World Cup (football) 2014.

[Basil]

Just to clarify, what will be the spoiler stance of this thread?  Can we openly discuss results?

I would have thought so.  If I don't want to know the test match score, I stay away from The Cricket thread.  Same thing with the TdF. 

[mattc]

Just to clarify, what will be the spoiler stance of this thread?  Can we openly discuss results?

I would have thought so.  If I don't want to know the test match score, I stay away from The Cricket thread.  Same thing with the TdF.

Sounds about right. But please avoid thoughtless titles 

[Deano]

Tim Vickery, the BBC South American football correspondent, is brilliant.

[andyoxon]

Rik Mayall's Noble England song...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMAFme1hBH0

[Wowbagger]

(click to show/hide)

Englad are knocked out after a penalty shoot-out

Although for that to happen implies a greater success than many are predicting for the Battling British Boys.

[Wowbagger]

I thought I had better find out which countries are involved. It's a bit disappointing that Ireland and Scotland aren't there.

Was it deliberate that all S. American countries were kept apart in the group stages?

[andyoxon]

Italy - England should be good bit of drama; and it's not doomed to penalties either.

[bikenrrd]

I thought I had better find out which countries are involved. It's a bit disappointing that Ireland and Scotland aren't there.

Was it deliberate that all S. American countries were kept apart in the group stages?

Unfortunately Ireland and Scotland are just not good enough to be at the World Cup.  Neither are England, really, but they seem to have scraped in.

The draw for the groups was "random" (a tombola) but could have been as fixed as last night's match was!

[andyoxon]

If you get to the finals - you're good enough to be there.

[Jaded]

I thought I had better find out which countries are involved. It's a bit disappointing that Ireland and Scotland aren't there.

Was it deliberate that all S. American countries were kept apart in the group stages?

Unfortunately Ireland and Scotland are just not good enough to be at the World Cup.  Neither are England, really, but they seem to have scraped in.

The draw for the groups was "random" (a tombola) but could have been as fixed as last night's match was!

Except there were seeds for the draw, so as Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Columbia were seeds, they could not have been drawn in the same group.

Then the remaining African and South American teams were put into a pot (with Italy, to even the numbers out) so Chile and Ecuador couldn't be drawn against each other, and they couldn't be drawn into a pot that already had a South American team in it.

[Graeme]

Just started watching the ITV coverage, waiting for the beginning of the Cameroon v Mexico match.

I can't help wondering about the jingle as they go to the adverts; it isn't the music from Terry Gilliam's "Brazil" is it?

[Dibdib]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tym0MObFpTI

(sorry.)

[Deano]

Fucking hell. If only the Dutch had played like this four years ago!

[Peter]

That was astonishing.  I feel really sorry for Casillas: to have been bamboozled (and fouled) by a rampant side in front of billions must have made him feel awful.  Yet he still had the character to pull off a couple of superb saves late on which seemed to elude the commentators.  I hope they don't drop him.  Poor Torres had another one of those displays that made him such a success at Chelsea.

Things are shaping up nicely!

[Greenbank]

Poor Torres had another one of those displays that made him such a success at Chelsea.

And Chelsea have (recently) bought Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. Will they go to pot next season too?

[Peter]

Hmmm.  Costa seems to have a touch of Alan Pardew about him so might not be playing as often as Jose would like.

[Wowbagger]

Fucking hell. If only the Dutch had played like this four years ago!

I have just seen the score to the Dutch match.

I know nothing whatever of Spain's preparation, but I am reminded of France's "defence" of their World Cup, whenever it was. France were arrogant, under-prepared and, because they were defending champions with a free pass to the finals, totally devoid of competitive match practice. Holland, of course, had something to prove after their foul-fest of four years ago.

I hope Spain recover. I was so pleased for them four years ago, notwithstanding the fact that I had drawn Holland in the YACF sweepstake, and it would be a shame to see them humiliated now.

[mattc]

Fucking hell. If only the Dutch had played like this four years ago!

I have just seen the score to the Dutch match.

I know nothing whatever of Spain's preparation,

I suggest you start your research with their performance in the last 3 major championships.( I.e. WC & Euros ).

[Cudzoziemiec]

Little Cudzo got Greece in his class sweepstake random teams out of a hat thing, so we watched. From boredom to disappointment!

[Biff]

The England soccer team visited an orphanage in Brazil today. 'It's heartbreaking to see their sad little faces and no hope,' said Jose, aged 6.

[Auntie Helen]

How interesting - my friend put that (in German) on his Facebook page a couple of days ago and I copied it onto mine (also in German).

I assumed Stefan had invented it, but perhaps not (he has that sort of humour). Or perhaps he did, and it has made its way around the world...

[andyoxon]

C'mon England!

[Deano]

Has Motson retired? Some other nerk's doing the commentary.

[Pancho]

I'm in bed with insomnia. Is it worth going downstairs to watch the footy?

[Deano]

It's a decent match so far - fairly open at both ends. So, yes.