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World Yawn-er, Cup

Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
So you didn't make a guess for this weekend's games? :doh:
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Argentina will lose to Belgium.  First goal comes again, from Kevin DeBruyne.  Belgium 3-1 Argentina
 
Netherlands wins tomorrow, but Costa Rica scores first.  Can't call the scorer, don't know who starts.  Netherlands 2-1 Costa Rica
 
That's all I got.
 
Some of the best soccer matches I have ever witnessed, the score was 1-0 or even 0-0. "Brilliant" soccer performances. It's much more than scoring goals as in your no-hitter baseball games. Sportsmanship, ball handling, team cohesiveness, goals saved, goals scored, etc. etc. etc.
 
There was another World Cup thread but unfortunately, I think the mods merged it into this one. It's all good.
 
As for the point of all this, my pick for the final is Germany vs. Netherlands. Messi is half the player he used to be and I don't think they can pull of beating the Dutch. But as past Wold Cups have proven, it's just a guessing game. I have watched every single match for the last 4 WC's and I am surprised by who makes it to the final every single time. My Dad was on the German National team in the late 1930's early 40's up until he was 2 weeks away from being sent to Russia. So I am always rooting for the German's. They have a soccer discipline unlike any other European team IMO, absolutely awesome to watch no matter the score. They haven't won a WC since 1990, (West Germany) against Argentina. The score was 1-0. Friggen awesome match.
 
 
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Hey, to each his own...  Some people like watching roided up hulks run really fast with a package, smashing into everything on the way.  Others like watching third world multi-millionaires swing a stick, and stand on a square, waiting for something to happen.  Personally, I like watching sports that involve all aspects of athleticism.  Combining agility and strength, with balance and coordination.  So, for me, that's the "real football".
 
To me, real athletes are those who move constantly for 45 minutes straight with no time-outs or commercial breaks, testing their endurance, while still being expected to be able to make split second decisions - even with legs that are almost dead from fatigue.

Show me someone who disrespects soccer as a sport, and I'll show you a fat, lazy bastard, whose idea of sports participation is screaming from the couch, or making the next beer run cause it's their turn...  Haven't seen any exceptions to that rule, yet. ;)
 
Trolls will troll.  Troll on...
 
*ah, there's that "block" feature. So peaceful.

If anyone wants to venture a guess at player/team to score the contest runs for every game of the World Cup.
:cheers:
 
millworkman said:
Goal ARG, dang missed it again.
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There's a few more chances for ya.

As I mentioned before, I've actually been watching it quite a bit. I'm working a festival this weekend so no opportunity unfortunately, but I've enjoyed the close matches :cheers:

Unfortunately for soccer to really take off here in the USA the US team will actually have to make some noise and advance a lot further. Incredible performance by the goalie in the elimination game though - one of the best I've ever seen. Major cap tip there.
 
So I've been away the past few days playing with the dehydrator and crying at the realization the birds ate ALL of my tomatoes and peppers that were almost ripe over the course of 1-2 days.

Missed out on most this but wanted to throw in a prediction for Ned vs Costa Rica at least.

Costa Rica with the upset and my Arsenal boy Joel Campbell with the first goal.

BB gun ready for the birds until I get T posts to put up the bird netting that showed up a couple days ago.

Oh yeah, what a sad thing about Neymar getting a broken vertebrae last night. I read if Zuni g's knee hit him 2 centimeters higher it would have paralyzed him.

The problem with that injury is I initially had no concern for him and was actually cursing him out. He is such a serial diver that this real and serious injury looked more like simulation than most of his dives. This is the only thing I wish they could fix in the sport though that will never happen. It is actually encouraged in Brazil to dive and is considered an art by many there. There has to be a better way to show the ref you've been fouled than to do that. Imagine if everyone assumed he was play acting (yet again) and one of the Columbia players went and jerked him up to his feet like I've seen happen at times? That could have made things MUCH worse. It's a bit sad but I have learned to ignore the actors most the time as they can easily make my blood boil.

The only positive from last night's game is that I'm extremely against Brazil to win it all and it will be very difficult for them without Neymar and Silva.

Even though it is halftime, 3-1 Argentina is my guess for this game. I still think there's a Messi brace coming along with a goal from either Origi or Mirallas.
 
I think the dives will also have to be curtailed for soccer to become popular here. People barely tolerate flopping in Baskeball and those aren't nearly as time consuming.

Injury time also seems a little inexact - if they can tighten that up & clean up the flopping I think the sport has a chance - and it seems like every 4 years there's a little surge in popularity....seems like more could be done by the networks to recruit fans.

Judging by some of the spats I've seen on FB a lot of die hard fans rip on bandwagoners - I think that's a mistake too. They should be the #1 welcome wagon rather than being bitter that "people only care every 4 years", the frequent argument I've heard.
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
Injury time also seems a little inexact - if they can tighten that up
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On the contrary...  They need to add it the same way into other sports.  Injury time can't be predicted.  And there's not *necessarily* any real advantage to adding time on the clock.  That can work very much against you...
 
In summary - injury time isn't broke, there's no need to fix.  We don't need to add the "American touch".  
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
I think the dives will also have to be curtailed for soccer to become popular here.
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Diving isn't considered acceptable anywhere, nor is it appreciated. (regardless of whether or not it's done often) Just the same as having star players end up in prison is something that should be curtailed, here.   If you think you can fix the problem, by all means...  See if you can get a job with the US Football Association.
 
Agreed on welcoming bandwagoners.

NBC has put a TON of money into soccer in the form of televising the English Premier League. If I recall, their deal to televise every single game of the season from all teams which started last year pays out $250 million to the Premier League over the 3 year deal. They focus their advertising of the games in major cities like New York and Los Angeles, but don't really do crap for advertising in places like Houston and Dallas much less anywhere smaller. I think that needs to be expanded as the games are there for everyone to easily watch.

Another thing would be changing squad requirements and salary caps in the MLS to attract the world's best at a younger age. The MLS has been nicknamed "The Retirement League" because any (former) world stars come over in the twilight of their careers nowhere near their prime.

On a different note, seems I was way off on the final result for the Argentina-Belgium game. Messi is doing alright but this has just not been his year both for club and country. Not a fan though so I can't complain! ;)
 
Good point about injury Solid - never thought of it that way. In football it's a clock stoppage so no need to add time as none is lost?

Not sure what your correlation is about flopping/diving - prison? Huh?

It wouldn't be that hard to fix - if a player is so hurt that they need to be stretchered off the field, they shouldn't be able to jog back on as though nothing happened a second later. If teams were penalized in some way for it, it would improve the credibility of the sport.

I have no idea what that has to do with players getting arrested - one is on-field, the other is off-field. Can you expand on that comparison? No offense intended but I don't understand what one has to do with the other.
 
Okay, sorry about making the statement it is accepted in Brazil... that's based on statements of Brazilians I work with in my line of work. I will say it is encouraged I'd for no other reason that the refs don't do nearly enough to stamp it out and punish simulation. Maybe 1 in 20 (or less) will get penalized for it.

An interesting article I thought some might like to read:

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28100892

Not LDHS though, he'd get two words in and then wake up a week later.
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
It wouldn't be that hard to fix - if a player is so hurt that they need to be stretchered off the field, they shouldn't be able to jog back on as though nothing happened a second later. If teams were penalized in some way for it, it would improve the credibility of the sport.
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I don't recall having ever seen that happen. Not saying that it hasn't, just saying, I've not seen it. Being strethered off the field is usually for real. As far as having to leave the field, that's a rule. It's for the player's protection. They may not re-enter the pitch until the play has started. I think there may now be time limits for observation for head injuries.
 
Lucky Dog Hot Sauce said:
I have no idea what that has to do with players getting arrested - one is on-field, the other is off-field. Can you expand on that comparison? No offense intended but I don't understand what one has to do with the other.
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I'm just saying that the phenomena is prevalent in one sport just as the other is, in the other. Point being, that's just the kind of nonsense each sport attracts, and you aren't likely to fix it. It's built into the sport. We have thugs, they have divers. Easy correlation.
EliteMcScruffin said:
Another thing would be changing squad requirements and salary caps in the MLS to attract the world's best at a younger age. The MLS has been nicknamed "The Retirement League" because any (former) world stars come over in the twilight of their careers nowhere near their prime.
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That's a very American perspective. We are the "Retirement League", because skilled players don't want to play in the MLS. It's a very immature league, and quite frankly, just isn't that good. Playing football is about pride, not just money. ;)

On top of that, most of the "older" players coming from Europe and South America, are still leagues better than much (dare I say, most) of our homegrown talent.
 
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