World Cup in Brazil

Anybody watching the world cup? Are you cheering for a particular team?

Lots of games on today, 4 in total... Excited about seeing Italy v England, should be a good match.

Shocking game yesterday with Spain v Holland, did not except that... Especially the spanking lol.

What's your predictions for the final?

... Or do you have no interest at all...

Keep this thread for discussion.

Really looking forward to the England Italy game this evening should be a great game to watch.

Yeah - I'm following it, as many games as possible. You're right about Holland v. Spain. I'd have more respect for Holland if they did not have De Jong playing for them, after his kick at Alonso in the 2010 final. At least they got rid of van Bommel.

I'm kind of holding back on predictions and also on supporting a team to win. I want to see good entertaining football. I would like to see Messi make this his best World Cup ever. If Suarez is fit enough Uruguay should entertain and it's Forlan's last World Cup. He deserves a good run. Chile look exciting. And, for the hosts, Brazil, Neymar looks exciting but, apart from him the team looked flat. That's it for the moment. But I hope the thread attracts lots of posts.

I have never really been a big fan of football (soccer), but have watched bits and pieces of tournaments at times in the Olympic games and at the last World Cup in South Africa. I have watched most of the games thus far and each game I become more impressed and more interested.

As for favorites, since I really have no prior knowledge I have for the most part been hoping for the underdogs, so I thoroughly enjoyed the victory by the Netherlands over Spain and then yesterdays win of Costa Rica over Uruguay.

Mexico got off to a good start with a win and I may choose them as my sentimental favorite.

I have a question for knowledgeable fans. It has to do with the obvious faking of injury, taking dives and that sort of thing. It has happened multiple times in every game that I have seen. Is that considered to be truly a valid strategic part of the game? I would be pretty embarrassed if it were me putting on acts such as these or even if a teammate did so especially as each player is representing his country. Just a curiosity for me.

Back to the game........

England did well. Its progress to the round of 16 depends on its match with Uruguay. Very difficult for me to predict which team will take the cup as the teams are now virtually at the same level and so victory or defeat depends on a team making mistakes.

Faking is, unfortunately, a strategic part of the game and seems to me to become increasingly a part. It's often called "diving" when a player with the ball will fall with little or no contact and will then vet very dramatic rolling around and clutching the appropriate body part. It's illegal. But whether it's called as a foul will depend on the referee's interpretation and culturally there seems to be a greater tolerance for it in Latin countries.

I would agree, I really dislike the diving and faking of injury and usually a player is trying to get an advantage and hoping the ref will make a call for them. It's like every team is in the box and the player takes the slightest touch on the arm with the ball, the other team is raising their arms in the air for the ref to call a hand ball.

I don't envy the ref for sure.

But I will say that this happens in other sports, like basketball... But for some reason non-football fans seem to key on this... Which I don't think is fair to the game.

But also if the player doesn't go down then the ref won't call it. So it creates this viscous cycle where players dive and feel the need to fall down

The problem is that if the player doesn't go down the ref won't call it. So the player actually has to go down. This creates a viscous cycle where the player goes down if he thinks he's being fouled, and he also goes down when he's not being fouled to try and win a free kick/ The system is fundamentally flawed

But I will say that this happens in other sports, like basketball... But for some reason non-football fans seem to key on this... Which I don't think is fair to the game.

It's always struck me as being worse in soccer than in other sports. I think the problem is that it often *is* very successful, and given that it's generally a low-scoring sport, matches can swing on a call that's made when it shouldn't have been, or vice versa. What's really required is retrospective punishment; perhaps players would be less inclined to dive if they knew it'd result in missing the next few matches through suspension, whether or not it got them what they were looking for.

And back to the World Cup, a small factoid for you: the last time Brazil lost a competitive match on home soil was... 1975. Sorry, fans of everybody else :)

True but not exactly for their great performance ...

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/brazil-s-thrilling-opening-match-win-takes-backseat-to-politics--fifa-s-steadfast-corruption-235458789-soccer.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/vac-verikaitis/world-cup-brazil_b_5492677.html

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/06/13/mexico-robbed-of-2-goals-after-referee-disallows-goals-against-cameroon-photos/

And back to the World Cup, a small factoid for you: the last time Brazil lost a competitive match on home soil was... 1975. Sorry, fans of everybody else :)

I read a great article about how corrupted this games are, unfortunately it wasn't in English.

This is a funny take by John Oliver on FIFA -

http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=DlJEt2KU33I

England and Spain out, didn't see that last one coming... But England yes, good game today though.

Any more surprises?

No one would have guessed the defending champions - Spain would be out of the running so early. The speed of the two South American teams -Chile and Uruguay is really impressive.

Haven't watched Mexico played yet, but judging from their results so far - one win and one tie, someone here should be elated.. :biggrin:

And add Colombia to the mix... Lots of good teams coming from south america.

I really don't see mexico doing much...

I am only cheering for Mexico because of one fine cerb lady here! :icon_wink:

I am only cheering for Mexico because of one fine cerb lady here! :icon_wink:

I do believe that she has a whole cheering section with her. :)

Surprisingly enough, I am quite enjoying this tournament. I have watched more soccer in the last week than in my whole life prior to this I think.

The, "Beautiful Game," is what they call it? Beginning to see that.

Have not caught as much of the World Cup as I would have liked to so far. With travel and work, just really haven't had the time to watch much, but I will stick with my original prediction to my friends...Germany will take it. Though Chile is one side that has really impressed me, I'll stay with my original prediction.

I do believe that she has a whole cheering section with her. :)

 

Surprisingly enough, I am quite enjoying this tournament. I have watched more soccer in the last week than in my whole life prior to this I think.

 

The, "Beautiful Game," is what they call it? Beginning to see that.

glad to hear that, can be addictive once you start.... same thing happen to me a couple world cups ago lol.

It's Mexico and they have already done 'much' so anything can happen plus is really not about winning, the Mexican team has shown that they are a committed team in spite of what some thought/think and I'm sure they are very pleased with that. Every team knows what their chances to win are not only based on how good they are but also based on as I pointed out before on the corruption in these games, not saying Mexico would win if it wasn't for that but they would probably have a better chance.

Bleh! I don't even know much about soccer but I do love my Mexico and have faith in the team because as a Mexican I know how passionate and devoted we are :)

I really don't see mexico doing much...

Thanks Luckyme but you should have other reasons to cheer for them :)

I am only cheering for Mexico because of one fine cerb lady here! :icon_wink:

It has been a good tournament so far way surpassing South Africa in 2010 with so much more "flair" attacking football. The S. American teams are doing well.

Suarez has the support of more talent in his Uruguay team than Ronaldo can rely on with Portugal. And Suarez puts everything into his game, which can get him into trouble at times but hopefully not at this tournament. It's amazing that it's only about 4 weeks ago that he had knee surgery.

We have yet to see much "flair" from Brazil, apart from Neymar but as the tournament goes on the way teams play changes.

If my memory serves me correctly I think only S. American teams have won the World Cup when it has been hosted in A. America. The way things are going it looks as though S. America will have more representatives in the next round and that must increase the odds of a winner. But, as they say, anything can happen in football.

Faking, diving, being a ultimate pussy athlete not sure what to call it but this and other events in soccer will always keep me away for example, the cock biting incident and after a team mate scored a goal (strange) the missionary man on man kiss, the pulling a team mates shorts open to then spit on his cock ( wacked). Yes my sport "NFL" is filled with some nasty stuff too, like substance abuse, murder and anger management issues but at least they keep it off the field.

It's Mexico and they have already done 'much' so anything can happen plus is really not about winning, the Mexican team has shown that they are a committed team in spite of what some thought/think and I'm sure they are very pleased with that. Every team knows what their chances to win are not only based on how good they are but also based on as I pointed out before on the corruption in these games, not saying Mexico would win if it wasn't for that but they would probably have a better chance.

 

Bleh! I don't even know much about soccer but I do love my Mexico and have faith in the team because as a Mexican I know how passionate and devoted we are :)

 

 

Thanks Luckyme but you should have other reasons to cheer for them :)

 

yes they have done much so far, but I'm talking about getting out of the group and continuing... and I think most teams are there to win, so winning is important. Mexico has had some off field issues with the team but have seem to overcome that... so yes they are doing well.

I would like to see them do well but I just don't see it with the likes of the other south America and EU teams.... but anything is possible, look at Spain...

and most teams have passionate fans and are all in the same boat as mexico.

Came back from my golf, and then found out that there was another upset; Costa Rica beat Italy... 1 - 0 ??? :confused0024: