Posted on 06/17/2014 10:58:24 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Thirty-two of the world's best football teams are now competing for the iconic golden World Cup trophy -- but the planet's most populous nation is not among them.
Team China failed to qualify for the "beautiful game's" showpiece event in Brazil. In fact China's World Cup dream turned into a nightmare as early as 2011, when it was eliminated in a regional qualifying round.
But for all the interest in football in this country of more than one billion people, it is a huge source of frustration that they can't field a competitive national team.
"China's weakness in football is a pain point and there is certainly an ambition to improve," said Scott Kronick, President of Ogilvy Public Relations Asia Pacific. Indeed, a multitude of Chinese -- from the state president, to a Peking University student, to a Beijing taxi driver -- share one Chinese dream: that Team China will one day win in the World Cup finals.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktuu.com ...
Mario Mandzukic’s return gives Croatia naked ambition against Cameroon
When Bayern Munich celebrated their domestic double on 18 May, one player was not present at the party thrown for club members and sponsors. Mario Mandzukic, the scorer of 26 goals for the German champions last season, had already packed his bags and headed some 350 miles south-east to Croatia.
Thanks for the ping. You do a great job with these threads.
I believe it was George Carlin who once said something to effect of: lacrosse is not a sport, it's a game for collie f**s.
I wish I could have seen the Brazil-Mexico match - from the radio broadcast, it sounded like a wild one, and a goalkeeping clinic from Ochoa.
Are the German-American members, of course John Brooks, of Team USA getting any pub from over there? How about Klinsmann being Team USA manager?
Saw Gordie play with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, when I lived there.
The thing is, that Polish team that went on to the World Cup SHOULD have won it. That semi against West Germany should have never been played in those conditions. The Polish team’s speed would have been difficult for the Germans to handle, and the soggy field slowed them down.
You are quite right. People forget just how good that Poland team actually was. The focus is nearly always on ‘The Clown,’ Norman Hunter’s mistake, and the sad downfall of Sir Alf.
Wow. I never saw Gordon Banks play. The best keepers I’ve seen live were probably Peter Shilton and Neville Southall. They were good but there weren’t Gordon Banks.
What a Goal By Cahill!!!! Aussie Aussie Aussie...Oi Oi Oi!!!!
Aaaand.....I went out for lunch and forgot all about the match, and missed the whole 1st half. I goofed up like the Russian keeper yesterday.
Neville Southall - blast from the past. Whodda thought we see mention of an Everton goalkeeper on FR NOT named Tim Howard??
There are some great videos I found on YouTube, they are from the series “Match of the 70s”, which goes through each year and all the big moments from each season with commentary from the players. It was a lot different back then. It’s amazing what players got away with back then without so much as a yellow card.
Apparently not.
Now they are leading after a bad mistake by the Aussie goalie.
You are welcome Textide, thanks!
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