The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

That structure also makes it more likely that the U.S. ends up in a "Group of Death," in that they'll probably be one of the stronger teams in whatever pot they go in. Possible to end up with, say, Italy/U.S./France/Nigeria.

Not that that happened last time, of course.

 

That last post got me thinking. We're into the last respite before the final qualifying push. Where do we stand?

1. Brazil (hosts)
2. Japan
3. Australia
4. South Korea
5. Iran

EUROPE
PREDICTED GROUP WINNERS
Belgium (moderate favorite in Group A)
Italy (strong favorite in Group B)
Germany (strong favorite in Group C)
Netherlands (lead-pipe lock in Group D)
Switzerland (moderate favorite in Group E)
Russia (weak favorite in Group F - trails Portugal but has favorable run-in plus two games in hand)
Bosnia and Herzegovina (weak favorite in Group G)
England or Montenegro (toss-up in Group H)
Spain (weak favorite in Group I - they're Spain but they have some work to do)

PLAYOFF FIELD: All but one of:
Croatia
Bulgaria or Czech Republic
Austria, Sweden or Ireland
Hungary or Romania
Albania, Iceland or Norway?
Portugal or Israel?
Greece
Montenegro or England
France

Probably drop the Group E winner, I'd think, and you're looking at whom? I'd probably pick Croatia, Greece, France and the Group C runner-up, though there's a ton of variables to project.

AFRICA
A series of two-legged playoffs await, though we know it'll be five from this batch:
Ethopia or South Africa
Tunisia
Cote d'Ivoire
Ghana or Zambia
Congo, Burkina Faso or Gabon
Nigeria or maybe Malawi
Egypt (probably)
Algeria
Libya or Cameroon
Senegal or Uganda

SOUTH AMERICA
I'd imagine it would take a pretty major shift to disrupt the top four of Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile, but Uruguay, Venezuela and Peru may have a decent fight for the intercontinental spot.

CONCACAF
USA's all but in, Costa Rica looking decent and you've got to figure Mexico's going to figure their crap out eventually.

INTERCONTINENTALS:
Panama or Honduras vs. New Zealand
Uruguay, Venezuela or Peru vs. Jordan or Uzbekistan

Thoughts?

 

Am I wrong in thinking the US was about five feet offside on the second-to-last pass before Altidore's goal?

 

With regard to Europe, it's entirely possible that UEFA will at the last minute decide to seed the playoffs again, so you wouldn't end up with England-France, for example. I think they've said they won't, but I don't believe them and you shouldn't either.

I think Spain'll get it figured out, and if they don't, they'll win the playoff. Here again there's the oddity that Switzerland are likely to go through with ease but Spain may struggle. Don't sleep on Belgium, either. That's an up-and-coming team. Croatia just lost to Scotland at HOME, so I'm not sure they're the lock you might think, Scotland being one of only three teams that absolutely can't qualify. (Seriously. Scotland. At home. The hell?)

As it stands right now, the runner-up that would be knocked out would be England, but they've played one fewer in that calculation than any of the rest. If they win it, Albania becomes the team that goes away, fulfilling that prediction. (Talk about crap groups: Switzerland, Albania, Iceland, Norway, Slovenia and Cyprus.)

 

Zusi dummied it. Had he touched it, Johnson would have been offside, I think. But the pass came from Dempsey, and at that point, Johnson was onside.

 

OK, I was thinking he actually touched it.

 

Neymar, oh my, what a volley.

Brazil is just toying with Mexico right now.

 

Upon first look, so did I. Was wondering how in the world the flag wasn't.

Wondering, not complaining.

 

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/06/increasing-confederations-bundesliga.html

Hmmm...

 

Didn't we read exactly the same story before the SA World Cup?

They're not moving the World Cup out of Brazil.

 

The next week might be really bad in terms of the unrest. I wonder what it would take to move it. Destruction of stadiums?

 

If they burned them all to the ground, maybe. But as long as the checks don't bounce, the tournament stays put.