verreauxi

I like all these picks but Guzan could still be a possibility, though Sean Johnson is really good. And try out a few youngsters, such as Okoli and Ben Spencer.

https://twitter.com/CIA

Yeah, I agree, the US group was very tough, but for me it was Italy, Uruguay, England, and CR; every team in that group should have been scared shitless seeing their draw, and congrats to the Ticos for winning it handily. Fully concur. We have grit and tenacity and fitness. And I love it to death, with tears in my eyes and the whole bit. But we don't have a midfield. And even though I'm broken by the loss--damn that game was entertaining. And I'm impressed by Yedlin, his tank was filled with high-octane-nothing-to-lose fuel. Howard has to be US's player of the tournament, trailed by Jones. But hats off to Belgium. I hope they develop more cohesion their next game, they are gonna need it. I'm rooting for them.

They needed a fire sale. Nothing was working at White Hart Lane for them. Too bad Dembele wasn't in the mix. I like him. But of these for sale only the Icelander--who seemed the only one with ideas for many of their games--would be on my list.

I think they should have retroactive penalties, using replays. If a player fakes an injury by emitting childish histrionics while holding a body part that replays show wasn't touched, then the fucker should be banned or fined. Get a jury to decide. Of course the Uruguayans will claim human rights abuses... And the game will be around in 50 years, and perhaps if India gets its act together and their tiny football association can get 0.00003% the budget that they give to cricket, then maybe we'll see a rising tiger. There's only a billion of them after all. India used to be good and qualified for the 1950 world cup but they decided not to attend when they learned they had to wear shoes in the tournament. (I think I read that in The Economist).

Two top goalies who are fearless and have no problem running 20 yards out of the box to shut down a play.

Everyone has a 2nd team in the WC. Who is (or was) your second team, the guys you root for when your not supporting your first team? And why? USA is my first team Mexico is my second due to having lived there for about 4 years as a kid.

Ha, yep, I got a throng of Thai bookies and a goon-squad of Albanian muscle. I just have to pick which teams will prevail...And it will be so.

Shame to see him go but I can't imagine he'll get much playing time on their 1st squad.

Love the kit and love the socks. Good stuff all around in my opinion.

Tomorrow you can get your chance as I--silly in retrospect--predicted USA over Belgium. I'm not so sure anymore about that unless Kompany is not playing. (obviously, I'm rooting for USA no matter what)

It is time for all Uruguayans to shut the fuck up. "human rights abuse" blah blah blah. Go fuck off: your star player has biten other players 3 times.

James Rodriguez also playing out of his mind (obviously). Navas is great. I'd like to kick Robben in the ballbag. Duarte off for CR. That's a huge blow. He's one of their greats.

Probably too late but I meant it to be 2-1 Colombia as in Colombia (1)2 Uruguay (1)1

Going out on a limb, just for kicks, with successes predicted for all CONCACAF teams. Brazil (0)2 Chile (0)1 Colombia (1)2 Uruguay (1)0 Netherlands (0)1 Mexico (1)2 Costa Rica (1)2 Greece (0)0 France (1)3 Nigeria (1)1 Germany (1)2 Algeria (1)1 Argentina (1)3 Switzerland (0)0 Belgium (1)1 USA (0)2

Which are the most popular EPL teams in USA (Or Canada for that matter)? For some reason I answered this w/MLS (American) teams. As others have chimed in, probably Chelsea, MU, and the gunners.

I got into soccer somewhat by luck, since my mom took me and my two brothers to Mexico when I was 6 years old. It was supposed to be a 3 week vacation in the summer but when we arrived in the little town we were staying (San Miguel de Allende), she fell in love and did some re-arranging of the schedule and we stayed for the whole year. And over the next 9 years, I alternated going back and forth between Mexico and the USA. My first professional sports match was in the mexican professional leagues (PUMAS of UNAM...and still one of my favorite teams). At that time, late 70s/early 80s soccer was on one of its many "resurgences" in the US, and the NASL professional league was in full swing (recall that Pele and Beckenbauer played for the NY Cosmos) and along with this was a huge establishment of youth soccer leagues all over urban/suburban areas. All my friends growing up played soccer in the fall/spring and youth league baseball in the summer and basketball in the winter. Many were multisport athletes (which is perhaps why the USA produces fine goalkeepers). I wasn't. I sucked at American football, baseball, and basketball. I played a little youth hockey but that's Canada's sport and the youth hockey leagues were few and far between and largely restricted to Northern states. I don't watch too many American sports, but I support any team from Chicago, my home city...I will dutifully watch the superbowl and playoff (American) football but the actual ratio of action to stopped play is abysmal and I get impatient with it. I find baseball very boring but will watch a game or two when and if the Chicago Cubs are doing well. I actually enjoy watching basketball and this is due to Michael Jordan joining the Chicago Bulls and winning 6 championships. I recall getting a call from my friend back when we were in college. Both of us grew up playing soccer, but he's like "dude, you gotta see this guy Michael Jordan...he's fucking amazing..." and we checked out a game at the Chicago Stadium and I was hooked. So I still watch basketball, largely due to the inertia of Jordan's influence on me. The atheleticism in that sport is ridiculously high. And I will watch any hockey game, as that is also a wicked cool sport. I don't follow the MLS as much as I should but the big teams are basically the ones with the stars: LA Galaxy and more recently the NY Red Bulls. The best supported teams are Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Sporting KC, with frenzied fans that give me lots of hope for the league. Soccer is certainly on the up-and-up in the USA, but the country is large enough both spatially and demographically that it will continue to expand but not at the expense of other sports. But we have seen other resurgences (mid-70s/early 80s; then again in the early 90s when we hosted the WC...only for it to wane a bit). I don't see pro soccer replacing pro football or baseball ever, but given the concussion syndrome in pro football, I do see some parents pushing their kids into soccer over american football. But the vast majority of these kids will play soccer + baseball + other sports, in my view. We will never be a unified soccer-crazed nation the way we are with baseball or football (my opinion of course). And in some ways, this will never happen because some folks will always view soccer as "un-American"--that trite shibboleth that is trotted out far too often without a substantive thought behind it. (Subsequently, my GF is the manager of the USA women's national team in rugby, and according to her, rugby is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the USA...I need to snopes that one).

Wasn't there a player called "Kyle Rote Jr." That never rolled off the tongue very well. "i'm Kyle Rote Junior!" (and trips over the ball).

I was expecting that France wouldn't roll over and die, but rather build on their amazing offensive momentum. Oh well.

Didn't have much to go on in the USA in the mid 70's in terms of me being exposed to the international game but I somehow found my way to Mario Kempes through a Mexican soccer magazine that my mom bought me, particularly during his Rosario and Valencia years. In retrospect, not a bad choice for a know-nothing surburbanite from Chicago.

Chewy Luis and the Blues [Huffington Post headline] I'm sure there are more to come. And despite the puns, it is still infuriating.

Absolutely!! This guy is a psychopath. He should be banned from professional soccer. I can't think of a good reason to not ban him. And in the USA it seems that this tournament has gathered lots of new fans and now the only thing our (largely brainless) TV/sportscenter folks will be talking about is Suarez, not the amazing games that have been played.

Many thanks for compiling all this Steve. Here are my scores... Australia 0(0) Spain 2(1) Netherlands 3(1) Chile 1(1) Cameroon 1(0) Brazil 3(1) Croatia 1(1) Mexico 2(0) Costa Rica 0(0) England 2(1) Italy 1(0) Uruguay 2(1) Greece 0(0) Ivory Coast 2(1) Japan 1(1) Colombia 2(1) Bosnia H 1(0) Iran 1(0) Nigeria 0(0) Argentina 2(1) Ecuador 0(0) France 4(1) Honduras 0(0) Switzerland 1(1) Portugal 1(0) Ghana 1(1) USA 1(1) Germany 2(1) Algeria 2(1) Russia 1(1) S Korea 0(0) Belgium 3(1)

You crushed it in the second round Geth. My first round choices built me a nice cushion but I fear my luck is gonna run thin from now on.

Agreed, Reza is really terrific. I've always liked Dejagah and he's been playing well. Gyan on Ghana is also having a great tournament.