Running, all-purpose World Cup thread

Or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

Perhaps you and I should put a copyright on the name Dildinho and make our fortune selling the greatest Brazilian sex toy ever! Complete with special Bat Macumba vibrating action!

(Os Mutantes accompaniment not included)

The possibilities are endless. We could spin Dildinho into a live-action porno, Sergio Mendes' Brasil '69.

 

My nick translates as Imo.

But my real name becomes ..... DEBORISCO!!!!!!

 

The last 20 years?
(Forget it, he's rolling.)

 

Why did the French plant trees along the Champs Elysses?

So the Germans could march in the shade.

 

On Friday, I learned that Youri would be out due to "family illness." I didn't buy it. Then I see his face show up at the game. Fucker should never return.


I will also point out that the Candians do receive a better announcing team. Amazing.

I have liked Harkes because he doesn't feel the need to comment every second like the others. These guys up here are nice. I like it.

 

I have said before that Italy is my second-favorite team. And I still stand by that.

Against Ghana, I saw none of the diving that characterized their 2002 campaign. Against Australia, I didn't see an epidemic of it, though obviously that last play (one that most teams in the WORLD would have tried at that point, down a man in a scoreless elimination game) was pretty egregious. Against the Ukraine, I saw little theatrics in the performance.

Sure, against the US, they put on a bitch performance. They dove, they called for stretchers that were not necessary, The only one worse in this cup was Portugal against England, when every time England (with 10 men!) got a counterattack in the late going, a Portuguese guy would hit the ground and act like play should be stopped. That, coupled with C. Ronaldo's calling for a red on a Rooney foul that could have been a yellow and considering the late-round circumstances of two talented teams going at it, makes that the most disgraceful performance in this Cup.

Italy wanted to affect play with its theatrics against the US. Portugal was successful in affecting play with its theatrics, and got the result to boot.

As for the semis:

Italy-Germany: Italy has played excellent defense, has a few world-class attacking players, and might be, man-for-man, the most talented team still alive. But Germany has homefield, has played like gangbusters in every game other than some defensive hiccups against Costa Rica, and retains the discipline ingrained in its players from a young age while also playing with the panache Klinsmann asks for. I like Germany, maybe 2-1, but more likely 1-1 and PKs. Italy has not been eliminated from a World Cup in regulation time since 1986, and yet simply does not win shootouts. Germany WINS SHOOTOUTS.

(Two notes: Lehmann was obviously amazing, with the scouting reports against Argentine PK takers. Haven't read the whole thread . . did anyone else hear the Univision guy yelling "Yes! Jens! YES! JENS! YES! JENS!" after the win?

- Also . . . . if Italy and England went to PKs in the World Cup, how many rounds would it take before either team was able to actually bury one? Nine? 10?)

France-Portugal. I'm ecstatic Brazil is out (new blood and all, and also a smack at the front-running idiots ho scream about how Brazil plays beautiful, Joga Bonito and blah blah blah. I saw plenty of clutching and grabbing, diving, and bitch play from Brazil when they trailed France yesterday. BUt only Argentina and Italy do that, RIGHT?). I wish England was still here; I really thought that based on talent this was finally their year. But as for France, I'm a sucker for old-warrior stories, where dudes get counted out and punch people in the face.

So let's say 2-0 France.

 

vacationing here in Mallorca is sweet. >The English fans are bummed, though.
What a great two games we saw STURDAY
Zidane and France look awesome.ç
ITV televsion is best

 

How many shootouts have there been? Three?

Pretty sure 1994 had a similar number, if not more, at this point. Actually (yay www.fifaworldcup.com), 1990 had four, and only two at this point. 1994 had three, including the final. 1998 had three for the tourney, and 2002 had two. So the number is a little higher than fans might prefer.

I just think it's a shame that, four years ago diving was cracked down upon (most famously with Totti), and the only major officiating complaints came as a result of FIFA pushing South Korea as far as it could before wisely stopping them short of the Final, which of course was in Japan. Now, it's clear that diving benefits a team, and is back to being a wise and effective part of strategy.

I don't want to see the US adopt those tactics, but apparently it must.    

 

Yeah, good to see Captain America 2.0 can score when he's nice and comfortable. :

 

As a spinoff, you could also sell Dildão™, "For those ladies who need a little more Samba action."

 

Bridgeview Stadium = gorgeous. Not much room to pack in the Europoseurs for the All-Star Game, though, if they can even be bothered to acknowledge its existence.

Deuce was playing like a man possessed against the MetroBulls. Euro scouts still watching, or just working off remaining World Cup anger?

PKs: I can think of another way to end must-win matches without such a crap shoot - a way that actually favors skill over good guessing. See, it's a one-on-one, but the attacking player starts out 35 yards away with the ball and has 10 seconds to shoot....

My Brazilian alter-ego is named Bareiro. Roll out the Bareiro....

 

Dempsey's second goal was great, steal, switch fields with a 45 yard run and then let one go from just outside the box that left Meola looking like a rooted tree. Any rumors out there about who may be looking at him?

Trooper, sometimes crap shoots are better then crap.
Bridgeview's capacity? It looked great, but I only saw the test run with the Revs so it was like 60% full.