Unofficial World Cup Thread de 2014

[pbmax]

No idea where this actually belongs ("It's football!", "No, it's fútbol") but let me post here before I forget. Then we can let a mod handle where this ends up.

I follow soccer every four years for the World Cup and have done so regularly for the last 4 years. I expect the US to win and win now and if it doesn't happen, I will blame the players who dive, totaalvoetbal, Brazilian facilities and Klinsmann leaving Donovan off the team for a teenager in that order, regardless of actual circumstance.

You may be unsurprised to know that I find most of the commentary is Bleacher Report quality and tends to dissect players psychology even more than baseball announcers, which I did not think was possible. So I am looking for good info about the games and what is actually happening on the field/pitch.

I can contribute this site (if it is still running after 2010): http://zonalmarkings.net

I understand less than half of it, but whatever I know about soccer tactics and the alignments I got from this site. Does wist hate the 4-2-4 in soccer as much the 2-4 front in pass defense?

Grant Wahl at SI.com wasn't terrible (though there was another guy there who was fútbol's answer to Joe Morgan).

I look forward to any coverage that avoids telling me about momentum, positive mind frame, negative mind frame, energy, desire or a traumatic bike tire failure when the player was young.

[Brandon494]

Only time I actually pay attention to soccer. USA! USA! USA! :flag:

[Rastak]

I absolutely love the world cup.

I remember June 21st 2002, my daughter came over at something like 4am to watch USA vs Germany with me in the knockout stage. It was raining like a son of a bitch and my direct tv went offline. I called my mother at 4:30am (she lived a mile away) and asked if we could use her tv. We come strolling in a 4:35am watching an extremely tight match, yelling and screaming. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed a couple of loud futball fans waking me up and then going crazy at that hour.

[Joemailman]

I think Red is our resident expert. What I do know is that the U.S. has only 5 players who have played in a World Cup, and none on the back line. They looked kind of shaky in the match I saw last week, although they beat Nigeria 2-1 today.

Jozy Altidore with 2 goals today. http://soccer.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/06/07/jozy-altidore-goal-usa-nigeria-world-cup-friendly?eref=sihp

He looks like he could play football as well as futbol.

[MadScientist]

No idea where this actually belongs
I think last time it was in the romper room.

Since it's in Brazil, post of Brazilian babes with 'Brazilians' would be a most welcome addition to the GC.

Thanks for posting this, I have been having trouble with insomnia lately, and world cup soccer should really do the trick.

[pbmax]

I think last time it was in the romper room.

Since it's in Brazil, post of Brazilian babes with 'Brazilians' would be a most welcome addition to the GC.

Thanks for posting this, I have been having trouble with insomnia lately, and world cup soccer should really do the trick.

It has the same effect on me that hockey does. If I do not have a rooting interest, I have trouble focusing unless the play is really intense, with a lot of opportunities or frenetic back and forth play.

If I have a rooting interest, then its almost painful waiting for something to finally happen, knowing all the time that if you get up, you might miss it in the next five seconds.

[Rastak]

It has the same effect on me that hockey does. If I do not have a rooting interest, I have trouble focusing unless the play is really intense, with a lot of opportunities or frenetic back and forth play.

If I have a rooting interest, then its almost painful waiting for something to finally happen, knowing all the time that if you get up, you might miss it in the next five seconds.


Yea, it isn't obvious to the unwashed masses how skillful some of these dudes are and it is hard to setup a scoring opportunity. I know lots of Americans who would rather watch grass grow than American football but to each his own. I'm obviously not typical of the Amercian fan because I watched the entire World Cup of Cricket final in 2011. Because of the time difference not even all of my Indian friends watched both sides bat.

Was a great time......

[red]

the us team is always a cock tease,they win a game here and there, but they can never seem to put a run together

the fact is, the talent just isn't there. too much of the talent is from the MLS, which is like AA ball in baseball. our best player (clint dempsy) was just an average starter on mediocre top flight teams in europe. our goaltender (tim howard) actually is a damn good goalie, and he plays in the premier league against top flight talent every week. if we are in any kind of contention, it will be because of tim howard IMO

now, with all that said, we just so happen to be in this years group of death. germany is awesome, although they are losing a lot of their players to the injury bug. but the fact is, their second stringers are better then our starters. then theres portugal, and the best, or at worst, second best player in the world (ronaldo). ronaldo by himself might be able to beat team USA by himself, he's that good. then there's the black stars of ghana. they are no slouches, in fact, they are pretty evenly matched with the US IMO

it would not shock me if the US doesn't win a game this year

the best thing about this years WC, is that it will once again be about the fans. you'll hear the things that make soccer great. the crowds singing and chanting away, not one long drawn out vuvuzala sound that just drowns out everything else. fuck the south africans for trying to ruin the game

and pb, i hope wist would hate the 4-2-4, it would get absolutely slaughtered in this day and age. unless what you're really talking about is a 4-2-2-2

i'm interested to see is neymar can live up to the massive amount of hype being built around him and step up on the worlds stage in front of his home crowd. lots of pressure on that kid

[red]

Yea, it isn't obvious to the unwashed masses how skillful some of these dudes are and it is hard to setup a scoring opportunity. I know lots of Americans who would rather watch grass grow than American football but to each his own. I'm obviously not typical of the Amercian fan because I watched the entire World Cup of Cricket final in 2011. Because of the time difference not even all of my Indian friends watched both sides bat.

Was a great time......

last WC my aunt and uncle and their friends came to visit for a week. my uncle and his friend are die hard american nascar fans that had never watched asoccer game in their lives. i watched every game that was on while they were here. at first their were some snickers. but by the end of the week those two were sitting right next to me on the edge of their seats while two teams from countries they might not have ever heard of played to a 1-1 draw

it really is an amazing game

[Just Jeff]

This thread = instant derection

[Rastak]

last WC my aunt and uncle and their friends came to visit for a week. my uncle and his friend are die hard american nascar fans that had never watched asoccer game in their lives. i watched every game that was on while they were here. at first their were some snickers. but by the end of the week those two were sitting right next to me on the edge of their seats while two teams from countries they might not have ever heard of played to a 1-1 draw

it really is an amazing game

I can't get enough. Let the games begin.

[Cheesehead Craig]

I'll be in Germany from the 11th - 27th. I'll be watching the US/Germany game in either the local soccer stadium on the big screens or in a local bar in the Aachen area. My brother in law is from Germany and he's going to be our tour guide while we're there. I'm looking forward to the rock concert atmosphere. Given the game is starting at about 6-7pm on the 26th and our flight home leaves about 10am the next day, I should have enough time to sober up for the flight home.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Howard may be a top 10 goalie in the world. At least, he played like it for the last year. Dempsey isn't our best player any longer. Michael Bradley is. Dempsey was actually one of the best players on a middle tier team in the EPL. Then, he moved up to a slightly better team and it didn't click for him. That's the way it seems to go in soccer. You really need to be at the right level and in the right system, and there is a lot of politics--especially against American players. There are a bunch of solid players on the team. More talent probably than we've ever had. We lack superstars though. Always have. More specifically, we lack superstar forwards, and those guys are like QBs in the NFL. Gold. I think the kid from Iceland has potential to be really good. He might be better than Altidore already. The MLS has gradually improved from a league that wasn't one of the 20 best in the world to somewhere around the 12th best league in the world. Some have even rated it higher. It ranks 8th amongst soccer leagues in attendance.

Since about 2002, we have been a solid top 20 team in the world. We are about average when it comes to the teams in the World Cup. So much of our success depends on the group we end up with. When we get the Group of Death (like this year and 2006), we are out in the first round. When we get an easy group, we advance to the Round of 16 (like 2010 and 2002). I don't mind alternating between easy and hard group, but the thing that bugs me is Mexico generally gets a better draw. We beat them in the 2002 round of 16 and have finished atop our region in every cycle since (ahead of Mexico), so it bugs me how often they get a better draw than us.

[Bretsky]

The WC....aka.........Who Cares Cup begins again
as I noted whenever the last time this thing came around.......my simple thoughts are

LET EUROPE WIN; Soccer means something to some of them and everything to some of them. Let them have their glory.

We rule the world of football and several other sports that carry far more weight than Soccer.

Let Europe win.

I don't even know who soccer means a lot to. I have heard Brazil. I met a couple from Holland who told me soccer is king where they live. I let them know most in the USA can't name a single player on our team...that would include me....well......I know Landon Donavan...because I heard we cut him.............. Let one of those countries win.

[Brandon494]

The WC....aka.........Who Cares Cup begins again
as I noted whenever the last time this thing came around.......my simple thoughts are

LET EUROPE WIN; Soccer means something to some of them and everything to some of them. Let them have their glory.

We rule the world of football and several other sports that carry far more weight than Soccer.

Let Europe win.

I don't even know who soccer means a lot to. I have heard Brazil. I met a couple from Holland who told me soccer is king where they live. I let them know most in the USA can't name a single player on our team...that would include me....well......I know Landon Donavan...because I heard we cut him.............. Let one of those countries win.

Futball is the biggest sport in the world and the way they celebrate futball make us Packer fans look like arena football fans.

[Freak Out]

I absolutely love the world cup.

I remember June 21st 2002, my daughter came over at something like 4am to watch USA vs Germany with me in the knockout stage. It was raining like a son of a bitch and my direct tv went offline. I called my mother at 4:30am (she lived a mile away) and asked if we could use her tv. We come strolling in a 4:35am watching an extremely tight match, yelling and screaming. I'm not sure I would have enjoyed a couple of loud futball fans waking me up and then going crazy at that hour.

That was a great game.

[Freak Out]

I think Red is our resident expert. What I do know is that the U.S. has only 5 players who have played in a World Cup, and none on the back line. They looked kind of shaky in the match I saw last week, although they beat Nigeria 2-1 today.

Jozy Altidore with 2 goals today. http://soccer.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/06/07/jozy-altidore-goal-usa-nigeria-world-cup-friendly?eref=sihp

He looks like he could play football as well as futbol.

Nigeria stinks so it means nothing. If the USA makes it out of the group it will be a victory....highly unlikely but we can dream right?

[Freak Out]

Howard may be a top 10 goalie in the world. At least, he played like it for the last year. Dempsey isn't our best player any longer. Michael Bradley is. Dempsey was actually one of the best players on a middle tier team in the EPL. Then, he moved up to a slightly better team and it didn't click for him. That's the way it seems to go in soccer. You really need to be at the right level and in the right system, and there is a lot of politics--especially against American players. There are a bunch of solid players on the team. More talent probably than we've ever had. We lack superstars though. Always have. More specifically, we lack superstar forwards, and those guys are like QBs in the NFL. Gold. I think the kid from Iceland has potential to be really good. He might be better than Altidore already. The MLS has gradually improved from a league that wasn't one of the 20 best in the world to somewhere around the 12th best league in the world. Some have even rated it higher. It ranks 8th amongst soccer leagues in attendance.

Since about 2002, we have been a solid top 20 team in the world. We are about average when it comes to the teams in the World Cup. So much of our success depends on the group we end up with. When we get the Group of Death (like this year and 2006), we are out in the first round. When we get an easy group, we advance to the Round of 16 (like 2010 and 2002). I don't mind alternating between easy and hard group, but the thing that bugs me is Mexico generally gets a better draw. We beat them in the 2002 round of 16 and have finished atop our region in every cycle since (ahead of Mexico), so it bugs me how often they get a better draw than us.

As usual Harv nails it.

[vince]

This thread = instant derection

Think women's soccer, or...

http://media3.giphy.com/media/124Kh2DAw4gDle/giphy.gif

[pbmax]

That mole has to be a stick-on, no?

[denverYooper]

Bomb Pops?

[Freak Out]

That mole has to be a stick-on, no?

No.

[pbmax]

Bomb Pops?

3 of them.

[mraynrand]

Futball is the biggest sport in the world and the way they celebrate futball make us Packer fans look like arena football fans.

Perhaps it would help if we started killing people at games?

[MadScientist]

Perhaps it would help if we started killing people at games?

Isn't that a standard Oakland thing?

[wootah]

Nice, a WC thread at Packerrats. Sorry to break it to you guys, but as Red said: the US just doesn't have the quality at the moment. Strange though that Klinsmann openly said that they have no change to win it. Even if the rest of the world basically knew this already, it's a strange coaching philosophy. Maybe he wants to take away pressure from his team, but I always thought the American fighting spirit was their biggest asset. I had to laugh at the player presentation at SI.com a couple of days ago where they were selling the team as one of the best. I think they'll have a rough time getting much done in their group.

I'm a Belgian and we have a young, exciting squad with a couple of world class players (but also with some holes in defence, unfortunately). This is the best team our small country has ever produced. We seem to be in a relatively easy group with Russia, S-Korea & Algeria and if we should qualify for the next round, we'll meet an opponent from the US's group. It's crazy but I think we even play a friendly against the US next week, for what it's worth. Lack of experience at big tournaments will be our greatest enemy.

Either way, enjoy the WC, it's one of the coolest things ever. For us it's somewhat like the Superbowl, if the SB would actually be for a global sport and if it would be played once every 4 year. Most non-soccer fans underestimate the technical & tactical aspects of the game and focus on the flopping, but if you look at it with an open mind I'm sure you'll appreciate the skills that will be at display the upcoming weeks.

I'll definately check in here from time to time to check the updates.

[wootah]

Anyone watching the opener today?

[Joemailman]

Can Croatia play with Brazil?

[wootah]

I think it will be difficult... But with the few goals in soccer, everything is possible: Brasil will go for it and Croatia may benefit from the space they get.

Croatia definately has less quality, but their crucial players (Rakitic, Modric) are in top form at the right time. In the end I expect the Croatian team (and definately the midfield) not being strong enough defensively to cope with te Brazilian attacking power.

There's a Croatian with Brazilian roots who said he will sing both national anthems. Never saw that one before :)

[Joemailman]

Did Brazil miss their wake up call?

[red]

WOW

brazil comes out looking very tight and uncomfortable and give up an OG in the first 10 minutes

is the pressure too much for the young team? sure looks like it to me

[wootah]

A lot of space between the Brazilian attackers & central MF. The defenders have no options to pass at the moment.

How cool was that national anthem btw?!

[red]

one big thing to watch/be concerned about, is the one big massive temporary stand behind one of the goals. it was just finished, and tested to see if it can hold the weight of the crowd yesterday. will it remain standing

and did they just say the lights aren't working, and its about to get dark?

this world cup could prove to be a disaster for brazil the country. ronaldo (THE ronaldo, not c. ronaldo) was interviewed and said that only 30% of the projects (including stadiums) that were suppose to be done for the tourney actually got done. including this stadium, holding the first game, which isn't close to being done

[red]

A lot of space between the Brazilian attackers & central MF. The defenders have no options to pass at the moment.

How cool was that national anthem btw?!

is that how its suppose to be sung?. the music stopping and everyone continues singing?

[red]

now brazil is startingto get it together on the attacking end, their defense still looks confused

wow, great save from the croatian keeper

oscar is a hell of a player,and i'm excited to finally see neymar play

[Joemailman]

one big thing to watch/be concerned about, is the one big massive temporary stand behind one of the goals. it was just finished, and tested to see if it can hold the weight of the crowd yesterday. will it remain standing

and did they just say the lights aren't working, and its about to get dark?

this world cup could prove to be a disaster for brazil the country. ronaldo (THE ronaldo, not c. ronaldo) was interviewed and said that only 30% of the projects (including stadiums) that were suppose to be done for the tourney actually got done. including this stadium, holding the first game, which isn't close to being done

Brazil is also hosting the 2016 Olympics. The IOC is starting to intervene because they are very concerned about the facilities being ready by then.

[wootah]

Never saw him in Barcelona? He has more of a free role here, which plays in his advantage.

Brasil doesn't seem to get through except with long balls. I'm not impressed with their MF while in posession untill now.

[wootah]

Classy goal

[red]

is also hosting the 2016 Olympics. The IOC is starting to intervene because they are very concerned about the facilities being ready by then.

did you hear about just how polluted and full of shit that bay is? and the IOC has every reason to be concern after the country didn't get anything finished for the WC

oh wow,great chance by croatia, and then a goal by neymar on a shot where it looked like he almost missed the ball

[red]

Never saw him in Barcelona? He has more of a free role here, which plays in his advantage.

Brasil doesn't seem to get through except with long balls. I'm not impressed with their MF while in posession untill now.

i haven't seen any games other the the EPL, and a few uefa cup games here and there. so nope, never really seem him play a full game

[wootah]

is that how its suppose to be sung?. the music stopping and everyone continues singing?

First time I ever saw that. Usually they sing as long as the music plays.

If you have the chance, watch Buffon, the Italian goalie sing the anthem: he usually goes all in.

[wootah]

oh wow,great chance by croatia, and then a goal by neymar on a shot where it looked like he almost missed the ball

Make no mistake: that shot went just where he wanted it to go. Precision over power on that one.

[Joemailman]

Four years ago, I remember people talking about Mexico having a lot of really good young players. What's up with them? I've seen some rankings listing them around #20.

[Joemailman]

Marcelo is a drama queen.

[wootah]

They didn't develop as people thought they would. The Dos Santos bros were at the point of breaking throug in Barcelona at the time, Hernandez also in Manchester, but none of them became starting players for their teams.

[red]

Four years ago, I remember people talking about Mexico having a lot of really good young players. What's up with them? I've seen some rankings listing them around #20.

they just completely fell apart. they shouldn't even be in the world cup. they were out of it, until we scored a couple of miracle goals against panama i think it was, to put mexico right back in it

the white spray line is something thats gonna take some getting use to. not a bad idea though

[red]

oh wow, what a horrible call, the guy didn't even touch him

WOW, just WOW

[red]

well, neymar is well on his way to becoming the star of the cup

never should have been given the chance to take the PK, but he made the most of it

[wootah]

Fucking flop from Fred. Showing all that's bad in tis sport and he gets away with it and prolly with the win. Suspend him plz.

[Joemailman]

Not sure how that went in. Goalie seemed to get quite a bit of his hand on it.

[red]

Fucking flop from Fred. Showing all that's bad in tis sport and he gets away with it and prolly with the win. Suspend him plz.

yeah, with the whole world tuned it to the first game, showcasing the worst part of the game isn't exactly the best way to win new fans

IMO, fifa needs to crack down hard on that aspect of the game. IMO, fred should be issued a red card for the flop and miss the next game

[wootah]

Just allow video images and a dedicated ref. Won't solve all (see NFL) but should take away this comedy of flopping for fouls.

[wootah]

Again not a foul by Croatia. Pffff.

[red]

oh wow, where was that foul

this ref is looking very suspect right now

should be 2-1 croatia

not a good start for the WC

[wootah]

Game over. Off to bed: alarm set for over 5hrs :/

[red]

croatia looked good, if not for a lot of home cooking from the refs, they could have one this game

too bad the tourney had to start on such a sour note

[Joemailman]

Are there ramifications for the ref who made the call? Also, does the 3rd goal lessen the controversy?

[red]

Are there ramifications for the ref who made the call? Also, does the 3rd goal lessen the controversy?

3rd goal helps, but it only came after a second horrible call that took away a possible goal for croatia

the ref will get off scott free. fifa is corrupt as hell, they pry ordered the ref to do it for all we know

[Freak Out]

We all know Croatia has talent.....but Brazil is going to get the home cooking...especially early.

[Freak Out]

It's FIFA after all.

[Freak Out]

did you hear about just how polluted and full of shit that bay is? and the IOC has every reason to be concern after the country didn't get anything finished for the WC

oh wow,great chance by croatia, and then a goal by neymar on a shot where it looked like he almost missed the ball

I've worked in Brasil a few times.....logistics are a motherfucker unless you have helicopters at your disposal. If you have to travel on the ground be smart....and patient. Oh...did I mention get ready to sweat?

[red]

I've worked in Brasil a few times.....logistics are a motherfucker unless you have helicopters at your disposal. If you have to travel on the ground be smart....and patient. Oh...did I mention get ready to sweat?

i heard yesterday that most of the workers in rio have a 3 hour commute each way for workthese days because of all the highways being fucked upwhile being upgraded for the WC, and then they didn't even get them finished

[Freak Out]

Not surprised at all. There is also alot of anger over the massive expenditures on sporting venues when half the country lives well below the poverty line. That could end up being a bigger story in the end.

[pbmax]

Live and constantly updated odds of making it through the tournament. US is 3rd in its group, 16 points below Portugal in its chances to make it to the knockout round (48 to 32%).

http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/world-cup/

[Guiness]

Not surprised at all. There is also alot of anger over the massive expenditures on sporting venues when half the country lives well below the poverty line. That could end up being a bigger story in the end.

What industry do you work in?

Money spent on the WC is ridiculous. Even Brazil, where the Pope takes a back seat to soccer, they are resenting it. One example they were talking about on the radio is the Arena das Dunas, where the US will play their first game. $180M, it will host 4 WC games. Then it's a white elephant, the host city's team draws about 5K fans/game...

And wait until the Olympics run through that country, neither of those organizations will even pull their pants back up after their done fucking them.

[red]

the new pitch in the stadium where england is about to play in 2 days is being spray painted to cover up all the brown dead grass. theres even talk about resodding it before the game in 2 days

the field is in horrid bumpy shape and they are hoping that the green paint will at least make it look decent on TV

and they haven't even played a game there yet

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2656479/Englands-World-Cup-pitch-Manaus-remains-threadbare-state-hours-tick-opening-Group-D-clash-Italy.html

[Guiness]

Saw a few replays of the penalty that Fred drew, and I'm torn. He definitely embellished the flop, but the Croatian defender did commit a foul, grabbing Fred by the shoulder and trying to spin him away from the ball. I'm not sure of the rules, but I think that any foul in the penalty area is a penalty shot.

[Joemailman]

Saw a few replays of the penalty that Fred drew, and I'm torn. He definitely embellished the flop, but the Croatian defender did commit a foul, grabbing Fred by the shoulder and trying to spin him away from the ball. I'm not sure of the rules, but I think that any foul in the penalty area is a penalty shot.

I don't know. The guy from Croatia gets his hand on his shoulder but then seems to pull away. To me it looks like a total flop, not an embellishment of significant contact.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5111/14404996121_3bdb7dee2c_o.gif

[Guiness]

I don't know. The guy from Croatia gets his hand on his shoulder but then seems to pull away. To me it looks like a total flop, not an embellishment of significant contact.


He embellished the hell out of it, no doubt. IMO the hand on the shoulder is more than incidental contact, you can see he initially reaches around the front a bit. It was stupid of the defender to do that.

Here's the clip I saw, from a different angle, but not much different.

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/6CAF1191491088985806213120000_2c4c776833a.0.3.1402 393474957947853.mp4?versionId=wxT.qEEbD9_D1Bp6XGz4 gbDxFzCWZhTz

[HarveyWallbangers]

Terrible decision by the ref

[Guiness]

Terrible decision by the ref

Does he have any choice between ignore the foul and award a penalty kick? My understanding is that any foul inside the penalty area results in a kick.

Kind of reminds me of that Star Trek episode where they are on a planet and every crime is a capital crime...and Wesley Crusher breaks a widow!

[wootah]

It's not a foul; just touching a player with your hand is not a foul. Otherwise each corner kick would result in a penalty :) Football is a contact sport, so you're allowed to touch your opponent, but it would have been a foul if he tried to push/pull him with his hands to lose his balance, which IMO is not the case here. Fred just feels there is a hand on his shoulder and all of a sudden loses all power in his legs. Fraud.

I love this sport, but this is absolutely horrible. Right now players are celebrated for tricking the ref into awarding them a penalty. That's madness. The only way to get this out of the game is to use video images and to suspend the guys who flop (card + time penalty during the game + suspension for future games for repeated offenders). The same for those claiming to be injured but are back up & running after 5" or those who fake they are being punched in order for the opponent to get a red card.

The ref missed it clearly (also with the "foul" on the Brazilian GK), but I'm not sure it's fixed; it's impossible to see all the actions of the 22 players at the same time on such a big field. We have the benefit of slow mo & repeated viewing and even we are discussing whether it's a foul or not. He has to decide in a split second with players constantly trying to deceive him.

For today's games I'm really looking forward to Spain-Netherlands, a rematch of the last final. Spain's team is getting long in the tooth but they still have a very deep squad who can control posession like no other. Netherlands has a weak generation at the moment. There's still Van Persie & Robben in attack who can be a threat against every squad, but Sneijder can hardly run anymore and I'm not convinced by their youngsters yet. A lot of unknowns in that team so maybe they'll surprise me. They do have a crazy genius as a coach in Van Gaal, who said he would play 5-3-2 instead of the traditional Dutch 4-3-3. My money would be on Spain here.

It's a pity CHI-AUS is on that late. I'm curious to see Chili in action which has been an all-out full frontal attacking machine under their previous coach. They were extremely fun to watch.

[ThunderDan]

I've worked in Brasil a few times.....logistics are a motherfucker unless you have helicopters at your disposal. If you have to travel on the ground be smart....and patient. Oh...did I mention get ready to sweat?

I heard on the radio the other day that the Brazilian Olympic yacht/sailing team was practicing in the bay where the completion is going to take place and the boat capsized because they hit a refrigerator.

[woodbuck27]

It has the same effect on me that hockey does. If I do not have a rooting interest, I have trouble focusing unless the play is really intense, with a lot of opportunities or frenetic back and forth play.

If I have a rooting interest, then its almost painful waiting for something to finally happen, knowing all the time that if you get up, you might miss it in the next five seconds.

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoff this year and in the Final Series New York Rangers down 1-3 to the home team tonight Los Angeles Kings; has been nothing short of very exciting.

We've enjoyed the excitement of 25 Overtime games to date.

There have been more one goal games decided in regulation time.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are generally exciting; but this season...more so. :-)

[woodbuck27]

Think women's soccer, or...

http://media3.giphy.com/media/124Kh2DAw4gDle/giphy.gif

Ahh the little things:

That mole real or not is a distraction. I cannot recall the color of here bikini?

Looking again....cute.

Good Lord I'm grateful for good health.

[woodbuck27]

http://www.vox.com/2014/6/10/5793632/10-things-non-soccer-fans-need-to-know-about-the-world-cup

10 things non-soccer fans need to know about the World Cup

Updated by Joseph Stromberg on June 10, 2014, 11:10 a.m. ET @josephstromberg joseph@vox.com

[woodbuck27]

Four years ago, I remember people talking about Mexico having a lot of really good young players. What's up with them? I've seen some rankings listing them around #20.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2085203-world-cup-power-rankings-2014-full-outlook-for-all-teams

World Cup Power Rankings 2014: Full Outlook for All Teams

By: Tim Keeney , Featured Columnist ... Jun 12, 2014

" At least half of this year's field is comprised of sides that could legitimately make a quarter-final or semi-final run without it serving as a major surprise, making this a potentially scintillating tournament. " Fr. LINK.

Mexico is ranked 20th of all 32 teams.

The Top Half of the Field:

2014 World Cup Power Rankings

Rank Country

1 Spain
2 Brazil
3 Germany
4 Argentina
5 Belgium

6 Uruguay
7 Italy
8 Colombia
9 Chile
10 France

11 Netherlands
12 Portugal
13 England
14 Bosnia and Herzegovina
15 Switzerland
16 Russia

[Striker]

Does he have any choice between ignore the foul and award a penalty kick? My understanding is that any foul inside the penalty area results in a kick.

Kind of reminds me of that Star Trek episode where they are on a planet and every crime is a capital crime...and Wesley Crusher breaks a widow!

Any foul that would result in a direct free kick would be a penalty kick in the area.

[wootah]

And a goal wrongfully taken away from Mexico...

[Patler]

Kind of reminds me of that Star Trek episode where they are on a planet and every crime is a capital crime...and Wesley Crusher breaks a widow!

ah, the prime directive......

On the other hand, if he "breaks a widow" that could be murder if she dies, assault and battery if she recovers. If "breaks" was used figuratively, he was probably innocent, because the widow was probably "ridden" previously, having had a husband (now deceased) and all.

[wist43]

Soccer is a communist plot - make everyone so poor that all they can afford for their children to play with is one deflated soccer ball that the entire neighborhood pitched in to buy for the kids.

The masses, bereft of hope, devolve to the heady business of hooliganism - Amerika has so much to look forward to ;)

[red]

And a goal wrongfully taken away from Mexico...

and now a second one. i don't agree with that call at all. the guy was on sides when his teammate last touched the ball. a guy from the other team touching the balls should not make the mexican player offsides imo

[red]

so, this stadium isn't finished either. i heard on the radio that the fire department did a final inspection of the stadium and found that the temporary stands that they put up didn't have any security rails around the edge and were lacking other security features that are standard on most stadiums

the fire department said if anything happens it will be FIFA's fault and only FIFA's fault.

yeah, because its FIFA's fault that brazil couldn't get the guardrails up on the stadium they the had 7 years to complete

its like a battle of incompetence (brazil government) vs corruption (FIFA)

[Fritz]

ah, the prime directive......

On the other hand, if he "breaks a widow" that could be murder if she dies, assault and battery if she recovers. If "breaks" was used figuratively, he was probably innocent, because the widow was probably "ridden" previously, having had a husband (now deceased) and all.



I never broke a widder before, mysef.

As to the play discussed above, this is why I've lost interest in soccer/football. The pathetic-ness of the player in the clip above, clearly (prat)falling, and in mid-dive, he already begins his pathetic "Hey, what the hell?? Aren't you going to call this, ref" schtick going on.

That shit sickens me. My great worry is that NFL receivers are going to start this kind of crap.

For what it's worth, which ain't much, given my heritage, I always root for the krauts. How is their team this year? The usual efficient, robot-like machine?

[Guiness]

so, this stadium isn't finished either. i heard on the radio that the fire department did a final inspection of the stadium and found that the temporary stands that they put up didn't have any security rails around the edge and were lacking other security features that are standard on most stadiums

the fire department said if anything happens it will be FIFA's fault and only FIFA's fault.

yeah, because its FIFA's fault that brazil couldn't get the guardrails up on the stadium they the had 7 years to complete

its like a battle of incompetence (brazil government) vs corruption (FIFA)

As far as FIFA's fault, implying liability, that's a pipe dream. They are, after all, a non-profit organization (lol!) and if you've ready about any of the agreements Brazil signed with them, they are pretty much off the hook for everything. Pay no taxes, etc.

[red]

here comes a hell of a game

dutch are always strong and have 3 great players, and spain is the club to beat IMO

[red]

I never broke a widder before, mysef.

As to the play discussed above, this is why I've lost interest in soccer/football. The pathetic-ness of the player in the clip above, clearly (prat)falling, and in mid-dive, he already begins his pathetic "Hey, what the hell?? Aren't you going to call this, ref" schtick going on.

That shit sickens me. My great worry is that NFL receivers are going to start this kind of crap.

For what it's worth, which ain't much, given my heritage, I always root for the krauts. How is their team this year? The usual efficient, robot-like machine?

thats how you know its a flop. his hands start to go up just one frame after he starts to go down

unfortunately, game 2 of the WC didn't have any better reffing. lucky mexico won or else fifa would have an absolute shit storm on their hands after just 2 games

lets hope the refs don't decide the first top class match up of the cup right now

[wootah]

Italian refs. Should be quality.

[red]

spain in all white, dutch in blue?

this just doesn't seem right

[wootah]

No penalty. What a mess...

[wootah]

Supergoal from RVP

[red]

amazing goal by RVP

its a shame that another flop led to a goal

[wootah]

He thinks & acts so fast in the penalty area. Reminded me a bit of his goal against Ecuador.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKVd6yLbasw

World class

[red]

He thinks & acts so fast in the penalty area. Reminded me a bit of his goal against Ecuador.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKVd6yLbasw

World class

its almost not fair

when he makes goals like that look so easy and effortless you just have to wonder why he doesn't do it more ofter

i mean he doesn't need much or any daylight to get a shot off

not that he doesn't score a lot anyways

[red]

FUCK YEAH

what a goal by robben

[wootah]

Again deep ball from the left side by Blind to,set it up.

Very sloppy defending from Spain here: Robben ALWAYS looks for his left foot.

[red]

not too impressed by costa today

wonder how long before we see torres or villa in there. notthat i think torres is worth a shit

[red]

OH WOW

was that pretty,robben with a nice run and RVP just missing another wundergoal by inches

[red]

theres the switch for torres

[red]

looks like champs no more

3-1 dutch

[wootah]

Obstruction fault by RVP according to me.

[wootah]

Ay Casillas... Painful.

[red]

spain is just falling apart

could this turn into a total team collapse like france in 2010?

[wootah]

First time since 1957 that Spain has to take 4 goals apparently.

It will not be a meltdown like France, Red: they had a lot of internal,struggles. Spain seems complacent, fat and lazy.

[red]

LOL

they just can't stop robben. he was toying with them there

5-1 dutch

[red]

now i'm starting to remember why arjen use to be my favorite player, i haven't gotten to see him play in a few years

[Freak Out]

Unless you are German. The dude is a star. Love the Spanish beat down.

[wootah]

Good player as long as you're winning. When you're down, he becomes a petulant child that throws one temper tantrum after the other. Very selfish as well.

[red]

Good player as long as you're winning. When you're down, he becomes a petulant child that throws one temper tantrum after the other. Very selfish as well.

those are big reasons why he's no longer my favorite. based are pure talent though, he's pretty fun to watch

[pbmax]

Soccer is a communist plot - make everyone so poor that all they can afford for their children to play with is one deflated soccer ball that the entire neighborhood pitched in to buy for the kids.

The masses, bereft of hope, devolve to the heady business of hooliganism - Amerika has so much to look forward to ;)

You've got your flashcards mixed up. You want the British Navy, imperialism and syphilis for this comment.

[pbmax]

FiveThirtyEight ‏@FiveThirtyEight 1h
#NED routed #ESP.

The Oranje have a 57.4% shot of a Group B win. La Furia Roja? A 65.7% chance of being eliminated.

[red]

just incase anyone missed the first wondergoal of the cup

it really is a thing a beauty, pure perfection. incredible pass and perfect finish


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9trysm9pcCM

[woodbuck27]

NO. 11 seed the Netherlands handles NO. 1 seed and defending WC Champion Spain.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2657446/Spain-1-5-Holland-Robin-van-Persie-Arjen-Robben-score-twice-Dutch-stun-world-champions-Salvador.html

Spain 1-5 Holland: Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben score twice as Dutch stun world champions in Salvador

" Three days in to this World Cup and already the champions have a weaker grip on their trophy. Spain lost the first game four years ago, too, but defeat by Switzerland in South Africa cannot compare psychologically to these stunning events in north-east Brazil.

Spain’s worst defeat since a 1963 reverse to Scotland, this was more than a setback. This was a humiliating, humbling capitulation, a defeat that asks as much about the mental fortitude of Vicente del Bosque’s team as it does their hapless defending." Fr. LINK

Please click on the LINK for the entire story.

[woodbuck27]

http://fansided.com/2014/06/13/england-vs-italy-world-cup-2014-live-stream-start-time-tv-info/#!YL5G2

This game is on Sat. 14 June, 2014 @ 6 PM EST or 5 PM CST

England vs Italy, World Cup 2014: Live stream, start time, TV info and more

By: Mike Dyce 16h ago

[gbgary]

rvp...amazing today. lvg will turn ManUtd around.

[Guiness]

just incase anyone missed the first wondergoal of the cup

it really is a thing a beauty, pure perfection. incredible pass and perfect finish


I bet he got a concussion from that! Sue! Sue! Sue!

[red]

i fucking hate the greeks. they go down if anyone gets within 5 feet of them and throw an absolute shit fit when the opponents goes down after they are tripped

[woodbuck27]

i fucking hate the greeks. they go down if anyone gets within 5 feet of them and throw an absolute shit fit when the opponents goes down after they are tripped

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRjP5S5mH53Xyn6tZLtT1x1nn7DudUqS 3j1RYdJS0IEjkB2T2rD

or

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2012/6/8/1339182468808/Wojciech-Szczesny-008.jpg

[wootah]

First correct penalty of the tournament :)

[red]

First correct penalty of the tournament :)

i wish some of our guys (packers) could tackle like that

is it just me or does ABC have the crowd noise cranked so high you can't even hear the commentators? its a bit annoying, and i've played with all the sound settings on the TV

[wootah]

I'm watching a local network here and have no issues with the sound, so it must be ABC.

The US ref in the previous match did a good job as well I thought. Let's hope we have seen the worst already.

[red]

well this is very unexpected

2-1 costa rica

i've been pretty impressed with them this whole game. england better be real nervous about not getting out of the group stage yet again

liverpool fans have to be shitting bricks right now if suarez comes on only 23 days from knee surgery

[red]

uruguay really starting to unravel and lose their cool now

[red]

gotta love fifa

the abc announcer juts said that before the game they were told by fifa that the capacity for the stadium was between 53-54 thousand. abc mentioned how there were many empty seats all around the place. they then mention that they were just handed a not from fifa announcing that the official attendance for the game was between 58-59 thousand

yup

[Rastak]

Man, the Dutch had a sweet header over the keeper during a complete demolition of Spain yesterday. Love the British announcers....."and now Spain's emberrassment is complete"!


Costa Rica really put on an unexpected show. Helluva performance.

[red]

ivory coast just has some wicked scary attackers

[pbmax]

Fibbing about attendance is pretty standard fare for a sports org. When they start painting painting heads on seat backs or covering the seats with tarps for security or health reasons, then I'll be impressed with their mendacity.

[Joemailman]

Predictions on Germany/Portugal tomorrow?

[pbmax]

I watched the replay of England v italy earlier today. England's offense looked like the Packers in 2013. Lots of yardage, failed in red zone.

Loved the world's slowest counterattack that ended with the winning goal by the Swiss after Honduras lost control of ball while in great position for their own quality shot on goal. All in injury time I think.

Also that Messi guy might be OK.

[Freak Out]

Really stoked for the games on Monday.

[wootah]

Due to work obligations I'm going to miss out on Germany-Portugal :bang: Should be one of the better games in the 1st round. The nerves for the game of Belgium tomorrow are already starting to kick in. Anybody here any predictions for our national team?

I'm really surprised by the offensive play untill now: historically teams played their first game mainly not to lose instead of trying to win. Not this year... No draws untill now and almost each team has scored a goal.

[red]

Really stoked for the games on Monday.

yeah, i took a day off work today

[red]

Also that Messi guy might be OK.

the run on his goal was perfect,and everyone on his team knew exactly what to do and what not to do

get him the ball, and stay the fuck out of the way

[hoosier]

The nerves for the game of Belgium tomorrow are already starting to kick in. Anybody here any predictions for our national team?

How did your team get such a cushy seeding?

[wootah]

How did your team get such a cushy seeding?

Being ranked in the top 10 at the time of the draw helps :)

In the past we were just happy we could participate at the tournament, but not this time around: this is a very talented group of youngsters (youngest selection at the WC - TT style) which could get pretty far, and just that makes me nervous.

[pbmax]

the run on his goal was perfect,and everyone on his team knew exactly what to do and what not to do

get him the ball, and stay the fuck out of the way

The coverage of him is like LeBron James or Jordan before their championships though. Sure, he had a nice goal, but otherwise was unimpressive. I think they find fault with that team through him.

[wootah]

The coverage of him is like LeBron James or Jordan before their championships though. Sure, he had a nice goal, but otherwise was unimpressive. I think they find fault with that team through him.

Besides a world cup, he has won everything there is to win. Multiple times.

Best player to ever play the game, without a slight of doubt, even if he doesn't win a world cup IMO.

[red]

The coverage of him is like LeBron James or Jordan before their championships though. Sure, he had a nice goal, but otherwise was unimpressive. I think they find fault with that team through him.

his career goal rate is incredible

scoring 1 goal in every 2 games is considered damn good (50%)

over the last 4 or 5 years,messi has averaged over a goal per game

he is the best in the game right now, and like woo said, he could be the best ever. he's only 26, he's just getting started

[wootah]

It's not just the goals; he's just the most dominant player I have ever seen, a Reggie White, but then at 5 ft 7. His speed (with ball), agility, technique & vista are unparallelled.


About the scoring, I saw this stat this morning.:

Number of league goals when turning 21

Messi - 57
Owen - 55
Rooney - 44
Shearer - 10

Lukaku - 65 ;)

[red]

It's not just the goals; he's just the most dominant player I have ever seen, a Reggie White, but then at 5 ft 7. His speed (with ball), agility, technique & vista are unparallelled.


About the scoring, I saw this stat this morning.:

Number of league goals when turning 21

Messi - 57
Owen - 55
Rooney - 44
Shearer - 10

Lukaku - 65 ;)

yeah yeah

that big freak has the chance to be something special too

[red]

what a fucking idiot, yeah the german flopped, but you just screwed your team big time

[hoosier]

Being ranked in the top 10 at the time of the draw helps :)

In the past we were just happy we could participate at the tournament, but not this time around: this is a very talented group of youngsters (youngest selection at the WC - TT style) which could get pretty far, and just that makes me nervous.

That top 10 thing didn't seem to help Portugal or Germany. :-)

[red]

That top 10 thing didn't seem to help Portugal or Germany. :-)

i think group G is only the group of death if you're the US or ghana

germany is going through, the other 3 teams are no match for them. they were always going through

but portugal my be starting to shit themselves just a little bit because of how bad they look in this game

[pbmax]

Plus injuries and the red card.

That bonehead who head butted the German should be put on a plane home. He was mad he was in the middle of turning the ball over deep on his own zone, hit the German player in the neck or chin to avoid said turnover and then got offended the guy flopped like he had been hit with a right cross.

[Freak Out]

Germany is the favorite to win it in my book. Its way early obviously, and there are some great teams in the tourney....so who knows. My German blood says we win it though. :)

[red]

Germany is the favorite to win it in my book. Its way early obviously, and there are some great teams in the tourney....so who knows. My German blood says we win it though. :)

they were my favorite coming in too

also probably due to some german blood in me

[hoosier]

i think group G is only the group of death if you're the US or ghana

germany is going through, the other 3 teams are no match for them. they were always going through

but portugal my be starting to shit themselves just a little bit because of how bad they look in this game

D is a tough row to hoe too. Italy, England and Uruguay are all ranked in top ten and one of them won't be moving on. Maybe two if Costa Rica wins another game. Meanwhile, in Group H, one of three horseshit teams (Russia, Algeria or South Korea) will be advancing by default. H is for horse feathers.

[MadtownPacker]

Germany is the favorite to win it in my book. Its way early obviously, and there are some great teams in the tourney....so who knows. My German blood says we win it though. :)
Still thinking you're the superior race huh? Just like when you take a piss you will come up well short of reaching the urinal. :lol:

[Guiness]

D is a tough row to hoe too. Italy, England and Uruguay are all ranked in top ten and one of them won't be moving on. Maybe two if Costa Rica wins another game. Meanwhile, in Group H, one of three horseshit teams (Russia, Algeria or South Korea) will be advancing by default. H is for horse feathers.

Does one of those teams necessarily get through? Two divisions will only send a single team to the round of 16. I would guess only on of groups C, F and H will put a second team through.

With Costa Rica playing the game they did, group D is looking real interesting.

[red]

boy, i never thought i'd be rooting for iran, but my god, are nigeria a bunch of flopping around cry baby little bitches

almost impossible to like IMO

super eagles my ass,more like shitty beatles

[ThunderDan]

Does one of those teams necessarily get through? Two divisions will only send a single team to the round of 16. I would guess only on of groups C, F and H will put a second team through.

With Costa Rica playing the game they did, group D is looking real interesting.

Top two in every group go through. 8 groups -> 16 teams to the knockout round.

[red]

huge break for the US

essien and prince boeteng are out of the starting lineup for the game against the US

[wootah]

That top 10 thing didn't seem to help Portugal or Germany. :-)


Meanwhile, in Group H, one of three horseshit teams (Russia, Algeria or South Korea) will be advancing by default. H is for horse feathers.

Winning your qualifing group helps. And remember that 'Horsheshit' Russia beat out your 'group of death' Portugal to qualify directly.

The beating Portugal got tonight might be good news for the US. Those mercurial southern Europe teams may implode if things don't go their way and seeing the damage they suffered, I don't know if they can keep their cool in the next match. Ghana & the US might have smelled blood.

[Freak Out]

Still thinking you're the superior race huh? Just like when you take a piss you will come up well short of reaching the urinal. :lol:

Thats why I sit on the toilet now. :)

[Guiness]

boy, i never thought i'd be rooting for iran, but my god, are nigeria a bunch of flopping around cry baby little bitches

almost impossible to like IMO

super eagles my ass,more like shitty beatles

worst game of the tournament so far, but then I haven't seen a South Korea match yet. Seemed like Nigeria spent half their time pleading with the referee for calls.

[Freak Out]

huge break for the US

essien and prince boeteng are out of the starting lineup for the game against the US

I want this win so fucking bad.....it's jinxed now. :)

[Guiness]

Top two in every group go through. 8 groups -> 16 teams to the knockout round.

lol, I can't count. I thought only 7 divisions sent two teams through for some reason.

[wootah]

worst game of the tournament so far, but then I haven't seen a South Korea match yet. Seemed like Nigeria spent half their time pleading with the referee for calls.

You're mistaking them with N-Korea that qualified the last WC and played with 11 players in front of the goal. S-Korea is known for fast-paced attacking play, although they lack the quality they had 8 years ago when they played at home.

[wootah]

http://1.nieuwsbladcdn.be/Assets/Images_Upload/2014/06/16/dom.jpg

Another suspension coming up?

[pbmax]

I didn't know Birdman plays soccer as well.

[Guiness]

You're mistaking them with N-Korea that qualified the last WC and played with 11 players in front of the goal. S-Korea is known for fast-paced attacking play, although they lack the quality they had 8 years ago when they played at home.

North Korea was indeed epic-ly bad. I can't remember if they even scored a goal during the tournament. There was also the Mike Tice-like mess in which they likely sold their ticket allotment (to the Chinese).

[pbmax]

Holy shit

[red]

Holy shit

that was pretty quick, we can't just sit on that though for the rest of the game

[pbmax]

Its like watching the O line play with that shirt grab.

[red]

jozy is out

good i say, he's way over rated. time to find a young forward who can actually score a goal

[pbmax]

They must have trained in Wisconsin and gotten Packer hamstring

[red]

They must have trained in Wisconsin and gotten Packer hamstring

so you think its career threatening then?

[Brandon494]

jozy is out

good i say, he's way over rated. time to find a young forward who can actually score a goal

Shut the hell up!

[red]

is it just me, or id it look like that whole upper deck is empty on the camera side?

[red]

Shut the hell up!

he's not a good forward, he's fast and thats about it. unfortunately, we in the US think that all you need to be a good striker is speed. thats not the case. we need to find someone who just puts the ball in the net

jozy has never been that guy, and thats why the US struggles to score. the one guy we depend on to score, can't

[red]

notice how dempsey gets kicked in the nose and doesn't act like he had just been shot when he goes down

thats the one thing about the US game that i actually do like over everyone else

we aren't pussies

[Brandon494]

he's not a good forward, he's fast and thats about it. unfortunately, we in the US think that all you need to be a good striker is speed. thats not the case. we need to find someone who just puts the ball in the net

jozy has never been that guy, and thats why the US struggles to score. the one guy we depend on to score, can't

Hey guess what? Hes the best we have, you act like we have better players on the bench. Saying its a good thing hes injured is a ignorant comment.

[pbmax]

Two fouls on that challenge to Dempsey and nothing called. Aren't cleats up near the head illegal?

Gotta be a broken nose. Time for the mask.

[Brandon494]

Aron Johansson is looking much better than Jozy :roll:

[red]

Hey guess what? Hes the best we have, you act like we have better players on the bench. Saying its a good thing hes injured is a ignorant comment.

good in the long run, chances are jozy wasn't going to score in this world cup anyways. i think he's scored a whole 2 goals in about 40 games over the last year

the US, somewhere, somehow, needs to find real goal scorers

maybe its the young bean pole white kid that just came on? probably not, but it couldn't be worse then the big nothing jozy was going to contribute

[red]

Aron Johansson is looking much better than Jozy :roll:

nope, he looks like shit so far, just as good as jozy has looked over the last year

[red]

gotta get another goal from somewhere, i don't trust a 1 goal lead against these guys

[Guiness]

To the dressing room with a 1 goal lead, as good as the US could have hoped for. Didn't see what happened to Dempsey, but the announcer said they think he's got a broken nose. How the hell do you play with that?

[red]

To the dressing room with a 1 goal lead, as good as the US could have hoped for. Didn't see what happened to Dempsey, but the announcer said they think he's got a broken nose. How the hell do you play with that?

guy went to kick a high ball and caught clint right in the schnoz with his shin

it looked like more of a glancing blow, so it might not be broken. there was blood right away though

[pbmax]

I think the hold the ball in your own zone offense early in the game will turn out to have been a bad idea.

[red]

i think you might have been on to something PB, US losses another player to a hamstring injury

packer staff moonlighting in brazil this summer?

[Brandon494]

If only our best athletes played soccer instead of basketball and football but that will never happen in the USA.

Which current Packer players do you guys think would make good soccer players? I could see Randall Cobb being a nice soccer player and Charles Woodson could have made a nice goalie.

[pbmax]

Another hamstring injury. Definitely Packer hamstring affecting the match.

[pbmax]

If only our best athletes played soccer instead of basketball and football but that will never happen in the USA.

No excuse, we have a ton of people unemployed.

[red]

we just suck at building up plays. dribbling and passing is not our strongest quality

[pbmax]

we just suck at building up plays. dribbling and passing is not our strongest quality

Passing is comically bad.

[pbmax]

Brooks with a comical whiff

[Guiness]

Don't like the way this second half is starting. Looks like the US is trying to put up a defensive shell and ride out a 1 goal lead? Also, they've used two substitutions already, and announcers just commented Ghana has the youngest team in the tournament. That could go badly towards the end of the second half.

[red]

If only our best athletes played soccer instead of basketball and football but that will never happen in the USA.

Which current Packer players do you guys think would make good soccer players? I could see Randall Cobb being a nice soccer player and Charles Woodson could have made a nice goalie.

cobb i can definitely see being a good soccer player

driver probably would have been good

maybe they need to start talking about how much these guys make,maybe that would convince some of the young kids to go into soccer. and i don't think its just about getting the best athletes, you gotta develop that talent from a young age. ymca, high school, and college soccer is nice and all, but it doesn't compare to the youth academies that the rest of the world uses

[Brandon494]

No excuse, we have a ton of people unemployed.

Umm when was the last time you saw a soccer field in the hood?

[red]

Don't like the way this second half is starting. Looks like the US is trying to put up a defensive shell and ride out a 1 goal lead? Also, they've used two substitutions already, and announcers just commented Ghana has the youngest team in the tournament. That could go badly towards the end of the second half.

yup, can't just sit on a 1 goal lead. ghana is very dangerous

[red]

thank god we have howard,we're gonna need every ounce of talent he has in his body to survive this one

[Guiness]

Hell of a dive by the Ghana fullback

[Brandon494]

cobb i can definitely see being a good soccer player

driver probably would have been good

maybe they need to start talking about how much these guys make,maybe that would convince some of the young kids to go into soccer. and i don't think its just about getting the best athletes, you gotta develop that talent from a young age. ymca, high school, and college soccer is nice and all, but it doesn't compare to the youth academies that the rest of the world uses

Yup thats the main problem but I can't really complain because I love Football too much.

[red]

Umm when was the last time you saw a soccer field in the hood?

don't need fancy soccer fields to play the game. think the kids in africa and south america have fancy fields to play on?

[pbmax]

Umm when was the last time you saw a soccer field in the hood?

a. Not serious.

b. lack of fields doesn't stop stickball

c. not serious

[red]

one fucking shot in 61+ minutes, and that came within 30 seconds

[red]

nice shot from jones

[red]

what we're playing is called hoofball,where your defenders just kick the ball long every time and hope for a break

most of the world sees hoofball as the ugliest and most worthless form of soccer

no buildup

[pbmax]

what we're playing is called hoofball,where your defenders just kick the ball long every time and hope for a break

most of the world sees hoofball as the ugliest and most worthless form of soccer

no buildup

In hockey its dump and chase, which everyone was convinced the Soviets had embarrassed out of existence. Didn't happen though.

[red]

what the hell was bradley doing? ATTACK THE BACK POST

[red]

i think we're playing a 6-4-0 right now

[pbmax]

what the hell was bradley doing? ATTACK THE BACK POST

The Altidore replacement never left the ground either.

[red]

this is getting stupid, is that another hamstring? sure looked like it

[red]

The Altidore replacement never left the ground either.

but all bradley had to do was take a step forward or stick his foot out and he had a goal. he just stood there

[pbmax]

Bedoya comes off but he is hurt as well. Knee or something.

[red]

that wasn't bad

[red]

there, fabian johnson, he should be playing forward all the time

an american that can dribble

ITS A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[red]

AH FUCK

[pbmax]

there, fabian johnson, he should be playing forward all the time

an american that can dribble

ITS A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TV said his primary job tonight is checking some fearsome Ghanian.

[Guiness]

Good pressure there, set up by some good play from the fullback Johnson.

Ghana seems to have slowed down, and substituted out the players who were applying the pressure.

[Brandon494]

Un fucking real

[pbmax]

damn

[red]

don't let the floodgates open

we are in huge trouble right now

[red]

WOW

[Brandon494]

USA! USA! USA!

[pbmax]

The terrible defender scored!!

[red]

i like this zusi guy

perfect corner and a couple nice runs earlier

[red]

5 fucking minutes? HOW?

[Guiness]

5 minutes??? Based on what, the play didn't stop the whole half!

[red]

5 minutes??? Based on what, the play didn't stop the whole half!

all i can remember is the one stopage for subs from both teams, maybe 2 for ghana. 5 minutes is bullshit

[red]

WOW

no way i thought we would hold on for that

we got life in group G

[Joemailman]

Was Germany that good, or was Portugal that bad?

[red]

Was Germany that good, or was Portugal that bad?

combination

portugal is actually pretty good but played horrible today.

germany was one of the favorites coming in, and played great

[Joemailman]

he's not a good forward, he's fast and thats about it. unfortunately, we in the US think that all you need to be a good striker is speed. thats not the case. we need to find someone who just puts the ball in the net

jozy has never been that guy, and thats why the US struggles to score. the one guy we depend on to score, can't

But even if he doesn't finish well, don't you think his speed puts pressure on a defense that might open things up for someone else? Think Corey Bradford and Antonio Freeman.

[Guiness]

Check out this gif of the boot to the face Dempsey took.
http://d2q3qbhoj2sflf.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DEMPSEY-FACE.gif

I've seen guys get carded for that.

Well, the US is in the driver's seat. Assuming Germany wins out, a win or draw vs Portugal gets them through, unless they lose and Ghana beats Portugal by 2 goals.

[pbmax]

But even if he doesn't finish well, don't you think his speed puts pressure on a defense that might open things up for someone else? Think Corey Bradford and Antonio Freeman.

The American color analyst said Altidore was now slower than the two guys who might replace him.

[pbmax]

John Brooks wikipedia page has about 4,000 edits in the last hour. He is either America's greatest hero or he is well known for staging orgies with headless hookers.


After scoring against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup, he is now among the ranks of John F Kennedy, Chuck Norris, and Abe Lincoln as American heroes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Anthony_Brooks

[hoosier]

Hell of a dive by the Ghana fullback

Kuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhnnn!!!

[denverYooper]

Kuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhnnn!!!

You can bet M3 was taking notes.

[Joemailman]

John Brooks wikipedia page has about 4,000 edits in the last hour. He is either America's greatest hero or he is well known for staging orgies with headless hookers.


After scoring against Ghana in the 2014 World Cup, he is now among the ranks of John F Kennedy, Chuck Norris, and Abe Lincoln as American heroes.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Anthony_Brooks

So he has a 2 out of 3 chance of being assassinated before the World Cup is over?

[red]

So he has a 2 out of 3 chance of being assassinated before the World Cup is over?

or he could turn out to be baddest man on the planet

[Freak Out]

John Brooks wikipedia page has about 4,000 edits in the last hour. He is either America's greatest hero or he is well known for staging orgies with headless hookers.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Anthony_Brooks

LOL! Fantastic.

[Freak Out]

Hell of a game today....just now coming down. I don't care how Klinsmann does it if this keeps up. Fantastic two plays on either end and defense in the middle. It worked. Even with all the faults on the attack this team earned some respect today with sheer guts and determination.

[pbmax]

From strictly an analytical standpoint, wins are good:

FiveThirtyEight ‏@FiveThirtyEight 2h
After today, the probabilities of advancing from Group G are:

#GER 98%
#USA 63%
#POR 27%
#GHA 12%

http://53eig.ht/WorldCup

[pbmax]

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9_EcoHb4LTA/U5914TE_ZwI/AAAAAAAABAw/L4Qb5vGv9NA/s1600/Dempsey-goal.gif

[pbmax]

http://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/16/worldcup/brooks-goal2.w1120.h628.gif

[pbmax]

Not quite Nixon and Elvis, but its close. They are both, after all, athletes.


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqSFzgrIEAAz5D8.jpg

[wootah]

Didn't expect that one TBH. Wasn't able to see the game but looking at those gif's, that first goal was some poor defending by the right CB of Ghana.

Anyone in for Belgium-Algeria today? If someone's interested, I can give you a short intro to the Belgian players so you know what to expect.

[wootah]

Which current Packer players do you guys think would make good soccer players? I could see Randall Cobb being a nice soccer player and Charles Woodson could have made a nice goalie.

In fact all players (provided they worked on their aerobic conditioning and the big guys lost some weight) could be good. That's the nice thing about soccer; body types aren't as predetermined as for american football. Like I said before; the most dominant force out there is 5'7.

Peppers would have been a nice presence in goal though.

[Guiness]

In fact all players (provided they worked on their aerobic conditioning and the big guys lost some weight) could be good. That's the nice thing about soccer; body types aren't as predetermined as for american football. Like I said before; the most dominant force out there is 5'7.

Peppers would have been a nice presence in goal though.

There was a center for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the '90s who'd played soccer at quite a high level, and he was there face-off specialist, rarely lost a draw. He won as many with his feet as he did with his stick!

[pbmax]

Thinking back, when they were fresh, the US couldn't counter attack effectively. As soon as Ghana got tired (or perhaps rather than tired, they lost their desperation, you choose) suddenly they were getting counterattacks through the middle.

Do they fare better in this versus Germany or Portugal?

[pbmax]

Its only 1/3 of the article, I promise. From Zonal Marking http://www.zonalmarking.net/2014/06/17/world-cup-2014-group-stage-day-5/



US lead, Ghana attack

Clint Dempsey scored a fine goal inside a minute, and therefore Ghana were immediately forced to dominate in an attempt to score an equaliser.

Ghana’s problem over the past half-decade has been their inability to break down a packed defence. They’re excellent on the counter-attack, with fast, mobile players who make good decisions on the break, but this was another example of their one-dimensional play. They were always in control of possession but their players simply aren’t suited to coming from behind – they need the opposition to come onto them.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee512/zonal_marking/5USA_zps24e561e0.jpg

Right flank

Ghana continually looked to work the right of the pitch. Christian Atsu was the liveliest player, always looking to collect possession in wide positions before darting inside, but he frequently took the wrong option.

Behind him, Daniel Opare received space in the right-back position with Jermaine Jones playing deep and narrow, but contributed extremely little on the ball, turning in arguably the worst individual performance of this tournament so far – his crossing was shocking.

Gyan

With the Ayew brothers on the periphery of the game and underwhelming when receiving the ball in dangerous positions, Asamoah Gyan was the primary goal threat. Typically, he ran the channels throughout the first half, but the US were comfortable with him moving away from goal, because no-one else was making runs into the centre-forward position.

Gyan isn’t really about getting on the end of crosses, but Ghana created genuine chances when he stayed central at the start of the second half, and went close with two good headed chances, after crosses from either flank.

US two banks of four

Although Jurgen Klinsmann had switched to a diamond midfield in preparation for this tournament, his side essentially defended with two banks of four without possession, with Michael Bradley dropping back alongside Kyle Beckerman. And because they spent so long without the ball, they were basically a 4-4-2 throughout, with Bradley surprisingly inefficient when he received the ball, not connecting the midfield and attack.

The USA were unfortunate to lose Jozy Altidore through injury midway through the first half, and while Aron Johansson ran the channels manfully, he’s not really an Altidore replacement. The USA missed someone who could run in behind the opposition defence, and hold up the ball. They had no-one to relieve the pressure, and therefore were almost constantly stuck on the edge of their own box, soaking up pressure – although, of course, it’s arguable this was the optimum approach against a Ghanaian side depending on the break.

USA overrun in midfield

Still, even when playing defensively, you still need to have a counter-attacking threat. Bradley and Dempsey were both very quiet, while Alejandro Bedoya, the obvious man to lead the attacking transitions, constantly made the wrong decision.

In fact, when Altidore departed midway through the first half, the USA were already under heavy pressure. Klinsmann might have considered bringing on an extra midfielder at this stage, because his side simply weren’t covering the midfield ground effectively. Dempsey and Johansson were stuck upfront with little service, covering the responsibilities of one man, and it felt like the USA were playing with ten players at times.

However, Kinsmann was able to depend upon good performances at the back, while Kyle Beckerman was excellent at screening the defence – he protected the ‘red zone’ excellently, meaning Ghana always looked out wide for their route to goal.

Kwesi Appiah made three straight swaps to get back into the game, when he probably could have sacrificed right-back Opare and used a winger there – Ghana’s full-backs weren’t doing defensive work. It was surprising that Ghana’s equaliser came from Andre Ayew from the left – he had been poor, while Ghana were focusing their attacks down the other side.

Johnson attacks

The USA deserve great credit for their performance after Ghana’s equaliser – having spent more than 80 minutes solidly protecting the lead, they were capable of coming forward and playing more proactively. Right-back Fabian Johnson, having lost Ayew for the Ghana goal, seemed determined to make up for his error in an attacking sense and took up very advanced positions when the USA midfield had possession. This was a real risk – Ayew got in behind him dangerously two minutes after the goal – but it had its rewards. Johnson overlapped to force a spell of pressure down the right, and then yet another forward charge resulted in the corner for John Brooks’ headed winner.

Amazingly, Johnson was still bombing up and down the line with the US 2-1 up. He had the energy to sprint into attack, but not to get back into defence. Clearly, by this stage he should have been protecting his his centre-backs – but Ghana never looked likely to launch a second comeback.

[pbmax]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqVkWAXCEAAhvVs.jpg:large

[wootah]

:)

[Guiness]

Thinking back, when they were fresh, the US couldn't counter attack effectively. As soon as Ghana got tired (or perhaps rather than tired, they lost their desperation, you choose) suddenly they were getting counterattacks through the middle.

Do they fare better in this versus Germany or Portugal?

Severely outclassed by Germany, Portugal is a better question - what are they bringing to this tournament? Germany is, of course, a very disciplined side and frustrated the mercurial Portugese.

https://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/857134280.gif?1402939941

The US played a pretty stiffling D yesterday, if they can do the same vs Portugal, they might be able to get them on tilt.

[wootah]

Bring it!!!

[wootah]

I expect a lot of De Bruyne... Hopefully Januzaj gets some minutes as well.

[wootah]

Tempo is wayyyyyyyy too slow to be dangerous.

[hoosier]

3 shots on goal by Algeria in 74"....makes 3 yards and a cloud of dust look like the greatest show on turf.