Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I dig the Netherlands. Maybe cause I'm part Dutch but we'll see what happens.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Isn't it funny that the two best German players can't even get a game at their club. If I were their club president I would be talking to the coach in no uncertain terms right about now: Kiss their ass and make up or find another job since it is obvious it is a coach problem. Podolski Klose linkup is unreal.

If Germans play like they did today Spain is in deep trouble.

BTW, can anyone remind me why so many people were so hard on Rooney (when he rarely saw the ball to begin with) while Messi gets a free ride? What did World Player of the Year show at this WC? He looked like a little boy against determined German team, they dispossessed him of the ball at will, not that he showed much in earlier games. Same for the fabled Kun Aguero (aka Maradona's son-in-law), invisible. Tevez was their driving force all tournament long.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

They will be in for a much tougher time against Spain than Argentina. Spain's midfielders are much more complete players than Argentina's...Alonso and Busquets alone are more capable of disrupting Germany's counter than the whole Argentine midfield.

But you never know what's going to happen, I love the World Cup!

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Yeah, it's hard to believe that Klose and Podolski don't see much field time at the club level. Definite coaching issue!! Of course, there is something to be said about playing for ones country that boosts a player up. Plus this German coach is ALL about team work. Many club coaches look mostly at individual efforts. Of course, having Bastian Schweinsteiger helps a lot too :D.

No idea why Messi gets a free ride. Granted, he was very creative with opening up defenses for other players to score in some of the earlier matches... But frankly, I think Tevez was the better player between the two in this cup.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Oh definitely going to be Germany's toughest match! And not having Muller there is going to hurt! But I think that they can overcome that... Ozil, is going to have to pick up some slack and settle some of those poor finishing touches. I'm not sure who will start in Muller's stead... Probably Cacau or Gomez... But both seemed to be lacking in earlier matches.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Paraguay look pretty good so far (minute 28) , not duly "impressed" by the the much touted Spain. If anything, Spanish defense looks unsettled and if Paraguay pick on Puyol on consistent basis this may be a surprise game.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Paraguay actually look better (half time), way more relaxed and settled on the ball. Spain is lucky, so far. And Paraguay is playing with 6 second teamers to boot...

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I was thinking the same thing... This very well could be an upset!!! How awesome would that be?

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Haven't been too into World Cup this go 'round.

I really got into that Uruguay/Ghana game yesterday though as work was winding down.

Woke up this morning and dropped six bucks on a Germany/Paraguay parlay. 25 to 1 seemed like a fun way to either enjoy the games more or kick myself for losing six dollars.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

OMG there is no end to the drama...

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

What a crazy match!!! I really hoped that Paraguay would walk away with the win... And for a while it looked like they would. But alas, David Villa strikes again lol.

The good news is that if Spain plays Germany like they played today... Germany will crush them.

Hey Fernando... How's that Germany v Netherlands game looking to you now? :D

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Spain got lucky, there is no way around that. The ref, as usual, was clueless on some calls, Pique should have been red carded on the spot and that would have changed the game in many ways. On top of that, Paraguay penalty should have been re-taken, Casillas moved prior to the kick as well as half the Spanish team was in the box before the ball even moved. That, in the nutshell was THE match, without Pique and one goal down there is no way Spain would pull the game out given how they played.

I am now routing for Germany all the way, seems like the best team left IMO (as much as I like how Netherlands play).

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Spain were definitely lucky today. Paraguay played a great game, really pressured Spain every time they touched the ball.

Iniesta was amazing creating the goal...

We'll see how things go in the semi's. Germany are looking like the team to beat.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Funny that now commentators are paying attention to Messi not showing much at WC. What about Torres? Complete zero as well.

McNanaman could not even pronounce players' names properly, how does one get a job like that? Sign me up, I am ready. Someone should point out to him that Viera plays for ManCity, Vera does not. And it is Ee-ker Cassilas, not Ay-ker. So, bad on rules, bad with names...

I hope remaining games get good refs, this WC is getting stupider by the day.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Torres has been no good but he had knee surgery a couple of months ago and clearly isn't his normal self. I'm not even sure why Del Bosque is starting him. There were a couple of times today when Iniesta and Xavi put the ball through and I expected Torres to get onto it but he just wasn't quick enough.

He's definitely not playing the way he plays for Liverpool.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

He's definitely uncharacteristically flat this tournament. Why he's starting I have no idea... But what I do know is that if they keep playing the way that they have thus far, Germany will make short work of them -- if Germany continues rolling the way they have.

edit: PS: If by some fluke Spain does beat Germany, this will officially be the most garbage final that I've witnessed.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Remind me, please, didn't Rooney fight with ankle injury for the last 2 months? Just saying...

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Yup... But the key difference between Rooney and Torres is that Rooney went home early.

You better bet that the whole of the Argentinian squad is going home to some seriously bad press. Especially Messi and Maradona. Spain will too... but it won't be as bad b/c the DID make it to the Semis.

Rooney's getting bashed b/c England went home early. Press forgive star athletes so long as the team is winning. But when they aren't... The stars usually take all of the blame.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

I doubt it. The point of this World Cup is now to highlight both how much work FIFA needs to do in terms of improving the caliber of its refs and just how badly the adoption of technology to aid the refs in making the correct call is required. FIFA continues to make the "premiere" sport in the world more and more of a joke and spectacle of ridicule. Hopefully this World Cup will be enough to convince the member nations to stand up and force FIFA to pull its head out of its arse long enough to try and put some credibility back into the game. If not, soccer is just going to go into further decline.

Re: Who's ready for the World Cup?
 

Although most of us want and expect improvements I am not sure we're on that road just yet.

Take today's Spain game, for example. Some replays were forbidden from being shown, this is how Blatter plans to "improve" things in the future and we had our first glimpse. Blatter resisted technology/extra refs for some time now, he will simply wait for things to calm down and carry on as before. Only because he stated a few days that the sport needs improvements in regard to officiating doesn't mean he will actually do something. "Masking" bad calls, as they did today, is Blatter's way of "improving" things.

Besides technology, they need to ban any and all refs from Third World leagues, but there is a fat chance of that since these leagues are the only reason Blatter has been elected time and again. He is not going to cut his own throat...