Running, all-purpose World Cup thread

Yes and this is what I've felt as well. Much of their team is very young as well.

Here's the thing, whenever a World Cup has been held in Europe, a European team has won. Whenever a World Cup has been held in the Americas, a South American team has won.

Additionally, Brazil has never won a World Cup when they were favored. And this includes the time they hosted the World Cup and were the favorites going in.

Just a little food for thought.

 

Crass,

Gotta hurt you, compadre, but Brazil won in Sweden '58 and they were favored. Pele's first Cup.

Listened to XM's game coverage on the ride into work. I've listened to maybe one soccer match on the radio in my entire life, but I have to say, it was not bad.

Nice job Ecuador. Winning at normal altitude and winning in Europe against a side which no doubt dominated Schalke's stadium with fan support. That's pretty impressive, especially since I saw in a preview that Ecuador had only played in Europe one other time in their national's team history.

 

Hmm. I will need to go back and look at where I read it. Althought, I think the hemispherical content was heard on the radio. So, bad part on me.

 

I'd also have a hard time believing Brazil wasn't favored in 1962 or 1970, too. That 1970 team was a friggin' juggernaut.

I think some people are overlooking Argentina. Ivory Coast is the African darling already, and many think they'll get by Argentina, but here's the African team to keep your eye on - Tunisia.

 

Good point. Brazil was definitely favored in both of those years. And they were favored in '94 too.

 

I talked to my brother the other day about England. We're both in the same ship. Good political friends of the USA, both of us have known many good English people and England no doubt has enough talent to win the World Cup. But why, oh why, do me and my brother hate England's soccer team?

Their fans suck. The media is a bunch of whiners ("Unlucky" should be the team's nickname) and most of the players are pricks. I fucking hope Paraguay wins tomorrow.  

 

Two guys from the UK calling a World Cup game being played in Germany while sitting in a booth and watching it on TV in Bristol, Conn.

 

See, I'm on the other side of the equation. I'm of half-Irish descent, and if there's anything that was still latent from my ancestors, it was a lingering dislike of the English expressed via my grandfather, etc. A lot of it for good reason.

But I like the English team. I LOVE their fans, loudest there is. And I follow the EPL. I guess familiarity breeds respect in this case. I wouldn't root for them against the U.S., Irish, or a handful of other teams, but I'll root for them against most.

And they seem less whiny than usual. Less Beckham-focused. That's a good thing as far as I'm concerned perception-wise.

 

Watched the second half from a South African sports bar in the Valley and wondered... is it possible for Poland to play a worse game and still keep from being a punchline?

The entire game was spent in the Ecuadorian side, Ecuador's keeper was shaky and the Poles had something like 11 corners to one. Yeah, I know the Poles hit two poles late, but there was no sense of urgency, no testing Costa.

BTW is it just me or are the refs giving the attackers the benefit of every borderline offsides call? Costa Rica's second goal was clearly offsides, so much so that Lehmann didn't bother making more than a token play on the ball.

 

I'm with you Bubbs.

I'll not root for England vs. the US or Scotland, but I'll support them against the rest of the world. I might even have to break out my old England jersey for Saturday's match ... just don't tell the lads in the Tartan Army, they'll disown me.

 

We'll find out if Germany routs them like they did in nineteen thir---OH IT'S TOO EASY! ;D