2014 World Cup

And five minutes after I write off Australia, they score. What do I know anyway.

 

That was humiliating for Iker. He had a Gordie Howe hat trick of keeper fuck ups -- flapped cross, loose touch and late on a ball played back to him.

 

That Australian striker is Tim Cahill, also known as a midfielder for Red Bull New York in Major League Soccer. If I read my Twitter trivia correctly, he and Van Persie are the only players to score in the last three World Cups.

 

Spain might be fucked.

 

We call that a Brendan Ryan hat trick ... A strikeout, an error and a GIDP.

 

I realize you can only read so much into an opening game, but Brazil doesn't scare me much. They remind me of Spain -- some impressive names, sketchy team play, goalie that's 6 years past his prime -- but I think Spain is probably a little better.

 

That sounds about right to me. I think Spain will bounce back, but I don't see much from Brazil once they get up against better teams. Seems to me they are the favorite on name recognition and because they are hosting. Neymar is tremendous, but if he has a tough game then the team will too.

 

This, boys and girls, is why you build a retractable roof. The rain. Not the offsides.

 

No way in hell Brazil could afford to have every stadium with a roof. And the one that was supposed to have a roof didn't get done in time. These guys can play in the rain. Not great for the viewers, but didn't seem to hurt the quality too badly.

 

Well, we're two days in and we haven't had a stadium collapse yet.

 

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/jun/11/john-oliver/john-oliver-says-new-soccer-stadium-world-cup-will/

"Okay, that does seem like a waste of money, especially when you consider that that stadium is only going to be used for four World Cup games," Oliver said. "There’s also no team in Manaus that can fill it afterwards, at which point it becomes the world’s most expensive bird toilet."

 

Wouldn't be his fault if one did: