World Cup Soccer/football thread

[target2019]

Yes, I was thinking "creative" like Dempsey is creative. Dempsey played all but about 40 minutes of this tournament out of position, IMO.

Biggest issue I noticed for most of regulation was the difference in first touch by Belgium vs. those by the US. Belgium controlled the ball because they rarely mishit the first touch. The US couldn't settle the ball to save their lives in regulation. It got better later as they seemed to stop thinking about it once they were down 1-0.

First touch is so important. Much of the competition has it, and the US seems at times to be high-schoolers. One long ball from the back field. Try to receive the ball and take on every opponent in your path. Lose ball and repeat.

I think the team has gone as far as possible. It was nice to win a game, and see the others end in a competitive way.

 

[Alan]

Looking at the teams in pure economic terms the Belgian team players are valued at many millions of $ more than the US team. So it was definitely David v Goliath in those terms. Clint Dempsey for example cost $9.6m when he transferred to Tottenham Hotspurs and became the highest paid US soccer player ever. Altidore cost Sunderland $13m so it was a great disappointment to see him out of the tournament so early on (during the first half of the first game) and that meant Dempsey being played out of position for the rest of the games.

Eden Hazard's last transfer cost was over $50m, to Chelsea, Fellaini transfered to Man Utd for $25m. Even Belgium's reserve goalkeeper, who hasn't played a minute yet, cost Liverpool over $15m to sign him from Sunderland last season.

I think the USA team did great with the players they have and was delighted to see the level of support they received from their supporters.


BBC News - World Cup 2014: Fans watch valiant US World Cup exit

As many as 14 million workers were predicted to down tools to watch Tuesday's game, costing the US economy more than $600m (£350m) in lost labour productivity, according to an estimate by Yahoo Finance.

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes, the loss of Altidore was a huge blow.

Now that all my favorite teams are out (The Chuckanut Kiss of Death, no doubt) I figure I can really enjoy the art of futball in the remaining games since my emotional involvement for any particular team is just about zero

 

[MichaelB]

Looking at the teams in pure economic terms the Belgian team players are valued at many millions of $ more than the US team. So it was definitely David v Goliath in those terms. Clint Dempsey for example cost $9.6m when he transferred to Tottenham Hotspurs and became the highest paid US soccer player ever. Altidore cost Sunderland $13m so it was a great disappointment to see him out of the tournament so early on (during the first half of the first game) and that meant Dempsey being played out of position for the rest of the games.

Eden Hazard's last transfer cost was over $50m, to Chelsea, Fellaini transfered to Man Utd for $25m. Even Belgium's reserve goalkeeper, who hasn't played a minute yet, cost Liverpool over $15m to sign him from Sunderland last season.

I think the USA team did great with the players they have and was delighted to see the level of support they received from their supporters.


BBC News - World Cup 2014: Fans watch valiant US World Cup exit

Interesting way to compare teams. From that perspective the US played very well indeed.

Now the quarterfinals. My heart is hoping they lead to Brazil / Germany and Argentina / Costa Rica, although I suspect Netherlands will be in the final.

 

[Alan]

Interesting way to compare teams. From that perspective the US played very well indeed.

Now the quarterfinals. My heart is hoping they lead to Brazil / Germany and Argentina / Costa Rica, although I suspect Netherlands will be in the final.

They do this sort of comparison at club level all the time and the wealthiest clubs are sometimes hugely embarrassed in a knock-out competition such as the FA Cup when they get eliminated by a team where the whole team cost less than any one of their players.

Back in 2012 Manchester City won the premier league by spending huge amounts of money to buy the players and hire the manager to do the job, spending $1.5 Billion on players. (A few years earlier Chelsea had done the same thing)

Manchester City's £930 million spending spree to turn club into Premier League title contenders - Telegraph

The figure, which is based on the club’s three most recent annual accounts, lays bare the true cash cost of taking the previously mid-ranking club to the brink of their first league triumph in 44 years.

 

[MBAustin]

Interesting and I think a bit unusual that all 8 of the group winners won their first knockout match. Was hoping that USA being last would break the string. They did have some excellent play, of course especially Tim Howard, but as the commentators said, not enough technically top-notch players to maintain possession to set up good shots like Belgium did the entire game.
Guess I'll root for Germany now - we lived there when the 1998 World Cup was going on (and Juergen Klinsmann was a player for Germany!). I must say that World Cup fever here in the USA is much stronger than in previous years, but nothing compared to European countries. Virtually no work gets done there for the two weeks of group play.

 

[Chuckanut]

They do this sort of comparison at club level all the time and the wealthiest clubs are sometimes hugely embarrassed in a knock-out competition such as the FA Cup when they get eliminated by a team where the whole team cost less than any one of their players.

Back in 2012 Manchester City won the premier league by spending huge amounts of money to buy the players and hire the manager to do the job, spending $1.5 Billion on players. (A few years earlier Chelsea had done the same thing)

Maybe we need the Money Ball man of futball/soccer to make an appearance.

 

[Alan]

Maybe we need the Money Ball man of futball/soccer to make an appearance.

He will most likely be a Russian oligarch!!

 

[Chuckanut]

Well, it's not quite the way we normally spend Independence day, but there should be a good game between France and Germany today. While Germany and a few other countries have been getting a lot of press, the French team seems determined to make up for the previous embarrassment.

FWIW, the French did help out with the Revolution, albeit it was in their interest to stick it to the English.

 

[braumeister]

Now the quarterfinals. My heart is hoping they lead to Brazil / Germany and Argentina / Costa Rica, although I suspect Netherlands will be in the final.

Me, too.
Anyone who has ever seen Brazil/Germany might agree it's the most entertainment you can get from a futebol game.

 

[Alan]

The France / Germany game was dull, dull, dull. I hope Brazil / Columbia is better.

 

[Chuckanut]

Ja, Ja, Oui, Oui!! The French did not turn up. Maybe too much Bordeaux last night?

 

[REWahoo]

The France / Germany game was dull, dull, dull.

Hey, it's futbol. Whaddya expect?

 

[Alan]

Hey, it's futbol. Whaddya expect?

I didn't expect them to revert to trench warfare. The last time they met in a World Cup semi-final in 1982 it produced one of the most notorious fouls ever and the game ended up 5-4 in Germany's favor.

German goal keeper Schumacher’s shoulder charge on Battiston was so severe that, to this day, he has a cracked vertebra and damaged teeth. It became known as the Tragedy of Seville, with Schumacher, staggeringly, not even booked for the foul by the referee. Battiston was unconscious for 30 minutes.

 

[Alan]

Very much enjoyed the Brazil Columbia match, much more passion and action. Brazil Germany should be a good game.

 

[MichaelB]

Very much enjoyed the Brazil Columbia match, much more passion and action. Brazil Germany should be a good game.

Yes. Well played, although the Spanish referee was not very good. Colombia showed their inexperience with too many good opportunities lost by offside calls. Nonetheless I bet the boys are received as champions when they return home.

 

[Chuckanut]

How come the Belgium team that played Argentina today could not have been the one that played the USA a few days ago?

 

[anethum]

How come the Belgium team that played Argentina today could not have been the one that played the USA a few days ago?

If the USA team had played like the Argentina team played today, Belgium's play against USA would have looked quite different.

 

[Chuckanut]

If the USA team had played like the Argentina team played today, Belgium's play against USA would have looked quite different.

Yes. For all the hype, a contending team does not win only 1 out of four games. And they don't give up a last second goal to pull a tie from the jaws of victory. That said, they fought well and we did not see the USA team tank and get taken to the cleaners like certain other countries whose names I won't mention.

Brazil vs. Germany. Should be interesting to say the least.

 

[MichaelB]

I enjoyed the match this morning and thought both teams stepped up the quality of play. Argentina is playing very well and will be hard to beat.

Injuries and new yellow card rules are taking their toll. Even so, Brazil Germany looks like a great pair-up.

 

[target2019]

How come the Belgium team that played Argentina today could not have been the one that played the USA a few days ago?

The stronger team, Argentina, dictated much of the game today. In ten matches it would win 9 against Belgium.

If the US could hold the ball and attack consistently, it would win maybe 2 or 3 games out of ten.

Where is Messi on the US team? Does the US have a target player like him?

 

[Alan]

Where is Messi on the US team? Does the US have a target player like him?

There is not enough money in USA domestic soccer or the structure to develop players like they do in Europe. Most of the top stars in the world play in Europe and they often join clubs at age 12-14, then leave school and become full time pros at age 18, and the most successful earn huge amounts of money.

Below is a listing of the top 25 most valuable players in the world and they all play for European clubs, and 11 of those clubs are in the English Premier League.

The player valuations were made by a model that takes into account "age, length of contract remaining, position, player performance at club level for last and previous seasons (matches, minutes, goals, assists, passes, tackles, interceptions, etc.), results of the clubs to which players belong, as well as players' international experience and results of association represented at national A-team level."
When a player switches teams in soccer, the club buying him pays the selling team a transfer fee. This Football Observatory study estimates that transfer fee for each player.

Top 25 Players By Market Value: Messi, Ronaldo Transfer Fee - Business Insider

Here's the top 25 (club and national team in parenthesis):
1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina) — $272-317 million
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal) — $144-167 million
3. Luis Suarez (Liverpool, Uruguay) — $134-156 million
4. Eden Hazard (Chelsea, Belgium) — $103-120 million
5. Neymar (Barcelona, Brazil) — $86-99 million
6. Paul Pogba (Juventus, France) — $83-96 million
7. Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, Wales) — $80-92 million
8. Mesut Ozil (Arsenal, Germany) — $67-78 million
9. Edinson Cavani (PSG, Uruguay) — $65-76 million
10. Mario Gotze (Bayern Munich, Germany) — $64-74 million
11. Diego Costa (Atletico Madrid, Spain) — $64-74 million
12. Oscar (Chelsea, Brazil) — $63-$72 million
13. Sergio Aguero (Manchester City, Argentina) — $62-72 million
14. Isco (Real Madrid, Spain) — $56-65 million
15. Raheem Sterling (Liverpool, England) — $53-61 million
16. Ross Barkley (Everton, England) — $50-58 million
17. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich, Germany) — $50-$58 million
18. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, England) — $50-58 million
19. Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool, England) — $50-58 million
20. Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain) — $50-58 million
21. Mario Balotelli (AC Milan, Italy) — $48-56 million
22. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea, Belgium) — $48-56 million
23. Juan Mata (Manchester United, Spain) — $47-54 million
24. Sergio Busquets (Barcelona, Spain) — $47-54 million
25. James Rodriguez (Monaco, Colombia) — $47-54 million

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Lionel Messi Salary, How He Spends His Money - Business Insider

Lionel Messi signed a new contract last week that will make him the highest-paid soccer player in the world at $27 million per year. Going into the 2014 World Cup at age 26, Messi is already considered one of the best players ever and is already making more than $40 million with endorsements.

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[6miths]

Spoiler Alert... Mein Gott!

 

[Meadbh]

Wow. This is a crushing defeat for Brasil. But the Germans are happy!

CTV News | News Video - Top National News Headlines - News Videos

 

[REWahoo]

Wow. This is a crushing defeat for Brasil.

I think I saw where you first posted "a cursing defeat for Brasil." I'll bet a bazillion Brazilians are doing just that.