What sports teams do you support?

[Heid the Ba]

The US is currently bottom of their group. That should change shortly though. There is no reason to worry about getting out of the group.

[MM_Dandy]

The US is currently bottom of their group. That should change shortly though. There is no reason to worry about getting out of the group.

I can't remember the source off the top of my head, but I have seen a different table with the teams listed in (english) alphabetical order, except they listed United States before Ukraine.

I see that Spain is likewise last in their group - and if they can beat France (and they have an excellent chance to do so), they'll win the group. At any rate, they'll advance with ease.

[MM_Dandy]

You know, as I look through the groups again, it appears that there's a dearth of political intrigue to most of the games. I'm not saying that there has to be, but it does help generate some interest. Historical "baddies" aren't present: no Russia, China, Germany, or Italy; Turkey and Greece are in separate groups; Brazil and Argentina are in different groups; New Zealand and Australia are in different groups; they even managed to place Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia in separate groups; usually you'd see an Israel or Lebanon or even Jordan make a showing, but not this year; and while we do have Egypt v Iran and Spain v France, the games lose a bit of luster because the results will likely not make a difference between advancing or not-advancing. Plus, it's basketball, and in many of the participating countries, it's sort of like saying "HA! We totally just beat you at pinochle!" Well, who knows - maybe the US gets knocked out - that would get a few more people interested, I think.

[Heid the Ba]

You do need the chance to put out a neighbour or rival in the group stages. Basketball is a big thing in Spain, the main football clubs are actually the football section of sports societies, so Real Madrid isn't just a football team there is a basketball team, a handball team, etc. and the sports daily newspapers all cover it. That said I doubt many European countries know this is going on.

[Enzo]

I had no idea it was going on over here, and I am in the USA.

[Heid the Ba]

FUERTH!

[Arneb]

Yeah, some consolation is neded for Hartha's performance at Leverkusen.

Nice to see Bayern are humans after all and can lose two points by a world-class player (Xabbi Alonso) shooting the ball into a defenceless attacker (Höwedes, of all people).

Germany - Argentina tomorrow, a friendly in Düsseldorf. Remind you of anything?

[Arneb]

Oh, and Germany - Scotland on Sunday. Don't be mad afterwards, it's not personal.

[Heid the Ba]

Oh we won't be angry, resigned disappointment is our default setting and losing to the word champions is no shame.

[Lianachan]

Our record against reigning world champions is actually pretty good!

* Edited after research:

1954 - Uruguay - 0-7
1957 - West Germany - 3-1
1966 - Brazil - 1-1
1967 - England - 3-2
1973 - Brazil - 0-1
1974 - Brazil 0-0
1979 - Argentina - 1-3
1990 - Argentina - 1-0
1992 - Germany - 0-2
1993 - Germany - 0-1
2000 - France - 0-2
2002 - France - 0-5
2007 - Italy - 0-2
2007 - Italy - 1-2
2010 - Spain - 2-3
2011 - Spain - 1-3

Ok, that's:

P W D L F A
16 3 2 11 13 35

So maybe not pretty good. Still, that's not against just any old teams - that's against reigning world champions, including ones that only won by cheating, as indicated above.

[MM_Dandy]

The Tall Blacks tip-off against the Yanks here in about 20 minutes. New Zealand played Turkey quite well in the opener, so we'll see if they can improve on the Turk's performance against the US.

Update: The Yanks prevailed 98-71, but it wasn't all bad for the Kiwis: they actually outscored the US 19-18 in the 3rd quarter. I'm trying to figure out if New Zealand is eliminated, then. I don't think so, although they'll have to have some help to advance.

Update: Alright, it's not impossible for them end up ahead of the loser of the DOM/Finland game going on right now, and in a tie with the winner and one or even two other teams. At that point, they've got a decent chance, because they fared as well as they did against the US (In fact, they ought to be rooting for the Wolfpack in the current games in the hopes of a tie with them). The most important thing for them, though, is to beat both Ukraine and Finland. A loss to either, and they will not advance.

Update: And...Finland comes up short, despite the Dominicans poor showing at the free-throw line and peculiar fouling strategy at the end of the game. New Zealand has a few ways to advance, but they need a bit more help, now. Even though Dominican Republic now has 5 points to Turkey's 4 and New Zealand's 3, they still have a better chance to tie with Dominican Republic since they face the US and then Turkey - both are likely to be losses, and the US figures to reduce DOM's GA (Goal Average - the ratio of a team's points per game to points allowed per game, and the first tie-breaker) to something much, much closer to New Zealand's than present. In fact, if the US can duplicate its recent 105-62 friendly result against Dominican Republic, DOM's GA would plummet from it's current 1.0443 to 0.8994. New Zealand currently has a GA of 0.828, so with a couple of wins, a drubbing of DOM by the US, and a solid win by Turkey over Dominican Republic, and viola! New Zealand's in business!

[Мастер]

Congratulations to the Iranian National Volleyball Team!

[MM_Dandy]

Congratulations to the Iranian National Volleyball Team!

Men or Women?

[MM_Dandy]

At any rate, it figures to be a glorious day for Iranian national sports, then, as Iran is pulling away from Egypt in their FIBA match-up.

Speaking of - New Zealand wins! The other group C games today are Turkey v Finland and Dominican Republic v USA.
I just realized that it is theoretically possible for Finland to momentarily go from 6th to 1st as a result of their game today. If they win, they'll have 6 points, along with the US and Ukraine. In order to surpass them, though, they'd have to have a result something like 200 - 0, giving them a GA of 1.5303. But getting past just Ukraine only requires the much more reasonable 60-0.

[MM_Dandy]

USA defeats Dominican Republic 106-71. Not quite the result from the friendly earlier in the month, but it does bring DOM's GA down to 0.9159. New Zealand currently has a GA of 0.9003. With a solid win, New Zealand could overtake either or both Ukraine (probably losing big to the US) and the loser of the DOM v Turkey game. USA also becomes the first team to clinch a top spot in the groups, even though Slovenia, Greece, and (most likely) Spain are also undefeated at this point.

[MM_Dandy]

New Zealand wins again! It was all too close in the end, but it was enough to bump their GA up to 0.9229, ahead of DOM's 0.9159. Now, a win by Turkey, and they're in. Otherwise, they have to hope that either Ukraine or Turkey loses badly enough to fall behind them in goal average.

And kudos to Philippines, who finally got over the hump in their 3rd OT game in group play. 4 of their 5 games were decided by four points or less - not bad for a team that was "lucky to be here."

Update: US 95, Ukraine 71 - Ukraine stays ahead of New Zealand, so now the Tall Black's hopes rest on the outcome of Turkey v Dominican Republic. Also, Mexico locked up the 4th spot in group D, paving the way for a border skirmish with USA on Saturday.

Update: FIBA is reporting that New Zealand is in, and my assumptions about the tie-breaking criteria were wrong. I went and found the tie-breaker criteria, and confirmed the results - New Zealand advances, while Ukraine is out. The DOM/Turkey game will sort out the order.

[Мастер]

Feckin' Australians

[MM_Dandy]

Well, New Zealand had a lead as late as the 4th quarter, but couldn't quite keep the Lithuanian bigs from getting their way, and lose a tough one, 76-71. Spain, France, the Dragic brothers (Slovenia), and the USA have already advanced. Australia squares off against Turkey and then it's Brazil v Argentina (finally, a rivalry!) later today.

[Мастер]

Well, New Zealand had a lead as late as the 4th quarter, but couldn't quite keep the Lithuanian bigs from getting their way, and lose a tough one, 76-71.

New Zealand did stick it to Argentina, 28-9.

[MM_Dandy]

New Zealand did stick it to Argentina, 28-9.

And Australia lost! So, all in all, not an awful day for New Zealand. FIBA is now down to the USA, Brazil, and six European teams, representing only 2 of the 5 zones.

[Мастер]

New Zealand did stick it to Argentina, 28-9.

And Australia lost!

That would be in basketball? Because they won, defeating South Africa, in rugby.

Previously, South Africa had been leading the tournament, with two wins - New Zealand had one win and a draw, vs. one draw and a loss for Australia, and two losses for Argentina. But now, New Zealand is in the lead - two wins, one draw. South Africa has two wins, one loss. Australia has a win, a draw, and a loss, and Argentina has three losses.

[Heid the Ba]

And that was a lot closer than I thought it would be. Of course since Germany beat us 2-1 and beat Brazil 7-1 then we would beat Brazil 5-0. Or something.

[Arneb]

Obviously you would. Especially now, when their eyes are still teary and they are too busy praying all the time.

I wasn't surprised at all. The German team is still in the post-triumph slump, they lost three key players, two of them in defense, they have a lot of injuries in the first row (Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Boateng) as well as in the second, and Jogi will rather send a few young 'uns into a disordered and badly tuned chain of four than soldier on with a gang of old hands past their prime. The only way, if you ask me, to mobilize reserves and pretty much the only way to make qualifying for a tournament of 24 from this group any way nearly interesting.

But Scotland, hey. We have this cliché about Scotland as the guys who remove their prosthetic teeth before a game and are casual about losing a few more. Now they actually played decent football. Given that Germany will probably carry the group, don't you think they could beat Poland for second?

[MM_Dandy]

New Zealand did stick it to Argentina, 28-9.

And Australia lost!

That would be in basketball? Because they won, defeating South Africa, in rugby.

I guess I'll have to resort to getting up earlier to get one by you, then.

How about this? Neither the US nor Spain won any basketball games today.

[Heid the Ba]

Now they actually played decent football. Given that Germany will probably carry the group, don't you think they could beat Poland for second?

Yes they are playing decent football these days and I don't see any reason we can't come second.