FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 - Thread

[Easy Bakes 253]

This guy cracked me up

 

 

And

---

 

Also every team that had the most points in the group stage advanced to the quarter finals (for the first time ever)

Which one?

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Belgium - USA was a great and thrilling game! The pacing was quite high and Belgium had a lot of chances. I guess the best defense is offence

 

All group #1s made it to the quarter finals. The next four games will be:

 

• Brazil - Colombia: A Latin American match
• France - Germany: The battle of the arch nemeses.
• The Netherlands - Costa Rica: The Duel of the Dwarves (both countries are small)
• Argentina - Belgium: Golliath vs David.

 

Let's see if we get another great match out of these

 

Best,

Maarten

[NielsC007 499]

Belgium - USA was a great and thrilling game! The pacing was quite high and Belgium had a lot of chances. I guess the best defense is offence

 

All group #1s made it to the quarter finals. The next four games will be:

 

• Brazil - Colombia: A Latin American match
• France - Germany: The battle of the arch nemeses.
• The Netherlands - Costa Rica: The Duel of the Dwarves (both countries are small)
• Argentina - Belgium: Golliath vs David.

 

Let's see if we get another great match out of these

 

Best,

Maarten

 

Don't mind the difference in population between the Netherlands and Costa Rica. The Netherlands has ~16,75 million inhabitants while Costa Rica has just over 4,5 million inhabitants. Costa Rica has really been the surprise of the tournament in my opinion. I can't wait untill the next match!

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Belgium is so kind to the USA Team...

 

 

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Nice one Mandelsoft!

[Haljackey 17,398]

 

Which one?

 

 

Eagle Man for sure. Must have been hot in there.

 

 

Found a pic showing all the US saves.

 

 

Hard to believe that just one more may have sent the US to penalty shootouts.

[Cheddar 119]

Tomorrow, at least in my time zone, the quarter finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup begin. Starting off is France vs Gemany, a match that should be filled with lots of action. Second in line is Brazil vs Colombia, the two yellow teams. An intense match that will very likely result in a tight victory for either team.

On Saturday, Argentina vs Belgium and the Netherlands vs Costa Rica will take place. I have a high expectation that Argentina will lose in their match as their performance in this tournament has been rather unfavorable. (One man show overall.) As for the other three, whoever wins wins.

Now, according to a game analysis I was watching today, should Brazil and the Netherlands win their respective quarter final matches, they would go on to face each other in the semi-finals, but with the current formations of the matches, that wouldn't make any sense. Well, based on this, the winners of the other two matches would face each other in the other semi-final. If this is official, then the semi-finals and the final will be intense.

I don't know about you guys, but this tournament went by too fast. I mean, we went from 32 teams to just 8 in what? Five days based on how fast it felt? Anyhow, hopefully these upcoming matches can be filled with excitement and action to make up for that fast time.

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Erm, in the current organisation, Brazil would have to face Germany and the Netherlands would have to face Belgium. NL - Brazil is only possible in the finals..

[T Wrecks 10,210]

It's a shame I haven't watched a single match of Colombia so far. They are apparently very good. I hope I'll be able to see them against Brazil tonight.

 

As for Germany vs. France, the tournament has been so unpredictable so far (and both teams haven't really convinced me, albeit the French more than the Germans) that I really don't have a clue and wouldn't bet on anything. I have a nagging fear that France will give Germany a walloping, though... that is, unless the Germans improve a lot.

 

Judging from their struggle against Switzerland, Argentina will have a hard time against Belgium.

 

I must confess that I don't really see a clear favourite for the title. Brazil has won so often already... I guess I wouldn't mind if Colombia, Belgium or the Netherlands made it.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

I think Germany-France will be a wonderful game, I'm rooting for Germany because a big part of my family is German. But Brazil-Colombia is a hard game, Brazil didn't show a good football so far and Colombia is playing really well. I hope Brazil and Germany advance. Tomorrow I have no doubt the Netherlands will finish the heroic Costa Rica and Argentina-Belgium will be another hard game, which I have no idea who advance.

[Cheddar 119]

Well, Germany won 1-0 against France, in a match that was largely in favor for Germany. I was expecting more from both teams but this is what will go in the history books.

Now, Brazil vs Colombia will take place in a few hours, the two yellow teams. Both have had an incredible performance this tournament, we'll see what happens.

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Brazil vs Colombia is the match to watch. I have a sneaking feeling Colombia could win if the Brazilian players crack under all of the pressure.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

GOGOGO BRAZIIIIILLLLL!              

 

 

 

Au revoir, France.

[alj 38]

I am happy.

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Nail-biting finish! Brazil won, just! But I hope Neymar is okay, he received a real whack to the centre of his back and I hope it is not a slipped disc or a fractured vertebrae.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

I am happy.

Me too

 

 

Finally Brazil decided to play football! Was a great match today. Now the semi-final against Germany is going to be epic!

 

 

 

Now just noticed Valbuena should be not satisfield right now about this:

 

 

 

 

 

And of course, people make it funnier:

 

 

 

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Well, Valbuena was not a guy to laugh at on the pitch, where it counted... in fact, the entire French team was really good. If you consider that the team was freshly reformed after the disgraceful affairs around the last team and that they didn't have too great expectations anyway, their appearance certainly left a good impression! I'm sure we'll see more of them in the European championship 2016.

 

Having seen Brazil against Colombia, my hopes for Germany to advance beyond that opponent and into the finals have grown pretty thin. Then again, the 1:0 has been a moment of unforgivable negligence, and the 2:0 hasn't been achieved as a result of the regular game flow, either. There is no telling who is going to make it.

 

Unfortunately, I won't be able to see the next two matches. My bets are on the Netherlands, though... and on Belgium. Unless Messi has one of his genius moments, of course...

[Cheddar 119]

Neymar ruled out of World Cup with fractured vertebrae

 

Well, Brazil has just suffered a crushing blow. Neymar is out of the semi-finals and very likely the final as well. Team capitan Thiago Silva will also miss out the semi-finals after picking up another yellow card. Are Brazil's hopes of winning the World Cup starting to fade away? 

 

More links: 

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/neymar-doubt-world-cup-semifinals-24433909

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/04/neymar-injured-back-brazil_n_5559007.html

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

The Colombian defender Juan Zuniga should be temporarily banned from international games (plus games where he plays for his club) for his deliberate challenge (more like attack) on Neymar. I really hope the fractured vertebrae hasn't caused any nerve damage for Neymar, or any kind of long-term partial paralysis of his legs.

 

FIFA need to investigate Juan Zuniga's challenge and give him a long ban- it's one thing to roughly tackle a player, it is far more serious when the said tackle causes serious injury.

 

Worst challenge I have ever seen in the World Cup, even worse than the Suarez bite.

[Cheddar 119]

I guess common logic would say that if the injury does cause some sort of paralysis, then FIFA would have to take action against Zuniga. But various news reports are saying that the part of the vertebrae that was fractured shouldn't cause paralysis but I don't know. I guess we should wait until tomorrow for official reports from the doctors. 

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Now the Brazilian team doctor said Neymar fractured a vertebrae but he will recover in 3 or 4 months.

Probably FIFA will punish Zuniga for that.

[Cheddar 119]

If anything, Zuniga would have been sent off for the unnecessary challenge, but the referee let other "yellow card suitable" incidents go by. Of course, there is debate that Julio Cesar should have been sent off in his action that caused the penalty, which could have started a whole another hell for Brazil.

But all in all, the chances of Brazil winning the World Cup are getting slim for me with all the events that occurred today, things that Germany could easily use in their favor.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

To be honest I don't think Neymar out of World Cup is so bad to Brazil. Last two matches, against Chile and Colombia he did absolutely nothing. I think it's still possible Brazil to win against Germany.

 

Curiosity: some weeks ago The Simpsons released an episode where Neymar got an injury before the match against Germany.

 

 

 

I hope it's just a coincidence really, or we gonna lose 2-0 following the episode

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Egads! The Simpsons becomes prophetic!

[Easy Bakes 253]

 

 

Which one?

 

 

Eagle Man for sure. Must have been hot in there.

 

Wonder woman seemed interested in his suit.

[Cheddar 119]

Curiosity: some weeks ago The Simpsons released an episode where Neymar got an injury before the match against Germany.

I hope it's just a coincidence really, or we gonna lose 2-0 following the episode

Let's just say it's up to Brazil if they want to fulfill that predication.

[TekindusT 3,809]

On another topic, I have several Facebook friends from Colombia; and yesterday I was rooting for Brazil. The Colombians have been plain spamming Facebook the last days about "we are going to win, we have faith, etc."

 

As far as my experience goes, there is nothing in this world more nationalistic in this world than a Colombian person, and once their national team plays, they can be quite on the "Could you stop it, please? We already know you root for your team" side. I have known pretty and delicate girls that become the rudest hooligans ever when the Colombian national team plays.

 

The downside is that they have began spamming again about how proud are they of their national team. At least they didn't reach the final.

[elavery 1,013]

With Neymar injured, Brazil's World Cup is over. He is about their only player who has looked capable if winning a game. This has been one of the poorest Brazilian teams I have seen at a World Cup. They just hack their way through games and get set-piece goals. Against Germany they should be found out.

[ROFLyoshi 1,760]

Egads! The Simpsons becomes prophetic!

Not soccer related, but remember the episode where Mr. Burns puts together a softball team with pro baseball players, and he kicks Don Mattingly out due to his "unruly" facial hair? Well, he was benched from the Yankees for a while in real life for refusing to cut his hear, a year after the episode was produced.

[JP Schriefer 5,591]

Argentina vs Belgium gave me sleep.

Hope Netherlands vs Costa Rica be cool.