The FIFA World Cup 2014 Thread

[Stavros]

The draw for the 2014 World Cup will be made tomorrow (Friday 6th December 2013). The odd seedings which have placed Switzerland along with Germany and Spain as the highest ranking European teams is due in part to the friendly matches played which count against teams that don't win them. There is also a suspicion that the unseeded European teams are not being treated equally and that France, statistically one of the weakest, will nevertheless get a better draw than England. Whatever.

What are your favourite World Cup Memories?
Who do you expect to make it to the last 4?
Who is your wild card?
Which player(s) will emerge heroic from the tournament or fail to impress?

Favourite memories:
1) England winning the cup in 1966 -one of the best team performances the Engand team have ever produced; the 1966 competition also marked the start of a history of bad-tempered/controversial matches with Argentina, including bad tackles and the captain, Rattin being sent off.

2) Mexico 1970 Brazil -vs- Italy: there are no words of wonder left to describe this performance, in which Pele consolidated his position as the greatest player of all time (so far); it was the joy with which Brazil played that came though most of all, we have never seen football played like this since that day.

3) Spain 1982 -the semi-final between France and West Germany was one of the most memorable and dramatic I can recall, with possibly the worst tackle in the tournament's history when West Germany's goalkeeper Schumacher almost decapitated Battiston who was charging alone into the penalty area and almost certain to score-a foul for which Schumacher wasn't even carded and a game which the Germans went on to win. This was the most likely French team to win the cup before the 1998 team, and many still feel bitter about the game, so were pleased to see the Germans beaten in the final by a wonderful Italian side -possibly the best Italian team of recent vintage.



4) Mexico 1986 -Argentina -vs- England: yes, the 'hand of God' goal- Maradona cheated, it was as simple and as devastating as that -I could never take him seriously as a footballer after that: bad sportsmanship, the opposite of fair play, he should have been banned for life.

5. France 1998: Netherlands -vs- Argentina -Denis Bergkamp was one of the finest players never to win a final, along with Roberto Baggio -this one goal against England's destroyers Argentina following another controversial match in which Beckham was sent off, sent most of the UK into orange delight. It is even worth watching, again and again. One of the best.



Predictions:
Last Four: Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina.

Wild Cards: Colombia, Belgium

Players: Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo have the most to prove.

[Stavros]

Group A
Brazil, Mexico, Croatia, Cameroon
Most likely to go through: Brazil, Mexico but Croatia have a habit of beating good teams.

Group B
Spain, Chile, Australia, Netherlands
Most likely to go through: Spain and the Netherlands, but Chile can't be ruled out.

Group C
Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Most likely to go through: Colombia and Japan

Group D
Uruguay, England, Costa Rica, Italy
Most likely to go through: England and Italy, probably on goal difference.

Group E
Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Most likely to go through: Ecuador and France, I don't rate Switzerland and don't know anything about Honduras.

Group F
Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Most likely to go through: Argentina, Nigeria

Group G
Germany, Ghana, Portugal, USA
This is a tough group but I reckon Germany and Portugal will go through

Group H
Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea
Belgium and Russia from this one, I think South Korea are not as good as once they were.

Exciting! All we need now is for Brazil to finish building the stadia...

England have a reasonable group -I can't see them beating Italy, a draw with Uruguay is possible, a victory over Costa Rica essential: going to be tight.

[top4bigbutt]

URUGUAY all the way

[SammiValentine]

england are wank. more chance of a nil-nilo with italy than keeping cavani and saurez etc out, in south america.. hellooooo south america???? we cant get the ball off chile at wembley!!! . dream on england

have fun roy!!!

[robertlouis]

england are wank. more chance of a nil-nilo with italy than keeping cavani and saurez etc out, in south america.. hellooooo south america???? we cant get the ball off chile at wembley!!! . dream on england

have fun roy!!!

Think you're being a bit harsh there Sammi. Yes, this is a Scotsman speaking!

I agree that they'll do well to get out of the group, but paradoxically I think that if they do, their chances of progressing will be better. Italy will be in the mix at the end, but are notoriously slow starters, so a tedious draw in the first game is likely. Then a hard-fought draw against Uruguay and hopefully a win (yes, I'm still Scottish ) against Costa Rica, ending up with 5 points. Then it depends on whether Italy and Uruguay cancel each other out and it could come down to goal difference.

But you're right. It is in South America, and aside from the usual suspects, Brazil and Argentina, I'd keep an eye open for Colombia, Uruguay and Chile (just for you, Nikka ). Best European hopes? Spain, Germany, Italy.

Personally, I'd like a repeat of the 2002 final - Brazil vs Germany.

[SammiValentine]

Think you're being a bit harsh there Sammi. Yes, this is a Scotsman speaking!

I agree that they'll do well to get out of the group, but paradoxically I think that if they do, their chances of progressing will be better. Italy will be in the mix at the end, but are notoriously slow starters, so a tedious draw in the first game is likely. Then a hard-fought draw against Uruguay and hopefully a win (yes, I'm still Scottish ) against Costa Rica, ending up with 5 points. Then it depends on whether Italy and Uruguay cancel each other out and it could come down to goal difference.

But you're right. It is in South America, and aside from the usual suspects, Brazil and Argentina, I'd keep an eye open for Colombia, Uruguay and Chile (just for you, Nikka ). Best European hopes? Spain, Germany, Italy.

Personally, I'd like a repeat of the 2002 final - Brazil vs Germany.

I cant see how a favorable draw after the group stage is paradoxical its a fact who gets out of our group avoids the big guns next round..

re Costa Rica well we are truely wank if we cant beat them. A recent survey in high schools discovered that 35% of year 10 students believe that "Costa Rica" Is a Poundland/ Discount store. *


* I could of made this up but sounds about right D: D: ENGGGERRRRRRRRRRRRRLUNNNNDDDDDD.

[Stavros]

I cant see how a favorable draw after the group stage is paradoxical its a fact who gets out of our group avoids the big guns next round..A recent survey in high schools discovered that 35% of year 10 students believe that "Costa Rica" Is a Poundland/ Discount store. *

Quip about Costa Rica one of the funniest things I have read for ages...however, Costa Rica does have some tasty strikers, and Suarez who needed 10 shots on goal to score 2 has, since his brief spell as a mosquito, become one of the best strikers in the world -at an ominous time, unless he too is exhausted by the time they get to Brazil.

I sat down and tried to work out the perms:
If Brazil win their group and Mexico run up they are most likely to play either the Netherlands or Spain in the first knockout stage. If Colombia and Ivory Coast come through their group they will play England/Uruguay/Italy in the knockout and if England come through that most likely face Brazil in the Quarter-Final, or Spain. England actually has a good record of playing Brazil in Brazil, but if they beat Brazil their most likely Semi-Finalist is Germany assuming the latter beat France/Switzerland or Ecuador. It is also possible that England doing well would meet Argentina in the Semi-Final if Argentina do well.

As I said before I think, Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo have the most to prove on current reputations, and we don't really know how teams like Chile, Colombia, and Belgium will perform with young and exciting players. A final between Brazil and Portugal is possible -is this going to be Ronaldo's tournament?

[robertlouis]

Quip about Costa Rica one of the funniest things I have read for ages...however, Costa Rica does have some tasty strikers, and Suarez who needed 10 shots on goal to score 2 has, since his brief spell as a mosquito, become one of the best strikers in the world -at an ominous time, unless he too is exhausted by the time they get to Brazil.

I sat down and tried to work out the perms:
If Brazil win their group and Mexico run up they are most likely to play either the Netherlands or Spain in the first knockout stage. If Colombia and Ivory Coast come through their group they will play England/Uruguay/Italy in the knockout and if England come through that most likely face Brazil in the Quarter-Final, or Spain. England actually has a good record of playing Brazil in Brazil, but if they beat Brazil their most likely Semi-Finalist is Germany assuming the latter beat France/Switzerland or Ecuador. It is also possible that England doing well would meet Argentina in the Semi-Final if Argentina do well.

As I said before I think, Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo have the most to prove on current reputations, and we don't really know how teams like Chile, Colombia, and Belgium will perform with young and exciting players. A final between Brazil and Portugal is possible -is this going to be Ronaldo's tournament?

I have to confess that I haven't analysed the draw and its possibilities as forensically as you have, Stavros, for which much thanks. So Brazil v Germany would be a semifinal only. Oh well.

[SammiValentine]

This is quite a disturbing video from a match in brazil this week I think. TBH very disturbing and hard to watch so do not say I did not warn you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu-Xp7IyUWw&feature=player_detailpage

Played in some bizzaire circumstance where police not allowed in stadium due to a local law (Wtf) but shows things really could kick off there... I think we will see some evil police control, but i think they need it.

Sombre thought.

[Stavros]

This is quite a disturbing video from a match in brazil this week I think. TBH very disturbing and hard to watch so do not say I did not warn you.

Played in some bizzaire circumstance where police not allowed in stadium due to a local law (Wtf) but shows things really could kick off there... I think we will see some evil police control, but i think they need it.

Sombre thought.

This kind of violence happens in Brazil because home and away fans can sit wherever they like, apparently the world cup venues will also use private security rather than the police, but my guess is all of those bodies are corrupt owing to the gulf between haves and have-nots in Brazil. That said, since most people will not be able to afford the tickets, crowd violence at the World Cup is more than likely to be rare, as it usually is -football hooliganism was rife in England in 1966, and there were a lot of assumptions about problems in South Africa because of the crime rate there which didn't become a problem in their hosting. But there is always a first, let's hope it doesn't happen. Report on the match in the youtube link from the Washington Post here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports...2ab_story.html