For USMNT, it’s been a long road to Thursday’s game vs. Germany

washingtonpost.com ^ | June 23, 2014 | Steven Goff

[Berlin_Freeper]

SAO PAULO, Brazil — The U.S. national soccer team will arrive at Arena Pernambuco in Recife for Thursday’s pivotal World Cup match against Germany after playing in Amazonian air as thick as hummus four days earlier. Germany will take the field for the Group G showdown with the benefit of 27 extra hours of recuperation and preparation after competing in another northeast coastal city, Fortaleza.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Mario Balotelli knees Álvaro Pereira in the head

[Berlin_Freeper]

Uruguay player Alvaro Pereira stays in game with England after hard blow to head

[Berlin_Freeper]

"This is a football World Cup, not about morality."

[Berlin_Freeper]

Luis Suarez poses for family picture ahead of Uruguay's must-win clash against Italy

[kevkrom]

I saw the same rumor.

[BeadCounter]

Suarez goes overboard, actually for soccer/football, I don’t think being a villain is that bad, Maradona historically is a bit of a villain of the World Cup, Pele is a hero but what Luis does is just mentally unbalanced when he does stuff like this, he may have once spit at an opponent too, I think that’s in his resume too.

[Berlin_Freeper]

the panel criticised Suárez for not appreciating "the seriousness" of the incident when he argued against a long ban. The panel also wanted to send a "strong message that such deplorable behaviours do not have a place in football", while noting that "all players in the higher level of the game are seen as role models, have the duty to act professionally and responsibly, and set the highest example of good conduct to the rest of the game – especially to young players."[92]

[BeadCounter]

No way can Suarez’s actions be defended but Chiellini had been doing the tackling and rolling on the ground a lot of the game inside the area. Maybe when something finally happened to Chiellini, the referee just wouldn’t listen like the boy who cried wolf.

[BeadCounter]

For a one man team, Suarez has been fantastic, has to be a great performance where his team defeated England, that last goal. So much talent. I was here defending Ronaldo the other day but players who can individually carry the team like Maradona did? There aren’t that many.

He is a true enigma.

[BeadCounter]

If these scores hold up and I’m not saying they are, it will be

Costa Rica versus Ivory Coast, that certainly is a matchup that hasn’t been seen in the knock-out rounds before.

[dfwgator]

Allez Les Elephants!

[dfwgator]

Oh No!!!!!!

PK for Greece.

[dfwgator]

Crap, 2-1 Greece.

[darkangel82]

Greece advances. I dislike Colombia and hope they will go no further.

[dfwgator]

Feel bad for the Ivory Coast...Even more of a gut punch than what happened to the US against Portugal.

[dfwgator]

Greece always seems to find a way to get out of the Group.

[darkangel82]

Giving up a penalty in extra time is never a good idea.

[Rokurota]

Huh? I believe this is the first time Greece has advanced out of a group in the World Cup.

[dfwgator]

More their history in the Euro Tournament.

[BeadCounter]

I don’t mind the Greeks, not a big fan. But so it goes. I didn’t mind them winning Euro 2004 either, they were a new champion. I know people wanted Ivory Coast to win and Ivory Coast played Colombia well.