The 8th Dwarf |
here in Germany our team has a bit of a hard time, after the desastorous semi-final at the last Euro the public and the press turned their back on the Coach and the Team
opinion is: they can play but don't know how to fight and winand a lot of the nay-sayers expect that we will loose every match,
typical German pessimism at workif we win tommorrow, everybody will change his mind and will tell you he always belived in the team
I have to say the first 20 mins against Chile was how I expected the Aussies to play the whole game, but they lifted and played so much better.
Pessimism - is not just a German thing....
Aranna |
aeglos wrote:Aranna wrote:The 8th Dwarf wrote:After Arannas comment I am supporting anybody that plays the US and I hope they get bundled out in the first round.
Hey go easy on us you big meanie it's not like our men's team can actually win the world cup yet... but it would be nice to get close.
Aranna,
I guess 8thD reacted to your "don't care how anyone else does" comment, that was a bit of an unsports(wo)menlike thing to say
Yes that's it in a nut shell. This is a chance to look beyond your horizons to find out a bit countries other than your own.
Ask any Australian who is your 2nd team and you will get a multitude of answers.
I chose Germany because last weekend I was at the Concordia Club eating pork-knuckle, sauerkraut and drinking Erdinger, when my friends asked who my second team was.
Other friends chose the Dutch, and mostly South American teams, except one who chose Italy and she promptly had napkins good naturedly thrown at her.
I had Argentina last World Cup.
So I have to pick a second team? Hmmm... How about my second team will be whoever wins group G if it isn't the USA? Is that fair? So the better teams of Ghana, Germany, or Portugal.
And if your interested in expanding your viewing of the sport I have good news from women's soccer; Hope Solo got her 71st shutout for the USA vs France in a friendly game.
Judy Bauer Associate Editor |
The 8th Dwarf |
Cool, I just looked up Ghana in wiki, it's history is very interesting, I knew it was on the west coast of Africa but that was it. I have Ghanian food already when I looked up Ghanian restaurants in Sydney it turned out one of them was under my sisters old unit in Newtown - I have eaten there twice.
Portuguese and German history is easy for me and I eat the food all the time.
The Mighty Chocobo |
Let's see after Australia is bundled out in the first round....
I will support anybody that is playing Italy because they take more dives than Jacques Cousteau. Especially after that time in Germany...we was robbed.
I will support anybody playing England, that is my patriotic duty, it is also my patriotic duty to tease them constantly....invented a sport they can't win at. ;-)
After Arannas comment I am supporting anybody that plays the US and I hope they get bundled out in the first round.
I think Germany will be my team, when Australia is out.
I support you that you cheer for Germany, good job. BUT RUGBY IS WELSH NOT BRITISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The 8th Dwarf |
British is a term that encompasses the Scots, Welsh, and English and is appropriate to use.
The current game that is Rugby was codified at the Rugby School in Warwickshire England.
The best Rugby Union team in the world is the New Zealand All Blacks, then South Africa, Australia and England fight it out for second best. Wales, France and Ireland are the next tier down.
The Mighty Chocobo |
3-0! Muller, you owe Ozil, for those set ups.
Oh, anyone notice that Pepe is the new Zinedine Zidane? Red Card for dat Headbutt.
Love the commentary though: "Muller is hit, he goes down, Pepe thinks he's faking, goes to kiss it better, or was that a headbutt? Yes that was a headbutt. Yes that was a headbutt and the ref saw it, Pepe is off."
W E Ray |
So busy -- haven't been on the Boards.
Great Group games so far -- all round! We can not give enough praise to the Van Persie goal. Messi's was also spectacular.
Anyone remember in Dec when I said Nederlands would beat Brasil in the Round of 16?!?! World Cup Predictions But it looks now as if Spain will beat Brasil in Rd of 16 because Holland will win Group B! (And then Spain will beat Nederlands in the Quarterfinals.)
These were my predictions (I only regret picking Greece over Ivory Coast (tough choice) and didn't actually think Klinsman would be so bone-headed to leave off Donovan.):
A: Brasil & Mexico
B: Spain & Nederlands
C: Columbia & Greece
D: Italy & England
E: France & Switzerland
F: Argentina & BIH
G: Germany & USA
H: Belgium & Russia
GeraintElberion |
British is a term that encompasses the Scots, Welsh, and English and is appropriate to use.
The current game that is Rugby was codified at the Rugby School in Warwickshire England.
The best Rugby Union team in the world is the New Zealand All Blacks, then South Africa, Australia and England fight it out for second best. Wales, France and Ireland are the next tier down.
Yeah, as a Welshman, I still have to admit that it comes from Rugby School. That said, Wales' record against England is pretty good at the moment, including a recent thrashing, we went further than them at the last Rugby World Cup and have won more 6Ns than anyone else in the last ten years (4, including 3 grand slams). So, if they're in the second tier...
Also, France are awful at the moment. Just terrible.
So, anyway, football... Germany looked pretty good.
The Mighty Chocobo |
So busy -- haven't been on the Boards.
Great Group games so far -- all round! We can not give enough praise to the Van Persie goal. Messi's was also spectacular.
Anyone remember in Dec when I said Nederlands would beat Brasil in the Round of 16?!?! World Cup Predictions But it looks now as if Spain will beat Brasil in Rd of 16 because Holland will win Group B! (And then Spain will beat Nederlands in the Quarterfinals.)
These were my predictions (I only regret picking Greece over Ivory Coast (tough choice) and didn't actually think Klinsman would be so bone-headed to leave off Donovan.):
A: Brasil & Mexico
B: Spain & Nederlands
C: Columbia & Greece
D: Italy & England
E: France & Switzerland
F: Argentina & BIH
G: Germany & USA
H: Belgium & Russia
Germany and USA?! Shouldn't it be Germany + Portugal? I don't think Amurica has a great chance of going through.
Pedro Coelho RPG Superstar 2013 Top 4 |
Here in China the games are on at midnight, 3 am and 6 am...Which is pretty horrible for any normal person.
Had to deal with that in 2002... it was worth it, though, to see the Brazil squad win their fifth title. :)
I'm surprised to see a World Cup thread here but I'll definitely be following it now that I've found it!
W E Ray |
Germany and USA?! Shouldn't it be Germany + Portugal? I don't think Amurica has a great chance of going through.
You are right, of course -- Portugal is better.
But not so much better that US has no chance -- heck, Portugal & US are not so much better that Ghana didn't have a chance (before the start).
But I picked US -- partly in hope that Stuart Holden could get past his injury and partly because I was confident Jozy would wake up finally in Sunderland after a poor first 3 months (remember I made these picks in Dec.). And, of course, because I thought there was no way Klinsman would be so stupid as to let his personal prejudice against Donovan keep America's best player (outside of Goal) from the squad.
And for Portugal, they struggled to get in the Group stage at all. Nani and Raul Mierreles are both getting older and not playing much -- I figured US had a legitimate shot.
So I picked the upset.
W E Ray |
Yes! USA wins vs Ghana. Tense game because Ghana defeated us repeatedly in the past.
I was playing through our second session of Wrath of the Righteous during the game. I had a laptop open and missed half of the session and half of the game.
Man, it was a rough 2nd half -- so much anxiety. When Ghana brought on Essien I thought for sure it was over for US. And then all the sudden Kevin-Prince Boateng comes on and I KNOW he will rip us to shreds. He's so good.
And then Ghana scored in 82 and I thought I'd die of nausea. So close! Plus Ghana looked like another goal would come.
And out of nowhere we scored.
I jumped up and screamed and the other players -- more typical Americans who care essentially nothing for football, and who were busy playing Wrath of the Righteous -- well, let's just say I interrupted our session for a few minutes jumping up and down cheering.
aeglos |
Pepe's head-butt foul less horrible than the world seems to be screaming. Red Card, I suppose; equal to a Luis Suarez bite or a Zidane head-slam -- not even close.
(and Muller wins the Oscar for best actor falling down for no reason)
he clearly hit Müller in the jaw while they fought for the ball (not a red card foul but a very clear foul)
the headbutt was not brutal but a red card without any question, nothing like zidane did but what a game would it be if every foul is masured against that oneand if Müller would have wantd to act he would have done it after the headbutt, you can see that he thought about it and than did not do it
W E Ray |
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I just read an article, I think on ESPN.com though I'll never be able to find it again, that begged the question of American sports culture hating things like diving -- and most of our athletes' refusal to participate.
In the US our sports culture absolutely reviles diving and other cheesy, bs shenanigans -- and does that actually hurt us in football games?
As an American product of our sports culture I despise what Muller did: pretend Pepe actually hurt him with his itty-bitty baby bump -- but I'm with everyone else that Pepe still can't then kneel down to tell Muller to stop acting like a petty baby and get up, and then give him an itty-bitty head-bump for acting like a baby. The itty-bitty head bump was deserving of the Red Card. But as you also said, it wasn't Zidane (which soooo many other people compared it to).
Either way, Arsenal FC still rules the world.
aeglos |
I just read an article, I think on ESPN.com though I'll never be able to find it again, that begged the question of American sports culture hating things like diving -- and most of our athletes' refusal to participate.
In the US our sports culture absolutely reviles diving and other cheesy, bs shenanigans -- and does that actually hurt us in football games?
As an American product of our sports culture I despise what Muller did: pretend Pepe actually hurt him with his itty-bitty baby bump -- but I'm with everyone else that Pepe still can't then kneel down to tell Muller to stop acting like a petty baby and get up, and then give him an itty-bitty head-bump for acting like a baby. The itty-bitty head bump was deserving of the Red Card. But as you also said, it wasn't Zidane (which soooo many other people compared it to).
Either way, Arsenal FC still rules the world.
I don't even know why you tell about Americas views on diving
Müller did not dive
Pepe did a headbutt
Headbutt = Red Card
you don't want to get a red card? don't ever give another player a headbutt
no one (over here) has compared this headbutt to Zidane, Headbutt-Red Cards like Pepes happen 20 times each season, what Zidane did was unique
in fact no one (over here) even talks about the red card at all, it was a cristal clear thing
but everyone has the right to his own opinion and perhaps we have to agree to disagree
Klaus van der Kroft |
Mexico - Brazil last night: Ooh. The brazucas really saw it black at times. Well played, Mexicans!
Australia - Holland: Even though the latter won, the Aussies really made them sweat it. Very nice indeed! After the massacre of the game against Spain, I was expecting Holland to steamroll the rest of us in the group. Well done, Australia.
Now sitting tight for the Chile - Spain game set to start in 30 minutes.
The 8th Dwarf |
GE I had to support the Poms against the Italians... Made me feel dirty ;-)
It's a law in Australia you can't support England in any sport unless they are playing against the Kiwis in Rugby (you can get away with supporting them over the South Africans as well) or the Italians in Soccer or the US in anything except Rugby.
Gullyble Dwarf - Lvl 7 DM |
Good start to the Cup. Mostly good games and few draws. America and Germany are sitting good in their Groups thus far. Wish Cameroon had looked better. They always play a good aggressive brand of football. Now just need Italy, France, and Brazil to start dropping games.
Gruumash . |
I just read an article, I think on ESPN.com though I'll never be able to find it again, that begged the question of American sports culture hating things like diving -- and most of our athletes' refusal to participate.
In the US our sports culture absolutely reviles diving and other cheesy, bs shenanigans -- and does that actually hurt us in football games?
As an American product of our sports culture I despise what Muller did: pretend Pepe actually hurt him with his itty-bitty baby bump -- but I'm with everyone else that Pepe still can't then kneel down to tell Muller to stop acting like a petty baby and get up, and then give him an itty-bitty head-bump for acting like a baby. The itty-bitty head bump was deserving of the Red Card. But as you also said, it wasn't Zidane (which soooo many other people compared it to).
Either way, Arsenal FC still rules the world.
I knew there was a reason I liked you. I am an Arsenal Fan as well. When I was living in London in 96' I went and watch Ian Wright and Dennis Berkamp work their magic. I saw two matches Wimbledon and West Ham. Both great matches that Arsenal won.
I was listening on the radio to some of the US and Ghana match and I will try to watch the US Portugal match as well. It will be tough without Josy hopefully they can pull it off.