The Team USA "moral victory" chest thumpers are almost worse than the Lebron apologists

7/2/2014 12:43:30 AM

^I don't think anyone is really claiming any moral victories. People just understood reality and knew the odds of the USA winning it all were not that good, but they are still happy to know we had a good start.

7/2/2014 12:52:19 AM

I fully expect republicans and democrats to be at each others throats tomorrow and everyone still bitchin and complain about Obama.

7/2/2014 12:53:29 AM

lol at Flyin Ryan showing up. What a miserable cunt.

7/2/2014 9:23:02 AM

I'm so mad that the USA isn't the best futbol team in the world!

And fuck you USA Soccer apologist with your defeatist attitudes! It's because of people like you and your "moral victories" that we're not the best in the world!

7/2/2014 9:38:22 AM

USA! USA! USA!

USA #1!!!!11!!!!!


oh wait...

7/2/2014 9:39:43 AM

Oh well, back to real football

7/2/2014 1:44:26 PM

Still some really good matches left to be played.

7/2/2014 1:49:31 PM

And football doesn't start until August/September

7/2/2014 1:52:38 PM

Waiting for Messi's performance.

7/2/2014 2:08:58 PM

Andres Escobar was murdered outside a bar in Columbia 20 years ago today. The common belief is that it resulted from his own-goal that allowed the US to beat Columbia 2-1.

7/2/2014 3:02:40 PM

Yeah, I remember that guy.

The finals will be Brazil vs Argentina I guess. And Messi with his team will be the champ.

7/2/2014 3:07:46 PM

Good moves to out Lahm back at his normal position and to bring back Griezzman over Giroud.

Horrible move to drop your best CB who should start over BOTH Varane and Sakho. Varane so far out of his depth on that set piece.

[Edited on July 4, 2014 at 12:22 PM. Reason : see this 3 or 4 to 1 Germans]

7/4/2014 12:21:49 PM

^yeah that big german totally manhandled the little frenchman on that goal.

Koscielny should be starting

7/4/2014 12:57:43 PM

this game was so boring. france had no creativity, no inspiration.

7/4/2014 1:51:28 PM

Sweet! Germany wins!

7/4/2014 1:59:01 PM

That was pretty disappointing to watch.

7/4/2014 1:59:46 PM

columbia are playing like its the 75th minute already

7/4/2014 4:26:41 PM

David Luiz

7/4/2014 5:28:03 PM

If anyone that knows the game just saw silva get a yellow for blocking the punt can explain why the fuck he got a card for that, I would love to hear it. Didn't even look like a foul, much less a card. I know that keepers get special priviledges akin to a QB, but they shouldn't be allowed to be completely careless with the ball and still get rewarded.

7/4/2014 5:28:56 PM

Colombia cant hold onto the ball long enough to get any shots on goal. Pretty terrible showing by them brazil is dominating the game

7/4/2014 5:37:23 PM

^^How was he careless? That's a card every time. That was schoolyard play from Silva; he deserves to miss. Also this ref is terrible.

[Edited on July 4, 2014 at 5:41 PM. Reason : ]

7/4/2014 5:39:59 PM

Why is it a card though? Silva simply ran between the keepers leg and the ball as it was in the air during his windup. If anything, the keeper initiated the contact and kicked Silva. He was careless because he tried to punt the ball in traffic without considering who was around him.


Put it this way, if the ball was just bouncing and any other player besides the keeper was getting ready to volley it out of the air, Silva wouldn't have even gotten a foul, much less a card.

[Edited on July 4, 2014 at 5:45 PM. Reason : d]

7/4/2014 5:42:25 PM

Yep but that's not what happened. Laws of the Game yo.

Quote :

"12.28 CAUTIONABLE OFFENSES, paragraph 12.28.1 UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR...[ ]...• Interferes with or prevents the goalkeeper from releasing the ball from his hands into play."

7/4/2014 5:48:20 PM

Fair enough. Can't say I am a fan of the rule as the keeper never has a problem getting rid of the ball if he takes his time.

7/4/2014 5:55:16 PM

Bottom line is that every player at that level knows the rule. The careless player was Silva; you don't even flirt with that.

I definitely understand how it may be confusin for someone who doesn't follow all the time but those guys do know.

[Edited on July 4, 2014 at 5:58 PM. Reason : ]

7/4/2014 5:56:50 PM

I grew up playing and have followed professional and international off and on for years, but that play doesn't happen often. I also know that while referees in high school and club ball would be strict about protecting the keeper when he had the ball or even a finger on the ball (I can agree with that level of protection), I can remember a few times where a punt was blocked and nothing was called. I feel like as soon as the ball leaves a the keeper's hands, he is just another player on the field and it should be fair game. Kinda lame to have that rule IMO.

7/4/2014 6:33:16 PM

No keeper could ever get rid of the ball then. You'd have people all over them like an inbound in basketball. It's made for the extreme case but you have to draw the line somewhere and stay consistent. if the keeper puts the ball at his feet on the ground to play it with his feet that is a different story and the ball is in play.

a punt or a throw is pretty black and white for good reason.

[Edited on July 4, 2014 at 6:41 PM. Reason : ]

7/4/2014 6:35:43 PM

Quote :

"Why is it a card though? Silva simply ran between the keepers leg and the ball as it was in the air during his windup."

No, Silva trundled directly into the keeper as he was releasing the ball.

7/4/2014 6:57:21 PM

Neymar out for the rest of the World Cup.

7/4/2014 7:40:48 PM

Apparently he broke his back. Never mind the World Cup, it's no sure thing he ever is the same player again... awful.

7/4/2014 8:14:40 PM

Yeah, that tackle was pretty vicious too. If Suarez gets a fine and suspension for biting someone, then that columbian dude better get something. It was kinda funny how surprised everyone is over it. Everyone on twitter/youtube is all "I didn't even think anything of it at the time because he always falls like he got shot".

7/4/2014 11:07:42 PM

Hefty challenge, but the official probably would have thought more of it if he didn't writhe in pain whenever he was barely touched.

The ref didn't give out a number of clear yellow cards that game, including one on Neymar. I'm sure FIFA will review the play and consider some suspension, but nothing in Suarez territory.

7/5/2014 7:05:39 AM

A knee to the spine should always be a card....because it's a knee to the fucking spine. Yeah, Neymar falls over a lot because he's tiny, but a knee to the back is borderline criminal.

7/5/2014 11:07:50 AM

Another boring quarterfinal match. Argentina scored an early goal and packed it in. Belgium just hacked long balls up front all day, none of which were very effective.

7/5/2014 1:56:54 PM

Surprised to see Messi stuff on that breakaway. Had Belgium scored on that chance inside the 6 immediately afterwards...I don't know if Argentina could have survived the swing in momentum.

7/5/2014 3:26:54 PM

Did Costa Rica score during the run of play last game? Or are they seriously in a position to advance to the semi final without scoring a goal during the knockout stage?

7/5/2014 6:36:49 PM

Also.....the Dutch keeper has dived the correct way every time.....wonder if he was prepped the CR tendencies while on the bench?

7/5/2014 6:46:40 PM

Between a douche know it all coach, an asshole keeper, a flopper and a rapist turncoat I'm ABD...

[Edited on July 5, 2014 at 6:50 PM. Reason : united fans sure to be insufferable now. ]

7/5/2014 6:48:37 PM

"turncoat" is a weird term to use with pro athletes.....

7/5/2014 7:05:41 PM

That was some tim howard ahit for the costa rica keeper. Also you dont win on penalties twoce because every team now knows how you take penalties.

7/5/2014 8:05:04 PM

Is this still going on?

7/6/2014 6:21:23 PM

Hoping for Germany v. Argentina final. I'd be cool with either one winning.

7/6/2014 7:27:41 PM

Plus then you'd have the Old World vs. New World angle.

7/6/2014 10:08:31 PM

The ref for brazil-germany will be overseeing his first match since the suarez bite match

7/7/2014 10:08:24 AM

^^ Yeah. I hate that Brazil won't be at full strength for this one though. I think Germany is a better team but I would still rather see them on more equal footing. Brazil and Germany have far and away been the two most consistently strong World Cup teams over the past decade/4 tournaments so this is a big matchup.

I wouldn't mind Messi winning won for Argentina in Brazil, but Germany has just been knocking on the door for so long now. They have finished 2, 3, 3 in the past 3 World Cups. They are the only team to make all of the last 4 semi-finals. They are 17-3-2 over the past 4 tournaments with their only 3 losses being to the eventual winner of the tournament: Brazil (finals), Italy (semis), Spain (semis).

7/7/2014 10:39:27 AM

Weird Tawainese video of Suarez:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvCnFZeQSrc&list=UU4G3lPPWm6qtoWtRk4vyGwg&index=8

7/7/2014 3:28:06 PM

Classic match-ups for the semi finals.

7/7/2014 8:03:04 PM

Brazil/Argentina is my dream match. I really, really want to see what Messi's brilliance in a World Cup Final.

7/7/2014 8:18:40 PM

The finals will be Germany vs Argentina I think. They met 24 yrs ago when I was a kid.

7/7/2014 8:30:38 PM