:bzzz: Let us hope we kick their asses.
In honor of Helepolis, I will be cheering for .nl and wearing a certain pair of clogs.
and wearing a certain pair of clogs.Now you know why I gifted those specifically.
"What is video" - FIFABut they have seven cameras watching each goal line. How else could we tell that the ball crossed the line completely in Marcelo's and Peralta's goals?
To be fair it's the guy's fault for having his foot stuck out like that when sliding in the box :V trust me, as a footie player it's really easy to trip like that.brawl confirmed for football
Well Helepolis. I guess I'll be on the other end of the pitch cheering for Spain. Gotta cheer for my man Casillas :VI am sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of Persie's headbutt goal :V
Remember that everything shown in slo-mo makes it look much tamer than it really isHence I said why the first replay on full speed showed it as a fierce heel-hook tripping thus logically penalty decision. I cannot blame the referee.
THE NL TRAIN KNOWS NO STOPS
it's just a group match, it's fine :VYou're assuming that Spain will win against Chili? Not going to happen.
God damn Helepolis have some faith in your team you self-depreciating bastard, holy cow. :V :V :V :VHey hey hey! I had my legal worries man :ohdear: the drama from Europe Cup in 2012 and nerves from 2010 were deeply rooted you know :ohdear:
Robben's second goal was ridiculous in a good way.Casillas cries everytime
Thanks all, though it is too early to cheer. I mean, we still need to face Chili as well. And being one of the first teams to play in the group-phase, it will be a lesson for Chili and Australia.Them's fighting words, broski.
You're assuming that Spain will win against Chili? Not going to happen.
Spain going home from the group matches, that would be embarrassing as former World Champion and Europe Champion.
Da Costa was booed and hissed and cursed at the entire time he was on the field. Fucking deserter :V
Funny how people treat him like a betrayer and national enemy while he was barely given any chance here in Brazil and was very undervalued, unlike in Spain. I respect him. :VBasically :V
On that note, waiting for England's newspapers to come up with some silly pun when they lose their first match. :V
yoooooooooooooo Mike Ross with that sick Honda playjapan confirmed for 4th place :V
Also Japan lost to Ivory Coast, which was somewhat expected as well. SA teams are just strong in general.Obligatory >Uruguay.
Also Japan lost to Ivory Coast, which was somewhat expected as well. SA teams are just strong in general.
MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSIdat shot
18:00 GMT+1, can't wait for it, Portugal vs GermanyI will cheer for Germany because lolRonaldo.
Lets see how Ronaldo will play his magic :bzzz:
Of course, the broadcasters here in US are also rallying hype for their match versus Ghana. At least they're not as ultra-nationalist and exclusionary in their reporting compared to that of the Olympics.
That is pretty much what Messi is, minus the arrogance and stylish looks.Yeah that and Messi was known mostly as a playmaker as well. So Maradona focusing on playing around Messi was completely counter intuitive to how Messi usually plays.
History moment: In WC2010, all eyes were on Messi but he was simply not present on the field. Argentina didn't really got far, because lolMaradonna had "awesome tactics" >> Everybody play for Messi. Doesn't works that way man. Key players are often supported by their teammembers thanks to synergy and training. A national team is different, so you can quickly see which country has practised and which one didn't.
Same thing about Ozil Dora, good chap, tat arrogant but semi-finals in 2010 he was not performing. Shame, because I really hoped Germany would've beaten Spain to face Netherlands that year. :V
2008 EC was a silly moment. I remember well that I sat defeated on the cough and my father, cousin, uncle retreated to the balcony to get some fresh air when the shot flew into the goal and everybody went nuts.
:bzzz::bzzz::bzzz: TOOOOOOOOOOOOR :bzzz::bzzz::bzzz:
Was Pepe trying to be the new Zidane? :getdown: :getdown:Not a good performance if he tried to. What a dumbass for pulling such an act. Deserved red card.
Germany rules and all is well with the world. Also this makes the USA - Ghana match all the more interesting. I'm very curious about Klinsmann's team and the impact of his decision to leave Donovan home.
lolRonaldo(http://i.imgur.com/GBMPOkx.jpg)
Iran vs. Nigeria, you say?
USA vs Ghana is more a game I would like to watch
The smallest wall in the worldAnd yet he smashes it straight into the wall :V
(http://i.imgur.com/4H1j54y.jpg)it's just like tsm games in the lcs
Loew gives Ronaldo his trademark little something special (https://vine.co/v/MIpMquTwO09)
We're have to wait to see but Germany is, maybe, that good vs Portugal being that bad.
When did goalies start wearing mickey mouse gloves?Ever since they are trying to grip the ball better :V
rofland then i tune in and russia scores 30 seconds later :derp:
*turn game back on after getting home from work*
*Korea scores 30 seconds later*
0-0 Brazil vs Mexico, there is a possibility that Brazil might get kicked out
Well-scored goal, Chile.
Nice! Chile never fell apart like Australia did and retained control throughout the entire game. A fine, clean win.They were wasting time on purpose near the end even when spain had given up a long time ago. That fake goalie injury comes to mind. Team went straight on my shit list after that. Hope they fall off as soon as possible.
They were wasting time on purpose near the end even when spain had given up a long time ago. That fake goalie injury comes to mind. Team went straight on my shit list after that. Hope they fall off as soon as possible.That's basically a lot of teams when they're winning with the game near the end. I mean why wouldn't you? Welcome to football :V
I mean why wouldn't you?Because it's unsportsmanlike as fuck?
Also, dat celebratory brief TF2 conga dance taunt after the Columbia goal.FTFY :V
Because it's unsportsmanlike as fuck?I noticed maybe small instances of that and I usually get ticked off when an entire team decides to be a big dong about things, so I dunno. What I do remember I lump with what, like, 90% of teams do, because 90% of teams do it.
I've watched most of the games so far and there was no instance of this as blatant as Chile's was.
Because it's unsportsmanlike as fuck?
Welcome to football :VIt's like American football where they run out the clock by going on their knee to run out the game. Of course, getting more goals is good for insurance, but safety is always first :V Besides, football is that one sport where time never runs out so of course anyone would take advantage of that.
suddenly all of england are now fans of italy
I'm predicting a pretty safe 9-3-3-3 for this group. Someone remind me how this works? Are goal differences the tiebreaker?
I'm predicting a pretty safe 9-3-3-3 for this group. Someone remind me how this works? Are goal differences the tiebreaker?
It has to be Italia unless you think they're gonna lose their match tomorrow.
I disagree, I felt Japan, despite dominating possession, did not impress me in terms of breaking down and getting quality shots. Greece had 10 men and they still almost won the game with a couple good shots. I agree that the game was awfully boring though.
8-man defense? You mean a team that went down a man threw everyone on defense to try and salvage a point? Horrible! That never happens!
You mean Elder World Cup of Ages 65+.
I'm looking at the schedule. There doesn't seem to be anything interesting in a while. Italy vs Costa Rica and France vs the Swiss is fine, I guess.
imagine the shitstorm if that last goal was a game winning one :Vhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JFuWqwFg4
I have no idea any more what is going on in this World Cup.
- Costa Rica defeating both England and Italy and eliminating 2 major teams (considering one between Italy and Uruguay will go home)
- Brazil with home advantage suffering in both matches (especially Mexico)
I honestly hate it when Argentina wins like this. It's just an overwhelming feeling of injustice and dissatisfaction.Welcome to heartbreakers in sports. :V
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjYewEPASM#Ahahahahahahaha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjYewEPASM#
Ghana is looking very impressive tonight, but Germany's defending feels somewhat lackluster too. Oh well, I'm rooting for Germany, so I'm happy with Klose's equaliser (especially since he was born in Poland).
Germany is weaker in their defense. You can see that in many games :)Sigh, they used to be so much better in this respect. Euro 1996 - three goals conceded; World Cup 2002 - also three goals, two of them in the lost final vs Brazil.
Oh wow, get well soon Muller. Jeez.
Great second half. Glad I watched it and not the first. :V
Great second half. Glad I watched it and not the first. :VA few minutes into the second half I made the observation that this game so far is being boring as sin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjYewEPASM#
(http://i.imgur.com/SzkvvUp.gif)
(http://i.imgur.com/SzkvvUp.gif)Well now. :V
Korea's defense PLSQuoted for truth. Those centre backs are horrible. Algeria is about to achieve their best World Cup victory ever. They were on a 3-0 lead against Chile in 1982, but Chile was able to score two goals in the second half.
I KNEW IT!
I FUCKING KNEW IT!
I LET MYSELF BELIEVE FOR 1 SECOND!
USA is likely out with that result. FUCK!
Hey, Hele.I have a common cold. Slight fever and feeling moderately miserable. Bring it on, I need something to ease my pain. And that can be only achieved by NL kicking their ass.
Tomorrow.
.cl vs .nl
ready for carnage?
Actually no
(http://i.gyazo.com/460beb9a3b200d696cf29577461c1291.png)
[7:43:33 PM] Suikama: HE SCORED WITH HIS CROTCH ROFL
[7:43:45 PM] Suikama: YOU LITERALLY DONT GET MORE AMERICAN THAN THAT
Coach of NL is angry at FIFA for scheduling Brazil after NL. Until now Brazil played first because we're following the group order. But SUDDENLY BR is after NL.Eh? This sounds like they just want the Group A matches to be more accessible to Brazilians. What effect does it have on the next stage?
lolInfluence, lolFifa, lolMafia.
It is as if they are forcing NL to meet BR in the 1/8.
Eh? This sounds like they just want the Group A matches to be more accessible to Brazilians. What effect does it have on the next stage?Knock-out tree being filled in differently. Your position on the tree is extremely dependant on the position of your own group + expected position of upcoming matches. Since NL plays first, a lot of teams can anticipate their position. BR was suppose to play first, but intentionally put to 2nd because NL vs BR is currently a high outcome and seems FIFA is granting them the advantage of eliciting this information after NL has played.
"England are not out yet!!!" screams Paul Hobson. "If the Italy versus Uruguay match has a violent free-for-all with at least five players from each team sent off the match will be abandoned and neither team will receive a point. Then if (and this is the bigger if maybe!) England beat Costa Rica 2-0 they will qualify
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bq6c76OCAAA6Tdi.jpgwell that makes two people who are eating well tonight :getdown:
:getdown:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bq6c76OCAAA6Tdi.jpg
:getdown:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bq6c76OCAAA6Tdi.jpg
:getdown:
Is... is that a prop bet over the odds of Suarez biting someone at the WC? If so that's glorious.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bq6c76OCAAA6Tdi.jpgPositively brilliant. :getdown:
:getdown:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bq6c76OCAAA6Tdi.jpgWell holy cripe
:getdown:
(On a semi-related note, if the 2022 world cup does end up taking place in Qatar it's going to be a joy to watch (http://i.imgur.com/rnkFCn4.png))
They will just play at 3am :derp:...indoors...
...indoors...
MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI
You know, here where i live there are a lot of guys that criticize Messi because he plays poorly with the national team and is not decisive......Complaining that he's not good enough in Barca.
.......i wonder where they are atm..... :derp:
Complaining that he's not good enough in Barca.so Madrid fans.
Edit: If United States survives the 1/8 and the 1/4, we might be having a showdown of NL vs USA, USA, USA, USA, USA at semi finals. Wouldn't that be funny?That would be a most peculiar matchup, to which I side with the Robben train. :P
South African teams are odd ones. They only play for the money it seems.A few days before the World Cup, Cameroon players refused to participate because they thought the compensation was too low. They got what they wanted, but still, national football really should be more about playing for your country and less about the money. I understand that Africa is poor and so money is very welcome, but come on, almost all Cameroon and Ghana players on the World Cup play in rich European clubs, and those who don't probably aren't influential enough to lead a mutiny. It's the big names who start the uproar. Boateng plays for Schalke, Muntari plays for Milan.
OH WAIT.
Even if United States loses, Ghana needs to at least make 2 goals without any against in order to win by goal differences. Though perhaps United States and Germany will play pattycake and be chill (play tie) then both Porto and Ghana will be bye bye.
Get hyped United States , as you're going to 1/8 finals.
Edit: If United States survives the 1/8 and the 1/4, we might be having a showdown of NL vs USA, USA, USA, USA, USA at semi finals. Wouldn't that be funny?
lolSuarez got banned for 9 matches, starting with the next match.
What a moron.
ronaldo pls you are our only hopeGuess what. :V
Pesco , player from France.
Mime, we dont have an easy route:nArgentina and Mexico. Tough battles.
Edible / Kilga YOU BETTER SURVIVE OK?
Psh we're America. What does Belgium have, actual soccer fans?Typical American behaviour. Getting cocky when things miraculously go well. IT IS ON BRO. From this point on, every country for themselves. No patty cakes. No hugging. No care bearing. See you in the semi-finals.
Aaaaaaand Russia scores first~Took them long enough, but here's the equalizer and at the moment Algeria is through!
Typical American behaviour. Getting cocky when things miraculously go well. IT IS ON BRO. From this point on, every country for themselves. No patty cakes. No hugging. No care bearing. See you in the semi-finals.he was being sarcastic :V
he was being sarcastic :VToo late for excuses NOW lone eagle.
lolSuarez got banned for 9 matches, starting with the next match.
What a moron.
Well. (http://bitemangame.com/)Internet is so fast lately.
Half right.He actually deserved longer ban. Critics say FIFA went easy.
Ura can choose to appeal the decision; in which case the punishment is delayed from what I heard; meaning he can play.
Of course; when the appeal is overturned; it will almost certainly slam down a harsher punishment.
Also he's banned from ALL football for 4 months. Including non-international.
This is unrelated but I cringe every time you spell Colombia with an u
That referee is just so terrible
But we have some grudge against Uruguay because they defeated Brazil on some past cup I can't remember. So I dunno.
If only the shot of Chile didn't hit the goddamn pole at 119th minute then penalties wouldn't occur and Brazil was bye bye. Oh well.
You mean the not-a-handball disallowed goal by Brazil.Mind you, that was a clear arm-controlled foul by lolHulk. He points at this chest but the replays show clearly control with the upper arm. This aint basketball you know.
Not really, it was really close to the shoulder, it's just as close to a legal move as it is to an illegal one. Not all refs would have blown the whistle.Doesn't matter. Once it hits the arm (and the arm was pretty out there for a deliberate handle), it's a hand ball regardless of how "close" it is to the shoulder.
I am slightly worried about 2nd half.
Go Costa Rica!
Netherlands won by luck today. Mexico clearly played better.
... did Muller just, like... trip over nothing during that penalty kick?
... did Muller just, like... trip over nothing during that penalty kick?
I wouldn't mind Messi losing. Just so that Maradonna can stop being cocky and all-knowing. He claimed Mexico lost because they did poor changing. lolladonnaI really don't like Maradonna after what he tried to do with Argentina in the last World Cup. I was still baffled that they made it that far until they got loldestroyed by Germany
OH MY GOD COME ON
Siiigh. Someone please kill me. Especially if Belgium beats USA later today.
Damn it Switzerland. If only they resisted a little more...It happens quite a bit for games like this. Expect to see some more if it's this close :V
Even the Swiss goal keeper abandoned his post from desperation near the end.
It happens quite a bit for games like this. Expect to see some more if it's this close :V
Had kendo, was not able to watch the start, what did I miss in the USA match?
You cannot give the ball away that many times and expect to get away with it. Better team won today, but it still leaves a guy like me wondering when the USA team is gonna take that next step. No ifs, and, or buts about it, they have to get into the quarters and/or semis on a more frequent basis before they start legitimately turning heads back home, let alone around the world. Cue the country as a whole, once again, ignoring soccer until the next World Cup. :V
"Fun" fact: All the group winners won in the Round of 16. So much for true upsets this year. It's like we could've gotten rid of the runner-up spots and it wouldn't have made a difference lol.
That's pretty much who I was referring to when I was talking about soccer "turning heads": fans of the other big North American sports, who are still in the majority here. I already know MLS is growing, but soccer has historically never been as big a deal in the US as it has been elsewhere. There's just not much precedent for me to think that will change in one World Cup cycle. Longer than that? Perhaps, but the USA team's best chance to really further that along is to win more meaningful international games.
Sorry, but Costa Rica's Central America, not South (CONCACAF, NOT CONMEBOL). Would've been funny though.
For instance we as a nation hate all of the diving and whining that goes on, while other countries seem to embrace it. So long as FIFA doesn't enforce against it we're never going to love the sport simply because of our ideals and beliefs about how athletes should act.I don't think anyone likes the diving and whining parts of football.
Diving and whining is a form of "professional" play. It becomes even more professional when a team is leading and tries to finish it by sitting / laying down a lot etc.
95% of the football players dive/whine. It seems sort of culture with football. Exaggerated trips, tumbles or rolls. Holding their body parts which wasn't even hit/impacted (always funny to see in replay someone hitting the feet/ankle and the player drops down, screaming in pain holding his knee.
I love soccer but it's often so irritating.... Then i see a basketball or rugby match and i wonder WHY i still follow soccer....
Diving and whining is a form of "professional" play. It becomes even more professional when a team is leading and tries to finish it by sitting / laying down a lot etc.
95% of the football players dive/whine. It seems sort of culture with football. Exaggerated trips, tumbles or rolls. Holding their body parts which wasn't even hit/impacted (always funny to see in replay someone hitting the feet/ankle and the player drops down, screaming in pain holding his knee.
People like Messi usually don't do it, hence I prefer to see them play.
This attitude is helped by the fact that there is basically no penalty for it. The absolute worst is a yellow card and being told to stand up. Wanna bet that if there was a rule that says if you are caught from the cameras diving you can get disqualified for the next match AFTER the match has ended that 95% percentage would drop dramatically?Actually no, yellow cards are pretty significant especially in the World Cup (2 yellow cards at any time will give a one game suspension even if both are given at different games). You also lose possession of the ball and they get a free kick and momentum on their side. It is exactly like basketball except with yellow cards which is probably more crucial. Penalties are only given inside the box, because it's somewhat treated like hockey, where if you trip up the player on a breakaway they get a free penalty, except in soccer it's anywhere in the box regardless of a breakaway (and if it was a breakaway it's a straight red card).
Actually no, yellow cards are pretty significant especially in the World Cup (2 yellow cards at any time will give a one game suspension even if both are given at different games). You also lose possession of the ball and they get a free kick and momentum on their side. It is exactly like basketball except with yellow cards which is probably more crucial. Penalties are only given inside the box, because it's somewhat treated like hockey, where if you trip up the player on a breakaway they get a free penalty, except in soccer it's anywhere in the box regardless of a breakaway (and if it was a breakaway it's a straight red card).Don't forget that Yellow Cards make your life harder as a defender since you can't just foul someone at all costs, similarly to accumulative fouls in basketball.
The biggest reason why there aren't cameras is because it will destroy the entire flow of the game with the clock that continuously run even during stoppage of play. This is a minor reason that I can understand, but I know there are much better ways to deal with this (ie. giving the fourth referee a TV or something to watch or at least have someone upstairs have one and tell the referees through the earphones [that they actually have right now] if it's an actual foul or not). Of course, FIFA likes to be stubborn as fuck and continue to be "traditional" with this bullshit and let this continue on like that.
Actually no, yellow cards are pretty significant especially in the World Cup (2 yellow cards at any time will give a one game suspension even if both are given at different games). You also lose possession of the ball and they get a free kick and momentum on their side. It is exactly like basketball except with yellow cards which is probably more crucial. Penalties are only given inside the box, because it's somewhat treated like hockey, where if you trip up the player on a breakaway they get a free penalty, except in soccer it's anywhere in the box regardless of a breakaway (and if it was a breakaway it's a straight red card)..
While a yellow card does have a certain weight, it's nothing compared with the possibility of a PENALTY KICK. Between the 2, the risk/reward is heavily in favour of the diver. An example for all: Robben against Mexico. And Robben as far as i know isn't a "professional diver".Now a penalty kick is way too big of a consequence in a game like soccer, where goals are much more valuable and less frequent that a lot of other sports, and especially with how easy it usually is to score a penalty compared to something like, say, hockey.
As for the camera, i was thinking about reviewing and punishing it AFTER the match.
Example: Balotelli dive and is awarded a penalty against Costa Rica (doesn't matter if he score or not, or if the defender receive a card or not). After the match, they review the action and discover that Balotelli dived so it wasn't a foul. Because of this discovery Balotelli is disqualified for the next match, although the final score of the match with Costa Rica obviously can't be changed.
While it wouldn't solve the problem of wrong calls during the match, it would greatly discourage diving. Because they do stuff like this quite often.
You follow football because there aren't basketball teams as anime girls :V (http://imgur.com/gallery/wI1pe)
I won't deny I'm not so confident given the adversary we will be facing, but anyway
France almost scored on the last minute to even the game.
but Neuer lifted his hand was was like *nope* :bzzz:He had a similar save in the first half. Neuer's hand is Neuer tier.
Brazil won thanks to Ref. ThanksObamaReferee.
Free kick was Hulk diving. Thanks Ref.
Cesar's penalty should've been red card. Clear red. No questions. Thanks Ref.
Faul on Naymar should've been also red. Even if it was yellow, it wouldn't been red by 2nd yellow. Thanks Ref.
TL DR: Thanks Ref.
Yeah. Sounds rich coming from someone who won by a Miracle against Mexico. :VRoben's penalty was the penalty costs for the previous two. NL should've gotten two. But we got one. Sound like a fair deal no?
Stop being butthurt.
Yeah, the ref wasn't that bad. I guess I agree on the red to Cesar but in general this game was icky even with the lite reffing. 50+ fouls, fuck. Both games turned out largely unexciting. Not a good day for me.Ref ignored half of the real fauls (Naymar got smashed in his back, that was dirty) and I cannot believe the sideline ref didn't spot that but does see Hulk diving intentionally?
Stop being butthurt.
lol. Hahahaha. Me being butthurt? You're the one that's making tl;dr texts whining on every sentence over Brasil's victory.I don't see how I am a sore loser, since NL is still in the WC :V but fine, what ever you say chap. You may call me a sore loser tomorrow when NL happens to lose. Which is a possibility since Costa Rica is not to be underestimated.
Seriously, stop being a sore loser. The victory was still a victory. Learn to accept it and move on.
chap
What I'm trying to say is that we already won. Even if the victory may not be completely legit, I do know that complaining about it won't change the fact we still won. We should let it go already.
But that's still not the end of the cup. Brasil still has two games ahead, and maybe we can get eliminated. If that happens, hope it will make you guys happy.
Roben's penalty was the penalty costs for the previous two. NL should've gotten two. But we got one. Sound like a fair deal no?The thing is, in the end a dive is a dive. He chose not to go down for when he got hack n slashed, and was really lucky to get the call for the dive. In the end, the dive itself shouldn't have been called, and now people are all making fun of him for it.
It's incredible how some people have the eyes to tl;dr argue with me but not to spot my gender under my name, despite how it's pretty much in plain sight.I stand corrected and guilty for this case. I've got no excuses for the mess up: I simply didn't see it.
The thing is, in the end a dive is a dive. He chose not to go down for when he got hack n slashed, and was really lucky to get the call for the dive. In the end, the dive itself shouldn't have been called, and now people are all making fun of him for it.Robben is known to be a diver and he usually does it along the 16m line, just like most smart players do. The thing with people like Robben is they will seek out an opportunity to get a nice free kick at a nice distance if they cannot get passed. Notice how Robben during those exceptional dives always sudden turns and starts moving horizontally. He could easily pass the ball during that pinch but he hopes that a inexperienced and hothead defender kicks/pushes/tackles and then *whistle blow* > Robben wins. Pretty much how most football players act. Now Messi isn't such a player by default in my eyes. He will try to outmanoeuvre his way most of the time resulting in those beautiful escapes or duels.
Now people see why people dive or fall every time they get a tiny foul. Not saying that Roben is bad, I like NL and all, but people really need to understand why players fall in the first place. Unless they're Messi that can reliably keep possession even after getting hit all the time :V
Robben is known to be a diver and he usually does it along the 16m line, just like most smart players do.Exactly. But I don't get why so many people criticize the South Americans (and Italians too I guess) for being such divers without seeing how everyone else does it but calls every moment SA players do it as dirty and foul and unsmart, etc.
We interrupt your regularly scheduled discussion for anime soccer teams (http://imgur.com/gallery/x2DJv).Lolland is robots. :X
Just reading on Dutch news, middle of the early morning 4:12am that Neymar's WC play is over. One of his spinal discs is cracked. It was that knee-assault from the Colombian player.
What the fuck. It doesn't matter whether you hate/dislike a team/player, nobody deserves this.
The enduring image I will have of this is the free kick Messi took near the end of the first half, where he got kicked in the legs by like 4 or 5 defenders and was still trying to control the ball and stay upright before he finally went down. All I could imagine was 95% of the other big names in soccer going down like they'd been shot at first contact.Yes. :V
The enduring image I will have of this is the free kick Messi took near the end of the first half, where he got kicked in the legs by like 4 or 5 defenders and was still trying to control the ball and stay upright before he finally went down. All I could imagine was 95% of the other big names in soccer going down like they'd been shot at first contact.
First thought... (http://i.imgur.com/tDMECB0.gif)
Also, don't forget that Costa Rica went 2-0-1 against three alleged powerhouses. Admittedly, the Netherlands is a step up from even Italy, but I'm starting to get really tired of people selling Costa Rica short.
The enduring image I will have of this is the free kick Messi took near the end of the first half, where he got kicked in the legs by like 4 or 5 defenders and was still trying to control the ball and stay upright before he finally went down. All I could imagine was 95% of the other big names in soccer going down like they'd been shot at first contact.
I cannot find any news anymore either about the knee assault. Did Brazil sue him for doing that shit to Neymar at FIFA? Like Hakurei said, if they ban players post game for biting then they should also for intentional physical harm. I know that is possible in football rules to punish such acts post-games.
Now i have an honest question for you all: i've noticed a lot of flak against those teams which plays only defensively, hoping for a lucky counter-attack or reaching the penalties. Why is that? I know that kind of play is boring as hell (i dislike it myself) but it still is a legitimate tactic used against a stronger opponent.I always say that I don't mind the underdogs playing very defensively. For example, that was Costa Rica's only option yesterday, since playing an open game against the Netherlands would mean sharing the fate of Spain. They do what they need in order to survive, and that's understandable. Now, when a team with enormous offensive potential does that, like Argentina now or Spain in 2012, that's simply annoying. That's not what I expect. They have every right to play as defensively as they want, but then I have the right to hate them for trying to bore me to death.
In many sports when you face someone stronger you need to whittle him down or tire him out while avoiding heavy blows and no one complain about it. Why in football is different?
PS, Kilga: I've seen Robben also perform 1 dive this game which was faking. All the others were nasty fauls to simply stop him.
That ref absolutely needs to go, if nothing else.When a game's that violent I'm actually not sure the ref can do anything. Handing out cards more frequently doesn't... sound like something that would have changed things.
Not just Robben, the entire side. Particularly Van Persie getting behind the defender in the box with the ball and getting knocked over by a fingertip brush instead of just shooting the damn ball. I invite you to watch that play again, watch the Messi play in question again, and then come back and tell me this again with a straight face.Do you mean the position where he missed the goal (ball passed just in front of him) and then went down on his knees / fall over? Because that wasn't even a dive to lure out penalty but a failed-falter-on-knees.
When a game's that violent I'm actually not sure the ref can do anything. Handing out cards more frequently doesn't... sound like something that would have changed things.Putting out cards early will basically give a message to both teams that playing rough is not an option whatsoever. Because he didn't both teams thought they could get away with a lot =/
Regarding defensive teams. Costa Rica didn't play defensive, Costa Rica played a gamble match. They simply drawn out the game to forcefully bring to penalties kick, being overconfident. They have been mass defending 0-0 from minute one and made it tighter 2nd half. I compared them to Greece, but Greece plays a heavy counter-attack when they find the opportunities. Costa didn't even bother countering until 1-3 times at 115 minutes. They played anti-football with one pure goal: Penalties. I don't even know if I should call it a strategy, it is mere gambling. But I guess that is their style.It's still a strategy. They don't play counter-attack style because they usually mostly play a possession game, but they know they were no match for Netherlands. So I don't blame CR for playing the way they did, so I mostly blame Netherlands for not taking advantage and scoring goals when they should have (that and the CR goalie was pretty good that game).
I mostly blame Netherlands for not taking advantage and scoring goals when they should have (that and the CR goalie was pretty good that game).They casted some kind of vodoo curse on their goal because the ball never wanted to go in and players randomly fall around the 11m
Now i have an honest question for you all: i've noticed a lot of flak against those teams which plays only defensively, hoping for a lucky counter-attack or reaching the penalties. Why is that? I know that kind of play is boring as hell (i dislike it myself) but it still is a legitimate tactic used against a stronger opponent.That's not how they played though. After the first 20 minutes I counted one (1) significant counterattack at the end from costa rica. They did fuck all for the rest of the match.
In many sports when you face someone stronger you need to whittle him down or tire him out while avoiding heavy blows and no one complain about it. Why in football is different?
They have 0 offensive power. A team like that simply doesn't deserve to advance. It was pretty much decided then and there that italy/urgay/england were indeed just terrible teams.
Maybe it's just me, but I want the actual good teams to win the world cup. Could be just me though.Don't worry they're all still in it :V
A team like that simply doesn't deserve to advance.Nah if they won it would've been quite a thing because that team had quite the heart, especially considering this was the furthest CR has ever gotten in the WC stage. But I will agree Holland deserved to win because of how much they attacked, but if they lost it would've been all Holland's fault for not taking full advantage of their chances.
Looks like USA has the among the highest "writhing time per injury." U S A U S A
NSFW Language (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ykAXB3JFy4)
I thought my dad was in denial last night. I can't wait to see how he acts when he gets home tonight.
I must live in a good neighbourhood then, because fireworks are going off all the time :V
They're setting off fireworks here too.It's quite surprising really, since I'm in the south and they love to pretend they're europeans here :V
Oh well, I guess there's nothing to do with them anymore, so they're just wasting them anyway. :V
I'm going to bed as this is already decided. gg wp germany.Gods allow NL to win because I honestly don't think that Brazil will survive as a nation if Argentina wins this cup
Everyone in NL is rooting for the classic grand final vs Germany, so NL will go hard tomorrow.
It's quite surprising really, since I'm in the south and they love to pretend they're europeans here :VI thought about that, but in my experience southerners also love to go BRASILSILSIL whenever they can :V
I thought about that, but in my experience southerners also love to go BRASILSILSIL whenever they can :VTrue that
I'm in Esp?rito Santo now, and there's plenty of German descendants here, but I honestly think they're just setting off the fireworks because they already bought it and fireworks are fun :V
Better than this game anyway, for anyone who was rooting for Brasil
OK, I know they are probably all relaxed by now, but German defending in the second half is godawful so far. Wake up!come on man don't be greedy let us have one goal let us leave with at least a SHRED of dignity :V
come on man don't be greedy let us have one goal let us leave with at least a SHRED of dignity :VI'm betting the final result is going to be something like 5-1, 5-2 or 6-2 anyway. That's often the way it goes when one team has this kind of goal advantage.
This is what happens when a team is down two star players.Nah. There's no excuse for this. It's just shit. The main thing that's been said lately about the team was how cohesive it was and everyone working together blabalbalbalbalblbaal then Neymar gets hurt and Thiago screws up and they shit themselves. That's just crap, and it's hilarious :V
I'm betting the final result is going to be something like 5-1, 5-2 or 6-2 anyway. That's often the way it goes when one team has this kind of goal advantage....or not. Whoops.
The Brasil fans in the stadium are indeed applauding the German plays.
Germany really just gave them that one :Vand they say germans are cold :')
Lol Galv?o Bueno(BRhuehuehue's most famous ever football narrator, known excessive patriot) barely even announg the Brazilian goal, he was just like "eh look, Brazil scored"
What's the big deal everyone is making of Brazil vs Argentina? I know they are close in border terms but aside from that?
If there's any form of god and he likes fun, Argentina is beating NL and going to the finals, then they'll beat GermanyI only want this because then people will finally consider Messi as the best player in the world :V (right now at least)
(http://i.imgur.com/N48EcWB.gif)
I, for one, would love to see NL win; simply because they haven't won it before.If Argentina wasn't in I'd vote for NL as well
So yeah, will be joining Helepolis on the supporting front. ^^
Oh my, it's all so fake[Citation needed]
Lol Galv?o Bueno(BRhuehuehue's most famous ever football narrator, known excessive patriot) barely even announg the Brazilian goal, he was just like "eh look, Brazil scored"
Sadly, Brazilian fans are known for that. People die because of a fucking sport.
Tbh I felt much more sorry for Costa Rica's defeat than Brazil's (despite not hating on it because of Dilma stuff). Still, gonna be cheering for NL, sorry hermanos. :V
ZUN tweeted that he would go to bed thinking of the crushed spirits of the Brazil supporters.
what a guy
Despite what happened, I'll still cheer for Deutschland. They're an organized/solid team and deserve to win this tournament, and I also like their coach (Loew). He seems to be a very respectful and integral person. He didn't underestimate Brazil before the match even knowing the team would not be at full potential, and even after the game, he was still humble about the victory and didn't go around gloating about it. Certainly a very level-headed guy and I like that.
If Argentina wasn't in I'd vote for NL as well
if NL wins I'll be cheering for them in the finals :V
Fingers crossed for Argentina to absolutely destroy the Netherlands.(http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ATy1T5LuL9s/0.jpg)
In the "delicious tears, I will sleep well tonight" way, not the "my sympathies" way.ZUN tweeted that he would go to bed thinking of the crushed spirits of the Brazil supporters.*sniffles* ZUN made me go emotional with those words... ;-;
what a guy
ZUN tweeted that he would go to bed thinking of the crushed spirits of the Brazil supporters.fuckin' nocturnal, that was 7:00 AM at best
what a guy
fuckin' nocturnal, that was 7:00 AM at bestHe has a new baby. Odds on, he was up long before that.
or I guess he's late to the party but lalalala don't care
Bringing my clogs to work today.Any orange T-shirt or shirt with ya?
Any orange T-shirt or shirt with ya?
If you guys keep these antics going on, they will start thinking you are some sort of confused Jiraiya/Naruto cosplayers :VIn that case Edible, print the right face out and wear it, just in case.
If you guys keep these antics going on, they will start thinking you are some sort of confused Jiraiya/Naruto cosplayers :V
Any orange T-shirt or shirt with ya?
I am pulling for Argentina.Fine be like that Ammy! Don't come begging for mercy when we finish them off with 8-0.
*sniffles* ZUN made me go emotional with those words... ;-;
In the "delicious tears, I will sleep well tonight" way, not the "my sympathies" way.
ZUN tweeted that he would go to bed thinking of the crushed spirits of the Brazil supporters.Futbol loli confirmed Th15
Also, I forgot to mention, but there's a bookstore in S?o Paulo that promised a 10% discount on every book for each goal Brasil would take from Deutschland.This sounds familiar. Anyone remember that Simpsons episode where a free Krusty Burger was promised for every gold medal the US won at the 1984 Summer Olympics (where, it turns out, there was an even bigger sweep)? I can still see Krusty's tear-choked shouting: "I WILL PERSONALLY SPIT IN EVERY TENTH BURGER!"
Guess what? Their site is still offline since yesterday from so many people trying to buy books from there. 70% discount is a HUGE discount after all. This is simply hilarious.
Mediamarkt, a large electronic store all over NL, has promised that people who buy a TV during WC will get their money back if NL becomes world champion. Well then.The brilliant thing about this is that Mediamarkt loses no money on this either way. At best, they sell a shitload of TVS. At worst, they have to return that money, but I reckon that somewhere less than 100% of those who bought a TV from there today won't bother getting the refund.
The general opinion atm appears to be "wow, whichever of these teams win will just get obliterated by Germany"
My family gave up and went to sleep from the boredom.Argentina has played 1000 men defence vs USA as well you know? They scored one and then defended for 80min. Argentina actually won none of their games with major fireworks or major difference. It is their style then instant counter like a run from Messi. Because really, Argentina is just Messi and nothing else.
Honestly as a neutral I find this game more entertaining than the last game because once Germany went up 4-0 you knew it was all over and it wasn't even halftime. The only thing it had going for it at that point was the humor factor. At least this game has dramatic moments, few as they may be.I [vastly, in yesterday's case] prefer a game that "ends" thirty minutes in but is an event on its own (even 4-0s are usually not that bad in this regard) compared to these sorts of aggravating tactical games. I can't put to words exactly why this is true, but it is. Sometimes a game is just darn boring/annoying no matter how competitive it is in actuality.
Maybe it's less boring to you since it's your team, but this is easily at least as boring as Germany vs France. I legitimately do not want to watch this game and want my 90 minutes back.Yes there is logically a bias as being Dutchy, though I still wouldn't call it boring. Costa Rica was a boring game. USA vs Argentina was boring.
I doubt we're in conditions to face Holland, but oh well... hopefully we won't get stomped as badly as on the last game. :P
It ends here. Good game, well played. Nothing else to say.GOOD NIGHT
Also, I can post this (just because it's hilarious)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNjlKs5asJ0
The goalie should not have insisted on taking the penalty shots, he's never ever stopped one in his entire career.
Oh well, gg Argentina. They were faster and better than the Dutch until lategame, but when penalties came I quit watching because I knew the Dutch'd lose with no goalie swap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNjlKs5asJ0What would've happened if a 2nd goal fell while he was still shouting? :V
Dutch team captain Van Persie was rubbish and should not even have played this game.Aye, he was performing rubbish vs Costa as well. Persie was just non existent. No idea what happened after we got out of the groups.
Dutch team captain Van Persie was rubbish and should not even have played this game. Goddamn. The goalie should not have insisted on taking the penalty shots, he's never ever stopped one in his entire career.They couldn't save up a third replacement option all the way to '120 this time. It's a pretty unreasonable thing to do in the first place!
Oh well, gg Argentina. They were faster and better than the Dutch until lategame, but when penalties came I quit watching because I knew the Dutch'd lose with no goalie swap.
I was also expecting more from Huntelaar, being fresh and newly swapped, I expected him to hunt. Didn't happen.Well clearly he should actually change his name so it's pronounced hunt and not hoont. :colbert:
Germany had problems against defensive teams as well (ie. Algeria), but it'll still be a very different game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNjlKs5asJ0Oh god fucking dammit :getdown: :getdown: :getdown: :getdown: :getdown:
So yea, we won 3rd place by defeating Brazil 3 to 0. Unfortunately Robben dived again for the first penalty. Sure, Silva slightly "held him back" but it was no big deal to actually drop to the floor.Still, it should have been a foul with or without diving, since the rules only say about holding the opponent. Making him fall is entirely optional.
The crowd also turned their "backs" to Brazil by shouting, whistling and such.The famous Brazilian football 'spirit', everyone.
AND ARGENTINA MESS ANOTHER GIFT! *laughs*IKR come on Argentina, stop freezing up in front of the goal and just take the damn shot!
Though this is a small victory for Brazil because they were the ones who wanted Argentina out :V
Hey, look at that.
Thomas Mueller - 5 goals, three assists, World Cup winner
James Rodriguez - 6 goals, two assists, top goalscorer
Lionel Messi - 4 goals, one assist
Guess which one gets the best player of the tournament award. I really don't want to complain about Argentina too much (their defensive performance was excellent up until the goal), but what the heck is this supposed to be, a consolation prize? Second team in the world is still a great feat.
To be fair, I wouldn't mind if Mascherano was awarded. He was the foundation upon which Argentina's extremely efficient defensive game was set, but players like him are usually ignored when it comes to individual awards.
Germany did play well, but they committed too many faults against Argentina's team that were never caalled to account for me to feel totally satisfied. Too late to do anything about it now, though.Honestly I think both team played bad. Germany made silly mistakes while Argentina made terrible misses with their chances. It wasn't as good as I hoped, but both teams would have deserved it either way.
gg wp.
Good luck sleeping upcoming days Dorakyura :V
but what the heck is this supposed to be, a consolation prize?Exactly. Alternately, most 'tweeted' player, most talked about in the press etc. It certainly has no bearing on his performance on the field.