2014 World Cup

[Norgy]

How many Argentines are supposed to cross the border for the final btw? Can they play at home IN BRAZIL?

Four that I know of personally.  I'm guessing many others will be selling off their kids to get tickets.  My hope is that dejected Brazilians will sell their Sunday game tickets to Argies posing as Germans (wouldn't that be a switch).  I just wish I could be there with my people.

Maybe I could hitch a ride with LeBron James

Spicy, isn't this like a dream final for you? Your family hails from Germany, doesn't it?
And with an Argentinian wife, I can imagine you are suppressing the inner Kraut Fallujah-style.

[Grey Fox]

Think of it has Anime for the regular people.

I don't pay for anime, and I don't buy anime merchandise.  It is free entertainment for me, just like World Cup on TV.  So I still don't understand why there is a market for World Cup merchandise.

You went to a concert, that counts.

[Monoriu]

Think of it has Anime for the regular people.

I don't pay for anime, and I don't buy anime merchandise.  It is free entertainment for me, just like World Cup on TV.  So I still don't understand why there is a market for World Cup merchandise.

You went to a concert, that counts.

Concert isn't "merchandise"

[Eddie Teach]

It's certainly wasted money though.

[Admiral Yi]

It's something that's not free.

[Monoriu]

It's certainly wasted money though.

I put it under music, not anime though 

[Monoriu]

The 1978 world cup was a proper tournament but Aregentina's qualification for the final is so suspect it shoudl be regarded as stricken from the records.

That is Mono's point

Really? I thought he was supporting Argentina on the basis of his thirs status quo rule: that no European team should win a WC hosted in South America. I'm arguing that is a shitty rule and that the three WCs held before 2014 in SA should be ignored for any staus quo calculations.

It is not just S. America though.  No European team has ever won a WC in the Americas, including the WC matches held in the US and Mexico. 

[Monoriu]

His status quo rule was no new team can win 

His theory as a whole is premised on the assumption that FIFA decides who wins and your point provided good evidence for his theory.

Actually it is the other way round.  I believe FIFA wants to open new markets, and they want an Asian or African team to win.  Especially Asian.  See: South Korea in 2002. 

[crazy canuck]

His status quo rule was no new team can win 

His theory as a whole is premised on the assumption that FIFA decides who wins and your point provided good evidence for his theory.

Actually it is the other way round.  I believe FIFA wants to open new markets, and they want an Asian or African team to win.  Especially Asian.  See: South Korea in 2002.

You fail at consipiracy theories then.

[Syt]

This match will determine the real pope, too, I guess.

[Liep]

I just saw a replay of the first Dutch miss, it almost rolled back into the goal because of spin and ended up on the goal line. It would've been one for the YouTube legendary archives if it had gone in. The goalie was completely unaware in his celebrations.

http://www.dr.dk/sporten/fifavm2014/nyheder/20140711085034.htm

EDIT: And I just saw it again, did it touch Vlaar?

[Monoriu]

I just saw a replay of the first Dutch miss, it almost rolled back into the goal because of spin and ended up on the goal line. It would've been one for the YouTube legendary archives if it had gone in. The goalie was completely unaware in his celebrations.

http://www.dr.dk/sporten/fifavm2014/nyheder/20140711085034.htm

EDIT: And I just saw it again, did it touch Vlaar?

Pretty sure the ball hit the Dutch player during the rebound.  That amounts to shooting the ball twice.  Even if the ball had gone in, I don't think it would be counted. 

[Norgy]

The Independent has this today; The tackle that tore an anus.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/javier-mascherano-reveals-he-tore-his-anus-in-heroic-matchsaving-tackle-on-arjen-robben-9599527.html

Best. headline. ever.

Well, at least in the top 20.

[Monoriu]

HK media reports that 18 people spent US$13k each to go to the Argentina-Netherlands match.  When they got to the stadium, four of them were refused entry because their tickets were fakes.  They had to watch public TV instead. 

[Syt]

In German, if someone works hard, you can say "er reißt sich den Arsch auf" which literally means, "he's tearing up his arse." It's often used in the context of football, too, so ....