WORLD CUP

FandameMember

Goal, I agree. The young players should know better, but on the world stage, near the goal, their hearts overtook their brains. Bradley has had some really boneheaded plays in this tournament, amid some really good play. Klinsman is a terrific coach, who showed a bit of gamesmanship with his "can't win it all" announcement: his players try to prove him wrong. If they do, they play with a better edge and are more willing to take chances, and the team does better. If the US doesn't win it all (chances are darn near nil, even before the tourney started), Klinsman is proven correct. Either way, Klinsman comes off looking good.

I do like Klinsman's willingness to put younger guys out there in pressure situations; they may fail now, like yesterday, but in four years they will be a lot better for it. Spain has paid for not including young guys. Costa Rica is reaping the benefits of a younger roster with its 1) quickness and 2) conditioning, and its ability to pressure the opponents due to 1 and 2.

We'll see what happens against Germany, but I liked yesterday's lineup and the way the US played.

6/23/144:47 PM

GoallineLarge Antenna

The boys played really well yesterday. I was impressed.

6/23/145:32 PM

FedyaMember

   A                   1   2   3   4            B                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Brazil            | X |3:1|0:0|4:1|        1. Spain            | X |1:5|0:2|3:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Croatia           |1:3| X |1:3|4:0|        2. Netherlands      |5:1| X |2:0|3:2|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. Mexico            |0:0|3:1| X |1:0|        3. Chile            |2:0|0:2| X |3:1|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. Cameroon          |1:4|0:4|0:1| X |        4. Australia        |0:3|2:3|1:3| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+

  C                    1   2   3   4            D                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Colombia          | X |3:0|2:1|   |        1. Uruguay          | X |1:3|2:1|   |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Greece            |0:3| X |   |0:0|        2. Costa Rica       |3:1| X |   |1:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. Ivory Coast       |1:2|   | X |2:1|        3. England          |1:2|   | X |1:2|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. Japan             |   |0:0|1:2| X |        4. Italy            |   |0:1|2:1| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+

  E                    1   2   3   4            F                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Switzerland       | X |2:1|2:5|   |        1. Argentina        | X |2:1|1:0|   |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Ecuador           |1:2| X |   |2:1|        2. Bosnia-Herz.     |1:2| X |   |0:1|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. France            |5:2|   | X |3:0|        3. Iran             |0:1|   | X |0:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. Honduras          |   |1:2|0:3| X |        4. Nigeria          |   |1:0|0:0| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+

  G                    1   2   3   4            H                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Germany           | X |4:0|2:2|   |        1. Belgium          | X |2:1|1:0|   |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Portugal          |0:4| X |   |2:2|        2. Algeria          |1:2| X |   |4:2|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. Ghana             |2:2|   | X |1:2|        3. Russia           |0:1|   | X |1:1|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. United States     |   |2:2|2:1| X |        4. South Korea      |   |2:4|1:1| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+



A1    BRA                                                                          MEX    A2
  -----------+                                                                +-----------
B2    CHI    +-----------+                                        +-----------+    NED    B1
  -----------+           |                                        |           +-----------
C1                       +-----------+                +-----------+                       C2
  -----------+           |           |                |           |           +-----------
D2           +-----------+           +-----------     |           +-----------+           D1
  -----------+                       |                |                       +-----------
E1                                   |                |                                   E2
  -----------+                       |                |                       +-----------
F2           +-----------+           |     -----------+           +-----------+           F1
  -----------+           |           |                |           |           +-----------
G1                       +-----------+                +-----------+                       G2
  -----------+           |                                        |           +-----------
H2           +-----------+                                        +-----------+           H1
  -----------+                                                                +-----------

So we're finally beginning to learn some of the matchups in the knockout phase. I'd pick Brazil to beat Chile, and the Dutch to beat Mexico, after Robben dives and gets a penalty that he puts past Ochoa.

6/23/146:43 PM

ChongoX4 O.G.

OK, you HAD to go to the ANSI bracket?

WTF?!

6/23/147:15 PM

FedyaMember

I only left 11 spaces for each country in the playoffs. United States has 12 once you include the space.

6/23/147:39 PM

antoooMember

USA USA USA (11)

6/23/149:30 PM

FedyaMember

It isn't just Chelsea:

NZ ref who screwed up Bosnia-Nigeria game receives death threat

quote:
Whangarei's football fraternity is backing a Northland football referee subjected to death threats and abuse after two contentious calls in a Fifa World Cup match.

Tikipunga High School science head and Fifa World Cup referee Peter O'Leary made two controversial calls in the Bosnia-Herzegovina v Nigeria match after advice from his assistant referees. Bosnia-Herzegovina lost the match, resulting in Mr O'Leary being subjected to death threats and an online petition calling for him to be sacked.

The petition was sparked after this photo of Peter O'Leary talking to Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, background right, following Nigeria's 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina:

6/24/147:28 AM

FandameMember

Ref dude should have just gotten out of Dodge. Talking to any team member after a match is always cause for suspicion for the conspiracy theorists. Hasn't he watched "The Two Escobars"? (although still unsolved)

As passionate as we are about football and the GBP, soccer fans are crazy nuts!

6/24/1411:30 AM

FedyaMember

Way to go Luís Suárez!

6/24/141:21 PM

Shoeless JoeMember

It's getting bloody bloody out there! - some english guy somewhere

6/24/141:43 PM

GBFanForLifeLarge Member

Maybe it was just foreplay.

6/24/141:50 PM

GoallineLarge Antenna

Originally Posted by Fedya:

Way to go Luís Suárez!

Not his fault. Have you seen those chompers? He is like a rodent. He has to gnaw on something control their size.

6/24/142:25 PM

FandameMember

Suarez is a sneaky rodent. I think it's pretty evident he bit the guy, considering how the defender reacted as well as the marks left on his shoulder. However, FIFA will probably take no action as Suarez is a star and FIFA is crooked. Witness Balotelli not getting a red card despite going into a guy's head with his foot, while another guy who's not a star gets the red for going into a knee. I would hope they would suspend Suarez for a year, but it's not going to happen...

6/24/143:09 PM

GoallineLarge Antenna

Hard to say. Suarez started the season on a 10 game suspension for biting, but that was a punishment down by the English FA, not by FIFA. I think he and Balotelli really struggle with pressure, not in their play, but in holding back their emotions.

6/24/144:39 PM

GBFanForLifeLarge Member

Would it be ok if he told him that he loved him?

6/24/144:48 PM

bubbleboy789Member

did you see that part where they kicked the ball?

6/24/147:28 PM

PackLandVAMember

Louie Saurez - Marv Albert's favorite international soccer player!

6/24/147:37 PM

GoallineLarge Antenna

Originally Posted by GBFanForLife:

Would it be ok if he told him that he loved him?

I don't think so. He needs to show that love first.

6/24/147:39 PM

Dr._BobMember

Why buy the sadist when you can get the teeth for free?

6/24/147:59 PM

FedyaMember

quote:
I think he and Balotelli really struggle with pressure, not in their play, but in holding back their emotions.

Then Suárez and Balotelli can sit at the kids' table why the big boys play on the field.

6/24/148:38 PM

FedyaMember

   A                   1   2   3   4            B                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Brazil            | X |3:1|0:0|4:1|        1. Spain            | X |1:5|0:2|3:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Croatia           |1:3| X |1:3|4:0|        2. Netherlands      |5:1| X |2:0|3:2|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. Mexico            |0:0|3:1| X |1:0|        3. Chile            |2:0|0:2| X |3:1|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. Cameroon          |1:4|0:4|0:1| X |        4. Australia        |0:3|2:3|1:3| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+

  C                    1   2   3   4            D                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Colombia          | X |3:0|2:1|4:1|        1. Uruguay          | X |1:3|2:1|1:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Greece            |0:3| X |2:1|0:0|        2. Costa Rica       |3:1| X |0:0|1:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. Ivory Coast       |1:2|1:2| X |2:1|        3. England          |1:2|0:0| X |1:2|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. Japan             |1:4|0:0|1:2| X |        4. Italy            |0:1|0:1|2:1| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+

  E                    1   2   3   4            F                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Switzerland       | X |2:1|2:5|   |        1. Argentina        | X |2:1|1:0|   |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Ecuador           |1:2| X |   |2:1|        2. Bosnia-Herz.     |1:2| X |   |0:1|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. France            |5:2|   | X |3:0|        3. Iran             |0:1|   | X |0:0|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. Honduras          |   |1:2|0:3| X |        4. Nigeria          |   |1:0|0:0| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+

  G                    1   2   3   4            H                   1   2   3   4
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
1. Germany           | X |4:0|2:2|   |        1. Belgium          | X |2:1|1:0|   |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
2. Portugal          |0:4| X |   |2:2|        2. Algeria          |1:2| X |   |4:2|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
3. Ghana             |2:2|   | X |1:2|        3. Russia           |0:1|   | X |1:1|
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+
4. United States     |   |2:2|2:1| X |        4. South Korea      |   |2:4|1:1| X |
                     +---+---+---+---+                            +---+---+---+---+



A1    BRA                                                                          MEX    A2
  -----------+                                                                +-----------
B2    CHI    +-----------+                                        +-----------+    NED    B1
  -----------+           |                                        |           +-----------
C1    COL                +-----------+                +-----------+                GRE    C2
  -----------+           |           |                |           |           +-----------
D2    URU    +-----------+           +-----------     |           +-----------+    CRC    D1
  -----------+                       |                |                       +-----------
E1                                   |                |                                   E2
  -----------+                       |                |                       +-----------
F2           +-----------+           |     -----------+           +-----------+           F1
  -----------+           |           |                |           |           +-----------
G1                       +-----------+                +-----------+                       G2
  -----------+           |                                        |           +-----------
H2           +-----------+                                        +-----------+           H1
  -----------+                                                                +-----------

How many of you had Costa Rica playing Greece before the tournament began?

6/24/149:05 PM

FedyaMember

Twitter, unsurprisingly, has been absolutely brutal to Luís Suárez.

McDonald's of Uruguay says that if Suárez is hungry, perhaps he should come in for a Big Mac.

Evander Holyfield: "I guess any part of the body is up for eating."

"Please give generously:"

6/25/147:28 AM

Shoeless JoeMember

6/25/147:32 AM

GoallineLarge Antenna

ROTFLMAO

6/25/149:03 AM

Dr._BobMember

That's what soccer needs. More zombies.

6/25/149:38 AM

grignonMember

Originally Posted by Shoeless Joe:

That's a weird phone number. Damn foreigners. ^^^^^^

That's like a scene from 5 year old soccer.

Oranges at half time cures everything up to a torn ACL. That requires ice cream.

6/25/149:59 AM

GBFanForLifeLarge Member

Originally Posted by Goalline:

Originally Posted by GBFanForLife:

Would it be ok if he told him that he loved him?

I don't think so. He needs to show that love first.

What about Love at first bite?

6/25/1411:51 AM

"We"-Ka-BongYou ungrateful biscuit eating son of a bitch

I have not watched a minute of soccur and have avoided this thread, but this is by far the most entertaining soccur related thing online

6/25/145:38 PM

IowacheeseKeen Insight

6/25/145:57 PM

Blair KielGOOD OL' FAKE BLAIR KIEL - My Hood? nice Henry. Fuck You!

Hateful.

6/25/146:46 PM

GoallineLarge Antenna

Originally Posted by El-Ka-Bong:

"I have not watched a minute of soccur"

Chickenboy, stay out of this thread.

6/25/1410:06 PM

H5Keyboard Warrior, troll hunter

4:00

6/25/1410:42 PM

FedyaMember

Chaos erupts as Ghana sends Boateng and Muntari home

Muntari was of course out for having picked up two yellow cards. But anything that weakens Ghana is probably good for the US hopes. I didn't expect Portugal to pick up a big win against Ghana what with havine one day fewer between matches and with having played in Manaus. (It's also part of the reason why I'm worried about the American hopes.)

Sorry, Goalline.

6/26/148:07 AM

GoallineLarge Antenna

Ghana is done! I blame the government. How do you expect to maintain moral if you don't pay the players. The team has essentially been on strike .the last two days. So the team is unprepared and moral is down good luck.

6/26/1410:54 AM

GoallineLarge Antenna

Well, own goal Ghana. Congrats, USA. Amazing watching a complete lack of effort by this Ghana team. They haven't won a single 50 50 ball.

6/26/1411:32 AM

FedyaMember

They made the US sweat for about 20 minutes until Ronaldo finally scored.

6/26/141:08 PM

FedyaMember

The US played about as well as can be expected what with running on fumes having 27 hours less recovery time and being up against a really good team like Germany. Wasn't much they could do about the goal either. Howard made a good save, but the ball rebounded to Müller who had an excellent finish.

6/26/141:12 PM