The Official Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup thread

[laoislad]

Scotsman in the crowd with a ginger wig tartan hat and scot flag going mental lol

[magpie seanie]

England a little unlucky in the two games but are basically fucked beacuse they have given goals away so cheaply. There can never have been as bad an English back 4 and central midfield ever, especially at a major finals. I'd give Baines and Henderson marks for effort but the two centre backs and Gerrard have been pathetic. Hart is dodgy too (he did a great job getting out of the way for the 2nd!). The goals they've conceded have all come from nothing really.

Whether you like him or not Rooney deserves great credit after the ridiculous stuff going on about him leading up to the tournament and in the last week. He is England's best player by a distance and was tonight. He's not at the Messi/Ronaldo level and should have converted more of his chances over the two games but I thought despite the close attention from the really excellent Arevalo he kept driving England on from start to finish and kept plugging away when other were shown up as the frauds they are.

Hodgson has been a wee bit naive too. John Terry should have been there and persisting with Gerrard was destined to fail.

Hope Italy beat Costa Rica so the soap opera continues!

[Syferus]

Mario Balotelli Verified account ‏@FinallyMario
If we beat Costa Rica i want a kiss,obviously on the cheek, from the UK Queen.😂😂😂.

Balotelli is kinda awesome.

[Jell 0 Biafra]

Dear World Cup Participant,

Please be aware of the following rule changes to this year's tournament:

1. If you want to take a corner from outside the marked area, fine—but you're getting a yellow card immediately after, and possession reverts to the opposition.  You're a professional footballer ffs, you can't hit a cross into the box from 3 inches further away?

2. Gathering the ball into your hands when you think you've been fouled, but before the whistle is gone: yellow card—even if you get the free.  The ball was still in play and you handled it; did nobody tell you about that being against the rules?

3. Waving an imaginary card into the ref's face, trying to get your opponent booked: straight red.  You're not the ref, nor do you have Parkinson's.

4. Team with the lead has player who needs to be stretchered off?  Fine.  But he has to stay off and receive medical attention for two full minutes before being allowed back.  No miraculous recoveries.

5. Being Ronaldo: straight red.  No wait, lifetime ban.

6. Penalty dives to be assessed by a team of judges with scorecards reading 1-10.  The player with the highest score by the end of the tournament to be forced to participate in the high dive competition in the next Olympics.

7. Penalties to be called for every corner kick taken, until someone learns to defend a corner without hanging out of/dragging/pulling their opponents.  Given how much fouling there is in these situations, this is debatably not a rule change at all, more than an enforcing of existing rules.

8. Any player who rolls 360 degrees or more after a challenge—even if fouled—to be forced to play Rugby/American Football/Hurling as culturally appropriate, but with neither helmet nor padding.  We'll give you something to feckin' moan about.

9. But you can take your shirt off after scoring.  Seriously FIFA, that's the dumbest yellow card offence there is. There aren't more serious issues you can tackle?

10. All matches involving England to conclude with a penalty shoot-out.  You know why.

[Asal Mor]

Poor stuff from Cahill for the second goal.  Easier said that done to keep tabs on Suarez but Cahill just switched off for the split second and lost him.  Letting Saurez goalside is football suicide.

Exactly. And Jagielka was at fault for the first.

And Demba Ba's goal was the groundsman's fault.

[Asal Mor]

England a little unlucky in the two games but are basically fucked beacuse they have given goals away so cheaply. There can never have been as bad an English back 4 and central midfield ever, especially at a major finals. I'd give Baines and Henderson marks for effort but the two centre backs and Gerrard have been pathetic. Hart is dodgy too (he did a great job getting out of the way for the 2nd!). The goals they've conceded have all come from nothing really.

Whether you like him or not Rooney deserves great credit after the ridiculous stuff going on about him leading up to the tournament and in the last week. He is England's best player by a distance and was tonight. He's not at the Messi/Ronaldo level and should have converted more of his chances over the two games but I thought despite the close attention from the really excellent Arevalo he kept driving England on from start to finish and kept plugging away when other were shown up as the frauds they are.

Hodgson has been a wee bit naive too. John Terry should have been there and persisting with Gerrard was destined to fail.

Hope Italy beat Costa Rica so the soap opera continues!

I agree with you about Rooney but I didn't think Baines or Henderson stood out in any way from the rest of the mediocrity. I thought Cahill was their best defender by a mile tonight until the second goal, when he didn't anticipate Stevie G's flick-on.

[laoislad]

I don't think any England player can say they've had a good tournament to be fair.
Sterling was excellent first game but wasn't great last night. Rooney was ok last night but poor the first game.
Welbeck is just shit and it is absolutely mind boggling that he starts for England at a World Cup.
Jagielka and Baines have been shown up for the small club players they are, unable to make the step up in class.
Gerrard has had a poor world cup in fairness. Henderson isn't the player he has been for Liverpool all season.
Even with the mistakes made in the lead up to the goals last night I think Seanie forgot to mention the brilliance of Suarez in his finishing  He still had an awful lot to do it wasn't like they were both tap ins.
I think a lot of the blame though is on Woy.The English press will be clamouring for 'Arry to take over now.

[laoislad]

England to finish bottom of their group @17/2 is a good bet I think.

Come on Chile.....
Wish I put more than €10 on it.

[WT4E]

England to finish bottom of their group @17/2 is a good bet I think.

Come on Chile.....
Wish I put more than €10 on it.

Costa Rica???

[laoislad]

England to finish bottom of their group @17/2 is a good bet I think.

Come on Chile.....
Wish I put more than €10 on it.

Costa Rica???

D'oh....Yeah I meant Costa Rica...

[Milltown Row2]

England to finish bottom of their group @17/2 is a good bet I think.

Come on Chile.....
Wish I put more than €10 on it.

Costa Rica???

I've Chile in a sweep so come on Chile. And Costa Rica should steal a draw

[NAG1]

I don't think any England player can say they've had a good tournament to be fair.
Sterling was excellent first game but wasn't great last night. Rooney was ok last night but poor the first game.
Welbeck is just shit and it is absolutely mind boggling that he starts for England at a World Cup.
Jagielka and Baines have been shown up for the small club players they are, unable to make the step up in class.
Gerrard has had a poor world cup in fairness. Henderson isn't the player he has been for Liverpool all season.
Even with the mistakes made in the lead up to the goals last night I think Seanie forgot to mention the brilliance of Suarez in his finishing  He still had an awful lot to do it wasn't like they were both tap ins.
I think a lot of the blame though is on Woy.The English press will be clamouring for 'Arry to take over now.

I would say Baines will be glad he got the big contract signed before he got to this world cup, he has been poor. In fairness it just looks like England were just that bit poorer than both Italy and Uruguay, think the system of trying to fit essentially three centre forwards, in Rooney Wellbeck and Sturridge was always going to be a difficult one to get right.

I can't remember which game it was in but Alan Shearer was slating one of the teams, who pushed up inside their own box to play offside and it worked perfectly. Is that not what Jagielka should have done with the run for the first goal. surely if he stops lets Suarez continue his run it is a basic offside call, Cavanni actually took his time to play the cross so to me should have been an easy spot.

Maybe I am being too harsh.

[rodney trotter]

Poor stuff from Cahill for the second goal.  Easier said that done to keep tabs on Suarez but Cahill just switched off for the split second and lost him.  Letting Saurez goalside is football suicide.

Exactly. And Jagielka was at fault for the first.

And Demba Ba's goal was the groundsman's fault.

[deiseach]

Hart didn't give himself the very best chance of saving Suarez's shot, but had he done he would have saved it two times in a million rather one time in a million. The ball was in the net in less time than it would take you to blink, let alone lift your arm.

While Gerrard wasn't at fault for the goal, he's had a poor World Cup. The extent to which each game passed him by was disturbing. Thankfully Liverpool have a manager who has a clue.

[NAG1]

Hart didn't give himself the very best chance of saving Suarez's shot, but had he done he would have saved it two times in a million rather one time in a million. The ball was in the net in less time than it would take you to blink, let alone lift your arm.

While Gerrard wasn't at fault for the goal, he's had a poor World Cup. The extent to which each game passed him by was disturbing. Thankfully Liverpool have a manager who has a clue.

Can you see any of the other top quality mid fielders on the other so called top sides, not realising his position on the pitch and the position of the defenders behind him, he ducks out of the way it runs harmlessly to an England defender. No need to go and try to make a header there, I would have thought that was basic awareness and positioning from most mid fielders.