OT: World Cup Open Thread (Quarterfinals - Day 1)
Two huge regional battles today in the quarterfinals. Winners face each other in the semifinals. Think all 4 teams playing today could legitimately win the title this year.
12:00 p.m. ET - France vs. Germany (ESPN2)
4:00 p.m. ET - Brazil vs. Colombia (ESPN)
If they somehow still win the WC Solari should be canonized.
Long suspension coming for Zuniga It was a total cheap shot. Took out one the best players on the world on the host team. He should get a way longer ban the Suarez.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBkgbuWr49Q
Yeah, he had no chance at the ball. It should be double the time Neymar is out.
He should be suspended for a couple of matches, but please, Neymar is the most fragile, flopper in the game. I don't blame Zuniga for doing what he did. Brazil were fouling all game, and Neymar was flailing around like he had been shot multiple times that game. Col had enough and were giving it back to them in the second half. Was it a cheap shot, yes, but when Neymar went down, it looked like another flop. It's too bad that he is out for a while and the injury is a nasty one, but oh well. I love soccer, but I absolutely hate the flopping. The one reason why I love Messi, is that he rarely ever flops around. Neymar needs to use this time in rehab and get in the weight room. Maybe he should learn how not to act like a complete bitch too.
Double the time Neymar is going to miss?
I assume that was a joke. All you have to do is glare at that bitch and he falls over.
How many games in your illustrious high school state championship winning career did you play with fractured vertebra?
None. But I did play with a concussion.
Woopsie daisies
1. FIFA wants to avoid having players suspended for the semifinal, instructs officials to try to keep their cards in their pockets. Carballo, ordinarily card-happy, apparently takes this to heart.
2. Hulk takes studs to the knee, no card.
3. Numerous tactical fouls by both sides go uncautioned.
4. Both sides ignore the referee's aerosol foam and encroach on free kicks, with Neymar at one point yards over the line. Forget the caution, it goes unnoticed altogether.
5. Brazil targets James Rodriguez, hacking him down repeatedly. No caution. (By game's end Brazil had committed 31 fouls without a single yellow for persistent infringement.)
6. Rodriguez, in turn, sees yellow for his very first foul of the match, a very soft foul in which he didn't even make contact (which doesn't mean it wasn't a foul).
7. One of the neutrals at the bigsoccer referee thread writes "With the game now 2-0, look for Colombia to take out their frustration near the 90th minute by wiping someone out."
8. And, sure enough, in the 88th minute Zuniga recklessly vaults off of Neymar, breaking his back with his knee.
So FIFA, in its attempt to make sure nobody misses the semifinal, creates (with the help of an abysmal but no doubt obedient referee) an environment in which one of the game's stars suffers serious injury and misses the semifinal.
You see this sometimes in football and basketball as well. If it's a foul in the 1st minute its a foul in the 90th, and black-and-white infractions like encroachment need to be enforced. I kinda doubt FIFA cares that much at this point, as the checks have all cashed and people will watch even with Brazil out. But yeah, this is yet another serious black eye for a sport that's running out of faces to turn.
Brazilians moved after ball was kicked and moved, but they all were 8 to 9 yards away at start.
If anyone saw the M flag (and American) flag during the France/Germany match...it was me.
Can't wait for the final here in Rio.
I'll share an update for those who care in the coming days...the first four days have beeen "tourist" days...tomorrow begins the official vacation.
Stay safe. Hopefully your wallet won't be too empty after the WC...Rio was expensive as hell the last time I planned a trip down there.
lucky ducky