OT: Boneyard "Other Football" World Cup Thread

[Carl Spackler]

It wasn't played .

Didn't know that. They were supposed to play, and last I remember reading about it - nothing had changed. Do you know why it wasn't played? Not that it matters, just curious, and lazy to look it up myself.

 

[StevieDude]

Fear of transit strike and Belgium was worried about getting stuck in traffic gridlock.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/belgiu...ansit-strike-and-traffic-fears-191801146.html

 

[FrostyNuggets]

Belgium drilled us about a year ago in Cleveland.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Fear of transit strike and Belgium was worried about getting stuck in traffic gridlock.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/belgiu...ansit-strike-and-traffic-fears-191801146.html

Thanks.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Belgium drilled us about a year ago in Cleveland.

The Belgium friendly was not pretty for the USMNT.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/12/35/usa-falls-to-belgium

Speaking of traffic, any idea why the US set-up base camp in Sao Paulo? All of the US’s round robin games are in the north of Brazil in Natal, Manaus, and Recife. If they advance, their potential travel as the 1G team would be from Porto Alegre, which is way south, to Rio to Belo Horizonte and finally back to Rio. If the US advances as the 2G team, their potential travel would be Salvador, to Brasilia, to Sao Paulo and then Rio. If they had placed their camp in a more northerly location, Salvador or Recife, it would have cut down on some of the travel as only Manaus and Porto Alegre would be 3+ hour flights and would also avoid the road traffic nightmare that Sao Paulo is. Was it a facilities issue? I know Germany built their own resort somewhere near Salvador.

 

[SubbaBub]

The Belgium friendly was not pretty for the USMNT.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/03/17/12/35/usa-falls-to-belgium

Speaking of traffic, any idea why the US set-up base camp in Sao Paulo? All of the US’s round robin games are in the north of Brazil in Natal, Manaus, and Recife. If they advance, their potential travel as the 1G team would be from Porto Alegre, which is way south, to Rio to Belo Horizonte and finally back to Rio. If the US advances as the 2G team, their potential travel would be Salvador, to Brasilia, to Sao Paulo and then Rio. If they had placed their camp in a more northerly location, Salvador or Recife, it would have cut down on some of the travel as only Manaus and Porto Alegre would be 3+ hour flights and would also avoid the road traffic nightmare that Sao Paulo is. Was it a facilities issue? I know Germany built their own resort somewhere near Salvador.

Had to settle on a camp way in advance of the draw before all the best spots were taken. The US is considered to have secured the best facility, if you don't count the one the Germans built from scratch. JK was on top of this from the beginning. Bob Bradley did the same in 2010.

It's unfortunate that the US was placed in the only three northern venues.

 

[housekeys]

Greece would be the worst team in Group G. And every team in Group G is better than ever team in Group H.

You seem to know who is good and who is bad in soccer. Would you have predicted an LA Galaxy team, featuring, Donovan and Keane, losing to a semi-pro team from Carolina?

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socc...ion-railhawks-in-u-s--open-cup-155957395.html

This is what I mean when I say good soccer is played all over the world, including our own back yard.

 

[ZooCougar]

You seem to know who is good and who is bad in soccer. Would you have predicted an LA Galaxy team, featuring, Donovan and Keane, losing to a semi-pro team from Carolina?

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socc...ion-railhawks-in-u-s--open-cup-155957395.html

This is what I mean when I say good soccer is played all over the world, including our own back yard.

That happens in the US Open Cup from time to time. Soccer is like that. It's not like football where the better team will almost automatically overpower the weaker opponent. But from the eye test alone, the Group G teams look pretty stout and Group H not so much. If only the US had gotten into Mexico's group.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

You seem to know who is good and who is bad in soccer. Would you have predicted an LA Galaxy team, featuring, Donovan and Keane, losing to a semi-pro team from Carolina?

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socc...ion-railhawks-in-u-s--open-cup-155957395.html

This is what I mean when I say good soccer is played all over the world, including our own back yard.

Yeah you just never know. In the FA cup in England, semi-pro teams take down soccer giants with regularity. You just never know who is gonna win on the field any given day.

 

[rich1122]

We are where we should be. We should have lost to Ghana and we should have beaten Portugal. Happens in soccer. The unfortunate part is that both Ghana and the US should move on.

I will be interested to see if Portugal shows up to avoid total embarrassment or they roll over like dogs. Renaldo does not want to go down as a choker, given his image. These socialist countries are not very pride driven , like France last year, so they tend not to fight back when punched in the face. The US game should have its share of scoring chances, which will probably come of of set pieces or some major blunder. Neither is going to take chance with major attacks into the others zone - at least not many.

 

[whaler11]

Group E is a good example of how goal differential makes the tournament better. The Swiss are up 2-0 but need to keep scoring and can't just take the air out of the ball.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Group E is a good example of how goal differential makes the tournament better. The Swiss are up 2-0 but need to keep scoring and can't just take the air out of the ball.

If I'm understanding the scenario right (longshot): The Swiss and Ecuador if they both win go to goal differential. The Swiss are playing Honduras, who are playing for nothing, and Ecuador is playing France, who has something to play for. And you're saying that goal differential should matter more than the result of the game played between the Swiss and Ecuador?

 

[whaler11]

If I'm understanding the scenario right (longshot): The Swiss and Ecuador if they both win go to goal differential. The Swiss are playing Honduras, who are playing for nothing, and Ecuador is playing France, who has something to play for. And you're saying that goal differential should matter more than the result of the game played between the Swiss and Ecuador?

Yes not because it make inherent sense but because it makes the games better.

I'd rather they make the pools bigger, but playing only three games in the group stage if you make head to head the first tiebreaker so many more games are meaningless.

If it were College football or basketball I'd flip out because generally I care who wins the games. I like the World Cup because it's entertaining. I don't care if Ecuador or Switzerland get through beyond the fact I bet on the Swiss -1.5 goals.

Group G tomorrow is 100% less interesting if Ghana is dead in the water. If losing to Ghana on goals diff seems bad how about if Portugal gets to play a dead team that is fighting over money?

Edit:Technically Honduras wasn't dead today they just needed to win or have France win by a ridiculous amount.

 

[whaler11]

If head to head was the tiebreaker in E - the Swiss take the air out of the ball and Ecuador is already dead. That's better than the second halves we'll see?

 

[ZooCougar]

Yes not because it make inherent sense but because it makes the games better.

I'd rather they make the pools bigger, but playing only three games in the group stage if you make head to head the first tiebreaker so many more games are meaningless.

If it were College football or basketball I'd flip out because generally I care who wins the games. I like the World Cup because it's entertaining. I don't care if Ecuador or Switzerland get through beyond the fact I bet on the Swiss -1.5 goals.

Group G tomorrow is 100% less interesting if Ghana is dead in the water. If losing to Ghana on goals diff seems bad how about if Portugal gets to play a dead team that is fighting over money?

Goal differential is a better tiebreaker in league play where teams play more than once. In group play I think head to head is more fair since the number of games is so small and each team only plays once.

You can google "goal differential vs. head to head" and you'll get about a million results consisting of arguments like this.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Yes not because it make inherent sense but because it makes the games better.

I'd rather they make the pools bigger, but playing only three games in the group stage if you make head to head the first tiebreaker so many more games are meaningless.

If it were College football or basketball I'd flip out because generally I care who wins the games. I like the World Cup because it's entertaining. I don't care if Ecuador or Switzerland get through beyond the fact I bet on the Swiss -1.5 goals.

Group G tomorrow is 100% less interesting if Ghana is dead in the water. If losing to Ghana on goals diff seems bad how about if Portugal gets to play a dead team that is fighting over money?

Edit:Technically Honduras wasn't dead today they just needed to win or have France win by a ridiculous amount.

You are a true degenerate. Respect.

 

[whaler11]

You are a true degenerate. Respect.

Of all my vices gambling is the least of my problems. I never bet a soccer game in my life before this tournament so I've been playing like $25 a game. Of course I've been lucky as heck. Had the US and Ghana held on Sunday I'd be livid at myself for playing so small.

 

[whaler11]

Goal differential is a better tiebreaker in league play where teams play more than once. In group play I think head to head is more fair since the number of games is so small and each team only plays once.

You can google "goal differential vs. head to head" and you'll get about a million results consisting of arguments like this.

Therein lies the rub. It's a lot less likely to matter over a larger sample of games.

I am not claiming it's fair or right, only that I think it makes the tournament better. But outside of the US, I don't care who wins.

 

[Jimdish255]

Today is kind of a boring schedule from my perspective but looking forward to getting out tomorrow and rooting for US with help from Portugal.

 

[SubbaBub]

Really wishing that last header went wide right about now.

 

[FluxTZ]

USA/Canada the new site for 2022?

http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/fifa-propose-move-2022-world-cup-qatar-to-usa-canada/

 

[UCFBfan]

USA/Canada the new site for 2022?

http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/fifa-propose-move-2022-world-cup-qatar-to-usa-canada/

Would be great if it comes true. I'm thinking Vancouver and Toronto would be the Canada venues and then the rest in the US? Get that expansion started on the Rent so we can host!

 

[StevieDude]

Wow Ghana is a mess. Boateng and Muntari have been suspended. Mobile can't link right now

 

[ZooCougar]

There may not even be a game today. Recife just had a monsoon blow through and the city is flooded. Nobody can even get to the stadium.

 

[meyers7]

Wow Ghana is a mess. Boateng and Muntari have been suspended. Mobile can't link right now

I'm liking it.