World Cup Thread.

SB39 said:

I read article after article calling this the biggest game in US Soccer History. (which led me to believe I am the only one in the country aware they made the round of 8 last decade, but I digress).

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No you aren't alone in remembering the 2002 run. I think due to the fact that there's far more attention to soccer now than there was in 2002 - and the typical short term memory of Americans who probably don't even remember how we advanced in 2010 - that suddenly this USA vs Germany game is now the "biggest game."

Today's game wasn't pretty to watch. Too many blown chances on our offense when we had our chances. And we're lucky Germany apparently can't aim very well at the goal outside of their one lucky goal. Yeah the conditions at the game were pretty bad with the rain and field condition but if you are playing you gotta play the hand you are dealt. Glad we are advancing but... just like Coach Klinsmann I feel we could of played better.

BelichickFan said:

Right, NFL teams have NEVER lost the last game of the regular season but celebrated because a different team's loss put them in the playoffs.

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I'm not being critical of the system. I understand how a team can lose the final game of the regular season but still advance to the playoffs.

I'm being critical of all the mediots - of which there were plenty - who spent the past 4 days calling today's game the biggest game in U.S. Soccer History.

SB39 said:

I read article after article calling this the biggest game in US Soccer History. (which led me to believe I am the only one in the country aware they made the round of 8 last decade, but I digress).

So the US goes out and plays well but loses the biggest game in US Soccer History.

And right now all the American fans are cheering and celebrating.

BECAUSE FUTBOL!!!

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You clearly don't enjoy soccer, so I'm not sure why you're posting in this thread. Try being a mature adult (assuming you are one) and either participate constructively or go post in threads where your input is relevant.

So...glad to move on to the next round. Gonzalez looked a heck of a lot better to me than Cameron did; much less passive and much more anticipatory. Bradley continues to be a huge disappointment.

Angry Man said:

No you aren't alone in remembering the 2002 run. I think due to the fact that there's far more attention to soccer now than there was in 2002 - and the typical short term memory of Americans who probably don't even remember how we advanced in 2010 - that suddenly this USA vs Germany game is now the "biggest game."

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I'll never forget that. I was in a summer course at the local college. During our break, the professor pulls down the screen and attaches his laptop to the overhead projector so we're watching over the internet. It was about the 85th minute. So it was cool to see that winning goal in the classroom.

JackBauer said:

You clearly don't enjoy soccer, so I'm not sure why you're posting in this thread.

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Not true. I've mentioned several times that I am enjoying the World Cup. Then once this is over, like the rest of the country, it'll be 3 years and 11 months before I think or talk about soccer again.

SB39 said:

Not true. I've mentioned several times that I am enjoying the World Cup. Then once this is over, like the rest of the country, it'll be 3 years and 11 months before I think or talk about soccer again.

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Oh, right. You're one of those "fans" who spends more time crapping on the sport than actually discussing the games.

Because FUTBOL!!!

SB39 said:

I'm being critical of all the mediots - of which there were plenty - who spent the past 4 days calling today's game the biggest game in U.S. Soccer History.

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That's like being critical of the mentally handicapped for being mentally handicapped. There is a reason we call them mediots. If they ever stumble into saying something intelligent and insightful then we take notice and those religious among us start preparing for Judgment day for surely it must be a sign of the impending Armageddon. Other wise water is wet, sky is blue and mediots are... well the name is self explanatory.

Ivan said:

Awesome, when they said the US game was irrelevant I turned to Ghana/Portugal and there was a jump ball on the goalline that deflected out to Ronaldo and he bagged it, never thought i would cheer for a Ronaldo goal.

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Be honest now..... It felt nice cheering for Ronaldo! !!

Congrats to the US!!! Bittersweet for me, but the 2 teams thst deserved to go thru. .... did!

I'll be wearing my US shirt on Tuesday with pride! !!

On the Suarez suspension I think he deserves it but I think it sets a bad precedent of FIFA imposing their authority over individual FA. I'd like LFC and the FA fight the stadium ban and then proceed to levy any additional punishment to Suarez themselves. They can not allow FIFA to decide how they handle their own disciplinary matters. It would be as if a MLB player got thrown out of the World Baseball Classic and suspended from it and then that suspension being extended to the actual MLB season. It would be preposterous and it would never stand.

BritPat said:

You're very wrong.

This has never ever happened before. It is unique.

And I'm not quite sure how LFC were lucky, considering he was on International duty. His club should not be suffering for something he did playing for International football. No player in the history of the sport has ever suffered the same. It is a first.

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Then professional soccer is centuries behind human civilization.

The man has bitten another man THREE separate times during games. This is a mental problem.

AzorianPats said:

Be honest now..... It felt nice cheering for Ronaldo! !!

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I don't mind Portugal and I liked Figo As a player, I just really dislike Ronaldo, even though he did make the sweetest pass I have ever seen when he was at Man U.

AzorianPats said:

Congrats to the US!!! Bittersweet for me, but the 2 teams thst deserved to go thru. .... did!

I'll be wearing my US shirt on Tuesday with pride! !!

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From Portugal I hope.

Mike the Brit said:

I feel dirty posting this. If there were a Stupid Olympics I think this piece would probably win it. Still, it does make clear how much soccer touches a political vein:

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...est-soccer-sign-nations-moral-decay/11372137/

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Mike, you really are reaching for the bottom of the barrel if you're going to link to her writing. She doesn't even believe in what she is writing. She's unashamedly just trying to make money on her celebrity. That is nothing more than a "Look at me!!!" column. Why don't we find out what Honey Boo Boo or one of the Kardashiains thought of the sport? These people are only one rung up on the seriousness scale from Dan Shaughnessy. (I would say, Borges, but Borges actually believes what he is writing).

I love the way the US-Germany game was played; all out. Neither side is inclined to playing soft and I really appreciate both teams playing a straight up (no diving), competitive match. There are a couple other European sides that could learn a thing or two from the effort those two sides showed today.

Of course, I would have preferred to see better play from the Americans. Bradley plays with energy, but he's just been off and it hurt us today.

The group played out as well as I could have hoped. As a Borussia Dortmund supporter, Germany is my sentimental favorite after the USA. It's not as great as it would have been with Reus in there, but Hummels played well enough today. Figures that Hoewedes would get the yellow...Schalke bastard...

shmessy said:

Mike, you really are reaching for the bottom of the barrel if you're going to link to her writing. She doesn't even believe in what she is writing. She's unashamedly just trying to make money on her celebrity. That is nothing more than a "Look at me!!!" column. Why don't we find out what Honey Boo Boo or one of the Kardashiains thought of the sport? These people are only one rung up on the seriousness scale from Dan Shaughnessy. (I would say, Borges, but Borges actually believes what he is writing).

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She's a moron and gives a bad name to people who favor the same political coin as she does. My great grandfather was born here and I've watched the World Cup twice: once in 2010 and this year. I know plenty of people whose families have been here for generations watching the World Cup. If she made any other points outside of that, I wouldn't know. I only read the italicized paragraph, realized it was Coulter, and closed the link.

BritPat said:

There have been far worse players and moments in the history of football. Check out Andoni Goikoetxea's (a player so fearsome he was nicknamed the butcher of Bilbao) attempted leg break on Maradona back in the 80's, or Roy Keane trying to end Alfe Inge Haaland's career in a game against Man City.

Recently you can watch Danny Mills (another serial scumbag who is a two-faced ****rat to boot) attempting to give Pedro Mendes brain-damage.

Many many incidents out there.

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Maybe it is time for a change.

I would truly like to get into the whole soccer thing. It is a wonderful game.

Raedwulf said:

From Germany to USA, congratulation for 1/8 Finale

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Dankeschoen and same to you Raedwulf!

Major ********** said:

On the Suarez suspension I think he deserves it but I think it sets a bad precedent of FIFA imposing their authority over individual FA. I'd like LFC and the FA fight the stadium ban and then proceed to levy any additional punishment to Suarez themselves. They can not allow FIFA to decide how they handle their own disciplinary matters. It would be as if a MLB player got thrown out of the World Baseball Classic and suspended from it and then that suspension being extended to the actual MLB season. It would be preposterous and it would never stand.

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Completely disagree. Had this been his first time doing it I might agree but he has a history.

But FIFA is well within their right it happened at their biggest competition. Also let's remember English FA is part of UEFA and UEFA is part of FIFA. So instead of getting suspended by the Dean of Students, he got suspended by the Principal

And it is not similair to if the WBC suspended a player. Because the WBC was created by MLB, MLBPA, and other international baseball leagues.

shmessy said:

Mike, you really are reaching for the bottom of the barrel if you're going to link to her writing. She doesn't even believe in what she is writing. She's unashamedly just trying to make money on her celebrity. That is nothing more than a "Look at me!!!" column. Why don't we find out what Honey Boo Boo or one of the Kardashiains thought of the sport? These people are only one rung up on the seriousness scale from Dan Shaughnessy. (I would say, Borges, but Borges actually believes what he is writing).

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I'm sure you're right, Shmessy. You know much more about this strange and beautiful country than I do! Still, even if she isn't serious, there are people paying her money -- presumably because there are people dumb enough to read it.

And serious people -- OK, people who take themselves seriously -- like Gasper and Ryan in the Globe write stuff that's nearly as stupid. So Ryan wrote a column saying that it was obvious the U.S. doesn't care about soccer because, if it did, it would be bound to triumph -- all it needed to do would be to convert some 6'3", 6'4" basketball players to soccer. I kid you not!

In my long and extensive experience of human imbecility I've come to the conclusion that when people say stupid things -- particularly when they say them loud, long and persistently -- it's because of money, sex, religion or politics. In this case, you say, it's just money. I'd bet on politics.