The Official European Football Thread

[Don Corleone]

Natra - I'm reading in todays papers that your guys are hoping to avoid England in the 2nd round, is this true?

I watched the game on Friday (Germany vs Costa Rica) and I think you'd take us.

[jero]

And thats one!
Thanks Lee Natra!

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by Don Corleone
They'll finish runners up in the group, and go out in the 2nd round to Germany.

Well that's what I was hoping for but the Trinidad & Tobago result has fucked that up.

Sweden seem to be off form.

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by trueblue
hey Jero, i really do love German football

I don't usually like German football but this team isn't like the usual ones. Very attacking with a shit defence.

What people always forget is that half the games after the group stages end up being penalty shootouts which means there is a hell of a lot of luck involved and Germany are brilliant at shootouts and Holland, Italy and England are shit at them.

Everyone seems to assume that Brazil will win but it's in Europe. South American teams never win in Europe, when was the last time 1958?

There is every chance that Germany will win it.

It's unlikely England will win it because their manager is such an insanely useless cunt. They have a couple of great midfielders but no strikers.

[POJO_Risin]

Can anyone give me a fair synopsis on the US chances tomorrow against the Czech Republic?

I know the Czech's are good...and many consider this team perhaps its greatest...

but for those of you outside the US...is there a legit chance for the US squad to win this game...or at the very least...tie it?

I'm looking at legit, unbias here...not anti-American...

I know the US is overrated at #5...but...

they weren't expected to win in '02 either...

[POJO_Risin]

In my extensive reading Sesh...I've noticed that the common trend has always been that South and Central American teams struggle in European matches...and Europeans struggle in American matches...

and when I say struggle...I mean...just don't play as well so far away from home turf...which just makes a lot of sense...

I'm trying like hell to get into soccer...futbol...football...whatever...once and for all this year...

it's hard when you really only have rudimentary knowledge of the players in rudimentary leagues...and I'm not one to pick shit up without actually seeing it...

For example...I was watching England the other day...and realized it was the first time I'd ever seen Beckham play in a live match...

and frankly...he's the only player I knew on the team...because he's a bit of a celebrity over here...

anyways...just trying to figure all this shit out...

[Seshmeister]

The US team is workmanlike and good at grinding out results. They usually overachieve which is a good thing. Usually the Dutch and the Scottish underachieve which sucks...

The Czech's are usually very good though. The thing about football at this level compared to gridiron or baseball is that there is a fair degree of luck, or individual moments of genious that win games.

The US will have some chances, the Czechs will too so it comes down to who puts them in the net. That's why you should never bet on football and what makes it all so fascinating for everyone outwith the US at least...

[POJO_Risin]

It does seem like the US at least BELIEVES that they have a great "team" atmosphere...

and are doing a nice job of letting everyone know how overranked they are...

Do you...Sesh...see the foundations of a great team here if someone would actually give a shit?

[Seshmeister]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
For example...I was watching England the other day...and realized it was the first time I'd ever seen Beckham play in a live match...

It was a pretty shit game, especially the second half.

The key to football is that you need to pick a team and support it in each game, To a neutral the second half was pretty tedious but to me screaming at every fucking tackle desparately hoping Paraguy will score completely changes the experiance.

Also compared to US sports it's much more free flowing but there are less goals. A lot of Americans see this as a weakness in the sport because there are less goals but actually that's the strength of the thing. Firstly goals are not everything and secondly view it as tantric sex rather than sitting jerking off 10 times.

But the biggest and most important thin about it is the internationalism. It's war without people dying. It's your country against another. You just don't get that in Baseball or American football. In just about every game there are all sorts of other agendas.

I'm just so fucking pissed off that after making 5 world cups in a row we've missed this one which is a disaster. I can't describe the amazing feeling of going to another country and getting wrecked with people from all over the world...

Imagine going to Times Square in NYC and there isn't a single person on the street. That's what it's like in the 32 countries in the World Cup just now during games.

Cheers!

[POJO_Risin]

Except in the US...lmfao...but it's getting better...

I concur...and find myself hoping upon all hope that the US can beat the Czech's...and then Italy...and not only MAKE IT THOUGH round 1...but make it through with a big fuck you...

that being said...I'll take a win, a tie and a loss to get us through as well...

It's funny...there aren't many sports in which I think the WORLD per se...can challenge the US (although that's changing...as basketball in the olympics has proven)...

what I will say is that Soccer isn't one of them...

it's interesting being the underdog in something...and wanting to shove the preverbial stick up someone's ass if we can win...

that being said...when that fucker from Mexico I think it was..."pissed" after he goaled...

and when that homo from South Korea in the last Cup...pretended he was speed skating...

I got a bit into it...

I was watching Mexico and Iran today...and realized that I was hoping they'd either end up in a 0-0 tie...

or execute each other...

[POJO_Risin]

...and trust me Sesh...there is serious trouble here in Raleigh...

we have a large population of illegal Mexican immigrants...and there are many job sites worried that they won't have any workers this week...

and as silly as that sounds...it's been a news item all week...lmfao...

of course...I'm thinking..."Wouldn't it be a good way to FIND THE FUCKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS?"

Fuckers...

[Seshmeister]

It's possible the US could beat Italy. They are not too good these days.

We've played both in the last year and the US was just as good as Italy.

[Seshmeister]

It's kind of fucked up, Like Brazil in Scotland we eat breath and live soccer. But there are 16 times as many Brazilians in the world.

It takes up half the newspapers here and we never even qualified. Thing is that in the US 15 million people play soccer and we only have a population of 5 million.

The whole thing is pretty open but it will be a European team that will win.

[POJO_Risin]

I think the outward goal of the US is to tie either Czech or Italy...and beat Angola...

I think the inward goal of the US is to win all three games...or at the very least...go 2-0-1...

they keep saying how they got screwed by the rankings...but there isn't a better "team."

I do think they have a chance...and I do think they think they are playing the world tomorrow...

which may not be far from the truth...

[Seshmeister]

On paper the US shul end up 3rd and get knocked out but they may scrape through if they get lucky.

The Africans are shit.

Realistically the US should be around 20th in the world but the way the World Cup works is that they make sure that cuntries from all over the world qualify. The 32 teams are absolutely not the best 32 teams in the world however the best 10 teams are there.