World Cup starts today

[297point1]

Who's excited? THIS GUY!!

Prediction: Argentina
Dark Horse: Chile
To underperform: Brazil, France, England, Belgium, Ivory Coast
The Yanks: win v. Ghana, loss v. Portugal, win v. Germany (Germany rests starters); loss in quarterfinals

Your predictions?

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[WVUPharm2007]

Chile is a good dark horse. Another is The Netherlands. If they can get out of that hellish group, they will make it deep.

 

[anewmanx]

They're really going nuts over it here in CR.

 

[sakigt]

Argentina is a pretty good guess, esp since Brazil has been sucking recently.

I think the US will win all 3 first games, but I know nothing (Jon Snow) about these sorts of things

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

Chile is a good dark horse. Another is The Netherlands. If they can get out of that hellish group, they will make it deep.

Without Strootman???

 

[Caverject]

Spain vs Germany for all the marbles...

 

[Jibby321]

MURICA!!!!!!!!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

I got the Germans.

 

[Jibby321]

I just want brazil to lose.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Without Strootman???

5-1, wood shoes.

 

[Sparda29]

5-1, wood shoes.

Didn't see that coming.

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

5-1, wood shoes.

I stand corrected!

 

[alprazolamborghini]

Brazil vs Netherlands in the final.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

They're really going nuts over it here in CR.

Hopefully you survived the win over Uruguay.

 

[deleted437652]

I want America to make it out the group just to spite everyone saying it is impossible, Germany to win it (the other powerhouses are looking weaker than in previous years... or maybe the smaller teams are just playing out of their minds so far), and Honduras to lose every single game by 3+ point because of their display today.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

The odds makers are giving the US a 35% chance of making it out. Not sure who is saying its "impossible." They just have to beat Ghana and I think they get in to be honest. Portugal isn't that great. They got pretty boy and rumor is that he's nursing an injury. Other than that, they are maybe about as skilled as the US squad. I want to see WVU alum Geoff Cameron shut him down.

 

[297point1]

Chile is a good dark horse. Another is The Netherlands. If they can get out of that hellish group, they will make it deep.

I picked Netherlands last year, but didn't see lightning striking twice.

That header by van Persie from 17 meters was insane- he looked like a dolphin. (who has got that as a GIF?)
The speed that Robben showed on his second goal was unbelieveable- like the defender was running in slow motion.

Sticking with Chile as my dark horse (European teams do not generally play well in Cups outside of Europe)...can the Oranje even be a dark horse after a 5-1 smackdown of the Spanish?

 

[Jibby321]

AMERICA!!!!!!

 

[Jibby321]

AMERICA!!!!!!

**** YEA! FREEDOM IS THE ONLY MOTHA ****ING WAY, YEA!

Any one remember that movie?

 

[owlegrad]

**** YEA! FREEDOM IS THE ONLY MOTHA ******* WAY, YEA!

Any one remember that movie?

This guy.

 

[Unchained]

Watching soccer is like watching paint dry. The American team is barely American. We just borrow players from other countries that care about soccer. If they had real sports in the rest of the world they wouldn't care about soccer either. I'm glad it's only every 4 years.

 

[Sparda29]

Watching soccer is like watching paint dry. The American team is barely American. We just borrow players from other countries that care about soccer. If they had real sports in the rest of the world they wouldn't care about soccer either. I'm glad it's only every 4 years.

Other than soccer and basketball, most sports require quite a lot of money to get into from a young age.

Soccer all you need to learn is a ball and designate a goal at 2 ends using whatever you want as markers. Basketball all you need is a basketball and 2 hoops.

Baseball you need a bat, gloves, balls.

Football you need all that padding and gear.

Hockey you need skates, an ice rink, the padding, hockey stick.

 

[FCMike11]

Watching soccer is like watching paint dry. The American team is barely American. We just borrow players from other countries that care about soccer. If they had real sports in the rest of the world they wouldn't care about soccer either. I'm glad it's only every 4 years.

Shows how absolutely clueless you are. Every international squad has players with multiple nationalities who has to choose between countries. What's a real sport exactly?

 

[Unchained]

Shows how absolutely clueless you are. Every international squad has players with multiple nationalities who has to choose between countries. What's a real sport exactly?[/Q

That point is true Sparda. It is more affordable for the third world countries to participate in.

FCMike11 I do believe in American exceptionalism. We do like being represented by Americans in international sports also. We don't recognize with people we borrow from other countries. This is yet another reason why people here don't follow it.

 

[FCMike11]

That point is true Sparda. It is more affordable for the third world countries to participate in.

FCMike11 I do believe in American exceptionalism. We do like being represented by Americans in international sports also. We don't recognize with people we borrow from other countries. This is yet another reason why people here don't follow it.

Its a 23 man squad and I believe there are only 7 dual nationals. So I'm not following.

 

[KidPharmD]

Not to mention that even those that are dual nationalities are American Citizens. It is one of the great things about the United States. Don't you remember "melting pot" from US history?

 

[Unchained]

Not to mention that even those that are dual nationalities are American Citizens. It is one of the great things about the United States. Don't you remember "melting pot" from US history?

O ya the good old "melting pot". This "melting pot" is much different from the melting pot you were taught back when you were a kiddie. Todays melting pot is used to bring in foreign workers legally and illegally because they will work for less than Americans and expect less in return. This is a discussion for another thread if you would like to begin it.

FCMike that is still 30%. They have to bring them in if they want to win a game or two.

 

[silentovation]

LET FREEDOM RING! MURICA!

 

[alprazolamborghini]

Watching soccer is like watching paint dry. The American team is barely American. We just borrow players from other countries that care about soccer. If they had real sports in the rest of the world they wouldn't care about soccer either. I'm glad it's only every 4 years.

What are you talking about? Do you follow soccer? This country was established by all kinds of foreigners to begin with. Also, there are many other countries who have recruited players from elsewhere. What do you mean by real sports? Soccer (football) is the most famous and played sports worldwide. please hide your ignorance.

 

[297point1]

34 seconds!!

Portugal with a -4 GD and missing their center back for the next game...can I start looking ahead to see where the 2 seed from Group G plays in the round of 16?

 

[FMLazole]

34 seconds!!

Portugal with a -4 GD and missing their center back for the next game...can I start looking ahead to see where the 2 seed from Group G plays in the round of 16?

Tuesday, July 1 @ 4pm against the winner of Group H (probably Belgium). Win that and we'd play on Sat, July 5. Already saw how work would interfere and have an "action plan" in place just in case this happens.

 

[297point1]

Oh, and this...

Dempsey: One tough SOB

 

[KidPharmD]

O ya the good old "melting pot". This "melting pot" is much different from the melting pot you were taught back when you were a kiddie. Todays melting pot is used to bring in foreign workers legally and illegally because they will work for less than Americans and expect less in return. This is a discussion for another thread if you would like to begin it.

FCMike that is still 30%. They have to bring them in if they want to win a game or two.

Of the 23 current members of the US squad, all are U.S. citizens by birth. Of those who were born outside the U.S., all but 1 was born to U.S. servicemen serving in Germany and were born in Germany. The 1 that was not is Mikkel Diskerund, and his mother was American (which makes him a born citizen). Your ideas about foreign workers doesn't apply to this situation, so your right... it is an entirely different topic.

 

[RxMonkey]

Delete

 

[RxMonkey]

...can I start looking ahead to see where the 2 seed from Group G plays in the round of 16?

I would focus my worrying on how the US is going to beat Germany or Portugal. Or draw them both. Otherwise, We will have to rely on pure luck to get out of group play.

 

[FMLazole]

I would focus my worrying on how the US is going to beat Germany or Portugal. Or draw them both. Otherwise, We will have to rely on pure luck to get out of group play.

A draw with Portugal and we're pretty likely to advance, as we would be sitting with a +1 goal differential and Portugal with a -4 GD heading into the last game... still possible to blow that, but it'd be a huge meltdown.

 

[Jibby321]

We will just pull another WWII to beat those Wiener schnitzel eating Germans.

 

[RxMonkey]

A draw with Portugal and we're pretty likely to advance, as we would be sitting with a +1 goal differential and Portugal with a -4 GD heading into the last game... still possible to blow that, but it'd be a huge meltdown.

This is assuming that germany doesn't hand it to us like they did portugal.

 

[297point1]

If the US draws with Portugal and Germany beats Ghana, then Germany won't care [too much] about their match with the US- they will already be through to the round of 16.

 

[RxMonkey]

And while I'm thinking about it, why is Donovan not in Brazil? Was his performance falling off THAT much not to bring him at all??

 

[297point1]

And while I'm thinking about it, why is Donovan not in Brazil? Was his performance falling off THAT much not to bring him at all??

Donovan and Klinsmann don't get along...it dates back to their time together at Bayern Munich.
Donovan didn't do squat in the Bundesliga, and Klinsmann got canned.

 

[Sparda29]

I have a feeling that one of the reason soccer isn't popular in America as a watched sport is because of the lack of scoring. Same reason why hockey is only watched by a few diehard fans. Most bars and lounges in NY didn't put the Rangers games on the TV until the finals started (putting out of town basketball on instead).

I like defensive games with low scoring and the game coming down to the wire in any sport I watch. I like baseball games that go scoreless in a pitching duel to extra innings where the game is won by a score of 1-0. I like American football games with defensive domination, constant fumbling and interceptions, and the game ending with a score of something like 10-7, with a field goal deciding the game in the last minutes. I like basketball games, where the final score is something like 81-79.

Unfortunately, most Americans like it when the football games are crazy QB performances with touchdowns left and right and the game ending like 41-38, and baseball games that have home runs being hit all over the place, and basketball games that go to like 115-110.

 

[RxMonkey]

Donovan and Klinsmann don't get along...it dates back to their time together at Bayern Munich.
Donovan didn't do squat in the Bundesliga, and Klinsmann got canned.

I had no idea it was that personal between those two.

I have a feeling that one of the reason soccer isn't popular in America as a watched sport is because of the lack of scoring. .

I think soccer would be a lot more popular in the US if we didn't have as many 'local' sports absorbing the US's best atheletes. A trend to notice is that the average american will follow sports that America is uniquely good at. Basketball, Baseball, Football... the rest of the world doesn't care much with these sports (I mean, come on.. a 'World' series that is only competed in by teams from 2 countries?). America is great at Hockey, but a fair amount of the talent in the NHL is foreign (Canada, Russia, Greenland).

But I will have no idea why NASCAR is popular.

 

[Sparda29]

But I will have no idea why NASCAR is popular.

BBQs, beer, cars going 150 mph+, what's not American about that?

I like car racing too, but I prefer F1 and GT racing. Something where the cars make right turns also.

 

[Unchained]

Real sports don't end in 0-0 ties as we saw today in your premier event. Real sports have overtime periods where someone scores and they have a winner and a loser. Real sports have a clock which winds down and says the game is over. Not a ref who decides to add however many minutes because someone rolled around on the ground pretending to have a broken shin.

You may not advance over a team that you beat because they scored more goals against another team.Even the most ardent soccer fan has got to find this ridiculous.

Games can be decided by penalty kicks. Even the World Cup. They should play until someone scores.

The best athletes don't play soccer. It is not a sport where one has to be athletically gifted. Every kid on the planet can do it. It's the lowest common denominator sport.

 

[Dysic]

huh

 

[Sparda29]

Real sports don't end in 0-0 ties as we saw today in your premier event. Real sports have overtime periods where someone scores and they have a winner and a loser. Real sports have a clock which winds down and says the game is over. Not a ref who decides to add however many minutes because someone rolled around on the ground pretending to have a broken shin.

You may not advance over a team that you beat because they scored more goals against another team.Even the most ardent soccer fan has got to find this ridiculous.

Games can be decided by penalty kicks. Even the World Cup. They should play until someone scores.

The best athletes don't play soccer. It is not a sport where one has to be athletically gifted. Every kid on the planet can do it. It's the lowest common denominator sport.

Yes, because running an average of 13 km per game doesn't require athletic skill. As well as manipulating a ball without using your hands.

 

[Member 5149]

Watching soccer is like watching paint dry. The American team is barely American. We just borrow players from other countries that care about soccer. If they had real sports in the rest of the world they wouldn't care about soccer either. I'm glad it's only every 4 years.

Nothing more American than bashing soccer. If you can't follow or understand the game keep it to yourself, otherwise you sound like a whiny white person living in a red state. We "borrow" them....
Immigration is what made America. It's what makes America great. Take a look

http://soccer.fusion.net/2014/06/16...-of-the-u-s-world-cup-soccer-team-disappears/

Without these guys America would not win. Same principle applies currently, immigrants that make it in the states become millionaires far quicker than the rest of America. Legal Immigrants are the backbone that makes America great, not the America that sits in front of a TV eating ding dongs and 2 liter pepsis until their DM causes the heart attack they don't have insurance to cover.

"The best athletes don't play soccer. It is not a sport where one has to be athletically gifted. Every kid on the planet can do it. It's the lowest common denominator sport"

I suppose baseball is a common denominator sport too. There's far more skill necessary to succeed in these two sport than the rest of the sports your super genetic "gifted" athletes require. Just one example, Ocho Cinco prefers playing soccer over football. Why didn't he play it considering the athletic advantage he has? "Because it's much harder," his own words!

Soccer being difficult doesn't register any meaning in the ignorant American brain because its never been exposed to anything more than, "BOOT the BALL JIMMY!"
Not only is that laughable and pathetic, it's sad.

 

[Unchained]

Running a lot and kicking a ball does not require much athleticism. Ocho Cinco is a poor example. He is lazy. By harder he means running a lot. Also it has unfortunately become chic to like soccer here for some reason. He is just sucking up. Heck he needs a job pretty bad. He's broke.

Baseball requires much more skill. Have you ever tried to hit a baseball? Particularly one pitched by a major leaguer at 96mph? It requires an incredible amount of hand eye coordination. It's not something many are born with. However nearly everyone is born with the ability to kick and run.

 

[KidPharmD]

BCS - The ranking system for American College Football uses scoring to determine ranking.

I think being the lowest common denominator sport is a great thing. The sport is designed that way. You can put two teams worth of guys and gals on a field and all you need is a ball and something to be goals, and some way to decide about an hour and a half has past.

However, I think a tremendous amount of skill is needed to play soccer at the level we see at the World cup. It took me several years to train myself to strike the ball so that I could both get it far enough and in the right place. I am still not as accurate as the guys you see on TV this month. I wonder how your baseball players would fair trying to score against one of these World Cup goalies (or even a MLS player who was not called up).