**Official World Cup 2014 Thread**

[Kdawg954]

Once again the dutch put on a clinic. They are always an exciting team to watch yet they never won it all.

In addition to Van Persie and Robben, I forget they have Schneider on those set pieces. And they don't take any **** either, they never have. The Dutch are the type of team that will have an injury, the other team kicks it out and instead of giving the ball back they'll start a fast break on you (I saw it happen in 2006 with them).

With that goal differential, you can pretty much pencil them into the next round as they aren't losing to Australia.

 

[doughbraz54]

Big shock of Uruguay being beat. Side note makes me a bit worrisome of Suarez not to come on late. Hoping that knee injury isn't bad and that he is fit soon.

 

[So Be]

Once again the dutch put on a clinic. They are always an exciting team to watch yet they never won it all.

Holland reminds me a bit of the Spurs, a team to watch out for.

 

[Kdawg954]

Costa Rica over Uruguay is really the first match I haven't correctly picked in this World Cup (I had Holland over Spain as my upset in the first matches). Even w/o Suarez, I figured they could get the win against Costa Rica. Costa Rica had a really good qualification. Sneaky team but I don't have them advancing in a group with Italy, England and Uruguay.

Love seeing ConCaCaf going 2-0 so far in this World Cup. Hush some of those "they aren't a legit qualification for 4 teams" talkers up.

 

[GasPed]

I don't see Honduras beating France, but then look at what happened today! Great day of football - except my Blue Samurai got pretty much stomped by the Elephants. Lost 2-1 and that score actually flattered them.

 

[SWS84]

I don't know who will win, but all I can say is THANK YOU World Cup for giving me something exciting to watch. This is the slow time for the NFL, so I needed something to keep me interested. So far, every game I have seen has kept me glued to my seat. Yesterday, I was happy to see the underdog Costa Rica get the win over Uruguay. I like them both, but I was pulling for the UK to win over Italy. I don't know what it was, but the UK couldn't get their act together. Rooney kicked a corner kick behind the goal, and had a couple of other decent opportunities where the ball wasn't even close to a goal. Looking forward to the matches today. Naturally, when they play on Monday, I am rooting for the USA, but I also want to find a backup team that probably has a better shot at the cup. Maybe I will find that team today. :-)

Cheers, and good luck to your teams when they play.

Steve

 

[phins_4_ever]

Costa Rica over Uruguay is really the first match I haven't correctly picked in this World Cup (I had Holland over Spain as my upset in the first matches). Even w/o Suarez, I figured they could get the win against Costa Rica. Costa Rica had a really good qualification. Sneaky team but I don't have them advancing in a group with Italy, England and Uruguay.

Love seeing ConCaCaf going 2-0 so far in this World Cup. Hush some of those "they aren't a legit qualification for 4 teams" talkers up.

Let's not go overboard with that CONCACAF stuff. I heard that yesterday on TV as well. Is that something we need as gratification? This was not a CONCACAF win it was a win for Costa Rica. And lets not forget that included in that '2-0 for us' is a win over Cameroon which are not even close to being anywhere near the top in the soccer world.

So far I am less impressed with the South American teams. Columbia was lucky that Greece can not score. They hardly scored in qualifications and that came back to bite them and will be their undoing. But they certainly did outplay Columbia for most of the game.
Chile struggled against the mighty Australians for most of the game.
And Brazil needed a referee to turn the game eventually for them.

 

[phins_4_ever]

I don't know who will win, but all I can say is THANK YOU World Cup for giving me something exciting to watch. This is the slow time for the NFL, so I needed something to keep me interested. So far, every game I have seen has kept me glued to my seat. Yesterday, I was happy to see the underdog Costa Rica get the win over Uruguay. I like them both, but I was pulling for the UK to win over Italy. I don't know what it was, but the UK couldn't get their act together. Rooney kicked a corner kick behind the goal, and had a couple of other decent opportunities where the ball wasn't even close to a goal. Looking forward to the matches today. Naturally, when they play on Monday, I am rooting for the USA, but I also want to find a backup team that probably has a better shot at the cup. Maybe I will find that team today. :-)

Cheers, and good luck to your teams when they play.

Steve

So far it is a quite exciting WC. It is a scoring WC. Its over 3 goals per game which is fantastic.

 

[Kdawg954]

Let's not go overboard with that CONCACAF stuff. I heard that yesterday on TV as well. Is that something we need as gratification? This was not a CONCACAF win it was a win for Costa Rica. And lets not forget that included in that '2-0 for us' is a win over Cameroon which are not even close to being anywhere near the top in the soccer world.

So far I am less impressed with the South American teams. Columbia was lucky that Greece can not score. They hardly scored in qualifications and that came back to bite them and will be their undoing. But they certainly did outplay Columbia for most of the game.
Chile struggled against the mighty Australians for most of the game.
And Brazil needed a referee to turn the game eventually for them.

Funny thing is, I didn't even tune into the post game stuff as I was out all day but I just remember all the flack the ConcaCaf group got . . .especially when Mexico was struggling to qualify. There a gritty bunch and they are well conditioned for some of these humid conditions we'll see in this World Cup. I don't think CR over Uruguay will be the last upset we'll see by one of the 4 ConcaCaf teams. Either way, they can play at this level . . . even if they all are extreme longshots to aspire for the championship.

 

[greasyObnoxious]

the World Cup officially starts today :hump:

on a side note, Michael Schumacher woke up today. finally

 

[Kdawg954]

the World Cup officially starts today :hump:

on a side note, Michael Schumacher woke up today. finally

Awesome news for the greatest race car driver in history.

Any South Florida fans interested in watching soccer today, Gerd Mueller's Ambry restaurant on Commercial Blvd, east of US1, will be open today at 11 with beer, curry wurst and weiner schnitzel specials on the menu.

 

[greasyObnoxious]

Awesome news for the greatest race car driver in history.

Any South Florida fans interested in watching soccer today, Gerd Mueller's Ambry restaurant on Commercial Blvd, east of US1, will be open today at 11 with beer, curry wurst and weiner schnitzel specials on the menu.

wow, didn't know the Nation's Bomber had a restaurant in Florida

 

[greasyObnoxious]

likely line-up

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------1 Neuer--------------------------------------------------
-----20 Boateng--------17 Mertesacker-------------------------5 Hummels---------4 Höwedes------
--------------------------------------------------16 Lahm-------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------18 Kroos------------------------------6 Khedira-----------------------------
------13 Müller--------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Podolski-----
---------------------------------------------------8 Özil---------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

if true, i like the 4-3-3, but not Özil as false 9. we're essentially taking out a striker for an additional central midfielder. what i do like, however, is the flexibility to make this a defensive 4-4-2 with Özil as a 10 and Müller and Podolski as strikers, if need be.

 

[Kdawg954]

wow, didn't know the Nation's Bomber had a restaurant in Florida

Gerd and the owners of this restaurant are real close and I believe when he was playing for the Strikers down here in Fort Lauderdale back in the day, they got together and opened this restaurant. My pops and him used to be real close during those times and still are friends (they even joked a few years ago about Gerd needing a body guard and seeing if I was interested).

But yea, Gerd has a lot of close ties to the Fort Lauderdale area from his Striker days. This restaurant really has some great photos of Germany soccer history unlike the more commercial German restaurants in the area. And yea the food is pretty amazing, even though they are on the expensive side here.

 

[GasPed]

likely line-up

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------1 Neuer--------------------------------------------------
-----20 Boateng--------17 Mertesacker-------------------------5 Hummels---------4 Höwedes------
--------------------------------------------------16 Lahm-------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------18 Kroos------------------------------6 Khedira-----------------------------
------13 Müller--------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Podolski-----
---------------------------------------------------8 Özil---------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

if true, i like the 4-3-3, but not Özil as false 9. we're essentially taking out a striker for an additional central midfielder. what i do like, however, is the flexibility to make this a defensive 4-4-2 with Özil as a 10 and Müller and Podolski as strikers, if need be.

Are you thinking you want Klose in as a traditional striker instead of Ozil? I think you could argue Ozil is the more effective player at this point and so you want him on the pitch - and like you said, could switch him with either of the two wings if need be...

...but it must be nice to have options like that. Geez.