World Cup 2014!

[Blu]

Yeah, Germany didn't look urgent today at all. They got the first goal and then were cool as a cucumber. I hope that composure is something that continues when they are pressured by a team like Brazil.


I'm not so sure Brazil was outstanding as much as lucky. Any good defensive player worth their salt guards the far post on a corner kick. The second goal was beautifully placed but a routine save if you're positioned correctly. Brazil's possession and defense was probably their saving grace.

Silva's yellow was stupid of him. Cesar's yellow card was fair, I don't think it merited a red. Second goal was error on behalf of the goalkeeper. Colombia really had some momentum after their first goal and seemed to want it just as bad as US vs. Belgium, except I believe Colombia had better possession and creation. However, several of Brazil's players are just annoying. Neymar goes to ground for just about anything. Ruiz's bullshit following around James Rodriguez while the ref was occupied with Cesar was annoying. Hulk annoys me and I'm not quite sure why exactly. I do love Dani Alves though, he has some character to persist through the shit he's been through.

If Germany beats Brazil, but loses in the final, my fiancee wins our tournament bracket. If Germany wins overall, it's a done deal and I win the bracket. If Germany loses to Brazil, I'm out $5. I'm hoping for some better officiating, and Ozil finally catching some fire in the tournament.

[ZeroAX]

I'm hoping for a Germany-Belgium final (supporting Belgium on that). Or Germany-Netherlands, and for Germany to pound them all the way below sea level (har har)

[jfrost]

Neymar is out of the World Cup, has a fractured vertebrae.

That's A++ reffing right there. Colombia's players were a bunch of thuggish scumbags in this match.

[Sload Soap]

This France team is so juvenile it kinda reminded me of Brazil 2006, when they were the best team in the world by far,

I think you and I remember that team very differently.

That Neymar "challenge" deserves some retroactive action. The ref should have booked some people early on to put his mark on things. As it is he let way too much slip and it resulted in a silly challenge like the one on Neymar. I've seen that ref in the champions league before and he simply is not up to standard.

Tough now for Brazil losing their two most influential players. You'd expect Dante's Munich teammates to know how to get the better of him.

On a more cheerful note...

This is why I'm afraid to go to Brazil. Size of that bastard.

[Blu]

That is extremely unfortunate. I was hoping it was something not serious, like a strained muscle in the back. It was a poor challenge, especially since he was already bringing the ball down, and the Colombian player decided to come through with it. That's horrible news. I agree though, several early bookings would've deterred lots of the other BS that carried out through the rest of the match. Funny though that Colombia had less bookings cumulatively than Brazil does. I don't think one team played more thuggish than the other.

[jfrost]

This France team is so juvenile it kinda reminded me of Brazil 2006, when they were the best team in the world by far,

I think you and I remember that team very differently.

It was widely considered the favorite team to win the World Cup, with the "Magic Square": Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká and Adriano.

[Sload Soap]

This France team is so juvenile it kinda reminded me of Brazil 2006, when they were the best team in the world by far,

I think you and I remember that team very differently.

It was widely considered the favorite team to win the World Cup, with the "Magic Square": Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká and Adriano.

Favourites isn't the same as best. Just ask Spain.

[jfrost]

Hindsight is 20/20.

What matters is not that they weren't talented (they were one of the best Brazil sides ever), but that they didn't take the World Cup seriously.

[Sload Soap]

Sorry, I'm just having a hard time believing that was one of the best Brazil teams ever. They had an easy group, followed by a comparatively easy second round game against Ghana and were knocked out by a France team that played them off the park. Zidane made them look like children in that game. They could have taken the game as seriously as they wanted and the result would have been the same.

[Blu]

That goal seems awfully familiar, no? Set piece, no one marking the back post? Zizou and Henry were an outstanding combination. 2006 France was such a delight to watch.

Also, I was confused what you were talking about Sload on the picture of James Rodriguez. Then I saw the sleeve. It's a harmless grasshopper!