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A week to go until the madness starts. We don't have cable/ dish so I have to stream it off the net. I wish I could take the month off and watch but that's not going to happen :).
Go USA !!!!!
I hope we don't end up in the group of death again this year. Anywho how are you going to watch and who's going to take the cup this year?
Alrighty then.............
my hope is that either England or Portugal win. USA does not have a chance it's players are too slow and old.
The main sport we watch is the BPL with a little Italian and Spanish footie to round out the day.
MLS it mainly composed of European and south American players who have gotten to old and or fat to play in their home countries. I expect Frank Lampard to wind up in MLS now that chelsea is done with him; jose is an idiot.
enjoy,
jim
The USA has a pretty tough group. Portugal, Ghana and Germany... The USA's only hope is really with beating Ghana. I've always been a Germany fan for World Cup and many people have them at minimum getting 3rd place if not to the finals. Then again, Germany is apart of the "usual suspects" that tend to make it pretty far and the same goes for Spain and Brazil... just to name a couple.
I'm just trying to decide if I want a home or away jersey for Germany. :hmmm:
Attachment 168650
What's soccer ???
How about futbol? Lol
I'm trying to decide if I like either us team jersey enough to get one. I might wait a year and get one. Though I did get the brazuca ball. I bought the Geist, the kids on our school soccer team called it the maxi pad ball but fought over who got to use it during practice. It managed to disappear at an away game that the opposing team barely managed to tie with us.
I'm glade someone else is interested in the World Cup. I thought the soccer/ futbol subject was taboo like politics and religion.
As a loyal fan of the Champions League and our national division level games, this is surely good news. Since the last Euro Championships i've been waiting for the world games 14 to start, so i will propably try to watch as many games as possible.
No matter the odds, i'm all for Netherlands and Belgium.
I don't think we (England) have a chance to win sadly. Nationally we are not expecting a great deal, if we make it to the knockout stage I think it will be a good result. My money would be on Brazil to win again :)
I just want the cup to stay in America (as in the continent), whether it's Brazil or Argentina which are the only teams in the continent that have a good chance.
Its the American name for what is known around the rest of the world as Football heheQuote:
Originally Posted by nessmuck
Was the USA in that thing, like, in 1950?Quote:
Originally Posted by mike1011
:w
Do they have cheer leaders ??? I'll watch :<0)
Don't think so, but there must be something in the water over there, the players keep falling down all the time????Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
Lol or seizures.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phrank
Is that the game of diving and embellishment ....and players look like they got shot...and then rise to their feet ??? I won't be watching .....
Don't count out Uruguay. They can beat anyone on the day, as they say, and in the bitey racist Suarez (although to be fair I don't think he has been involved in either a biting or a racist incident for a whole year) they have an insanely in-form striker. I'm just not sure he's 100% healthy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobre
As for my predictions - bearing in mind that for all my obsession with the game, I am *horrible* at predicting anything - here we go:
IMHO, England don't have a snowball's chance in Hades. As is normal, the English press have gone completely over the top over a mediocre squad, building up massive expectation that is, as is traditional, built on an equally massive sense of entitlement that has been looming over them since 1966. They also tend to suffer when playing in heat and humidity and at altitude. They will be playing at altitude in humid heat.
Brazil and Argentina are both very strong, but that's stating the obvious. :) I'd watch out for Messi - he will be wanting to make up for a mediocre (by his incredibly high standards) season.
Germany would be my pick from the European sides. The Dutch can be great, but there's always the chance they will implode, and much the same could be said for Belgium. I do hope the Dutch will return to playing like the Dutch after the debacle of the last final. France seem to be getting their act together which is a little disappointing considering that we're unlikely to be treated to the same kind of hugely entertaining bust-up they treated us to in South Africa. I quite like France and they way they play, but that really was funny as hell. :)
Spain... do they have a plan B? Other countries have slowly been figuring out how to counter their possession/pressure tactics over the last few years, so if they aren't tactically flexible, I think Spanish fans might be disappointed. But if they are able to adjust their play, they could well repeat as champions.
With apologies to any fans of Portugal out there, in recent years they have proven to be the absolute worst in terms of diving cheaters. And in Ronaldo they have the unique combination of one of the best players in the world who also happens to be one of the most egregious offenders in the diving/cheating stakes. Drives me bonkers. Anyway, I don't know how they will do, but I hope it's not well.
Italy - who knows? I haven't watched much Italian footie recently so I'm kind of in the dark there...
My outside picks:
As mentioned above: Uruguay
And my bet to make the semis: Ghana
I'll be watching as much as I possibly can.
The Olymoics aside, this is as big as it gets!
My favorites to win it this year is one of the following four:
Germany and the Netherlands from Europe, both sides have strong players on all areas of the pitch.
Stellar coaches too.
Outsider from Europe would be Belgium.
From South America there's the big two.
Brazil and Argentina.
I think perhaps Brazil is the stronger side, but the God of football plays on the other team;)
I wish Messi success for Argentina.
Meh, the press is the press they have to hype it up to sell papers. I think if you ask any Englishman in the street what they think our chances of winning are they would laugh :beer1: Personally i think we would need a miracle akin to moses parting the red sea just to get out of the group stage !Quote:
Originally Posted by Cangooner
Agree with most of your post apart from the comment about Belgium. I think they have a stronger squad than The Netherlands and are a good outside bet for at least a semi-final place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cangooner
Belgium have a ridiculous number of potentially world-class young players right now. I have no idea what they are doing right of if it's just a fluke, but if they can avoid their past tendency to develop factions, they could be a real force for years to come. I hope they do as it would be refreshing to see a smaller country challenge the big boys.Quote:
Originally Posted by UKRob
How's this for timing? Thank you Guardian...Quote:
Originally Posted by Cangooner
:)
Belgium's blueprint that gave birth to a golden generation | Stuart James | Football | The Guardian
I'm thinking Belguim is a dark horse here.
I think Portugal will choke.
I liked the way the US looked against Nigeria. Fit. Ready. Group of death is a rough group.
Argentina should sail through.... hmmm... what else...
see Inline BoldQuote:
Originally Posted by Cangooner
Two sons played very competitive soccer, which hadn't yet been invented when I was of sporting age .. so I have seen my share of soccer games, including two state hs finals .. but
Will they have those estupido horns going all the time? If so, no watch, it isn't exactly thrilling and with the constant buzzing pretty unpleasant to hear. I'll catch the news in the paper
A schedule for US viewers(though there are app links and website links for streaming which should be international):
Full 2014 FIFA World Cup game schedule on ABC, ESPN, Univision, Canadian TV and radio
The VuVuZela was an "interesting" feature in South Africa. There were times when it was overbearing... Not enough for me to turn of the matches, though.
Oh no. I just realized that we're going to have that blathering idiot John Helm inflicted on us again. He is kind of like the Braveheart of football commentators in that whatever he says or presents is generally unfounded, willfully ignorant, occasionally racist, or just plain wrong. Please, if you are new to the sport and are trying to understand the game, do not listen to a thing the guy says. He will steer you wrong.
Ugh.
But on the bright side, the vuvuzela is very much a South African thing and I'm sure the Brazilian crowds will remind us of the truly wonderful aspects of football support. At least the ones who aren't rioting. If you have never been to a major match (whether a big domestic league match or an international) trust me - it can be an amazing experience.
On a slightly related note, the vuvuzelas often didn't bother me that much because I had turned the sound off to avoid hearing the aforementioned blathering idiot. I will not however miss them either!
EDIT: just realized my Unitedstatesian neighbours will have Tommy Smyth on ESPN radio. Does he still excitedly shout about picking the ball out of the old onion bag whenever there's a goal? :) I had no idea he was still working!
To the edit: Yes. I'd laugh uncontrollably if I heard the snores of a season citizen asleep at the broadcasting desk.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cangooner
John Helm: pffft... I turned the sound off on the tv and the radio on during a few matches while watching them. Not due to the vuvuzelas, but the moron that is John Helm.
Looking forward to some wonderful football.
I am looking forward to this World Cup as I always do. I love watching the, "Beautiful Game", and the skill of the players. My expectations of the United States team is that they do their best and not embarrass us too bad. Sigh.
I do not like Jose Altidore. I have always believed that his work ethic sucks. My son disagrees.
Although Donovan may not be 100% ninety minute game healthy, I believe he should have made the team cut. I think he deserved that. He would have given his 120% whereas Jose would have just whined that his team mates didn't feed him the ball instead of making his own opportunities. Did you get that I don't like Jose Altidore? LOL.
As far as the finals? My pick is Argentina vs Germany.
I too hate the floppers and divers! They even practice how to do it properly. Disgusting!
The show starts today and I have to work, that sucks. The light at the end of the tunnel is I'm off next week :).
Luxury problem! The US open and the WC matches collide. There's gonna be some channel flipping this weekend;)
Brasil vs Croatia: 3 - 1
Brasil did not look good. In fact, if it weren't for that completely bogus yellow card penalty in the box, I don' think Brasil would have scored more than one. The Brasil player threw himself to the ground quicker than a meerkat down a whole without so much as being touched. Poor reffing by that same guy(south korean?).
Again, if I were a Brasil fan, I would NOT be confident in what I saw today. Scoreline reflects nothing about the shape Brasil seems to be in.
I did have the TV on (the CBC broadcast) and it reinforced my lack of interest. Besides the rather questionable refereeing, there was a lot of grabbing, outright arm tackling that didn't get called, along with the sport's trashy diving. Good news is the stoopid horns weren't on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Siguy
Its so frustrating that international football still won't use video play back for game changing decisions. How many important games have been ruined now because of terrible ref or linesman decisions.
The fact that the technology exits , and is used in some way, in nearly all top level (read big money) sports is farcical. Its just one reason why I find it difficult to really get into football.
I tried to watch on espn3 and I have to subscribe to a cable or dish network to watch on the app. So Univision here I come. I needed to brush up on my espanol anyway.
Watched the high lights and I don't understand how Brazil scored that last goal. It looked easy enough to get to but of course I realize I wasn't there Yada, Yada, yada.
I missed the game b/c I was at work but will catch the matches tomorrow.
Whoa, I did not expect Spain to loose like this! And boy, what a header from van Persie. As I'm writing this Robben just made it 5-1. What a match!!!
World class player, world class goal!Quote:
Originally Posted by Birnando
That was a great match!!!! Waiting for the next one at 6. My wife is going to get really annoyed with me. I've been watching all day :).
Wore my Orange football shorts for the game. Will wear them for the two games I'm coaching tomorrow.
So happy to see them do really well and defeat Spain. Spain's 1 point came on a pretty nothing foal, IMO.
It's hard to overestimate the impact of this match.
NOTE: The US/English announcers were terrible. One American sporting a fake English accent(I despise this) and a blowbag twit.
I'm completely tired of this apparent trend. I cannot tolerate hearing an American announcer trying to put on an English dialect and vocabulary(or any other accent). Makes me cringe.
Yeah. Mexico should have had 3 points. Again, IMO., but ref botched those both off-sides calls.
Go Australia!
