What sports teams do you support?

[Arneb]

Uruguay 1 - 0 England at half time. Mwuahahahahaha! Go, Urus, go!

[Heid the Ba]

*Fingers crossed*

[Arneb]

Unfortunately, I am pretty sure Italy will not comply with our brilliant plan for that group.

[Arneb]

Irch

Neither does the pie-faced granny fucker. When he couldn't avoid scoring anymore, he finally gave in.

[Arneb]

[Arneb]

[MM_Dandy]

Not that I'm bemoaning England's demise, but it looked to me (admittedly a complete soccer newb) that Saurez was well offside on that last goal.

As a friend of mine is fond of saying, "It was a good call. It might not have been the right call, but it was a good call."

Update: Wow. Even with two losses, Ingerlund still has a few reasonable, if unlikely, ways to advance. That doesn't seem right, at all.

[tubeswell]

... Even with two losses, Ingerlund still has a few reasonable, if unlikely, ways to advance. That doesn't seem right, at all.

Imperialism written all over it

[Heid the Ba]

Irch

Neither does the pie-faced granny fucker. When he couldn't avoid scoring anymore, he finally gave in.

Very well put.

I think Italy and Costa Rica should conspire a draw as that would put England out as well as ensuring that a draw in their final games would put both through.

[Heid the Ba]

From an e-mail I received this morning:

"Of course, you realize that there might now actually be a god, and that we can't deny that possibility just yet as the English might still get through. I blame the English for this theological conundrum."

[Lianachan]

I think Italy and Costa Rica should conspire a draw as that would put England out as well as ensuring that a draw in their final games would put both through.

I would rather that arrangement was between Italy and Uruguay, as my sweepstake/predictions have both of those progressing.

Spotted this fellow on the TV coverage last night, and shoved it on Facebook. As did many others, subsequently. Supporting Whoever Plays England is fine, proper and to be expected - but to fly thousands of miles to do it in person demonstrates particularly admirable enthusiasm.



UPDATE: Turns out that guy has been in Brazil for weeks doing charity work and was at the match specifically to support Uruguay (as he had done in the 2010 world cup). He would have been there doing that no matter who they were playing. He just got lucky, I guess

[MM_Dandy]

Italy may yet comply (in the demise of the English, that is. Not so much in the helping of Lianachan) - they trail 0-1 at half time.

UPDATE: England's out, Costa Rica's in, and either Italy or Uruguay will be watching the knockout rounds from home.

[Arneb]

Well I SAID I had a good idea how the group should turn out.

To MMDandy and all the other football watchers here: Suarez was indeed offside when the ball was played to him from midfield. Did the English player touch the ball or why is it that no-one (including the English defenders) seemed to mind the offside position? It wasn't even mentioned in our commentary.

[MM_Dandy]

Well I SAID I had a good idea how the group should turn out.

To MMDandy and all the other football watchers here: Suarez was indeed offside when the ball was played to him from midfield. Did the English player touch the ball or why is it that no-one (including the English defenders) seemed to mind the offside position? It wasn't even mentioned in our commentary.

Ah, I see. Didn't know that that would keep your man onsides. Still...
This guy says it was touched, but conveniently doesn't include any replays. ;-)

Meanwhile, France is all over Switzerland 3-0 at the half.

[Arneb]

Yep, it's not offside if it''s from the opposition. The rules are complicated - for example, if you are offside and someone from your team hammers the ball in while you just watch, disturbing noone, your offside isn't counted (so-called "passive offside"). If the goalie gets it back and YOU then put the ball in, your offside position becomes active and the goal is discounted. The question is, how long does your offside count - until a new situation arises, ios the answer. Many a long night of drinking and discussion was spent on the question what constitutes a new situation.

Anyway, in Suraez' case, it's clear cut. He wasn't offside when the goalie passed the ball, and when he was offside, the only one touchng the ball was Gerrard. So it wasn'T only a good call, it was a correct call as well

Switzerland put under by France, 2 - 5. France being a possible quarterfinal opposition to our boys if they also win the group. Tough.

[Мастер]

Switzerland put under by France, 2 - 5.

Bugger.

[Lance]

So how long does this little soccer-fest usually last?

[Arneb]

the Final is played on Jul 13, 1900 h UTC. It will last anywhere from 110 min (including interval and injury times) to 180 min (including 30 min of extra time, a penalty shootout and various times needed for housekeeping), 200 if you want to see the awards ceremony.

Re. "little", the Final will be watched by nearly a billion people, three times the number of U.S. citizens. Interestingly, the "little soccer fest" of 1994, in the U.S.A., remains the one that had the highest number of stadium spectators, at 3.57 million, or 68600 per game.

[Мастер]

the Final is played on Jul 13, 1900 h UTC.

I should be off the aeroplane by then . . .

[Lance]

Re. "little",

lol

I was trying to sound stereotypically Americentric to see if anyone would rise to it. I don't really feel that way.

Of course, I don't really care about it either, but I'm not a big fan of any sports. I like the occasional Chicago Bears game, when they're winning, but not much more.

[Arneb]

Re. "little",

lol

This time, I didn't fall for it, I bit.

"Argentina thanks God and Messi", F.A.Z. writes, which is the same thing to them anyway.

Family is giddy with pre-excitement beofre the Germany - Ghana game. Gotta go now.

[Arneb]

My nerves...

If Klinsi and his US boys manage to win over Portugal, it's a showdown next Thursday. Let's hope for a draw...

[Arneb]

The son insists on the deal he got: One game per day, and of course it had to be Belgium against Russia. So hard to stay awake. Couldn't they have put USA-Protugal on instead?

[Мастер]

One game per day, and of course it had to be Belgium against Russia.

Last I saw, it was 0-0.

[Heid the Ba]

Did I mention I have Algeria in the draw?

And Scotland beat Argentina at rugby.