2014 World Cup

[Rainman]

Not sure what the guidelines of starting these type of threads on these forums, but here goes nothing.

First game takes place June 12th, when the host country takes on Crotia.

Who do you guys predict will meet in the finals? Who do you think will be the eventual winner?

 

[Mizzougrad96]

The US wins on a penalty kick from Landon Donovan who is added to the team as an injury replacement.

I just want the World Cup to go down without an international incident or someone getting killed.

 

[albert77]

Brazil over Germany in the final. U.S. beats Ghana, loses to Portugal and Germany to finish third in its group.

 

[LongTimeListener]

 

[Webster]

I think we get 1 point in the group by tying Ghana.

 

[deskslave]

Brazil over Germany in the final. U.S. beats Ghana, loses to Portugal and Germany to finish third in its group.

Actually an unlikely final, given that if both win their groups, they'd meet in the semifinals.

 

[JC]

If England gets out of their group, they will lose on penalties for the 645th time.

 

[RickStain]

US gets swept out and soccer never arrives.

 

[da man]

It always cracks me up during the Olympics to see women with BRA emblazoned across their chests.

 

[Huggy]

Have no idea who will win or advance to the final but I do know the Toronto area will be overrun with cars sporting flags of countries their drivers have probably never been to and have a very slim connection - if any - to. And the pubs will be full of drunken, raging Englishmen. And Scotsmen provoking them when England flames out in the opening round.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

There are actually Brazilian sports bars in Boston. I plan to give those a wide berth, thanks.

 

[Huggy]

Greektown, Little Italy and Little Portugal in Toronto will be jumping and impossible to navigate on game days.

 

[Inky_Wretch]

I'll take Spain to repeat.

USMNT fails to advance from the Group of Death. Soccer haters show their ignorance by mocking the performance.

 

[albert77]

Brazil over Germany in the final. U.S. beats Ghana, loses to Portugal and Germany to finish third in its group.

Actually an unlikely final, given that if both win their groups, they'd meet in the semifinals.

Well, I had not looked at the bracket for the knockout rounds when I posited that final. But it's still a possiblity. Germans are not a slam-dunk to beat out Portugal for No. 1 in the group, and if they finished second, they'd probably get Russia and Argentina ahead of a semifinal clash with Spain or Italy. Tough, but doable.

As for Team USA, if they can beat Ghana and not get embarrassed against the Portuguese and Germany, I'll call it a successful outing.

 

[deskslave]

Brazil over Germany in the final. U.S. beats Ghana, loses to Portugal and Germany to finish third in its group.

Actually an unlikely final, given that if both win their groups, they'd meet in the semifinals.

Well, I had not looked at the bracket for the knockout rounds when I posited that final. But it's still a possiblity. Germans are not a slam-dunk to beat out Portugal for No. 1 in the group, and if they finished second, they'd probably get Russia and Argentina ahead of a semifinal clash with Spain or Italy. Tough, but doable.

As for Team USA, if they can beat Ghana and not get embarrassed against the Portuguese and Germany, I'll call it a successful outing.

Oh, stranger things have happened for sure. Brazil actually don't have the easiest of roads, as they're likely to get Spain or Holland in the second round. QF might actually be easier, probably against the second-place team in the England/Italy group.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Brazil over Germany in the final. U.S. beats Ghana, loses to Portugal and Germany to finish third in its group.

Actually an unlikely final, given that if both win their groups, they'd meet in the semifinals.

Well, I had not looked at the bracket for the knockout rounds when I posited that final. But it's still a possiblity. Germans are not a slam-dunk to beat out Portugal for No. 1 in the group, and if they finished second, they'd probably get Russia and Argentina ahead of a semifinal clash with Spain or Italy. Tough, but doable.

As for Team USA, if they can beat Ghana and not get embarrassed against the Portuguese and Germany, I'll call it a successful outing.

That seems to be the prevailing opinion about the US, which sucks because it didn't seem that long ago that people were saying this was the best team the US ever had. Sometimes I guess it really comes down to the draw and Portugal and Germany are usually powerhouses.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I don't think Portugal is such a much. I could see the U.S. getting four points out of the group and advancing. Then they'd get beat.

 

[da man]

I don't think Portugal is such a much. I could see the U.S. getting four points out of the group and advancing. Then they'd get beat.

Assuming Ronaldo is playing and healthy, he should kill the U.S. defense, no?

 

[Football_Bat]

I don't think Portugal is such a much. I could see the U.S. getting four points out of the group and advancing. Then they'd get beat.

Assuming Ronaldo is playing and healthy, he should kill the U.S. defense, no?

Ronaldo is a great player, but Portugal is a perpetual underperformer in international play. I won't say the U.S. will beat Portugal, but I think they have a chance to snake a point at least. Beating Ghana is absolutely imperative, of course.

Germany should win the group, but they're banged-up — Klose, Lahm and Schewinsteiger all sat out yesterday's friendly with Cameroon — so I worry about them in the knockout stages.

 

[da man]

And, of course, Brazil's WC stadiums still aren't actually finished:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/unfinished-sao-paulo-stadium-holds-final-test-at-less-than-full-capacity-before-hosting-world-cup-opener-171306088.html