Rio de Janiero - 2014 Fifa World Cup Thread

[FootballLight]

First topic message reminder :

This **should** be the main article for the Fifa World Cup 2014 competition that happens in 10 days time. Lets try and keep the debate simple yet reasonable about all of the build-up, the stadiums, the countries, the players, the qualifying, the winners and most importantly, the "bought" 2022 World Cup.

Enjoy! (And... lets try and make this World Cup as good as possible considering all of the poor build-up, tragic deaths and he outrageous violence that has been happening over recent months)

[Crimey]

Another good game, barely had a bad one yet. Teams just seem to be going for it, do think the standard of defending is poor though. Entertainment-wise though it's been fantastic for football.

I thought both Switzerland and Ecuador looked decent and wouldn't be that surprised if France ended up getting knocked out at this stage, all it takes is a slip up. Switzerland took a while to get into the game, and were much better when they stopped relying on Shaqiri. Great last minute goal. Ecuador looked a lot better than I expected, very unlucky to come away with nothing.

[Ent]

Unlucky but in the end naive.

Cost themselves a point being so gung ho in injury time, were left completely exposed.

To be fair they could have gotten a winner and their centre midfielder knew it and tried to stop the attack with a foul.

Still it makes for fantastic entertainment.

[Fernando]

FRANCE: Lloris; Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra; Cabaye, Matuidi, Pogba; Valbuena, Benzema, Griezmann.
HONDURAS: Valladares; Izaguirre, Figueroa, Bernardez, Beckeles; Palacios, Garrido, Espinoza; Chavez, Bengtson, Costly.

[Duty281]

France should be comfortable here; a good chance for a morale boosting win before the harder games.

[Hammersmith harrier]

It's so depressing seeing Pogba in the France team.

[CFCNick]

Serves Evra right that. Haha.

[FootballLight]

Really unlucky for Ecuador earlier. Have some good players that squad, Jefferson Montero, Eno Valencia, Felipe Caceido and Antonio Valencia all are good players imo. But it is the quality that Switzerland have over Ecuador that won them the game so late on.

France v Honduras now. It isn't good to see players like Pogba and Greizmann in this team. The controversy they have in their squad and especially over the last few years as well. It doesn't suit top quality like them two. Even players like Valbuena, Cabaye, Matuidi etc shouldn't be playing in a squad like that. If they can settle to a better harmony, France could easily win the next World Cup imo, just because of their quality. But they need to sort out their problems first.

Honduras are a lot like Costa Rica. Tough in the tackle but the only difference is they will have a go. Could their be another shock on the cards tonight?

[FootballLight]

France have hit the crossbar. Really good delivery for the 3rd time at least in the opening 15 minutes or so. Poor defending as they all wen back to goal. Matuidi just got it stuck under his feet a little bit but still managed to get a decent strike but a excellent save onto the crossbar in the end. Good play. France looking dangerous, especially from set plays.

[Duty281]

Honduras are pathetic.

Play the fu**ing game.

Come on France...

[NickisBHAFC]

France should be 3 up. Dominating. 

Will come soon.

[FootballLight]

Just how some of these teams get through I will never know. Honduras and Iran have got through to the World Cup where as teams like Paraguay and Turkey (even though not in that region, but could/should be) are not in it. It should be the teams that finish top of the qualifying group, with it evenly spread in the groups and then the top ranking teams or the teams that have been in the major competitions more than another team.

On another note Greizmann hit the crossbar and a lovely move from France, Valebuena's cross just had Benzema stretching slightly as he headed it over the top.

[Duty281]

Referee in completely the wrong position.

Just bugger off Honduras. What a crap team they are.

[Ent]

What is the referee on here?

Straight red for pogba, no card for palacios is the correct decision there.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Pogba should be off, the refereeing in this tournament has been atrocious.

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah well officiated there by the ref. Pogba is an idiot anyways. The over lad over reacted.

[FootballLight]

F OFF Wilson Palacios!! Fat s**t!! No wonder he isn't wanted in the Premier League anymore, that's disgusting. That could have seriously damaged a career if he made real contact with any of 3/4 of his stamps/tackles. Maybe I'm overreacting a little bit there? I don't know. But Pogba is lucky, he needed to keep his head better there. I think the ref has milked that a little bit, because he is a young lad. Should have potentially been a red card for both.

[Ent]

They out qualified Mexico they are there on merit.

I don't see the point in letting in the 10th plus best side in Europe over the 3rd best in Central America.

All about seeing different styles and teams this World Cup lark.

[FootballLight]

Pardon my French.

[Scrumpy]

That was a clear cut red, end of.

[AberdeenSteve]

What is the referee on here?

Straight red for pogba, no card for palacios is the correct decision there.

Are you kidding me? Horrible officiating from the assistant there, he has the view of Palacios standing all over Pogba. Both should be off, and Palacios deserved it more. Anyone would have reacted the way Pogba did. Palacios is a disgrace.

[Ent]

Your just wrong fl.

Pogba tried a flash turn and got fairly tackled.

Bit of a scramble on the ground, no stamps and he lashed out after feigning injury because he is an absolute muppet.

Should have had a straight red.

[AberdeenSteve]

Your just wrong fl.

Pogba tried a flash turn and got fairly tackled.

Bit of a scramble on the ground, no stamps and he lashed out after feigning injury because he is an absolute muppet.

Should have had a straight red.

Go educate yourself pal

[skyeman]

Worse than Beckhams little leg flick by a mile. RED.

[Hammersmith harrier]

All those who complained about me saying Beckham was harshly sent off are now miraculously saying that Pogba shouldn't have been, baffling.

Keown must be enjoying this, Honduras are playing exactly the way he used to.

[Ent]

Your just wrong fl.

Pogba tried a flash turn and got fairly tackled.

Bit of a scramble on the ground, no stamps and he lashed out after feigning injury because he is an absolute muppet.

Should have had a straight red.

Go educate yourself pal

He tried a big time Charlie spin, palacios read it and was having none if it, bit of a scramble on the ground and pogba first cried out and feigned injury then lashed out at palacios.

He's an idiot and should have been off.

[AberdeenSteve]

Have you watched it back? There at least 3 stamps on Pogba. With the player doing the stamping being Palacios, you know they are intentional. He should have been off, and the linesman should have been helping his referee there.

Totally agree Pogba should have been off, but Palacios knew he'd get that reaction.

[Ent]

Yeah I have, it's slow motion and the ball is still there - he never stamps on him.

Pogba is just an idiot.

[Duty281]

Haha, f**k you Palacios.

[Ent]

The red didn't even give a free kick for palacios tackle.

Terrible from him should just have sent pogba off.

[Scrumpy]

Lol

[skyeman]

Balloteli and Sakho, lovely mohicans  

[NickisBHAFC]

Biggest Justice there.

Well taken Penalty.

[Ent]

Disgraceful refereeing.

What a farce.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Palacios is moving, trying to get his footing, he at no point makes a conscious effort to stamp on Pogba, yet again the big teams getting the rub of the green from the refs, ruining this world cup already.

[FootballLight]

They out qualified Mexico they are there on merit.

I don't see the point in letting in the 10th plus best side in Europe over the 3rd best in Central America.

All about seeing different styles and teams this World Cup lark.

But these teams just can't compete to win the game. They just aren't good enough for the World Cup. Iran and Honduras? Pointless teams.

This is how you should qualify for the World Cup imo. Obviously some parts are very similar.

13 teams from Europe
10 teams from Northern/Southern/Central America
6 teams from Africa
4 teams from Asia

To qualify from Europe, the top 9 teams from the group and then the best 4 teams that finished with the most points in 2nd place. So that would mean Spain, England, Bosnia, Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Belgium would be the group winners. With Greece, France, Ukraine and Portugal in the best 2nd placed teams.

I don't know so much about qualifying anywhere else but it should be these teams that should go through imo. Mexico, USA, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. The 6 teams from Africa should be Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal. Then from Asia you should have South Korea, Australia, Japan and North Korea. Some teams there that could compete.

Clear penalty, clear 2nd bookable offence, clear goal. 1-0 France, game over.

[skyeman]

But it should still be 10 against 10. Pogba should be off.

[Ent]

Palacios is moving, trying to get his footing, he at no point makes a conscious effort to stamp on Pogba, yet again the big teams getting the rub of the green from the refs, ruining this world cup already.

He had played on after the tackle.

Only blew the whistle when pogba lashed out, game restarted with a freekick to Honduras!!!!

Diabolical refereeing.

[Hammersmith harrier]

But it should still be 10 against 10. Pogba should be off.

It should be 11 vs 10, Pogba gets sent off and Palacios doesn't foul him does he.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Gotta say I'm enjoying Honduras, properly just there to kick the sh1t out of teams, a refreshing attitude from all this good football!

That penalty tackle from Palacios is just lolz

[Ent]

They out qualified Mexico they are there on merit.

I don't see the point in letting in the 10th plus best side in Europe over the 3rd best in Central America.

All about seeing different styles and teams this World Cup lark.

But these teams just can't compete to win the game. They just aren't good enough for the World Cup. Iran and Honduras? Pointless teams.

This is how you should qualify for the World Cup imo. Obviously some parts are very similar.

13 teams from Europe
10 teams from Northern/Southern/Central America
6 teams from Africa
4 teams from Asia

To qualify from Europe, the top 9 teams from the group and then the best 4 teams that finished with the most points in 2nd place. So that would mean Spain, England, Bosnia, Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Belgium would be the group winners. With Greece, France, Ukraine and Portugal in the best 2nd placed teams.

I don't know so much about qualifying anywhere else but it should be these teams that should go through imo. Mexico, USA, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina. The 6 teams from Africa should be Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Senegal. Then from Asia you should have South Korea, Australia, Japan and North Korea. Some teams there that could compete.

Clear penalty, clear 2nd bookable offence, clear goal. 1-0 France, game over.

Been plenty of shocks in the past.

Honduras out qualified Mexico they are here by right.

You can't just list teams who should be there, Colombia were rubbish a few years ago and they are good now.

[skyeman]

Commentators agree that Pogba should be off  

[Duty281]

Palacios kicks Pogba on the ground twice... real hard man that he is.

Pogba shouldn't react, but I can fully understand why he did.

[Ent]

God forbid anyone from the bbc panel actually realises the referee didn't give a foul for palacios challenge and gave Honduras a free kick.

Henry's contribution is to tell savage he got away with it plenty of times. What an awful pundit he is.

[skyeman]

But it should still be 10 against 10. Pogba should be off.

It should be 11 vs 10, Pogba gets sent off and Palacios doesn't foul him does he.

Good point.

[skyeman]

God forbid anyone from the bbc panel actually realises the referee didn't give a foul for palacios challenge and gave Honduras a free kick.

Henry's contribution is to tell savage he got away with it plenty of times. What an awful pundit he is.

French bias  

[skyeman]

Palacios kicks Pogba on the ground twice... real hard man that he is.

Pogba shouldn't react, but I can fully understand why he did.

Should Becham have been sent off? Pogbas was much worse.

[Nachos Jones]

In my opinion both could easily have been sent off. It was very poor from both. France do seem to live a charmed life in that regard though.

That said, France could easily be 4 goals up with better finishing, they are the better team by some distance. The second half could be damaging for Honduras...

[kingraf]

All those who complained about me saying Beckham was harshly sent off are now miraculously saying that Pogba shouldn't have been, baffling.

Keown must be enjoying this, Honduras are playing exactly the way he used to.

If it all makes you feel better - I'm not one of them

[Ent]

Great sign of there Thierry, 2-0 is better than 1-0.

God he's terrible.

[Duty281]

Palacios kicks Pogba on the ground twice... real hard man that he is.

Pogba shouldn't react, but I can fully understand why he did.

Should Becham have been sent off? Pogbas was much worse.

Pogba's defending himself, Beckham's kick was rather cowardly.

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