On the Nature of Things | Forum

Typhoon wrote:

10369892_10152125427382471_5526062564924924925_n.jpg

The really sad thing about this is that brasil put so much into the world cup. The brasilian I know there were mostly all for spending money on the world cup stadiums. The Brasilians I know in the US were all against spending so much money. They more or less are saying that Brasil needs something to be proud of besides having a good soccer team.

Was it Lenin or Marx that said religion is the opiate of the people? In reality it has become sports are the opiate of the people.

Just a reminder:

ZApBgNQgKPU

Brazil vs. Germany, minutes 22 to 29, is one of the strangest and most amazing 7-minute period of football I have ever seen and will ever see. On par, for me, with the penalty shoot out of the 1986 European Cup Final, when Steaua's goalkeeper saved all four of Barcelona's kicks.

YMix wrote:Brazil vs. Germany, minutes 22 to 29, is one of the strangest and most amazing 7-minute period of football I have ever seen and will ever see. On par, for me, with the penalty shoot out of the 1986 European Cup Final, when Steaua's goalkeeper saved all four of Barcelona's kicks.

i dare say i would have enjoyed that even though im not that big a fan of soccer - the timezone difference has left this worldcup out of my scope.

Down here the game was 11 PM - 00.45 AM. If not for the 0-5, I'd have gone to bed at halftime.

Typhoon wrote:Why Germany crushed Brazil

Something else German soccer functionaries did at the turn of the century was to let private capital into the system, in a way that wouldn't allow investors to dictate club policy: Bundesliga club members, the fans, must always have at least 50 percent plus one vote.

<Mr. Perfect looks away disgusted>

Doc wrote:

Typhoon wrote:

10369892_10152125427382471_5526062564924924925_n.jpg

The really sad thing about this is that brasil put so much into the world cup. The brasilian I know there were mostly all for spending money on the world cup stadiums. The Brasilians I know in the US were all against spending so much money. They more or less are saying that Brasil needs something to be proud of besides having a good soccer team.

Was it Lenin or Marx that said religion is the opiate of the people? In reality it has become sports are the opiate of the people.

Just a reminder:

ZApBgNQgKPU

Good thoughtful video. Wonder what will happen to the stadium in Manaus . . .

Japan will be hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. A fortune will be spent on construction.

Including a new central stadium.



A Canadian friend commented that, "Godzilla called. He wants his bicycle helmet back."

At least some of the Tokyo 1964 facilities are still in use today. Of course, that was another era.

Well, Argentina won. This time I did go to bed at halftime. Morning news guy: "Good thing we have penalty shootouts, otherwise the two teams would still be playing."

YMix wrote:Well, Argentina won. This time I did go to bed at halftime. Morning news guy: "Good thing we have penalty shootouts, otherwise the two teams would still be playing."

It was hard game to watch. Both teams trying to first eliminate all risk, which they both did successfully. Defensive strategies. Messi and Robben both well defended. Both had few chances. Penalties.. a non-surprising outcome. A drag of a game.

And yet I blame our coach Some observations.

Van Persie, as in the previous world cup, was a stressed mental wreck and never escaped his psycho-motoric paralysis. Aside his diving wonder goal against Spain, he played simply bad. The number of off sides he caused unnecessarily and killing the few attacks we created was stunning. No ball control, balls bouncing.. not moving ahead of the defender in receiving a ball: very static. No aggression. Looking down to his own feet all the time. He was made captain of the team, the coach probably hoping this would give him self-confidence and bringing him in a positive flow. But it backfired.. he was totally unable to be a leader and inspirer on and off the field.. a role which Arjen Robben naturally took over, adding to van Persie's sense of failure and insignificance. He got nothing done. This was observed by many, also the commentators of radio and TV. The alternative striker we had, Huntelaar, was in better shape and once he was changed with van Persie for the last 20 minutes of the semi-final.. things immediately went better and Holland started to dominate Argentina. Obviously, Hunterlaar should have played from the start against Argentina, since v Persie clearly already lost it against Costa Rica in the quartel final.

Dirk Kuyt playing left half, but had an off day with passing the ball and ball control. This broke many times the forward game from the left side. Daley Blind has a very silky secure passing.. but played left back defender. Those two maybe better changed position. Holland was thusfar most successful with a counter attack where Daley Blind did the passing left half to the forwards.

The choice of changing v Huntelaar for v Persie much too late and as the third and last change possible.. was this time the gamble of v Gaal that failed IMO. Given that we hardly created chances to begin with... the chance that such a late change of Huntelaar - v Persie would suddenly create many new chances was unlikely. But it made the crucial goal keeper change of Krul, the penalty specialist, for keeper Sillisen impossible, since all three changes were used already.

Then the actual penalty shoot out.. was weird. Normally you let your two best shooters shoot first. Instead, they let defender Vlaar start... it was a bad penalty, Vlaar is not a specialist. Then the keeper of Argentina guessed right on Sneijders penalty and stopped it.. and we were two penalties behind suddenly and lost.

Of course one can never test what-if scenarios The biggest fun of this WC is the unpredictability... everybody was wrong all the time.

The 7-1 of Germany over Brazil... I also was watching flabbergasted. But something of an explanation of why it happened was an analysis that also applied to the 5-1 win of Holland over Spain. Both Spain and Brazil assumed they had a good chance to win. Spain because they assumed to be the stronger team anyways.. and Brazil because they simply had to win. The final was a must for them. Hence they chose a strategy of attack, blind forward rush football. Spain out of arrogance, and Brazil out of naivity and fear. Then, if your opponent is a bit lucky and scores instead two goals ahead in a short time... the game basically is over. Had instead Brazil chosen to play re-active and from a strong defense and on a counter attack.. the game would have been very different. That would have yielded a game however as with Holland - Argentina. Not really fun to watch.. and potentially with an anti-climax.

Now Holland has to play Brazil for the 3rd place... and no player or coach wants such a game to be played. In the WC only gold matters.

My prediction of Germany - Argentina final. Argentina will play as against Holland: from the defense and eliminating risk. No Germany gallery football this time as with Brazil. But Germany will win.. with 2-1 after 30 mins extra time. One Argentinian will be sent off with a red card.

Parodite wrote:Van Persie, as in the previous world cup, was a stressed mental wreck and never escaped his psycho-motoric paralysis. Aside his diving wonder goal against Spain, he played simply bad.

I've been wondering why the hell is that guy even on the team.

YMix wrote:

Parodite wrote:Van Persie, as in the previous world cup, was a stressed mental wreck and never escaped his psycho-motoric paralysis. Aside his diving wonder goal against Spain, he played simply bad.

I've been wondering why the hell is that guy even on the team.

v Gaal will be coach of Manchester United.. where v Persie also plays and is kindova hero. Van Persie does play much better in the UK though.. which begs the question why.

It certainly does.

ZCF22RIaej8

Congratulations to the Nederlands and consolation to Brasil.

Typhoon wrote:

2014 World cup final North Korea vs Portugal


ZJoRZOK18Fg

A video has been posted on YouTube of a North Korean state media report claiming that the North Korean football team will be playing in tonight's World Cup final.

The spoof video, by the "Korea News" agency, claims North Korea – who failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup and is currently ranked a lowly 146th in the Fifa world rankings – face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the final, even though Portugal crashed out of the competition before the knockout rounds.

It also shows poorly edited footage of the North Korean team beating another Asian team – possibly one of the resounding victories over the country's rivals en route to the final, when, the video claims, North Korea trounced Japan 7-0 and China 2-0, before routing the USA 4-0.

The video also shows football fans and crowds cheering the country's leader Kim Jong-Un, who appears on a giant video screen on Rio's Copacabana beach.

The video is a parody of the often wildly patriotic news reports and propaganda issued by North Korean state media outlets. Perhaps it is designed to lampoon the gullible nature of the western media, or people's willingness to believe outlandish stories about the famously secretive country.

There are some obvious inconsistencies in the video. Korean speakers say the presenter's lip movements suggest it has been dubbed, and the voiceover bears a southern, rather than a northern accent – possibly belonging to a South Korean trying to imitate a North Korean accent.

It is also claimed that the North Korean government has given permission for World Cup matches to be shown on TV – albeit in some cases up to 24 hours after the match has been played.

Interest in world football could have grown among North Koreans after the national team took part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the country's first appearance in the tournament since 1966. In 2010 the team lost all three of its group games before returning to North Korea to be publicly shamed for betraying the country's dear leader, it was claimed.

At the 2010 World Cup, the ranks of North Korean supporters were bolstered by Chinese extras, hired to cheer on the team and wear its colours.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/fifa-world-cup ... al-1456488

Joking aside, watched highlights of the game.

To my inexpert eye, the two teams appeared to be closely matched and both played well.

The winning goal was impressive.

Congratulations to Germany and consolations to Argentina.

Still rooting for your old allies, I see.





The T-shirt says: Next time, no Italy.

A legitimate winner. But I can't stand cheering Germans. Leftover of the Wah I guess.

Parodite wrote:A legitimate winner. But I can't stand cheering Germans. Leftover of the Wah I guess.

Rare for neighbours to like each other.

YMix wrote:Still rooting for your old allies, I see.

All part of a secret plan to rebuild the Axis.

Given that most of the cheering fans were born well after a previous time the [W] Germans won the World Cup [1974] . . .

YMix wrote:
. . .

The T-shirt says: Next time, no Italy.

Don't get the joke. Japan did not make it past the 1st stage and Italy was not in Group C.

Thanks Brazil for hosting WC 2014

__O50wzvHwU

The joke here in Britain was that most people were supporting Germany because it was a lot longer since we went to war with them than with the Argies...

The UK Premiership has been fantastically successful at marketing itself globally - and making money. Yet only 30% of players are British, and that is mostly in the lower performing clubs. No wonder that we have a crap national team.