Sat Jun 28th
Brazil – Chile 9am
Colombia – Uruguay 1pm
Sun Jun 29th
Holland – Mexico 9am
Costa Rica – Greece 1pm
Mon Jun 30th
France – Nigeria 9am
Germany – Algeria 1pm
Tue Jul 1st
Argentina – Switzerland 9am
Belgium – USA 1pm
WC – Round of 16: It’s a Knockout 548
548 thoughts on “WC – Round of 16: It’s a Knockout”
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Brazil’s record against Chile: P68 W48 D13 L6 F159 A58
And yet, if I were a Brazil fan this morning I’d be awfully nervous.
much.
dani and alexis sharing notes on coiffs.
well i’m surprised. the pacific northwest has independently joined FIFA?
this wholw “start at the top of the hour, not 5 after” thing really confuses me
Neymar’s boot selection in the Brazil dressing room.
Who had 4 minutes for the first racist commentary?
Ian and Ian mean well.
I’ve got Ian and “Spice Boy” Steve.
They’re all Ian to me. Except for the Iains.
If they’re scousers, they’re Stevie.
What’d they say?
South American players are all divers, cheats and thugs.
Not “fiery tempered”? They’re slipping.
what does sideways thumb mean?
according to theo, it means, “I don’t like it, I don’t hate it, but I don’t like it.”
tell him i’m laughing.
I have never watched much “soccer,” how are these guys not pulling hammies every match?
actual athletes. not baseball “athletes.”
makes sense
So going to a game live is essentially, a “Sing a long with mitch miller” with beer and fights?
this ref’s not taking any guff.
On ABC they said he handed out 14 yellows in the 2010 World Cup final.
’tis true. though it shoulda been 13 yellows, 1 straight red.
I can’t be totally sure, but I think the univision guys don’t think that was a penalty either
i don’t have two pieces of gluten to rub together in this house. somebody bring me a croissant or something. please?
i’m tracking blame back to mena’s hand. dumb hand mena.
Yeah – that was ridiculous.
So far Brazil looks like the team with the threatening attacking speed, not Chile.
brazil is the full counterattacking team, chile is the strong at midfield and jab from there team.
I got my roof antenna installed just in time to watch in English!
I really need to get one of them indoor things
Watching OTA TV makes me feel like I’m stickin it to the man.
Which is ironic since had Aereo(?) won their case, they would have nixed that to take back control.
Well that was sudden.
Hulk must be mad with himself.
you wouldn’t want to see him mad with himself.
alexis! sneakin’ like a deacon.
my stream must be broken. i don’t seem to be getting any crowd audio…
Heh heh.
this guy is not sneaking anywhere
They’ve got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose.
You probably already mentioned this, but I’m curious about your cheering preference for this game. Last time I was in Chile, they didn’t have very fond feelings towards Argentina.
it’s a porous border of feelings. it’s a little bit like a big brother little brother relationship, if i’m allowed to be that condescending. one on one, it’s all fuck you. but with a common enemy, protective feelings come in.
right now i bet most of argentina is rooting for chile. if it was chile italy, most of us would root for italy.
“A porous border of feelings,” very nice.
(chile italy, i’d probably root for chile. am usually pro new continent in most of that kind of matchup.)
West. Ern. Hemis. Phere. Clap. Clap. Clapclapclap.
They made the most of an opportunity there!
Stupid to foul there when Vidal’s already trapped and under pressure.
Wow, Chile is being incredibly reckless in its own box.
um. what?
when the goalie couldn’t field that ball and drew himself out all the way to the box’s edge.
More generally too … if you’re having trouble keeping possession anywhere on the pitch, constantly trying to dribble out of defence is suicidal.
oh. i see. masturbation joke. carry on.
Tagline?
Are there always that many cameras behind the goal?
in europe, yes.
The Chileans’ first touch is pretty consistently poor.
I loved the celebration being called back
his own fault for having such prominent biceps.
The Chile incursions this half look sharp, much more composed than Brazil’s.
¡uuuuuuuuuuuuh!
(translation: oooooooooooooh!)
Steve Ian dropping a Krusty the Clown haircut diss on Ian Ian.
swiiiiing and a miss.
live by the crowd, die by the crowd. but it’s early yet. they’ll get into it for Last Minute Brazilâ„¢ effect.
That’s a great save.
bravo? bravÃsimo.
Hulk in the middle of everything. He’s sure to score the game winner, for one team or the other.
Chile starting to get into “wait it out” mode, don’t think that will work.
this is tense as shit.
WTFK … seemed to have no idea what to do with the ball in the box there.
coulda been a great play with the screen and all but then…?
How long a break do they take before the extra time periods?
5
and then another 5 between the two 15 minute periods.
crap. i had plans. had.
Did anyone bring you croissants?
i found a slice of bread in the back of the fridge that toasted and dipped in fried egg wasn’t so bad.
What has Sanchez done to his shorts?
Self-wedgie?
Seeking the crossover appeal found in sports like diving.
i thought he came out wearing dolphins!
hawt
webb has a blindspot.
my expectations of good play are not as tired as their legs i guess.
This game is amazing… i love the play but i cant decide if I want Chile to slay the giant or if I want Brazil to win infront of the home fans.
The nation of Brazil would be so devastated by a loss that I have to root for them.
Also I just love brazil as a country… Lula v. Pinoche
cherrypicking! either go bachelet jeria v lula or pinochet v médici.
(and it has to be said, pinochet went down guilty. brazil gave amnesty to everybody.)
i guess i confused lula with dilma though.
there. do you hear how you sound now?
I like brazil more than NY.
brazil’s alright (if you like saxophones).
if you want to freez to death
Rooting for the underdog is fun, but the rest of the tournament could seem anticlimactic if Brazil gets knocked out so early. (AV’s mileage may vary)
kilometrage. and that’s my last willful harumph in this subthread!
chile looks exhausted.
i like this willian kid i hope if there is a brazil goal its his
Chile had their chance in the second half … this is all Brazil now.
heh
I can only try.
Holy crap.
oh boy, penalties
this is sad. i hate it. if they were horses out there and they were wobbling off their legs like this we’d all be crying cruelty.
Or at the very least adjusting our betting strategies.
Kicking it right at the goalie seems like poor strategy.
But a popular one.
sometimes it’s about guessing the goalie will jump either left or right, rather than take an illegal step forward before the kick.
this is going to be about who fails less.
yup.
And boy did both sides fail pretty hard.
cf greece – costa rica.
brazil better tune up on that should costa rica come a knockin.
oh wow
what an amazing game
A cross-bar and a post.
abel i was ere i saw elbow.
good lord jámes.
GOOD LORD.
I am dying. “its a knockout” is a line from a song…the damned? the clash? I can’t place it.
Dying.
Jeux sans frontieres
well, that’s neither
oh nice, PTB. way to tie it in.
that’s a trick shot? trick shot right?
Frank Menehune!
Jeez, another doctorK moment.
LOL
sonny. outs
no surprise. brazil might worry.
They should, Columbia looked strong.
Whistling tunes we’re biting the dudes in the jungle…
James Rodriguez is just dreamy. I think I’m in love with this Colombia.
chile says, but i though you said you loved me.
James where the jeart is.
nice.
no idea who to root for this morning. it may have to be an in-game decision. will their kit choice reveal my interests? the crowd? maybe even how they play?
kits are no help. i feel like stephen dedalus trying to elicit some kind of personal meaning from the colors of the irish history.
with holland in all orange and mexico mixed, it feels like a chronological mismatch.
Green vs. orange seems like an easy call to me.
Especially that head-to-toe bright orange. Makes my eyes hurt.
they need white shorts.
the chant. Root for whitey because of the chant
But if we’re going down that road, games in the Netherlands have been the site of a number of racist/neo-Nazi incidents in recent years.
at least the public and fifa condemn this. fifa pretty much said the chant is welcome.
Do the US do the tomahawk chop?
Well, I’m not saying any of these are reasons one should/shouldn’t root a certain way. But 1) monkey chants and banana throwing are orders more offensive than T.chops; and 2) I always root against T.chopping teams.
i think he’s saying degree of participation. one team doing the chop, or a few fans of one team throwing bananas, doesn’t condemn the whole country. the (publicly shown representatives of) the whole country doing the chant seems bigger.
i take solace in the mexican federation having already taken a stance and calling it homophobic even before FIFA OK’d it.
Mexico has in the past been one of those rivals that I dislike so much during regular play that I can’t root for them in championship tournaments. Like the Angels, or Duke. But I’m rooting for them today, I now realize only after the match has begun.
life is a surprise.
Yeah, I love games which I am excited for as a sporting spectacle yet don’t know who I’m cheering for until they start.
Me too, except every time they show Rafa Marquez I shift to the Dutch. He’s like he Christian Laettner of Mexico.
how come mexico never starts with chicharito?
He kind of stinks.
didn’t catch why de jong had to leave.
I like Juan and Juan today much better than Ian and Ian.
Wait, is that racist?
no. it’s how latinos play basketball.
holland’s showing very little.
I agree. shorts too long, socks too high
but in between it’s the cajt’s meowj!
i don’t think i’ve ever seen a cooling break in argentina, juan.
cooling break? is that like pulling over on the grapvine in your 1972 opel wagon?
mrs AV remembers fondly the water jugs some thoughtful soul placed periodically on the side of the road from chico to paradise.
to this day, my mom thinks my dads 2009 Acura is going to have trouble driving from their house to mine
why are there so many empty seats?
sun. look at the shade ones.
gaaah. GOT to capitalize on an error like that, you dutches.
but it looks like the orange can’t hack the heat. they’re stuck in quicksand it looks like.
and i think i just rooted.
‘Twas a pen though, I think.
am not catching this comment somehow. bullpen?
Penalty. I thought Robben was fouled in the box at the end of the first half.
Yeah, in real time I thought the call was right but on replay he was clearly knocked off the ball by a defender’s foot.
i was too frustrated by his not shooting to notice.
Great goal!
That Ochoa save was insane, I can’t believe he had time to get his hands up.
dammit. why couldn’t that go in while the echoes of the chant are still ringing? can’t think of a better way to shut it up.
and yes, he was hugely standing in the right spot. but enough praise juans, because ochoa didn’t do anything other than that.
Getting the hands up and steeled to knock a point-blank rocket shot away was impressive.
i thought the ball hit his hand about where it was before the kick happened. all due respect to proper position.
well, we say hand. probosco-facial region, really.
Suddenly the Dutch have become threatening.
no yellow card for shooting after flag/whistle?
wow with the van p coming out. elimination heightened move.
also of note re substitutions, chicharito comes on… holland scores 2.
Five pitch AB for Milone, he should at least get dinner for one at Francesco’s.
Oops, medicoK’d.
that was a great pointblank save even if offside.
Damn, ain’t no saving that shot.
i think his line of sight was blocked by his own player or ochoa woulda tried at least.
ha!
though i had plans today too.
was honestly thinking it’d go 120 here.
Wow. High stoppage time penalty drama.
holy shit.
Thanks, and go As.
wow. i need to hear the GM reaction.
and i need to hear WTF with chicharito going to put on the gloves when ochoa has been the best goalie in the tournament. (penalties are penalties.)
Yeah, I’m not sure what the deal was with that.
Thanks, and go As.
Painful loss for Mexico. I’m still reeling, and I’m not even a fan.
i feel for the suddenness.
and robben’s still a dick.
Bwahahahahahajajajajajaja Rafa
there it is.
i’m not calling it a foul in the box. but i am calling it an unnecessarily forced dive.
I think the call was influenced by not having called the foul in the box in the first half.
It’s possible for it to be both.
Rafa came in late and clearly impeded Robben and tripped him. Really a bad challenge.
Robben acted like he got shot though.
Thanks, and go As.
South Americanbalding players are all divers, cheats and thugs.Only true if all players are balding
they are all men, yes? arn’t we all in some stage of balding after 21?
they are devo!
am i doing it right?
I’d love to see a ref give the penalty *and* send off the diver in that situation.
There absolutely needs to be post-match flopping review/penalization if I am going to fully buy into this. I, of course, recognize that no one cares whether I buy in.
i’m still convinced whoever designed the tico’s tees is also responsible for the tata top. (NSFW) ((os ISN’T tit?))
the fans are jeering the game itself at the start of the second…
Yesssss die Greece.
those were some impressive Greek statues
dat callipygy.
[googles]
there is a word for that?
lovely. just lovely. bowled in.
And a blatant handball missed. We need goal line refs to see that kind of thing.
field hockey has 2 field refs, posted by the goals, with the plays coming at not away from them. seems smart.
Had the ref seen it, I wonder if it could have been red In addition to the penalty.
Anybody know a place that makes good salpingidis? I’m getting kind of hungry.
ugh. still burping up yesterday’s fish saltalamacchia.
well now, this is interesting
Prediction. Greece scores and then still plays for penalties even up a man.
unfortunate turn.
“They’re queuing up!” Classic Ian.
SOFB.
Good.
i expect this means costa rica won. (yes, good.) i left my screen thinking i’d hear penalties in the car but i honestly couldn’t find the station in spanish or english. (bad.)
860
yep. didn’t work. i dunno why.
hmmm. I would guess one of the KNBR family then
1050 carried the World Cup last time around. They can’t this time because ESPN radio has the rights, and 95.7 is their affiliate. And 95.7 would rather have Townie and his moron brigade making fun of it than carry it.
TIES????!!! WE HAVE TO HAVE A WINNER!! USA USA!
They carried the US game, but when I got in my car about five minutes after it ended, they’d hustled back to their own idiot hosts.
860 had all games when I was in the car in the last 2 weeks. I don’t know why they wouldn’t have todays
By “they” I meant 95.7.
could also be my analog dial. or my impatience.
(um… was just in the car… it’s because the 88 where i kept lunging the red needle around aimlessly means 88 FM and the single-digit 9 is the one i shoulda been looking at for stations in the AM dial.)
SUPERDUH!
Wasn’t that the A’s station for a minute?
yes, which is why its still programed in my car. its my default AM station when i cycle through to FM1 (KALX) from FM2 (KSCU and KFJC)
Always terrible reception on that station as I recall. A’s had two seasons with them I think.
It was terrible reception and at night the station just shut off. I the middle of a ball game a few times as I recall.
yes.
I fucking loved those days. made me feel like christian slater in pump up the volume
it was a dusk-mandated powerdown for the station. could almost hear the lightbulbs dimming.
i mean in the boardroom where they decided it was a good idea to host events that start at 7pm on it.
wasn’t it run on a diesel generator too?
I thought it was efficient, clean-burning propane.
I had to do stuff right before OT and PKs in Costa Rica vs Greece, and the DVR just caught me up. At the end Ian totally fucking stole Vin Scully’s famous 1988 call (year so improbable, impossible blah blah fuck you Kirk Gibson). Asshole.
Ian is a ridiculous hack.
why are today’s winners playing July 5 and tomorrows winners playing july 4?
Yesterday’s winners also play on the 4th, and the day after tomorrow’s on the 5th.
still seems odd. though i guess it’s only relative really. teams meet teams with the same amount of rest, even though other teams have more or less rest at their games going from 16 to quarters.
they coulda had the 2 june 28 Ws and the 2 june 29 Ws meet july 4, and the two june 30 and two july Ws meet july 5. that’s teams with 3 days rest and 4, rather than 3 and 5
well, Brazil and Columbia won’t really have the same amount of rest.
‘ames played about 60 minutes, yeah?
true.
Not as bad as the semis on different days giving one team an extra day’s rest for the final.
ha! subtle.
i said “odd” though.
rewatching. OMG the penchant for hot air… “mexico only moments away from their greatest sporting achievement as a footballing nation…”
forgetting that they reached the WC quarterfinals twice. (6th place overall.) (just always at home.)
and that they are the current olympic gold medalists.
with several gold, silver and bronze medals in panamericans.
a confederations cup.
…but hey, it sure sounds grand and true when you say it over slo-mo disconsolate guys.
I really don’t like ESPN’s PBP guy for Mexican games. He always seems like he’s straining for something to say.
he’s sucks too. but in this case, i think it was the host guy who looks like buddy hackett.
but… so many targets! right now i’m hating on van nistelrooy…
What the hell is up with RVN’s hair? He looks like he just rolled out of bed.
let’s go -gerias!
In principle, yes.
If I could have my wildest dream druthers though, Algeria putting out both Germany and France would be so poetic.
set to an ennio morricone soundtrack.
Raï all the way.
Socratis Papastathopoulos
I like today’s Google doodle.
I was only able to watch 10-15 minutes of that first half, but the sense I got was that the ref wasn’t putting up with any horsecrap diving calls. I approve.
Also, France’s uniforms are sharp.
Anyone know what the chicken is doing on their unis? (I like it.)
I would have thought it was the logo of their supplier, Le Coq Sportif, but they haven’t been the sponsor for years and it’s apparently the French national symbol.
yeah. you guys didn’t know that?
Last weekend showcased the two worst rules in all of sports.
2nd worst rule: Pitchers being allowed to hit.
Very worst rule: PKs deciding games.
I don’t mind PKs. At some point you have to have someone win the game, and if nobody can score a winner after 120 minutes in 90+ degree heat AND humidity, there’s really no other choice.
Thanks, and go As.
It’s not much better than having them play horseshoes or flip a coin something to decide the game. Works fine in hockey where they get just as tired. They could allow more subs after the first 90, or even just take players off every five minutes. Having them stop playing the sport they are playing to decide the winner based on a the winner of a different (and stupid) game turns the whole thing into a ridiculous farce.
Hockey has shootouts too.
There is more skill involved with PKs than people realize, but this is also the same tired ass argument that gets brought up every 4 years when the WC comes along.
Thanks, and go As.
Hockey does not have shootouts in games that matter because that would be really fucked up.
Sure there is skill. They could also set up a hoop to kick the ball through, or have a juggling competition, or have a dribbling-around-some-cones race.
The Olympics use shootouts.
The Olympics don’t matter. OK.
Also hockey has unlimited on-the-fly subs.
Also, I’m not sure how to express how bad of an idea “just taking players off every five minutes” is.
Penalties are certainly not an ideal way to finish a match, but at some point a winner needs to be decided. Whether people accept it or not, PKs involve a significant amount of nerves, pressure, some luck, and also skill on both the part of the taker and the goalie.
Since the whole point of the game is to score, a competition where you have to score more than the other team sure makes a bit of sense, a whole lot more than a silly juggling competition or some other nonsense.
Thanks, and go As.
The worst part about PKs, for me, is that you generally get to a point where one team is playing for them, which makes extra time sort of a slog. But part of that is also fatigue, which is why we need PKs in the first place. The best solution would be a full replay of the game in the event of a tie, like they do in (I think) the English FA Cup and used to do in the World Cup. That’s logistically impossible in an international tournament, so PKs are a reasonable fallback.
I could admit ignorance, but I’ll go with uh, yeah, fuck the Olympics…
lol
Thanks, and go As.
i like penalty corners. one play, team effort.
can only go to the goal-line defender well so many times…
or before they kick it in themselves.
That is some bad defending.
Germany should be wearing black shorts. This white on white business looks wrong.
a white on white crime is what it is.
Not racist.
Though now I’m picturing what Cracker on Cracker crime would look like and I start picturing a Cheez-it smearing cheese all over a Ritz yelling “Eat me!”
they should leave the studio trio’s mics open during the game. alt channel and all, but still, that should be right there with overhead, tactical, and fan cam angles.
Just 90 minutes of Lalas following Ballack around and trying to get a human reaction out of him.
Or to eternally push a boulder up hill. Same chance of success.
hey, they have lake merritt terns in germany too!
come on algeria! frickin’ connect at the end already. and stop shooting easy ones.
some guile. can i please have some guile!?
germany doesn’t deserve a win with this many misses. and yet, how long can they keep missing?
In fairness, they’ve had control for the most part the entire game.
That last German free kick counts a guile. Or perhaps slapstick.
they’ve been showing plenty. i was asking algeria for some.
they always seem to have just the one pass to play at the end, but it’s not an open pass, yet they try it, right into the feet of the defender covering.
and that’s why müller isn’t in the NFL.
Not Mannschaft enough.
he’s been swimming! there was shrinkage!
But he’s a fußball player who makes fußball plays on the fußball field.
on this play, argentine announcers were convinced the trip was a diversionary tactic meant for the prepared play but even then it came out awful, what with kicking it into the wall and all.
and before the kick, schweinsteiger is holding back a giggle or something.
i don’t think the trip was on purpose but it was a hell of a prepared play. i know of at least one team it’d completely FK up… (should the germans be tuned enough to get the ball to drop behind the wall.)
Germany really should have called up Landon Donovan.
Welp.
Thanks, and go As.
:(
omfg.
Thanks, and go As.
now that algerian D wishes he’d cleared that other one NOT into ozil’s feet.
suarez tweeted apologies, that included this masterpiece of passive language:
he ends:
come on argentina. let’s give ’em a reason to finish building this stadium. vamos!
uni talking, it’s a pretty game.
The shadows from the roof structure on the Argentine goal end of the field make it hard to follow the ball on set pieces. At least on the Univision stream on my PC screen.
the rare pitcher in the shade catcher in the sun.
Seems like the gk should have been able to come out and get that and not allow the pathetic shot.
romero has been known to be indecisive.
figure this out sabella. figure it out and whisper it in their ears.
pipita can be so useless. shoulda been tevez.
and ref! play the advantage!
The quality of the Univision streams has varied a lot. Right now it’s really choppy/blurry. Don’t know if that has to do with many viewers burdening the Univision servers, or a problem on my end here at work.
i woulda done palacio for higuaÃn. lavezzi’s being properly dynamic. higuaÃn is just sitting up waiting for chances to waste.
figures. on that header, if palacio lets it go, higuaÃn has a better chance.
Man, this is tense.
…
I’m rooting for you buddy. Today.
i’m certainly hoping we’ll be obliged to draw lines in the sand between us at the end of the day.
I’m definitely planning to root for them against Belgium…
no leo. no slappies.
jeeeeeeez. no penalties please. score now please?
gol.
i love you too angelito.
LMA
they were lining up for that last free kick so i didn’t want to ask, in case this meant you were laughing your ass in some manner left undescribed.
what did it mean?
Last Minute Argentina
ah. not my favorite way to play but i’ll have to take it.
omg.
time ref. TIME!
WOW. Nothing easy in this tournament.
whew. wheeeeeeew.
Wow, once the seal was broken all manner of hellstorms were unleashed.
“doesn’t quite make contact but impedes {whatshisface’s} progress so the ref calls foul.”
SHUT. UP. ESPN. FUCKS.
I’d just like to add that I hope this trend of European teams losing continues into the late game.
honestly? this coulda been 3-0 for der schweiz (if they could finish at all).
What’s the Matter With
TimmyArgentina?I want this damn tournament to be over so Billy can get back to upgrading 2b and starting pitching
there’s an A in becAusefutbol.
that’s a funny moment to want to see for the rest of your life.
OK boys, we got here, might as well win some more games.
“i hope they don’t erupt all over the US team.” —alexi lalas
Even Ballack must have snickered at that.
That huge US crowd at the Kansas City fan zone sure are a pale pasty lot.
Thanks, and go As.
Ian says the US are the best supported (ie most fans) visiting team at the World Cup this year. Is that true?
I know that the biggest number of ticket requests came from the USA, but of course not all of those are USA fans (lots of Mexicans, for one thing). There have been a lot of USA fans at these games, but no chance it’s more than Argentina, Colombia, Chile just to name a few.
Yeah, that was my observation, lots of South/Central American fans in the house.
informational but inconclusive.
i’d add that with so many internationals in the US, it’s not just fans of mexico padding the number.
Hmm, we’re playing the club RB that we play CB in CM today.
Scary talent on this Belgium team. AV, you might need us to take care of business here.
Thank you Tim Howard, lots more of that please.
Actually I’d just like them to not have another shot today isntead.
Thanks, and go As.
Belgium not trying to pressure the ball too much, which is good since the U.S. is pretty turnover-prone.
I fear the midfield giveaway every possession.
High pressing is the surest way to beat the USA, but it’s also the surest way to drain your team’s legs in what could be a 120-minute game in tropical heat. I’m guessing they will pick their spots to come at us hard.
How do you say “se la perdio” in Flemish?
I believe that we will win!
Maybe.
Judging by our jerseys, we’ll always be first in gentlemanly club life.
Eep, getting scary out there. Ian says we came unzipped on that last Belgian flurry.
Why are we getting unzipped if they’re the ones about to erupt?
because the belgians are already wearing their vag on their backs.
The Fly is open, let’s go Peay!
I was about to write “pretty even game” 10 minutes ago…
1. Don’t pass the ball out of bounds.
2. Don’t control the ball out of bounds.
3. Play some fking defense.
shitshitshitshitshit
Everyone looks exhausted already…
And it’s not especially hot, high 70s.
That was a white knuckle half to be sure.
I’ve seen much worse, actually. I’d be OK with it if not for one of our best players being injured.
Zusi looks FKing terrible. He needs to be a sub at halftime.
Thanks, and go As.
That was going to be Yedlin’s job. Diskerud now? Chandler?
Mix for Zusi.
Cameron to RB, Yedlin up to right mid, Mix to attacking mid, Bradley back to defensive mid where he likes to be anyway.
Thanks, and go As.
I mostly like this, although I’m not totally sold on Bradley as pure defensive mid. I wish we had started Beckerman.
it’s like someone greased his shoe toes.
We’ve had the advantage of most of the whistles so far. Score one for Jurgen.
“Playing a bit of head tennis.” Nice euphemism, Ian.
kidding aside, what i actually dislike about ian is that he just throws stock phrases around regardless of whether they have any bearing on what he’s describing. yes, the US does “live to fight another half.”
mostly because nobody actually died, i’ll give him that, but also BECAUSE ELIMINATION GAMES ARE DECIDED AT THE END.
It’s not just Ian who does that. All of the Ians do that, with the possible exception of Martin “Ian” Tyler, whose job Ian basically took.
So wait, you’re telling me they play the second half of EVERY game? You people and your wierd traditions…
I believe that we will sin!
The US might have to pull a Floodlight Wilbury job. I couldn’t agree more.
Yikes, can’t play much worse than this.
Klinsmann needs to call a timeout…
come on. get off your heels, USA.
Wondo!
I wonder if Wondolowski is an A’s fan. I’m going with probably.
Born 1983 in Danville. I’m going with hell yes.
He’s a big Raiders fan.
Jeeeeeeeeziz. Howard bailed out Cameron there.
Nothing wrong with Tim.
This is going to put me off my tea.
Here it comes.
This is going to make me develop Tourettes.
thunder from both ends!
They should bring Jeter in as the last sub if it gets to pks.
how. do. you. miss. that???
offside flag was up anyway
Thanks, and go As.
put it in anyway and protest the bad call!
Apparently Ian gave bad info on that, and the flag didn’t go up. He was on by a mile anyway.
Damn
Crap.
grrr. inexplicably foot-tied in shooting range at 99 mins.
Well how about that!
I DO BELIEVE THAT IT WENT IN!
Don’t bring Julian Greene they said
Thanks, and go As.
dammit. that setpiece shoulda done it. so close. (thanks to howard really.)
fuck belgium.
Dempsey really needed to put that away, but the second goal really shouldn’t have happened either.
Thanks, and go As.
Bummer. I feel bad for Wondo.
Yeah, chance of a lifetime. Hopefully he’ll console himself with how much better the US offense was once he came in.
I do believe I’ll drink some gin!
:(
It really sucks. He had the chance at the fairytale ending to his amazing story.
Honestly though, he wasn’t the only one to miss what should have been a goal. That set piece… Dempsey should have scored instead of taking the donkey touch and giving it to the keeper.
I just… I can’t process right now. The team looked SO much better after Wondo came on, Dempsey/Bradley were able to drop back to their more natural positions, ZUSI WAS OFF THE FUCKING FIELD, etc.
on one hand, getting out of the group and putting up a hell of a fight with Belgium was fantastic — on the other hand, Jurgen can definitely be second guessed on some of his decisions in the final match, although he was hamstrung (heh) by Jozy not being able to go and the US not having anyone remotely similar to his style to put in.
Thanks, and go As.
That Belgium team is seriously good, too. Not many teams can bring a monster like Lukaku off the bench in a World Cup elimination game. I think AV’s boys are in for a serious test on Saturday.
Oh they definitely are and I’m not discrediting them one bit. Fabian Johnson being hurt and needing a sub early threw a wrench into things too, even though Yedlin was fantastic as his replacement.
Thanks, and go As.
no doubt.
With the heat and humidity strong squads and substitutions are critical – subs have scored a record 25 goals this WC, and 5 of 8 games this round went to extras.
The game should have been over and done with after that second half. Belgium was merciless on offense and had countless opportunities to punch one in.
I was seriously lying awake in bed last night feeling bad for Wondo. Usually in soccer you can’t say “if he makes that, it wins the game,” because there is time for the other team to come back, and they will change their play to press for the equalizer. But no, that one absolutely wins the game. If he does the very thing he’s so good at doing*, he’s an instant national hero. Instead he has to live with “the moment being too big for him” for the rest of his days. Sports is terrible sometimes.
*Although I would say that he did most of the thing he’s so good at doing, which is getting in position for an “easy” chance. That’s harder than it looks.
well guys and gals, good news. i was just in the locker room of the Y listening intently to an elucidating conversation and, it’s been concluded beyond doubt by a panel of near-naked experts, the reason soccer will never gain ground in the US is because it doesn’t have any tactic, so thank goodness this thing is over soon so we can not hear about it for the next couple years. especially if you’re trying to watch an A’s game and it’s preempted by soccer (huh??). also, because all the stars are from europe. oh, and because they tried to bring soccer to the US with beckham but he was always getting injured. finally, because all the games look alike. you can’t go, oh there was this one play that made this one game memorable or another thing that happened to make another one different that this one.
so there you have it. the eternal mystery solved. rejoice!
It is much more exciting than I remember.
The problem for the US is the dinosaur network executives have yet to figure out how to monetize it.
there are no time outs. no commercial breaks. Hell, in both Basketball and Football )(I think) they have things called Teevee timeouts. Extra 2 minute commercial breaks.
Without a regular network your average joe is not gonna see it. Its easy to have niche entertainment without teevee and that seems to be what MLS is.
Is it necessary for “soccer” to be popular in the US? isn’t it the most popular sport in the world, or something?
So sorry to be like those guys and analyse soccer for you.
At least you spelled analyse properly.
I’ve come to the conclusion, contra Klinsman, that yes, it is important that the US soccer league becomes popular here. Our World Cup aspirations depend on US guys playing regularly in top quality domestic games. It not enough for them to be on the bench in Euro leagues.
Only the correct spelling in this thread.
I used to care about this stuff, because it actually affected me. Soccer was so niche when I was growing up that there was no domestic league and you basically couldn’t watch any games on TV in English. It’s popular enough now that the big matches from around the world are on TV and we have a viable domestic league. That’s enough. Whether it ever becomes mainstream is totally irrelevant to me.
i used to feel like it made you weird. one of those foreign customs you bring over and enjoy, but you get embarrassed if your dad does it in front of your friends. then it felt like a secret international club. this was the ’98 WC, when i lived in brooklyn, and people were wearing all sorts of jerseys out every day. meanwhile i guess i’ve been in places where people seem to care about it, especially the growth of the US team. today i was just, hold on, you guys really don’t get it yet?
Exactly. I would say the real “secret international club” World Cup was Japan/Korea. There was no casual fandom in the USA for that one. You either stayed up all night watching games, or you had no idea the thing was even happening.
I was just at a bar with an Argentine woman, among others, and she assured me that Argentina are awesome. I also had a conversation about fonts, so it was an AV kind of evening.
Argentines just love their fonts, don’t they? They can’t get enough of goddamn fonts. Always with the fonts, those Argentines. #newstereotype
he never said the font talk was with the argentine woman. i managed, for like once in a million times, to not jump to a conclusion. and that once was enough to make me… #notargentineenough
GM’s Ranking of QF Teams in Order of Likelihood to Win the Tournament :
1. Brazil
2. Netherlands
3. Belgium
4. Argentina
5. Colombia
6. Germany
7. France
8. Costa Rica
(I think being on the opposite side from Brazil is a big advantage despite how they have performed so far)
(I should probably move Colombia to 7 based on that logic but….James.)
all i know is there are only 8 games left to last a week and a half and one of them is a lagniappe.
how did we get to this? we used to be able to do that many in 2 days and a lunch break.
i demand a recount.
well, you climbed a spot
South Korea’s World Cup team have been pelted with toffees after arriving home empty-handed from the World Cup.
Link fail
yet more fallout from that failed translation job on the “you can roll a rollo to your pal” commercial.
Most important World Cup analysis yet.
we’ll have to check the math of course, but seems spot on.
Brilliant!
hey mister can i have a quarter?
i’m tired. thinking about that goal, my brain just popped out the word counterrewardive (rhymes with attractive, not with robben).
pitana fights back against german divery.
twice.
ozil’s mustache is lorre-like too.
did he just say diminution of quality? like, quality getting smaller?
[checks calendar]
so far this feels like an early round groups game.
I really hope France can make this happen. Allez les Bleus!
allez le snooze.
Seriously. Boring second half.
A’s game today means I’ll be taping Brazil v Columbia for later. While I was on board with Brazil last time I am definitely rooting for ‘ames and his Columbian mates today.
Yo AV, have you seen Brazilian TV’s Messi robot? So disturbing.
funny.
Olivier Giroud is the most French-looking dude of all time.
After a couple of World Cups of kind of enjoying Germany, I think I’m back to hating them. Feels good, actually.
God this game is bad.
i felt zero urgency from anybody.
It was very weird. France was playing like they forgot Germany had scored that early goal.
accumulated exhaustion from the heat? i don’t know.
ah… now it makes sense.
Excellent.
I’m officially pissed that Germany is in the semis instead of Brazil or Colombia.
I hope they lose next round. Seriously tired of Mueller.
you mean instead of brazil and colombia.
“argentina is luis suarez.” —the economist.
i pulled an av with my kitchen radio.
am/fm, what’s the difference?
just saw a guy walking down the street wearing the ’90s german harlequin jersey, the green one no less.
Will Colombia’s powers be missing without their beautiful yellow jerseys?
the crowd noise is so binary.
too easy. all alone like that.
what was that defender thinking exactly?
Should be lots of goals today.
colombia’s throwing away chances.
and that’s a south american moment there. colombia uses the distraction of the complaint over the foul to free kick in surprise. which works. but then they buy brazil’s protest over the kick, stop, and let brazil take it, even though this time the ref didn’t stop play.
neymar’s lips weren’t hard to read there.
and the crowd used a similar word on the colombian goal kick.
WTF neymar standing like that on the free kick, and fuck the ref for allowing it.
lovely heavenward eyerolling from pekerman.
what does it mean when both coaches make exact same gesture at the same play?
problem is, james needs to be the one who receives that chest high pass for a volley that james chest high caught and passed with a volley.
that was perfect and beautiful and if colombia can’t even manage a goal, it can’t complain in the face of luiz’s bomb.
this is getting good.
i’m bedding this thread.
I already miss James.
get in line behind luiz!
the colombians played different after the penalty. they shoulda played that way the whole game.
Broken vertebra for Neymar. That was a despicable play and the guy didn’t even get a yellow.
whoa.
Lots of ugly unpenalized fouls on both sides … not a good game for the ref.
The ref let it get completely out of hand. But most of the other fouls that I thought deserved cards weren’t that dangerous. This one was truly egregious.
As he was being carried off on a stretcher Ian said something about how it was lucky for Brazil, because it allowed them to catch their breath.
That really sucks for him and the team. I don’t generally root for Brazil but it’s tough to see them have to play without their best.
Definitely rooting for them over Germany.
I was expecting more from that last game. Thought Brazil looked its best yet. Too bad about Neymar. Maybe they beat Germany anyway?
I don’t think FIFA will let them lose to germany
Life will make me miss both games today. I bet Arg-Belg will be a good one. Good luck AV.
i’m scared.
emocon downgraded to extremely anxious.
75 minutes and upgrading… upgrading…
mascherano getting bounced on his ass is not a good omen.
OMG pipita i love you i don’t know why you think otherwise!!
and then there were 2 fantastics.
they said agüero is OK to run and would be used in an emergency.
but come back soon dima!
how do you nutmeg kompany on the run and then miss the goal?
FK’n europeans come to américa with their inferior skills and have to resort to dirty pushing and cleating their way around just to keep up. not to mention all that dishonest diving. mucks up the decency and beauty of the sport, you know? there ought to be some kind of FIFA phrenology test…
that was a good one
“that’s how clean they are.”
ESPN.
about argentina’s defense.
i, never in a million years…
I would have bet my house on Messi banging that one in.
oh sure. and carry the team.
Courtois is great, though, isn’t he? His role in keeping the USA to one goal on Tuesday is underrated.
i can’t even think about the other team until i see the game again tonight. but i do feel it would have been nice to give him more chances for great stops today.
i got a semi!
that could not have been an easy stoppage time for your heart rate
technically, it’s not a rate if the numerator is zero.
I’m all for upsets, but a possible final four of Brazil, Germany, Argentina, and the Netherlands is not bad at all.
done and done.
when was the last minnow at a semi?
Korea and Turkey in 2002.
Even terrifying mutant insects want to be near James.
minute 92… holLOLand. how many dutch toes are there to NOT nudge it in?
Looks to me like the ball got some of the costa rican defender’s left arm as it (the ball) rolled up his body. Glad they didn’t call it though.
that could be forgiven for arm glued to body. was there motion on his arm? still, moot. other than tiring the dutch a little extra.
di stefano died.
di maria is out.
di ref who allowed neymar’s hit is in a pot of 15 to work the final.
That last one is outrageous, that game was horribly officiated, not just on that one no call, but throughout. Should use that tape as a cautionary example of how a ref can let a game get out of control.
I don’t think he can get that game if Argentina is in it. They won’t assign him to Brazil again, and since he’s European they won’t assign him to a Euro vs. SA match. Theoretically he could work a Germany-Netherlands final or third place game. More likely it’s just FIFA not wanting to admit he screwed up by sending him home.
they haven’t been sticking to that rule that during a SA-EU game, the ref has to be from another confederation. i think they’ve been all european actually.
Well, Brazil-Germany is a Mexican (the guy who missed Suarez’s munchies).
Oh goody!
i mean of the refs who happened to be from the same confederation as one of the teams have all been european. (brazil, mex not same conf.) at least in elims. so i’m not sure that they wouldn’t put a spaniard in for ned-arg.
ned-mex: portugal
arg-swi: sweden
arg-belg: italy
ned-c rica: uzbek
Uzbekistan is as much a part of Europe as Mexico is of South America
If the final (or the 3P game!) is BRA-ARG, would you prefer one of the remaining SA refs (Chilean or Ecuadorean), or someone from elsewhere?
Keep in mind that one of the other possibilities is an American.
hold it guys. i’m not ranting or preferring. i’m just saying the rule/guideline we were using to figure out where this spanish ref would fit in is not actually there.
anyway, 3rd place i don’t give a crap because it won’t be gruesome. for a final, i’d want a european, preferably the english guy (webb?). experience level is important. also, i think argentina has been playing very cleanly, both in not diving and not fouling excessively, and i’d like someone to call every little irregularity so that brazil doesn’t get away with anything.
Nah, I know you’re not ranting. I’m just trying to bridge the gap with your culture.
I can’t even imagine the stress a Brazil-Argentina final would put you under. Have you even recovered from the Copa in Venezuela yet? Or did the Beijing Olympics trump that?
i’m more demoralized thinking about 2004. we HAD that one. until LMB!!!
(2007, 3-0 was just a gamefail. one team beats you squarely, it’s not so hard to just tip your cap. even 2011 hurts more, what with the early exit at home.)
and beijing as a memory kinda faded sharply… the moment the kids didn’t qualify to even compete in 2012.
Fair. I still can’t believe that 2006-07 Argentina group didn’t win anything though. Riquelme in his prime with young Messi and Tevez, Crespo and Veron still there, great supporting talent everywhere. I was sure they would stomp that Brazil team.
Oh man, the Japanese ref who did Brazil-Croatia is still on the list too. I’m guessing you don’t want him.
Brazil does
Never let facts interfere with a good rant
three out of eleven SA-EUR matches were refereed by a European
yeah, but don’t let my poorly worded comment interfere with what i actually meant!
I guess I got your original comment wrong.
no. poorly worded.
not sure if insomnia or nightmares…
suarez–> barcelona
relief