2014 FIFA World Cup thread, v1

[Cirris]

Dempsey for some reason is Klinsmann's captain. At least he is in form right now.

I remember early last year that Dempsey was one of the guys who stepped up and said enough is enough. Donovan quit and rubbed his Buddha in Cambodia. Bocanegra was being pissy about being left on the bench and not knowing a day ahead of time. The team itself wasn't doing well at the time. And Klinsmann was taking the brunt of it. After that, The team rattled off 12 straight wins and won the Gold Cup. I think that Dempsey stepping up like he did earned him the captaincy.

 

[Buddy Revell]

Don't understand the Argentina hype, in spite of the easy draw. They haven't had a great cup since italia 90' and were last seen in major competition losing copa america to uruguay on home soil.
They did crush it in conmebol qualifiers but the fact that brazil wasn't in the mix detracts from argentinas qualification campaign.

The likes of Germany and Italy have had much better competition records over the last 10-20 years.

They(and messi) have much to prove in brazil.

IMO the favorites are clearly Brazil, Spain....big gap.....Germany, Argentina, Italy...then the rest Holland, Belgium etc.

 

[edgekiller65]

There's definitely not a big gap between Germany and Spain. Many of the current German squad are in their prime, while this will be the last stand for most of the current Spaniard generation.

I give a slight edge to ze Germans.

 

[Zer]

I reckon Germany will win

We did a WC pool at work today and I drew:
Croatia
Switzerland
Ghana
Australia

One jammy cnut drew Spain and Brazil

 

[Tobago Jones]

I reckon Germany will win

We did a WC pool at work today and I drew:
Croatia
Switzerland
Ghana
Australia

One jammy cnut drew Spain and Brazil

 

[Chules]

Better than being drawn Honduras

ffs :icon_lol:

 

[J0N0]

Don't understand the Argentina hype, in spite of the easy draw. They haven't had a great cup since italia 90' and were last seen in major competition losing copa america to uruguay on home soil.
They did crush it in conmebol qualifiers but the fact that brazil wasn't in the mix detracts from argentinas qualification campaign.

The likes of Germany and Italy have had much better competition records over the last 10-20 years.

They(and messi) have much to prove in brazil.

IMO the favorites are clearly Brazil, Spain....big gap.....Germany, Argentina, Italy...then the rest Holland, Belgium etc.

Well Argentina have the individuals to win it (especially in attack - It's crazy they can leave Tevez out); plus there's always the hope that Messi can do for them what Maradona did in '86.

I don't think Germany, Italy, Holland or Belgium will too do well. Apart from Spain the European teams will likely struggle with the humidity and heat. I find it difficult to see past Brazil, Argentina and possibly Spain.

 

[ChillyPalmer]

Going with Ze Germans.

Most balanced squad in the tournament.

 

[therealdope]

plus there's always the hope that Messi can do for them what Maradona did in '86.

That's a big ask.

 

[Cuzcatlan]

Well Argentina have the individuals to win it (especially in attack - It's crazy they can leave Tevez out); plus there's always the hope that Messi can do for them what Maradona did in '86.

I don't think Germany, Italy, Holland or Belgium will too do well. Apart from Spain the European teams will likely struggle with the humidity and heat. I find it difficult to see past Brazil, Argentina and possibly Spain.

Most games will be in the South were its cold this time of the year.

Sao Paulo just a few days ago. Epic hail storm.

Curitba last July.

 

[ChillyPalmer]

Especially hard for someone who's scored 1 goal in 2 world cups.

 

[J0N0]

That's a big ask.

Yeah, sure is. I kinda hope Messi does win a WC though, there will always be an asterix next to his name if he doesn't when people talk about that GOAT's

Most games will be in the South were its cold this time of the year.

Sao Paulo just a few days ago. Epic hail storm.

Curitba last July.

Maybe it's just the English media making excuses for the fact we're crap then haha, but that's an opinion generally espoused over here

 

[wang xiangzhai]

Yeah, sure is. I kinda hope Messi does win a WC though, there will always be an asterix next to his name if he doesn't when people talk about that GOAT's




Maybe it's just the English media making excuses for the fact we're crap then haha, but that's an opinion generally espoused over here

Ir really depends wheter the team plays in the south sites (Rio, Sao Paulo, etc), which are entering winter season or in the North(Recife, Fortaleza,etc), which are pretty close to the Ecuator - up there is problably gonna be hot & humid.

 

[Possum Jenkins]

Maybe it's just the English media making excuses for the fact we're crap then haha, but that's an opinion generally espoused over here

That's an opinion generally espoused everywhere, it seems. It's unbelievable that journalists can't take 30 seconds to look up average temperatures for this time of the year in the host cities.

Instead it's all "OMGz, the heat and humidity of Brazil!!!"

It's winter time in the southern hemisphere so only Brazil's most northern cities will have warm temperatures. And even then, it'll be cooler than many parts of Europe and North America at this time.

Night games in the southern cities will be downright chilly.

There's definitely not a big gap between Germany and Spain. Many of the current German squad are in their prime, while this will be the last stand for most of the current Spaniard generation.

I give a slight edge to ze Germans.

Yeah, the only big gap is between the big four and the rest (Netherlands, Italy, Uruguay)

Spain is getting figured out little by little. I clearly remember in a friendly weeks before the 2010 WC, they played Austria or Poland and absolutely massacred them 5-0 or something. They toyed with them and could have scored 4 or 5 more. They were scary good.

These days, they tie or beat opponents in friendlies by 1 goal. They don't surprise anyone anymore. In the Confederations Cup last year they were far from dominant.

 

[maksy]

Most games will be in the South were its cold this time of the year.

Sao Paulo just a few days ago. Epic hail storm.

Curitba last July.

Its good for european teams and US

 

[killerjag]

Its good for european teams and US

Not really. Only 5 of the 12 venues are in cities that have 4 seasons(as opposed to the dry/wet north), and only 3 of those have "harsh" winters(for brazilian standards). So, no, most european teams are fucked.

 

[Team Dagger]

Going with Ze Germans.

Most balanced squad in the tournament.

Germany will lose to Italy or Spain like they always do.

 

[in the]

Burkina Faso would have shocked the world if only they had qualified.

 

[in the]

I know that Brazil, Spain, Argentina, and Germany are the big four favorites. Will someone (the more the better) tell me which nations they think:

Are overrated (in terms of rankings and/or deficiencies leading into the WC)

Are underrated

Sleepers?

For instance, I think that France is overrated but I will fully admit that 95% of the people reading this post probably know a great deal more about these things than I do.

 

[Rawex]

Are overrated: Argentina. While their attack is best on paper, not too sold on their defense.

Are underrated: Portugal, despite going to semifinals in last Euros and gave Spain their hardest game in years. Game went to penalties and only Netherlands in last WC went to extratime with Spain in 3 tournaments (2008 euros, 2010 WC and 2012 Euros). Team dont look that special on paper (when comparing to say Germany and Spain, who have bench players good ehough to walk into most other team's first 11) but they play well as a team.

Sleepers? Croatia, Switzerland and Belgium are teams to watch who might pull upset or two. Take Croatia, while they didnt even get out of their groupstage in last euros they played 1-1 draw with Italy and lost 1-0 to Spain, teams that would go into the final. Belgium has many players that emerged into top European teams since last WC. Switzerland vs France in groupstage will tell alot where Switzerland team stands but i think they could challenge France.