[Keeping It Simple]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

duh, mr obvious, but if you place 1st you play an easy team (the 2nd of the adjacent group) in the next round. less nerves, less fatigue, less injuries, better chance to make it to quarterfinals in one piece. italy placed 1st in its group in 2006 thanks to goal difference. if brazil places 2nd for some reason, they'll likely face spain in the next round. (well let's see how spain plays).

plus, the embarrassment of placing 2nd for brazil!

"ruim" "horroroso"

So if Brazil end up second in their group that automatically makes them an "easy team"?

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by knox

crucified, why? they deserved that one.

also it's a well known fact that brazil is never impressive against teams they underestimate and/or initial stages of the world cup.

well known fact.

From what I understand, Dunga is at best tolerated in Brazil, both by the press and fans. The hate the way he gets his team to play, abandoning the whole 'beautiful game' ethos (Ronaldinho didn't even make his squad!). While the brazilian fans and press want Brazil to do well, there's a side of them that wants them to fuck up enough for Dunga to be sacked. The same thing happens in the UK all the time, both at club and national level.

Brazil got better after the goal (and if that was intentional then my name's David Beckham) but N Korea played really well - especially compared with what was expected of them - and I certainly don't think either the Ivory Coast or Portugal will relish playing them. I certainly don't think any of the major contenders looked at their performance tonight and panicked. They certainly look beatable. Saying that being able to win while playing badly is the sign of a great time. (Football cliche #4563)

Without seeing Spain yet, the only team that's really impressed me has been Germany, and even they weren't exactly tested. Of the outsiders/no-hopers, I'd probably say N Korea look the most likely to exceed expectations. Early days yet though.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Keeping It Simple

So if Brazil end up second in their group that automatically makes them an "easy team"?

If they finish second playing like that, then yes, potentially. France got to within a penalty shoot-out of wining the last final. They hardly look like trophy winners at the moment, though.

[knox]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

ps- in this poll in o globo, 20% consider the team's performance "mais out menos", 40% "ruim" and 25% "horrorosa"

http://oglobo.globo.com/esportes/cop...-916886397.asp

look down the bottom of the first paragraph where it sez "( Gostou da atuação do Brasil? Vote )"

yes, with the difference that they do that everytime. It's been a long time since 4-0 results are not expected, at least if you look at everything that has happened in the lst four years. On his side, every tournament since he became the manager has been won, and he doesn't have the amazing players of the previous cups. It's not like people will admire him any less if we lose, it's all really just sport and fun (mostly).

I have never seen people classify it as any better than "horroroso" unless you got the cup in your hands. Don't forget that self-loathing is always estimulated.

[wellcharge]

i was excited to vote horroroso but i need an account, too lazy

[moppity]

Rather excited about last night's NZ - Slovakia game. Our first point at world cup football. And the best thing is that the faint glimmer of (unrealistic) hope remains, which will make watching the next two games all the better.

[demonrail666]

I missed the beginning of that game. Did the NZ team do a haka before kickoff?

[moppity]

No they didn't do a haka. Which was kind of a relief really. It's always a bit of a lol when anyone other than the All Blacks do a haka (well, the Pacific Island nations do a good haka too). To pull a haka off, you need the physique, and the mystique, neither of which the NZ football team really has, if we're being honest.

[SuchFriendsAreDangerous]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

i think you got it a bit mixed up, and it's ok, there's too much info out there.

there are a lot of players in national teams that play "abroad" with respect to their home countries-- especially those in poor countries or those who don't have very strong professional leagues. e.g., the best american players don't play in the MLS, but abroad.

eg, tim howard was born in brunswick, new jersey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Howard but he does play in england.

see more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_men's_national_soccer_team

of course, 'merica being a country of immigrants and having little soccer tradition, it's going to have imports (real imports) in the team, but not nearly as many as it used to have back in the day. e.g. feilhaber was born in brazil but moved to the us when he was 6 (oh my! foreigners!) but no, in reality what you have lots is kids from immigrant parents.

most soccer teams however it's 100% national meat. seriously. well, england's got an italian coach, ha ha ha...

now, while most if not all of the italian national team plays in italy, the PROFESSIONAL italian teams are full of imports. check out the inter milan, current european champions:

http://sports.yahoo.com/fbit/teams/int/roster

that's a truly international team, eh? not a lot of italians. but if you search well, you'll find materazzo there, who played for his national team today. the other dudes are with their own national teams, e.g., lucio, who is the captain of the brazilian team. all very complicated. yet, all of the brazilian national team are native brazilians.

now, if you think about american sports-- how many native californians play for the l.a. lakers?

anyway, im tired, gotta go crash early today. but don't let this import theory kill your enjoyment of ritual world war! it certainly beats nukes.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to !@#$%! again.

i'm skippin the last day of work to wake up just as early to catch the US game on friday. after all, there is a great chance that these next two will be out only games, so I'd like to enjoy the opportunity. I can just go in late, I do have 18hours of unused sick time, perhaps I can just take a sick day with extended overtime

[Rob Instigator]

 

[nicfit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYGKPut_iNQ

[!@#$%!]

i just watched the last 15 minutes of spain losing to switzerland. poor bastards! favorite or not, i've said this before and i repeat it today: those people are jinxes, and doomed to lose, european championship notwhitstanding. (i just saw this shot the the goalpost-- poor bastards!)

i'm looking forward to see the rerun later, it looks like switzerland played really well.

chile beat honduras! hurray!

[wellcharge]

good job spain, nice pressure,dominating possesion,excellent passing. too bad you can't aim, could have gotten 400 goals...better than 0

[demonrail666]

Spain woke up after the goal and I thought Switzerland deserved the win, despite not being all that great. Biggest upset of the tournament so far, easy. If Spain qualify second in their group it's gonna have major implications on the knockout stages all round.

[wellcharge]

honestly i think they were dominant from the start, but when your shots go outside the bar it doesn't work out. their defense was a fault too, i mean the swiss barely had any offensive opportunities and still managed to bang that one off the post later

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by wellcharge

they were dominant from the start, but when your shots go outside the bar it doesn't work out.

you could take this sentence and give it the title "history of spain in the world cups"

[Rob Instigator]

-FUPPETS- Top Ten Things About The World Cup

[Rob Instigator]

I missed the swiss goal. damnit

[gualbert]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

VUVUZUELAS [...] So many idiots have been complaining about them,

Almost everyone has been complainig about it. Except you.
So you're the only one who's not idiot.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

-FUPPETS- Top Ten Things About The World Cup

ha ha, awesome! i agree with 90% of it (the vuvuzelas can die in a fire)