2014 FIFA World Cup

[JayMac]

always kind of a bummer when the group stage is over. Most of the tournament has already been played.

Agreed. It goes too fast to be only every 4 years.

[OnWis97]

America loses, but according to Soccer Logic and this handy-dandy Chart of Things That Occur In Soccer That Somehow Make Losing Viable, things are a-ok. Proceed, American Soccer Fellowship.

Some day you'll learn to troll in an entertaining way.

It's a group stage; think of it like a league. The NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB don't eliminate teams when they lose a game during the regular season, right? No, a certain number of teams make the playoffs. In this case, two from each group go into a sixteen-team playoff. This is not some weird soccer logic; it's sports logic, and it's perfectly fine.

Thanks for actually explaining something rather than saying cool story bro. I don't/won't watch it enough to grasp it, but the explanation is appreciated. That being said, it's hard for me to comment on something so significant without some snide commentary due to my total lack of respect for the "World's Game." I'll abstain going forward if it would please the masses, which no doubt it would.

[/cujo]

Yeah, it's a little wonky with just the order of the things (with the US losing to Germany today and still advancing), but logically, the US deserved to advance. They were (probably) the 2nd best team in the group after beating Ghana 2-1 and then being 30 seconds away from beating Portugal 2-1, so people complaining about the US advancing on a loss doesn't really make much sense because that would be implying either Ghana (who lost to both the US and Portugal) or Portugal (who lost to Germany 4-0 and tied the US at the last second) would have been more deserving to move on -- regardless of today's individual results.

It's like the people who were complaining about the Portugal/US game ending in a tie and complaining about how soccer shouldn't allow ties and the should be extra-time/shootout, but look at the NHL... Most (or smart) NHL fans would prefer the World Cup Group Play system of (W/3pts -T/1pts - L/0 pts) to the current overtime/shootout loss setup (W/2pts - OT L/1pts - Reg L/0 pts). But now that the World Cup "regular season" is over and the "playoffs" are here, it's "win-or-go-home" time, where you must win to advance.

Some people don't understand that they did not "advance on a loss." They lost their last "regular season" game. Sure, they unfortunately put themselves in position to need help (unlike had they beaten Portugal), but they ended where they ended...had they flip-flopped the order of their win and loss, it would be the same result, yet haters would probably feel better about it.

Regarding your second paragraph...yeah. Given that the little-four team groups play round-robin, the tie is much more indicative of what happened than giving either the US or Portugal a win on PKs since PKs have very little to do with which team is playing better. I get it; it's soccer and they pretty much have to decide elimination play with PKs after a certain point, but the integrity of the round-robin is held up much better with the ties. Portugal allowed themselves to be done in by a 4-0 blowout, which is really as good of a way as any to differentiate their overall performance from the US's.

[IceCap]

Sweden superior

Algeria inferior

[DS729]

USA still beat Germany everyday from April 6th 1917 to November 11th 1918 and December 11th 1941 to May 8th 1945.

Is that necessary?

Ugh, I hate when Americas hear "Germany" and immediately think of Nazis and Hitler. It's a horrible stereotype.

[twi]

USA still beat Germany everyday from April 6th 1917 to November 11th 1918 and December 11th 1941 to May 8th 1945.

Is that necessary?

Ugh, I hate when Americas hear "Germany" and immediately think of Nazis and Hitler. It's a horrible stereotype.

I agree 100%, no place for that here but would point out that what you hate is far from a uniquely American issue.

The all South American quadrant of the bracket is an interesting turn of events.

[DS729]

USA still beat Germany everyday from April 6th 1917 to November 11th 1918 and December 11th 1941 to May 8th 1945.

Is that necessary?

Ugh, I hate when Americas hear "Germany" and immediately think of Nazis and Hitler. It's a horrible stereotype.

I agree 100%, no place for that here but would point out that what you hate is far from a uniquely American issue.

The all South American quadrant of the bracket is an interesting turn of events.

I know it's not just American, but it is very, very prominent in America.

[rams80]

That display by Algeria was the worst and most obvious time wasting yet. Wouldn't mind seeing one less African team in future installments of the tournament and one more European team. Sweden superior to all 5 of the sides CAF sent this year.

At this point I'd hazard Sweden's better than half of the UEFA contingent, because this tournament was hardly UEFA's finest moment.

[goalieboy82]

USA still beat Germany everyday from April 6th 1917 to November 11th 1918 and December 11th 1941 to May 8th 1945.

Is that necessary?

Ugh, I hate when Americas hear "Germany" and immediately think of Nazis and Hitler. It's a horrible stereotype.

i dont hate Germany (or think of the Nazis when i think of Germany) its on the line of the old Dont Mention the War from Fawlty Towers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Germans

plus by the way, if i remember right, an old England National team coach said during halftime against Germany, "if we lose, thats ok, we beat them twice already in there other favorite past time", England went on to win that game.

[IceCap]

"If you won the war, stand up!"

^English fan chant during matches with Germany.

[FiddySicks]

Now, I have absolutely 0 memory of the US making it to the Elite Eight in 2002 (and I was 14 at the time, didn't have a job, and was still watching sportscenter every day so I should remember this) so I'd really like to see them actually win a game in the knockout round.

Dos a Cero

More likely, you don't remember because this was the South Korea/Japan World Cup and the games were played at, like, three in the freaking morning. It's easy to scoff at now, but as wee lads we weren't always of such liberty to be watching television at three in the morning, school night or not.

I actually remember this particular World Cup pretty well, and for that exact reason. I had just graduated from middle school and decided to take a week or so to just stay up all night. It was mostly boring, but it was cool to fill that boredom with soccer. By the time the US was in the final 8 I had already started the summer trip we took every year to see my dad's sister in Florida and I specifically remember all of us waking up at like 2AM to watch the game and then go deep sea fishing.

Strangely, It's the 2006 cup that I have almost no recollection of. It was probably the most watched World Cup Ever and all I remember is that French guy head butting the Italian player in the chest, and basically nothing else.

[-kj]

USA still beat Germany everyday from April 6th 1917 to November 11th 1918 and December 11th 1941 to May 8th 1945.

Is that necessary?

Ugh, I hate when Americas hear "Germany" and immediately think of Nazis and Hitler. It's a horrible stereotype.

We were invited! Punch was served! Check with Poland!

[DarkJourney]

NEXT WORLD CUP IN MOTHER RUSSIA WE WIN!!!

BECAUSE EVERY COUNTRY BANNED FROM RUSSIA!!!!

[DarkJourney]

Picks:

Round of 16

Brazil over Chile

Colombia over Uruguay

France over Nigeria

Germany over Algeria

Netherlands over Mexico

Greece over Costa Rica

Argentina over Switzerland

Belgium over United States

Quarter-Finals

Brazil over Colombia

France over Germany

Netherlands over Greece

Argentina over Belgium

Semi-Finals

France over Brazil

Argentina over Netherlands

Third-Place

Netherlands over Brazil

Final

France over Argentina

[ninersdd]

I believe Fifa use goal difference first as apparently it encourages more attacking football and goals to advance to the knock out stage. Thats how I see it.

Bingo. Otherwise it'd be get a lead, then pull a Greece.

Which is precisely how they advanced to the knockouts at Euro in 2012 by head to head over the Russians.

The Greeks matched the Sharks output of goals over their last 3 games against the Kings(2 goals). What works for Greece definitely doesn't work for the Sharks(Plus at least the Greeks aren't supposed to score, unlike the Sharks).

There's my latest rant about the Sharks complete inability to score in the playoffs.

[wonderbread]

FIFA disappoint again. Both the suspension and fine are soft for a third time offender.

I dunno, it doesn't seem too soft. If Uruguay loses in the round of 16 or the quarterfinals he's guranteed to miss all of Russia.

no because of the international friendlies, World Cup qualifiers, and gold cup. Uruguay will play way more than 9 games btwn now and then

[MJWalker45]

Suarez will miss all of this World Cup and Copa America 2015. No way they want him away from Russia 2018. We'll see what happens after the appeal goes through.

[-kj]

I can only hope they tack on extra games for having the gall to appeal.

[DS729]

It's kind of depressing that 75% of the tournament is already over, but it is what it is.

My Picks:

Round of 16

Brazil 2, Chile 1 ET

Colombia 2, Uruguay 0

France 3, Nigeria 0

Germany 3, Algeria 0

Netherlands 2, Mexico 1

Costa Rica 3, Greece 0

Argentina 4, Switzerland 0

Belgium 2, United States 1 (I'd like our chances in this match much more if we had Altidore healthy, but I just can't see them advancing without him)

Quarterfinals

Brazil 3, Colombia 0

Germany 2, France 1

Netherlands 2, Costa Rica 0

Argentina 3, Belgium 2

Semifinals

Brazil 1, Germany 0

Argentina 2, Netherlands 1 ET

Third Place

Netherlands 1, Germany 0

Final

Brazil 2, Argentina 0

[Soarindude]

It's kind of depressing that 75% of the tournament is already over, but it is what it is.

My Picks:

Round of 16

Brazil 2, Chile 1 ET

Colombia 2, Uruguay 0

France 3, Nigeria 0

Germany 3, Algeria 0

Netherlands 2, Mexico 1

Costa Rica 3, Greece 0

Argentina 4, Switzerland 0

Belgium 2, United States 1 (I'd like our chances in this match much more if we had Altidore healthy, but I just can't see them advancing without him)

Quarterfinals

Brazil 3, Colombia 0

Germany 2, France 1

Netherlands 2, Costa Rica 0

Argentina 3, Belgium 2

Semifinals

Brazil 1, Germany 0

Argentina 2, Netherlands 1 ET

Third Place

Netherlands 1, Germany 0

Final

Brazil 2, Argentina 0

Exact predictions I have besides Argentina beating Brazil 2-1 in finals. I also had US beating Belgium and Greece beating Costa Rica. US loses to Argentina and Greece loses to the Dutch. I had Argentina vs Brazil in my original ESPN predictions. I will be rooting for Both Holland and Germany in the semis, but I just can't see them beating the South American giants on their home turf/turd.

[TorinK92]

If Costa Rica loses to Greece, we all lose.