Official World Cup 2010 discussion thread

[flyingelvii]

it is possible for a team to not score a single fucking goal in any World Cup Game and win the World Title.

You can 0-0-3 in the first bracket and get into Round 2?

You can win all your next 4 games in shootouts?

Yeah, soccer is a real sport and surely with 0-0 after 150 minutes and a point blank shootout is a great thriller championship like other sports.

Assholes.

You can do that in hockey too and finish with a minimum of 82 points and a maximum of 164 points.

Also, it's 120 minutes and if the teams are going to play like they did in the Paraguay-Japan match, there probably isn't a better solution then penalties. If the game keeps going it's going to look like the Isner match. Sure it's kinda cool to watch but the actual on field play will suck.

[bcsoxfan12]

Who can stop Brazil?

[EagleDave]

Who can stop Brazil?

Potentially 2 of the next 3 teams they could play including tomorrow's opponent, the Dutch. They're really strong. Ghana/Uruguay will get dick stomped in the semi's by either Brazil or the Netherlands but Argentina, Spain, or Germany could all beat Brazil. Not saying they will, but this is certainly one of the deepest Final 8's we've seen...

[EagleDave]

Absolute war going on right now between the Dutch and Brazilians...great back and forth game...2-1 Netherlands with 20 minutes left in regulation. Dutch playing with a lot of confidence that they didn't have in the 1st half. They need to capitalize and look for the throat here...

[b0mberMan]

Mark it done. Great game for the Dutch by Melo

[bcsoxfan12]

The entire population of Framingham will commit a mass @ 1pm

[DuchesneEast]

ANyone want to walk down 46th street in NYC wearing orange today. Its almost like suicide by cop, only different.

[EagleDave]

The only people happier than the Dutch right now are the folks from Ghana and Uruguay who think they have a shot at the Finals now (newsflash: The Dutch are beastly, they have no chance). The only thing that changes about that semi-final is the aura of invincibility won't be present on the field now.

[b0mberMan]

I don't think this Brazil team was as strong as the media said they were. I think they get the ND/Yankee/Cowboys treatment because of their rep.

[EagleDave]

I don't think this Brazil team was as strong as the media said they were. I think they get the ND/Yankee/Cowboys treatment because of their rep.

They weren't...and they badly missed Ronaldhino who was mysteriously left off the roster for "attitude" problems despite his general awesomeness in the midfield. But...Brazil is still Brazil and they were still one of the 4 best teams in this tournament. The catch of course is that the Dutch are also one of the 4 best, making this game a sneaky toss up.

[b0mberMan]

I don't think this Brazil team was as strong as the media said they were. I think they get the ND/Yankee/Cowboys treatment because of their rep.

They weren't...and they badly missed Ronaldhino who was mysteriously left off the roster for "attitude" problems despite his general awesomeness in the midfield. But...Brazil is still Brazil and they were still one of the 4 best teams in this tournament. The catch of course is that the Dutch are also one of the 4 best, making this game a sneaky toss up.

... which is, of course, being billed as an upset because as you say Brazil is Brazil.

[twballgame9]

If the Netherlands wins the Cup, I am buying one of those sweet jerseys. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar or Giovanni Van Bronckhorst are my top choices.

Woo hoo! Holland!

[BCdee]

Sucks to be Ghana. Wow.

[branchinator]

Sucks to be Ghana. Wow.

Has to be one of the most heartbreaking losses in the history of sports. Cheap ass hand ball leads to penalty kick, which is blown, and then the team chokes in 2 more penalty kicks. Gyan is the new Scot Norwood. Also, that idiot from Ghana who missed the first penalty kick screwed his team. Didn't even take a running start.

[EagleDave]

Without question the most unbelievable ending to a soccer game I've ever seen...missing a PK at the buzzer in extra time after a brilliant handball by Uruguay to at least give themselves a chance...and then missing THREE PK's in the shootout! Unbelievable...

[apbc12]

Gyan's going to have a hard time sleeping for a while. He had the keeper crossed up. The only near-equivalent I could think of would be missing a free throw in a tie game with no time on the clock. Sucks to lose on a handball like that, but credit to the Uruguayan for keeping the ball out. It may have been blatantly illegal, but not exactly cheating, either. And it kept his team alive.

The first Ghanaian guy to miss the PK must have been stoned.

[branchinator]

Gyan's going to have a hard time sleeping for a while. He had the keeper crossed up. The only near-equivalent I could think of would be missing a free throw in a tie game with no time on the clock. Sucks to lose on a handball like that, but credit to the Uruguayan for keeping the ball out. It may have been blatantly illegal, but not exactly cheating, either. And it kept his team alive.

The first Ghanaian guy to miss the PK must have been stoned.

I'd like to know what the conversion rate is on penalty kicks. Gyan is going to see that ball going high for the rest of his life. Of course, his retarded teammate, Mensah (perfect name), hit the most limp-dicked penalty kick I've ever seen.

Suarez from Uruguay made an incredible heads-up play to keep that ball out of the goal. If Uruguay goes on to win it all, it'll be remembered similarly to Maradona's play.

[twballgame9]

ESPN said the conversion rate in the World Cup is like 68%, which is down from the World-wide rate of just under 80%, probably because of the quality of the keepers.

On another note, as previously discussed, I am watching my first game since the World Cup ended in the US Ghana game, and as expected, there is no D in A-R-G-E-N-T-I-N-A

[branchinator]

ESPN said the conversion rate in the World Cup is like 68%, which is down from the World-wide rate of just under 80%, probably because of the quality of the keepers.

On another note, as previously discussed, I am watching my first game since the World Cup ended in the US Ghana game, and as expected, there is no D in A-R-G-E-N-T-I-N-A

It was quite refreshing watching another highly-touted South American team become unraveled when playing a calm and collected European squad. Brazil and Argentina might have more talent than Holland and Germany but they were too combustible.

[EagleDave]

ESPN said the conversion rate in the World Cup is like 68%, which is down from the World-wide rate of just under 80%, probably because of the quality of the keepers.

On another note, as previously discussed, I am watching my first game since the World Cup ended in the US Ghana game, and as expected, there is no D in A-R-G-E-N-T-I-N-A

It was quite refreshing watching another highly-touted South American team become unraveled when playing a calm and collected European squad. Brazil and Argentina might have more talent than Holland and Germany but they were too combustible.

Ironically, it was the Germans who were perceived as the team most likely to lose it's composure and leave chances for Argentina. They're the youngest team in the tournament by a mile. Man do they look impressive though. Spain is going to have its hands full Wednesday. I still think the Spaniards are the best team, but I wouldn't be stunned to see Germany take that one...

Uruguay has no shot against the Dutch though. Don't be fooled by the high level in the Uruguay/Ghana game...those were 2 mediocre teams. Holland is legit.

[flyingelvii]

Looks like we have a new goal of the tournament. Sweet sassy molassy Gio.

[EagleDave]

Respek to Uruguay who battled, but the Dutch were the better team. On to the main event tomorrow. Germany or Spain...who ya got?

[Endless Mike]

I'm surprised the Dutch can play so well while clomping around in those silly wooden shoes.

[cvilleagle]

Respek to Uruguay who battled, but the Dutch were the better team. On to the main event tomorrow. Germany or Spain...who ya got?

I really like Spain today. I think Germany's been in great form but Spain's the better squad and should come up bigger in the huge games, like today.

[shockdoct]

I'm surprised the Dutch can play so well while clomping around in those silly wooden shoes.

clomping or clogging?

[Endless Mike]

I'm surprised the Dutch can play so well while clomping around in those silly wooden shoes.

clomping or clogging?

Clogs make clompy noises like big clownshoes.

[EagleDave]

Spain wins again as another team refuses to play offense. It's laughable. Where does this innate fear of the Spanish team come from that causes normally potent offensive teams to back into a shell and await the inevitable? At some point you just have to play your game and let the chips fall where they may. You stand a better chance against this juggernaut by at least making attempts to score goals. Hopefully the Dutch will be play looser on Sunday and take the game at the Spanish.

All told, it was another typical game for the Spanish. The other team tried to bore them into a mistake, they wouldn't bite, and won ugly. Good for them. The potential impending blowjobs though, require me to root for the Dutch Sunday just out of principle as a guy.

[0J1969]

[cvilleagle]

Spain wins again as another team refuses to play offense. It's laughable. Where does this innate fear of the Spanish team come from that causes normally potent offensive teams to back into a shell and await the inevitable? At some point you just have to play your game and let the chips fall where they may. You stand a better chance against this juggernaut by at least making attempts to score goals. Hopefully the Dutch will be play looser on Sunday and take the game at the Spanish.

All told, it was another typical game for the Spanish. The other team tried to bore them into a mistake, they wouldn't bite, and won ugly. Good for them. The potential impending blowjobs though, require me to root for the Dutch Sunday just out of principle as a guy.

Absolutely correct. Germany sat back, and sat back, and then got scored on. I can understand why a team like the U.S. refuses to play offense against Spain - our best bet is defend and counterattack. But at this level, you have to play some offense. No one wants games this important in PKs.

[twballgame9]

Spain wins again as another team refuses to play offense. It's laughable. Where does this innate fear of the Spanish team come from that causes normally potent offensive teams to back into a shell and await the inevitable? At some point you just have to play your game and let the chips fall where they may. You stand a better chance against this juggernaut by at least making attempts to score goals. Hopefully the Dutch will be play looser on Sunday and take the game at the Spanish.

All told, it was another typical game for the Spanish. The other team tried to bore them into a mistake, they wouldn't bite, and won ugly. Good for them. The potential impending blowjobs though, require me to root for the Dutch Sunday just out of principle as a guy.

Absolutely correct. Germany sat back, and sat back, and then got scored on. I can understand why a team like the U.S. refuses to play offense against Spain - our best bet is defend and counterattack. But at this level, you have to play some offense. No one wants games this important in PKs.

Germany's whole gameplan in this world cup was to sit back and then counter. It worked to perfection in their last two games. The England game in particular - 3 of their goals were the functional equivalent of cherry picking. The problem as I see it is that it is only an effective strategy if you get on the board first.