FIFA World Cup 2014

[mjazzg]

Well played Holland for sticking to it to the end. Mexico seemed to sit back a bit at 1-0 and didn't push for the second goal leaving themselves open to a Dutch recovery.

I still think Robben dives too much

[erwbol]

Well played Holland for sticking to it to the end. Mexico seemed to sit back a bit at 1-0 and didn't push for the second goal leaving themselves open to a Dutch recovery.

I still think Robben dives too much

Just before half time was a real penalty. He was hit twice by two different players in succession.

A deserved penalty in the end.

On Dutch television Robben freely admitted that earlier on he made a Schwalbe and appologised. This without being asked about it by the presenter.

So ...

Edited June 29, 2014 by erwbol

[uli]

I still think Robben dives too much

The flying Dutchman

[erwbol]

I still think Robben dives too much

The flying Dutchman

Have a (four year) cooling brake.

From the BBC: "Robben became unplayable at the end of the game. Running with the ball at pace, he was simply astonishing."

And: Cooling breaks key to Netherlands win - Van Gaal

"Yes, I used the breaks. Because first I had changed from 4-3-3 and then we created a lot of opportunities, the shot on the goalpost and a fantastic save by Ochoa. Then I moved to plan B and yes, I did that in the cooling break that is a clever way of benefitting from these breaks."

Edited June 29, 2014 by erwbol

[RiRiIII]

Holland here we come!

[Homefromtheforest]

It was a great game this morning...I was worried during the first half as Mexico looked to be the stronger team but it was all Netherlands after that first Mexico goal!

Well played Holland for sticking to it to the end. Mexico seemed to sit back a bit at 1-0 and didn't push for the second goal leaving themselves open to a Dutch recovery.

I still think Robben dives too much

Just before half time was a real penalty. He was hit twice by two different players in succession.

A deserved penalty in the end.

On Dutch television Robben freely admitted that earlier on he made a Schwalbe and appologised. This without being asked about it by the presenter.

So ...

Agreed. It was a legit penalty...

[Van Basten II]

Costa Rica-Greece was not pretty but it was dramatic, glad to see Concacaf teams do well. If Mexico had managed their games better near the end, someone will have to inform the teams from our confederation that games last 90 minutes plus extra time (US, Mexico and CR all allowed late goals that changed big time the complexion of the game), we could have had our first all Concacaf quarter-finals in a WC.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Van Basten II

[uli]

Allez ;les Bleus! Go Super Eagles!

[Van Basten II]

Part of me is almost glad that Germans made it through, France-Algeria was a scary proposition politically speaking... they are a few business in the south of France whop are breathing a sigh of relief.

Good luck to the US today, although so far team that have ended first of their group are 6 for 6.

[uli]

Hopp Schwiiz!

[Swinging Swede]

"BRUSSELS —A ten-year European plan to gradually phase out American football in the United States and replace it with soccer is very much on track, a spokesman for the European Union confirmed today.

The E.U. spokesman, Alf-Jergen Holmboe, said the replacement of American football with soccer was the third in a three-step plan to transform the U.S. into a European country.

The first two steps were electing a socialist President and instituting national health care, he said. Once soccer replaces football, our work will be done."

PLAN TO REPLACE AMERICAN FOOTBALL WITH SOCCER ON TRACK, SAYS EUROPE

Edited July 1, 2014 by Swinging Swede

[uli]

"BRUSSELS —A ten-year European plan to gradually phase out American football in the United States and replace it with soccer is very much on track, a spokesman for the European Union confirmed today.

The E.U. spokesman, Alf-Jergen Holmboe, said the replacement of American football with soccer was the third in a three-step plan to transform the U.S. into a European country.

The first two steps were electing a socialist President and instituting national health care, he said. Once soccer replaces football, our work will be done."

PLAN TO REPLACE AMERICAN FOOTBALL WITH SOCCER ON TRACK, SAYS EUROPE

hehe.

We can add Switzerland to the honorable exits like Chile, Mexico, Algeria etc.

Will the US make the upset?

[page]

Part of me is almost glad that Germans made it through, France-Algeria was a scary proposition politically speaking... they are a few business in the south of France whop are breathing a sigh of relief.

Hi Van Basten II,

with a name like yours, I'll have to ask. Do you have Dutch origin? I suppose you remember the game in 88? I agree a cup without Germany would be weird eventhough there is always this thing hanging between our two countries. I don't think that will ever go away. France-Algeria was a terrific game. I feel bad for my Algerian friend, and those players had it particularly tough because of the Ramadan. I admire that.

regards, page

Edited July 1, 2014 by page

[Clunky]

USA were superb. Incredible fight. Highly enjoyable game.

[JSngry]

This Tim Howard guy...damn...

[Leeway]

This Tim Howard guy...damn...

Yeah, Howard was fantastic, absolutely, but if your team is playing well, you shouldn't have to make 16 saves either. I mean, if Howard didn't have the game he had, it could have been 10-0 or something. However, in extra time, the US side came alive and played with incredible courage and guts. I kept wondering if Landon Donovan had been kept on the team would the results have been different; he's such a keen competitor.

[jlhoots]

Now I can stop watching "futbol" which I don't think I care about anyway. Sorry!!

[Stefan Wood]

Devastated. At the end they played very well, but they still are not contenders.

[Leeway]

I'm not really a "futbol" fan, but these World Cup games have been pretty entertaining. If I can, I'll watch the remainder of them. Generally I don't watch much sports, or TV, at all, and that includes "football" which has become a 4 hour time suck for each game.

[uli]

I'm not really a "futbol" fan, but these World Cup games have been pretty entertaining. If I can, I'll watch the remainder of them. Generally I don't watch much sports, or TV, at all, and that includes "football" which has become a 4 hour time suck for each game.

I have been practically glued to the tv since the NBA playoffs began and I can hardly remember when that was. This WC has been fantastic so far and so much more to come!

[JSngry]

This Tim Howard guy...damn...

Yeah, Howard was fantastic, absolutely, but if your team is playing well, you shouldn't have to make 16 saves either. I mean, if Howard didn't have the game he had, it could have been 10-0 or something. .

Yeah, it's kind of analogous to a baseball team having something like 17 RISP and only letting one of them score...only a goalie is not responsible for all those opportunities, so its only a partial analogy, as is the other one I kept thinking about, that it's like all those 1-0 games that Yu Darvish lost last year, great individual performances, a man doing his job exceptionally well, but a total lack of run support by the team...I know, soccer is not baseball, but it's how the human performance dynamic keeps manifesting itself in seemingly endless permutations in sports, especially team sports, that's what is fun to see and contemplate for me, especially when one is denied the immediate visceral thrill of being on the winning side. That, and I always like it when if my team's gonna lose, they make you sweat for it right up until the very end, don't let the spirit get broken, yeah, I like that.

Anyway, I'm coming to like soccer more and more as time passes, especially now that I've learned to not watch just the ball all the time. HD TV makes that a lot easier, as does having an adult son who is a true fan and who doesn't mind pausing/rewinding on the cable box to show me what's really going on. It's like having a soccer John Madden right there on the sofa, only without the turducken grease in the hair, thank god.

[Van Basten II]

Part of me is almost glad that Germans made it through, France-Algeria was a scary proposition politically speaking... they are a few business in the south of France whop are breathing a sigh of relief.

Hi Van Basten II,

with a name like yours, I'll have to ask. Do you have Dutch origin? I suppose you remember the game in 88? I agree a cup without Germany would be weird eventhough there is always this thing hanging between our two countries. I don't think that will ever go away. France-Algeria was a terrific game. I feel bad for my Algerian friend, and those players had it particularly tough because of the Ramadan. I admire that.

regards, page

Am actually from Montreal and am a French fan, the reason for my nickname is first I actually admired a lot the player but the symbolism for my nickname on a board like this is that the character I am on this board is a lot like he (MVB) was to me in my life, I've heard a lot about him but I saw unfortunately little of him, as futbol took a long time before being available in an easy fashion (as it is right now) on the air around here. So besides the WC that were broadcast starting in 82 it was not that easy to follow action from Europe, think the first Euro broadcasted here was the 92 Euro.

Edited July 2, 2014 by Van Basten II

[erwbol]

Jesus, didn't anyone inform the Belgians the ball is supposed to go between the posts? What a game.

[Van Basten II]

For the Americans who are starting to enjoy the game, why not keeping it on by supporting a MLS franchise preferably the one nearest your hometown , if your players are doing better although as we saw there still is a gap to be filled it is a lot because you finally got a championship that helps develop those guys. The US has made a huge progress in the last 20 years and suprise suprise it is how old this league is. Of course the skill level is not as good as you saw in the WC. Emotions aside you have to go to UEFA Champions league games or top cluib action from the main leagues to see something superior in terms of skills compared to what was displayed the last few weeks. But it is still a quite enjoyable league, the gap between the worst and top team is narrow so that on any given day you can expect suprises, teams are relatively offense minded and do have gaps in defense so you can expect plenty of goals (most teams average at least one goal a game) and a bit like baseball there is something magic about passing an evening or late afternoon watching live action, hearing the chants from the kops.and cheering your local team doing its thing. And maybe you'll find many of the guys you supported during this terrific ride playing in front of your eyes.

[page]

Part of me is almost glad that Germans made it through, France-Algeria was a scary proposition politically speaking... they are a few business in the south of France whop are breathing a sigh of relief.

Hi Van Basten II,

with a name like yours, I'll have to ask. Do you have Dutch origin? I suppose you remember the game in 88? I agree a cup without Germany would be weird eventhough there is always this thing hanging between our two countries. I don't think that will ever go away. France-Algeria was a terrific game. I feel bad for my Algerian friend, and those players had it particularly tough because of the Ramadan. I admire that.

regards, page

Am actually from Montreal and am a French fan, the reason for my nickname is first I actually admired a lot the player but the symbolism for my nickname on a board like this is that the character I am on this board is a lot like he (MVB) was to me in my life, I've heard a lot about him but I saw unfortunately little of him, as futbol took a long time before being available in an easy fashion (as it is right now) on the air around here. So besides the WC that were broadcast starting in 82 it was not that easy to follow action from Europe, think the first Euro broadcasted here was the 92 Euro.

Ah I see. Maybe it is a weird thing to say about a soccer player but for me I always felt he had an elegant sort of way of moving across the field. I can't really describe it other than as a sort of natural pliableness if that is the correct word. There haven't been too many players like him here since. I would say Dennis Bergkamp came close to his style and maybe Ruud van Nistelrooy. He had bad luck with injuries or he would have achieved much more. He's a coach now at one of the clubs.

Edited July 2, 2014 by page