US Men's National Team Soccer Thread! (lower division thread)

[jmlynch1]

WisGhansin

[Tobias]

eff it guys, beat Ghana take a point from Ronaldo and let's see what happens.

yeah, i'm not gonna panic yet. i mean germany's a lock, but portugal and ghana are pretty bipolar.  who knows.

Eagle Beak the eff out of everyone!!!!!

oh man, i need to fire up the gif machine or something

[sunny_cat]

WisGhansin

Good effort, but no, denied. Style of play nothing like Wiscy/Housconsin.

[kitten_mittons]

[sunny_cat]

A:
Brazil
Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

B:
Spain
Netherlands
Chile
Australia

C:
Colombia
Greece
Ivory Coast
Japan

D:
Uruguay
Costa Rica
England
Italy

E:
Switzerland
Ecuador
France
Honduras

F:
Argentina
Bosnia
Iran
Nigeria

G:
Germany
Portugal
Ghana
USA

H:
Belgium
Algeria
Russia
Korea Republic

Group Winner
Group Runner-up

R16:
Brazil v. Chile
Spain v. Mexico
Columbia v. Italy
Uruguay v. Greece
France v. Bosnia
Argentina v. Switzerland
Germany v. Russia
USA v. Belgium

Quarter:
Brazil v. Spain
Italy v. Greece
France v. Argentina
Germany v. USA

Semi:
Spain v. Italy
Argentina v. Germany

Final:
Spain v. Germany



I'm such an American homer.

I think I did all that right. Let me know if I made a mistake in the way the brackets form.

[asava]

really not that bad.

What makes you say that? Best team in the world (Germany), team that owns us (Ghana), and team with the second best player in the world (Portugal). We are by FAR the worst team. Not saying advancing is impossible, but this is a very tough draw.

no. 1, i don't believe that Germany is the be best team in the world. Based on averages from ELO and ESPN Power rankings...

Germany = 3.5

Portugal = 12 (it should be noted that Portugal's ELO rating is 8, which is ridiculously high).

Ghana = 28.5

USA = 15


Portugal is one very dangerous man with a very attackable defense. Given that the USA has moved away from the counter style of the past, I like our chances if we can some how contain Ronaldo. Germany isn't unbeatable, but pretty close to it. Probably lose that one. Ghana isn't as dangerous as it was. Gyan is a great forward, but we have the bodies and the strength to (hopefully) keep him under wraps. I think we can take 3 points there.

Tie portugal, win over ghana and a loss to Germany may prove to be enough. If we can win over Ghana, and potentially tie portugal or tie, the pressure will be on both Ghana and Portugal in that final game. All i'm saying is, at least we aren't in Group D or Group B, both of which may have been insurmountable. Stop claiming this is the group of death. it isn't.

[sunny_cat]

I never said "Group of Death." Everyone on ESPN is though. I still think this is a very tough draw, and I think Germany is the best team in the world. Don't really care what any rankings say.

[asava]

I never said "Group of Death." Everyone on ESPN is though. I still think this is a very tough draw, and I think Germany is the best team in the world. Don't really care what any rankings say.

I'm not saying I adhere to the rankings, just don't think that Germany is better than Spain. They are ridiculous though. What i am saying, though, is that it is a group that gives us an opportunity to advance. Time to grow the eff up and play some big boy soccer.

[mocat]

WisGhansin

 

[sunny_cat]

I never said "Group of Death." Everyone on ESPN is though. I still think this is a very tough draw, and I think Germany is the best team in the world. Don't really care what any rankings say.

I'm not saying I adhere to the rankings, just don't think that Germany is better than Spain. They are ridiculous though. What i am saying, though, is that it is a group that gives us an opportunity to advance. Time to grow the eff up and play some big boy soccer.

 

That's fair. Spain is definitely 1 or 2 imo. For some reason, I've just started to lean towards Germany over the past year or 2.

[mocat]

my rage will turn to unbridled optimism by next June

[Nick Florences Beard]

This group should not even be possible.

Also from German perspective, hate playing Ghana again. Was tough last time and Muller got a BS yellow. Hope US is the 2nd team to advance from this group. Portugese tears etc...

What in the eff? This is the rough ridin' US National Team Thread you eff.

Using it as WC thread.

[asava]

I never said "Group of Death." Everyone on ESPN is though. I still think this is a very tough draw, and I think Germany is the best team in the world. Don't really care what any rankings say.

I'm not saying I adhere to the rankings, just don't think that Germany is better than Spain. They are ridiculous though. What i am saying, though, is that it is a group that gives us an opportunity to advance. Time to grow the eff up and play some big boy soccer.

 

That's fair. Spain is definitely 1 or 2 imo. For some reason, I've just started to lean towards Germany over the past year or 2.

Germany's youth is definitely tops, but Spain's chemistry and style win out. Maybe the pure fact that Puyol didn't get the call up is reason enough for me to put them at 1.

[Nick Florences Beard]

Predictos

Hard to pick against Spain until they actually lose. Boring and gutless of me but I'd take Spain right now. I do think it being in South America will really help the South American countries. Could see some interesting results.

[sunny_cat]

Predictos

Hard to pick against Spain until they actually lose. Boring and gutless of me but I'd take Spain right now. I do think it being in South America will really help the South American countries. Could see some interesting results.

Yeah, a lot of people are saying Brazil is the favorite. I don't see Columbia, Argentina, Uruguay having a shot to win it all.

Can def see Spain winning it.

[sunny_cat]

I never said "Group of Death." Everyone on ESPN is though. I still think this is a very tough draw, and I think Germany is the best team in the world. Don't really care what any rankings say.

I'm not saying I adhere to the rankings, just don't think that Germany is better than Spain. They are ridiculous though. What i am saying, though, is that it is a group that gives us an opportunity to advance. Time to grow the eff up and play some big boy soccer.

 

That's fair. Spain is definitely 1 or 2 imo. For some reason, I've just started to lean towards Germany over the past year or 2.

Germany's youth is definitely tops, but Spain's chemistry and style win out. Maybe the pure fact that Puyol didn't get the call up is reason enough for me to put them at 1.

Does Ramos play CB or RB more these days? Would their CBs be Pique/Ramos?

[bubbles4ksu]

all morning i'd been telling myself that we had the home hemisphere advantage but it turns out that both ghana and portugal are on our half of the world. 

everything is mumped.

[Nick Florences Beard]

Well Sunny I think of all the SA teams Brazil and Colombia have the best chance to win the whole damn thing. Colombia's group broke well for them. Argentina is too volatile and Uruguay had to go to the playoff against the AFC (lol FIFA) to qualify but who knows when you have a world class player (as both countries do) anything is possible. I think there is potential for teams who can't really win the whole thing like Ecuador and Chile to advance from their group.

Edit: I got groups mixed up. 

[scottwildcat]

A:
Brazil
Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

B:
Spain
Netherlands
Chile
Australia

C:
Colombia
Greece
Ivory Coast
Japan

D:
Uruguay
Costa Rica
England
Italy

E:
Switzerland
Ecuador
France
Honduras

F:
Argentina
Bosnia
Iran
Nigeria

G:
Germany
Portugal
Ghana
USA

H:
Belgium
Algeria
Russia
Korea Republic

Group Winner
Group Runner-up

R16:
Brazil v. Chile
Spain v. Mexico
Columbia v. Italy
Uruguay v. Greece
France v. Bosnia
Argentina v. Switzerland
Germany v. Russia
USA v. Belgium

Quarter:
Brazil v. Spain
Italy v. Greece
France v. Argentina
Germany v. USA

Semi:
Spain v. Italy
Argentina v. Germany

Final:
Spain v. Germany



I'm such an American homer.

I think I did all that right. Let me know if I made a mistake in the way the brackets form.

you def got the brackets wrong bud.

http://games.espn.go.com/world-cup-bracket-predictor/2014/en/entry

[Tobias]

i don't particularly follow ESP but was puyol actually even trying to get called up?  heck, he was supposed to call it quits internationally after the last world cup, still ended up playing some anyways, and has just recently returned to play after more than half a year out for major knee surgery.  also is 35.  is he back to playing regularly for barca?

but yes, point definitely stands that they're a very good team and right up there with germany

[Tobias]

well that was an adorable post, bubbs

[asava]

whoa. looking at this, if we get out of group play, we will have one of the easier roads to the semi's in knockout stages. we wouldn't have to worry about brazil, spain, netherlands, italy, uruguay, or columbia. arguably the hardest team we could face would be Argentina. hmmmmm.

[asava]

i don't particularly follow ESP but was puyol actually even trying to get called up?  heck, he was supposed to call it quits internationally after the last world cup, still ended up playing some anyways, and has just recently returned to play after more than half a year out for major knee surgery.  also is 35.  is he back to playing regularly for barca?

but yes, point definitely stands that they're a very good team and right up there with germany

i just think that he is an absolute liability and has been for years.

[Tobias]

whoa. looking at this, if we get out of group play, we will have one of the easier roads to the semi's in knockout stages. we wouldn't have to worry about brazil, spain, netherlands, italy, uruguay, or columbia. arguably the hardest team we could face would be Argentina. hmmmmm.

i like this positive thinking

[Tobias]

i just think that he is an absolute liability and has been for years.

total agreement here - i think i read your statement differently than you meant it.  thought you were trying to say that spain is so good that even puyol wasn't getting the call up, rather than "spain is better without puyol"