World Cup Game Talk - May Contain Spoilers

[Christiaan]

Funnily enough, of all the cups we have qualified for, we always end up in the tough group. I'm very interested in how they get chosen. If you know please enlighten me.

This is how they draw the groups. Some old and famous people pick balls with the countries from a bowl.
The teams are divided in 4 pots. 1 pot with the top 7 in the Fifa world ranking + the host and 3 pots based on region. Australia is in the "Asia and North America" pot. So they have to play against 1 team from the world top 7 countries, a team from "Africa and South America" and a European team.

[DanHorvat]

Everyone in Australia should support the Socceroos regardless of where they're coming from.

You qualified for the knockout stage in 2006 and almost qualified in 2010. That's not crappy, you belong to the top 20-25 teams. And even if you were the worst in the world, football is about playing with what you've got and trying to make the best of it. You're doing that. Some other teams are constantly favored to win the trophy but they never do. Some haven't won anything for 24 years despite being constantly ranked in top three. That's crappy.

Before the draw teams are placed in 4 pots. Pot 1 - hosts and 7 best nations. Pot 2 - Africa and S.America. Pot 3 - Asia and N.America. Pot 4 - Europe. This is specific for this World Cup, if the composition of teams was different then the pots would be different. The bald old guys met and came up with these pots.

Since you were in pot 3, you were bound to get one of the eight best nations (Spain) plus one of the eight other European teams (Netherlands). And a team from South America or Africa (Chile). You'll never have it easy as you'll always be in the weakest pot.

[Roulette Zeitung]

I didn't get to watch the game but when I got home from the gym this morning my other half was watching it and it was at 70 minutes or so when I saw the score was 3-0. I thought there was not much point watching the rest of the game with him as I already knew who was going to win. Great that they scored another goal.

I think Germany will definitely be one of the last teams standing.

Ronaldo was so demoralized, that he hit a one-man wall (!!!) during his free kick:

===> https://vine.co/v/MIpqAK5YV7h/embed
It's really hard to hit Philipp Lahm, because he is by far our smallest player.

Leopold

[Roulette Zeitung]

Ghana 1-2 USA

Lucky U.S. boys. A dramatic win over Ghana and scenes off the field which greets the eyes.



Leopold

[AndrewS_IA]

Ronaldo was so demoralized, that he hit a one-man wall (!!!) during his free kick:

===> https://vine.co/v/MIpqAK5YV7h/embed
It's really hard to hit Philipp Lahm, because he is by far our smallest player.

Leopold

Hahaha that was great! It was almost like he was bowling

[Renee]

Everyone in Australia should support the Socceroos regardless of where they're coming from.

You qualified for the knockout stage in 2006 and almost qualified in 2010. That's not crappy, you belong to the top 20-25 teams. And even if you were the worst in the world, football is about playing with what you've got and trying to make the best of it. You're doing that. Some other teams are constantly favored to win the trophy but they never do. Some haven't won anything for 24 years despite being constantly ranked in top three. That's crappy.

Before the draw teams are placed in 4 pots. Pot 1 - hosts and 7 best nations. Pot 2 - Africa and S.America. Pot 3 - Asia and N.America. Pot 4 - Europe. This is specific for this World Cup, if the composition of teams was different then the pots would be different. The bald old guys met and came up with these pots.

Since you were in pot 3, you were bound to get one of the eight best nations (Spain) plus one of the eight other European teams (Netherlands). And a team from South America or Africa (Chile). You'll never have it easy as you'll always be in the weakest pot.

I wholeheartedly agree with that, but the Frenchies in the office seem to think they are above the Aussies. Perhaps I should quote you on the teams who are constantly favoured to win. Anyway, it drives me up the wall. And then the guy who posted on facebook about the Aussie team being crap.. well, let me just tell you that his home country didn't even qualify for the world cup.

My dad is Hungarian and my mum is Croatian. Both of them support Australia regardless of whether or not their home country teams are in the cup. (I realise Hungary hasn't qualified for a LONG time). I suppose they are both perfect examples of if you live somewhere, that's who you support.

I suppose we never really have any chance if we are in the weakest pot. Even Ghana smashed us last time.

I suppose you never know. I will be skipping the gym tomorrow morning to watch the Australia VS Netherlands game. We can only hope for a miracle.

[TheGooner]

Before the draw teams are placed in 4 pots. Pot 1 - hosts and 7 best nations. Pot 2 - Africa and S.America. Pot 3 - Asia and N.America. Pot 4 - Europe. This is specific for this World Cup, if the composition of teams was different then the pots would be different. The bald old guys met and came up with these pots.

Since you were in pot 3, you were bound to get one of the eight best nations (Spain) plus one of the eight other European teams (Netherlands). And a team from South America or Africa (Chile). You'll never have it easy as you'll always be in the weakest pot.

FIFA know that by opening the tournament up to 32 teams and ensuring geographic diversity with regional qualification that there will be a significant variation in team quality. And USUALLY that variation is regional.

So by ensuring a regional pot split - the groups are (sort of) evened out - although any group that has two European nations in it will always look harder than most. (Spain/Netherlands/Chile, England/Italy/Uruguay, Germany/Portugal/Ghana).

Interestingly, the CONCACAF teams have stormed the first round with Mexico, Costa Rica and United States surprising most people with their wins, and they came out of the "weak" pot - so the pot is not everything.

Australia could overcome their location and make it easier by becoming a top seed - they are probably not going to do that on the field for a while yet - but may do it as a World Cup host one day soon?

[Roulette Zeitung]

Brazil 0
Mexico 0

Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa played if from another star.

I take my hat off.




Leopold

[Christiaan]

Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa played if from another star.

The Russian goalkeeper was with his mind at another star...

[DanHorvat]

the Frenchies in the office seem to think they are above the Aussies.

Frenchies do that.

it drives me up the wall.

Frenchies do that.

I suggest you wait until France get knocked out, it won't be long before they do, and come up with something clever when you meet these French guys the next day.

"So when are you actually winning this thing?"

If England happen to go further in the tournament than France does you can always use that against them. Alternatively, use Germans. Or use any small nation that happened to go further than France.

Crash and burn baby

[Roulette Zeitung]

Spain 0
Chile 2

Spain's King Juan Carlos has abdicated the thrown this evening. At the same time Spain's royal football team knocked out of World Cup and disappears from global stage's podium, perhaps for a very long time, because after this tournament everyone should know, how to beat „Tiki-Taka“.

An era comes to an end. A new team will rise to the football throne.

The King is dead, long live the King!

Leopold

[TheGooner]

"So when are you actually winning this thing?"

Not sure that's a good taunt against the French - bearing mind they did win THIS THING in 1998 in Paris.

[Renee]

FIFA know that by opening the tournament up to 32 teams and ensuring geographic diversity with regional qualification that there will be a significant variation in team quality. And USUALLY that variation is regional.

So by ensuring a regional pot split - the groups are (sort of) evened out - although any group that has two European nations in it will always look harder than most. (Spain/Netherlands/Chile, England/Italy/Uruguay, Germany/Portugal/Ghana).

Interestingly, the CONCACAF teams have stormed the first round with Mexico, Costa Rica and United States surprising most people with their wins, and they came out of the "weak" pot - so the pot is not everything.

Australia could overcome their location and make it easier by becoming a top seed - they are probably not going to do that on the field for a while yet - but may do it as a World Cup host one day soon?

It would be awesome if they gave it to us if they take it from Qatar. I have a feeling it will go to USA though. That's IF it happens.
I was saying to my other half this morning on the way to work that it would be great for us because we wouldn't have to spend much money as we already have all the infrastructure to host the games because of when the olympics was here. They would only need to do minor upgrades.

It would be bloody awesome. A pipe dream at the moment though.

Frenchies do that.

Frenchies do that.

I suggest you wait until France get knocked out, it won't be long before they do, and come up with something clever when you meet these French guys the next day.

"So when are you actually winning this thing?"

If England happen to go further in the tournament than France does you can always use that against them. Alternatively, use Germans. Or use any small nation that happened to go further than France.

Crash and burn baby

Hahaha I'm sure everyone in the office will be giving them ****. They are the first to open their mouths, always.

Spain 0
Chile 2

Spain's King Juan Carlos has abdicated the thrown this evening. At the same time Spain's royal football team knocked out of World Cup and disappears from global stage's podium, perhaps for a very long time, because after this tournament everyone should know, how to beat „Tiki-Taka“.

An era comes to an end. A new team will rise to the football throne.

The King is dead, long live the King!

Leopold

It's unbelievable that the team ranked 1st in the world can get knocked out in the first stage. I'm very interested to see how Oz goes against them. With such a great game this morning against Netherlands they may have a decent chance.

Edit: Actually I take that back. Just remembered that Cahill isn't playing in that game. So I guess the chance went down a bit.

Not sure that's a good taunt against the French - bearing mind they did win THIS THING in 1998 in Paris.

Hahah. That was almost 20 years ago. They do like to choke though.

... and just a reminder that I'm getting old(er) :/

[Roulette Zeitung]

USA: 0
Germany: 1

An unspectacularly uncontested victory for Germany.

For USA next match with probably Belgium is surely anything but an unsolvable task.

In order to avoid a huge disgrace, Germany must defeat Algeria or Russia!

Leopold