World Cup 2014

[Pete]

Costa freaking Rica!

Wow, takes down Italy and ends any small English hope.

Now, Italy and Uruguay have to fight it out for the last spot while the Costa Ricans are already through. Amazing.

[bradh]

CONCACAF! Now do away with that stupid "3.5 teams allowed" and give our region a secure 4 spots!

[AP]

I can neither confirm or deny that they are trying to get that truck with the screen on it that drives around bricktown with the Micheal Murphy ads on it.

Looks like this is a no-go then?

[elitespy]

Looks like this is a no-go then?

Dunno yet, I flagged down the truck as it was driving around last night and Airon talked to him so we will see what happens.

[riflesforwatie]

Looks like this is a no-go then?

That would be a shame. Let's hope they can get it to work!

[NegativeCreep]

Sounds like that may be an option during the Germany game, or knock out rounds, but think Sunday may stick to what they posted on Facebook earlier today.


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[Lord Helmet]

Costa freaking Rica!

Wow, takes down Italy and ends any small English hope.

Now, Italy and Uruguay have to fight it out for the last spot while the Costa Ricans are already through. Amazing.

I guess we have a Cinderella on our hands. Crazy thing is how they are doing it. Playing some wonderful soccer.




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[codyt]

France looked scary good yesterday. I'll be rooting for them if USA doesn't make it to the knockout stage.


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[AP]

France looked scary good yesterday. I'll be rooting for them if USA doesn't make it to the knockout stage.


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Welcome to OKCTalk codyt. I think I'll probably be rooting for Costa Rica as the underdog.

[Pete]

Yes, because of the last WC flop everyone had just written off France.

They could easily win it all.

[BlackmoreRulz]

Messi.....WOW!

I mean. how does he get enough room to even attempt that shot?

[AP]

Ghana leads Germany!

[Pete]

What a match!

Now level but Ghana looks very, very good.

We'd better hope they don't win, as they are likely to beat Portugal.

[Mississippi Blues]

That match. Sometimes I wish I was a bit less German so I didn't feel such a loyalty to cheer for them, but Ghana played a really good match. Give them all the credit. Happy for Klose and his World Cup record tying goal to draw Germany level.

I stand behind the German squad, but still am hoping for the USA to do well in their matches (but of course, with a German victory come Thursday).

[DavidD_NorthOKC]

Ghana v. Germany was an excellent match. If the US can somehow pull off 3 points against Portugal we should advance.

Spain was my #2 going in to the WC but now I don't know. I like Netherlands' style of play, but France and Costa Rica have their appeal as others have mentioned.

Tough choice but a great WC so far.

[bradh]

Should advance? Will advance with a win, longest 22 hours right now

[codyt]

FiveThirtyEight gives the USA a 64% chance to advance and a 20% chance to win the group after the Ghana-Germany draw. Tomorrow's match will be huge and should break ratings records in the USA. Getting out of this group would be a huge feat.


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[riflesforwatie]

France looked scary good yesterday. I'll be rooting for them if USA doesn't make it to the knockout stage.

Agreed. I watched the match in Amsterdam across a canal from a bar full of French supporters. The cheers and songs lasted late into the night. Friendly bunch!

[Dennis Heaton]

Today's Picks...

Belgium
Korea
USA

[BlackmoreRulz]

That's gotta be the first 5 hole goal I've ever seen in soccer.

[Stan Silliman]

Silliman on Sports
By Stan Silliman
DON’T CONFUSE YOUR RENALDOS

In the World Cup, the U.S. is getting ready to play Portugal, a team with the highest paid and perhaps greatest soccer player in the world – Cristiano Renaldo. Now, just because the match is being played in Brazil, don’t be like a lot of us and confuse that Renaldo with the Brazilian soccer playing Renaldo (now retired) who was also once considered the best in the world, known as “The Phenomanon.” We confuse them all the time. One is 29, the other is 37. One is Cristiano Renaldo, the other is Renaldo Lima. Cristiano, when he plays pro soccer is being paid $ 21 M tax free. Renaldo Lima is retired. Both like to party, which makes us suspicious about Cristiano Renaldo’s injury. But not as suspicious as we would be if it were the other Renaldo... based on this story from 2008:

Tranny Tryst Tries Ronaldo

Soccer star Luis Ronaldo, known as a striker, claimed he did not strike her, when he was hauled into a Rio de Janeiro police station. Easy to prove, says The Phenomenon (El Fenomeno): he did not strike her, referring to a motel party with three prostitutes, because there were no hers.
Turns out all the pros were transvestites, cross dressers, so all the she’s were he’s.

Meanwhile, north of the equator, three women have been linked with Roger Clemens. Hmmm? Three Flings for the Rocket or Three Trannies for El Fenomeno. Which makes for a better movie title… starring Tommy Lee Jones? We don’t know.

We do know Roger Clemens is a headline hog. Here was a soccer player’s chance for some pub, maybe even get into the Caught-with-a-Tranny-Hall-of-Fame and Roger has to wet on his spotlight. A bit smirky of Roger, we say.

Of course we have a vested interest. We want a sports figure in the Caught with a Tranny Hall because we don’t write about actors paying penance by putting on fat suits and calling themselves Norbit or voicing a donkey buddying up to an ogre. We favor the sports guy even if the sports figure is a soccer player.

Of course Ronaldo, a three time FIFA World Player of the Year, isn’t your average futbol player. Your average soccer player isn’t a sucker for guys in high heels. Ronaldo claimed he didn’t know the “ladies” were packing. It’s like the scene out of “Crying Game” where under the skirt there’s a surprise. Only this time, triple. Ronaldo says when the surprises came he short circuited the party, tried to kick them out when one of them turned la bruja. A spiteful bruja who stomps into the street yelling “El Fenomeno didn’t want to pay” and then returning to rip out phone lines so Ronaldo couldn’t call for help. Then Ronaldo says when he offered the three pros $ 600 each, the crazy one, la bruja loco, tried to jack him for $ 50,000 reals ($30,000) to not call the papers.

So are you with us, feeling sorry for Ronaldo? There’s the indignity of the motel video clip making the rounds on Brazilian YouTube taped by one of the transvestites. There’s the indignity of being known as one of the world’s greatest ball kickers and yet when the time came… And then there’s the indignity of having been one of the greatest but having been out of the spotlight for a while and then just when a juicy story thrusts you front and center… that bastard Roger Clemens trots out all his girlfriends… including a 16-yr-old country singer.

That Clemens, what a creep, right? El bastardo! Stomps on the soccer boy’s parade. Ronaldo goes out to celebrate a victory by his favorite Brazilian soccer team, the Flamengo, and gets fooled by trannies. I know what you’re thinking, Pink Flamengos? We didn’t ask. The point is… Ronaldo had the front page and Roger pushed it to the inside, deep inside.

Here’s our theory: Every few days a new Rocket girl comes forth, enough women to make you think that private jet Roger was bedding more women than Wilt Chamberlain. No way he could have that kind of sex drive taking steroids, you have to think. He must be mainlining Viagra or at the least, B-12 shots. But wait, didn’t Roger tell us he was taking B-12 shots and not steroids? Hmmmm? Who’s outing all these paramours? Not Ronaldo. He’s not that savvy.

[BlackmoreRulz]

Is this cricket?

[Just the facts]

Someone with more soccer-smarts please explain to me why with under 5 minutes to go the US didn't try to score - and instead were content to play defense and run the clock out. Is that the soccer version of the prevent defense (which only succeeds in preventing a victory).

[boitoirich]

Someone with more soccer-smarts please explain to me why with under 5 minutes to go the US didn't try to score - and instead were content to play defense and run the clock out. Is that the soccer version of the prevent defense (which only succeeds in preventing a victory).

I didn't see it that way at all.

[boitoirich]

The U.S. will advance only in these scenarios:

- Win/draw vs Germany (simply, a point assures a trip to the knockout round)

- Loss and Portugal-Ghana draw (POR and GHA would end two points behind USA)

- Loss and win tiebreaker vs Portugal-Ghana winner
Current Goal Differential
USA +1
GHA -1
POR -4

If the US loses by 2, and Ghana wins by 1, GHA are through to the knockout round. If the US loses by 1 and Ghana wins by 1, goals scored is the next tiebreaker (Currently, USA: 4, Ghana 3). So we'd want to score at least as many goals against Germany as Ghana does against Portugal, and stay within a goal. ANY RESULT BETTER THAN THAT DESCRIBED get the USA through to the knockout round, provided Portugal does not win by 4 goals.