Official "Sports" thread

Argentina's group wasn't that weak... Nigeria and South Korea are not top teams but they are pretty decent. There was no group of death this world cup. Also, Argentina had won all their games. You will have to play very well to do that at a World Cup level. England's team was not weak, just a mess. You can make this argument for every team except the Netherlands.
They won all their games because their group was weak. And England wasn't weak man for man, but the team was totally weak and played worse than the US in their group play and the US, while I cheer for them, isn't exactly a strong team. We scored MORE goals (and even more if you count the ones that were struck) and had fewer goals scored against us and won our group. England was weak.

For example, Spain's played no one, and even lost to Switzerland. They beat a really anemic Portuguese team that hadn't scored a goal against anyone but North Korea. Uruguay's group was laughable, and they barely got past Ghana.
Totally true.

All in all, Argentina was playing better than anyone not Germany or the Netherlands. So I think Germany's win was quite impressive. Argentina has a hugely talented, highly motivated and wretchedly coached team. I think the problem, in the end, was tactics. Germany's goals were all so pretty and came from slicing up Argentina's defense. Romero couldn't have stopped any of those goals.
Pretty wins are mean nothing against teams that aren't a challenge. The first time they met a well-organized defensive team they choked.

When it comes down to it, the finals will probably be orange vs black. I mean, Spain could make it, too, but I'll believe that when I see it. Spain is synonymous with epic choke.
Yeah, I'm with you there. And if it's Germany v. Netherlands that's a wonderful game, but I'd rather see Spain do it just 'cause they've never won it and I'd like them to have a chance. But yeah, Spain chokes. They've got a good team this year, and they should beat Paraguay.

Let me also say: I'm not trying to take away from what Germany has done, I just think that it wasn't that surprising and I had pointed it out a couple weeks ago. Germany has looked fantastic and I think they're pretty much guaranteed a spot in the final, I'm just not sure that they're going to win it. A lot of analysis I've read is already declaring them champs. I think that might be a tad early.
 
Wow what a match! I hadn't ever dreamt of something like this. People here are just freaking out now :D
Argentine played quite well, though. Especially in the first 20 minutes of the second half. My inner eye was seeing the counter goal being made. The game would have changed into a completely differnt direction. But it didn't happen and I'm just very glad and happy! :D

The Netherlands were awesome yesterday as well. I really rooted for them. I'm dreaming of a final Netherlands - Germany :)

Haha yeah, I can imagine! :D

España beat Paraguay, a worthy rival! The referee was terrible, though; he didn't call like two more penalties for España. Overall, it was a very nice match. I'm kind of sad that Paraguay lost, they're a good team. Uruguay, on the other hand, is absolutely dreadful, and shouldn't be at such an advanced stage. It should be Paraguay, not Uruguay. So I'm seriously hoping a 5-0 whooping from TN to Uruguay, they don't even deserve fourth place.
 
Uruguay, on the other hand, is absolutely dreadful, and shouldn't be at such an advanced stage. It should be Paraguay, not Uruguay. So I'm seriously hoping a 5-0 whooping from TN to Uruguay, they don't even deserve fourth place.

www.fifa.com

Go to teams. Look at Uruguay's roster. Look at Paraguay's roster. Now look at where everyone plays. Notice that Uruguay's best players are starters on top teams in Europe and Brazil / Argentina. Notice Paraguay's top players are role players on middling teams in Europe. Look how many play in Mexico.

I know you're just hating on Uruguay. But just as it's fun for you to harp on them, it's equally fun for me to point out you're being retarded. ;) Uruguay is one of the four teams left in the World Cup. At this point you can't deny anymore that they're a good team! They took care of business!
 
www.fifa.com

Go to teams. Look at Uruguay's roster. Look at Paraguay's roster. Now look at where everyone plays. Notice that Uruguay's best players are starters on top teams in Europe and Brazil / Argentina. Notice Paraguay's top players are role players on middling teams in Europe. Look how many play in Mexico.

I know you're just hating on Uruguay. But just as it's fun for you to harp on them, it's equally fun for me to point out you're being retarded. ;) Uruguay is one of the four teams left in the World Cup. At this point you can't deny anymore that they're a good team! They took care of business!

If I'm being retarded, you're being much worse ;) . I don't care where the guys play, the team itself is not good. They barely made it to the Cup, and they entered because, of all teams, they had to play against Costa Rica. I still deny that they're a good team, I think they're just lucky.
 
How am I being retarded! Paraguay has no one even CLOSE to as good as Forlán! He's freaking Atlético Madrid's best player! Uruguay's goalie plays for Lazio! They've only allowed two goals all cup! EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, MY GOOD MAN, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT I AM CORRECT IN EVERY ASPECT OF THIS ARGUMENT. ^_^

I mean, I'm not annoyed or anything. But you're so freaking wrong on paper and in practice. Who cares about the qualifiers? Once the cup starts, it's a different game. Uruguay has 7 goals for, 2 against, and are in the semifinals. That's partly product of them having a superior roster to every team they've played, except France. The other part is them playing well and playing ballsy as hell. I mean, that Suarez sacrifice handball was epic. Is Uruguay the best of the four South American teams that were in the quarterfinals? No. But are they a better team than Paraguay? Without a doubt they are.

I can't put my argument in simpler terms. Statistically better roster. More wins in the cup. Decent goal total (7). Excellent goals allowed total (2). You must know someone Uruguayan you really hate or something. Or maybe your girlfriend's ex was an uruguayo (lol)?

I thought you were kidding but you really believe that Ghana and then Paraguay were intrinsically better teams. At some point you have to give Uruguay it's due!
 
How am I being retarded! Paraguay has no one even CLOSE to as good as Forlán! He's freaking Atlético Madrid's best player! Uruguay's goalie plays for Lazio! They've only allowed two goals all cup! EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, MY GOOD MAN, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT I AM CORRECT IN EVERY ASPECT OF THIS ARGUMENT. ^_^

I mean, I'm not annoyed or anything. But you're so freaking wrong on paper and in practice. Who cares about the qualifiers? Once the cup starts, it's a different game. Uruguay has 7 goals for, 2 against, and are in the semifinals. That's partly product of them having a superior roster to every team they've played, except France. The other part is them playing well and playing ballsy as hell. I mean, that Suarez sacrifice handball was epic. Is Uruguay the best of the four South American teams that were in the quarterfinals? No. But are they a better team than Paraguay? Without a doubt they are.

I can't put my argument in simpler terms. Statistically better roster. More wins in the cup. Decent goal total (7). Excellent goals allowed total (2). You must know someone Uruguayan you really hate or something. Or maybe your girlfriend's ex was an uruguayo (lol)?

I thought you were kidding but you really believe that Ghana and then Paraguay were intrinsically better teams. At some point you have to give Uruguay it's due!

:lol: Quoted for truth.
 
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-...ris-jones-open-letter-paraguay?cc=5901&ver=us

"Oh Paraguay, fair Paraguay. I hope that tonight, from Ciudad del Este to San Lorenzo, from Fernando de la Mora to Villa Elisa, that you might take pride in your boys and how far they have come here, the fourth-last team to be eliminated from this World Cup. It's a remarkable accomplishment, and you should rejoice tonight, as I will, now that you're gone. I wish you nothing but peace and prosperity in your future endeavors. I hope that one day you might even be able to take over the world, if it's your heart's desire.

In exchange, please don't make me watch you play soccer ever again. I'd rather you drowned me in edible oils.

With love and sincerity,
Chris Jones"
 
How am I being retarded! Paraguay has no one even CLOSE to as good as Forlán! He's freaking Atlético Madrid's best player! Uruguay's goalie plays for Lazio! They've only allowed two goals all cup! EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE, MY GOOD MAN, MAKES IT CLEAR THAT I AM CORRECT IN EVERY ASPECT OF THIS ARGUMENT. ^_^

I mean, I'm not annoyed or anything. But you're so freaking wrong on paper and in practice. Who cares about the qualifiers? Once the cup starts, it's a different game. Uruguay has 7 goals for, 2 against, and are in the semifinals. That's partly product of them having a superior roster to every team they've played, except France. The other part is them playing well and playing ballsy as hell. I mean, that Suarez sacrifice handball was epic. Is Uruguay the best of the four South American teams that were in the quarterfinals? No. But are they a better team than Paraguay? Without a doubt they are.

I can't put my argument in simpler terms. Statistically better roster. More wins in the cup. Decent goal total (7). Excellent goals allowed total (2). You must know someone Uruguayan you really hate or something. Or maybe your girlfriend's ex was an uruguayo (lol)?

I thought you were kidding but you really believe that Ghana and then Paraguay were intrinsically better teams. At some point you have to give Uruguay it's due!

I don't agree, they can barely score. Sure, Forlán is great, but I think that you're probably in love with him or some other Uruguayan(o). I've seen them play, and thought they were mediocre at best. Of course the qualifiers count, as I haven't seen many improvements in the team. Better roster? Perhaps. Luck? Totally.

Hehe but that Chris Jones guy is really funny :lol: . "Your soccer team is horrible to watch" hahahahaha :lol:.
 
I don't agree, they can barely score. Sure, Forlán is great, but I think that you're probably in love with him or some other Uruguayan(o).

Oh, you say that as if it's a bad thing.




Seriously though, Uruguay are an excellent team, and I'm now rooting for them to go all the way. I am Team Uruguay. (I will even root for them over the Netherlands).
 
I don't agree, they can barely score. Sure, Forlán is great, but I think that you're probably in love with him or some other Uruguayan(o). I've seen them play, and thought they were mediocre at best. Of course the qualifiers count, as I haven't seen many improvements in the team. Better roster? Perhaps. Luck? Totally.

Hehe but that Chris Jones guy is really funny :lol: . "Your soccer team is horrible to watch" hahahahaha :lol:.

That article is a fucken riot. And true, my friend.

I don't have any particular inclination towards Forlán. You're just wrong! Uruguay can barely score? They've scored more goals than freaking Spain! Spain 6, Uruguay 7, Netherlands 9, and Germany 13 (holy crap). That's what the final four goal totals look like. And if you haven't seen any improvements in their team since the qualifiers, man, I don't know. You either haven't watched the cup or you don't know very much about football! I don't mean that in a hostile way, you just don't seem to know what you're talking about. Any cursory look at Uruguay's roster could tell you that they definitely have some decent players, and in the case of Forlán, an elite player. You don't reach the world cup final four just by being lucky.

Is Uruguay anathema to Costa Rica soccer fans or something? Did they eliminate you guys from world cup qualifying? I can't remember. After Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay tends to produce the best Latin American football players. It's not an accident their team has gone so far this world cup.
 
After Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay tends to produce the best Latin American football players. It's not an accident their team has gone so far this world cup.

Preach it, brother!

ANYways...in the spirit of World Cup, and learning more about football in general, I found a great documentary on the sport narrated by John Cleese! :)

It's called: The Art of Soccer with John Cleese. It was produced in 2006, with the blessing of FIFA, for the 2006 World Cup. It's an a-z guide to the sport, and it includes many interviews with some football greats past and present (like Pelé!), and also shows many historical highlights of the game. For those in the USA, it's available as a DVD from Netflix. (No idea about availability in the rest of the world, but if you can snag a copy, it's definitely worth watching!)
 
I made the graphic really subtle and understated. :devil:

:p hahaha.

That article is a fucken riot. And true, my friend.

I don't have any particular inclination towards Forlán. You're just wrong! Uruguay can barely score? They've scored more goals than freaking Spain! Spain 6, Uruguay 7, Netherlands 9, and Germany 13 (holy crap). That's what the final four goal totals look like. And if you haven't seen any improvements in their team since the qualifiers, man, I don't know. You either haven't watched the cup or you don't know very much about football! I don't mean that in a hostile way, you just don't seem to know what you're talking about. Any cursory look at Uruguay's roster could tell you that they definitely have some decent players, and in the case of Forlán, an elite player. You don't reach the world cup final four just by being lucky.

Is Uruguay anathema to Costa Rica soccer fans or something? Did they eliminate you guys from world cup qualifying? I can't remember. After Brazil and Argentina, Uruguay tends to produce the best Latin American football players. It's not an accident their team has gone so far this world cup.


I'm just repeating myself here, but they've been really lucky and their quality of football (as with many other teams in this cup) is not good. Uruguay did eliminate CR in the final match, but I'm glad they did because it would've been a pretty embarrassing cup for CR. You're just repeating yourself, and you won't convince me of your arguements :p .

Preach it, brother!

ANYways...in the spirit of World Cup, and learning more about football in general, I found a great documentary on the sport narrated by John Cleese! :)

It's called: The Art of Soccer with John Cleese. It was produced in 2006, with the blessing of FIFA, for the 2006 World Cup. It's an a-z guide to the sport, and it includes many interviews with some football greats past and present (like Pelé!), and also shows many historical highlights of the game. For those in the USA, it's available as a DVD from Netflix. (No idea about availability in the rest of the world, but if you can snag a copy, it's definitely worth watching!)

Cool, I'll try to watch it.
 
You're just repeating yourself, and you won't convince me of your arguements :p .

Because my argument is correct. There's no need to restate it another way or bring in different information! Why should I mutate it when you're wrong in theory (Uruguay having a crappy, lucky team in spite of their pretty good roster) and in practice (them being in the final four teams in the entire world left in the tournament).

I can't convince you because you don't want to be wrooooooooooooooooooong, but you aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare. Defeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat for youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I just want to rant: to everyone who's complaining about Suárez's intentional handball.. Them's the fucking rules. Anyone who thinks that he should be punished more extremely because Ghana got kicked out is a total douche. I don't actually *like* Suárez, I think he's got too much of that modern footballer attitude (the Ronaldo thing going on). He dives too much, etc. But he's a damn good player and he did what he needed to do to give his team a chance to win. He accepted his red card. He should get banned for a game and that should be the end of it. Ghana shouldn't have been given special treatment and a goal. They had their chance at the penalty and choked. Not Suárez's fault that Gyan choked.

/rant