2014 World Cup

[Liep]

Well, Algeria is France's B side, so cheer up.

Indeed, and I'm only sad on behalf of my picks, this WC keeps delivering.

[FunkMonk]

Well, Algeria is France's B side, so cheer up.

Indeed, and I'm only sad on behalf of my picks, this WC keeps delivering.

Me too. I originally made my picks based on the conventional wisdom that World Cup matches are generally boring and defensive. I am very happy to see I was very wrong about that. 

[FunkMonk]

Flip busts out his reverse psychology Phillipino witchcraft.

I think the accuracy of my predictive powers, evidenced by my astonishing 44.83% accuracy in the Languish pool, is not within any boundaries of doubt. 

[Duque de Bragança]

This will be an interesting one for the pool, if anything.
Duque seems to have forgotten about this game 

I was thinking of picking the result just before the game. Turns out the picnic was more lively and longer than expected. Don't think I would have put Algeria as winner though.

[Norgy]

Didn't really expect six goals in this game, I must admit.

[alfred russel]

I take this world cup as vindication of my idea from many years ago that the goals should be bigger. More goals = more excitement.

[Norgy]

If I am not mistaken, you suggested goals the size of Canada.

[alfred russel]

If I am not mistaken, you suggested goals the size of Canada.

I was probably frustrated after watching back to back 0-0 draws. 

[alfred russel]

I will say though, that I think the bigger improvement in this world cup vs. others is that the officiating has been better. It seems like it used to be FIFA was always introducing a new point of emphasis right before the cup, which combined with sometimes dodgy officials, resulted in lots of iffy red cards and penalties.

[FunkMonk]

Prediction for USA's group:

1st place: Germany
2nd place: Ghana

Ghana will find a way to knock us out. 

[Admiral Yi]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/sports/worldcup/for-us-soccer-team-honesty-may-not-be-the-best-policy.html?WT.mc_id=D-E-AD-RSS-MOSTSHARED-0614&WT.mc_ev=click&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1402601509000&bicmet=1420054309000&_r=0

NYT article about the need for the US to learn to flop.  Got to it from the Guarniad site.

[Ed Anger]

Prediction for USA's group:

1st place: Germany
2nd place: Ghana

Ghana will find a way to knock us out. 

Good.

[Duque de Bragança]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/16/sports/worldcup/for-us-soccer-team-honesty-may-not-be-the-best-policy.html?WT.mc_id=D-E-AD-RSS-MOSTSHARED-0614&WT.mc_ev=click&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1402601509000&bicmet=1420054309000&_r=0

NYT article about the need for the US to learn to flop.  Got to it from the Guarniad site.

Debunked already
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/culture-lifestyle/140618/new-york-times-claims-usa-soccer-players-dont-flop-wrong

[Norgy]

I will say though, that I think the bigger improvement in this world cup vs. others is that the officiating has been better. It seems like it used to be FIFA was always introducing a new point of emphasis right before the cup, which combined with sometimes dodgy officials, resulted in lots of iffy red cards and penalties.

We've had an iffy penalty on day one. It shouldn't have been given. But apart from that, the refereeing has been better than usual. Maybe their demands for bribes have gone up. The standards as to what's acceptable when it comes to holding, grabbing shirts and tackling from behind have all become more stringent, but footsoccerballfutbol will always be a physical contact sport. So I think some referees at times just give too many free kicks, as the rules for just faking it haven't become as stringent.
Compared to say the 1978, 1982 and the 1990 World Cups, this has been a fair one.

[Josephus]

I will say though, that I think the bigger improvement in this world cup vs. others is that the officiating has been better. It seems like it used to be FIFA was always introducing a new point of emphasis right before the cup, which combined with sometimes dodgy officials, resulted in lots of iffy red cards and penalties.

This. I said as much to my brother the other day. Previous world cups had FIFA issuing new rules for referees to enforce which normally meant refs dishing out cards like they were monopoly money. The refereeing has been above par this world cup so far...yes the odd missed penalty, but that's bound to happen. 5 stars for the refereeing.