http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/14/2014-world-cup-photos-best_n_5494666.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/14/2014-world-cup-photos-best_n_5494666.html)
brazil got a nice gift ftom japan in the opener
The first few matches have been MUCH more entertaining than ususal - where most teams used to be more focused on not loosing than actually winning. Positive football and lots of goals [thumbsup]
Today the US team plays it's first match, maybe including a dual citizenship Norwegian player (Mikkel Diskerud) 8) I'm in front of my TV at midnight, local time.
yea USA!
GG!!! USA
My first choice is and always will be Deutschland followed by Italy . . . now, I work for an Italian company owned by a German company . .. how weird ???
Quote from: Darkmonster620 on June 16, 2014, 05:10:39 PM
My first choice is and always will be Deutschland followed by Italy . . .
unless it's F1 [cheeky]
With the last name DeVries, it should come as no surprise that I can't stop replaying van Persie's header against Spain. Or either of Robben's goals.
USA you crushed my soul last night. [bang] you beat the make the beast with two backs out of Portugal and only came away with a tie.
We are so happy to get beat and not thrashed within an inch of our lives. [laugh] The country is celebrating the improvement.
Dammit! Spain next.
Ask anyone who was in the bar yesterday - with two or three minutes left in regular time, I worried out loud that the US defense & midfield had gotten so soggy that they'd be damn lucky to come out of the game with a draw. Although I agree with one after-the-fact analysis of the game that posited the US was pretty much exactly where it deserved to be at this point in the tournament - not locked in, but at least still in charge of their own destiny. The heartbreaking draw yesterday is almost sufficient karmic balancing for stealing a game they never should have won against Ghana.
That, and the Dutch won today, so my real favorite team continues killing it! [thumbsup]
We got whooped! Normal service resumed. [laugh]
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/10405543_10203600851637028_1305518703997085722_n.jpg)
[laugh] [clap]
I'm waiting for Ghana to go berserk on Portugal and knock the USA out again. :-\
He's done it again. Suarez that is. No one likes a biter.
https://twitter.com/holyfield/status/481507319595823104
A third world sport that is taking over America. Ties? Come on! We need winners!
Quote from: spolic on June 27, 2014, 02:11:46 PM
A third world sport that is taking over America. Ties? Come on! We need winners!
http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/fans.htm (http://www.topendsports.com/world/lists/popular-sport/fans.htm)
i need to brush up on my ping pong skills.
Holland ;D
Quote from: supertjeduc on June 29, 2014, 01:03:06 PM
Holland ;D
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/3f6e92dca6bca022e45ecb5877fd0d25.jpg)
I'm not much of a soccer fan, although I've enjoyed seeing the game replays and/or highlights each afternoon.
I'm certainly not getting up to watch it in the early hours. I do have a crazy Italian colleague who's been up each morning since it began. Man does he look haggard!
Crazy soccer fans! LOL!
GK
Quote from: kopfjäger on June 29, 2014, 04:00:18 PM
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/3f6e92dca6bca022e45ecb5877fd0d25.jpg)
Go Oranje!
I'm a total homer for The Netherlands (as noted above, the last name DeVries has a lot to do with that), and Arjen Robben has to be one of my favorite players ever...
But this makes me laugh every time I read it:
"Dutch winger Arjen Robben earned a game-winning penalty for the Netherlands in their 2-1 victory over Mexico after being mortally wounded in the box in the second minute of injury time. Mexico captain Rafael Marquez’s big toe nicked Robben’s pinky toe, causing the Bayern Munich player’s internal organs to spontaneously combust on impact. Robben is survived by his wife Bernadien Eillert and their children."
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2014/06/29/arjen_robben_dive_against_mexico_the_winger_makes_the_ultimate_world_cup.html (http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2014/06/29/arjen_robben_dive_against_mexico_the_winger_makes_the_ultimate_world_cup.html)
The writer goes on to note that Robben's well-known skills as a thespian probably resulted in the non-call in stoppage time at the end of the first half when Robben got pretty egregiously hacked in the box - twice!
I also thought it was funny that one of the ESPN analysts put it back on Marquez - saying that he should have realized that Robben would be "extremely fragile" in the box and that ANY questionable tackling was horribly risky.
Quote from: triangleforge on June 30, 2014, 11:03:38 AM
I'm a total homer for The Netherlands (as noted above, the last name DeVries has a lot to do with that), and Arjen Robben has to be one of my favorite players ever...
But this makes me laugh every time I read it:
"Dutch winger Arjen Robben earned a game-winning penalty for the Netherlands in their 2-1 victory over Mexico after being mortally wounded in the box in the second minute of injury time. Mexico captain Rafael Marquez’s big toe nicked Robben’s pinky toe, causing the Bayern Munich player’s internal organs to spontaneously combust on impact. Robben is survived by his wife Bernadien Eillert and their children."
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2014/06/29/arjen_robben_dive_against_mexico_the_winger_makes_the_ultimate_world_cup.html (http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2014/06/29/arjen_robben_dive_against_mexico_the_winger_makes_the_ultimate_world_cup.html)
The writer goes on to note that Robben's well-known skills as a thespian probably resulted in the non-call in stoppage time at the end of the first half when Robben got pretty egregiously hacked in the box - twice!
I also thought it was funny that one of the ESPN analysts put it back on Marquez - saying that he should have realized that Robben would be "extremely fragile" in the box and that ANY questionable tackling was horribly risky.
Awesome.
He did flop really badly, but if it means mexico is out, I'm ok with that. ;)
Quote from: KnightofNi on June 30, 2014, 09:58:11 PM
Awesome.
He did flop really badly, but if it means mexico is out, I'm ok with that. ;)
I'm not a soccer fan but I did enjoy Mexico losing.
Quote from: hbliam on June 30, 2014, 10:38:16 PM
I'm not a soccer fan but I did enjoy Mexico losing.
You guys suck
Quote from: duccarlos on July 01, 2014, 02:12:09 PM
You guys suck
Wait and see what Belgium does during the next our or so ...
Quote from: stopintime on July 01, 2014, 02:15:01 PM
Wait and see what Belgium does during the next our or so ...
Hopefully suck
my ex wife is Belgian....so they really need to go down in flames.
and get hit by trucks
and get audited
and go to h e double hockey sticks
Fantastic US effort, but not enough :-\
Both teams should have gone through [clap]
[clap] [clap] [clap]
(SPOILER ALERT - STOP NOW IF YOU'RE WAITING TO WATCH THE GAME!!!)
Tim Howard should definitely go on to the next round; I'm not so sure about the rest of the team. ;D
Seriously, it was simultaneously thrilling and kind of sad to watch the U.S. there in the last ten minutes of overtime - they clearly had that kind of exciting, aggressive, sharply-executed play in them all along, but I wonder where it was for the entire tournament before that???
Amazing effort. There immediately began a #thingstimhowardcouldsave ("Things Tim Howard Could Save" for you old guys that can't/won't read hastags) trend online. Hilarious. Some examples:
(http://images.dailystar-uk.co.uk/dynamic/1/photos/743000/620x/53b3beb86f8c2_ScreenShot20140702at09.11.04.jpg)
(http://www.tele-management.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Things_Tim_Howard_Could_Save_Next.jpg)
(http://cdn.sneakhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/things-tim-howard-could-save-2.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/s526x296/10422258_748470095213045_3516764575524859618_n.jpg)
I love Tim Howard.
He never should have had to make that many saves though. :-[
Many things bothered me about this tournament, but I was happy to see them play the way I know they can.
Time to cheer on ze Germans and the Dutch...
http://youtu.be/2pqYhz7LkFU (http://youtu.be/2pqYhz7LkFU)
Quote from: KnightofNi on July 03, 2014, 09:06:29 AM
I love Tim Howard.
He never should have had to make that many saves though. :-[
Many things bothered me about this tournament, but I was happy to see them play the way I know they can.
Time to cheer on ze Germans and the Dutch...
You are right sir . . . Those are the team I'm cheering for . . . as long as colombia gets out I'll be happy . . .
Go Deutschland !!!
Not only can he stop them, he can score them too...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omO1PQehOUc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omO1PQehOUc)
Quote from: ZILBERT on July 03, 2014, 09:30:33 AM
Not only can he stop them, he can score them too...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omO1PQehOUc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omO1PQehOUc)
I just feel bad that he needed to play at that level just to keep the team in the game. If the rest if the team would have played at the level they were in the last 15 minutes of overtime, they would have won by a landslide. Simply speaking, they were not even playing "not to lose".
^^^ What he said.
Quote from: Darkmonster620 on July 03, 2014, 09:20:21 AM
You are right sir . . . Those are the team I'm cheering for . . . as long as colombia gets out I'll be happy . . .
Go Deutschland !!!
I'm fine with Colombia winning too. I played with a bunch, party with them on game day, and 2 former players from the club team I follow are on the WC squad. We should be getting Valdez back after it's all over too
Quote from: duccarlos on July 03, 2014, 10:16:49 AM
I just feel bad that he needed to play at that level just to keep the team in the game. If the rest if the team would have played at the level they were in the last 15 minutes of overtime, they would have won by a landslide. Simply speaking, they were not even playing "not to lose".
There were some similar lamentations expressed during the game.
More curse words were involved though.
I just plain HATE colombia and 99.99% that comes out of it . . .
Quote from: Darkmonster620 on July 03, 2014, 04:31:01 PM
I just plain HATE colombia and 99.99% that comes out of it . . .
Is that a panama thing or a darkmonster620 thing?
Spent an aggravating 120 minutes watching the Dutch shoot straight at the Costa Rican goaltender (with a couple at the crossbar or posts for variety). Thankfully, the Costa Rican shooters returned the favor twice during penalty kicks.
Costa Rica's defense deserves a lot of kudos for smothering the Netherlands' attack.
That match brought back memories from previous World Cups - teams more focused on NOT making mistakes/holding on to the ball/not allowing goals against...
B O R I N G [thumbsdown]
Yeah, even by the standards of a normal 0-0 game, it was pretty uninspired.
Quote from: 1.21GW on July 05, 2014, 04:31:25 PM
Is that a panama thing or a darkmonster620 thing?
darkmonster620 thing . ..
'Hey Brazil'do you like apples? How the 'make the beast with two backs' do you like them apples?!!!!! How do you say you got stomped like a Narc at a biker rally in Portugese????!!!
Watching the game early in the second half, I got to turn to a friend and say "It looks bad, but you know, just one touchdown and Brazil's right back in this thing."
Not a great joke, but one I'll probably never get to use again in my lifetime.
Quote from: triangleforge on July 08, 2014, 08:48:11 PM
Watching the game early in the second half, I got to turn to a friend and say "It looks bad, but you know, just one touchdown and Brazil's right back in this thing."
Not a great joke, but one I'll probably never get to use again in my lifetime.
[laugh] [laugh] [drink]
Quote from: triangleforge on July 08, 2014, 08:48:11 PM
Watching the game early in the second half, I got to turn to a friend and say "It looks bad, but you know, just one touchdown and Brazil's right back in this thing."
Not a great joke, but one I'll probably never get to use again in my lifetime.
[thumbsup]
Watching the Brazil game in about an hour. I have to see their fans cry. [evil]
Quote from: kopfjäger on July 08, 2014, 09:06:41 PM
[laugh] [laugh] [drink]
^ and thats exactly what we were doing
I don't entirely get Twitter, but in might be worth figuring out just for moments like these:
Seattle Seahawks after goals #6 & #7:
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RP_xG4k66ls/U71SNdmUkYI/AAAAAAAAEqg/1WbFvgzxzR0/w636-h269-no/Screen+Shot+2014-07-09+at+7.29.22+AM.png)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1h589Q5CJDo/U71SNaC-ENI/AAAAAAAAEqk/Cr_sKuqOPQ8/w634-h252-no/Screen+Shot+2014-07-09+at+7.29.47+AM.png)
And then this:
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0_b_TKJ_uvk/U71Qne3idpI/AAAAAAAAEqU/BEA6zfh8IgM/w600-h214-no/http%25253A%25252F%25252F37.media.tumblr.com%25252F7d581b34631c964e1e577ea50b469916%25252Ftumblr_n8f9obHDPv1qljj91o1_1280.jpg)
I don't get why everyone hates Brazil so much? Passionate fans, a long history of success and dedication to the sport, a (seemingly--I wasn't there) decent job of hosting, generally a fun team to watch (though they looked awful against GER),...
What gives? Why is the internet so crazy with Schadenfreude for the Brazilians?
Cocky. No one like's cocky.
And passionate? For sure and so stupid. Crying? Because of a game? Holy crap they got their priorities all out of wack.
Looking back at my posts above, I can see how you'd get that impression; in fact, I love (or once loved & hope to love again) watching Brazil play. It would have made me happy to see them win it all, and watch the entire nation wake up, hung-over and happy, after a few days of joyful celebration.*
At this World Cup, though, they've looked uncharacteristically vulnerable - in part, I think, because their coach made a cynical decision to give up on Brazil's wonderful "Samba" game and shift to a brutal, hacking style that's neither fun to watch nor particularly effective against a strong team like Germany, just ugly. Exhibit A: Brazil vs. Columbia. Watching Neymar collapse on the field and hearing the diagnosis was gut-wrenching, but Brazil went out on the field intending to create mayhem. It worked, but there's a bit of karmic balance in the fact that their deliberate, strategic brutality may have cost them both their best offensive & best defensive players for the game with Germany.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/sports/worldcup/for-bellicose-brazil-payback-carries-heavy-price-loss-of-neymar.html?smid=tw-share&_r=2 (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/sports/worldcup/for-bellicose-brazil-payback-carries-heavy-price-loss-of-neymar.html?smid=tw-share&_r=2)
*Not as happy as it'd make me to see the Dutch win (and yeah, they've got their own karma issues), but that's going to be a tough road through Argentina & Germany.
so much for getting a Brazilian...crap
Quote from: hbliam on July 09, 2014, 09:57:39 AM
Cocky. No one like's cocky.
And passionate? For sure and so stupid. Crying? Because of a game? Holy crap they got their priorities all out of wack.
I didn't see anything especially cocky, although I haven't followed the players and teams as closely as others have. I figure any favorite in any sport has its share of cocky fans/players, and brazil didn't seem to be out of the ordinary in this regard.
As for crying, that I would connect with the passionate aspect. It's a historically poor country that is in the process of becoming a so-called developed nation. Such growth tends to always create issues of identity, and soccer is one thing everyone seemed to identify with, a unifying part of who they are (that, and catholic). I see why they'd take a loss more personally than we do a World Series or Superbowl loss. Anyway: different folks, different strokes...
I'd have liked to see them win, though I agree with triangleforge that their style was not as exciting as it has traditionally been. Just nice to have a soccer mad country win in the year it hosts the cup. Only happened 5 times, the most recent in 1998 (France).
Now I will root for Argentina, mainly because I enjoy watching Messi. [thumbsup] But dang, Germany looks unstoppable.
world series or superbowl =/= world cup as they are domestic league championships, not an international tournament
Quote from: teddy037.3 on July 09, 2014, 11:33:05 AM
world series or superbowl =/= world cup as they are domestic league championships, not an international tournament
TOTALLY agree !!!
Quote from: teddy037.3 on July 09, 2014, 11:33:05 AM
world series or superbowl =/= world cup as they are domestic league championships, not an international tournament
Yeah, I know, but there really isn't any apples-to-apples example in the US, which was kinda my point.
Quote from: 1.21GW on July 09, 2014, 11:53:36 AM
Yeah, I know, but there really isn't any apples-to-apples example in the US, which was kinda my point.
true... damn shame, though
It wasn't just Brazil. Watching Mexico lose was entertaining as well. [thumbsup]
Quote from: IZ on July 09, 2014, 11:57:21 AM
It wasn't just Brazil. Watching Mexico lose was entertaining as well. [thumbsup]
Yes. More so actually.
If you really wanted to rub it in, The Brazilians had to watch Argentina make it to the finals.
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/79b1d43046f7ade1c7a71c697b4d2651.jpg)
[laugh]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/11/argentina-torn-anus-javier-mascherano_n_5578210.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/11/argentina-torn-anus-javier-mascherano_n_5578210.html)
in Vegas....you pay extra for that.
[laugh]
Congratulations, Germany! While most of the game wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped, the finale made it all worth while, as Götze scores what had to be the most beautiful goal of the entire tournament.
It was a thing of beauty.
Quote from: duccarlos on July 14, 2014, 09:00:58 AM
It was a thing of beauty.
it was indeed . . . and suddenly it brought silence to a lot of people. . . My neigbourhood was suddendly, dead calm and quiet, since the only one rooting for Germany was me !!!
Quote from: 1.21GW on July 09, 2014, 11:53:36 AM
Yeah, I know, but there really isn't any apples-to-apples example in the US, which was kinda my point.
IMO the Olympics is not a bad comparison. It's an event the whole world watches, even more so than the Cup.
The US basketball team is unstoppable like Germany was.
GK
I tried to change my password at work today to Br@z!lsD3f3n$e but it said my password was too weak.
;D
Quote from: GK on July 14, 2014, 01:38:18 PM
IMO the Olympics is not a bad comparison. It's an event the whole world watches, even more so than the Cup.
Most of the world do not care about the Olympics. Too many sports and only a few countries send athletes to cover most of them. Why should they care when most the US, Russia and China are winning all the gold medals? You have obviously not had a chance to experience the World Cup in another country.
Quote from: ZILBERT on July 15, 2014, 01:53:57 PM
I tried to change my password at work today to Br@z!lsD3f3n$e but it said my password was too weak.
;D
[thumbsup]
Quote from: ZILBERT on July 15, 2014, 01:53:57 PM
I tried to change my password at work today to Br@z!lsD3f3n$e but it said my password was too weak.
Joke's not done. Here, use this:
http://instantrimshot.com/ (http://instantrimshot.com/)
Quote from: duccarlos on July 15, 2014, 01:58:54 PM
Most of the world do not care about the Olympics. Too many sports and only a few countries send athletes to cover most of them. Why should they care when most the US, Russia and China are winning all the gold medals? You have obviously not had a chance to experience the World Cup in another country.
Google it. Most of the world does care about the Olympics, 70% of the planet watched a portion of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, etc, etc.
And this is interesting:
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/why-fifas-claim-of-one-billion-tv-viewers-was-a-quarter-right-438302.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/why-fifas-claim-of-one-billion-tv-viewers-was-a-quarter-right-438302.html)
In my experience internationally I have come to the conclusion that most people care for the World Cup rather than the Olympics. Countries don't shutdown to watch track and field. Again, too many sports. The World Cup is focused attention.
For a second there, I was thinking, "This shit is STILL going on???"
;D
this is good and 99% true . . .
http://mundoclay.com/news.php?art=435 (http://mundoclay.com/news.php?art=435)