The Football (Soccer) Topic

[jeff]

Standard European collapse in South America.

Brazil - Argentina

[Kalah]

Complete collapse of Brazilian defence, from what I'm seeing. 4-0 to Germany after only 25 minutes. I started typing this at 2-0, but before I could finish the Germans had scored two more times! Goals are pouring in!

I knew Brazil would be bad without Tiago Silva and Neymar.

Miroslav Klose is now the all-time World Cup goalscorer, scoring his 16th in typical goalgetter fashion, after the defence had disintegrated around him.

[jeff]

Boy I had it wrong; who'd thought Brazil was that bad.

[Kalah]

They may be a bit better organized in the bronze final, since Tiago Silva should be back, but I don't think they can score on some of the best goalkeepers in the world without Neymar. Brazil are a bunch of brilliant individuals who rely too much on their individual skill. The Germans are a team.

[Pitsu]

Unbelievable. Whatever the final score will be, did anyone in the world make a correct bet?

[Kalah]

7-1 and the pundits are calling it the greatest humiliation in WC history. I am inclined to agree, but unlike most of the experts (at least the Norwegian ones), I am not as impressed by Germany as I am shocked at how extremely poor Brazil were. It's not that Germany were extremely good, it's more that Brazil were bad. So bad. Like, Saint Kitts & Nevis football team bad. They were so bad that the Germans could pass the ball back and forth inside the Brazil box. Weird to see them collapse so sompletely.

[hellegennes]

The weird part is how Brasil managed to get this far without a team. I honestly expected them to be eliminated in the first round.

[ywhtptgtfo]

Where's Panda Tar? Drinking away his sorrows in a bar? hahaha

This soccer match reminds me of (what I read about) the Battle of France in 1940. Germany blitzkrieged to Paris and the French troops just gave up.

[Panda Tar]

I'm here, ahahaha, just got home after getting to the gym. I'm not sad at all. I'm kinda proud of Germany. If a team plays in a very mediocre way like Brazilian's team, it's not fair even to score a single goal. I was expecting 8-0, which was I was thinking over and over since I woke up today, although I was also expecting that the team would play better because they would be playing for the 2 missing companions. Kalah got it right again. Not that I am expert in football anyway. I just watched these games because we had time off work.

Brazil's defense was always appalling. Germany was playing in a calm and deliberate way while defenders were completely lost. When they scored the second goal, I foresaw more to come in no time. And they came. 5-0 in less than 20 minutes of gameplay. Overwhelming. We, me and my friends who were watching while barbecuing some good meat, actually started laughing out loud. We knew it was lost.

Well deserved for Germany, who played fairly throughout the whole Cup and might deserve the title.

@hellegennes
That's true. And so did Argentina. Without Messi, there's nothing left. They were in the easiest group and had a hard time to win their games. They remind me of my team. I think they'll be tramped down by The Netherlands.

When the German player was being interviewed, he always spoke of union, of team, of the whole picture. Brazil and Argentina are not like that. We have good individual players that don't seem to work well together, a coach that can't make them work well together and keep players that are not doing anything in the field, like Fred and Hulk. With no one to score, what's left? Poor David Luiz and Oscar who seemed to be the only ones that where in fact playing as if they knew what it meant. But in this Cup, Argentina is still superior to Brazil, such were many other teams.

For those who don't know, this loss is a very important political strike. Now, Brazilians will get their attention back to what really matters, which is elections this year. Our government was going to use this title to promote more lies and lies and try to get re-elected. The dream is gone now. I'm really relieved and happy that Germany could avenge 2002's Cup with such class. Fair play and result as its finest.

P.S.:
Ahhh, now everything is crystal clear.

P.S.S.:
OMG! I just saw that he was really there! ahahahaha

[Panda Tar]

And very kind tweets and Facebook posts from German players reminding Brazilians, better, teaching another lesson to us of humility and how to recognize our own strengths, rather than focusing on this defeat. Even me not being a fan of this sport, I'm very touched.

[Kalah]

So yes, we're getting a repeat of the WC'90 final: Germany vs. Argentina.

Today's match was a long yawn, really. Not only goalless, but quite boring for a neutral. A few chances to each team, nothing really revolutionary. A Brit would call it "a bore draw".

I suppose the question in the papers tomorrow will be whether van Ghaal should have done as he did last time and substituted Tim Krul for the shootout.

[Koni]

4 possible finals (and my prognosis of chances in percent):
Argentina - Germany (40)

....

Brasil- Netherlands 3:1
Argentina - Germany 1:3

[Panda Tar]

Yeah, boring as hell. I think Brazil losing by that score scared the other teams into not risking their game.



Alas, for most Brazilians, seeing Argentina winning is just as bad as seeing our team fail miserably against a team made of turtles, blind one-legged turtles. So, when Germany enters the field, almost all Brazilians will be Germans as well.



Now, regarding The Netherlands, I really don't know what will happen. I just hope it won't be a boring game, whichever result. But I'd hazard a guess: Netherlands 22 x 3 Brazil.

[ywhtptgtfo]

Alas, for most Brazilians, seeing Argentina winning is just as bad as seeing our team fail miserably against a team made of turtles, blind one-legged turtles. So, when Germany enters the field, almost all Brazilians will be Germans as well. proud i rule

[Panda Tar]

lol

In Dota 2, we call all our neighbors "Jajajas". Somehow, no one likes Peruvians. I don't mind them at all. hohoho

And the HUE is nice hahahaha.

Germans ask for Brazilian support in the final. OF COURSE YOU'LL HAVE!

[ywhtptgtfo]

[jeff]

Well today we have the match to see who comes in third; other than being a money grab I'm not sure why they play this game. The NFL used to have a runner-up bowl to determine 3rd and 4th place. The motivation for the player was the ticket gate went to their retirement fund, but the players really never wanted to play in that game and it was eventually dropped. The last one being in 1970.

[Kalah]

Yes, UEFA have already dropped the bronze final in the European Championship and I think the main reason FIFA haven't cut it for their championship is tradition. There is also the possibility that the match is winnable for the smaller teams in the competition: while the final is usually played by only the best teams, the bronze final can be a chance for a smaller team to get a medal.

[Panda Tar]

And in sense, finishing third, you finish winning your last game, rather losing, as it happens with the 2nd (runner-up or whatever it's called).

[Kalah]

The Netherlands can (and probably will) actually go through the whole World Cup without losing. Penalty shootouts don't count as wins/losses, so they haven't actually lost a single match.