

SI

[Abe Sargent]

GO AWAY RUSSIA!!! You sadden me

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Every time we end up in a group, it seems to be "THE GROUP OF DEATH". Isn't is pretty much "any group that's kinda hard and includes your team" is the group of death? I would think Groups B or D are harder.

SI

With hindsight, Ghana was a train wreck and Portugal were very shallow and missing their two best defenders for 2.5 games, so yeah.

Belgium has looked very poor so far and could easily be going into today's game without a win. Think this is definitely the year to make the quarters at least. I actually think I would rather play Belgium than Russia all things considered

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by cthomer5000

Klinsmann botched the roster selection. No backup to Jozy, no backup defensive midfielder (because we now use all 3 as starters every game). It's amazing that alone didn't cost us. It might still next game, but at least we can catch our breath.

Agreed. The striker backup selections have been stunningly bad. What was the reason to leave off Donovan again?

Heck, if he had Landon, maybe we could be able to sit Bradley!

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Every time we end up in a group, it seems to be "THE GROUP OF DEATH". Isn't is pretty much "any group that's kinda hard and includes your team" is the group of death? I would think Groups B or D are harder.

Group B: Prior to the World Cup, no one expected Chile to be a real threat to Spain or Netherlands, so it wasn't a Group of Death because we expected it to be pretty easy for the Dutch and Spanish to go through. In hindsight, I still wouldn't consider it a Group of Death in that Spain clearly imploded, resulting in relatively easy paths through for Holland and Chile. Note that even while imploding Spain finished third in the group.

Group D: Prior to the World Cup, this certainly was the other group in the discussion for a GoD (with G), with Italy expected to win, England and Uruguay expected to compete with each other, and Costa Rica expected to be the whipping boy. In hindsight I guess you could call it the legitimate GoD in the sense that you had 1 team above the others (Costa Rica) and three teams all struggling to get through (although you could argue that England was just abject).

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Group B: Prior to the World Cup, no one expected Chile to be a real threat to Spain or Netherlands, so it wasn't a Group of Death because we expected it to be pretty easy for the Dutch and Spanish to go through. In hindsight, I still wouldn't consider it a Group of Death in that Spain clearly imploded, resulting in relatively easy paths through for Holland and Chile. Note that even while imploding Spain finished third in the group.

Actually there were a fair number of folks who had Chile as dark horses. More than a few had them #2 and the Dutch missing out.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, anyone who was paying attention knew that Chile was a very very good team. I had them going through second, just over the Netherlands instead of Spain

[cartman]

Does that Algerian guy have a gunshot wound on his head?

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Group B: Prior to the World Cup, no one expected Chile to be a real threat to Spain or Netherlands, so it wasn't a Group of Death because we expected it to be pretty easy for the Dutch and Spanish to go through. In hindsight, I still wouldn't consider it a Group of Death in that Spain clearly imploded, resulting in relatively easy paths through for Holland and Chile. Note that even while imploding Spain finished third in the group.

Group D: Prior to the World Cup, this certainly was the other group in the discussion for a GoD (with G), with Italy expected to win, England and Uruguay expected to compete with each other, and Costa Rica expected to be the whipping boy. In hindsight I guess you could call it the legitimate GoD in the sense that you had 1 team above the others (Costa Rica) and three teams all struggling to get through (although you could argue that England was just abject).

Chile have been a very good team for quite a few years now. I think most people had them with a good chance of a good result here.

[ColtCrazy]

Belgium looked better the first two games, and they've already punched their ticket. With Algeria losing, there's no reason to press. I think Belgium has a lot of talent. The US won't be favored, but they definitely could beat them.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Every time we end up in a group, it seems to be "THE GROUP OF DEATH". Isn't is pretty much "any group that's kinda hard and includes your team" is the group of death? I would think Groups B or D are harder.

SI

This tournament had a ridiculous imbalance. Groups B, D and G were 'stronger' than average, while groups C, E and H were weaker than about any previous 'weakest' groups in world cup history. Heck C, E and H combined have only two teams that reached the second round of the 2010 tournament. C alone had three second round teams and G had four second round teams from 2010.

[Subby]

KenTremendous 4:20pm via Twitter Web Client
Reading stupid trolling articles by silly trolls and complaining that they are stupid is exactly what silly trolls want you to do.

[Subby]

KenTremendous 4:27pm via Twitter Web Client
Also, this particular troll has zero interest in anything (including sports) other than trolling. It's her oxygen. Deny her the oxygen.

[ColtCrazy]

Amen. It's about web hits. That's all.

[whomario]

Those wing spots imo are the US biggest problem offensively. Suzi has been bad and the right wing with Bedoya and Davis have been basically non-existant in all 3 games.

Müller with his 9th goal in 9 WC games, amazing.

[stevew]

Love those Russia kits.

[ISiddiqui]

Jeez! DeFour (of Bel) just stomped on that leg. Deserved straight red.

[SirFozzie]

Well now, THAT's interesting.

Belgium player sent off.

Belgium will still win group no matter what unless Algeria come back and win. so that means Defour will miss the Round of 16 game against (probably) the US

[DaddyTorgo]

ESPN had over 1.5 million concurrent streamers for the USA-Germany game apparently.

[Critch]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Belgium will still win group no matter what unless Algeria come back and win. so that means Defour will miss the Round of 16 game against (probably) the US

He was an unused sub in the first two Belgium games, so he wouldnt have played in the round of 16 anyway. Only in to give the first team a rest.

[Andreh]

you guys need anyone in place of Bradley

[ISiddiqui]

I switched to Algeria v. Russia - Russia was sooo close making it 2-0

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Andreh

you guys need anyone in place of Bradley

Donovan, Donovan, where are thou, Donovan?

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by stevew

Love those Russia kits.

Same here.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by Andreh

you guys need anyone in place of Bradley

Nah, Julian Green has very fresh legs.

[ColtCrazy]

Originally Posted by Critch

He was an unused sub in the first two Belgium games, so he wouldnt have played in the round of 16 anyway. Only in to give the first team a rest.

Yeah, Belgium is content playing for a draw in this game. Even a loss doesn't hurt them if the Russian result holds. They would rather play the US than Germany.

[Andreh]

Would love to see Algeria in the next phase and eliminate Germany, vindicating 82

[Critch]

Originally Posted by stevew

Love those Russia kits.

Great national anthem too, cant help whistling it to myself when it's done. If the World Cup was judged on national anthems, it would be Russia v Italy in the final.

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by Critch

Great national anthem too, cant help whistling it to myself when it's done. If the World Cup was judged on national anthems, it would be Russia v Italy in the final.

Not the Great Black Hope, Cameroon?

[Abe Sargent]

Yes Slimani = ALGERIA BABY!!!!!

[ISiddiqui]

SLIMANI!!!

Algeria ties it!

[cartman]

Algeria ties it up

[stevew]

Eat a dick, Russia

[whomario]

don´t think that laser-thingy affected anything, but that is still an incredibly bush league thing to do ...

[Ryan S]

Originally Posted by Critch

Great national anthem too, cant help whistling it to myself when it's done. If the World Cup was judged on national anthems, it would be Russia v Italy in the final.

No love for France?

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by whomario

don´t think that laser-thingy affected anything, but that is still an incredibly bush league thing to do ...

There's a famous game where a fan used a laser pointer to hurt the eyes of a GK during a set piece and the team scored.

[stevew]

Thus Algerian keeper makes some weird decisions

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by stevew

Thus Algerian keeper makes some weird decisions

A High Eccentricity?

[Critch]

Originally Posted by Ryan S

No love for France?

A challenger, but short of the final.

God Save the Queen would have been on the flight home after 2 games, so that one fits.

[ColtCrazy]

Excellent work by Belgium to get the goal with 10 men. Korea simply didn't get back or reacted to the first shot.

[BYU 14]

Belgium it is, I hope the US has a chip on their shoulder after the thrashing they got in the last meeting.

[Andreh]

Its way past time someone downgrades Akinfeev at FM

[cartman]

One of the Algerian bench guys got a yellow for time wasting after knocking an out of touch ball away from the Russian.

[ISiddiqui]

Happy for Algeria! Now get some revenge on Germany for 1982!

I'm glad they didn't put more European squads in the tourney over the African squads .

[MIJB#19]


Brazil . . .\
Chile . . . /w\
Colombia . .\w/w\
Uruguay . . / . .\
France . . .\ . ./w\
Nigeria . . /w\w/ . \
Germany . . \w/ . . .\
Algeria . . / . . . . \
Netherlands \ . . . . /w
Mexico . . ./w\ . . ./
Costa Rica .\w/w\ . /
Greece . . ./ . .\w/
Argentina . \ . ./
Switzerland /w\w/
Belgium . . \w/
USA . . . . /

Interesting quarters:
All South American at the top, Europe vs Africa in the second section, Middle America vs Europe in the third and America vs Europe at the bottom.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Happy for Algeria! Now get some revenge on Germany for 1982!

I'm glad they didn't put more European squads in the tourney over the African squads .

It's the second straight Cup with only 6 European squads in the final 16. While 13 slots is justifiable, maybe 12 would be better. But I also see 5 African spots as generous. This is the first time they've ever put a second team into the final 16.

With 5 of 6 South American and 3 of 4 North/Central American squads advancing, maybe it's time for a little more love on this side of the pond.

[ISiddiqui]

Well, South America is a bit difficult to expand much more.. they only have 10 countries in CONMEBOL. I am ok with 5 African spots, tbh. But 4.5 CONCACAF spots would be nice.

[whomario]

Imo this might just as well be a sign that the climate/environment plays a role rather than that Europe has lost it´s place at the top (especially in terms of "depth"). South America already sends half his teams (6 of 10 this year even). Anybody really think Venezuela or Peru needed to be playing in Brazil that badly ? Or Panama and Jamaica ?

I am all for diversity in the field (and personally would f.e. also like the Champions League to guarantee more spots to champions from smaller countries)