World Cup Open Thread (Quarterfinals - Day 2)
I'd say college basketball is easiest or maybe college hockey
College basketball because a hot or cold shooting night can totally shift the game (and you can't prevent the other team from taking shots). College hockey because you can outshoot the other team 50-15 and lose 2-0 (see Michigan-AFA 2009)
Flailing Robben almost leads to a free kick goal.
Hard to cheer for the Dutch when Robben is constantly looking for an opportunity to act like he got shot
I hate Robben. I would probably fight him given the chance.
He may be a bigger bitch than Neymar.
Possession seems to be a CONCACAF problem.
Mexico seems to be ok at it.
Costa Rica is barely holding on. It just feels like the Dutch will score before the end of regulation
WTF - lol at Oranje - clusterfuck
Unbelievable
what does your asterisk mean on all your posts.
How did the Dutch not put that in? Great save by that Costa Rican defender
Costa Rica Destiny??
Costa Rica has to be gassed, essentially playing defense for 1.75 games
Can they conjure up any more energy in extra time?
This match looks like a clone of the US-Belgium match.
Beware of the 93rd minute, CRC.
This is looking like one of those matches where Costa Rica will give up at least a goal in extra time. I say the Dutch win 2-0
I'm listening to the game on ESPN radio. Was that late Dutch miss worse than Wondo's?
it was a cross along the 4-5 yard line that 4 dutch guys had a chance to tap in...
Tico Pants?
This is the equivalent of the 'Feeling of Doom' in hockey when the other team has the puck in your zone for several minutes at a time and you can't get a change. They're going to score soon unless something changes quickly
Edit: And now CRC has managed to maintain some possession. Disaster averted for now it seems
I'd be curious to hear when Costa Rica opened camp... if it was earlier than the average team as they don't have many players in Europe. The team defense is partly just pure will but as the announcers say, you have to be on the same page and that is hard to do in a 3 week camp like most countries do.
Did Costa Rica execute the offsides trap this well in their qualifying play? It's been a really impressive display from them.
Sorry, I meant CONCACAF play.
Not much of CONCACAF qualifying games are on US tv. Even the US away games were on Bien TV or whatever it is called. The Costa Rica US home game was in a snowstorm lol so not very indicative.
CRC 15+2 minutes away from stealing this.
Well, if you're going to foul Robben, foul him outside of the box. Don't like to see a player being fouled constantly, though.
haha like USA... CRC wakes up in final 15 minutes.
Come on Ticos!
those goalposts...
They're wearing Costa Rican colors, what do you expect?
wow changing GK right before PKs - never saw that before
But they would have worked on penalties a lot in camp, and he probably outperformed Cillessen. Also, having no duties but penalties means he's fully prepared for the penalties--he's probably been doing nothing else all week.
People talk about it being a lottery but these shootouts are mostly a matter of preparation. Remember Germany/Argentina in '06? Lehmann and the goalie coach had looked at film of every penalty taken by an Argentine player, whether for country or club, for at least the last five years. He knew exactly how each player liked to take them, and he had notes with him rolled into his sock to refresh his memory when he got out there.
There's a reason Germany's never lost a shootout. There's a reason the Dutch won this one.
The Dutch had actually never won a shootout prior to this. It did seem like they did their homework this time around though.
This team looks like a team of destiny.
well if you are CRC this is the dream scenario - a coin flip to advance to final 4.