FIFA 2014 World Cup - Official Discussion Thread

[minionofmidas]

Sucks for Colombia. Lol that Klose is Germany's only official forward. Hope he gets the record this time.

He probably won't be playing much, either.

Yeah, "last 16" is a silly prediction. Portugal and Ghana are much easier to be eliminated by than anybody in the Belgian group, and Germany have never lost a last 16 match. Group stage or quarter final it will be.

[minionofmidas]

FF: http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/1858950/giuseppe-rossis-grandfather-to-support-us-at-world-cup-after-italy-snub

This does nothing but hurt Giuseppe's case. It just makes him seem like his team picking was opportunism (even though it's his grandfather commenting. Pepito has obviously already said Forza Azzurri).

Of course everybody should support the US.

They are, after all, the local team if you're from Hesse.

[minionofmidas]

Mustafi doesn't play for the USA! Yet...

No, he'll probably be playing for Albania at some point.

Nah, he was the only native Hessian in Löw's squad of 30... and he was cut.

(His parents are ethnic Albanians from Macedonia, so that'd be the second most logical country for him to play for.)

[minionofmidas]

Really? Why bring such an old player if you won't field him?

Honestly?

Because Miro Klose won't grumble, publicly or privately, if he doesn't play, and that's always been Löw's no.1 rationale for retaining substitute players. (Also, despite being by origin a true striker he fits semi-reasonably well into a basically strikerless 4 - 2 - 3 1/2 - 1/2 "false 9" role. The same is just as true of Stephan Kießling who is, nowadays, miles better, but see above.) Expect to see Götze or (playing slightly more like a classic lone striker) Müller as Germany's forward in most games.

[minionofmidas]

Also Ribery is officially out.

One down, 14 to go. (Or 12, really. Somehow I've never held his employer against Daniel van Buyten to even the slightest degree, and anyways he's leaving Bayern. And obviously that kid from Bayern's fourth division reserve squad that the US called up shouldn't count.)

[minionofmidas]

Somehow one of these results is utterly unsurprising...

[minionofmidas]

Can this critter emulate Paul the Octopode's success? Colour me sceptical.

[minionofmidas]

Ragnarök.

[minionofmidas]

Lol no anthems?

[minionofmidas]

The PA system failed so no national anthems in France-Honduras.

One more reason for using a real orchestra for the anthems!

[minionofmidas]

Face it guys, Italy is the only team that can beat Germany.

No.

But Italy is the only team that Germany can not, under any circumstances, beat in a competitive match.

[minionofmidas]

I think the better argument is that we were lucky to score two goals, considering the US seemed to never have possession. 

They did have more possession than Iran (38% vs 31%). But while shots were 10-9 in Nigeria vs Iran, they were 21-8 for Ghana. OTOH, Nigeria actually won challenges more clearly than Ghana did, where that (usually quite predictive) stat was still very much on drawish territory.

But yeah, this was not actually a game the US had any business winning. (Obvious caveat regarding above statistics is obvious: Ghana are a stronger team than Nigeria, and the US are a stronger team than Iran.)

[minionofmidas]

Everybody who tipped got 2 or 3 points... Good fight by the Marsupials, impressive performance despite the defeat.

[minionofmidas]

Xavi not starting?! First time in six years.

[minionofmidas]

Beautiful result! This is what true fans of the game have been waiting six years for. Today, attacking football triumphed over defensive keep-away. Today, humility triumphed over arrogance. Today, fair play triumphed over cynicism and diving. Today, simply, football triumphed. God willing, we will never have to suffer through this horrible little team again.

Onwards to the 23rd, when Australia will complete the humiliation.

Oh come on. Spaniards have been some of the least flamboyant and egotistical champions ever (and it was pretty blatantly Chile whose strategy consisted of wasting time in the second half).

Mexico and Brazil shall avenge us, of course.

Read Lief's statement. Check sig. Die laughing.

[minionofmidas]

They are still technically in. So I can't enjoy the World Cup just yet.

I actually think the 4 team groups are beginning to cause some issues. It is true that the second game is technically a 'knockout'.

Only if you lose the first. -_-

It's more than technical. Italy>CR, Italy>Uru, England>CR is hardly unlikely (I don't believe it will unfold like that, though).

[minionofmidas]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

wat

Would lead to Italy 9, all others 3 points. Which if Costa Rica loses to England by two or more goals, or to Italy by either exactly 2-0 or by three or more goals would lead to England advancing.

[minionofmidas]

These are, individually, the most likely outcomes of these three games. Of course 50% times 50% times 50% (ballpark figures these) is 12.5%...

[minionofmidas]

FIFA might want to consider taking away some spots from uefa and giving them to concacaf for 2018.

FIFA should also have removed the 1/2 spot from CONCACAF after the 2006 World Cup, but since it didn't do so, it would hardly be fair to remove spots from UEFA now (not that fairness matters or UEFA wouldn't have lost two spots without justification).

Places per continent are an openly political decision. They are not intended to be based directly on recent results.


I watched 5-10 minutes of the first half while waiting for a streetcar at Darmstadt train station, and Italy scoring seemed only a matter of time. I arrived at the pub where I was meeting people, the second half was just beginning, and the score was 1-0 for CR. I watched the second half with half an eye at best and Italy didn't seem to have any kind of idea of how to deal with the situation. It was... weird.

[minionofmidas]

Oh, and FIFA seems to be trying everything in their power to deny Karim Benzema the Golden Shoe.

[minionofmidas]

The US won't take a point against Germany when Germany still need a result in the third match. Sorry, but that's right out. And I wouldn't fancy the chance of Portugal drawing both their remaining matches, either. So, bottomline: the US beats Portugal today and are through. Or they don't and are *probably* out (though could still squeak it of course).
Of course, Portugal're just the kind of team to fight their way back into the tournament by trashing you, then lose it all again in the third match. -_-

[minionofmidas]

Is the USA a good soccer team???

Not really. But, you know, not terrible either. Underestimate at your own peril.

If the US advances, how good are the Group H teams? Who does the US want to play in that group and who would be the biggest trouble?

Group H is, by pretty much any metric, the weakest group in this tournament. Belgium will probably win the group and are clearly stronger than you, however.

[minionofmidas]

He's half Ethiopian half Ghanaian (well, all I'd have remembered before this thread was half Ethiopian half something West African, but that's because Ethiopia is what I've had discussion with him about.) And no, he's not an Amhara.

[minionofmidas]

Belgium (...) are clearly stronger than you, however.

I take that back.

[minionofmidas]

Side note:

Iran and Bosnia were clearly robbed.

And FIFA seems to think that this is not a big deal at all, as they've appointed for the South Korea-Algeria the same referee that disallowed two legitimate Mexican goals in the Mexico-Cameroon game.

Actually, they replaced the linesman that did that.