World Cup 2014 Thread

[Jimmydeicide]

I meant Mel Gibson the other 2 where fictional characters.

[Naples39]

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I watched the USA-Turkey game today. How Donovan is not in this roster blows my mind. An attack of Bradley, Altidore, Dempsey, Davis and Zusi has no significant speed.

Furthermore, Julian Green, he of 1 cap and Bundesliga reserve team experience only, looked like a boy amongst men when he came on as a second half sub at left mid. Donovan would have been a vastly superior option IMO.

[XXXIV]

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I watched the USA-Turkey game today. How Donovan is not in this roster blows my mind. An attack of Bradley, Altidore, Dempsey, Davis and Zusi has no significant speed.

Furthermore, Julian Green, he of 1 cap and Bundesliga reserve team experience only, looked like a boy amongst men when he came on as a second half sub at left mid. Donovan would have been a vastly superior option IMO.

Im with you.

Who knows? Maybe they have some super secret brilliant plan?

[Jimmydeicide]

Yes i watched it also , that young winger is lost, Altidore in top form is an average striker at best, i hate Dempsey( lazy player) and your best player is Bradley a run of the mill mid fielder at least Donovan gives you quality, it was obvious today .

Best thing is someone gets hurt next week and maybe replace him with Donovon.

Dunno but umless you can get through without scoring a goal i dont like their hopes serious lack of quality up front.

[wco81]

So when the US team inevitably fails to gey out of a difficult group, Klinsman is going to get fired and blamed for favoring the German cliq, which includes leaving the all-time scorer off the roster?

Supposedly Donovan's form in recent months or years wasn't that much to write home about.

Is Klinsman going to be around to complete what he's started?

[RobVarak]

So when the US team inevitably fails to gey out of a difficult group, Klinsman is going to get fired and blamed for favoring the German cliq, which includes leaving the all-time scorer off the roster?

Supposedly Donovan's form in recent months or years wasn't that much to write home about.

Is Klinsman going to be around to complete what he's started?

He's here through the next WC cycle as long as he wants to be. That's why the USSF gave him that deal.

[pk500]

Is ABC/ESPN going to have announcers and analysts you can't understand again?

They should have learned the lesson that they're not broadcasting in Edinburgh.

So you'd rather have Jack Edwards?

[wco81]

I was trying to bait a certain expat.

And it worked ...

[Murph]

I love what ESPN FC did today. They came out with a Best Xl NOT selected for World Cup.

GK: Lopez (ESP)
Back line: A. Cole (ENG) Clichy (FRA) Miranda (BRA) Rafinha (BRA)
Midfielders: Coutinho (BRA) Nasri (FRA) Donovan (USA)
Forwards: Tevez (ARG) Negredo (ESP) Rossi (ITA)

[pk500]

I love what ESPN FC did today. They came out with a Best Xl NOT selected for World Cup.

GK: Lopez (ESP)
Back line: A. Cole (ENG) Clichy (FRA) Miranda (BRA) Rafinha (BRA)
Midfielders: Coutinho (BRA) Nasri (FRA) Donovan (USA)
Forwards: Tevez (ARG) Negredo (ESP) Rossi (ITA)

The common denominator for nearly every player except Donovan? They all hail from nations with an abundance of footballing talent. The USA does not.

Klinsmann won't live or die based on the decision to drop Donovan from the USMNT. But it will be the story arching from end to end of the roster probably for the entire group stage and the aftermath if the USA doesn't advance. Even a victory in the second game against Portugal won't change that. Only a victory over Germany in the third game would shift the narrative from Landycakes, even if the USA doesn't advance.

Ballsy move by Klinsmann. I think Arena or Bradley would have kept Donovan on this team this year. As Americans, they would have bought more into the "Yankee talisman" angle some people have proposed as a reason to keep Donovan. As a German, Klinsmann doesn't give a f*ck about the Grand Old Flag.

Plus Klinsmann won a World Cup as a player and guided Germany to third in 2006 as a manager, so he has the leverage of global respect that Arena or Bradley couldn't command.

[10spro]

For Spain I would also add Arbeloa and Isco, Gomez for the Germans and even at 32 Kaka plays an important role.

[JackB1]

Great to see Altidore scoring some goals in the last send off game. We are going to need him to
keep playing that way for the US to compete.

[RobVarak]

Set up a group at ESPN for their bracket challenge:

This message is from Robert Varak who is challenging you to play Bracket Predictor on ESPN.com.


Get in the action now:
http://games.espn.go.com/world-cup-brac ... worldcupbp

Group: No Donovan, No Problem
Password: Landycakes

[10spro]

This could be one messy inauguration as riot police show their might in major WC cities hosting the event.

[RobVarak]

Last call for for brackets. This is your chance to win absolutely nothing but the begrudging respect of strangers and friends on the internet.

http://games.espn.go.com/world-cup-brac ... worldcupbp

Group: No Donovan, No Problem
Password: Landycakes

[RobVarak]

Roberto Martinez raised questions about Croatia fielding a lineup that is too attack-oriented, and I'm inclined to agree. I suspect that Kovac wants to try to hit Brazil before they get settled, hopefully while they're still tight?

[RobVarak]

Good half. Croatia absorbing the Brazil pressure but dangerous on the counter. Could've had another goal if they were making better contact with their headers. OTOH, the absence of a real holding midfielder really shows. Rakitic and Modric having to track back too much. Makes me fear that one of them will end up making a stupid foul. Defense isn't the strong suit of either.

Brazil were clearly nervy early, endless passing with no movement. They picked it up beautifully though. Really doing a stellar job of pressing and winning the ball back in dangerous areas, aided in part by Croatia's clear intent to play out of the back.

A much better than average World Cup tilt so far.

[10spro]

Last call for for brackets. This is your chance to win absolutely nothing but the begrudging respect of strangers and friends on the internet.

http://games.espn.go.com/world-cup-brac ... worldcupbp

Group: No Donovan, No Problem
Password: Landycakes

F**K! Managed to join the group, when suddenly I was distracted with work issues and now I can't even make my picks.

[10spro]

Croatia was really close to make it a tie a couple of times as the hosts were just sitting back waiting for the counter attack. A speedy zip by Oscar should be enough to start the samba celebration. Goalie should have had that one I thought.

[RobVarak]

Croatia was really close to make it a tie a couple of times as the hosts were just sitting back waiting for the counter attack. A speedy zip by Oscar should be enough to start the samba celebration. Goalie should have had that one I thought.

The third would never have happened if the Croats weren't chasing the game. They left Lovan and Corluka on an island there, freeing Oscar up to run at them.

Such a great game ruined by Exhibit 2546 of unacceptably bad officiating at a World Cup.

[wco81]

That call leading to the winning PK …

And the third goal, they got a break winning the ball in mid pitch with a push on the Croat defender.

[Inuyasha]

Fifa is so corrupt. If that ref wasn't on the take then he was incompetent.

The pk call was bs and the goal disallowed by Croatia was also bs.

Loved the fake injury at the end.

This is why soccer will never take off in this country. The culture of cheating in this sport is astonishing. These guys are allowed to get away with everything w no consequences.


Looks like Brazil will be reaching the finals. 12 v 11 is hard to beat.

[wco81]

Eh NBA is popular with the rigged officiating.

Problem is there are 3 or 4 other team sports which have a long tradition here.

They'll probably set record ratings in the US but then it'll tail off again in the fall when NBC SN broadcasts of EPL games will be overshadowed by the NFL, which has its own problems as far as being corruption-free.

[XXXIV]

That was borderline criminal.

https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/6CAF11 ... DxFzCWZhTz

[Inuyasha]

Nba is no where close to this level. Nba refs are just crap. This guy was on the take. Read the nyt article about soccer refs.