OT: World Cup Day 15 Open Thread
Posting early because interesting news out of the Ghana camp:
#GHA crisis: Muntari & Boateng fought 2 days ago, which spilled over to Boateng insulting the coach when queried about it. #clubmetro
Reliable Twitter sources are saying that Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari have both been booted from the Ghana team. Muntari was out today anyway due to suspension but bad news for Ghana and says something about the potential state of their camp. Bad news for Ghana is good news for the USA. A Ghana win is the last thing U.S. fans should want to see from their game.
Anyway here's the schedule today:
12:00 PM
USA vs. Germany (ESPN)
Portugal vs. Ghana (ESPN2)
4:00 PM
Algeria vs. Russia (ESPN2)
Belgium vs. South Korea (ESPN)
None of the players were paid their $130,000 in bonus money until FIFA got involved. The money was flown from Ghana to Brazil last night and transported via armed caravan and shown on Brazilian TV.
Article is here.
that was weird to. Maybe the players demanded cash in whatever currency Ghana uses.
Or maybe specifically _not_ in whatever currency Ghana uses.
Speculating here; I really don't know anything about Ghana's economy.
Group G:
- Germany 4 pts, +4 GD, 6 GF
- USA 4 pts, +1 GD, 4 GF
- Ghana 1 pt, -1 GD, 3 GF
- Portugal 1 pt, -4 GD, 2 GF
Germany and the U.S. both advance with a WIN/DRAW or if Ghana/Portugal DRAW.
Ghana and Portugal both need to WIN, have one of Germany or USA LOSE and pass them in goal differential or goals for.
If you're a US fan, getting a point is the best solution today, but if they do lose, you want a DRAW or a Portugal WIN out of the other game, and for the margins in both games to be tight.
Group H:
- Belgium 6 pts, +2 GD
- Algeria 3 pts, +1 GD
- Russia 1 pt, -1 GD
- South Korea 1 pt, -2 GD
Belgium's already advanced. Korea needs to beat them to have any chance which isn't likely to happen.
Algeria/Russia the game to watch. Russia wins and they should be through, otherwise Algeria likely grabs second.
I believe I can tie...
This just blew my mind. He is like a tie wizard
it is now stuck in my head.
I'm only referring to it as that song out of worry that being more specific would lead to people also having that the song stuck in their head.
Anyways, Viva la USA!
Let's just hope things with Ghana aren't so bad that Portugal beats them 6-0 :P
To quote Dan Rowan from "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (from 1968, so pardon the dated reference):
"In 1917, we fought the Germans and we won. In 1941, we fought the Germans and we won. What I don't understand is why we are messing around in Vietnam when we can fight the Germans and win again."
A rather similar logic must apply to our match today, right?
Here's the full article on what happened with Muntari and Boateng: link
"On Tuesday, a seemingly innocuous training ground incident turned sour when the two former teammates had a go at each other.
Reports say that in the exchange of words that ensued, coach Kwesi Appiah misconstrued Boateng’s words as being meant for him.
The coach, reports say, shot back at Boateng, who then swore at him.
Later, there were multiple reports that Muntari also assaulted a member of the Ghana team’s management committee, Moses ‘Mospacka’ Armah."
It's ONE game.
You'd rather try to win 3 tough games in a row than 2 easier games and one seemingly impossible game?
It's sports. And the World Cup at that, anyone can beat anyone on any given day once you get to the knockout rounds. Give me the easier games and Brazil all day, every day.
You don't think Brazil will make the semis? They haven't set the world on fire, but they still won their group with a +4 goal differential. They may not win the whole thing but I'll be pretty surprised if they don't make the final four.
By the same token, Belgium and Argentina haven't set the world on fire (Messi put them on his shoulders against Nigeria, but they still only won 3-2). Algeria/Russia may be an easier round of 16 game than Belgium, but not necessarily by a huge margin, and beyond that, I don't think France/Brazil is necessarily easier than Argentina/Netherlands.
I think any predictions in that quarter of the bracket is a crap-shoot. 4 South American teams, 1 comes out. S. America is a crapshoot. Slight advantage to Brazil being at home but definitely wouldn't surprise if Chile or Colombia beat them.
Take my chances against Algeria, France and the chance that Brazil makes it to the semifinal.
Also, at that point we could have Altidore back and if it's the U.S. in ONE game versus Brazil. I actually wouldn't doubt us.
Americans love the underdog/me against the world mentality. We play up in those games.
That's actually what worries me about this game vs. Germany, because we've had it circled forever...and now all we need is a tie or a close loss. You've been hyping yourself forever and now you realize that you really don't need to win and you may let down too much.
But back to Brazil, playing them in Brazil that late in the tournament. When no one gave them a chance?
That's the stuff they make movies out of - we do well in that role.
At the same time...we're the U.S., we have NO BUSINESS talking about playing that late in the tournament (we can as fans, because, well...we're fans). That's not saying we can't do it, it's just saying, unlike Brazil and 2-3 others, we haven't earned the right to be put in the group of teams of likely winners.
Bama, FSU, Auburn, LSU, Oregon, Stanford have earned the right to be called preseason Top 5-7 teams without even looking at a player on he roster or knowing anything about THIS YEARS team. Michigan has not. They've got to win a game and at a time and prove they are worthy of being in that group.
Not impossible, just means we don't deserve the hype or to be mentioned in that group at this point...which is fine, go win team 135. It doesn't matter what hype Michigan or the USMNT has earned on 6/26, all that matters is that they're playing in the last game of their tournament.
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Let's go USA!
He's not playing today. US has been optimistic he can return in the World Cup but won't be today.
Yes. The schedule has been known since the draw last December. Minor changes have been made like game times but days, order of opponents, stadium, etc. are unchanged since then.
Now I don't have to look at Muntari's ass because he refuses to pull up his shorts.
FIFA's daily media briefing is about to happen and the Suarez decision should happen shortly.
Decision today or update? Last I heard decision wasn't coming until Saturday.
But Uruguay play on Saturday and I would think FIFA would make the decision ahead of their match against Columbia.
Apparently Sergio Aguero will miss the rest of the World Cup with a muscle injury. Link in Spanish.
BREAKING: FIFA says Luis Suarez is suspended for nine matches plus four months from all football activity.
ESPN clarified that it's 9 Uruguay games and the 4 months of anything does include Liverpool.
Suspended 9 matches and 4 months. That's four months for any soccer related activity. He'll miss the start of the season for Liverpool (again).
Banned from any stadium for four months. Fined 100,000 Swiss Francs.
That's about $111,000 US.
Uruguay's FA and Suarez can appeal the decision.
For anyone that wants to know all the possible outcomes and what the means for the group, this is by far the best chart I've seen.
LINK for larger viewing
