World Cup - Football/Soccer/Fitba

[Dangermouse]

Anyone else following the World Cup?

I know some of the non-US members must be. But how many watched a fantastic game last night between US and Portugal? On paper, Portugal should have walked it, but Ronaldo is off tempo at the moment so there was an amazing come back from the US team who were denied a win by a goal in the last seconds. Heartbreak for all.

It was a crazy weekend with shock results for Germany and a last second goals for Argentina and obviously Portugal last night against the US

Out of the 32 teams in the finals, I think we have regular members from:

USA – many members obviously, possibly devastated today after being so close to getting through
England – many, resigned to another disappointing performance
Australia – several, as good a result as Spain in their group
Greece – Alex, about as expected?
Italy – JohnZ and others, surprise loss to Costa Rica
Netherlands – Rob, team doing better than expected?
Belgium – Jan, team also doing well
France – Domi, fine game against Switzerland

If you haven’t been watching, it has been the best World Cup in recent memory with records being broken all over the place. I watched most of it over the weekend, and the surprise game for me was the South Korea-Algeria game, particularly the second half.

[Farrar]

My "other half" is more of a football/soccer fan than I am. We watched a bit of the USA-Portugal match last night after supper and were staggered by the tie. Been too busy to watch much of the rest, though.

[JohnZ]

Actually I'm not fond of soccer too, but I watched the first match versus England with passion (especially seeing how it ended :P ). I think that the World cup is much more than a sport event, so I'm interested in it like the average guy would. I don't really know Italians football players so much, and I don't keep myself updated about the other matches, but I have fun whatching the show on telly :)

Regarding the second match (we lose :( )... we heard it on the radio while re-mounting the stabilizer bar on the Delorean... 8)

[SIMid]

Loooooooooove the World Cup!

Absolutely hanging every 4 years for this.

Bitter with Australia not reaching the knock-out stages. :(

[SEO Motorsports]

I consider myself an American first, but being Costa Rican I'm so proud of what this team is doing!!

[Domi]

Soccer isn't my cup of tea, but I'm watching a few match to see what happen to the team.

[Dangermouse]

I consider myself an American first, but being Costa Rican I'm so proud of what this team is doing!!

Drawing against England?

Seriously, CR have been my surprise team of the tournament. Well, apart from Spain, but for opposite reasons.

France are doing well too Domi. Possible final four?

[Domi]

France are doing well too Domi. Possible final four?

Only time will tell :biggrin:

[JohnZ]

bye bye, we're out :(

[Dangermouse]

Where's Alex?

[ccurzio]

I just spent a week in Panama, and I've been assaulted with World Cup on every TV screen in every establishment every day for my entire trip. So after getting back to the States and being cooped in a plane stuck on a runway in Houston waiting in line to take off, I decide (with permission from the flight crew) to check and see what's going on with my favorite forum. And THIS is the first thread I see.

Jesus Christ.

[Dangermouse]

No, that was Andreas Pirlo but they look similar.

See, it gets under your skin doesn't it.

Noon, EST, Thursday is the Big Game. I know you can't wait.

[john 05141]

the Red Devils from belgium do well, but there is no way they will be world champion.
Amazing how many cars are dressed with flagd, the tricolore over the rear view mirrors....

Jan

[Andy]

I actually don't care about the World Cup (absolutely no sports fan), but you can't get out of it here in Belgium. Everywhere you go, you see Belgian flags on houses and cars, almost everybody is dressed in the Belgian colors and every television- and radioshow talks about the World Cup. I'm probably a minority here, but I honestly can't wait untill it's all over ....

.... and then the Tour de France starts ....

[Dangermouse]

Well, the USA will go through tomorrow on goal difference and play Belgium in the next round.

[Farrar]

There's a radio news program called "The World," which is carried by many stations around the United States. Its host is a huge soccer fan. I quit listening to the program during the World Cup, because they pretty much just cover that and then squeeze in a bit of news to fill the rest of the hour, or so it seems. It's a bit frustrating when a "news" program swells its coverage of a single sporting event so greatly, pushing other events off the program. When I think of that, I can only imagine this must be how non-Olympics fans feel every two years. LOL

[SEO Motorsports]

I just lost a few years of my life watching Costa Rica play Greece!! This surpasses where Costa Rica got in 1990.

[Delorean Industries]

That was something else!

[Dangermouse]

What a days soccer. First the late drama of the Netherlands/Mexico game and now this one.

Outstanding.

My son will have just arrived in Costa Rica next weekend on vacation, a few hours before they play the Dutch in the quarters.

I warned him not to plan to do anything that afternoon as everything will be shut to watch the game. :). What an atmosphere there will be down there.

[SEO Motorsports]

My family over there says it's unreal how people are partying in the streets everywhere.

[Jonathan]

...When I think of that, I can only imagine this must be how non-Olympics fans feel every two years. LOL

Or a Canadian travelling in the US trying to catch the hockey highlights... in between or after the NCAA football, basketball and NASCAR clips.

Or for that matter, a Canadian at home trying to see the baseball highlights while they are running 58 minutes each hour of the pre-draft rankings for NHL hopefuls, or some other irrelevant nonsense. :thumbdown:

[Andy]

I don't care about football, but I have to admit that - at the moment - I'm proud to be a Belgian! I've only seen the last 20 minutes of the game, but what a game! By the way, Tim Howard is definitively 'Man of the Match'! Great keeper!

No comments?













... and I really don't care about football :-)

[Dangermouse]

It was an outstanding game.

Going into it, I really thought that the US had a decent chance but after the first 20 minutes when their goal was being peppered by shots, I had to revise that opinion.

If America offered knighthoods, then he would shortly be Sir Tim Howard.

And after the earlier game, I really fancy Belgium to get past Argentina

[ccurzio]

My boss, an Irishman who lives and works in the Dublin area, was sure to offer his condolences on the US loss yesterday on our daily conference call this morning. I was just as sure to tell him how excited I was to hear about the freaking World Cup on that call. :D

[ALEXAKOS]

DAMN!!!!!
Totally missed this thread!:angry_whip:
I wasn't expecting one here. More like in the Eurotech but then I forgot we have a mighty mouse in here. And I would not start such a thread there after the disappointing British show. What has happened to the mother of soccer? :chairshot:

What can I say, Greece as always is a surprise team. And surprises can be good and bad. This was a very unexpected overall situation for us as the world cups are totally out of our leagues.
Yes, we may have conquered a EURO cup 10 years ago (in coincidence with the Athens 2004 Olympic games???) but I am a bit skeptical about those events as I grow older.

The past 4-5 world cups have had such a financially and politically convenient result. Just to think how many BILLIONS of Dollars are at stake on specific results.... I am sure "they" would not leave money at chance.
Soccer players are loyal employees (they get paid to do what they do). At an age of 20 to 30 at those salaries they can to as they are told. And if they are told to run they will. If they are told to miss passes or shoot way off.... they can!
So for me it's business as usual at some percentage of those events. Result tweaking is necessary:thumbup:

So I prefer to watch the weaker teams. They seem like they are putting it all out there!

On with the show...

[john 05141]

I do not watch football, like Andy.
I have a lot of customers in the US and most of them are not interested in Soccer (like myself)
But in case I'm asked if I've seen it I should at least have a peek. It was way past midnight tough.
Do not know much about it, but yes, great Belgium won, but I doubt they'll pass the next round.
Was a great game for the part I've seen.

Jan

[Dangermouse]

I don't know about that Jan. Based on those last two games, I can easily see Belgium beating Argentina.

Alex, you are deeply cynical :p. I think the players are paid peanuts (or not at all in the case of Ghana or Nigeria) to play for their country and the only people making any serious money are the "not-for-profit" FIFA and Blatter.

Northern Ireland hasn't made it to the finals since 1986

And why not have a WC thread? There are plenty of other threads devoted to owners interests outside of DeLoreans (girls, models, Nerd Thread and any number of BTTF ones)

So, my final four predictions:

Belgium to beat Argentina
France to beat the Germans
Columbia to beat Brazil
and Netherlands to beat Costa Rica, sorry Ed.

Gonna be a great weekend, well Fri/Sat anyway

[ALEXAKOS]

I don't know about that Jan. Based on those last two games, I can easily see Belgium beating Argentina.

Alex, you are deeply cynical :p. I think the players are paid peanuts (or not at all in the case of Ghana or Nigeria) to play for their country and the only people making any serious money are the "not-for-profit" FIFA and Blatter.

Northern Ireland hasn't made it to the finals since 1986

And why not have a WC thread? There are plenty of other threads devoted to owners interests outside of DeLoreans (girls, models, Nerd Thread and any number of BTTF ones)

So, my final four predictions:

Belgium to beat Argentina
France to beat the Germans
Columbia to beat Brazil
and Netherlands to beat Costa Rica, sorry Ed.

Gonna be a great weekend, well Fri/Sat anyway

That was my point. That African countries for example play with their hearts. Not their wallets.

I question of this thread existence was just a location thing. I would not expect a US based forum to have a soccer thread. Unlike the Uk forum who did not have a pip about the matter.

Not waning to start an endless back and forth argument on your predictions, I will want to agree with Colombia and Belgium to advance:worship: The rest I am in opposing favor.:headbang:

[kenny]

Messi to carry Argentina through, Brazil to win a tight game against columbia, probably after a dodgy refereeing decision, netherlands to beat Costa Rica, Robben to dive again.I'm finding it hard to call the last game.

[ALEXAKOS]

Messi to carry Argentina through, Brazil to win a tight game against columbia, probably after a dodgy refereeing decision, netherlands to beat Costa Rica, Robben to dive again.I'm finding it hard to call the last game.

Do you own a BTTF vehicle??:p

[ALEXAKOS]

HA!
HAte to say "I Told you so.."
Germany to quarter finals...
Two names....
Manuel Neuer:) :fancy:

[kenny]

Brazil to win a tight game against columbia, probably after a dodgy refereeing decision

That was probably the worst game of the entire World Cup, the referee was terrible

[Dangermouse]

Bugger. 0 for 2.

Both neymar and silva out for the Germany game? They must be dancing in the biergartens tonight.

[ALEXAKOS]

Bugger. 0 for 2.

Both neymar and silva out for the Germany game? They must be dancing in the biergartens tonight.

I sure am;)

I agree not as it being the worst game.... Both teams had some nice action but France was in bad shape and luck.

Worst game was with Greece n Costa Rica.


But defo the worst referee there with France and Germany.

[ALEXAKOS]

Bugger. 0 for 2.

Both neymar and silva out for the Germany game? They must be dancing in the biergartens tonight.

With a score like this, I doubt Neymar and Silva would have brought victory to their team. Maybe a a couple of goals more. Brazilian goalkeeper was a catastrophe as well as the defense.

I root for Germany but I can't say I am proud of yesterday's match. I can't believe this was the result. And I am afraid this will make the German team too soft for the final...

[Dangermouse]

I missed the game as I was on a tour bus at Chichen Icha in Mexico. I asked the bus driver the score at half time and I didn't believe him. :). How was that possible?

Unbelievable. My German co workers are beside them selves today I think.

[ALEXAKOS]

Unbelievable. My German co workers are beside them selves today I think.



I don't think the Germans brag about it. They are happy they got onto the finals and cant believe how poorly Brazil played.
am sure Germans would brag with a 1:7 result if played with any good european country like England, France, Holland etc.

Brazil is a country you look up to for their soccer talents coming from mainly poor neighborhoods.