Posted on 06/27/2014 11:24:03 PM PDT by Berlin_Freeper
Belgium USA could end up being a shootout. It might be a closely paired match like this one was.
Agreed. Netherlands defeated Chile, 2-0. So one can see that for whatever it’s worth. Brazil only had a hard-earned draw with Chile.
Yes, I am looking forward to that match.
Every Brazil match is a Final lol
5. Duncan Ferguson Perhaps the most uncompromising (and frightening) centre forward that English football has seen, Big Dunc was convicted of assault four times, the most famous being his headbutt aimed at Raith Rovers John McStay in 1994, for which he received a three month prison sentence.
He also butted a policeman, beat up a supporter on crutches and an assault on a fisherman at a hotel. He has since reinvented himself as a pioneering coach and he is working closely with the Everton first-team under Roberto Martinez.
At least he rehabilitated himself.
Interestingly this happened before the Suarez incident so this is not a copy-cat act of retaliation. Still bad.
Interestingly this happened before the Suarez incident so this is not a copy-cat act of retaliation. Still bad.
This World Cup has made me re-evaluate my opinion of the toughness of Soccer players.
I mean, sure, in hockey, you have players who average 6’2” - 6’4” in height who go anywhere from 185 lbs up to 240 lbs. They travel at up to speeds of 25 - 45 MPH on skates who then occasionally slow down enough to pound another behemoth into the ice with their fists.
But soccer players, OMG. They have to deal with cannibals and racial taunting and...rain.
I don’t know very many hockey players who would dare venture into the world of the futbol’er.
I’ve honestly heard people who wanted to do this every year just like the NCAA March Madness, 64 teams invited, every game a knockout.
Maybe that wouldn’t work in soccer or maybe the World Cup is to entrenched like the Olympics, it would be interesting.
Someone should get the money together and do it. I once heard someone said it comes out to close the same number of games.
Actually that would make it like the FA Cup.
Crush Mexico!!
Howard Webb had a difficult task with these two teams that like rough play. Chile can hardly claim Webb favored Brazil, especially on the negated goal on the hand ball call; which Webb did get the call right.
USA ref Mark Geiger has been designated as the first referee for one of the Monday matches. He was very good in his first two matches. If his next one goes well and the U.S. gets eliminated in either the round of 16 or the quarterfinals, do not be surprised if he is designated for a semi-final match.
Do you know why the French roads are lined with trees? So their conquerors can march in the shade.
I think Colombia will have two plays disqualified due to two yellow cards.
I think Van Persie of The Netherlands got his second yellow so he would miss the third match of group play when he knew they had the second match of group lay won. This way a yellow card in the round of 16 would hurt him.
I think all yellow cards are erased once the quarterfinals get underway unless a yellow in a round of 16 means disqualification of a quarterfinal.
Good observation. They became unstoppable.
10 goals for, Netherlands
9 goals for, Colombia
8 goals for, France
7 goals for, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland
6 goals for, Argentina, Algeria
5 goals for, Chile
4 goals for, Belgium, USA, Mexico, Uruguay and Costa Rica.
3 goals for, Nigeria
2 goals for, Greece
More goals are needed but not a real reason for alarm at this point, I’d say to keep it brief.
Mexico might put up a game but no, I don’t think they will win.
I think Costa Rica should defeat Greece.
Germany over Algeria, France over Nigeria
Argentina a favorite. I think the Swiss have a chance.
Belgium USA, virtually a tossup in my view though some in the media seem to go with Belgium. Maybe they are right.
As for baseball, one might check and see what is the largest team sport played by Youth in the USA, checking some stats, I came up with baseball.
Baseball, MLB also has all of these farms teams, Minor League out there, widespread, Tacoma, El Paso, Pawtucket, Indianapolis.
It is true, the World Series doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore.
Still, in observing soccer in the World, if you look at Latin America, you have countries that are looked upon as being more of your “beisbol” hotbeds than “futbol”, soccer.
Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic obviously, Nicaragua and really even Honduras and Venezuela are perceived that way.
It would be difficult to see the hulking baseball structure to truly come down. Half-century later? Maybe. It certainly seems baseball is not that big of a deal anymore but I do think the sport continues to have some “hotbeds” for the sport. Maybe unrelated, but women’s softball seems popular for girls as well.
And I know of one of the “minor league” teams that just built a baseball-specific stadium moving out of the old “fairgrounds” stadium. Just saying.
ESPN always playing that college world series too. The coverage was nearly not the same before.
That you now have that world baseball championship and teams like Netherlands competing in it doesn't speak bad for the sport of baseball as well.
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