World Cup Soccer/football thread

[robnplunder]

I am neutral about most matches, but today I am rooting for the South Koreans to kick the Russians all over the field. Go Korea!

Yeah, Korea! The underdog ties Russia with a giveaway goal from the Russuan goalkeeper. If Russia does not make it to final 16, it's going to haunt him the rest of his life.

 

[Koogie]

Yeah, Korea! The underdog ties Russia with a giveaway goal from the Russuan goalkeeper. If Russia does not make it to final 16, it's going to haunt him the rest of his life.

Hopefully he does not end up dead like the Colombian player from the 90s who scored the own goal at the WC.

Going to watch the Orange Men play at lunchtime today. Here's hoping there are more heroics from RVP and Robben !

 

[MichaelB]

Here's a short video about cheating I saw posted at "The Big Picture", attributed to The New Yorker New Yorker: Cheating at the Beautiful Game | The Big Picture

 

[Alan]

I can't believe that we don't have enough home grown players to compete in WC.

Mexico vs Brazil was one of the exciting 0:0 matches I've seen. Mexico's goalkeeper saved the day (although a few sure shots hit him rather than he did anything to save them).

Last week's Freakonomics podcast was all about US soccer and why it struggles to be accepted compared to the rest of the world. They pointed out that in the USA, soccer players follow the same route as other American sports where the athletes are funded through college, whereas overseas, including Europe, few players ever get a degree, and are recruited by clubs as young as age 12, with many turning pro at age age 16. Like a great many skills, the younger one starts the better.

I thought the Mexico Brazil game was very exciting, the whole game was played very fast and I was delighted that Mexico came away with a result. It would have been heart breaking for their keeper if they ending up losing

 

[Alan]

Cool video Michael, thanks.

Do you remember French superstar Zinedine Zidane in his last World Cup, during his last game before retiring?

 

[robnplunder]

Some coaches will instruct their players to target opposing players with volatile personality to draw yellow and red cards. Exaggerating falls, incessant whining, blatant dives make up the other parts of dubious soccer strategy. I wish FIFA work to reduce these in some way. Most contact sports have them but soccer is the only one being touted as the "beautiful game."

 

[Chuckanut]

Halftime score: Spain - 0, Chile - 2

Edited to add: Final score: Spain - 0, Chile - 2

Can we offer to play the world champs instead of Germany? Seems fair to me.

 

[Koogie]

Going to watch the Orange Men play at lunchtime today. Here's hoping there are more heroics from RVP and Robben !

Quoting myself.. narcissism at its worst. Anyway, it was a great game. RVP and Robben again of course. And that Cahill goal was fantastic.

I very much dislike the handball call against NL but realize it is by the rules. Still, sad when they have to call it and there was clearly no advantage to the handball for NL but it ended up giving OZ basically a free goal. That's one rule that also needs to be worked on.

Since we're well into the group stage, I will make my prediction...
NL in the final. Against whom ? Preferably DE but I'm not sure if that is per the brackets... They are the only two sides that have really impressed me so far.

 

[ERD50]

Can someone please explain to a person who is (obviously) not knowledgeable about sports, just what is going on with a tie between Mexico & Brazil? I thought all sports had some mechanism to break a tie. Don't they go into overtime, or have shots on goal, or flip a coin or arm-wrestle or something?

And what does that mean to the rest of the series? Who moves forward, Brasil or Mexico?

-ERD50

 

[easysurfer]

Can someone please explain to a person who is (obviously) not knowledgeable about sports, just what is going on with a tie between Mexico & Brazil? I thought all sports had some mechanism to break a tie. Don't they go into overtime, or have shots on goal, or flip a coin or arm-wrestle or something?

And what does that mean to the rest of the series? Who moves forward, Brasil or Mexico?

-ERD50

I'm too lazy too look it up, but my guess (just a guess) is that the tournament is probably not a one loss and you are out thing. So, similar to hockey during the winter Olympics a team could not win and still qualify further. As I said, just my guess..and nothing more.

 

[Koogie]

Can someone please explain to a person who is (obviously) not knowledgeable about sports, just what is going on with a tie between Mexico & Brazil? I thought all sports had some mechanism to break a tie. Don't they go into overtime, or have shots on goal, or flip a coin or arm-wrestle or something?

And what does that mean to the rest of the series? Who moves forward, Brasil or Mexico?

-ERD50

The tournament operates on a points system.

2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil on CBC Sports - Match Standings and scores

 

[Chuckanut]

Yes, at this point each team plays all three of the other teams in their four team group. Also, they get 3 points for a win, one point for a tie and zero for a loss. They add up the points and the two top teams go on to the next round. If there is a tie in points then they look at total points for and against, etc.

 

[Alan]

Yes, at this point each team plays all three of the other teams in their four team group. Also, they get 3 points for a win, one point for a tie and zero for a loss. They add up the points and the two top teams go on to the next round. If there is a tie in points then they look at total points for and against, etc.

Exactly, which is why it is good to win by as many goals as possible so that you have a better goal difference should you end up tied on points.

After the group stages then it is a single game elimination. If tied at the end of 90 minutes they play an extra 30 minutes, and if still a tie have a penalty shoot-out to decide the winner.

 

[ERD50]

Thanks for the tie info.

So is this just how they do it during playoffs (add up points)? In a regular match, they would not finish with a tie, would they? How do they break the tie in those cases?

-ERD50

 

[MichaelB]

Well, the king is dead. What a match. Spain is out of the tournament.

I remember Michael Jordan once saying, after the Bulls had become champs, that for them every game was just another game, but for every opponent, the same game was a chance to beat the champ. It took more mental toughness to remain as champs than it took to get there.

 

[robnplunder]

Can someone please explain to a person who is (obviously) not knowledgeable about sports, just what is going on with a tie between Mexico & Brazil? I thought all sports had some mechanism to break a tie. Don't they go into overtime, or have shots on goal, or flip a coin or arm-wrestle or something?

And what does that mean to the rest of the series? Who moves forward, Brasil or Mexico?

-ERD50

Two teams in each group of 4 move to the next round (final 16, knockout format). Tie breaker is not needed for a match in group play. But there are tie breakers when teams have identical record for moving to the final 16.

In knockout stage, there are tie breakers (sudden death extra time, and then penalty shootout).

 

[robnplunder]

Well, the king is dead. What a match. Spain is out of the tournament.

Easily, shocker of the decade! Spain is the top ranked team, and held that title for many years. They won the last tournament.

It's like USA basketball dream team failing to win an Olympic medal, Tiger Wood losing 4 stroke lead on Sunday to lose a major, Mike Tyson's loss to Douglas, ....

 

[Alan]

Two teams in each group of 4 move to the next round (final 16, knockout format). Tie breaker is not needed for a match in group play. But there are tie breakers when teams have identical record for moving to the final 16.

In knockout stage, there are tie breakers (sudden death extra time, and then penalty shootout).

They don't do sudden death extra time. Tried it one World Cup then went back to a full 15 minutes each way so if a team concedes a goal they can still equalize.

 

[Alan]

Spain are reigning World and European Cup holders, first country ever to achieve that. They had to lose their crown at some point but I'm sure they hate losing it like this.

But it happens, reigning champs Brazil, with Pele, failed to get out of the group stages in 1966.

 

[robnplunder]

They don't do sudden death extra time. Tried it one World Cup then went back to a full 15 minutes each way so if a team concedes a goal they can still equalize.

Thanks, Alan. I stand corrected. I think my preference to sudden death extra time format came out in my earlier post.

 

[Alan]

Thanks, Alan. I stand corrected. I think my preference to sudden death extra time format came out in my earlier post.

No worries. I think they gave up on sudden death because instead of making the extra time more exciting it made it much worse as the teams played very defensively knowing that one mistake was irretrievable and the games ended up in a penalty shoot out anyway.

 

[scrinch]

Thanks for the tie info.

So is this just how they do it during playoffs (add up points)? In a regular match, they would not finish with a tie, would they? How do they break the tie in those cases?

-ERD50

No, league play throughout the world is usually on the same point system. It is only in the later (knockout) stages of tournaments when a winner is required and they go to overtimes and shootouts.

 

[MichaelB]

A humorous article on England wining the title A Writer Imagines What Would Happen if England Actually Won the World Cup «TwistedSifter

 

[Alan]

A humorous article on England wining the title A Writer Imagines What Would Happen if England Actually Won the World Cup «TwistedSifter

Nice

 

[Chuckanut]

Go England. Game's on! England vs. Uruguay.