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Robbie
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Will you be watching the World Cup a lot? What country do you think will win this time?

As far as rooting for a country in Vancouver, with the fair-sized Italian community I'd say most Vancouverites will still root for Italy.

I'm sure Brazil will be a good host and I hope the games will not always show the sound of swarming bees like the games hosted in South Africa four years ago.
Last edited by Robbie on Thu Jul 07, 2016 7:27 pm, edited 14 times in total.
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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KnowItAll
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Robbie wrote:Will you be watching the World Cup a lot? What country do you think will win this time?

As far as rooting for a country in Vancouver, with the fair-sized Italian community I'd say most Vancouverites will still root for Italy.

I'm sure Brazil will be a good host and I hope the games will not always show the sound of swarming bees like the games hosted in South Africa four years ago.
Brazil has always been by favorite since Pele. I also cheer for other Spanish or latin countries such as Argentina, Spain, and Mexico. Then there is Portugal because I spent 2 years living on commercial near Kingsway playing with a bunch of Portuguese. Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Portugal are 4 of the top 5 ranked teams. I sure hope the number 2 ranked Germany doesn't win. Don't care for France, Holland, Germany, or England. With Spain ranked number 1 and Brazil the home team, I would say flip a coin between them for the win.

Under dog team I will cheer some for, besides Mexico, depending on who they are playing, will be Australia, Switzerland, and the CAF countries.
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WestCoastJoe
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Brazil wins 3-1 after an early own goal.

Balotelli scores on a header as Italy defeats England.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... anaus.html

From the Telegraph ...

England loses, shows some pluck, but are up against it. Personally, I have often wondered at Rooney's place in the game, especially in the international contests.

Just saw a beautiful header goal by the Ivory Coast. Precise pass and redirection.

Another, very similar. :thup:
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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England v Italy: Mario Balotelli condemns Roy Hodgson's team to World Cup defeat in Manaus

World Cup 2014: Full match report of the Fifa World Cup 2014 Group D game between England vs Italy at Arena Amazonia, Manaus on Saturday June 14 2014

By Jason Burt, in Manaus

2:52AM BST 15 Jun 2014

England were humbled in the jungle. But defeat was no disgrace. Far from it. Italy scored twice, hit the woodwork twice but the chances were created and spurned by Roy Hodgson’s team also.


Uruguay and Costa Rica can both be beaten. England can still progress. Group D does not mean death. There is too much life and desire and ability in this England squad. Do not ditch the youth. Naïve? Not a chance.


Nevertheless it means Thursday’s encounter in Sao Paulo against Uruguay, who were humbled earlier in the day, feels like win or bust. England have to recover and recover quickly and not lose their nerve either.


There are problems. England need to defend better; they need to make a hard decision over Wayne Rooney, pushed out to the left, who provided a sumptuous cross for Daniel Sturridge’s goal but was ruthlessly exposed by the peerless one: Andrea Pirlo. Rooney’s place must be under threat.


But the only real dislocation for England was that suffered by physio Gary Lewin who damaged his ankle exuberantly celebrating Sturridge’s goal and will have to return home. It was that kind of extraordinary encounter.


It was expected to be breathless in Manaus – given the conditions – but not this breathless. And it was the football that took the breathe away. This was a thrill ride and all the better for it although the hard analysis is that they lost.

But this kind of brave, attacking performance was what everyone had hoped for and feared was beyond England. It was far more positive and thrilling than has been achieved in recent World Cups. In the first 45 minutes alone there was more enjoyment and more positivity than in South Africa in 2010. Yes, they were humbled but this was a rumble. And Italy knew that.

Hodgson had been urged to be bold; he had said he would be bold – and he was bold. He has to stay bold. Including Raheem Sterling from the start was a no-brainer but other England managers would have lost their nerve over fielding a 19-year-old who, remember, had been sent off in his last appearance for his country.

Cesare Prandelli, the Italy coach, had conceded his concerns over the pace of England’s attacking players, and later praised their power, and Hodgson pressed that home with his line-up.

“Pace will be a key weapon,” Hodgson had claimed in the minutes before kick-off and the armoury was unleashed.

It meant everything was in the balance. Everything was unpredictable and a wonderful, end-to-end contest unfolded. Much had rightly be made of the heat, the humidity and although it did not feel as oppressive as feared, the sweat still glistened on the players as they waited in the tunnel.

It glistened even more inside four minutes for Italy as Sterling gained possession, shimmied past an opponent and hammered a superb right-foot shot that rippled the side-netting. Half the stadium thought he had scored.

But he had issued that warning; the calling card delivered. Moments after and Sterling was involved again – teeing up Jordan Henderson whose crisp first-time effort was pushed away by Salvatore Sirigu, the Italy stand-in goalkeeper with Gianluigi Buffon injured.

Not that Italy were cowed. Phil Jagielka hacked out one dangerous cross and then Andrea Pirlo tried to dink the ball past Glen Johnson. He howled for a penalty, as it struck the defender’s arm but it went unheeded although it could easily have been awarded.

Johnson had been spoken about as a weak link but Italy appeared to be targeting Leighton Baines – or was it Rooney? – down England’s left with Pirlo inevitably orchestrating.

England were tight and narrow but still failed to get close to Italy’s captain with his lethal ‘round the corner’ passing – Hodgson had said it was not a case of man-marking – with then the impressive Andrea Candreva dropping into space to fire in from distance. Joe Hart fumbled. Fortunately no Italian was following up.

Rooney, who was provided minimal cover, briefly switched with Sterling – or appeared to want to – and from another break by the Liverpool winger Danny Welbeck tumbled. This time it was England’s turn to have penalty appeals waved away, and appeals that could have been granted, although, soon after England went agonisingly close.

Again Welbeck was involved, skipping past Giorgio Chiellini only for his cross to be deflected narrowly away and narrowly past the post by Pirlo with Daniel Sturridge straining his neck muscles to reach the ball.

Once more though Rooney was exposed, failing to cover as Marco Verrati floated a pass out wide – with, eventually, Mario Baloteli miscuing his header when he should have scored.

Both sides had been served notice but it was England who were punished.

Another Italy corner was earned, it was taken quickly, with Sterling slow to react and the ball ferried in-field to Claudio Marchisio, with Pirlo cleverly dummying, and his fellow the midfielder was afforded too much space. Marchisio took it and his fierce low shot arrowed past Hart. Italy were ahead.

England needed a response – Rooney needed a response – and, gloriously, they quickly achieved it with the striker scampering free down the left from Sterling’s pass and floating an excellent cross that Sturridge side-footing home from close-range.

On half-time Pirlo released Balotelli who took the ball wide. The opportunity appeared to go, with the striker hesitating, but he had measured a chip over Hart from the tightest of angles with Jagielka recovering to head off the goal-line. From the corner, and again an acute location, Candreva’s shot beat Hart but cannoned off the post.

England responded. Sturridge dipped his shoulder, cut inside and stung Sirugu’s palms from 25 yards but it was Italy who struck again. Again it was down England’s left with Candreva moving back onto his left foot to curl a deep cross which Balotelli rose to squeeze just inside the far post with Hart scrambling to cover. Why always him?...Baines was culpable. It was a poor goal to concede and a heavy body-blow for England.

But it was one they attempted to spring back from. Rooney, now switched right with Welbeck helping Baines, screwed a shot wide and then a Johnson cross was cut-out before Steven Gerrard burst into the area and was cynically blocked off by Gabriel Paletta. Again no penalty given. Italy reacted and tried to shore it up with Thiago Motta introduced.

Hodgson responded with Ross Barkley and his first involvement was to run onto Henderson’s pass, turn inside and send a low shot that Sirigu again palmed out. No-one could accuse Hodgson of not being positive and his team continued to push with Baines sliding a pass to Rooney. On-side, and with space and time, he dragged the ball disappointingly wide. Hodgson held his face.

Finally Italy retreated. How much had this taken out of England? They tried not to relent. A Baines free-kick threatened to beat Sirigu but he responded again while, in deep in injury-time, Pirlo curled a sublime, lazy-looking free-kick of his own that beat Hart but popped up off the crossbar. It almost looked like he meant it. And England were beaten.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... stars.html
Wayne Rooney fails to produce for England against Italy as other World Cup 2014 stars already have

England v Italy, World Cup 2014: The one-man show has now closed down - our obsession with Wayne Rooney has given way to interest in younger, fresher names

Wayne Rooney cut a frustrated figure as he tried to help England find a way back into the match Photo: AFP / GETTY IMAGES

By Paul Hayward, in Manaus

2:12AM BST 15 Jun 2014

The message to Wayne Rooney could have been no clearer. Neymar, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben had shown England’s senior striker what needs to be done at World Cups. The great players are not visitors to the grandest stage. They write their names across the sky.


Not only Brazil’s poster boy and Holland’s R & R: Chile’s marvellous strike runner, Alexis Sanchez, and started this tournament with a flourish. Even Costa Rica’s Joel Campbell jumped in on the act with a boisterous performance in his country’s thrilling victory over Uruguay earlier in the day. Mario Balotelli is also on the board.


Rooney’s response? A quiet first half hour of confusion about whether to help his left-back, Leighton Baines, deal with a wave of Italian attacks or join the creative department further up the pitch. Just as the dump-Rooney society were starting to rev up, Raheem Sterling struck a sweet pass for England’s senior striker to deliver the purrfect left-foot cross into the path of Daniel Sturridge to equalise. But a painfully missed chance in the second half and another wild shot over the bar raised further doubts about his place in this England team.


All across this land, the spirit of Brazilian football has inspired the finest players at this competition to uphold the great tradition. England’s youngsters answered that call well, laying on some of the best attacking play we have seen from them at a tournament for years.


If you step on a Brazilian football pitch, it is not to go through the motions. Sluggishness, mediocrity and timidity are instantly exposed by the buttercup light in which the game is played in these parts. England were determined to join that party. Rooney, though, is not yet through the door.

In the launderette heat of Manaus, it was not only two vast rivers that converged. England’s past (Rooney) was meeting up with their future: Sturridge and Sterling, with Rooney shunted out to the left, a clear demotion for a player who, Paul Scholes insisted, belongs at centre-forward.

Italy were in no mood to comfort him. Though Glen Johnson offered a more inviting target down England’s right, Cesare Prandelli’s legion of midfielders knew they could nullify Rooney’s threat by going after Baines. So they pinned him back with repeated attacks. Rooney was thus caught between tactical discipline and an urge to join Sterling, Sturridge and Danny Welbeck in weaving patterns round Italy’s penalty area.

Finally he found a way to leave his mark, two minutes after Claudio Marchisio had driven the ball from outside the England past Joe Hart. Rooney was the player nearest to the ball’s trajectory but it was probably moving too fast for him to have any hope of stopping it. But still: he needed to do something – anything – to catch up with Robben, Van Persie and the rest. The rise of Sturridge and Sterling is also unflattering. They have pace, quick feet, audacity, while Rooney increasingly relies on goals and a chugging kind of power. After half-time he was switched to the right by Roy Hodgson and also roamed more through the middle, where he shot wide and had Hodgson exclaiming on the bench: “What a chance.”

Comparisons are increasingly weighing him down, because he is judged as a player who was meant to be on the path to greatness but has never arrived. The curse of potential is that you are always assessed retrospectively.

To recap a painful statistic for him, Rooney has yet to score in nine matches at three World Cups, despite his generally excellent goal-getting record in national colours. Thirty-nine leaves him one shy of Michael Owen and only five behind Jimmy Greaves, who he has studied in You Tube clips.

A commonly held view of him is that his best days are already behind him. Taken further, the theory is that he is now clinging to his elevated status, and trying to justify two large pay rises at Manchester United, where Van Persie is bound to be the darling of Louis van Gaal, the new manager. Rooney must have watched RVP and Van Gaal high-fiving (or high-missing) each other in the Spain-Holland game with a rueful sense of his place in the new Old Trafford hierarchy.

Scholes, once media-phobic, now brilliantly sharp in his public offerings, had said: “I’m not saying Wayne needs to be dropped but if form doesn’t get up to scratch in the warm-ups, or in the first game of the World Cup, it’ll be interesting to see if the England management team has the balls to make that decision. We have quality forwards in the squad this time. That should give Wayne the competition he needs to spur him on a little more.”

Steven Gerrard, England’s captain, was among those who rushed to Rooney’s aid, dismissing Scholes’ remarks. That, in itself told a story. Rooney is now at the stage in his career where he needs team-mates to be nice about him – to defend him from history’s judgment.

Scholes also said: “To get the very best from Wayne in Rio, the manager needs to tell him: ‘Don’t bother running back. Stay up top. Stay centre-forward. Score goals. That’s your job in my team.’” The No 9’s position, though, has passed to Daniel Sturridge, and the No 10 role – just behind the striker – has also been annexed by Sterling.

The bigger concern was expressed by Scholes, who said: “There’s a chance he’s worn out. Wayne’s peak may have been a lot younger than what we’d expect of footballers traditionally. Age 28 or 29 has been the normal ‘peak’. With Wayne, it could have been when he scored 27 league goals in 2011-12 when he was 26.”

The relief for all England fans is that the one-man show has now closed. The news obsession with Rooney has given way to interest in younger, fresher names. An example, on the opposition side, was Balotelli, who joined Neymar, Van Persie and company when meeting Antonio Candreva’s cross to head Italy’s winner. Rooney is in a struggle to stay relevant.
Speaking of Rooney ...

Oh my God. The British press does have a tendency to eat its young. Yikes
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
TheLionKing
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Commercial Drive this afternoon was crazy
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Robbie
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So far, there's at least an own goal now on the first game.

And I was also hoping that this time, there would be less officiating controversies unlike what happened in 2010 when there were very obvious referee's mistakes such as:
[video][/video]

But controversy has already started and most would agree that Croatia's penalty that allowed Brazil to take the lead on a penalty kick was extremely debatable. At least that annoying Vuvuzela sound from 2010 is gone now.
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
TheLionKing
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Far less diving and players writhing in pain on the field. What a joy it is to see the team's jersey instead of some company's name on the chest.
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Robbie
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Amazing comeback by Switzerland with a late goal in the dying seconds to take a 2-1 win over Ecuador.

The second disallowed Swiss goal because of an offside may not have been offside after all.

But I would still commend and praise FIFA for their efforts to improve officiating.

Goal-line technology has been implemented to confirm whether a goal completely crossed the goal line so that (hopefully) there will be no repitition of Frank Lampard's disallowed goal.

And in the case of a free kick after a penalty, the referee has painted the location of the spot kick and a 10-yard line to specify how close opponents are allowed to stand.
Image
Prior to that, I've noticed that the penalized team has taken the kick far from the actual infraction, and opponents have been creeping closer and closer from the 10-yard line.
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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Toppy Vann
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I haven't seen as much of the qualifiers this year as I typically might.

Brazil - Argentina look solid.

Netherlands, Germany ( I like their side typically as England sucks most of the time).

I liked the England attack with the 19 year old Sterling with the only passenger in the game vs Italy - Wayne Rooney. Still not a fan of how their back 4 can't stop ball watching and go with the runners - elementary.

Normally you can get frustrated with Rooney up front and then all of a sudden he'll make that one cracker of a play either scoring or vs. Italy a terrific cross that was easy to convert.

But wide left where he has not played seemed to confuse him or he simply doesn't want to do his job and get back and defend - I suspect the latter. He left the left back many times to handle the attack - and he needed to be called on it. Former team mate at Man U - now retired - Paul Scholes certainly as a player would let others know if they weren' t doing their jobs is right on about Rooney. But he can't beat out Sturridge nor should Sterling be benched either so he has to suck it up and play that left side attack-defend role or sit off.

England will never get that back 4 right this World Cup as it is in their DNA to give ball watch it seems. In our version of CFL football it's a group of DBs who must do their job but get let down by someone who isn't doing theirs and TDs go to the QB who hits the open man and he can read a defence. Balotelli was open as they were ball watching and had too few back.
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TheLionKing
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Defending champion Spain is eliminated with their second loss today.
TheLionKing
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Costa Rica advance to the knockout round by stunning Italy 1-0. The win officially eliminates England from the competition.
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WestCoastJoe
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Humbling for England.

Best hope? All the internatioals playing in England, opening up the game, changing the culture. Creativity and skills do not seem up to the top standards. No Lionel Messi. No Christiano Ronaldo. Not even a Luis Suarez.

I recall back in the 1970s they called the English approach "fightball." Take it down the wing, send a cross in, and fight for the header.

If Wayne Rooney is your main man for international games, I would say you are in trouble. At least he scored one finally in World Cup play. He usually looks a bit lost.

And yet the Premier League plays very nice ball. We get it here on TV now in the Lower Mainland. :thup:
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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notahomer
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Haven't got around to catching a game yet. World Cup Soccer (and its younger brother, the EuroCup, IIRC) are the only soccer I ever really bother to watch. Realize that it is THE GAME for most of the planet, including many of us here in North America, its just not my cup of tea.....

I think Brazil will win it. Don't have any basis for saying it other than they are usually sniffing around the top AND its being played in Brazil. Guess we'll see but really I think any of the South/Central Amercian teams have a good shot simply because its not too far from home.

I'll try to catch some of the knockout round games.....
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