OT: World Cup - Quarterfinals begin
Who cares?
Pretty much the entire world
Most of the world - that's who cares. I don't even like soccer but I love the World Cup.
Edgy take
C'mon Germany!!
Ugh missing some great games while being at work today. I know there’s games on tomorrow, but I’d rather see the lineup today vs. England/Sweden and Russia/Croatia tomorrow.
Sucks it's in Russia and the games are at 10a and 2p and I'm gonna miss them
and before someone chimes in that I should just watch at work, it's not the same even if I did.
Yeah, I can't see them either as working. It sucks so really looking forward to seeing tomorrow's matches. The best I remember in summer of 2010 I embraced my unemployment by watching almost every match of the world cup and going to bars for beer and breakfast early in the morning when the US played.
Allez les bleus
538 Blog is live and changes with the ongoing results.
BEFORE kick off today their rankings of the last 8 teams are as follows: (1) Brazil, (2) Belgium, (3) France, (4) England, (5T) Croatia, (5T) Uruguay, (7) Sweden, (8) Russia.
BEFORE kick off today - odds of winning it all: (1) Brazil, (2T) England, (2T) France, (4) Croatia, (5) Belgium, (6) Uruguay, (7) Sweden, (8) Russia.
England and Croatia appear to benefit from a weaker side of the bracket.
Couldn't care less about Wimbledon, but watch World Cup.
Tour de France and World Cup are both great, imo.
In an article recently published in the American Journal of Obstetric Medicine, research now indicates that a woman giving birth to a large child can come close to experiencing the excruciating pain felt by a World Cup soccer player when someone lightly touches his leg.
Very original
Man I definitely get how the flopping aspect of the sport is a big turn-off to many and I personally get annoyed with it, but it's the worse if I am watching the World Cup and someone is on the ground as then I got to hear a minute rant from a casual soccer viewer how annoying the flopping is. We get it. Rant over
The flopping is awful. It's terrible to watch, and even worse, it is frequently effective.
The impact that getting a single call can make is too large in the sport. And any call in the box results in a PK, even if that player wasn't a threat to score at that moment (and someone else gets to take the kick).
Of the teams left one has a cheer that translates to lets go blue and two of the teams left have yellow and blue as their primary colors. I'm a simple man, lets go France, Brazil, and Sweden.
Europe over South America.
Only once has a South american team won in Europian WC.
That was everything it was billed up to be, just incredible poise from Belgium down the stretch.
France vs Belgium could be pretty epic. Both teams are stacked across the board.
Question for the World Cup followers on the board:
For Brazil, what is a worse outcome?
A. Getting run off the field (pitch) by the Germans 7-1 in the Championship Game, or
B. Losing 2-0 to Belgium in the Quarterfinals in a Game where your team had nearly 50% more possession, double the shots, double the corner kicks, etc.
shame on me for relying on the ESPN website which for some reason seems to be stuck at 73'. But instead of 2-0, the questions still holds (and is probably more relevant as a 2-1 final score).
It was in the Semis and on home turf. It was traumatizing for Brazilians. The Germans gutted them like no one ever has on the biggest stage in Brazil. Until they win another Cup that loss will linger.
Today was merely deeply disappointing.
World Cup 2014 loss to Germany easily. Belgium is loaded with talent so really no shame in losing to them by a goal, although obviously I'm sure this one will sting for a while. I will say Brazil is still easily ultimately the most consistent country in the world cup going on decades now.
Brazil wins their titles in streaks(Three Cup wins between 1958-1970 and two between 94-2002)
I’ve watched the last two Belgium games and Lukaku is amazing and so fun to watch. He is my new favorite player. This is worth a read.
https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2018/7/6/17542178/endless-delight-watching-romelu-lukaku-world-cup