FIFA World Cup 2014 Qualifying

[Keystone Phil]

The Italian Federation has invited Argentina to play a Friendly in August in honor of Pope Francis! It's expected that both teams would meet with His Holiness at The Vatican some time before the match.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2013/soccer/wires/04/02/2080.ap.soc.italy.argentina.friendly.119/index.html?mobile=no

[Keystone Phil]

Italy loses 5-4 on penalty kicks to Russia in the U17 Euro Final.

[Keystone Phil]

England-Brazil Friendly postponed because the legendary and supposedly renovated Maracana is said to be structurally unsafe. Meanwhile, the Confederations Cup kicks off in a little over two weeks with the Maracana game scheduled to be between Italy and Mexico. It's also to play host to another group game and the Final. That's not to mention the fact that the Workd Cup is a year away and the most famous stadium still isn't ready.

[Tender Branson]

On Sunday, Germany's B or C team plays the US in Washington DC.

Germany's B or C team already won against Ecuador 4-2 a few days ago in Boca Raton.

[Keystone Phil]

84th minute...

Italy - 4
San Marino - 0

27 shots by Italy. 17 on goal.

1 shot for San Marino. It was on goal.

[batmacumba]

England-Brazil Friendly postponed because the legendary and supposedly renovated Maracana is said to be structurally unsafe. Meanwhile, the Confederations Cup kicks off in a little over two weeks with the Maracana game scheduled to be between Italy and Mexico. It's also to play host to another group game and the Final. That's not to mention the fact that the Workd Cup is a year away and the most famous stadium still isn't ready.

Actually, it was an idiot internal political dispute at Rio's state government. The structural and safety report, which is mandatory for any stadium, wasn't sent to the competent authority in time (and it seems this happened intentionally). But it was solved the next day.

I'm more concerned now with authorities using they power to provoke problems for political reasons than with the infrastructure.

[Keystone Phil]

Klinsmann's U.S. vs. Klinsmann's old side today. Lief must be torn!

[Tender Branson]

Klinsmann's U.S. vs. Klinsmann's old side today. Lief must be torn!

Damn, I almost forgot about this because of the flooding here.

Thx for reminding me ...

Prediction: 4-1 for Germany's B/C-Team

[Tender Branson]

Those playing today:

Deutschland: ter Stegen/Borussia Mönchengladbach (21 years old/2 international games) - Lars Bender/Bayer Leverkusen (24/13), Mertesacker/FC Arsenal (28/89), Höwedes/Schalke 04 (25/13), Jansen/Hamburger SV (27/38) - Reinartz/Bayer Leverkusen (24/2), Sven Bender/Borussia Dortmund (24/3) - Schürrle/Bayer Leverkusen (22/23), Draxler/Schalke 04 (19/5), Podolski/FC Arsenal (27/109) - Klose/Lazio Rom (34/126)

USA: Howard/FC Everton (34 years old/85 international games) - Parkhurst/FC Augsburg (29/15), Cameron/Stoke City (27/14), Gonzales/Los Angeles Galaxy (24/6), Johnson/1899 Hoffenheim (25/11) - Williams/1899 Hoffenheim (24/12), Jones/Schalke 04 (31/31), Bradley/AS Rom (25/75)
- Dempsey/Tottenham Hotspur (30/94), Gomez/Santos Laguna (31/21) - Altidore/AZ Alkmaar (23/55)

[Tender Branson]

Game just started.

ZDF is showing it live in HD.

It's played at the RFK Stadium in Washington DC.

Attendance: ca. 50.000

[Keystone Phil]

Wow. Great Altidore goal.

[Tender Branson]

USA ! USA ! USA !

[Tender Branson]

16 minutes in.

And Germany already gets their butts kicked.

2-0 USA

Football is funny sometimes ...

[Tender Branson]

They are playing like Germany's F team now ... Schürrle missing a 100% chance.

[Tender Branson]

Side fact:

The US team has a German/Austrian coaching team: Klinsmann and the guy to his left is Andy Herzog.

[Tender Branson]

Offside goal from Klose.

Does not count.

[Tender Branson]

Podolski now kicks the ball to the moon a few meters ahead of the goal.

Until now, this might be one of the worst games I have seen from Germany in at least the past 5 years, if not 10 years.

[Keystone Phil]

Germany pull one back just after the start of the second half. I think the video from President Obama praising the U.S. team just before the second half was a bit of a curse. 

[Keystone Phil]

4-1 U.S.  What the hell?

[batmacumba]

Since I'm a kid, I always support the small guys. It started with Cameroon in 82, and that's the only situation (apart of Afghanistan) I root for the USA.

[Platypus]

Australia gets a lucky and unlucky draw in Japan.

[Keystone Phil]

Japan has officially qualified. First team to do so (aside from the hosts).

[Keystone Phil]

FIFA rankings have The Netherlands up to fifth and Afghanistan up to 141st! They're up 48 places since the last ranking. The top four remain unchanged (Spain, Germany, Argentina, Croatia). England are down two spots to ninth. Italy are still in 8th.






Brazil are ranked 22nd. Their lowest ever.

[Lief 🗽]

Croatia in 4th? I feel like they're always ranked too high for some reason. Then again they  did tie Italy and almost knockout Spain in the Euro Cup.

[Keystone Phil]

Croatia in 4th? I feel like they're always ranked too high for some reason. Then again they  did tie Italy and almost knockout Spain in the Euro Cup.

They just have our number for some reason. Don't get me wrong, they're a good side but fourth? No. They must have had some insane Friendly results because they're actually second in their qualifying group (behind Belgium but only because of goal difference) and didn't make it out of the group stage at the Euros. Just goes to show you how silly this ranking system is.