World Cup 2014!

[Sload Soap]

It'd be as if the Guardian did a piece on the NFL that was like "hey, American Football isn't all first degree murder charges and organised dog fighting. Sometimes they actually play sports too. And get this: they call the pitch a field. Those crazy fuckers!".

[ZeroAX]

Why are you guys so offended?

And I'm sorry but it's true, football tends to gather the worst of people. At least your government tried things to control them, unlike ours, but all over Europe you have horrible horrible things happen when it comes to football, like blatant racism (bananas thrown at black people all the time), club affiliated hooligan gangs fighting it out and so on.

Americans are just much better sport lovers than us. They get excited without ever getting violent and that's because anyone who ever tried anything got punished right away.


And I just liked the idea of Americans trying to get into the sport and them trying to look at us to understand how you are supposed to "act", like a small kid looking at his big brother to get tips on how to "be cool".

[Sload Soap]

Why are you guys so offended?

And I'm sorry but it's true, football tends to gather the worst of people. At least your government tried things to control them, unlike ours, but all over Europe you have horrible horrible things happen when it comes to football, like blatant racism (bananas thrown at black people all the time), club affiliated hooligan gangs fighting it out and so on.

Lazy journalism offends me.

The article lumps all "europeans" together as if we're one amorphous entity that does their supporting the same way. It also speaks untruths and reinforces stereotypical views of the average football fan as innately prone to hooliganism and that every game is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Where are the authors sources? Does she know for a fact that tailgate parties would be banned in England because it would result in a riot or she resorting to a lazy cliche?

There are problems with football related violence and racism I'll grant that, but this article is just so lazily written it just further entrenches the American view of soccer fans as violent drunken morons without any factual basis for that assertion. All the stuff about whether it's pitch or field (they're synonymous) and wearing scarfs is just fluff around that.

Sorry to get all serious.

[ZeroAX]

The article lumps all "europeans" together as if we're one amorphous entity that does their supporting the same way.

. You voted for UKIP by any chance?

Man it's like when we talk about Americans. In our minds they all act the same, but the truth is it's really different from region to region. But to an outsider it might seem very similar.

Better example are the Arabian countries. I have Arab friends and it turns out there are very different behaviors among Arabian countries, and yet to the entire outside world they all seem similar.

[Blu]

Today's the day everyone!

Predictions?
Brazil over Croatia, duh. Score though? Will Neymar style on everyone?

[Sload Soap]

The article lumps all "europeans" together as if we're one amorphous entity that does their supporting the same way.

. You voted for UKIP by any chance?

Man it's like when we talk about Americans. In our minds they all act the same, but the truth is it's really different from region to region. But to an outsider it might seem very similar.

Better example are the Arabian countries. I have Arab friends and it turns out there are very different behaviors among Arabian countries, and yet to the entire outside world they all seem similar.

But, that's exactly what I've been saying. Anyway, it's a crap article and I'm done talking about it.

Onto tonight, even with the immense pressure on Brazil to do well and Croatia not being total pushovers, I think Brazil should win 2-0. Might be scrappier than they want, maybe a defender scores from a set-piece but they will win.

[ZeroAX]

I just bet 5€ on Croatia. 14 to 1 odds so if by a miracle they win I get 70€

[Pulsar_t]

I predict 2:2

[Blu]

Good start, Zero. Brazil's backline has already allowed some scoring opportunities.

[ZeroAX]

Meh I don't think I will win. The pressure on Croatia is too big. Still it's fun to care for a game this way