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Football/Soccer WorldCup
- Thread starter dyingsun
- Start date
ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM
Whittingham
I have to say Germany look the best team so far in this World Cup.
Mind you when Germany meets a high qality team such as Argentina, Brazil, England ,France or Spain then we will see if its good enough to win the World Cup.
Hat's off to Australia in giving it a go even though they got hammered by Germany.
I think Australia won't get past the first round.
Cheers & GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
BF
ArchieBedford
Partly experienced
FIFA rankings are based on performance record over time. They're not made up: the same rules apply to every team. You win your games, you go up the ranking. You lose, you go down. Simple.
Tom From Hong Kong
Sleeping with one eye open . . .
What made Michael Jordan a truly great athlete is that he showed up for the big game and delivered, particularly when it really mattered at the end of the game. England may have better soccer players than the U.S., but they failed to step up when it counted.
Soccer just isn't that big of a sport in the U.S., although it is gradually growing in popularity. Imagine if just a fraction of the best athletes in baseball, basketball and football played soccer instead of their game of choice.
Soccer just isn't that big of a sport in the U.S., although it is gradually growing in popularity. Imagine if just a fraction of the best athletes in baseball, basketball and football played soccer instead of their game of choice.
Ron Collins
Curiously Confused
So I am not typically a soccer fan. Though my son and I have ventured to a few FC Dallas games. My father-in-law is from England. Let me tell ya, there is nothing more English than an Englishman that lives in Texas. So the England vs. US was kinda of a fun topic. It has got me to watch more of the Workd Cup than I have ever watched before and I have to say it is growing on me. Though the AUS vs GER match was completely one sided I did get to see the differences in ball control and accuracy. It helped me appreciate the players skill more and glimpse strategy that I formerly thought was totally lacking. Now, it will never hold the place in my heart that American Football, Baseball, and Basketball hold.... but I think I would rather watch it than any of the many Texas Hold'em poker shows. Believe me, that is actually a big deal.
Kieran
Paranormal Adept
I accept that Archie but the ratings are based on a number of things other than performance. The toughest competition for places in the World cup is in Europe. USA are an average team who have played less stronger teams than we do here in Europe. So ratings don't tell the whole picture. For example.. Algeria even though they got to the World cup are a bad team too. Ireland beat them 4 nil before the World cup started. And Algeria are in the top 20 and we are outside in the top 30 or 40 i believe.. Ireland came second in their group behind France. France was one point ahead of us before the last game in Paris. This was a over 2 year campaign to get to the World cup.. Henry cheated the night of the game and he never received a ban from FiFA, a total disgrace for Football. They are 9 in the Fifa rankings. They shouldn't even be the're but lucky it only football at the end of the day. I think USA are a team that least showed they can pass the ball. England with all their star players couldn't even pass without having to knock it up field after running out of ideas. I blame the Coach or manager for that negativity shown during the match.
---------- Post added at 11:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 AM ----------
I think Americans like to play it, but maybe they hate watching it on TV? All US sports seem to end with a winner. Soccer as ye Americans call it... sometimes games end in draws no winners and something's games can be dull and boring. I have to appreciated Soccer is not the number one sport in the United states, however outside the United states/ Soccer is the biggest sport in the known World. An estimated 1and half billion people watch the World cup every Four years when it starts.
P
Paul Kimball
Guest
I've always thought that with Americans, it's a case of "if they didn't invent it, they don't think it's particularly worthwhile." They hate to admit that someone else had a bright idea.
But hopefully that's changing.
ArchieBedford
Partly experienced
Kieran, you're talking about different things.
1. FIFA rankings are simple: based on games won/drawn/lost over time. This is why Brazil is currently ranked number one in the world, Spain number 2 etc: they have the best and most consistent performance. Here's the current world rankings:
http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/r...r=m/fullranking.html#confederation=0&rank=193
They are not based on opinion, they are based on the results of international games played. As you see, Ireland is ranked 41 in the world right now - and as a matter of interest, 22 UEFA (European Federation member) teams are ranked ahead of Ireland - which means these 22 have performed better over time in internationals than Ireland.
2. For participation in the World Cup the host nation (South Africa this time) is always granted automatic qualification, with the remaining 31 finals places divided among the continental confederations:
13 places go to UEFA (European teams)
5 to CAF (African teams)
4 to CONMEBOL (South American teams)
3 to AFC (Asian teams)
3 to CONCACAF (North and Central America and Caribbean teams)
The remaining two places are decided by playoffs between AFC and CONCACAF and between CONMEBOL and OFC (Oceania).
This system is agreed to prevent for instance a tournament where ALL 32 of the participant teams would be from Europe or South America, with NO TEAMS from other parts of the world, who might be disqualified due to low overall international performance and low ranking. It's to ensure a truly international tournament.
Teams play qualifying matches to win participation. UEFA teams compete against all other UEFA teams to qualify for one of those 13 places, and if you don't qualify then you're out. Ireland was effectively bettered by more than 13 other European teams at the qualifying stage. It's all very well complaining about the unpenalised handball from Henry in a qualifying match, but if Ireland had won all its other group matches for qualifying then that wouldn't matter, would it?
BTW Algeria's overall FIFA ranking is currently 30; Ireland's is 41.
Ron Collins
Curiously Confused
I've always thought that with Americans, it's a case of "if they didn't invent it, they don't think it's particularly worthwhile." They hate to admit that someone else had a bright idea.
But hopefully that's changing.
Actually it's that we feel it's a communist plot to overthrow Baseball as America's national pass time.
That and the fact that it's an awful lot of running for very few points and the violence is pretty lame. We like lots of violence, scantly clad women, and lots of points. At a minimum for it to really take off in America you need cheerleaders and fights. Though dollar hotdog nights and free bobble heads can remove the need for fights. Cheerleaders doing stripper moves are a must though.
Kieran
Paranormal Adept
Complaining. Well Ireland had a right to complain especially when such an important game was decided here because someone cheated. Fifa is all about Fair play but were is the fair play for us?
"France cheating is acceptable is it and it was far from a simple handball that got them the're.
The fact is, France came second in their group also. Your logic such apply to them also,, They too should have won their Group.
We hammered France that Night, we we're all over them, and we had the most chances on Goal over the 90 minutes.
In the last five minutes and the game was heading towards penalties to decide who would be going to the Finals. Henry and another player handled the ball not once but three times. For a small country like Ireland the World cup would have been a big boost to national economy during this time of recession. Shops are busier and more people tend to eat out more during World Cups. This would have been welcomed if we got the're. We were denied maybe we would have lost on penalties but at least we would have lost fairly.
I accept the rankings are not all bad. However i would have Spain as number one and Brazil number 3... Italy are the World champions and they won there Group to qualify for the finals and Brazil haven't won a World cup in over ten years. So maybe Brazil don't deserve to be number one?
Everyone knows how the system works but the system of rankings does not tell the whole story. That was my point. Some teams that are higher in rank than other teams are the're because they have better record 'Wins draws loses' but what i am saying is, some of those teams that might be lower in rank than another team higher up. That lower Ranked team still might be a better team overall and have played against stiffer opposition than the other teams ranked above. I know we have to be fair and have a fair competition but i think my logic makes sense when you look at it.
1stEarthBattalion
Skilled Investigator
ENGLAND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! have had the funniest goal scored against them of the competition so far, well done USA.
Remember everyone England drew their first game when they won the world cup.
Remember everyone England drew their first game when they won the world cup.
Kieran
Paranormal Adept
In 1966 and they won it on home soil, they staged the World cup that year. To win it outside your nation is more of an achievement, but i can't be too critical here. England won it still that year with a team that was pretty good in the overall scheme of things. I think England over the years has been too hyped up with the media in England. There not as good as the media makes out over there.
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
I'm probably the only human in Brazil who doesn't care about soccer or the World Cup.
Yesterday was my country's first match, against North Korea. Game's kickoff would be at 3:30 PM by the Brasilia time. We were allowed to leave work by 2 PM. I did that. I was planning to go home and enjoy a well-deserved half day off.
As I walked down the streets of Sao Paulo to reach my train station, I noticed that... well, chaos was taking over. Sao Paulo was one huge traffic jam, even more than what it usually is. The Morumbi train station in southside Sao Paulo was closed, and a noisy mob gathered by its gates. Railroad officials would open the gates periodically, only allowing a certain amount of people to enter the station at a time. The bus stop on the road that runs at the banks of the Pinheiros river was unspeakably crowded as well, and buses stopping by were so full that people in them were looking like sardines in a can.
After walking north all the way (a mile or so) to the Berrini station, I could finally take my train. Then I usually step down at the Hebraica-Rebouças station, where I take a bus that quickly gets me home in Sao Paulo's central area. But... As I stepped down and reached the bus stop at the Rebouças avenue, buses were still full of compacted, mashed-together beings that only vaguely resembled humans. So I decided to stop by the Eldorado shopping mall and have lunch.
Upon entering the shopping center, I realized all stores were closed. This was about 3:25 PM. A lonely mall cop politely told me that the food court was open though, so I climbed the escalators, hoping to have a meal.
Five minutes before kickoff. I notice that almost all restaurants were closed. I see people in a McDonald's, but they weren't serving anything. Instead, they put up a few flat screen TVs and all the mall's workers were gathering there to watch the game.
Only one restaurant was still working. The oh-so-lonely me orders a sandwich. The clerk behind the counter looks like a ghost, visibly feeling the most miserable person on the nation for being forced to work at such a festive moment for Brazil.
I sit quietly to eat my lunch, surrounded by a surreal field of empty chairs and tables. Through the music in my earphones, I listen to the people cheering and blowing their vuvuzelas. I eat my sandwich. I drink my Coke. I get up and head home.
As I leave the mall, I find myself at the other side of a cultural wormhole. Only 20 minutes into the game, Sao Paulo's streets had become dead empty. I could take my clothes off, and walk the Rebouças Avenue naked if I wanted, and noone would have noticed me.
I stepped into an empty bus, the driver and cashier listening to the game on a loudspeaking radio. The cashier had no change. He said "oh, you can ride for free" - like that. Completely nonchalant. His mind was somewhere else.
I sit down and keep looking through the window. The usually noisy, buzzing, fast-pacing metropolis of Sao Paulo is silent, clean, still and beautiful. I seize the moment.
Ten minutes or so later, I'm finally, finally home.
---------- Post added at 02:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:23 PM ----------
Oh, and by the way...
We scored only 2 -1 against North Korea.
Not Germany, England, Italy or Argentina. NORTH KOREA scored a goal on Brazil! Fuckin' soccer superstars took a goal from NK!!!
Damn!
I'm probably the only human in Brazil who doesn't care about soccer or the World Cup.
Yesterday was my country's first match, against North Korea. Game's kickoff would be at 3:30 PM by the Brasilia time. We were allowed to leave work by 2 PM. I did that. I was planning to go home and enjoy a well-deserved half day off.
As I walked down the streets of Sao Paulo to reach my train station, I noticed that... well, chaos was taking over. Sao Paulo was one huge traffic jam, even more than what it usually is. The Morumbi train station in southside Sao Paulo was closed, and a noisy mob gathered by its gates. Railroad officials would open the gates periodically, only allowing a certain amount of people to enter the station at a time. The bus stop on the road that runs at the banks of the Pinheiros river was unspeakably crowded as well, and buses stopping by were so full that people in them were looking like sardines in a can.
After walking north all the way (a mile or so) to the Berrini station, I could finally take my train. Then I usually step down at the Hebraica-Rebouças station, where I take a bus that quickly gets me home in Sao Paulo's central area. But... As I stepped down and reached the bus stop at the Rebouças avenue, buses were still full of compacted, mashed-together beings that only vaguely resembled humans. So I decided to stop by the Eldorado shopping mall and have lunch.
Upon entering the shopping center, I realized all stores were closed. This was about 3:25 PM. A lonely mall cop politely told me that the food court was open though, so I climbed the escalators, hoping to have a meal.
Five minutes before kickoff. I notice that almost all restaurants were closed. I see people in a McDonald's, but they weren't serving anything. Instead, they put up a few flat screen TVs and all the mall's workers were gathering there to watch the game.
Only one restaurant was still working. The oh-so-lonely me orders a sandwich. The clerk behind the counter looks like a ghost, visibly feeling the most miserable person on the nation for being forced to work at such a festive moment for Brazil.
I sit quietly to eat my lunch, surrounded by a surreal field of empty chairs and tables. Through the music in my earphones, I listen to the people cheering and blowing their vuvuzelas. I eat my sandwich. I drink my Coke. I get up and head home.
As I leave the mall, I find myself at the other side of a cultural wormhole. Only 20 minutes into the game, Sao Paulo's streets had become dead empty. I could take my clothes off, and walk the Rebouças Avenue naked if I wanted, and noone would have noticed me.
I stepped into an empty bus, the driver and cashier listening to the game on a loudspeaking radio. The cashier had no change. He said "oh, you can ride for free" - like that. Completely nonchalant. His mind was somewhere else.
I sit down and keep looking through the window. The usually noisy, buzzing, fast-pacing metropolis of Sao Paulo is silent, clean, still and beautiful. I seize the moment.
Ten minutes or so later, I'm finally, finally home.
---------- Post added at 02:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:23 PM ----------
Oh, and by the way...
We scored only 2 -1 against North Korea.
Not Germany, England, Italy or Argentina. NORTH KOREA scored a goal on Brazil! Fuckin' soccer superstars took a goal from NK!!!
Damn!
Angel of Ioren
Friendly Skeptic
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
Don't over look the power of the great supreme leader - he has created a team of super players.
Don't over look the power of the great supreme leader - he has created a team of super players.
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
People here are furious at coach Dunga and his players. Anything less than butchering NK (as we did to Tanzania last week) is deemed unacceptable.
Also, Kaka was lousy on the field. Just lousy.
But I said I don't care about soccer. Damn World Cup fever is starting to infiltrate my speech. Must... remain... uninterested!
People here are furious at coach Dunga and his players. Anything less than butchering NK (as we did to Tanzania last week) is deemed unacceptable.
Also, Kaka was lousy on the field. Just lousy.
But I said I don't care about soccer. Damn World Cup fever is starting to infiltrate my speech. Must... remain... uninterested!
Angel of Ioren
Friendly Skeptic
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
It's okay to be interested.
It's okay to be interested.
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
I've got nothing against soccer itself. My problem is the butterfly effect: eleven dudes walk into a rectangle of grass on the other side of the Atlantic, and the entire nation of Brazil just frickin' STOPS - or worse, goes absolutely insane.
I've got nothing against soccer itself. My problem is the butterfly effect: eleven dudes walk into a rectangle of grass on the other side of the Atlantic, and the entire nation of Brazil just frickin' STOPS - or worse, goes absolutely insane.
Kieran
Paranormal Adept
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
North Korea defence is strong there not a bad outfit. They lack fire power in attack but they were playing Brazil you home country and they are no pushovers which is kind of an understandment when talking about Brazil lol I was shocked by Spain losing today, that was a shocking result.
North Korea defence is strong there not a bad outfit. They lack fire power in attack but they were playing Brazil you home country and they are no pushovers which is kind of an understandment when talking about Brazil lol I was shocked by Spain losing today, that was a shocking result.
ArchieBedford
Partly experienced
What's Brazil like during a World Cup match
I was in Brazil for 12 days during the last world cup in 2006 (hosted by Germany). It was astounding how the streets of Rio emptied into a ghost town even when Brazil played a group match, and even more so that immediately following each match, the police would close the main streets in Leblon and Ipanema so spontaneous street parties could take place uninterrupted by traffic. Even the Air Force flew over the city releasing green and yellow smoke trails behind each plane. As Schuler says, there was literally no-one on the streets. It felt kind of post-apocalyptic.
What about Switzerland beating Spain then? Is Switzerland a contender now? Anyone like to revise their forecast of Spain winning the cup?
I was in Brazil for 12 days during the last world cup in 2006 (hosted by Germany). It was astounding how the streets of Rio emptied into a ghost town even when Brazil played a group match, and even more so that immediately following each match, the police would close the main streets in Leblon and Ipanema so spontaneous street parties could take place uninterrupted by traffic. Even the Air Force flew over the city releasing green and yellow smoke trails behind each plane. As Schuler says, there was literally no-one on the streets. It felt kind of post-apocalyptic.
What about Switzerland beating Spain then? Is Switzerland a contender now? Anyone like to revise their forecast of Spain winning the cup?