FIFA World Cup 2018 (Russia) Thread

[RINO Tom]

So depressing that the US isn't in it.  Cheerin' for Germany and Sweden, though, and I'm excited for it to start!

[RINO Tom]

Watched the highlights of Germany absolutely dismantling Brazil this morning to get me pumped.

[RINO Tom]

Watched the highlights of Germany absolutely dismantling Brazil this morning to get me pumped.

Watching the highlights of the Netherlands absolutely dismantling Brazil and Spaine made me ... cry.

We feel your pain.   I watched the YouTube video of all of the goals from 2014, and the US sections made me SO sad that I won't be able to watch a US soccer game in the World Cup with my friends again until I'm 30.

[RINO Tom]

Very pumped to watch Germany vs. Mexico on Sunday.  I'm going to a music festival on the riverfront in Peoria this weekend, and we are staying through Monday.  My plan Sunday morning is to wake up, go somewhere with TVs and screw drivers and watch Germany vs. Mexico at 10:00 am.  Perfect Sunday.

[RINO Tom]

1) That goal by Nacho in the Spain-Portugal game ... Jesus Christ.

2) I thought this "Root For Your Roots" thing was a joke someone made on this forum, but I just saw that advertised, haha.  I mean, that's what I do anyway with no US (or once we're eliminated), but it looks hilarious to see Fox peddling that.  Wonder if it'll cause literally any increase in viewers in the US at all.

[RINO Tom]

Little late, as a group of friends and I went to a music festival all weekend, but ... Germany!   So many close chances.  That was a painful game to watch.  Pumped that Sweden got that first match win that they've been attempting for decades, though!

[RINO Tom]

This World Cup is so boring so far. Only two good matches: Portugal-Spain, Germany-Mexico.

Hmmm, have to disagree with ya there.

[RINO Tom]

Euro 2016 also was really poor. Anyway, I suppose we'll have to wait for the knock-out games before it gets interesting. Damn, I hope Germany loses against Sweden, it's game over for them if they do. Germany 2018 could be like the Dutch performance during the 2012 European Championship (we were heavily hyped before losing all of our group matches and coming in last in our group). Schadenfreude .

Spain 2014
Italy 2010
France 2002 (though I don't really remember that one)

Defending champs haven't fared well ... hopefully Germany gets its shlt together for Sweden.  Still rooting for the unlikely scenario that Sweden and Germany both advance!  Would need Mexico to choke hard.

[RINO Tom]

^ LOL, awesome.

OUCH, Argentina, what ya doin' out there??

(Maybe I shouldn't talk too much shlt in case Germany lays another egg Saturday.)

[RINO Tom]

Lyndon displaying his utter disdain for the Third World all over the place in this thread!

[RINO Tom]

Anyone got a good site they check for updates on who's advanced/most likely to advance?  Most of my Google searches have produced annoying sites that give me the odds and not really in a format that's easy for a dumb American to understand.  Here is where I believe it stands currently before the 1:00 pm CST games today:

GROUP A: Uruguay and Russia advanced; Saudi Arabia and Egypt are eliminated
GROUP B: Morocco is eliminated; Spain, Portugal and Iran could all still advance
GROUP C: France advanced; Peru is eliminated; Denmark and Australia could get second
GROUP D: Croatia advanced; Nigeria, Iceland and Argentina all still could get second
GROUP E: Costa Rica is eliminated; Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia could all still advance
GROUP F: Mexico advanced; South Korea is eliminated; Germany and Sweden could still advance
GROUP G: England and Belgium advanced; Tunisia and Panama are eliminated
GROUP H: Poland is eliminated; Japan, Senegal and Colombia could all still advance

Is that correct?  If so, what did I get wrong?

[RINO Tom]

^ Huh, weird.   I figured a 2-loss South Korea and a 2-win Mexico squad were locks for their respective fates.

[RINO Tom]

^ Huh, weird.   I figured a 2-loss South Korea and a 2-win Mexico squad were locks for their respective fates.

I added some explanations.
Do you know about the tiebreaker rules for the group stage?

I know they go by goal differential and then by goals scored ... no idea what would come third, LOL.  I guess I just had it in my head that two of anything sealed your fate for some reason.

[RINO Tom]

Morocco and Saudi Arabia today could play till the cows come home and still they wouldn't score a single goal.

Greece didn't even qualify for the World Cup and it's also a third world country, so their citizens can only try and criticize other third world countries to get some sort of high. No one cares.

So only countries that qualified to the WC have the privilege to comment on what happens there?
I've been ten years in this forum and this is easily one of the top five most retarded opinions I have read.  

Jeez boy, you're gonna have a coronary if you carry on like this. Have you tried not being angry? You might actually enjoy it

Haven't quite been here 10 years, but I can confirm that he has not.

[RINO Tom]

1) Just want to say that I find Americans (like commentators on FOX) picking up the odd European verbiage for singular team unites (e.g., "England ARE going to advance") absolutely hilarious.  Not getting into a debate about it (though I stand firmly with the usual American way making more grammatical sense), it just sounds funny when a soccer announcer with a standard American accent does it, LOL.

2) According to the New York Times, Mexico can still be eliminated and Germany and Sweden (the two teams I'm pullin' for because Fox told me to root for my roots!) can still advance if the following happens:

- Germany beats South Korea
- Sweden beats Mexico by at least two goals

Fingers crossed.

[RINO Tom]

1) Just want to say that I find Americans (like commentators on FOX) picking up the odd European verbiage for singular team unites (e.g., "England ARE going to advance") absolutely hilarious.  Not getting into a debate about it (though I stand firmly with the usual American way making more grammatical sense), it just sounds funny when a soccer announcer with a standard American accent does it, LOL.

We had a British exchange teacher in high school for some weeks. We were dealing with that subject in our English class at that time, and she told us not to use the plural form. It was grammatically correct, but it sounded too formal and too posh, she said, and only few Birtons would use the plural form in everyday English.

2) According to the New York Times, Mexico can still be eliminated and Germany and Sweden (the two teams I'm pullin' for because Fox told me to root for my roots!) can still advance if the following happens:

- Germany beats South Korea
- Sweden beats Mexico by at least two goals

Fingers crossed.

Actually, I hope that Mexico is going to advance to the knockout stage as I yearn for a return match to show them what we got. 😈

Curious how that British teacher justified that.  I don't think it sounds pompous or correct, just strange.  "England is" is pretty clearly referring to the unit that is the team of England or the unit that is the country of England.  "England are" just seems like a really lazy, socially-normalized-in-soccer way of saying "the English are" to me.

Anyway, I wouldn't mind Germany beating Mexico in a rematch!  Just feel bad for Sweden, and I gotta give my mom's side of the ancestry equation some love, too!

[RINO Tom]

I have an "eye appointment" today that will start about 5 minutes into the second half of Germany's and Sweden's games.

[RINO Tom]

Germany needs to win by 2 goals in order to definitely advance to the knockout stage.

Here it is, folks - RINO Tom's dream scenario that gets Germany and Sweden through!!  (I think...):

Germany 3
S. Korea 0

Sweden 2
Mexico 0

HERE WE GO!

[RINO Tom]

Germany needs to win by 2 goals in order to definitely advance to the knockout stage.

Here it is, folks - RINO Tom's dream scenario that gets Germany and Sweden through!!  (I think...):

Germany 3
S. Korea 0

Sweden 2
Mexico 0

HERE WE GO!

Germany only need a 2:0.
And Sweden only needs a 1:0 against Mexico.

I was going by the NYT article I read that listed Mexico's "nightmare scenario" as a Germany win and a Mexico loss by 2+.  I added the 3-0 win for Germany just to make sure that Sweden and Mexico didn't sneak in ... but I trust you.

[RINO Tom]

Sweden has just scored a goal against Mexico, leading to a temporary knockout of Germany.

They just need another one, and we need one more, too!!

[RINO Tom]

Wow! Great job on picking those scores, Thomas!

LOL, yikes...  guess the good news is Germany won’t have to get even more embarrassed in the knockout round.  What a cluster of a World Cup by Germany.  Bustin’ out my Sweden jersey, I guess!

[RINO Tom]

At least we made it to the group stage unlike certain other teams.

Yes, but on this occasion I would like to gladly remind you that we beat Germany 2 weeks before the start of the World Cup ...

Yeah, friendly or not, losing to the mighty Austrians should have been a huge red flag.

[RINO Tom]

I'm a bit worried because Germany now have loser teams in both real football and women football.

Could be worse ... I'll be as old as Santender the next time I get to (potentially) see the US in the World Cup.

[RINO Tom]

I'm a bit worried because Germany now have loser teams in both real football and women football.

Could be worse ... I'll be as old as Santender the next time I get to (potentially) see the US in the World Cup.

But you will be able to see a World Cup in your own country.

That would require him to leave the Midwest though...

First of all, any sane Midwesterner leaves the Midwest SEVERAL times per year, LOL.  Doesn't mean we aren't the nicest, most down to Earth FOLKS in the country.   For real, though, I'm really hoping for that Kansas City location to come through!  KC loves soccer, and the Power and Light District would be awesome to party in.

[RINO Tom]

Seriously, why does there need to be so much injury time in every match? Even when there is no VAR the are adding on like 5 minutes for no apparent reason

Football matches are supposed to last 90 minutes, not 100

LOL, this is totally lost on us Americans with our stopped clocks.   I watch a soccer game and get so frustrated with how much time is wasted, especially when my team is down.  When you compare it to (American) football and basketball, where the clock stops regularly and other team's stalling tactics can't screw you over, it can get kind of infuriating.  I say if there is stoppage, add on every second!