FIFA 2014 World Cup - Official Discussion Thread

[minionofmidas]

FF: http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cup/story/1858950/giuseppe-rossis-grandfather-to-support-us-at-world-cup-after-italy-snub

This does nothing but hurt Giuseppe's case. It just makes him seem like his team picking was opportunism (even though it's his grandfather commenting. Pepito has obviously already said Forza Azzurri).

Of course everybody should support the US.

They are, after all, the local team if you're from Hesse.

[Lief 🗽]

Mustafi doesn't play for the USA! Yet...

No, he'll probably be playing for Albania at some point.

[minionofmidas]

Mustafi doesn't play for the USA! Yet...

No, he'll probably be playing for Albania at some point.

Nah, he was the only native Hessian in Löw's squad of 30... and he was cut.

(His parents are ethnic Albanians from Macedonia, so that'd be the second most logical country for him to play for.)

[Keystone Phil]

I predicted a 2-1 win in our Friendly against Luxembourg yesterday. It ended 1-1 after a late equalizer against Italy. Par for the course. Frustrating but a reminder:

Friendly against Haiti right before 2013 Confederations Cup: 2-2 draw

Friendly against Russia right before Euro 2012: 3-0 loss

Friendly against Ukraine and Switzerland right before World Cup 2006: 0-0 and 1-1 draws

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Yeah Italy is generally slow to warm up. I still don't see them getting past the quarterfinals though.

[Tender Branson]

Big Austrian poll by Spectra about the World Cup (1038 people questioned):

"Have you heard/seen/read that the WC takes place in Brazil this year ?"

80% Yes (Men: 90%, women: 70%)
20% No (Men: 10%, women: 29%)

"How much are you looking forward to the WC ?"

34% Very much (men: 54%, women: 16%)
16% Neutral (men: 17%, women: 16%)
49% Not really (men: 29%, women: 68%)

"I will watch [some of the] games live on TV"

39% Yes (men: 60%, women: 19%)

"Which nation would you support ? Which nation would you look most forward to winning the WC" ?

23% Brazil (men: 25%, women: 20%, under-30 year olds: 24%)
21% Germany (men: 24%, women: 19%, under-30 year olds: 17%)
13% Italy (men: 13%, women: 13%, under-30 year olds: 18%)
12% Spain (men: 13%, women: 11%, under-30 year olds: 17%)
  5% Argentina
  5% England
  5% Portugal

"And which nation do you think will win ?"

26% Brazil (men: 31%, women: 21%, under-30 year olds: 23%)
24% Germany (men: 27%, women: 21%, under-30 year olds: 22%)
17% Spain (men: 19%, women: 16%, under-30 year olds: 26%)
10% Italy (men: 11%, women: 10%, under-30 year olds: 14%
  5% Argentina
  5% England
  4% Portugal

http://www1.spectra.at/cms/index.php?eID=tx_mm_bccmsbase_zip&id=20305059165390a94a38e9a

[Gustaf]

Sucks for Colombia. Lol that Klose is Germany's only official forward. Hope he gets the record this time.

He probably won't be playing much, either.

Yeah, "last 16" is a silly prediction. Portugal and Ghana are much easier to be eliminated by than anybody in the Belgian group, and Germany have never lost a last 16 match. Group stage or quarter final it will be.

Really? Why bring such an old player if you won't field him? :/ Besides it is mandatory to field him at least against the US so he can get his 2 goals.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Ingerland heroically battled the mighty Ecuador to a heroic 2-2 draw the other day. Clearly nothing stands between them and great success in the World Cup.

[afleitch]

I'm in London for the England-Italy match. Bugger.

[minionofmidas]

Really? Why bring such an old player if you won't field him?

Honestly?

Because Miro Klose won't grumble, publicly or privately, if he doesn't play, and that's always been Löw's no.1 rationale for retaining substitute players. (Also, despite being by origin a true striker he fits semi-reasonably well into a basically strikerless 4 - 2 - 3 1/2 - 1/2 "false 9" role. The same is just as true of Stephan Kießling who is, nowadays, miles better, but see above.) Expect to see Götze or (playing slightly more like a classic lone striker) Müller as Germany's forward in most games.

[Keystone Phil]

Yeah Italy is generally slow to warm up. I still don't see them getting past the quarterfinals though.

Well get your eyes and brain checked.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Also Ribery is officially out.

[minionofmidas]

Also Ribery is officially out.

One down, 14 to go. (Or 12, really. Somehow I've never held his employer against Daniel van Buyten to even the slightest degree, and anyways he's leaving Bayern. And obviously that kid from Bayern's fourth division reserve squad that the US called up shouldn't count.)

[Hamster]

My inclination is that Portugal will top the group to force a Germany-Belgium match in the round of 16; beyond that I'd be silly to prognosticate just yet.

USA to place second in the group over Germany by a point. You heard it here first.

Just ban this guy already.

Reus is injured. Ronaldo still battling his hamstring. If it isn't the USA, Ghana will go through. I would bet money that Germany and Portugal won't finish #1 and #2.

[Lief 🗽]

USA might be the best form team in the world at the moment.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

In other news, lol england

[Franzl]

Underestimate the US at your peril. They have a history of beating strong countries with subpar teams. If we want to advance, we need to get 3 points out of Portugal right away. If it comes to the last match against the US and we need 3 points, we probably won't get them.

[Keystone Phil]

Earlier today, the Cameroon team was on strike over wages and refusing to board the plane to Brazil. The situation has supposedly been resolved though.

[Suburbia]

I just want to know which team will suffer the most heartbreak?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Voting intentions of British people who claim to be 'very interested' in football as per YouGov:

Labour 45, Tory 31, UKIP 12, Nat 4, LDem 4, Green 3

LOL

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Voting intentions of British people who claim to be 'very interested' in football as per YouGov:

Labour 45, Tory 31, UKIP 12, Nat 4, LDem 4, Green 3

LOL

Wouldn't expect to see the Greens that high. Also, going from my (limited) experience, Labour should be higher.

[Lief 🗽]

I wasn't aware that Tory football fans existed???

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Remember that this is but a survey of people who claim to be very interested in football and is probably entirely dubious in all meaningful respects

They also asked for people who claimed to be totally uninterested:

Con 33, Labour 30, UKIP 17, LDem 8, Green 7, Nat 3

[bore]

Do you have the whole sample numbers?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Do you have the whole sample numbers?

It was their standard GE tracker: Labour 37, Con 33, UKIP 14, LDem 7, Green 5, Nat 3