Team USA "got er dun", now it's on to the round of 16 v Belgique.

Time to start a new thread and hope we keep doing "just enough" to keep advancing through this amazing tournament!

Yes, new thread -- thank you!
But same message: Go Yanks!

Could someone post the schedule and bracket at this point? The FIFA web site is a mess and was impossible to get good standings (but I am doing their card sticker game and that's kind of fun).

Also - at this point, who do you think is the favorite to win it all and perhaps finish 2nd?

(06-26-2014 09:51 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Could someone post the schedule and bracket at this point? The FIFA web site is a mess and was impossible to get good standings (but I am doing their card sticker game and that's kind of fun).

Also - at this point, who do you think is the favorite to win it all and perhaps finish 2nd?

Brazil is going to remain the favorite, especially being at home, but the pressure could get unbearable for them. I'd guess Argentina, Germany and the Netherland are the other three favorites at this point.

(06-26-2014 09:51 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Could someone post the schedule and bracket at this point? The FIFA web site is a mess and was impossible to get good standings (but I am doing their card sticker game and that's kind of fun).

Also - at this point, who do you think is the favorite to win it all and perhaps finish 2nd?

Nate Silver says Brazil, followed not-so-closely by Argentina and Germany.

Good analysis here: http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/the-u...-opponent/

If I remember correctly, no European team has ever won a World Cup played in the Americas.

This has a nice bracket, and a decent schedule.
http://www.thesoccerworldcups.com/world_...ayoffs.php

(06-26-2014 11:43 PM)jh Wrote:  If I remember correctly, no European team has ever won a World Cup played in the Americas.

This has a nice bracket, and a decent schedule.
http://www.thesoccerworldcups.com/world_...ayoffs.php

Correct, and that historic lack of success has held so far. 8 out of the 10 North / South American teams qualified for the knockout round. Just 6 out of the 13 European teams advanced to the knockout stage. Funny enough, 4 of the 5 South American teams are in one group of four teams, ensuring at least one South American squad in the semis.

(06-26-2014 09:51 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Could someone post the schedule and bracket at this point? The FIFA web site is a mess and was impossible to get good standings (but I am doing their card sticker game and that's kind of fun).

Also - at this point, who do you think is the favorite to win it all and perhaps finish 2nd?

I agree that FIFA is a mess, but if you google "World Cup bracket" Google automatically returns a very clear and straightforward bracket. It's a huge help.

Chile should not be the 4-1 underdog they are versus Brazil. That is a very good team that dominated Spain and gave the Dutch a good game for 70 minutes. I think they pull the upset tomorrow. Belgium has not played as well as I thought they would at the start of the cup (yes I know they won all three group games). Specifically their attacking players have been only so so. As long as there are no obvious give aways in the back, I think the US forces this team to extra time and it's a coin flip from there.

I think Germany is the best and most complete team in the tournament, but France will give them a game in the QF's. Pretty amazing that a country the size of Costa Rica is likely to make the QF's. That has to be the greatest sporting moment in the country's history. I've watched the World Cup religiously since 1986 and I can't think of a better opening round than what we all just witnessed. I hope the knockout stage is just as good.

I haven't seen as much of the games as others, but I kind of like the Dutch/Mexico winner to advance at the very least to the title game.

Was just about to make the same point about Brazil-Chile game tomorrow. Real danger game for the hosts.

Very favorable bracket for a very good Dutch team to make at least the semis.

I'm looking forward to the all CONCACAF semifinal.

I gotta say I really enjoy Germany's style of play. Precise and clean, with lots of strategic passing - like a pinball machine at times.....as opposed to: kick it way down/over there and hope the forward wins it.

(06-27-2014 09:55 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I haven't seen as much of the games as others, but I kind of like the Dutch/Mexico winner to advance at the very least to the title game.

Mexico making the final would be pretty impressive. They were in total disarray during qualifying. Had the US not knocked Panama out of contention with a stoppage time goal in the last CONCACAF qualifier, Mexico would not have made the World Cup finals. As it was, they had to win a play-in game to make it to Brazil. But they certainly seem to have gotten their act together.

(06-27-2014 01:14 PM)Barney Wrote:  I gotta say I really enjoy Germany's style of play. Precise and clean, with lots of strategic passing - like a pinball machine at times.....as opposed to: kick it way down/over there and hope the forward wins it.

Isn't that kind of the way the Germans do everything?

(06-27-2014 02:10 PM)jh Wrote:  

(06-27-2014 09:55 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  I haven't seen as much of the games as others, but I kind of like the Dutch/Mexico winner to advance at the very least to the title game.

Mexico making the final would be pretty impressive. They were in total disarray during qualifying. Had the US not knocked Panama out of contention with a stoppage time goal in the last CONCACAF qualifier, Mexico would not have made the World Cup finals. As it was, they had to win a play-in game to make it to Brazil. But they certainly seem to have gotten their act together.

They're probably the surprise of the cup so far (moreso than Costa Rica or Spain, IMHO). I saw them play against Brazil at JerryWorld, so it's not just their tie, but their play in other games as well. They look like they're playing to the potential I thought they had 2+ years ago.

Wow what a game!!! Chile gave Brazil all it wanted and then some, but the post saved them FOUR times including the final PK. Congrats to both teams, but the hosts move forward.

(06-27-2014 07:49 AM)Mademen Wrote:  Chile should not be the 4-1 underdog they are versus Brazil. That is a very good team that dominated Spain and gave the Dutch a good game for 70 minutes. I think they pull the upset tomorrow.

They certainly had their chances, but the woodwork did quite a number on Chile at the end. They might need to watch some Mighty Ducks to pick themselves up.

Soccer fans and aficionados, help me here: On a Nigerian corner kick late in today's first half, a French defender bear hugs his Nigerian mark with both arms tightly around his chest, preventing him from stepping back or jumping to reach the ball, which was coming down just over his head. How is this not a foul? And if it were called, wouldn't it be a penalty kick, since it was "in the box"? If so, why would a presumably veteran and skilled defender take such a huge risk of making a blatant bear hug? It's hard to imagine that none of the refs saw it either.

I look forward to an explanation of this tactic.