FIFA 2014 World Cup all-purpose thread

[Noexcuse]

Just checked my watch and the game has been over for 45 minutes. Italy just called off-sides while getting on the bus.

 

[CanadianSU]

Following teams are now officially eliminated:

Cameroon
Australia
Spain
England

3 good teams out already

 

[ImperialOrange]

3 good teams out already

Yup 3 good teams and Spain

 

[longislandcuse]

Premier League is on TV every weekend and Champions League during the week. Just start watching and see if any particular team's style of play appeals to you. That's it. Soon, you'll have a favorite team.

MLS is not as bad as it used to be around the time of the last World Cup. The league is legit "AAA" now, where it used to be like "AA" baseball 4 years ago. It's a pretty good product, and any sport that has no timeouts is great with me. Fatigue plays a factor, tempers get short. It's a great viewing experience compared to most other sports.

What would be awesome, and obviously wont happen because we're not in Europe, is if MLS teams were good enough and able to compete in the Champions League. Now that is something that would spark some serious interest.

 

[CanadianSU]

Jeez Switzerland...,

Awful

I LOATHE France. Should not even be in the WC.

 

[Alsacs]

What would be awesome, and obviously wont happen because we're not in Europe, is if MLS teams were good enough and able to compete in the Champions League. Now that is something that would spark some serious interest.

MLS needs to win the CONCACAF Champions League out MLS teams always choke to Mexican teams when they reach the finals. Once the MLS is dominating that competition like the Mexican teams are the MLS would send a team a to the FIFA club team World Cup and our teams would get a chance at the UEFA champion.
MLS is still double AA in my opinion not enough quality being raided from Europe for my liking. Their are good players but they aren't EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundeagusa quality yet.

 

[Upstate]

Half of my office is French and it's unbearable.

 

[Alsacs]

I wish the USA had a Joel Campbell type player. He has been awesome for Costa Rica maybe he gets a shot with Arsenal now and is returned from loan. Jozy Altidore is suppose to be our Campbell but this season really struggled at Sunderland.
With Costa Rica thru CONCACAF has a legit chance to get 3 of the last 16 in the World Cup if Mexico and the USA come thru. This should end the tall about taking a spot from CONCACAF from 3.5 spots to 2.5 and giving an extra to UEFA. If any region should lose it should be Asia. As Australia, Japan, S.Korea, Iran don't have a win among them in some winnable spots this far.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Half of my office is French and it's unbearable.

Show any slight sign of aggression towards them and they should calm right down.

 

[Upstate]

MLS needs to win the CONCACAF Champions League out MLS teams always choke to Mexican teams when they reach the finals. Once the MLS is dominating that competition like the Mexican teams are the MLS would send a team a to the FIFA club team World Cup and our teams would get a chance at the UEFA champion.
MLS is still double AA in my opinion not enough quality being raided from Europe for my liking. Their are good players but they aren't EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundeagusa quality yet.

I disagree, much of the MLS squads are pretty comparable to teams in the EPL, La Liga, etc. OF COURSE, there are teams that are head and shoulders above them all in terms of talent. I'd say the best MLS team is on par with most of the major European league's mid-tier.

 

[ImperialOrange]

 

[Alsacs]

Show any slight sign of aggression towards them and they should calm right down.

Google French military victories it's funny
Make sure you click I feel lucky after

 

[Alsacs]

I disagree, much of the MLS squads are pretty comparable to teams in the EPL, La Liga, etc. OF COURSE, there are teams that are head and shoulders above them all in terms of talent. I'd say the best MLS team is on par with most of the major European league's mid-tier.

Until an MLS squad wins the CONCACAF Champions League I don't agree. Real Salt Lake gagged the CONCACAF final to Puebla. Mexican teams dominate that competition the MLS needs to do better their and win that competition more than Mexican teams.

 

[ImperialOrange]

I disagree, much of the MLS squads are pretty comparable to teams in the EPL, La Liga, etc. OF COURSE, there are teams that are head and shoulders above them all in terms of talent. I'd say the best MLS team is on par with most of the major European league's mid-tier.

I'd disagree on that. MLS teams are more level with the English Championship League and MAYBE the relegation zone EPL teams.

EPL mid table teams would hammer MLS sides

7 Man United
8 Southampton
9 Stoke
10 Newcastle
11 Crystal Palace
12 Swansea

 

[PeteCalvin]

It looks like Switzerland is trying to remain neutral on offense today while allowing France to deposit their assets on defense. Typical.

I want Ecuador to advance anyway, so the Swiss going down is good. To bad it's to France.

 

[Alsacs]

MLS has a draft European leagues laugh at that. MLS works because of the cap and DP rule but it HAS WAYS to go to even be close to those leagues. Europe is a Capitalist type of leagues and MLS is more Socialist which is smart but stunts the league's creditability. MLS has potential but it's not close to Europe

 

[CanadianSU]

Sighhhhhh.

I absolutely just cannot stand France.

I speak French, and was raised in Quebec.

 

[Toga]

It looks like Switzerland is trying to remain neutral on offense today while allowing France to deposit their assets on defense. Typical.

I want Ecuador to advance anyway, so the Swiss going down is good. To bad it's to France.

I hate Switzerland as a country. Only bad things should happen to it.

 

[CanadianSU]

I hate Switzerland as a country. Only bad things should happen to it.

Why?

 

[CanadianSU]

Holy crap Switzerland are awful.

 

[ImperialOrange]

MLS has a draft European leagues laugh at that. MLS works because of the cap and DP rule but it HAS WAYS to go to even be close to those leagues. Europe is a Capitalist type of leagues and MLS is more Socialist which is smart but stunts the league's creditability. MLS has potential but it's not close to Europe

The first MLS club to step up their spending are the Sounders and as result they are running away with the league.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Hodgson is a dolt.

I actually think this England team is a BIG improvement over the one they sent in 2010. This team could actually be winning games if they weren't in such a tough group.

 

[Alsacs]

The first MLS club to step up their spending are the Sounders and as result they are running away with the league.

Drew Carey is part of the Sounders Ownership and with the Microsoft money in the ownership as well they along with the LA Galaxy have spent money on players that can help them win. The team from my hometown region New England Revolution don't spend on DP players and they pride themselves from building from the draft which is crazy if the MLS wants to be taken seriously.
BTW, I know the Revolution are having a great MLS season but they are crap compared to European teams. Expecting to build around the draft is just nuts in a sport which is all about having youth academies for talent.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I think I'm a Luis Suarez fan after today. I didn't realize the mountain of this guy has taken. The game he had today, especially a month after surgery, clearly meant a great deal to him. He was very emotional after the game. I haven't watched him in EPL, so I don't know if the criticism is warranted, but the guy seems like a winner and a player you want by your side when the game is on the line. I'm sure England would have traded Rooney for him.

Well, the mountain of he's taken is a result of him biting an opponent, calling another opponent a Spanish equivalent of the N word, for serial diving, intentional handballs, etc. He used to be a terrible cheater, but has really cleaned up his act in the last year.

 

[IthacaMatt]

BTW how tough will the next match be on Jurgen Klinsmann coaching against his home country. We as Americans would have our media hammering a coach if they coached against the USA if they were an American citizen. Klinsmann really had to hate drawing Germany in the WC because of that. The friendly last year was that a nothing game to Germany and them rewarding lower players with friendlies in the USA while their stars recovered from the Champions League final. Germany did the USA a favor with that friendly celebrating 100 years of US soccer. We beat the Germany B- team 4-3 so our guys will have a little confidence which is why need to get at least 1 point against Portugal this Sunday.

I think he sees it as a chance at redemption. He was unceremoniously dumped as national team coach, and all the modern stuff that they made fun of (or most of it, anyway) has remained in place, with his assistant taking over national team duties. I'm sure he'd love the payback. Don't forget, we did beat a Germany team in that friendly last summer, 4-3. I don't Klinsmann will lose any sleep if he beats Germany.