Tilpots
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QFT. Surviving the Group stage is not impossible but would be viewed as a monumental achievement, deserved or not.
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The 2013-2014 Football Thread
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QFT. Surviving the Group stage is not impossible but would be viewed as a monumental achievement, deserved or not.
Kariya
macrumors 68000
Lord Blackadder
macrumors P6
Germany is, well, Germany. We just need to go out and not be too scared of them. But the other two teams are beatable. Get 6 points and we are surely through to the knockout stages.
I'll tell you this, I was rooting for Atletico against Barça on the final day of La Liga, however i think that's the way Atletico fans feels for us. And i'm quite certain Barça fans were rooting for Atletico on Saturday...
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Fizzoid
macrumors 68020
Sorry to see him leave Southampton after such a good season. Would have like to see him build on this season's successes, but if the club wants to sell it's best players...
takao
macrumors 68040
Grosskreutz-scandal: ...and Kaiser chipped in: "Grosskreutz has to be at the world cup"
the german press reacts promptly to his highness' order and now considers it an non-issue 😉
meanwhile Jogi Löw losses his driving license for 6 months for repeated speeding, 2 bystanders at a DFB-Mercedes PR event get hurt (rosberg& DTM driver at the wheels, Draxler&Höwedes as passengers)
looks like the german run up to the tournament is going as usual: hilariously bad
the first US game against Ghana will be oviously the "6 point game" for both squads.. losing or even a draw could be bad news for both
Germany vs Portugal will be close: i think a cautious draw is very likely ... if either loses than the pressure for that squad will be enormous
the german press reacts promptly to his highness' order and now considers it an non-issue 😉
meanwhile Jogi Löw losses his driving license for 6 months for repeated speeding, 2 bystanders at a DFB-Mercedes PR event get hurt (rosberg& DTM driver at the wheels, Draxler&Höwedes as passengers)
looks like the german run up to the tournament is going as usual: hilariously bad
the first US game against Ghana will be oviously the "6 point game" for both squads.. losing or even a draw could be bad news for both
Germany vs Portugal will be close: i think a cautious draw is very likely ... if either loses than the pressure for that squad will be enormous
Haha, spot on!
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I am really curious about the climate influence. If it is really that bad as Klose described it from italian quotes, I wonder, if Ghana or the US may have a small advantage.
I am thinking weather the US may be used to it, because they play south american teams more often. Maybe I get the situation totally wrong, though.
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You all may forgive for once bringing up a political issue, but since this is part of football, too...
I yesterday saw a political comedy on the WC. To bad my english is not good enough to make a quick sum up of it, but for those who speak German, here you go: http://anstalt.zdf.de/die-anstalt/die-anstalt-31443710.html (from 27. Mai).
It starts a bit unfunny and then it gets better, so be sure to stand the first minutes.
I knew FIFA was corrupt, but I didn't know it is that bad. Hearing such things make me want to start a petition and an online campaign, but then again I am to much uncapable.
Why does the jewish council for example, do not speak up against a functionary, that says that Jews can never be good referees, because it is in their nature, that they do not like hard work. Why don't the make sure he gets fired. This is the easiest point among them and one that could easily be solved/managed.
I would like to see the FIFA like a stock corporation, where members can vote. Members can be all those people that have at least attended one football match. You can get a membership, with sending in your ticket of the match you visited and then the FIFA would anounce candidates and the members would elect one.
takao
macrumors 68040
i think this factor has to be analysed different with today's perspective
in the 70ties and 60ties it was a clear difference because south american players actually played in those climates and only a hand ful of players didn't
Today nearly all argentinian, brazilian & uruguay top players actually play in europe. The very same climate as nearly all top european players 😉. Also the intensity in the european top leagues has increased much more over the last 20-30 years than the brazilian league..
Which for example impacts the timeframe when a brazilian "young star" can switch to europe ... if he waits untill he is 25 he very likely won't be able to adopt.
Messi pretty much grew up in Barcelona and thus faced harder opposition at a younger age, and thus was world class at 21.
Neymar transfer at 21 to Barca and is nowhere near the same level (yet).
it's no different for smaller european countries(like Austria): if their players aren't playing inthe top english,german,spanish,italian leagues their national squad are normally chanceless
Lord Blackadder
macrumors P6
I think MLS-based players get plenty of playing time in the heat, so the USA will be prepared for that. It will tire players out faster but we won't suffer as badly as some other squads will.
There's no way we'll beat Germany. A draw remains a very slight possibility if the Germans play terribly. But we are still going to need to win games in order to go through, so the match against Germany is, to me, the least important of the three (Im sure Klinsmann won't be thinking that though). Ghana is the most important match and it is absolutely a must-win.
I've always been a Wondolowski skeptic. He's an effective poacher in MLS, but that does't win you matches in the WC. The Wondo-Altidore front line is probably the weakest part of the team, unless Jozy reverts to his pre-Sunderland form. We have good keepers, a reasonably solid defense and plenty of options in midfield. But we don't have any real quality up top.
The only thing worse than the extent of the corruption at FIFA is the world's apparent helplessness in doing anything about it.
There's no way we'll beat Germany. A draw remains a very slight possibility if the Germans play terribly. But we are still going to need to win games in order to go through, so the match against Germany is, to me, the least important of the three (Im sure Klinsmann won't be thinking that though). Ghana is the most important match and it is absolutely a must-win.
I've always been a Wondolowski skeptic. He's an effective poacher in MLS, but that does't win you matches in the WC. The Wondo-Altidore front line is probably the weakest part of the team, unless Jozy reverts to his pre-Sunderland form. We have good keepers, a reasonably solid defense and plenty of options in midfield. But we don't have any real quality up top.
The only thing worse than the extent of the corruption at FIFA is the world's apparent helplessness in doing anything about it.
Kariya
macrumors 68000
mojolicious
macrumors 68000
It still amazes me how they bought ManU, leveraging ManU Assets to get the loan to pay for the team... how the heck does that go through? sure he does have other assets, but that's how i've read they actually bought it, amazing.
Lord Blackadder
macrumors P6
Nothing amazes me any more when it comes to the finances of football. It is very nearly a fee-for-all in most of the top leagues and anything goes. FFP and fit-and-proper tests are laughably ineffective.
When the state-of-the-art in football ownership consists of mega-tycoons, kleptocrats, tax-evaders, thieves and royalty, is there anything left to surprise us? 🙁 Couple that with the root-and-branch corruption in FIFA and the running of the international game and you have a perfect storm.
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Lord Blackadder
macrumors P6
Liverpool's bid for Rickie Lambert is....a bit surprising. Imagine a Suarez/Lambert strike force! 😀 Then again, he's fairly cheap at £4m and is (for the moment) an England international. But at 32 Liverpool won't get more than a couple seasons out of him.
Liverpool want Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren. It's a shame to see Southampton's successful squad dismantled but the ownership situation made this inevitable.
Liverpool want Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren. It's a shame to see Southampton's successful squad dismantled but the ownership situation made this inevitable.
mojolicious
macrumors 68000
I've got a sneaking suspicion that Spain will do it again. And if not Spain, then Germany. They appear to be the two most complete sides. On paper Germany are possibly the stronger of the two, but I reckon Spain still have their number.
I don't think even Messi can compensate for Argentina's so-so back five, and Brazil's front six looks very average beyond Neymar. Plus the names Jo, Fred and Hulk are all ridiculous.
I don't think even Messi can compensate for Argentina's so-so back five, and Brazil's front six looks very average beyond Neymar. Plus the names Jo, Fred and Hulk are all ridiculous.
Lord Blackadder
macrumors P6
I think this one is very hard to predict.
On paper, I think the winner has to come from Europe, Spain and Germany being perhaps the top candidates. Spain's defense is perhaps weaker than it was at its peak, but they have already proven they can win everything. Germany have a very strong, balanced side. I doubt anyone would be terribly surprised if they won.
But having the tournament in Brazil is a clear factor in favor of the South American sides, who have won there before, will have strong support and may see some teams wilt in the heat. It would't be the first time Europe underestimated the ability of South American teams to cause big upsets.
I would not be at all shocked if Brazil, Argentina or even dark-horse Uruguay (less so without Suarez) find themselves in the final with a strong shot at the trophy.
On paper, I think the winner has to come from Europe, Spain and Germany being perhaps the top candidates. Spain's defense is perhaps weaker than it was at its peak, but they have already proven they can win everything. Germany have a very strong, balanced side. I doubt anyone would be terribly surprised if they won.
But having the tournament in Brazil is a clear factor in favor of the South American sides, who have won there before, will have strong support and may see some teams wilt in the heat. It would't be the first time Europe underestimated the ability of South American teams to cause big upsets.
I would not be at all shocked if Brazil, Argentina or even dark-horse Uruguay (less so without Suarez) find themselves in the final with a strong shot at the trophy.
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takao
macrumors 68040
well looks like the most ridiculous transfer of the summer season is already here:
Marcel Sabitzer(20year old Austrian) from Rapid Vienna had a fixed release fee if an international club approached the club for 2 million euro.
Red Bull pulled the obvious loophole and signed him with Red Bull Leipzip only to loan him to Red Bull Salzburg for next year 🙄
Marcel Sabitzer(20year old Austrian) from Rapid Vienna had a fixed release fee if an international club approached the club for 2 million euro.
Red Bull pulled the obvious loophole and signed him with Red Bull Leipzip only to loan him to Red Bull Salzburg for next year 🙄
Meanwhile, England are currently playing Peru in a World Cup warm up match - the squad for Brazil has already been announced along with the numbers they'll wear in south America.
However, tonight's match isn't at a tournament and so isn't bound by tournament rules on squad numbering. Our starting XI should therefore be wearing 1-11, instead we have players prancing around in 20 and 14.
This has displeased me greatly, and is distracting me from drooling over Peru's lovely new kit.
However, tonight's match isn't at a tournament and so isn't bound by tournament rules on squad numbering. Our starting XI should therefore be wearing 1-11, instead we have players prancing around in 20 and 14.
This has displeased me greatly, and is distracting me from drooling over Peru's lovely new kit.
Very well put!
I have a link for you http://kurier.at/sport/fussball/manipulationsvorwurf-im-frauen-fussball/67.199.781 it sounds like a provincial farce, though, given the importance of women's football, though maybe, even small money is tempting.
PS: I do not care, but TSV Schott Mainz (women football) won the Regional League South-West with a lot of points ahead of the second, but they were a few minutes to late with sending the contract for getting the license for the second league. Hence the 2nd of the Regionalliga Süd-West now gets lifted into the 2nd Bundesliga. (Media, of course, guesses they might have intentionally screwed this,because the men's team is doing quite welll, too and they do not want to spend the money).
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mojolicious
macrumors 68000
I don't remember seeing a match between two teams in single colour kits. It looked like a table football game.
I do like a bit of sash. The Belgians will have some diagonal action going on at the World Cup, but it's no a full-on Peruvian or even a Palatial bi-stripe.
takao
macrumors 68040
the most hilarious kit match up i ever saw was switzerland vs the netherlands in the 90ties:
Switzerland: all red
Netherlands: obviously all orange
on a 90ties CRT TV it actually looked more like 22 players of the same squad 😉
swiftaw
macrumors 603
Get used to it, with FIFA's new regulations you'll be seeing much more of it during the world cup.
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