World cup games thread

[twosips]

Do the English take any pride I watching the USA succeed? It's like watching your child learning to walk. I was more happy with the excitement around the game today then the result. Footy is growing in America. Exciting to watch.

Brilliantly patronising. The americans on here will love that.

[Michigan Blue]

Fucking get in.

[JamieMCFC]

Do the English take any pride I watching the USA succeed? It's like watching your child learning to walk. I was more happy with the excitement around the game today then the result. Footy is growing in America. Exciting to watch.

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[Dwaring]

Brilliantly patronising. The americans on here will love that.

I am American. More of history joke with a nod that England have far more of a footballing history than us. but It's growing and Klinsmann is a big part of it.

[DoomMerchant]

I am American. More of history joke with a nod that England have far more of a footballing history than us. but It's growing and Klinsmann is a big part of it.

Klinsman is a douche I think.

[phips]

Portugal are horribly overrated. 5th best team in the world? no chance.

[s1ty m]

Portugal are horribly overrated. 5th best team in the world? no chance.

FIFA rankings are about as credible as FIFA. Switzerland are ranked 6th. Enough said.

[Bianchi on Ice]

Portugal are horribly overrated. 5th best team in the world? no chance.

FIFA rankings are about as credible as FIFA. Switzerland are ranked 6th. Enough said.

The Auckland Islands are ranked above San Marino though. Theyve got that one right

[PrezIke]

Do the English take any pride I watching the USA succeed? It's like watching your child learning to walk. I was more happy with the excitement around the game today then the result. Footy is growing in America. Exciting to watch.

thanks for the backhanded compliment. i guess.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Ecuador v Switzerland has been entertaining to watch aswell.
Every game so far has been good with a couple of brilliant end to end games. Heck even England played their part in a thoroughly entertaining game.

Really reignited a lot of people's passion for international football and has shown why the World Cup is definitely in my opinion, the best competition out there.

It's quite disappointing that every South American country plays different, non-European, skilful entertaining football, with the exceptions of Uruguay (no change there) but also the very country we used to associate with 'Jogo Bonito' - Brazil!

It's like their 1982 experience has scarred them so badly, they will never attempt to play that way again. A succession of coaches like Zagallo, Dunga and Scolari has continued to turn Brazil into a drilled, European side. Years ago, the typical Brazilian player would be someone lithe, languid, balletic, someone like Zico or Socrates, or Rivelino and Pele. Now, when I think of a typical Brazilian player, I think of someone built like a brick outhouse, muscles rippling out of the shirt, someone you want on your side as a defensive midfielder or defender, but not a country I particularly look forward to watching in international games anymore. Yes they've won 2 World Cups without brilliance, and the most recent 'beautiful game' team, Argentina 06, won nothing, but anyone who still waxes lyrical about Brazil is living in the past. I thought the 2002 team was one brilliant striker who could score goals in any side, and a load of athletic but unloveable workhorses.

Such a shame. I think, let's hope Scolari doesn't win, then they'll pick someone with the traditional Brazilian skills in their heart. But I thought that when Dunga was dumped, and they've got Scolari back.

I imagine Brazil will be one of the best teams in the tournament at corners and free-kick routines, but it's hardly the stuff of which dreams are made is it?

Brazil, in the more distant past, haven't always been the upholders of 'the beautiful game'

In the 1950s, for example, they were a dirty set of cloggers to say the least and a lot of their reputation for stylish football seems to come from brief periods in time, followed by bouts of 'professionalism', for want of a better way of putting it.

They had a legendary World Cup in 1970 but four years later in West Germany, they were a dour side with more than a cynical edge to their play. In 1962, they also showed that they could take care of themselves.

Perhaps in their current incarnation, they are just reviving elements of their not so glorious times in the past and 'traditional' Brazilian values are not the ones we traditionally think of, in relation to them.

[PrezIke]

i like klinsmann a lot. he gets it, unlike the old guard (bruce arena) who seem to think america has to keep playing football the old way seeded in the boring middle class, white american approach to playing sports. this involves all of the cliche's about americans and sport, but misses the connection to sport in america that also exists with style and creativity in american athletes' play that some of our population exudes. we see this more in sports like basketball and a bit in american football.

an easy way to point out where this comes from is how a lot of younger people now, and even people who are having children now, regardless of their "race" have been heavily influenced by black culture in music (i.e. hip-hop, jazz, funk/rnb/soul, reggae) and to a lesser extent, nationally, latino culture. this influences people's performance, and dempsey, who i believe is a big hip-hop head is an example of this. latinos also make up such a huge portion of the country and there are so many immigrant groups here who enjoy the game that the pool of better talent will grow and klinsmann seems well aware of this. he also seems to get the idea of bringing in military brats from abroad and others with duel citizenship who are more ready and used to the game, culturally.

their are still not enough players like this in america coming through but the growth of the sport has really only gotten to the scale it has very recently. if the world cup were or is awarded to the states in 2022 it would be really helpful.

as for the ghana match. gutted jozy got hurt as he was starting to get his confidence back. our defence is crap, but the team played classic american style to get the winning goal and hold on to the lead after jozy was gone and dempsey probably could not breathe properly anymore after taking that borderline knockout blow to the face.

classics pepe may end up helping the u.s. actually get to the next round which i was not expecting at all.

[I Just Blue Myself]

I hope we never ever go near Vertonghen, the mediocre, slow cunt.

[DoomMerchant]

Belge golden generation suffering under the weight of heightened expectations already it looks like.

If they settle their nerves and infighting they should trounce this Algerian side by 2 goals. But will they? I don't think so.

cheers

[DoomMerchant]

I hope we never ever go near Vertonghen, the mediocre, slow cunt.

did you see vinnie rip him a new one after? Well deserved.

[Lev Bronstein]

Very disappointed with Belgium so far. A bit of crap defending for Algeria's goal, who then park the bus. Belgium hardly in Algeria's penalty area - clueless.

[dick dastardley]

Don't worry fellainis coming on!!!

[mr_nool]

Must be very agonizing being a Rode Duivel fan tonight. Lots if possession but no end product. This is pretty much what I had expected, though. The pressure on them is immense, and they also lack a midfield general.

[mr_nool]

That said, I think they will salvage a point tonight.

[DoomMerchant]

That said, I think they will salvage a point tonight.

they may...Fellaini really is crap isn't he?

[DoomMerchant]

That said, I think they will salvage a point tonight.

they may...Fellaini really is crap isn't he?

i literally ALMOST typed...now watch him score.