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Official 2014 World Cup Thread (Spoilers)

Lionel who????? The best team won. I can see Germany go on now for a bit of Spain style dominance. Well done Brazil. For all the talk before hand about stadiums nor being ready, protests etc, etc, you've just hosted the best World Cup ever!!!!!
 
How did Messi win the golden boot? Seriously, he only scored in the group stage and was a total non factor when Argentina needed him most. James Rodriguez deserved it far more if you go off goal count and being a true impact player when his team needed him. I thought Messi looked quite bland most of the tournament. FIFA blew that one big time.
 
rtparty said:
How did Messi win the golden boot? Seriously, he only scored in the group stage and was a total non factor when Argentina needed him most. James Rodriguez deserved it far more if you go off goal count and being a true impact player when his team needed him. I thought Messi looked quite bland most of the tournament. FIFA blew that one big time.
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Man I'm scratching my head on that call also.

Give Messi the GB? Seriously?
 
OUZO Power said:
Man I'm scratching my head on that call also.

Give Messi the GB? Seriously?
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Manuel Neuer completed more passes than Messi. I don't get it at all. But the best team won so that's all that matters.
 
Gee Whiz WC factoid. I was in (then, West) Germany in 1990 and thought it would be 'fun' to go watch the final downtown. It was definitely something this American wasn't used to and the experience was just a tad overwhelming. I couldn't get back to the base because all the streets were blocked so I just tried to enjoy it and have some sort of fun in such a wild atmosphere.
 
Check this out. These were tweeted 18hrs before the match started

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1405338079.034334.jpg
 
rtparty said:
How did Messi win the golden boot? Seriously, he only scored in the group stage and was a total non factor when Argentina needed him most. James Rodriguez deserved it far more if you go off goal count and being a true impact player when his team needed him. I thought Messi looked quite bland most of the tournament. FIFA blew that one big time.
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James Rodriguez won the golden boot (top scorer). Messi won the golden ball (best player). I was surprised. Personally, I think he got it because he was there to collect it. I think that's part of the reason Manuel Neuer got the golden glove too.
 
Mark_UK said:
James Rodriguez won the golden boot (top scorer). Messi won the golden ball (best player). I was surprised. Personally, I think he got it because he was there to collect it. I think that's part of the reason Manuel Neuer got the golden glove too.
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Ah, I misread the headline. Still don't think Messi was anything special and definitely not the best player there. Not sure Neuer deserved his award either. 18 saves in one game by Howard earned that right.
 
rtparty said:
Ah, I misread the headline. Still don't think Messi was anything special and definitely not the best player there. Not sure Neuer deserved his award either. 18 saves in one game by Howard earned that right.
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Howard wasn't even one of the finalists for the Golden Glove. I saw a sportswriter speculating that FIFA had an unwritten rule that your team had to be a quarterfinalist to be a finalist for one of the individual awards.
 
adwillingham said:
Howard wasn't even one of the finalists for the Golden Glove. I saw a sportswriter speculating that FIFA had an unwritten rule that your team had to be a quarterfinalist to be a finalist for one of the individual awards.
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That's a bad rule IMO if it exists. Wouldn't surprise me though
 
Golden Ball - Winner - Messi (ARG), 2 - Muller (GER), 3 - Robben (NETH), Also Nominated - di Maria (ARG), Rodriguez (COL), Mascherano (ARG), Hummels (GER), Neymar (BRA), Lahm (GER), Kroos (GER)

Golden Boot - Winner - Rodriguez (COL), 2 - Muller (GER), 3 - Neymar (BRA)

Golden Glove - Winner - Neuer (GER), Also Nominated - Navas (CRC), Romero (ARG)

Young Player - Winner - Pogba (FRA), Also Nominated - Depay (NETH), Varane (FRA)

Fair Play Trophy - Columbia
 
Great Video...World Cup's "One Shining Moment"

 
Best team won the tournament IMO. I thought overall it was a great tournament but it goes way too fast. I have heard sports reporters claim that this put soccer back on the radar for Americans and I guess that is somewhat true but I could care less. If you like the game and want to watch great if you don't like it don't watch just my .02
 
TheCrest4 said:
Best team won the tournament IMO. I thought overall it was a great tournament but it goes way too fast. I have heard sports reporters claim that this put soccer back on the radar for Americans and I guess that is somewhat true but I could care less. If you like the game and want to watch great if you don't like it don't watch just my .02
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I'm going to contrast that statement just a bit.

I was watching the Sounders/Portland MLS game on Sunday night, and they had 68,000 fans and had pretty much filled the Seahawks stadium. From a crowd perspective, it was every bit as good as the best 2% of what I have seen from Europe or even the World Cup. Obviously the product on the pitch wasn't up to those standards, but if that was the scene in 10 MLS stadiums every weekend (due to increased interest in the game), can you imagine the cash flow differences - fan spending, then advertiser dollars - which would allow the teams to acquire better and better players?

I know people watched the World Cup out of a sense of patriotic curiosity or because it was a big event, and no, I don't expect to see MLS games with 20 million TV viewers, but I don't understand why anyone who enjoyed it before wouldn't want the game to expand. If more people like it, the better athletes may start playing it, and if they do, then the product can get even better.
 
adwillingham said:
I'm going to contrast that statement just a bit.

I was watching the Sounders/Portland MLS game on Sunday night, and they had 68,000 fans and had pretty much filled the Seahawks stadium. From a crowd perspective, it was every bit as good as the best 2% of what I have seen from Europe or even the World Cup. Obviously the product on the pitch wasn't up to those standards, but if that was the scene in 10 MLS stadiums every weekend (due to increased interest in the game), can you imagine the cash flow differences - fan spending, then advertiser dollars - which would allow the teams to acquire better and better players?

I know people watched the World Cup out of a sense of patriotic curiosity or because it was a big event, and no, I don't expect to see MLS games with 20 million TV viewers, but I don't understand why anyone who enjoyed it before wouldn't want the game to expand. If more people like it, the better athletes may start playing it, and if they do, then the product can get even better.
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I believe that Seattle and Portland were well attended venues before the World Cup.

I will give this to pacific NW sports fans. They support their teams.
 
adwillingham said:
I'm going to contrast that statement just a bit.

I was watching the Sounders/Portland MLS game on Sunday night, and they had 68,000 fans and had pretty much filled the Seahawks stadium. From a crowd perspective, it was every bit as good as the best 2% of what I have seen from Europe or even the World Cup. Obviously the product on the pitch wasn't up to those standards, but if that was the scene in 10 MLS stadiums every weekend (due to increased interest in the game), can you imagine the cash flow differences - fan spending, then advertiser dollars - which would allow the teams to acquire better and better players?

I know people watched the World Cup out of a sense of patriotic curiosity or because it was a big event, and no, I don't expect to see MLS games with 20 million TV viewers, but I don't understand why anyone who enjoyed it before wouldn't want the game to expand. If more people like it, the better athletes may start playing it, and if they do, then the product can get even better.
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I am all for expanding the game and getting better players not only home grown but from other countries.

I think Seattle and Portland are exceptions to the rule in the MLS they have great fan bases. I live in DC and the United who have won multiple titles play in a run down decrepit RFK Stadium they have never come close to 68k fans, maybe for the whole season combined.

ESPN also pushed that particular match during the last 3 matches of the World Cup so I will be interested to see if attendance and viewers still tune in with the WC over.
 
blugold said:
I believe that Seattle and Portland were well attended venues before the World Cup.

I will give this to pacific NW sports fans. They support their teams.
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They absolutely were, and I'm not saying it was any sort of post-World Cup bump up there, just that it would be incredible if the passion and fan base up in that area existed in other markets as well.
 
adwillingham said:
They absolutely were, and I'm not saying it was any sort of post-World Cup bump up there, just that it would be incredible if the passion and fan base up in that area existed in other markets as well.
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I agree. I just like seeing stadiums up close to capacity. What would make me happier would be to see more soccer specific stadiums. We're getting there gradually.
 
adwillingham said:
They absolutely were, and I'm not saying it was any sort of post-World Cup bump up there, just that it would be incredible if the passion and fan base up in that area existed in other markets as well.
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I agree with you here and I think that constructing soccer only venues can really help with growing fan bases all over the country. The fan experience is greatly improved
 
Sorry for the domestic soccer diversion...

The World Cup Final had an estimated 26.5 million viewers (17.3 million on ABC and 9.2 million on Univision).
 
adwillingham said:
Sorry for the domestic soccer diversion...

The World Cup Final had an estimated 26.5 million viewers (17.3 million on ABC and 9.2 million on Univision).
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Haha oops nice save man.
 
So if the World Cup were college football ... what would the US be ranked? We only lost to Germany by one, which thrashed Brazil and beat Argentina by the same score they beat us. Brazil obviously drops losing their last two games ... America winds up top 10?
 
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