2014 World Cup

Wouldn't be a surprise if they got a point.

 

South America and CONCACAF have played well so far. Costa Rica has a fair chance of getting at least a draw.

 

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118228/world-cup-2014-why-did-borges-hate-soccer

“Soccer is popular,” Jorge Luis Borges observed, “because stupidity is popular.”

At first glance, the Argentine writer’s animus toward "the beautiful game" seems to reflect the attitude of today’s typical soccer hater, whose lazy gibes have almost become a refrain by now: Soccer is boring. There are too many tie scores. I can’t stand the fake injuries.

And it’s true: Borges did call soccer “aesthetically ugly.” He did say, “Soccer is one of England’s biggest crimes.” And apparently, he even scheduled one of his lectures so that it would intentionally conflict with Argentina’s first game of the 1978 World Cup. But Borges’ distaste for the sport stemmed from something far more troubling than aesthetics. His problem was with soccer fan culture, which he linked to the kind of blind popular support that propped up the leaders of the twentieth century’s most horrifying political movements. In his lifetime, he saw elements of fascism, Peronism, and even anti-Semitism emerge in the Argentinean political sphere, so his intense suspicion of popular political movements and mass culture—the apogee of which, in Argentina, is soccer—makes a lot of sense. (“There is an idea of supremacy, of power, [in soccer] that seems horrible to me,” he once wrote.) Borges opposed dogmatism in any shape or form, so he was naturally suspicious of his countrymen’s unqualified devotion to any doctrine or religion—even to their dear albiceleste.

 

Much of my argument is being made. Yes, La Liga has an influx of foreign stars. What did Spain do? During the last 6-8 years during its run of dominance, Spain's national team has been a Real/Barca all star team. La Liga and Serie A have always had the biggest stars from South America or Portugal, but for every Maradona, Figo, or even Stoichkov if you want to venture to Eastern Europe, there was much more home grown talent. Six of Germany's 11 the other day play for Bayern.

While it may be a punchline to some, yes, fureners are ruining some national teams. I will admit the ability to play in Europe has helped the U.S. In my opinion, though, the EPL was better, and so was England the team, when it was dominated by Robson, Gazza, etc.

 

That's worked out well for Germany but there's no Muller or Hummels walking through that door for England. England has the workhorses, but not the superstars.
How many of the guys on the England roster can honestly say they are the best player on their club? Maybe you make an argument for Baines but that's about it. Rooney is no Van Persie. The Liverpool guys are no Suarez. Jack and the Ox are no Ozil.

You may have liked the EPL better in the days of Gazza, but England sure wasn't winning the World Cup back then and English teams weren't reaching the finals of Champions League (granted English teams were barred from it for part of his career).

 

Another possible explanation is that a country of 50 million slow, bulky white people is never going to be all that good at soccer.

 

Again, all but one of the English national team players are in the EPL. Only one team in the World Cup has more players from their domestic league.

England is losing because England isn't very good. Blaming foreigners in the EPL is a joke.

 

Or Ramsey, who will never sniff a World Cup. What's the opposition to having a UK side instead of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? Is it coming from London or elsewhere? Deskslave?

 

It's amazing to me how much hemisphere matters, no matter how hard the teams try to acclimate and prepare.

 

If I were Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland I'd never agree to that.

 

Italy has not beaten a CONCACAF team in World Cup play since beating the United States 1-0 in the first round in 1990. To say nothing of Italy tying New Zealand in 2010.

 

This is exactly it. No one anywhere wants it, least of all the Scots, Welsh and Irish.

Really impressed with Costa Rica. Well freaking done.