World Cup 2014 Thread

[Jimmydeicide]

You wish you where that fit Rob.

[RobVarak]

Somebody got some footage of me at the game yesterday. I'm in the foreground with the smoke.

LMAO!!!!

Are we doing shirts and skins at the Olympiacos game? lol

LOL I was going to buy a new Official Chicago LFC club scarf, but maybe skins is the way to go.

Jimmy, true enough.

[10spro]

Glad you were safe Rob. Sadly it pales to the daily insults and fights going daily between Argentina and Brazilian fans. Imagine if they really play in the finals.

[RobVarak]

Glad you were safe Rob. Sadly it pales to the daily insults and fights going daily between Argentina and Brazilian fans. Imagine if they really play in the finals.

That final was the first thing down in my brackets, and remains my most fervent wish for this tournament. It would be EPIC!

[Aristo]

Raise your hand if you picked Costa Rica to win the group of death.

Not that I had a clue as to what I was doing, but I have Costa Rica winning their group, but had England as number 2.

[10spro]

XXXIV, did I not tell you that it would be between your Greeks and the Japanese advancing to the round of 16? They had many chances to score but who would have imagined that it would take a Samaras own foul to win it in ET?

[Macca00]

I want to go party with XXXIV!!

[Jimmydeicide]

Fifa 's bite line technology

[pk500]

Classic, Jimmy! I borrowed that art for my Facebook page. Hope you don't mind!

[Jimmydeicide]

XXXIV, did I not tell you that it would be between your Greeks and the Japanese advancing to the round of 16? They had many chances to score but who would have imagined that it would take a Samaras own foul to win it in ET?

WHAT!!!
DAMMIT!!

There goes my bracket.
How does Greece qualify????? Its not fair

[pk500]

That penalty was Charmin soft.

[RobVarak]

There goes my bracket.
How does Greece qualify????? Its not fair

Helps to get in a group with an Asian and an African nation. Both continents total no-shows.

[wco81]

Let me use an analogy so people can understand why Bradley is receiving, and deserving of, the blame for the play in the 94th minute.

Bottom of the 9th, 2-1 game, two outs. Batter hits a routine fly to center. Centerfielder saunters over towards the ball, catcher starts to walk out to high five the closer. Other fielders take a step or two towards the dugout. Centerfielder reaches up lazily with one hand and the ball ricochet's off the palm of the glove and falls to the ground. Very next batter deposits the first pitch into the bleachers. Team loses 3-2. Do we blame the pitcher for the location? Sure. The catcher for calling the pitch? Possibly. But the bottom line is if the centerfielder makes the play on that fly ball, none of the subsequent action even occurs.

Looking ahead though, I'm scared crapless that Ghana hammers Portugal and the US doesn't have enough left to play the Germans even. But dammit if I won't be glued to the tube watching and praying!

I think that's a very inaccurate analogy. A major league outfielder catches a routine fly ball 999 times out of 1000. Michael Bradley made one sloppy touch while being converged upon by 5 Portuguese players pressing for their lives. A typical midfielder will make a loose touch like that 5-10 times every game.

A routine fly ball and and a first touch on a bouncing ball in midfield while being pressed are not comparable plays.

The most in-depth analysis you will see of it all as it happens. As they point out, Cameron's failure to pick up the runner behind him was actually more of a lazy, absent-minded mistake than Bradley's turnover. Plenty of blame to go around.
http://www.espnfc.us/team/united-states ... h-portugal

Seemed like if he knew there were only seconds left, he just needed to kick it towards their goal, rather than try to dribble with it and get the ball taken from him. That should have burned enough time that Portugal would have no time to take it back the other way.

But it also appeared like he got shoved from behind to get separated from the ball.

[XXXIV]

HELLAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[XXXIV]

I want to go party with XXXIV!!

Come on down!!!!!!!!

All are welcome! ALL!!!!!

[XXXIV]

XXXIV, did I not tell you that it would be between your Greeks and the Japanese advancing to the round of 16? They had many chances to score but who would have imagined that it would take a Samaras own foul to win it in ET?

You did tell me!

They had the better of the chances for sure!

[XXXIV]

Fifa 's bite line technology

Suarez is not well. Hoping they dont f*** with Liverpool and suspend him long past this thing. Its not their fault he is sick.

[XXXIV]

Oh yeah Im doing bad things!

[Jimmydeicide]

As long as your not smoking with your shirt off its all good .
In the words of Isaac Brock happy f***in congratulations.

[XXXIV]

Hellas baby!

[XXXIV]

As long as your not smoking with your shirt off its all good .
In the words of Isaac Brock happy f***in congratulations.

I just put my shirt back on.

[XXXIV]

Not expecting anything more but this is pretty f***in good.

Calling My dad in the morning. Im sure they are nuts over there.

Great day!

[Naples39]

[JackB1]

When will FIFA decide what to do with that animal? At a minimum, he should be suspended for the remainder of the Cup.

Edit...just read a decision has to come before Sat
http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/sto ... -world-cup

[pk500]

When will FIFA decide what to do with that animal? At a minimum, he should be suspended for the remainder of the Cup.

Edit...just read a decision has to come before Sat
http://www.espnfc.us/fifa-world-cup/sto ... -world-cup

A suspension for the remainder of the World Cup would be toothless, pun intended. That could amount to a one-game suspension.

FIFA can penalize a player a maximum of 24 games. Suarez already has received bans of 10 and eight games, I believe, for biting. This is his third offense. I think a 20-match ban, club and country combined, would be just.

I love how Taylor Twellman ticked the standard "overreacting lunatic" box that must be marked in every ESPN roundtable commentary during the "Last Call" segment last night on ESPN's "World Cup Tonight." Twellman called for Suarez to be banned for life. First, FIFA can't do that. Second, really? For biting? It's deplorable behavior, but he didn't kill anyone or fix a match.

FIFA execs routinely take bribes in the millions without penalties. And now we're asking that same body to ban a player for life for biting? Get real, Taylor.

Twellman is a frat-boy knob who bothers me the more I watch him. Lalas, Keller and McManaman are the only tolerable members of ESPN's studio commentary team. Foudy is a token broad, Ballack and Van Nistelrooy don't say anything of substance, and Gilberto Silva is just there.