**Official 2014 FIFA World Cup Thread**
- Thread starter DJCandle
- Start date
If Big Phil emulates the Confederations Cup, Brazil should be in the final with this madness assembled.
I'm skeptical on how David Luiz will perform. Feel like the is 2 separate players when it comes to club and international level....and I can't even decide which one Brazil would want to see.
Mexico beating Ecuador yesterday.....does this mean the Mexican team has finially figured it out and can live up to their potential?
Might peek a lil bit into this US/Turkey match going on today
Mexico beating Ecuador yesterday.....does this mean the Mexican team has finially figured it out and can live up to their potential?
Might peek a lil bit into this US/Turkey match going on today
Well knows as friendly's can't hardly dictate how a national side will perform. World Cup will be a different animal. We shall see.
give me some help in filling out my bracket for the world cup.
sleepers
locks
finals predictions
i need a tad bit of help
sleepers
locks
finals predictions
i need a tad bit of help
I still stick with my original prediction... I don't see Mexico exiting the group stage.
What US bias?!?
Sleepers
Belgium, Japan
Locks
Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Argentina, Germany, France
Finals predictions
Brazil Spain
I can't say the Dutch are a lock. Have Van der Vaart out, yea they still have Robben and RVP but I might take Chile as the 2nd team out that group.
I think Uruguay can do some real damage. Although they're in a tough group too. By -
Radamel Falcao does not make Colombia World Cup team
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/6/2/5773670/falcao-injury-world-cup-2014-colombia
50-50, but I've always liked Jonathan De Guzman, and the youngster Clasie is showing his worth. I think they'll be alright without VDV.
Radamel Falcao does not make Colombia World Cup team
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/6/2/5773670/falcao-injury-world-cup-2014-colombia
Damn shame.
I say Colombia and Uruguay can do some real damage.
I like Uruguay to slowly creep their way into
the finals.
We'll see how "El Burro"(The Donkey) Suarez's knee holds up after surgery a few days ago.
Banega missed out??
Don't know him. Is that bad?
I was just surprised cause I hadn't seen the roster till yesterday. Always thought he'd be a shoe-in for Argentina considering his talent. Quality midfielder with good control and a decent shot.
Guess Sabella wasn't interested. :shrugs:
That had nothing to do with our previous Uruguay talk btw.
Radamel Falcao does not make Colombia World Cup team
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/6/2/5773670/falcao-injury-world-cup-2014-colombia
Homie was never in to begin with, nobody comes back from an ACL injury that quick
bump
Homie was never in to begin with, nobody comes back from an ACL injury that quick
Yea, I had my doubts as well.
it amazes me how well neymar plays for brasil but you don't see that same quality for barca
I think that Catalan tiki-taka is too slow for him honestly. It gives defenses a chance to position quick and organize to nullify the threat.
Neymar's quickness on the break and in transition is where he shines, which is why I think we see what we see between Barcelona and Brazil.
Ghanaian Witch Doctor Claims to Have Caused Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup Injury
Yes, you read the headline correctly. A witch doctor from Ghana is claiming responsibility for Cristiano Ronaldo's knee injury, which has put the Portugal star's fitness in question for the 2014 World Cup.
Witch doctor Nana Kwaku Bonsam first talked of conjuring a Ronaldo World Cup injury a few months back, per Sportive23. With Ghana set to face Ronaldo's Portugal in Group G, Bonsam was hoping he could keep the reigning Ballon d'Or winner from having an influence.
With Ronaldo now battling tendinosis in his left knee, Bonsam told Angel FM radio station, per The Guardian:
"I know what Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury is about, I’m working on him.
I am very serious about it. Last week, I went around looking for four dogs and I got them to be used in manufacturing a special spirit called Kahwiri Kapam.
I said it four months ago that I will work on Cristiano Ronaldo seriously and rule him out of the World Cup or at least prevent him from playing against Ghana and the best thing I can do is to keep him out though injury."
Many see Ronaldo as Portugal's sole hope of progressing from Group G, the so-called "Group of Death," which also features Germany and Team USA.
The Real Madrid star almost single-handedly claimed Portugal's spot at the World Cup with a virtuoso display in their play-off tie against Sweden. The thought of him missing the tournament would be too much for Portuguese fans to bear.
Bonsam believes there is no way for Ronaldo to regain full fitness.
"This injury can never be cured by any medic, they can never see what is causing the injury because it is spiritual," he said. "Today, it is his knee, tomorrow it is his thigh, next day it is something else."
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ve-caused-cristiano-ronaldos-world-cup-injury
World Cup 2014: Meet 'The African Messi' & 'Paul the Octopus'
There are plenty of potential stars of the 2014 World Cup - and many new faces too.
The squads are unlikely to provide many surprises; the days when the tournament would introduce unknown players to a global audience are, largely, gone.
But the crop of young talent heading for Brazil this month will still be hoping to make a big impression at what, for some, will be their first finals.
Who will shine on the biggest stage of all? BBC Sport's TV and radio World Cup commentators pick the players from outside the Premier League aged 23 and under who are worth watching out for.
Some are familiar, others less so
James Rodriguez, Colombia
Age: 22
Club: Monaco
Position: Midfielder
Nickname: 'El Nuevo Pibe' (The New Kid)
Steve Wilson: James Rodriguez is an outstanding young playmaker and is nicknamed 'El Nuevo Pibe' (the new kid) in Colombia in tribute to Carlos Valderrama, who was known as 'El Pibe' (the kid).
Brazil will be a very big stage for him and maybe by the next World Cup he will be more mature, but he could still shine this summer.
Simon Brotherton: James is Colombia's creator-in-chief and has the ability to sprinkle stardust on any match. From what I saw of him, he was arguably even better and more influential for Monaco once his team-mate and compatriot Radamel Falcao was injured last season. So, the fact that Falcao is out of the World Cup might not necessarily be bad news for Colombia.
Christian Atsu, Ghana
Age: 22
Club: Chelsea
Position: Midfield/winger
Nickname: 'The African Messi'
Steve Bower: An attacking player nicknamed 'The African Messi', Christian Atsu got two goals in qualifying for the World Cup and played a big part in helping Ghana get back to the finals after they did so well four years ago in South Africa.
Atsu has been playing in the Netherlands with Vitesse but he is actually Chelsea's player. They signed him from Porto in 2013, beating off a host of top clubs to get him. He was loaned to the Dutch side without playing a game for the Blues, but has been in outstanding form this season and could make a big impact coming off the bench in Brazil.
Raphael Varane, France
Age: 21
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Centre-half
Nickname: 'Mr Clean'
Guy Mowbray: Most people will have already heard of Raphael Varane but, other than his appearance in the Champions League final, might not be able to pick out a performance by him. They will after this World Cup.
His former manager at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho, has said he already rates Varane as the best central defender in the world. In what might be a defensively minded tournament, Varane could turn out to be a key player for France.
Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland
Age: 22
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Midfield
Nickname: 'Auberzwerg' (Magic Dwarf) and 'Kraftwurfel' (Power Cube)
Ian Dennis: There is a danger when you've seen a player from a few years ago that you think he is older than he actually is.
I first saw Shaqiri four years ago when he hit a spectacular goal against England in Basle in a European Championship qualifier as Switzerland lost 3-1. He impressed me again at Wembley in a 2-2 draw the following summer.
It's hard to believe he is still only 22 but his pace and movement will cause problems. Shaqiri favours his left foot and he can be threat at set-pieces too.
Matthew Ryan, Australia
Age: 21
Club: Club Brugge
Position: Goalkeeper
Guy Mowbray: I cannot see his nation progressing out of a group with Spain, the Netherlands and Chile, but it means Australia goalkeeper Matthew Ryan will be busy in Brazil and a few more people might know his name after this World Cup.
He is already a very good goalkeeper and has been in excellent form playing in Belgium. I would not be surprised if we see him at a decent English club in the future.
Neymar, Brazil
Age: 22
Club: Barcelona
Position: Striker
Nickname: 'Joia'
Steve Bower: Neymar has had an average and inconsistent season at Barcelona but has scored more than 20 international goals since the last World Cup alone.
I think you could almost break it down to saying that if Neymar has an outstanding World Cup, then Brazil have an outstanding chance of lifting the trophy.
William Carvalho, Portugal
Age: 22
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Position: Midfielder
Ian Dennis: Along with Benfica's Serbia forward Lazar Markovic, I would say William Carvalho is one of the brightest talents in Portugal's domestic league at the moment.
An imposing defensive midfielder, he is powerful, extremely athletic and has great awareness to spot danger as he helps protect his back four. Carvalho has been linked heavily with Manchester United this summer but could find other suitors if he impresses in Brazil.
Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland
Age: 21
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Left wing-back
Simon Brotherton: When you look at Switzerland's team, many people have heard of Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who plays at right wing-back, but it is worth looking at their left-hand side too.
Ricardo Rodriguez first came to prominence at the Under-17 World Cup in 2009 where he scored three goals. He is a key player at set-pieces for Switzerland and he also pops up with some important goals himself.
Paul Pogba, France
Age: 21
Club: Juventus
Position: Midfielder
Nickname: 'Paul the Octopus'
Simon Brotherton: Paul Pogba was the best player at last summer's Under-20 World Cup, which was won by France, and he has just secured his second Serie A title with Juventus. He has a great engine, can create goals, score goals and uses the ball well.
Steve Bower: Since Pogba left Manchester United to go to Italy in 2012, he has thrived and is a mainstay of the Juventus team, where he has earned the nickname 'Paul the Octopus' because of his long legs. He adds so much energy to the team and is good in the air too. He will thrive on the world stage.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27603949
There are plenty of potential stars of the 2014 World Cup - and many new faces too.
The squads are unlikely to provide many surprises; the days when the tournament would introduce unknown players to a global audience are, largely, gone.
But the crop of young talent heading for Brazil this month will still be hoping to make a big impression at what, for some, will be their first finals.
Who will shine on the biggest stage of all? BBC Sport's TV and radio World Cup commentators pick the players from outside the Premier League aged 23 and under who are worth watching out for.
Some are familiar, others less so
James Rodriguez, Colombia
Age: 22
Club: Monaco
Position: Midfielder
Nickname: 'El Nuevo Pibe' (The New Kid)
Steve Wilson: James Rodriguez is an outstanding young playmaker and is nicknamed 'El Nuevo Pibe' (the new kid) in Colombia in tribute to Carlos Valderrama, who was known as 'El Pibe' (the kid).
Brazil will be a very big stage for him and maybe by the next World Cup he will be more mature, but he could still shine this summer.
Simon Brotherton: James is Colombia's creator-in-chief and has the ability to sprinkle stardust on any match. From what I saw of him, he was arguably even better and more influential for Monaco once his team-mate and compatriot Radamel Falcao was injured last season. So, the fact that Falcao is out of the World Cup might not necessarily be bad news for Colombia.
Christian Atsu, Ghana
Age: 22
Club: Chelsea
Position: Midfield/winger
Nickname: 'The African Messi'
Steve Bower: An attacking player nicknamed 'The African Messi', Christian Atsu got two goals in qualifying for the World Cup and played a big part in helping Ghana get back to the finals after they did so well four years ago in South Africa.
Atsu has been playing in the Netherlands with Vitesse but he is actually Chelsea's player. They signed him from Porto in 2013, beating off a host of top clubs to get him. He was loaned to the Dutch side without playing a game for the Blues, but has been in outstanding form this season and could make a big impact coming off the bench in Brazil.
Raphael Varane, France
Age: 21
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Centre-half
Nickname: 'Mr Clean'
Guy Mowbray: Most people will have already heard of Raphael Varane but, other than his appearance in the Champions League final, might not be able to pick out a performance by him. They will after this World Cup.
His former manager at Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho, has said he already rates Varane as the best central defender in the world. In what might be a defensively minded tournament, Varane could turn out to be a key player for France.
Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland
Age: 22
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Midfield
Nickname: 'Auberzwerg' (Magic Dwarf) and 'Kraftwurfel' (Power Cube)
Ian Dennis: There is a danger when you've seen a player from a few years ago that you think he is older than he actually is.
I first saw Shaqiri four years ago when he hit a spectacular goal against England in Basle in a European Championship qualifier as Switzerland lost 3-1. He impressed me again at Wembley in a 2-2 draw the following summer.
It's hard to believe he is still only 22 but his pace and movement will cause problems. Shaqiri favours his left foot and he can be threat at set-pieces too.
Matthew Ryan, Australia
Age: 21
Club: Club Brugge
Position: Goalkeeper
Guy Mowbray: I cannot see his nation progressing out of a group with Spain, the Netherlands and Chile, but it means Australia goalkeeper Matthew Ryan will be busy in Brazil and a few more people might know his name after this World Cup.
He is already a very good goalkeeper and has been in excellent form playing in Belgium. I would not be surprised if we see him at a decent English club in the future.
Neymar, Brazil
Age: 22
Club: Barcelona
Position: Striker
Nickname: 'Joia'
Steve Bower: Neymar has had an average and inconsistent season at Barcelona but has scored more than 20 international goals since the last World Cup alone.
I think you could almost break it down to saying that if Neymar has an outstanding World Cup, then Brazil have an outstanding chance of lifting the trophy.
William Carvalho, Portugal
Age: 22
Club: Sporting Lisbon
Position: Midfielder
Ian Dennis: Along with Benfica's Serbia forward Lazar Markovic, I would say William Carvalho is one of the brightest talents in Portugal's domestic league at the moment.
An imposing defensive midfielder, he is powerful, extremely athletic and has great awareness to spot danger as he helps protect his back four. Carvalho has been linked heavily with Manchester United this summer but could find other suitors if he impresses in Brazil.
Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland
Age: 21
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Left wing-back
Simon Brotherton: When you look at Switzerland's team, many people have heard of Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who plays at right wing-back, but it is worth looking at their left-hand side too.
Ricardo Rodriguez first came to prominence at the Under-17 World Cup in 2009 where he scored three goals. He is a key player at set-pieces for Switzerland and he also pops up with some important goals himself.
Paul Pogba, France
Age: 21
Club: Juventus
Position: Midfielder
Nickname: 'Paul the Octopus'
Simon Brotherton: Paul Pogba was the best player at last summer's Under-20 World Cup, which was won by France, and he has just secured his second Serie A title with Juventus. He has a great engine, can create goals, score goals and uses the ball well.
Steve Bower: Since Pogba left Manchester United to go to Italy in 2012, he has thrived and is a mainstay of the Juventus team, where he has earned the nickname 'Paul the Octopus' because of his long legs. He adds so much energy to the team and is good in the air too. He will thrive on the world stage.
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27603949
bump
The other side of the cup.
Brazil's homeless protest against World Cup
Thousands of homeless Brazilians have marched on the Corinthians Stadium in Sao Paulo, where the football World Cup is due to kick off next Thursday.
The activists from the Homeless Workers Movement were protesting against the high cost of the tournament.
The march - which was peaceful - came a day after President Dilma Rousseff said she would not allow violent protests to disrupt the World Cup.
She said the government would "fully guarantee people's security".
'World Cup excess'
An estimated 10,000 people took part in the march on Wednesday, which shut down one of Sao Paulo's main highways.
Demonstrators were demanding more government spending on health, education and subsidised transport.
Members of the Homeless Workers Movement march during a protest demanding better public services in Sao Paulo on 4 June, 2014
The Homeless Workers' Movement has been one of the groups behind the recent series of protests
A member of the Homeless Workers Movement carries a Brazilian flag during a protest demanding better public services in Sao Paulo on 4 June, 2014
Last year, more than a million people took to the streets of major Brazilian cities to vent their anger at what they see as excessive spending on the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Some of those protests turned violent, and while recent marches have attracted far fewer numbers the government fears a repeat.
Extra security
On Tuesday, President Rousseff said that thousands of extra police and soldiers would be deployed to ensure that protests did not mar the World Cup.
More disruption is expected in Sao Paulo on Thursday as underground workers began an open-ended stoppage at midnight (04:00 GMT).
Traffic police said they would also go on strike on Thursday in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities.
Earlier this week, industrial action by the federal police force was averted after the government offered officers a 16% pay rise.
The World Cup will kick off on 12 June with a game between the hosts Brazil and Croatia.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27712221
Brazil's homeless protest against World Cup
Thousands of homeless Brazilians have marched on the Corinthians Stadium in Sao Paulo, where the football World Cup is due to kick off next Thursday.
The activists from the Homeless Workers Movement were protesting against the high cost of the tournament.
The march - which was peaceful - came a day after President Dilma Rousseff said she would not allow violent protests to disrupt the World Cup.
She said the government would "fully guarantee people's security".
'World Cup excess'
An estimated 10,000 people took part in the march on Wednesday, which shut down one of Sao Paulo's main highways.
Demonstrators were demanding more government spending on health, education and subsidised transport.
Members of the Homeless Workers Movement march during a protest demanding better public services in Sao Paulo on 4 June, 2014
The Homeless Workers' Movement has been one of the groups behind the recent series of protests
A member of the Homeless Workers Movement carries a Brazilian flag during a protest demanding better public services in Sao Paulo on 4 June, 2014
Last year, more than a million people took to the streets of major Brazilian cities to vent their anger at what they see as excessive spending on the World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Some of those protests turned violent, and while recent marches have attracted far fewer numbers the government fears a repeat.
Extra security
On Tuesday, President Rousseff said that thousands of extra police and soldiers would be deployed to ensure that protests did not mar the World Cup.
More disruption is expected in Sao Paulo on Thursday as underground workers began an open-ended stoppage at midnight (04:00 GMT).
Traffic police said they would also go on strike on Thursday in Sao Paulo, one of the world's most congested cities.
Earlier this week, industrial action by the federal police force was averted after the government offered officers a 16% pay rise.
The World Cup will kick off on 12 June with a game between the hosts Brazil and Croatia.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-27712221
Fuck racists ass Suarez, the Ghanaian traditional priest should've been working on him.
Please Suarez is not racist. He was caught up in a different culture from back home. Words carry different meanings in different cultures.
Sent from Surulere, lagos. Nigeria.
bump
Similar threads
- Poll
