OT: World Cup Open Thread (Round of 16 - Day 3)

Submitted by wlubd on

Will take a big upset for either France/Germany to lose today. Love to see upsets but want to see the France/Germany quarterfinal more.

12:00 p.m. ET - France vs. Nigeria (ESPN)

4:00 p.m. ET - Germany vs. Algeria (ESPN)

LSAClassOf2000

June 30th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^

Massey and Nate Silver are pretty close in their estimates on today's games - Germany has a predicted 83% win probability and France is almost as comfortable at 76%, so it seems like they are indeed the safe bets statistically. I am sure most of us thought that anyway, of course. What is interesting now is that we're looking at about an 80% chance that either Brazil (the favorite, of course), Argentina, The Netherlands or Germany win it all. Everyone else is sitting at an estimate under 10% - well under in most cases. 

Yinka Double Dare

June 30th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

Algeria has been playing fairly well.  Nigeria not so much.  But Germany is highly unlikely to lose at this stage.  It's been forever since they've gone out before the quarterfinals, and this team looks strong.

Tyrone Biggums

June 30th, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^

I'm calling Nigeria over France, 2-1. Nigeria has never made it to the QF but this is definitely their best chance. There really isn't a dominant team this year. Any of the QF teams could be considered the favorite the way it's been played so far.

The African nations have had at least one team in the QFs two out of the last three cups. I think the Germany - Algeria match will be really close, should be pretty physical, but if any team could be considered odds on favorite to win it all it's probably Germany. Could go either way as well though.

 

Tyrone Biggums

June 30th, 2014 at 11:17 AM ^

Germany is great but not unbeatable. This is also probably the best team Algeria has ever had. It should be a great match. I doubt that Algeria uses the counter very much as you noted because of possesion but Algeria will definitely be able to match Germany's physicality (had to throw in a Brady reference!). Feghouli is kinda a beast, I think Algeria will play lots of long ball and swinging it wide and just swing for the fences.

skurnie

June 30th, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^

France:

Lloris (c), Debuchy, Evra, Varane, Cabaye, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema, Matuidi, Pogba, Koscielny

Nigeria:

Enyeama, Yobo (c), Ambrose, Musa, Odemwingie, Emenike, Mikel, Moses, Oshaniwa, Onazi, Omeruo

Zoltanrules

June 30th, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/6/16/algeria-soccer-nationality.html

The US has certainly benefited from having players who are Germans that for different reasons decided to become American citizens and get a chance to play in the World Cup. Many countries benefit from these transplants including our next opponent Belgium who enjoy players from the Congo. One of the countries "robbed" of many stars, including Zidane, is Algeria - so I am always rooting for them. 

An interesting article on Algeria and the new FIFA transfer rules is linked above.

 

FreddieMercuryHayes

June 30th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^

The only umbridge I take with your comment is that the US's German born players didn't choose to become US citizens.  They're citizenship is literally a birthright.  Johnson, Jones, Brooks, Green, Chandler were all US citizens from the day they were born because one of their parents is an American, thus making them Americans from birth as well.  They are also Germans because of the other parent.  They have different reasons for playing for the US national soccer team, but that they have none the less been citizens their entire life.

Zoltanrules

June 30th, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^

It's funny, when Julian Green's who brother had to opposite experience was born In Germany and went to school in the US, would tease Julian about his English, Julian would reply," I am an American citizen (born in US) and you are a German."

I personally don't care but think it is cool that many Algerians, and other country's national players, are playing for their country of birth, and now have to choice to do so.

WolvinLA2

June 30th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^

Yeah, this post is extremely misleading.  For starters, Julian Green was born in Florida.  The rest of them (including Green) have American fathers (or in Fabian Johnson's case, both American parents) and Jermaine Jones lived in the US once his father was transfered back to  the states.  

It's not like some guy named Seigfried Schweinsteiger who got cut from the German team "decided," as you said, to become an American and play for the US.  These are all guys who had at least one fully-American parent and if they were born overseas, did so because of a parent in the military.  

Tyrone Biggums

June 30th, 2014 at 11:45 AM ^

Jermaine Jones who has arguably been our best player this tournament has played on the German under 21 national team and in German leagues almost his entire career. Got snubbed by Low. Thier loss (not really), our gain.

Clark Griswold

June 30th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^

Does France really have a rooster on their jersey? And to think I couldn't think they were more pathetic...