OT: World Cup

[intlzncster]

Belgium and Colombia are my dark horses. Feeling pretty good about Colombia after that result.

They have good strikers, but at some point, I think they'll miss Falcao.

 

[intlzncster]

somewhat related, i'm really liking the england youth movement. i was very impressed by sterling. kid is only 19 years old and looked fearless out there. should be a great player for them going forward.

England needs an entire generation to get off the pitch before they ever have a change of doing anything. This current group (the older guys) just don't have the right mix.

 

[Waquoit]

The offside rule is silly, arbitrary, leads to the defense attempting to form lines in the back row to "catch" the offense offsides rather than simply playing D, is very difficult to call because it requires visualization of two places at once, and takes away from the game.

Nah, offsides is part of what make soccer so great. I felt the same way you did until I started watching more games and understanding what goes on better.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I'm not knocking you here, but doesn't the match stop significantly (comparatively) when there is a penalty kick called?

No I know you're not... Yeah but then we'd have to wait for them to walk over the monitor and take more time. Then do they add those minutes on to stoppage? Do they stop review every yellow or red bc those are just as big. I think they should suspend the player for a game without pay after looking at tape after the game, keeps happening more punishment. Ronaldo (cristiano) used to dive every play and the refs new it so they never awarded a penalty or foul and now he's stopped for the most part, I think that's another way too

 

[UConnSwag11]

Really would've like to see ribery

 

[UConnSwag11]

Good call by the ref. he made no play on the ball, just barreled through him

 

[Waquoit]

Good call by the ref. he made no play on the ball, just barreled through him

They don't come much dumber than that one.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Messi, what a finish. Btw soccer fans are the greatest. Always in song. Never quiet

 

[UConnSwag11]

That Pirlo free kick was almost unfair. Hart had no chance.

The Italy-England game as a whole was great. I expected both teams to be much more content to play for a draw but it ended up being a great game to watch.

Joe Harts reaction at the end of the game

https://vine.co/v/MIqpJMPjJz7

 

[UConnSwag11]

That Pirlo free kick was almost unfair. Hart had no chance.

The Italy-England game as a whole was great. I expected both teams to be much more content to play for a draw but it ended up being a great game to watch.

http://gfycat.com/CompetentDefensiveGosling

 

[DarthGrumpy]

So far there have been an average of 3.5 goals scored per match.
Only 2 teams have failed to score.
Zero draws.

No draws after 4 days is mind boggling...

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Thought you guys would like this, I found it hysterical

http://www.theonion.com/articles/wo...ign=Default:1:Default&recirc=sports-culture#2

Cristiano Ronaldo is Alex Rodriguez's equally annoying, slightly less 'bulky' twin brother.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The offside rule is silly, arbitrary, leads to the defense attempting to form lines in the back row to "catch" the offense offsides rather than simply playing D, is very difficult to call because it requires visualization of two places at once, and takes away from the game.

Better would be to get rid of the offsides rule entirely, or, if offsides is absolutely desired to avoid goal sitting, make it a hockey style line.

Having the offsides line depend on where the defenders are standing takes away from the game.

I recognize that stalwarts will defend it because "that's the way the game is played and I am a purist," but it detracts from the game.

My freshman year at UConn, UNC women visited Storrs for a game. The season before, UConn won in OT and snapped UNC's multiyear unbeaten streak and used a high off-side trap effectively. Their Senior captain took it personally. In the NCAA Championship later the same season, she shredded UConn on the way to a 6 to 0 win and then at the game I saw, she got a hat-trick if I remember correctly on the way to a 5 to 1 UNC win. In soccer, a strategy can work one day and not the next. It's all about adjustments. Oh, and UNC's captain was Mia Hamm.

I agree that calling off-sides is a bitch, though technology could help. That said, I would be against a line based off-sides. A team could simply post it's best/fastest player just outside the other team's 18 yard box and their keeper or a solid fullback could just hammer it down the field every possession. It would be like tennis. No flow, no build-up, no passing.

 

[intlzncster]

They don't come much dumber than that one.

They never had a chance anyway. France was just dominating them. But at least they now have a scapegoat.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Two huge games today. Portugal and Germany at 12 and US vs Ghana at 6. I honestly can see the US squeaking into second

 

[intlzncster]

Two huge games today. Portugal and Germany at 12 and US vs Ghana at 6. I honestly can see the US squeaking into second

I've said it before there's no chance (very very little at the most) of the US progressing out of the group stage.

Right now, however, my typical irrationally over confident homer mentality is starting to kick in, and I feel like the US can do it. I'm chalking Germany up as a loss right now. So, everything comes down to tonight. Taking 3 points from the Ghanians is a MUST. USMNT might be able to sneak a win against Portugal, but I think a tie is what they are shooting for.

I hate playing Ghana so much as they immediately take away one of the best US attributes--they are one of the few teams that can out-physical the US.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Two huge games today. Portugal and Germany at 12 and US vs Ghana at 6. I honestly can see the US squeaking into second

So can I, especially if the game at noon is not a draw. If the U.S. can win tonight, the loser at noon has a massive amount of pressure on it.

 

[Husky25]

Only in soccer can you sit there for 3 hours to see a 0-0 tie and people claim it was a great game. To attract the american viewer they will need to make some changes to the off side rule and possibly make the field smaller... game is just too boring compared to the 4 major sports here. Its a joke the people in the us dont even watch the games but claim to root for the country their great grandfather was from instead of their own country.

Soccer matches are comprised of two halves of 45 minutes of running time each. There is a short halftime and about 5 minutes or less of injury time (again, running) tacked on to each half. In what universe does that even approach 3 hours? The game has more flow than what Major League Baseball has become and takes about half the time.

It's fine if you don't like soccer. It has enough going against it in this country to simply make up falsehoods about the game. "World Cup" is in the title of the thread. You know what the subject is. If you don't want to talk about it then don't click on it.

 

[intlzncster]

Soccer matches are comprised of two halves of 45 minutes of running time each. There is a short halftime and about 5 minutes or less of injury time (again, running) tacked on to each half. In what universe does that even approach 3 hours? The game has more flow than what Major League Baseball has become and takes about half the time.

It's fine if you don't like soccer. It has enough going against it in this country to simply make up falsehoods about the game. "World Cup" is in the title of the thread. You know what the subject is. If you don't want to talk about it then don't click on it.

The game has more flow than every single major league sport in the US.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Fifa is to blame for diving..full stop.

If the players knew that they could face a 3 game ban for diving in the box, they would not do it. Right now, the risk/ reward of diving is so skewed, it begs for players to do it.

Win the match for my country/club or a yellow card?

Fifa uses video technology post match on all red cards to determine a 1 match- 3 match ban. They could do the same for all pks given in the box.

And a note to refs..if a player rolls around 125489631225478 times...he isn't really hurt....just walk over to him on roll number ,say 8 or 9 and give him the yellow for unsportsmanlike behavior...the would stop too.

Agree completely. Here is the other thing they can do...call the actual fouls, and call them where they occur. How often do we see the defense get away with murder in the box, or see a foul a yard inside the box called as a free kick outside the box? They are very reluctant to award PKs, and the defense knows it.

**Note: of course, as I sent this, the referee awarded Germany a PK.

 

[intlzncster]

YES! US absolutely needs a Germany win (3 of them would help) here.

Germany with some beautiful passing that lead to the penalty.

 

[HuskyHawk]

YES! US absolutely needs a Germany win (3 of them would help) here.

Germany with some beautiful passing that lead to the penalty.

Three German wins would help? Two yes...but I do think the U.S. would be better served by winning.

 

[intlzncster]

Three German wins would help? Two yes...but I do think the U.S. would be better served by winning.

LMAO! Duly noted. Not even going to correct that monstrosity. In my defense, I was excited.

 

[Husky25]

The game has more flow than every single major league sport in the US.

Not necessarily. Running time does not mean better flow. The game "stops" for throw-ins, goal kicks, and corners. The only difference really between that and a hockey face off is the clock stopping. I'm not a fan of the flopping (like many others), but the game stops on fouls too.

I'm a casual soccer fan because other than the USNTs, I don't follow any particular team or league. The MLS is not comprised of the best players, and I'm not invested in any other country, but I literally cannot fathom not getting stirred up in a patriotic frenzy when the Country level tournaments are going on.

 

[Husky25]

Is it me or is Germany completely dominating the play in the first part of this game?