2014 World Cup

[Valmy]

VICTORY FOR THE STATUS QUO.  IF YOU HAVE NOT WON A WORLD CUP BEFORE YOU CANNOT WIN IT

If Germany wins the status quo will be shattered though.

[Monoriu]

VICTORY FOR THE STATUS QUO.  IF YOU HAVE NOT WON A WORLD CUP BEFORE YOU CANNOT WIN IT

If Germany wins the status quo will be shattered though.

This is how I define "status quo" -

The most important objective, that the WC must stay in Europe and S. America, was complete when Costa Rica was kicked out.

Now, the second most important objective, that only those who have won it before may win it, is complete.

Next, we go for the icing on the cake, that a WC tournament held in S. America should be won by a S. American country. 

Germany winning it is not as perfect as Argentina winning it, but I consider that the job is 99% done in any case.

[Syt]

Well, I'm glad I went to bad early to bring down the sleep deficit. Though the game would have put me to sleep, anyways, it seems.

Feeling sorry for the Dutch. I hope in the final we see a repeat of Germany's performance against Argentina in the 2010 World Cup. I really don't like the Argentinian team.

[Valmy]

Ah but no European team has won it in this hemisphere before.  THE STATUS QUO SHALL FALL.

A little bit anyway.

[Monoriu]

Ah but no European team has won it in this hemisphere before.  THE STATUS QUO SHALL FALL.

A little bit anyway.

I am very open-minded.  I can live with a German victory in Brazil

[FunkMonk]

Do everyone a favor though and destroy Brazil in the 3rd place game too. That would be great.

Do you guys remember the game in Argentina when River Plate got relegated and the fans rioted preventing the game from continuing?

Is this the one you're talking about? 

http://youtu.be/XF30ZZ4Ahek

[Zanza]

The Argentines seem to do quite well in penalty shoot-outs.  Their goal keeper is impressive.  This may persuade the Germans to play more aggressively.

They have only ever lost one penalty shootout at the world cup. To Germany.

[Eddie Teach]

Ah but no European team has won it in this hemisphere before.  THE STATUS QUO SHALL FALL.

A little bit anyway.

China will win in 2026, 2030 at the latest. Just telling you guys(Mono) so you'll be prepared.

[Monoriu]

Ah but no European team has won it in this hemisphere before.  THE STATUS QUO SHALL FALL.

A little bit anyway.

China will win in 2026, 2030 at the latest. Just telling you guys(Mono) so you'll be prepared.

I am not worried about China.  They suck so bad that it is almost hilarious to watch them play.  The Chinese football league is a farce.  The problems are deeply rooted within the political institutions and I don't see any change in the horizon.  They are very far behind Japan and S. Korea, and even these two countries don't go far in WC competitions, the 2002 one being an exception as they were hosts. 

The one that I am really worried about is the US.  If they are as passionate about soccer as they are about basketball, the rest of the world is screwed.  Someday we'll all watch the US soccer league instead of the English Premier League.

[alfred russel]

Is this the one you're talking about? 

http://youtu.be/XF30ZZ4Ahek

Oh yes. The best part was when the government tried to change the structure of the league to prevent River Plate from ending up relegated.

[Eddie Teach]

One day they'll figure that a gold medal in a sport nobody plays isn't as important as winning in the most popular sport and then national prestige will demand it. The US is more motivated by pride than prestige, so we'll continue favoring our own inventions.

OTOH, we certainly have enough Mexicans and Africans(the ones not descended from slaves) and commie pinko granola white boys to give it a go. I mean, if the Netherlands and Belgium can field competitive teams... 

[Valmy]

One day they'll figure that a gold medal in a sport nobody plays isn't as important as winning in the most popular sport and then national prestige will demand it. The US is more motivated by pride than prestige, so we'll continue favoring our own inventions.

OTOH, we certainly have enough Mexicans and Africans(the ones not descended from slaves) and commie pinko granola white boys to give it a go. I mean, if the Netherlands and Belgium can field competitive teams... 

We don't have to favor soccer to be the best in the world at it.  We are the third biggest nation in the world and the two ones that are bigger are non-entities.  We just need 11 elite players so we don't need the whole nation mobilized for this project.  The commie pinkos and um...Americans who love America and want us to win and are not dirty traitors like Ed Anger...should be sufficient. We are not there yet but our home grown league is surviving and doing well.  At this point glad to see us advancing to the knock out round of the World Cup more often than not.  A semifinal appearance would be nice sometime though.

Besides those Canadian sports Basketball and Hockey do pretty well.  It doesn't have to be an American invention.

[Norgy]

Ah but no European team has won it in this hemisphere before.  THE STATUS QUO SHALL FALL.

A little bit anyway.

I am very open-minded. 

That, young man, is a blatant lie.

[Monoriu]

One day they'll figure that a gold medal in a sport nobody plays isn't as important as winning in the most popular sport and then national prestige will demand it. The US is more motivated by pride than prestige, so we'll continue favoring our own inventions.

OTOH, we certainly have enough Mexicans and Africans(the ones not descended from slaves) and commie pinko granola white boys to give it a go. I mean, if the Netherlands and Belgium can field competitive teams... 

The communists figured that out a long time ago.  Chinese national prestige already demands much better performance from the Chinese national soccer team.  Even the Chinese media under official control made that point repeatedly - that the worth of a gold medal in a genuinely popular sport like soccer is worth a lot more than one in a professional-only sport like diving.  But there is nothing the Chinese government can do about it.  It requires too many fundamental changes.  Including in the education system and in the mindsets of parents, as they need to move from an exam-oriented approach to a more balanced system. It also requires a much more open media and fair court system that can expose and deal with the corruption, rampant match fixing and referee-buying in the so-called soccer league. 

I am not worried about the Chinese actually winning the WC.  I do notice that there is an attempt by FIFA to get China into the competition for obvious commercial reasons.  The Chinese are usually placed around 6-10th in Asia, plus or minus a few places.  Currently Asia has 4.5 spots.  The 0.5 is meaningless, because that is a spot shared with South America.  It is usually a playoff with the likes of Uruguay or Chile that the Asian team is doomed to lose.  So in practice they have 4 places.  Japan and S. Korea almost certainly will take two spots because they are so far ahead of everybody else.  Now that Australia has joined the Asian Football Association, they tend to take the third spot.  The final spot is usually taken by somebody in the middle east, like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq or one of the oil-rich Gulf countries.  China has no hope in this system (except 2002, when both Japan and S. Korea were hosts, thus leaving more spots for others). 

FIFA's dream is to increase the no. of teams participating in the tournament from 32 to 40.  This way they can give at least 2 additional spots to Asia.  As shown in 2002, China could qualify if there are 2 additional Asian spots.  If China consistently qualifies for the tournament, it could be the beginning of positive development in the Chinese soccer league.  This is my real worry. 

[Monoriu]

Ah but no European team has won it in this hemisphere before.  THE STATUS QUO SHALL FALL.

A little bit anyway.

I am very open-minded. 

That, young man, is a blatant lie.

If it is blatent, it is not a lie