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)

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Patrice Evra - "I don't know why I'm not captain"

Imagine winning your first game 3-0 and then bring up captaincy issues. 

Oh the french

[compelling and rich]

evra always has been a bit of a d!ck

kind of laments our current plight that evra has been captain material in the dressing room for soo long. oh for the days of a robson or keane

[Dolphin Ziggler]

The french cannot just be happy, can they? Shame, they look a cracking side.

[Duty281]

Spain-Chile clearly the most interesting game of the day. Holland against Australia should be a walkover, just so long as the Dutch guard against complacency.

And Cameroon will, most likely, be the first team out of the World Cup today if they lose to Croatia. I can't wait to see Cameroon's revolutionary six-man defence again!

Predictions:

Australia 0-3 Netherlands
Spain 1-1 Chile
Cameroon 0-2 Croatia

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I'm hoping for three wins today. Get this tournament back on track after a stuttery couple days. Netherlands to rip Australia's faces off before the main course of Spain Chile where gaps should be aplenty in both sides. Then a dull game as Cameroon, torn of Eto'o, try and defend the whole game.

[compelling and rich]

after all the fuss made ive not been overly impressed with the south americans. brazil have stuttered at best, argentina not overly impresive but still look the best of them. Uruguay obviously had a mare so far and i thought chile were out played for large parts against the aussies. columbia been the most impressive so far even if it were only against a weak greece team

chile will need to improve a lot if they want to beat spain tonight, im expecting spain to bounce back with a win.

holland, croatia and spain in my bet tonight for a European clean sweep

[owen10ozzy]

Holland 3-1 Australia
Spain 2-1 Chile
Cameroon 0-3 Croatia

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Just dont tackle Robben, great plan Aussies

[skyeman]

Robben the class act thus far. Boy is he on fire.

[skyeman]

NO Frak way.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

OH HO HO TIM CAHILL

[skyeman]

Could be a hell of a game here. STUNNING welcome back the WC.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

That's the goal of the tournament competition finished.

[skyeman]

Australia defending better than spain.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

That's not too hard to be fair Skyeman!

[skyeman]

Gees, Aussies should be in front.

[skyeman]

That's not too hard to be fair Skyeman!

Fair point, on that game.

[Pal Joey]

Yeah, bresciano should have done better. So too Leckie.
Great game so far.

[skyeman]

Aussies have to go for it, and they are.

Great to see. Win or lose.

[Duty281]

Australia playing with verve, ambition and tempo, ably assisted by Tim Cahill's sumptuous volley - possibly the goal of the tournament.

Netherlands look a tad rattled, but you still feel their greater quality will see them through.

What could be a very good game is being spoiled by an inconsistent referee; he's desperate to make this game about him.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Cracking first half. Hope the Aussies can keep up the intensity in the second half.

[compelling and rich]

think this is the holland most people expected, certainly not the best holland weve seen but were fantastic v spain. be interesting to see how LVG earns his money here

the aussies were like this against chile, just a terrible start threw the game away

[Pal Joey]

Cahill's 2nd yellow in two matches so he misses the match against Spain. I don't know who else there is to replace him. Kennedy is injured... so we will have a no-prong attack.

I just hope the floodgates don't open up in the 2nd half. Need to keep the kloppers on the Dutch and keep pressing them. They do look a little rattled, duty... don't know if they under-estimated Oz or were just unsettled for that first 45. I still think we could get exposed in the 2nd half. Robben always dangerous and vP has been quiet... expect him to up the tempo.

[skyeman]

Was that a foul?

[skyeman]

Robben out against Chile  

[Duty281]

Just awful officiating, he has no control over this game at all.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Thought the Aussie goal was rightly ruled out. Bit soft, but he did give the defender a shove.

Van Persie out of the Chile game, again I thought the yellow card was a harsh decision.

[skyeman]

Thought the Aussie goal was rightly ruled out. Bit soft, but he did give the defender a shove.

Van Persie out of the Chile game, again I thought the yellow card was a harsh decision.

Sorry i thought it was Robben out for the 2nd yellow.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

That's never a penalty.

[Duty281]

You didn't know it was a pen referee... absolutely pathetic decision.

[skyeman]

OMG Australia ahead.

UNBELIEVABLE STUFF.

[Pal Joey]

hey hey!   

[skyeman]

So wierd, the Aussies look the better team.

[westisbest]

How wrong i was, but fair play Australia.

[westisbest]

didn't ladt long.

[Duty281]

Justice.

[skyeman]

Well RVP does his magic.

[Pal Joey]

Hopeless defending. 2-2

[Nakatomi Plaza]

RVP, 2-2. What a match!

[skyeman]

Going to be a cracking last 30 minutes.

[skyeman]

The Dutch were rightly said even after the 5-1 that the defence looked fragile. A bit of a case that we will score more than you?

[Duty281]

Oh Australia.

[Pal Joey]

ffs... soft goal. Should have done better up the other end.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Two errors in 30 seconds cost Australia. Oar had an easy chance to put Leckie in, and Ryan should have stopped Depay' shot

[Pal Joey]

I'm pleased with the team performance from Australia. They have done better than I expected. The Dutch are better able to deliver the knock-out punches though. Still, no disgrace.

First ever win by The Netherlands v Oz... who incidentally have the better record. 1 win and 2 draws... will be all level in a few minutes. Disappointing that it has to happen in a World Cup.

[skyeman]

Credit to Australia there    They gave us a good game and gave it their all. Most thought this would be a routine thrashing after the Dutch demolished the Spanish.

A good game after a couple of recent poor games. WC back on track.

[Duty281]

Superb game, but Holland just overpowered a brave and gallant Australia team.

A shame the flow of the game was spoiled by the worst refereeing performance of the tournament, but oh well.

Well done both sides, particularly Australia.

[kingraf]

good enough win, I think

[Nachos Jones]

Absolutely cracking game, the Aussies gave Oranje an amazing game. Really took it to them and could easily have earned a draw or snuck a win. Cahill's goal was brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Uitstekend Nederland, uitstekend.

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Pique and Xavi are dropped for Spain. Javi Martinez and Pedro replace them. Vidal starts for Chile.

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