The Soccer Thread

[USSoccer]

New Zealand advanced today and Uruguay won 1-0 at the Saprissa. It's looking like our chances of getting South Africa just took a big hit.

Yeah, the best shot now is that FIFA decides to pair Africa and North America in the same pool, just because they didn't do that last time. I still think it's likelier that Africa and South America get paired because of competitive balance, but it's all up to FIFA.

 

South Africa's group will be:

 

South Africa

Slovakia

North Korea

Chile

 

or something like that. Book it. FIFA will keep the pot balance with CAF and CONMEMBOL together.

 

We are going to get Ivory Coast, Netherlands and Argie.

 

And I'm lunatic enough to think that we can find 4 points out of that group.

[Exile on Waveland]

New Zealand advanced today and Uruguay won 1-0 at the Saprissa. It's looking like our chances of getting South Africa just took a big hit.

Yeah, the best shot now is that FIFA decides to pair Africa and North America in the same pool, just because they didn't do that last time. I still think it's likelier that Africa and South America get paired because of competitive balance, but it's all up to FIFA.

 

South Africa's group will be:

 

South Africa

Slovakia

North Korea

Chile

 

or something like that. Book it. FIFA will keep the pot balance with CAF and CONMEMBOL together.

 

We are going to get Ivory Coast, Netherlands and Argie.

 

And I'm lunatic enough to think that we can find 4 points out of that group.

 

Man I wish people would stop saying those words together in this thread. It's going to happen, I know it, you know it, we all know it. But, damn, it doesn't help to lighten my mood. Ugh. Netherlands, Argentina, and Cote d'Ivoire (and, yeah, I went all pretentious with the name).

[Guest]

I figure the more often it gets said, the quicker I'll come to terms with us getting the Group of Death again and the less angry I'll be on Dec. 4.

[Exile on Waveland]

I figure the more often it gets said, the quicker I'll come to terms with us getting the Group of Death again and the less angry I'll be on Dec. 4.

 

Yeah, without this thread I might not have really expected it. I'll just shrug now when it happens.

[bukie]

New Zealand advanced today and Uruguay won 1-0 at the Saprissa. It's looking like our chances of getting South Africa just took a big hit.

Yeah, the best shot now is that FIFA decides to pair Africa and North America in the same pool, just because they didn't do that last time. I still think it's likelier that Africa and South America get paired because of competitive balance, but it's all up to FIFA.

 

South Africa's group will be:

 

South Africa

Slovakia

North Korea

Chile

 

or something like that. Book it. FIFA will keep the pot balance with CAF and CONMEMBOL together.

 

We are going to get Ivory Coast, Netherlands and Argie.

 

And I'm lunatic enough to think that we can find 4 points out of that group.

Another scary thought: FIFA pairs CAF and CONCACAF in an effort to help South Africa through, and their group ends up being:

 

South Africa

Slovakia

Mexico

New Zealand

 

Mexico wins the group, advances yet again to the round of 16 and earns a seed in the next World Cup.

[USSoccer]

Of all the seeded teams, Argie aren't one of the worst options we could face. I'd least like to face England, Brazil or Germany. I'm indifferent on teams like Spain or France and I think we'd beat Italy in an 11v11 match. The trick would be to actually play them at full strength.

 

We match up much better against more technical, less physical sides.

[wolf stansson]

Ned Grabavoy is a wiener.

 

Stupid Fire. That crowd deserved better.

The three guys who insisted on going bottom right when Rimando showed he was cheating there every time already are wieners.

[USSoccer]

Ned Grabavoy is a wiener.

 

Stupid Fire. That crowd deserved better.

The three guys who insisted on going bottom right when Rimando showed he was cheating there every time already are wieners.

 

Agreed.

 

Chicago/Gals would have made a nice final.

[Banedon]

Mexico international striker Antonio de Nigris has died at the age of 31 from a suspected heart attack.

[USSoccer]

Mexico international striker Antonio de Nigris has died at the age of 31 from a suspected heart attack.

 

That sucks, but I don't know who that is.

[USSoccer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wDv5mTAeDU&feature=related

 

So Egypt had to win 2-0 to force a playoff Wednesday...and they scored the second in the last minute of extra time. Listen to that roar.

 

I love this game.

[brinoch]

Awesome.

[shnsajax]

van Persie is set for placenta treatment on his ankle. That is nasty.

 

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=699533&sec=england&cc=5901

[bukie]

Football-rankings did another run on seeding numbers, and a random draw based on the likely pod scenario:

 

Group A: South Africa, Netherlands, Korea DPR, Chile

Group B: England, Portugal, Honduras, Paraguay

Group C: France, Slovakia, Mexico, Côte d'Ivoire

Group D: Germany, Greece, Australia, Cameroon

Group E: Brazil, Denmark, Korea Republic, Nigeria

Group F: Italy, Switzerland, USA, Uruguay

Group G: Argentina, Serbia, Japan, Egypt

Group H: Spain, Russia, New Zealand, Ghana

 

That, to me, actually looks pretty evenly distributed, and I wouldn't hate if the USA got that group.

[USSoccer]

Football-rankings did another run on seeding numbers, and a random draw based on the likely pod scenario:

 

Group A: South Africa, Netherlands, Korea DPR, Chile

Group B: England, Portugal, Honduras, Paraguay

Group C: France, Slovakia, Mexico, Côte d'Ivoire

Group D: Germany, Greece, Australia, Cameroon

Group E: Brazil, Denmark, Korea Republic, Nigeria

Group F: Italy, Switzerland, USA, Uruguay

Group G: Argentina, Serbia, Japan, Egypt

Group H: Spain, Russia, New Zealand, Ghana

 

That, to me, actually looks pretty evenly distributed, and I wouldn't hate if the USA got that group.

 

 

I would run naked down the street if we drew that group.

 

New kits for next summer (i'm not a fan):

 

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/aawags11/WC102.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/aawags11/WC103.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/aawags11/WC104.jpg

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Those remind me of ugly jerseys from 25 years ago. Not a fan.

[sethuel1]

a diagonal sash? why?

[Mark Priors Calves]

they're all bad, but the blue one is horrendous.

[shnsajax]

a diagonal sash? why?

 

They are reminding me of some other countries ugly jersey's and I am drawing a blank. I also don't like having the same style for home and away just different colors.

[USSoccer]

a diagonal sash? why?

 

Because somebody thinks wearing Trinidad & Tobago's flag as a kit seems like a good idea.

 

I like our current kit just fine.

[shnsajax]

they're all bad, but the blue one is horrendous.

 

I can live with the white one, but thats it.

[shnsajax]

Football-rankings did another run on seeding numbers, and a random draw based on the likely pod scenario:

 

Group A: South Africa, Netherlands, Korea DPR, Chile

Group B: England, Portugal, Honduras, Paraguay

Group C: France, Slovakia, Mexico, Côte d'Ivoire

Group D: Germany, Greece, Australia, Cameroon

Group E: Brazil, Denmark, Korea Republic, Nigeria

Group F: Italy, Switzerland, USA, Uruguay

Group G: Argentina, Serbia, Japan, Egypt

Group H: Spain, Russia, New Zealand, Ghana

 

That, to me, actually looks pretty evenly distributed, and I wouldn't hate if the USA got that group.

 

I would take that in a heartbeat.

[bukie]

Algeria leads Egypt 1-0 at halftime, and Ukraine and Greece are underway and scoreless in the 1st.

[Banedon]

Mexico international striker Antonio de Nigris has died at the age of 31 from a suspected heart attack.

 

That sucks, but I don't know who that is.

 

Me either, but I'm not a soccer fan...just saw it on HuffPo and thought he must be someone of reasonable prominence to get a headline.

[Guest]

Algeria leads Egypt 1-0 at halftime, and Ukraine and Greece are underway and scoreless in the 1st.

 

Algeria holds on for a 1-0 win to advance. Greece still leaves 1-0 in the second half and the other three European games should be starting soon.