The World Cup Thread

[iftikhar]

So which team would you be supporting, eh! I'm an Argentina fan. But I have got soft-spot for few others too. Holland, Spain and Russia (I fell in love with the USSR team in 82, they played some awesome football and in 86 too) from Europe; Africa (hope Algeria does well, another love from 82) and Uruguay (remember that guy Enzo Francies Coli).

So what about you!

[Art Morte]

Pretty much just England.

I'll be making a bet about the WC with a few people that counts all the stages (last-16, last-8, last-4, the order of the last-4) and you gain points accordingly, so that's going to determine on whose side I'm on in individual games. Will be naming England as champions in the bet.

[McAgger]

Unites States (obvious reasons)
Uruguay (for Luisito)
England (for the Liverpool boys)
Russia (motherland  )
Germany (my pick to win the whole thing and also Reus)

----------------------------------------------
And some other teams I hope do well but I couldn't care less for:
Croatia (for Rakitic and Kovacic  )
Switzerland (Ottmar Hitzfeld)
Bosnia (for Pjanic )
France (for Griezmann, Sakho, and Varane)

Also I would cheer for Italy if someone gets injured and Rossi gets called up. And Brazil if Coutinho is called up.

I'm not a huge international fan, I don't care about it until the World Cup and or Euros.

[McAgger]

[Art Morte]

Sterling's haircut just keeps getting worse.

[BusterLfc]

I will be supporting Uruguay and Chile.
I also hope Iran and Colombia do well too.

[BusterLfc]

Sterling's haircut just keeps getting worse.

lol It keeps getting better
Hoping for a full mohawk El Shaarawy style next season

[Art Morte]

But the picture up there, that's not even a mohawk, that's just a ridiculously shaped tower of hair...

[mr-r34]

1.Australia
2.Any Liverpool player.

[Curtinho]

Netherlands first and foremost and then I also like England and France to a much lesser extent. I'll cheer for Liverpool players if the Netherlands are bumped, and outside of matches against the Netherlands.

[BeautifulGame]

No national favourites.Mostly will be based on Liverpool players.So England( for Gerrard) followed by Uruguay & France .

Not that i will care too much even if any of these lose tbh.WIll just enjoy the football without any nerves unlike watching Liverpool .

[iftikhar]

Netherlands first and foremost and then I also like England and France to a much lesser extent. I'll cheer for Liverpool players if the Netherlands are bumped, and outside of matches against the Netherlands.

Is this the worst Dutch team in WC history?

[RedOranje]

Worst? No.
But it's certainly well below average.

[iftikhar]

Worst? No.
But it's certainly well below average.

They are my favorite European team   .

[Art Morte]

The difficult thing about the Netherlands is that they have a couple of relatively unknown but perhaps ready to surprise players, like Blind, Clasey, Depay, Indi. You really need to have just half of them to step up and have a blazing tournament for the whole team to perform well, because they've got those few established star players, too. I wouldn't say it's a shock if they beat Spain in the first game.

[RedOranje]

There are still too many completely average players in the squad and even starting XI for those youngsters to be able to lift the side, Art. Add to that van Gaal's penchant for limiting youthful exuberance in favour of a rigid and structured set-up and there's all but naught chance that the Netherlands or any of the young up-and-comers will pull any significant surprise at this World Cup.

[iftikhar]

Algeria is the only team where 23 players come 23 clubs.

[Curtinho]

There are still too many completely average players in the squad and even starting XI for those youngsters to be able to lift the side, Art. Add to that van Gaal's penchant for limiting youthful exuberance in favour of a rigid and structured set-up and there's all but naught chance that the Netherlands or any of the young up-and-comers will pull any significant surprise at this World Cup.

I think you're being overly pessimistic. Who are the completely average players on the squad? Like any team there are role players (De Jong, Vlaar), but for the most part the team is just a big question mark. There is a lot of potential there, and it's way too early to say that they are a well below average team. I mean they were comfortably dominant against an energetic Ghana, a side that very nearly made the semi-finals 4 years ago, only last week. Meanwhile the young players have all shown glimpses of high end ability, but as will all young and inexperienced players it's about finding that consistency at the right time. Can they be on top of their games for this tournament?

For me the team has a few questions:
- Will Sneijder return to form for the tournament? (for me this is a yes, as Sneijder is a big game player)
- Can Robben stop being so wasteful in front of goal?
- Will RVP actually step up in the important games now? (I won't hold my breath)
- And finally, what will the younger, inexperienced players do in the face of pressure? (Blind, Indi, Clasie, Wijnaldum, Depay and Janmaat mostly)

This team could still go far, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if they did.

[McAgger]

Ian Dennis
BBC Radio 5 live commentator in Rio
Gerrard exits England training early

Posted at 16:17

Steven Gerrard has come off early in England's first training session in Rio.

The England captain only played the first half against Honduras on Saturday in Miami because he was feeling the effects of a tight groin.

Midfielder Gerrard performed some shuttle runs before going inside as England trained for the first time since arriving in Brazil.

[iftikhar]

My prediction (not very objective) for last 16:

Argentina
Belgium
Bosnia
Brazil
Croatia
Ecuador
England
France
Germany
Ghana
Holland
Ivory Coast
Japan
Korea
Spain
Uruguay

[Curtinho]

My final 8 are:

Netherlands vs. Italy
Spain vs. England
Switzerland vs. Portugal
France vs. Belgium

I have France taking the final over the Netherlands and Portugal beating Spain for 3rd place.

[Art Morte]

My final 8 are:

Netherlands vs. Italy
Spain vs. England
Switzerland vs. Portugal
France vs. Belgium

I have France taking the final over the Netherlands and Portugal beating Spain for 3rd place.

Eight European teams in the last eight, then

[Curtinho]

 

[iftikhar]

why in the world do they have play at such god-forsaken hours!?!?

[BeautifulGame]

England Italy game at 3:30 am for me   .

That too after the Uruguay game which will finish at 2:30  

  Have to forsake the whole night sleep   

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