Football/Soccer Is The Greatest Game On Earth.

[Sandpiper]

My broadcast died on me halfway through the game. I... fell asleep again while waiting for it to come back on. Sorry, Netherlands. I was rooting for you versus Spain in 2010 (mainly because I was mad at Spain for knocking out my beloved Germany ), but for some reason I keep falling asleep during your matches this year! But good luck against Argentina! I won't say no to a Germany-Netherlands finale (and a first-time European win on South American soil).

Seemed like a pretty even match, from what what little of it I was able to catch. Costa Rica did very well this WC. Well, sometimes you kneel over and go out (Belgium), and sometimes you play your heart out and still lose. So continues this World Cup tradition of "stronger team wins, but only by a hair."

RvP is going for a record with his number of offsides I don't even know what he's doing.

Was it worse than Belgium's gratuitous offsides?

 

[MalAssada]

As a Brazilian I can honestly say: Brazil was screwed with Neymar playing, without him we should as well don't play, because we have no honest chances of winning. But if we do, by some weird and fantastic miracle, win, I really hope we will play against the Netherlands instead of Argentina, or bad things will happen. There are always fights between the two teams, and during the final... Oh well, I just hope Argentina doesn't win.

 

[Olympia]

Costa Rica, the last underdogs to surprise … GO

Costa Rica won their 'death group'(LOL being predicted the
dead ones), but didn't show that much against Greece. Actually I fell asleep during that match and woke happily to know that Costa Rica won after penalties.

I'm happy to know that Costa Rica, with 5 million people, is a democratic nation opposed to several military dictatorships in central America. And I loved the series Swedish Television did on the wildlife and nature there. Sentimental favorites then

I'm rooting for CR, but of course I want the best footballers to win

I'm quite a fan of Costa Rica as a country too. Arias, their onetime head of state, is either a Nobel Peace Prize winner or a nominee for the prize. (He was one of the ones featured in that witty ad for the World Cup.) I doubt they'd win the whole Cup, but it's nice to see them advance so far.

As for tennis, weren't we saying a few days ago that Federer's time was past. That shows us not to jump to conclusions! Of course, Djokovic is not exactly a pushover, so Federer has his work cut out for him, but I'm not making any more assumptions.

 

[loiza]

As a Brazilian I can honestly say: Brazil was screwed with Neymar playing, without him we should as well don't play, because we have no honest chances of winning. But if we do, by some weird and fantastic miracle, win, I really hope we will play against the Netherlands instead of Argentina, or bad things will happen. There are always fights between the two teams, and during the final... Oh well, I just hope Argentina doesn't win.

All things are possible, who would believe in Costa Rica in a quarter-finals of the World Cup, in a group where there Uruguay, England and Italy?
And also our selection will not give the game away, Ghana and Algeria gave much trouble for them, we can still win, and honestly France looked scared.
Ah ... you saw the Netherlands? :disapp:

 

[LRK]

The funny thing is that I somehow had a feeling that Holland wouldn't score during the match... And then during the penalties I said to my husband that they probably would win them.

Note: In the interests of full disclosure, I also thought that Belgium wouldn't score on the US, so I won't be setting up shop as a Psychic anytime soon. (Though I'm convinced that if USA had elected to play a leetle less on their own half during the second half and had had the ball more, I might have been proven right... Oh, well... )

I think my and Alba's jinxes somehow cancelled each other out, thus the match resulting in a draw. Or it would have, had this not been a knock-out match.

 

[Sandpiper]

Brazil: The journey from favourite to underdog?

Seriously though, I hope Germany don't drop their guard. All the "strong" teams this WC have barely been eeking out wins (Argentina is the king of this). Brazil is not a team to be counted out, even while understaffed. Also, if Germany loses without being red-carded/penalty-kicked, they'll look pretty ridiculous; on the other hand, there is no shame in Neymar-less and Silva-less Brazil losing to a strong Germany. It might not be the fairytale ending the Brazilian people hoped for, but it's a respectable finish for a team that fought until the end (lol, sorry, it sounds like I'm writing their elegy already).

 

[LRK]

I think you should add some poignant violin music to that post, Sandpiper...

 

[Sandpiper]

^I typed "poignant violin music" into Youtube and got this as my first result: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBSIWb7pT3o

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

no idea why football is popular
such an overrated sport.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people would say that about figure skating. To each their own.

If you really must know, football is popular because it's a game that's relatively easy to play, it costs pretty much nothing to play, the rules are simple, it's relatively safe (at least when playing recreationally), and it can be fun to watch if the game is interesting and the players are skilled. The game has immense international appeal, particularly in places like Africa where many sports aren't the most affordable or accessible (I mean, you don't need ice and $1000 skates just to compete at an elite level).

And because it's a team game, people can really get behind a team representing their city/country, rather than an individual.

I agree that football/soccer isn't for me the most exciting sport to watch, but there's no denying the power the sport has to bring people together. Figure skating doesn't have that (save for the team event, I guess), which is probably a huge reason why it isn't even marginally as popular as football. I mean, look at the passion football fans have for their teams (they live and breathe their favourite team's successes/failures)... there are fans of skaters, but most fans of Asada aren't as emotionally invested in her success/failures the way that people who live in Chelsea or Brazil are emotionally invested in their team's success.

 

[shiroKJ]

"Football isn't just a sport. Its a religion"

People have DIED because of football, both players and fans alike unfortunately. (The most recently known one was the Brazilian fan who passed away of a heart attack in the stands during Brazil-Chile PK) Its not just emotional dedication, its their life. You really can't explain how much the beautiful game means to many people in different parts of the world.

 

[Alba]

"Football isn't just a sport. Its a religion"

People have DIED because of football, both players and fans alike unfortunately. (The most recently known one was the Brazilian fan who passed away of a heart attack in the stands during Brazil-Chile PK) Its not just emotional dedication, its their life. You really can't explain how much the beautiful game means to many people in different parts of the world.

An italian man, 40 years old, died of heart attack in 2006 during the semi-finals when Zambrota hit that post against Germany. :scowl:
Unbelievable.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people would say that about figure skating. To each their own.

If you really must know, football is popular because it's a game that's relatively easy to play, it costs pretty much nothing to play, the rules are simple, it's relatively safe (at least when playing recreationally), and it can be fun to watch if the game is interesting and the players are skilled. The game has immense international appeal, particularly in places like Africa where many sports aren't the most affordable or accessible (I mean, you don't need ice and $1000 skates just to compete at an elite level).

And because it's a team game, people can really get behind a team representing their city/country, rather than an individual.
I agree that football/soccer isn't for me the most exciting sport to watch, but there's no denying the power the sport has to bring people together. Figure skating doesn't have that (save for the team event, I guess), which is probably a huge reason why it isn't even marginally as popular as football. I mean, look at the passion football fans have for their teams (they live and breathe their favourite team's successes/failures)... there are fans of skaters, but most fans of Asada aren't as emotionally invested in her success/failures the way that people who live in Chelsea or Brazil are emotionally invested in their team's success

Well said! :yes:


@All: Van Gaal is a genius! I've never seen before a GK to enter just for the penalty shootouts, let alone in a WC match/quarter finals. :thumbsup:

 

[Meoima]

An italian man, 40 years old, died of heart attack in 2006 during the semi-finals when Zambrota hit that post against Germany. :scowl:
Unbelievable.

If Brazil lose, my uncle surely will have heart attack as well.

@All: Van Gaal is a genius! I've never seen before a GK to enter just for the penalty shootouts, let alone in a WC match/quarter finals. :thumbsup:

I hope the Netherlands will win against Argentina. I am not impressed by the Argentina this year.

 

[Alba]

I hope the Netherlands will win against Argentina. I am not impressed by the Argentina this year.

Me neither. :disapp:

 

[Silvia451]

I'm scared of Man United with Van Gaal this season.

 

[Alba]

I'm scared of Man United with Van Gaal this season.

Who's your club?

 

[Meoima]

When it comes to club level, I have no particular favorite. I only have the ones that I dislike: Real Madrid!
Barcelona: less dislike

 

[Silvia451]

Who's your club?

Chelsea. I felt a little bit sorry for United last season, but I guess next season they should feel sorry for us.

 

[BusyMom]

As for tennis, weren't we saying a few days ago that Federer's time was past. That shows us not to jump to conclusions! Of course, Djokovic is not exactly a pushover, so Federer has his work cut out for him, but I'm not making any more assumptions.

I still think that he already past his prime but I never doubt that he still could beat any top level players. Not so sure about he got the work cut out for him. He did show the world why he had his decade. Don't mind to see him for a few years more. We'll see what will happen in an hour. :yay:

Right at this moment, two boys from the US are in the Final for the Boy group. First time in Wimbledon history to have two US in the final for this category.

 

[skatedreamer]

I still think that he already past his prime but I never doubt that he still could beat any top level players. Not so sure about he got the work cut out for him. He did show the world why he had his decade. Don't mind to see him for a few years more. We'll see what will happen in an hour. :yay:

Right at this moment, two boys from the US are in the Final for the Boy group. First time in Wimbledon history to have two US in the final for this category.

He didn't look past his prime in the 1st set tiebreak! Djokovic is certainly giving him a run for his money, although he (Djok) does have a history of letting big moments slip away from him. Having said that, he seems to have recovered well from both the tiebreak and that nasty fall. We will see...

 

[BusyMom]

Oh boy! More tiebreak?