World Cup Thread.

[BritPat]

3-1, Fred.

 

[JayNM]

THAT'S IT. Fernandinho only needed 3 touches to be better than Paulinho in the whole World Cup. He is incredible, Felipao should have known this for ages now

 

[AzorianPats]

I would not consider myself a big soccer fan by any means but that game yesterday certainly got my heart pounding. When Dempsey scored to take the lead, I threw my arms in in air and yelled ... problem being that I was holding a full glass of wine (cue good natured taunts from PWP and others) the contents of which landed in more or less equal measure on the carpet, the sofa, the lovely Mrs. Zeus and (last but most certainly least) yours truly.

That was a tremendous sporting event!

I love competition and the sense of community it creates for the fans of the sport. You can knock soccer all you like (don't know why you would bother; surely you have better things to do). But there's no denying its near universal worldwide appeal.

From what I've seen, the interest here is growing and will continue to do so. The Seattle MLS team's average home attendance is something like 45,000. My older son watched the US-Ghana game at Grant Park in Chicago with 8000 other people; last night they had to turn people away when the area was filled to capacity. My younger son and his friends are dedicated fans of soccer all over the world year round.

As for telling other people whom to root for ... please. If AzorianPats has rooted for Portugal since age 7, there's no reason for him to ever change. He's a fan and that's all that matters.

My cousin was working the event at Grant Park. (He works for the US soccer federation) I guess their was 10,000 +people!

Apparently, some of the ones that got turned away got into it with security ...

 

[BritPat]

THAT'S IT. Fernandinho only needed 3 touches to be better than Paulinho in the whole World Cup. He is incredible, Felipao should have known this for ages now

Top player is Fernandinho, he was a big part of Man City's title success. Sadly.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Why? I was born shortly after my parents moved here and grew up here but my allegiance will always be to Ireland and not the US. I am a fan of the US team and I am rooting for them to go as far as they can but if they played Ireland I would root for Ireland. However my great grandfather was a founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association so my identification with the homeland is strong.

Yeah, that doesn't register with me.

I think the fact that the FIFA game is outselling Madden by more than 3-1 bodes really well for the future of soccer in the US.

A lot of those sales are probably due to World Cup fever. Once it's over people here will ask, "when does the NFL start?"

 

[AzorianPats]

THAT'S IT. Fernandinho only needed 3 touches to be better than Paulinho in the whole World Cup. He is incredible, Felipao should have known this for ages now

What's your feelings on Hulk? He lit up the Portuguese league with Porto, but I don't follow the Russian league so I haven't heard much from him since.

 

[JayNM]

Top player is Fernandinho, he was a big part of Man City's title success. Sadly.

Undoubtely. He is almost in par of importance as Toure in City's midfield. Sadly, felipao is as stubborn as a 5 year old, he won't succumb to peer pressure, even when it's obviously right

 

[Mike the Brit]

It was weird, before the goal it looked just like the Ghana game, no posession for us, looked like no chance. As soon as the goal scored that changed completely and we were dominating posession and play. Of course once we took the lead we had almost no posession again. It seems like soccer teams go into a shell more worse than NFL prevent defenses when they have a lead. I get it, but it's frustrating.

Yes. Soccer is funny.

In one way, it's pretty simple. When the other guys have the ball, close someone down, when you've got the ball, make yourself available. But it's also a matter of formation and tempo.

One way people lose tempo is if they are worried about keeping formation. Another is that you can't be running full speed all of the time -- especially in that brutal heat. You have to find a way of pacing yourself. So you have these odd changes of momentum. It doesn't make sense but, if you've ever played the game, you'll know it happens.

Still, the U.S. has one of the smartest coaches around. If there's a way to fix it, he'll find it, I'd bet.

 

[BritPat]

Aye, Mike's on the ball. If Germans have one trait, it's that they're all smart and can work out the right tactics.

 

[shmessy]

Soccer is an ok sport, but they need to make it more exciting. It's tough for it to compete with our major sports.

I suggest that they make the field a bit smaller, less players. Maybe put an offside line, because the refs are making too many mistakes. Try and curb diving, maybe allow a bit of body contact. If they do that, I think soccer would be much more interesting

......last step would be to put it on ice and you could call it hockey.

(post script: I now see Azorian Pats got to that in post #270 before I did!)

 

[BritPat]

Two quick goals for Mexico dump a very talented Croatia squad out of the tournament,

 

[AzorianPats]

3-0 Mexico

 

[BritPat]

4-1 Brazil. Fernandinho.

Stunning performance from Brazil. Their first of the tournament.

 

[shmessy]

Two quick goals for Mexico dump a very talented Croatia squad out of the tournament,

Damn, I hate the Mexican fans -- ever since their "Osama, Osama" chants in the LA Coliseum a decade ago - - and now their "Puto" chants. Really a bunch of bottomfeeders..

 

[JayNM]

4-1 Brazil. Fernandinho.

Stunning performance from Brazil. Their first of the tournament.

The second half was incredible. Not by coincidence, when we had him in the field

 

[Ivan]

Keep in mind FIFA is being purchased worldwide while the majority of Madden's sales are more or less coming from the U.S. Anyway, I went to the local Irish pub and watched it yesterday and I think I've found a way where I can finally watch this game. I can't do it at home. I get too bored. But go to a pub with a bunch of fanatics and it's actually entertaining. I did that back in 2010 too just to get into the World Cup. But I'll be one of those people that just quits following it after the U.S. is out. Tim Howard is a beast, by the way, and that was a disappointing finish to an otherwise entertaining game.

The FIFA sales numbers were from just the US, they reported it on Dale and Holley and the producer checked for just that question. And while the WC probably raised interest I think the real reason is that it appeals to the millions of kids playing youth soccer.

 

[JayNM]

What's your feelings on Hulk? He lit up the Portuguese league with Porto, but I don't follow the Russian league so I haven't heard much from him since.

He has a unique skill-set in Brazil's squad, much more physical than what we see here.

That being said, I am not that big of a fan (Neither are my friends here, for the record). Maybe We're not used to that play-style, which is very well received in Europe, but I'd rather have William from the start. He would be a great "clutch player" though, he has the speed and strenght to set a game on fire in a hard match, running all over the field.

 

[BritPat]

Brazil v Chile in the second round has all the hallmarks of a classic. Chile's record against Brazil in the last 20 years though is pathetic.

 

[SB39]

Lmfao so says the bigot.....

I think Americans living in America should not root against America.

How pathetic that such a viewpoint has been called "extremist" and I have been called a "bigot" for that belief.

 

[SB39]

I think the fact that the FIFA game is outselling Madden by more than 3-1 bodes really well for the future of soccer in the US.

How does FIFA video game sales in Europe bode well for the future of soccer in the US?

No one denies soccer is the world's most popular sport. FIFA may be outselling Madden 3-1 worldwide but certainly not here in the US.