Brasil 2014

The Game Room
81

Dang, I forgot it was already almost a year ago!

However, calling it the “C-team at best” is not really quite correct, but you’re right they were missing a number of their best players. Not many of the usual starting XI played, but not none, and remember that Germany are a team with real depth. What we did see was a US side gaining confidence and playing with a more attractive, attacking style against one of the best, deepest, most well-coached squads in the world. Improvement!

But I agree that you can never take too much from friendlies, really. They’re so totally different from actual competition, even if the rosters are at full strength.

I don’t think it’s likely we can beat Germany. But we might be able to keep them from beating us.

82

Here’s a good article about Germany’s issues, as alluded to by chizzuk. Issues such as they are. Germany will pull it together, probably, but maybe not enough to give Argentina or Brazil a real challenge. What if Germany end up the traditional power who crashes out in the group stage this year? Nah, that’s not very likely.

Having said that, no European team has won a World Cup in South America. It’s starting to look less likely that will happen this year, either.

83

Group G the group of death? Both B and D are stronger. Group G should be a walk for Portugal (who haven’t been convincing the last few qualifying campaigns) and Germany; the USA isn’t all that.

Italy, Uruguay and England… now here a big name is going to falter. Netherlands and Spain (world cup final repeat) is kind of ridiculous in itself, and Chile is better than people think. 4 years ago they already gave Spain a run for its money and the things I’ve seen since then makes me fear for my team (Holland). Only really noticed it since I’m paying attention now, otherwise I might have thought the same thing. Still not as bad as our Euro 2008 group (France, Italy and Romania) and we got out of that ok.

The Dutch player you were talking about is Kevin Strootman of AS Roma, who was sort of the midfield engine of the team. We don’t really have cover for him and are even changing the system (sort of). The way the Dutch team will set up, is having 8 average or up and coming players playing difficult to beat… and relying on Van Persie and Robben (hopefully Sneijder too) to make that difference; Robben has been awesome this year so still a bit of hope. Most of the squad is relatively untested against strong opposition… I dare say we will be relying on Nigel De Jong to lead the: break them down squad of the team.

84

Group G is the only group with all four teams having moved out of the group stage in 2010. And, as I mentioned, Group G has the top combined FIFA ranking (lowest total number). Whatever you think of FIFA rankings, that’s still something. Team USA isn’t spectacular, but we did win our group (which had England in it) in 2010. I’m quite sure neither Germany nor Portugal will be taking the USA lightly. And Ghana are one of the consistently best teams in Africa lately and made the quarterfinals in 2010.

Netherlands v. Spain in a group together is no big deal, considering the other two teams are not likely to get far. While no team that qualifies from South America “sucks” really, and Chile would certainly give a team like, oh, say Greece a hard time, Netherlands and Spain should hardly notice the speed bump. Australia will finish 0-3. No one of any note thinks Group B is a candidate for “Group of Death.”

With Group D, however, you have a candidate to compete with G for that “honor.” But remember that Italy lost their group in 2010. They had fewer points than New Zealand! They have improved since then, and did make the final of Euro 2012, only to be slaughtered by Spain 4-0. As I said, you can never write them off, but this isn’t the Italy of 2006 (or the Italy of any of the four other World Cup victories they have). Italy should advance this year, as I said above. But there’s still some shakiness. Will the brilliant, unstoppable Balotelli show up, or the lunatic bully who gets red cards? Will the fact that relatively few of the current roster have a lot of international experience? We shall see. Italy are always entertaining, despite their tendency to be on the ground as often as on their feet.

As for England and Uruguay: Uruguay no longer has Forlan, who made such an impression in 2010. Suarez might stay on the injured list, and even if he comes off, there’s no guarantee of match fitness. He’s exceptionally great when he’s fit, though. Assuming he doesn’t bite anyone. Uruguay do not have a lot of depth.

I do expect England to be a bit stronger this year than in 2010. However their mediocre qualifying run didn’t win them a lot of confidence.

If you say “USA isn’t all that,” what can you then say about Costa Rica? They’ll be a meager three games and out. So Group D has three strong teams, albeit one that flopped on its face in 2010 (heh), and one that was very shaky and came in second to its group to the USA.

Therefore, I still say Group G is the best candidate for Group of Death. But it’s a silly argument anyway; for sure Group B and G are a bit ridiculous, especially compared to the softness of Group C, but this happens every World Cup. The groups will never be perfectly balanced. The need for impartiality trumps balance.

I watched a ton of the qualifying matches, especially for the USA, and Team USA is much better than a lot of World Cup fans are giving credit. Clint Dempsey is in extremely fine form, and Tim Howard has become one of the best goal keepers in the Premiere League, and therefore the world. Klinsmann is not an idiot, either. Team USA should be much more entertaining to watch than in most past years.

85

Sinead O’ Conners got a World Cup song?

I’ve got a Red 1982 Admiral shirt…

Top Trumps! :smiley:

86

The Blue Brazil?

87

With reference to that “friendly” from last year I have been put in the awkward situation of actually defending Germany’s team (something that I VERY RARELY find myself doing). The team that lost to the USMSNT that day was in no way, shape, or form made up of the kind of players that Jogi Löw will take to Brasil. Furthermore, one of the USMNST’s goals in that match was an absolute HOWLER by the German 'keeper (NOT, it is noted, the current #1 for the German team, Manuel Neuer) and as I recall that B/C/D/U-20/U-17 team for the Germans that day STILL scored two late goals - against, what I can only assume, was a more-or-less full-strength USMNST - to make it close. Unless Jogi Löw and Jürgen Klinsmann strike some sort of deal beforehand or the German team is already assured the top spot in the group by the time those two teams play each other in Brasil, I REALLY don’t see the USMNST taking any points off the Germans, as much as I’d like to see them do it (even though I’m no fan of J.K.).

88

Things might be looking a little rosier for the USA. Ghana lost to the Netherlads 1-0 in a game that should have been a wider margin, and Christiano Ronaldo is apparently in worse shape than reported and might miss the Cup entirely.

http://www.insidespanishfootball.com/110697/cristiano-ronaldo-could-miss-the-2014-world-cup-with-knee-injury/

89

Doesn’t that look BAD for the USA, if it means Ghana is performing better than would have been expected?

90

Ok, I don’t why I’m arguing this. I don’t see why it’s controversial that USA beating Germany in a friendly last spring, something that had never happened before, and doing so in a polished, attacking style that has rarely been seen before from the USA, is a possible indication that we are improving. I say it is. I know friendlies don’t tell you much in general, and you can’t take too much from this one, either, however it was a sign of improvement.

Here’s the USA squad for that match, June 2013:
Howard; Evans, Gonzalez, Besler, Beasley; Jones, Bradley; Zusi, Dempsey ©, F. Johnson; Altidore

So, yes, pretty much our usual, and almost identical to the squad that beat Turkey today.

Germany: Stegen; L Bender, Mertesacker, Howedes, Jansen; S. Bender, Reinartz; Schürrle, Draxler, Podolski; Klose

I’ve highlighted those who played then who are on the current German squad. So, just as I said, not all of them were missing that day. Obviously some very big names were indeed missing, especially Manuel Neuer who is one of the best there is.

But that’s not the point I was trying to make. I insist that the win showed USA improvement. I don’t at all think that this means the USA can beat Germany in the World Cup under normal circumstances (although weirder things have happened). I think it might be possible for Team USA to not lose to Germany. That’s all. Obviously it’s a long shot, even just a tie would be huge.

One last point: that Germany came back to score goals and almost tie it up in that friendly is irrelevant. At that point in the match, both sides had made a ton of substitutions (which are unrestricted in friendlies), and Klinsmann gave a number of Americans down the list a shot at showing their stuff.

The point is only that the unique victory revealed a more polished, attacking team for the USA, and one that showed considerable improvement over previous versions, as many commentators noted at that time.

I’m not making a prediction that the USA is likely to beat Germany barring weirdness, or that the USA are likely to go far in the tournament. We’ll be fortunate indeed to get out of the Group, but it’s not hopeless. That’s the point.

In the end, I still say that the USA men’s national team are better than most detractors are proud of themselves for saying.

91

I still don’t personally see J.K. as anything much more than a cheerleader and if it had been up to me he never would’ve been hired as the UMNST manager. He may get them further in Brasil than I’m thinking he will, but I seriously doubt it!

92

The World Cup is being held in “Brazil”.

93

Indeed, where it is spelled “Brasil” in the native language (Portuguese). As such I think it’s fair enough for the OP to title the thread accordingly, strange as it may seem to us Anglophones. I don’t remember any references to “Francais '98” among English speakers, or whatever it would have been in 2002, but I suppose the fact that Brazil/Brasil are spelled and pronounced almost the same makes it easier.

94

That would be because that says “French '98” or “The French Language '98” if we’re being really picky. France is France in French (as it were).

95

This. Plus, I remember lots of references to Italia '90. (Alhough, no Deutschland '06; I guess it’s inconsistent.)

96

I’m pretty sure both the BBC and ITV branded their coverage as “Italia '90”

97

They did (and Nessun Dorma has been in my music rotation permanently since!)

98

Yeah, but it was branding. People didn’t talk about how well they expected Italia to do in the tournament.

99

Well, if that’s the level of pedantry you aspire to, you should have pointed out that it’s Côte d’Ivoire.

100

I’m new here, is a little bit of whimsy not allowed?