**Official World Cup 2014 Thread**

[Kdawg954]

So 4 years have flown by from the South Africa craziness, with the vuvuzelas and the insane Landon Donovan goal that sent the U.S. into round 2. Spain finally got their long awaited World championship.

Enter 2014, and we are in Brazil for what should be an epic World Cup. European teams don't win World Cups on South American soil. Will it change?

About Event

2014 World Cup in Brazil

Spain are the Defending Champions

Time

Thursday June 12, 2013 to Sunday July 13, 2013

Groups

Schedule:

All Time are set to the Eastern Time Zone, Dates follow the European standard.

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
1	12/06 16:00	Sao Paulo		Brazil	-	Croatia
2	13/06 12:00	Natal		Mexico	-	Cameroon
17	17/06 15:00	Fortaleza		Brazil	-	Mexico
18	18/06 18:00	Manaus		Cameroon	-	Croatia
33	23/06 16:00	Brasilia		Cameroon	-	Brazil
34	23/06 16:00	Recife		Croatia	-	Mexico

GROUP A

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
3	13/06 15:00	Salvador		Spain	-	Netherlands
4	13/06 18:00	Cuiaba		Chile	-	Australia
19	18/06 15:00	Rio De Janeiro		Spain	-	Chile
20	18/06 12:00	Porto Alegre		Australia	-	Netherlands
35	23/06 12:00	Curitiba		Australia	-	Spain
36	23/06 12:00	Sao Paulo		Netherlands	-	Chile

GROUP B

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
5	14/06 12:00	Belo Horizonte		Colombia	-	Greece
6	14/06 21:00	Recife		Côte d'Ivoire	-	Japan
21	19/06 12:00	Brasilia		Colombia	-	Côte d'Ivoire
22	19/06 18:00	Natal		Japan	-	Greece
37	24/06 16:00	Cuiaba		Japan	-	Colombia
38	24/06 16:00	Fortaleza		Greece	-	Côte d'Ivoire

GROUP C

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
7	14/06 15:00	Fortaleza		Uruguay	-	Costa Rica
8	14/06 18:00	Manaus		England	-	Italy
23	19/06 15:00	Sao Paulo		Uruguay	-	England
24	20/06 12:00	Recife		Italy	-	Costa Rica
39	24/06 12:00	Natal		Italy	-	Uruguay
40	24/06 12:00	Belo Horizonte		Costa Rica	-	England

GROUP D

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
9	15/06 12:00	Brasilia		Switzerland	-	Ecuador
10	15/06 15:00	Porto Alegre		France	-	Honduras
25	20/06 15:00	Salvador		Switzerland	-	France
26	20/06 18:00	Curitiba		Honduras	-	Ecuador
41	25/06 16:00	Manaus		Honduras	-	Switzerland
42	25/06 16:00	Rio De Janeiro		Ecuador	-	France

GROUP E

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
11	15/06 18:00	Rio De Janeiro		Argentina	-	Bosnia-Herzegovina
12	16/06 15:00	Curitiba		Iran	-	Nigeria
27	21/06 12:00	Belo Horizonte		Argentina	-	Iran
28	21/06 18:00	Cuiaba		Nigeria	-	Bosnia-Herzegovina
43	25/06 12:00	Porto Alegre		Nigeria	-	Argentina
44	25/06 12:00	Salvador		Bosnia-Herzegovina	-	Iran

GROUP F

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
13	16/06 12:00	Salvador		Germany	-	Portugal
14	16/06 18:00	Natal		Ghana	-	USA
29	21/06 15:00	Fortaleza		Germany	-	Ghana
30	22/06 18:00	Manaus		USA	-	Portugal
45	26/06 12:00	Recife		USA	-	Germany
46	26/06 12:00	Brasilia		Portugal	-	Ghana

GROUP G

Match	Date - Time	Venue			Results
15	17/06 12:00	Belo Horizonte		Belgium	-	Algeria
16	17/06 18:00	Cuiaba		Russia	-	Korea Republic
31	22/06 12:00	Rio De Janeiro		Belgium	-	Russia
32	22/06 15:00	Porto Alegre		Korea Republic	-	Algeria
47	26/06 16:00	Sao Paulo		Korea Republic	-	Belgium
48	26/06 16:00	Curitiba		Algeria	-	Russia

GROUP H

10 Players (From 10 Different Countries) to Watch:

Lionel Messi - Argentina
Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal
Franck Ribery - France
Neymar - Brazil
Mesut Ozil - Germany
Andres Iniesta - Spain
Luis Suarez - Uruguay
Robin Van Persie - Netherlands
YaYa Toure - Ivory Coast
Andre Pirlo - Italy


Tidbits:

First World Cup that will utilize Goal Line technology.

The Match Ball is the Adidas Brazuca.

The mascot is Fuleco

 

[ChambersWI]

If the US beats Ghana in the opening match of their group IMO they make it through.

Winner IMO will be Argentina especially if Messi gets healthy. Too much talent in the midfield and attack, plus an underrated defense

 

[Kdawg954]

I'm actually going Brazil. That Fifa Confederations Cup was unlike anything I've seen in international soccer over the last few years. That crowd was insane and those youngsters will have another year of experience on their sides. I just don't know if there is a team that can take down those Brazilians in World Cup play on home soil. Those matches will be a lot of fun and a lot of women on display.

 

[fishfanmiami]

Being the world cup I'm sure everyone will be on their best behavior but I attended a match in Medellin Columbia once that turned into a full blown riot. Didn't help that the concession stands served a hard liquor called Agua Denta. Rock throwing and police with riot shields. Lucky the gringos had there own protected section and we made it out alive.
Have a blast but be safe. i think the USA makes it out of their group but Brazil wins the whole enchilata.

 

[WestPhish]

Just looking at my signature you can tell who I am rooting for. Argentina's problem is defense and our goalkeeper. We SHOULD be able to make it past the group round without a problem, but how far we go depends on our opponent once there. Germany has had our number for a while, anybody else is a crap shoot. Brazil has to be the popular favorite because they are home....

 

[uk_dolfan]

spain will win as usual, stupidly good team who unlike most national sides actually play as a team

 

[WestPhish]

spain will win as usual, stupidly good team who unlike most national sides actually play as a team

Spain got pounded by Brazil in the Confederations Cup, European teams usually do poorly when the tournament is played in the Americas, let's see if that trend continues in Brazil.....

 

[uk_dolfan]

I have no allegiances to any team really northern ireland dont do world cups these days but I just have to back spain again. They are just so good even when it comes to depth and in proper tournaments ie world cup and euros .. they do reallly really well recently plus they have an experienced squad now who have been there and won it all.

Argentina wont win as they will leak goals against the best teams and messi is half the player he is for barca when he plays internationals.

Brazil... unless something magic happens I just dont see it happening... I do like them though.

Belgium would be my dark horse they have a really strong side and if they perofrm well and get lucky with injuries they can beat anyone.

Id like to see holland win because they have a cool kit and united are going to appoint van gaal as our boss on wednesday.

My money will literally be on spain though

 

[uk_dolfan]

I dont care who wins as long as they dont have those stupid trumpets! Im seriously tempted to travel to africa some day to shove one up a southafricans arse lol

 

[doughbraz54]

Well of course I want the States to win but they most likely are not making it out of their group. I see the Germans as a tough side to beat. Brazil and Spain will obviously dominate. Uruguay has a chance to shock a few teams especially if he regains his form late last year and the beginning of this year. (Liverpool fan so I hope he does well) And the same came be said for Belgium as a dark horse. Holland is usually the team I pull for once the US get eliminated. But if I pick anyone I think Germany can do it this time around.

 

[greasyObnoxious]

Well of course I want the States to win but they most likely are not making it out of their group. I see the Germans as a tough side to beat. Brazil and Spain will obviously dominate. Uruguay has a chance to shock a few teams especially if he regains his form late last year and the beginning of this year. (Liverpool fan so I hope he does well) And the same came be said for Belgium as a dark horse. Holland is usually the team I pull for once the US get eliminated. But if I pick anyone I think Germany can do it this time around.

don't think so. Quarter final exit imo. i see three South American teams in the semis plus Spain

 

[uk_dolfan]

Low has a phobia of proper strikers.... i dont think that will end well

 

[greasyObnoxious]

Low has a phobia of proper strikers.... i dont think that will end well

Löw has no clue. Period

 

[doughbraz54]

don't think so. Quarter final exit imo. i see three South American teams in the semis plus Spain

Really? Man I was having confidence in the Germans. I love Neuer in net, and that midfield is deadly. But I would like to see what they can do. Just hoping Spain doesn't pull a repeat. Then I will never hear the end of it from my cousin lol

 

[Kdawg954]

Low has a phobia of proper strikers.... i dont think that will end well

Maybe I'm out of the loop here, but I find it kind of alarming that all of the talent the German squad has in the middle, Low is probably going to have to rely on old man Miroslav Klose to be his premier striker up front. Not saying Klose is a bad option, but you'd figure there would be some young budding early 20's star that was a glove fit striker up top for the Germans. I do realize they have guys like Reus, Mueller, Ozil, Schurle and Goetze but Klose and even Mario Gomez (who I don't really care for but is a for sure striker . . . but didn't make the team to injury) seem like better fits up top. I guess knowing Low he's going to do his best to fit Podolski in that mix as well (to be fair he normally performs at a higher level on the international level).

If the Germans take that "Bayern" approach and think 70% possession is going to get it done in this World Cup, they will exit earlier than expected. They need to put some balls in back of the net and take the pressure off Neuer and that back line.