Futbol Talk

[brewcity77]

I'm not sure how you could have the Netherlands and Italy unranked...but Colombia and Switzerland ranked.

Colombia is very good. They've been one of the top teams in CONMEBOL. Swiss over Dutch is a surprise, but that's the FIFA system for you.

[brewcity77]

World Cup draw today. Think I'm going to find a reason to stop into Highbury to watch around 10 am.

[jesmu84]

World Cup draw today. Think I'm going to find a reason to stop into Highbury to watch around 10 am.

And i'm not feeling good about any of our possibilities...

[GGGG]

And i'm not feeling good about any of our possibilities...

If they get drawn into a group with say Brazil and Italy, it will at least lower expectations.  They might actually play better if they can be more loose.

[jesmu84]

motherunnatural carnal knowledgeer.

arguably, the hardest group EVER.

australia has a better chance to advance

[GGGG]

motherunnatural carnal knowledgeer.

arguably, the hardest group EVER.

australia has a better chance to advance

Australia has a better chance in a group with both Spain and the Netherlands?

US has gotta hope to beat Ghana...draw with Portugal...and have Germany win out scoring a sh*t ton of goals against Portugal in the process.

[JWags85]

Meanwhile France sneaks into the softest group by a mile.

US also has the toughest travel schedule of any team in the tournament, over 9000 miles in the group stage.  The fact that FIFA is the most corrupt organization in sports makes this harder to take as well.

This BLOWS.

[jesmu84]

Meanwhile France sneaks into the softest group by a mile.

US also has the toughest travel schedule of any team in the tournament, over 9000 miles in the group stage.  The fact that FIFA is the most corrupt organization in sports makes this harder to take as well.

This BLOWS.

I think Italy has the same travel schedule.

US HAS to beat Ghana. Then draw Portugal. Hope for the best against Germany. Slight sliver of hope that Germany will have qualified before our match and not need any points.

[Henry Sugar]

As a friend of mine said, "I cannot think of any team the US would be more motivated to beat than Ghana."

Get three points against Ghana and anything can happen.

[GGGG]

As for soft, look at Group C...Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan.

Another difficult one is D...Uruguay, England, Italy, Costa Rica

[GGGG]

I think Italy has the same travel schedule.

US HAS to beat Ghana. Then draw Portugal. Hope for the best against Germany. Slight sliver of hope that Germany will have qualified before our match and not need any points.

I think US plays Germany second.

[jesmu84]

I'd like to congratulate France on making it through to the Round of 16.

[jesmu84]

I think US plays Germany second.

#USMNT schedule: June 16 vs Ghana, 6pm ET. June 22 vs Portugal, 3pm ET. June 26 vs Germany, 12pm ET

Also: http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1639248/spi-world-cup-group-stage-projections?cc=5901

US with a 39.4% chance to advance

[GGGG]

#USMNT schedule: June 16 vs Ghana, 6pm ET. June 22 vs Portugal, 3pm ET. June 26 vs Germany, 12pm ET

Wikipedia was wrong!!???!!!


June 16 is a Monday...but in the evening.
June 22 is a Sunday
June 26 is a Thursday.

[melissasmooth]

Oh well, there goes any shot of the US doing well.  I was looking forward to the World Cup, not so much anymore. Fourth place in the group. Bye Jurgen.

But they get 8,866 flier miles and get to visit the worst part of Brazil.

[brewcity77]

Actually, this may play out well for us. The more I consider this group the more I like it:

• Ghana: At some point we have to beat them. They've been our nemesis, but we've played them even both matches. I'd love to see us get a lead just so we learn whether or not Ghana can play a football match when their players aren't rolling around on the floor time-wasting. By no means unwinnable.
  
• Portugal: Yes, it's Ronaldo, but that's about it. Portugal isn't a deep team whatsoever. Good defense but suspect keeper. I think we can get a draw.
  
• Germany: We play them third. I can't stress how important that is. We play them third. Most likely, the Germans will be sitting on 6 points. As long as we get at least a point out of our first two games, the Germans will be assured advancing, which means Loew will probably go with reserves, giving us a good chance to win. If we can get 4 points out of the first two and the Germans take 6, both sides will know that a bore draw will get them through, and with Klinsy being Loew's old boss, I have little doubt we'd get what would probably be a sad display of football but a satisfying result for both sides.

[brewcity77]

I think Italy has the same travel schedule.

US HAS to beat Ghana. Then draw Portugal. Hope for the best against Germany. Slight sliver of hope that Germany will have qualified before our match and not need any points.

If we get 4 points out of the first two, we are through. Unless the Germans screw up before they see us.

[GGGG]

The travel for the games doesn't seem all that bad given all of the time between games.  Certainly much less problematic than the distances required for qualifiers.

The first game is in Natal...on the coast.  The second game is about 1,720 miles as the crow flies in Manaus.  The third is right back on the coast about the same distance away in Recife.

That's about like flying from Boston to Denver and back.

[melissasmooth]

Actually, this may play out well for us. The more I consider this group the more I like it:

• Ghana: At some point we have to beat them. They've been our nemesis, but we've played them even both matches. I'd love to see us get a lead just so we learn whether or not Ghana can play a football match when their players aren't rolling around on the floor time-wasting. By no means unwinnable.
  
• Portugal: Yes, it's Ronaldo, but that's about it. Portugal isn't a deep team whatsoever. Good defense but suspect keeper. I think we can get a draw.
  
• Germany: We play them third. I can't stress how important that is. We play them third. Most likely, the Germans will be sitting on 6 points. As long as we get at least a point out of our first two games, the Germans will be assured advancing, which means Loew will probably go with reserves, giving us a good chance to win. If we can get 4 points out of the first two and the Germans take 6, both sides will know that a bore draw will get them through, and with Klinsy being Loew's old boss, I have little doubt we'd get what would probably be a sad display of football but a satisfying result for both sides.

taking a second look, being in with spain, netherlands and chile would be tougher

[brewcity77]

My group stage predictions:

Group A: 1st Brazil, 2nd Mexico

Brazil rolls the group, while Croatia and Mexico comes down to the final game. The Mexicans actually show up and escape a tight game with Croatia to advance.

Group B: 1st Spain, 2nd Chile

The Dutch start to realize they are in trouble after losing to Spain in the opener while Chile dispatches the Aussies in style. Spain and Chile draw the second game, allowing the South American team to grind the Dutch to a draw to advance. Aussies take it in the backside.

Group C: 1st Colombia, 2nd Japan

The Colombians win a balanced if not spectacular group, while Shinji Kagawa has a breakout tournament in navigating Japan to the Round of 16.

Group D: 1st Italy, 2nd Uruguay

What could be a spectacular match is rendered meaningless when Italy enters the final day on 6 points and Uruguay on 4. England destroys the Ticos, but it's not enough as a bore draw allows the leaders to advance.

Group E: 1st Honduras, 2nd Switzerland

The shock group. Honduras shocks the French on day 1 and manages to draw their next two games. The Swiss also beat the French and get a pair of draws, with Honduras edging them on goal differential.

Group F: 1st Argentina, 2nd Bosnia-Herzegovina

Group goes according to form. Looks very straight-forward.

Group G: 1st Germany, 2nd USA

Germans roll the first two, while Klinsmann does what Bruce and Bob could not in beating Ghana. The USA get a hard-fought draw with Portugal, meaning the Loew/Klinsy final group match ends in a bore goalless draw that sees both sides through.

Group H: 1st Russia, 2nd Belgium

The Russians shock the highly-rated Belgians in the second match, but both Euro sides have enough to get out of a fairly tame group. South Korea makes it close against both Euro sides, but comes up short on both accounts.

[brewcity77]

Round of 16

Brazil beats Chile
Uruguay beats Colombia
Bosnia-Herzegovina beats Honduras
Germany beats Belgium

Spain beats Mexico
Italy beats Japan
Argentina beats Switzerland
USA beats Russia

The hosts roll, while the experienced, name-brand countries advance at the expense of upstarts like Colombia, Belgium, Japan, and the Swiss. USA has an easier time with Russia than they did with either Ghana or Portugal.

Quarterfinals

Brazil beats Uruguay
Germany beats Bosnia-Herzegovina

Spain beats Italy
Argentina beats USA

Brazil gets revenge for 1950 while both Germany and Spain advance in style. The USA goes from facing the world's second-best player in Ronaldo in the groups to facing the best in Messi in the Quarters. USA gives better than most expect, but drop the result in the end, matching their result from 2002.

Semifinals

Brazil beats Germany
Argentina beats Spain

Brazil makes their first final since making three straight from 1994-2002 while the Argies ride the back of Leo Messi to their first final in 24 years.

Finals

Brazil beats Argentina
Germany beats Spain (3rd place game)

The host Brazilians take home their sixth World Cup title while the Germans get a small measure of revenge for narrow defeats in the Euro 2008 final and the World Cup 2010 semifinal.

[Golden Avalanche]

Not even close to hardest group ever. US is positioned well. Opponents they are familiar with and have motivation to perform well against. As for travel, humbug. Half of this team is going to be MLS players who deal with lengthy travel their entire season and the other half will have virtually no travel being taken place last third of their club seasons. No effect.

Germany on 9
US on 4
Portugal on 2
Ghana on 1

July 1st against Belgium.

[jesmu84]

Not even close to hardest group ever. US is positioned well. Opponents they are familiar with and have motivation to perform well against. As for travel, humbug. Half of this team is going to be MLS players who deal with lengthy travel their entire season and the other half will have virtually no travel being taken place last third of their club seasons. No effect.

Germany on 9
US on 4
Portugal on 2
Ghana on 1

July 1st against Belgium.

average FIFA ranking of 11.25? yea, i'd say that's pretty difficult. you might find a more difficult group at some time in the past, but i bet that's up there for sure.

[brewcity77]

taking a second look, being in with spain, netherlands and chile would be tougher

Except that they play Australia. I wouldn't call this the toughest group ever, but it's the only group in this World Cup that doesn't have a clear weak-sister team. I'd say G is toughest, followed by B.

Of course, the English media is convinced their group is the toughest, though any draw they get would instantly be billed either the easiest or hardest due to their overwhelming obsession with hyperbole.

[Golden Avalanche]

average FIFA ranking of 11.25? yea, i'd say that's pretty difficult. you might find a more difficult group at some time in the past, but i bet that's up there for sure.

Dial down the hyperbole.

The gulf between a difficult group and the "hardest group ever" is pretty wide. Trumpeting the latter only shows shortsightedness, especially if using the notoriously unreliable and always laughed at FIFA rankings as evidence.