The Official Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup thread

[laoislad]

hahaha...very apt     ...the closing music on RTE2

Will we won't we? Ah fcuk it we will for the craic....brilliant

I lol'd at it.
Very good

[laoislad]

They're not Brazil, they're Northern Ireland

Think I just heard Brazil fans sing "we're not Brazil we're Norn Iron"

That wasn't Brazil, that was Northern Ireland...

Wasn't even that funny the first time !

[dec]

John Terry is getting his German kit ready.

[Syferus]

Surprised at just how much my American friends have gotten into soccer for the World Cup. My Facebook feed has been filled with WC-related stuff from them and it hasn't stopped just because the USA are out. Soccer is growing in the US but it the World Cup as an event has really took hold at a level that's surprising to me because outside of the World Cup soccer is still pushed deep into the sporting background and most of the Americans I know would hardly watch any games.

It probably helps that the World Cup is on when college sports, the NFL NBA, NHL and indeed every major US sport besides baseball are in their off-seasons.

[NAG1]

Any one else feel that Brazil kind of got what was coming to them?

All the emotional crap before the games, the constant praying and posturing. In my mind they had completely lost the run of themselves and couldnt hack the occasion. The final straw was bringing out Neymar's jersey pre game, yes they want to show solidarity with their team mate but its not like he had died or that he even had a career threatening injury, they seem to have got so carried away with all that stuff and actually forgot to prepare mentally for the game.

Still difficult to decipher if Germany were just different class or that Brazil were just simply woeful, maybe a little of both me suspects.

[seafoid]

Any one else feel that Brazil kind of got what was coming to them?

All the emotional crap before the games, the constant praying and posturing. In my mind they had completely lost the run of themselves and couldnt hack the occasion. The final straw was bringing out Neymar's jersey pre game, yes they want to show solidarity with their team mate but its not like he had died or that he even had a career threatening injury, they seem to have got so carried away with all that stuff and actually forgot to prepare mentally for the game.

Still difficult to decipher if Germany were just different class or that Brazil were just simply woeful, maybe a little of both me suspects.

it was like the 2006 All ireland football final. Total collapse by Brazil and much too easy for Germany. Would Germany beat Tyrone mid 00s? Not sure.

[AQMP]

Any one else feel that Brazil kind of got what was coming to them?

All the emotional crap before the games, the constant praying and posturing. In my mind they had completely lost the run of themselves and couldnt hack the occasion. The final straw was bringing out Neymar's jersey pre game, yes they want to show solidarity with their team mate but its not like he had died or that he even had a career threatening injury, they seem to have got so carried away with all that stuff and actually forgot to prepare mentally for the game.

Still difficult to decipher if Germany were just different class or that Brazil were just simply woeful, maybe a little of both me suspects.

Brazil were found out.  A distinctly average team.  One thing they might learn is that waving a shirt and shouting and blubbing during the anthem will not a World Cup win.  Even with Silva and Neymar they still would have been hammered.

[AQMP]

Any one else feel that Brazil kind of got what was coming to them?

All the emotional crap before the games, the constant praying and posturing. In my mind they had completely lost the run of themselves and couldnt hack the occasion. The final straw was bringing out Neymar's jersey pre game, yes they want to show solidarity with their team mate but its not like he had died or that he even had a career threatening injury, they seem to have got so carried away with all that stuff and actually forgot to prepare mentally for the game.

Still difficult to decipher if Germany were just different class or that Brazil were just simply woeful, maybe a little of both me suspects.

it was like the 2006 All ireland football final. Total collapse by Brazil and much too easy for Germany. Would Germany beat Tyrone mid 00s? Not sure.

Mickey Harte vs Jogi Loew??  Too close to call...

[AQMP]

Germany scored more goals in that game than England have in their last two World Cups!

[blewuporstuffed]

I see now where Brazil got the world cup logo inspiration from.....

[Mike Sheehy]

Surprised at just how much my American friends have gotten into soccer for the World Cup. My Facebook feed has been filled with WC-related stuff from them and it hasn't stopped just because the USA are out. Soccer is growing in the US but it the World Cup as an event has really took hold at a level that's surprising to me because outside of the World Cup soccer is still pushed deep into the sporting background and most of the Americans I know would hardly watch any games.

It probably helps that the World Cup is on when college sports, the NFL NBA, NHL and indeed every major US sport besides baseball are in their off-seasons.

The statement in bold is completely untrue. MLS league games are on TV all the time during the season and the average attendance at MLS games is on a par with Ligue 1 in France. Highlights in MLS games are reported in sports news summary bullitons in the same way that baseball and American football highlights are. I know this because I have watched them every night.
Nobody is claiming its bigger than baseball or American football but does it need to be as big as them for Americans to be considered "into" soccer ? Rugby is second to GAA and Soccer in Ireland. I'm sure you'd be a bit perplexed if someone expressed surprise that Irish people were "into" Rugby though ?

[HiMucker]

I think I heard somewhere that soccer is the biggest sport in the US for the U18 (maybe a lower age bracket??)  Demographic, but its way down the pecking order viewing wise for 30 to 45 demographic.  This will change with time.

[WT4E]

Heard an interesting piece on the radio on this. Soccer is an elitist sport in US - you have to pay to play as a kid and if you are really serious about joining a good team that will lead to development and maybe professional parents may need to have to shell out $3k-$5k.

[Mike Sheehy]

I think I heard somewhere that soccer is the biggest sport in the US for the U18 (maybe a lower age bracket??)  Demographic, but its way down the pecking order viewing wise for 30 to 45 demographic.  This will change with time.

Agreed. Its definitely a younger generation thing and the current viewing numbers are poor enough relative to baseball , American football etc  but the profile of the sport is not "deep into the sporting background" that's for sure. Its plenty visible. When I first came over you'd rarely see league game highlights on sports bullitons but now its very common.

Also, if viewing numbers for domestic soccer leagues is the criteria then Ireland must rank near the bottom so   

[Syferus]

Surprised at just how much my American friends have gotten into soccer for the World Cup. My Facebook feed has been filled with WC-related stuff from them and it hasn't stopped just because the USA are out. Soccer is growing in the US but it the World Cup as an event has really took hold at a level that's surprising to me because outside of the World Cup soccer is still pushed deep into the sporting background and most of the Americans I know would hardly watch any games.

It probably helps that the World Cup is on when college sports, the NFL NBA, NHL and indeed every major US sport besides baseball are in their off-seasons.

The statement in bold is completely untrue. MLS league games are on TV all the time during the season and the average attendance at MLS games is on a par with Ligue 1 in France. Highlights in MLS games are reported in sports news summary bullitons in the same way that baseball and American football highlights are. I know this because I have watched them every night.
Nobody is claiming its bigger than baseball or American football but does it need to be as big as them for Americans to be considered "into" soccer ? Rugby is second to GAA and Soccer in Ireland. I'm sure you'd be a bit perplexed if someone expressed surprise that Irish people were "into" Rugby though ?

The USA is absolutely huge. It's the size of a continent in area and in population. Comparing raw numbes between France and the States is comparing apples and oranges.

Soccer would be doing well to be the six or seventh sport in the country and is still treated with a detached amusement in some quarters. The people who are watching the WC are mainly people who would have barely seen an MLS game on TV in their lives. The sheer level of interest the World Cup gets is far beyond what the sport in general gets.