World Cup 2014 thread
 

Domestic seasons have started and international friendlies are taking place this week in the lead up to qualifiers so we are now into the 2013/14 season with the World Cup under a year away. Expect this thread to be quiet for months until around March.

Currently 5 teams have qualified: Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran and South Korea.

Discuss friendlies in the lead up to the World Cup, injuries, suspensions, squads, kits, goals, matches, Messi to lift the World Cup and prove he is the greatest ever while playing like a man possessed, everything.

England play Scotland tomorrow.

I'll stake my chances with Germany. Messi always ****s the bed in International Play when it matters. I think Brazil is a better team then Argentina also they have really started to round into form. Go England.

What makes you think Messi bottles it? He did everything but score in the last World Cup. He scored in 2006 at the age of 19. He's won gold with Argentina at the Olympics and he's now scoring a goal a game for the national team, after having averaged an assist a game previously, he plays higher up the pitch now. I try to watch Messi whenever he plays and in the qualifiers toward the back end of last year he was phenomenal. I know it's a cop out but I really do believe he's just been unlucky and he's gonna silence his critics good and proper next year. For me he is already the greatest of all time.

Good shout on Germany, probably the best squad as well. Wouldn't mind seeing them winning it but England > Argentina > Germany > everyone else for me. Just really want to see Messi win the World Cup. The Netherlands too actually.

If we fail to qualify I think I'll cry as this is the last decent World Cup for the next 13 years at least.

EDIT - Are you English? So-Cal?

I'm under the impression hes about as good as they come also, but winning on the biggest stage has always alluded him. He hasn't proven **** on the big stage. Hes done everything but score? Thats what hes there for is to score. I'm not convinced he will do anything to bust out. Hes gonna get bottled up again. Germany is a very poised group with a multitude of talented players, they will do very well in 2014.

I'm in Southern California.

Best didn't do anything in the World Cup either and he's still top 3 in terms of natural ability for me.

Messi seriously must have hit the bar or post 3 or 4 times in the last World Cup, Messi does everything, in 2010 he was still being used as a playmaker for Argentina so assisting would have been as important as his goals (can't be bothered to check how many assists he got.) He couldn't do anything about Germany either, they were just better. There's no chance he won't score in Brazil, he is superhuman and is not going to bottle it.

:cool:

I actually have a ton of Messi cards I'm hoping he will bust out also. I just don't see the same fire in him when he gets frustrated by a good squad. Hopefully they don't draw Germany or else it will be more of the same.

Messi is still being used as an AM for Argentina. His best position.

Yeah, I was gonna say that Messi was pretty unlucky in South Africa. If he didn't hit the woodwork he was forcing fantastic saves out of opposition keepers. This'll be the world cup for him to prove himself at a major international tournament, and seeing if he steps up to the task or not will alone make this an interesting tournament.

Overall, I'm just hoping for a more watchable world cup than 2010. Such a dire tournament that was top to bottom - I just hope more teams bring their A-game to this one.

And as for England, unless Hodgson turns things around quickly and stops picking mediocre (at best) players like Ashley Young, Danny Wellbeck and James Milner, we could be in real danger of not getting past the qualifiers here. I really hope I'm wrong though. I was willing to cut Hodgson and the lads some slack right up until that draw with Montenegro earlier this year. Since then my patience has been pretty thoroughly worn thin with this lot.

I'll be in Brazil. And I'll be for Spain no matter what. Why Spain? Well, as a young US girl from Maine, I didn't know anything about professional so-called "soccer" until I spent a summer (2007) in Spain. Where I learned how to love, drink, and MOST importantly, support a team. So Spain is and will always be "where I grew up."

THEN I was in Vienna during the Euro 2008, so I got my first real taste of Spanish victory. For 2010, I planned no matter what to be in Spain on the day of the final, and planned it months in advance. You could not imagine my surprise when Spain won again. Gooooood times. After winning Euro 2012, I'm sure most people are bored with all the Spain-wins-everything drama. But I'm not!! I'm betting on them again...if they qualify....

Just something interesting to think about... I guess?



It always grinds my gears how much government money is spent on large sporting events like these when health and education are failing.

There were protests to this effect at the Confederations Cup earlier this summer...got quite hairy to, apparently;

BBC Sport - Confederations Cup: 39 injured & 30 arrests in Brazil protests

Really can't think why, as it says in the video, this world cup would cost more than the last 3 combined. I mean, fair enough, the Maracana needs renovating, but surely the infrastructure to host a tournament effectively is already there and doesn't need as much as this spent on it?

Then again, I'll admit I'm no expert, but it seems kinda odd to me.

I watched this girl a while back, and while it does suck and the people suffer, it happens every time, everywhere. Even at Eurovision in 2012 protestors outside the stadium in Baku were all beaten and arrested for voicing their opinions on the government destroying their homes to make room for the contest, and the world did not bat an eyelid. Not going to the World Cup is not going to affect the morons in leadership positions (who the people likely didn't choose) that are and always will be in it for money.

Must have been mental in Spain in 2010 miss P, I wanted Spain to win once it was them or the Netherlands.

Good point Astronomer, that sort of brings me on to Qatar. All the detail and intricacy that goes into these bids, stadiums, hotels, transport systems and so on... At no point did anyone turn round and say "hang on it might just be too hot to play football in the desert in June."

A country with just two existing stadiums actually won the World Cup bid. What a farce. England could host a World Cup at a week's notice, we have the best football stadiums, facilities, everything is already in place and we are a football nation, no better place to have one. Qatar ffs :D. It is being played in summer in 50+ degree heat (there is talk of building 10 new air conditioned stadiums for this ffs :D but that isn't a definite yet, either that or they are actually going to stop the world's football leagues and move the tournament to the winter ). Imagine the sh1t storm if a player collapses and dies out there? The fans are going to absolutely fhucking melt outside the stadiums, the Qataris themselves move out in the summer to cooler climates, you can't actually be outside in daytime in the summer there. There's talk of fans having to fly in from Dubai for every game :D.

And what if a player is out as gay by then, is he going to be deported or executed? Homosexuality is illegal there. Not only is it a backwards country it's just stupid on every level. There is no reason for it to go there, nobody will gain anything from having a World Cup in Qatar. It's such a blatant bribe to get it there, and yet feck all is being done about it.

The other bidders included England and Australia. And 2018 went to Russia :rolleyes:.

I agree Bulldog, its going to happen, you just know it :(. The equaliser that Montenegro got did it. Feels like 2008 again. And I agree, South Africa was piss poor and I'm not just saying that because I'm English.

Don't even get me started about Qatar 2022. The whole world can see that it just won't work whether it's held in the summer or the winter, why can't FIFA? Well, I guess that's kinda obvious really.

Russia was an odd choice for the world cup, but at least they actually have a footballing pedigree. Vladimir Beschastnyk, Lev Yashin, Oleg Salenko, Andrei Arshavin and Alexei Smertin - there, I just named 5 Russian players past or present off the top of my head in about 5 seconds. Without hitting wikipedia, I literally can't think of a single Qatari player.

England certainly didn't help, but the only games I remember being particularly exciting and memorable in South Africa were USA-Slovenia, Brazil-Netherlands and Germany-Uruguay. Compare that to the 2006 world cup alone when you had great, great matches like Germany-Italy, France-Italy, England-Sweden, Germany-Costa Rica, Netherlands-Portugal, USA-Italy and so many more genuinely memorable games. I was so looking forward to South Africa, as it turned out it was probably the biggest sporting letdown of my life.

Another Joe Hart special there. Best keeper in the league.

This is a piss take. Why can't the English fans inside Wembley make as much noise as the Scottish? This team is an embarrassment.

2-1 Scotland.

Welbeck 2-2 :cool:

Lambert :cool:

3-2 England.

Yeah, it seems odd to me, too. It's just a LOT of money to spend on a country that needs so much financial assistance in other areas, I can't imagine that it is going to cost THREE TIMES as much as the previous one! Ahh well, what can you do I guess. It's what the 'higher powers' choose to spend their money on, as sad as it is!

Over here in Melbourne, Australia our government spent $60 million on the Grand Prix yet they refused to give teachers a pay rise which would cost them $4 million at the end of it. It just sucks.

GOLAÇO 1º Gol do Galo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho: Atlético-MG 1 x 1 Fluminense - Série A Brasileiro 2013 - YouTube

Form is temporary, class is permanent. He will be 34 by the time the World Cup kicks off, I hope he keeps it up and is picked for next year, I want to see Ronaldinho in full flight on the big stage one more time.

Important qualifiers for England over the next week starting tomorrow. Usually international breaks piss people off, season never seems to get going but this year I don't mind as these are massive games from now.

Moldova at home (Fri) then Ukraine away (Wed)

We'll likely paste Moldova by 4 or 5 but the Ukraine game is 50/50 at best. Lose there and we've all but failed to qualify imo. That equaliser in Montenegro has done us I reckon.

Then Poland & Montenegro at home in October are the last two games. So qualification rests on this Ukraine game on Wednesday in my opinion, their fixture tomorrow is at home to San Marino which they will win by a cricket score.

EDIT - Misspoptart tickets are now on sale for the games btw, if you're planning on catching a game I'd get them now as they will cost a bomb once you're over there more than likely. Ballot/apply for as many as you can even if you can't afford them as not all will be successful. If you end up with more than you need you will be able to tout them outside the ground for several times their face value (if you have no problem doing this.)

Can apply anytime between now and beginning of October.

This is just the first of 3 stages of ticket applications. So you will have two more opportunities if you are unsuccessful with this round.

Also there is much, much less demand for tickets in the North, you'll see more games there.

i dont follow soccer or really like it but world cup is always a good time for a bunch of ppl to fill the bars and watch soccer and get hammered so i love world cup!!!!!!!!!

The World Cup > any other sporting event including the Olympics and Super Bowl.

This one is going to be a belter :cool:.

Agreed. I'd say football is the sport of the world and the World Cup is like the showcase of immortals.
The Olympics is full of sports nobody really cares about, who has parties in the street when their county wins a gold medal?
And the Super Bowl is pretty much the FA Cup of American Football.

There's no other international competition that evokes the same passion and intensity as the World Cup, each competition is wildly different and you can never write a team off. Just wish Scotland could actually qualify for one, I was too young to really remember 98.

lol the Super Bowl is pretty much why I don't watch any American sport. There is just far too much silliness involved, ads and so on.

It's a shame for Wales and Scotland, Scotland used to be decent as well, sometimes I reckon there should be a British team but it'd never happen. And even Olympic football, nobody is arsed other than the South Americans really. Were Scottish people behind the British team for that? Always got the impression that they consider themselves Scottish not British and only English people cared lol.

American Football is just dumb to me. It's so stop/start and there is very little progression or excitement in the game. It's like watching a pub team playing root 1 hump it long football but it's one guy throwing a ball to an attacking players whilst everyone else runs into one another.

Depends if you supported the unification of our countries in general to be honest. If you're a nationalist or Catholic definitely not; the former because of patriotic ties the latter because they identify with The Pope as a head of state and not the Queen.
If you're protestant or support the union, then yeah.

others like me who have no real tie either way, may or may not have cared depending on how seriously they took the Olympics. I for one didn't. I never felt like it was a truly fairly represented team but on the other hand I don't give a rats ass about the Olympics as a whole lol

Nice one.

Yeah I get you, I wan't arsed about the Olympics either, in fact I was sick of the jizzing over London and the #TeamGB nonsense before it had even started.

Jess Ennis was the only good thing about the Olympics tbh.

I'll admit to liking Usain Bolt, I try to watch when he's on. But the rest is so boring. The most concerning thing to me was the nations mid age women getting soaking wet panties over that Tom Daly lad in his speedos, the dude's younger than me :laughing:
What a society.

The Champions League is the pinnacle of football. But yes, the World Cup is indeed the biggest showcase.

Yeah Bolt's good, he's in that group of entertainers that draw people to the sport who wouldn't usually watch the sport, sort of like Ronaldinho and Ronnie O'Sullivan do for their sports.

Yeah, it's basically a festival. In terms of quality the CL obviously reigns supreme but the prestige and drama of the World Cup just can't be touched.

Best post ever!

I love the football world cup. I support Germany not just because they are a good team but due to my German ancestory. If New Zealand makes the cut I will support them.

:cool:

Germany have a great chance to win it, they probably have the best squad along with Spain.

I love how so many people who are not usually football fans take interest in the World Cup.


Frank Lampard's Disallowed Goal v Germany 2010 + Post Match. - YouTube

I still fucking rage every time I see this though.

If I had the English football games playing on TV I would watch it a lot more! I love the whole thing as in New Zealand live games play early hours of the morning so you set your alarm, cool your beer in the fridge and have the popcorn ready.

What a strike from Creasehead :cool:.

Poland and Montenegro drawing 1-1 :cool:.

Klose scores! One away from breaking Muller's record.

2-0 England, Lambert header. Walcott did well in the build up.

Klose's goal record is very good. 130 games 69 goals.

Nowhere near as good as Muller's though! :D

Sturrdge, Rooney, Welbeck all out for Ukraine.

Lambert, Young, Zaha, Walcott & Sterling are our forwards. Can only really go with:


I wouldn't start Zaha or Sterling in a game of this importance tbh.

England fans are apparently getting their heads kicked in already:

Also it emerged Pep was interested in the England job for last summer's Euros - Revealed: How FA spurned chance to get Pep Guardiola as England manager - International - Football - The Independent

Hodgson is doing a very good job in fairness. His only issue is not picking Carrick.

Well, that's Ireland's chance gone. We only have ourselves to blame, there's a basis of a good squad there but the management are too tactically conservative to build around the decent attacking players and not spend the game playing like a League Two side. So it goes.

He's made us hard to beat. I find his selections a piss take at times. Delph and Gabby should have been picked and Carrick too. Still no Micah Richards either. There are players like McEachran I want to see given a chance as well, after the Germany 4-1 pretty much everyone agreed that we have to get rid of the old players and bring a new generation through. We are 10 months away from the World Cup and Lampard & Gerrard are still starting games for us. Same old story tbh.

Not sure why Cleverley keeps getting picked either, he is bang average.

What happened?

Cleverly is a good player.

Only gets in the United team because the midfield is weak. His party trick is spooning simple finishes. Some of his passing is good. That's about it really.