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***Official*** 2018 World Cup thread (and Drinking Guide) (2 Viewers)

IMost people never have any. Did you spend much time in Brazil?

I lived there from '97 to '07 and then again in '14 (Sao Paulo first, then Rio). Good times
No, just took 6 semesters of it in college because I needed an additional foreign language after Spanish.  Most of them were from a guy who came to my college on a soccer scholarship in the 70s and never left.  I tried reading some of Paulinho's story in the Player's Tribune yesterday was reflecting on how little I remember.  Use it or lose it. 

Have liked Brazil since the first World Cup I watched in 94.

 
No, just took 6 semesters of it in college because I needed an additional foreign language after Spanish.  Most of them were from a guy who came to my college on a soccer scholarship in the 70s and never left.  I tried reading some of Paulinho's story in the Player's Tribune yesterday was reflecting on how little I remember.  Use it or lose it. 

Have liked Brazil since the first World Cup I watched in 94.
Rookie mistake. Long haired dictionary is where it's at ;)

 
Credit to Mexico for going at Brazil and trying to impose their own game plan that wasn't about sitting deep. Lacked the class ultimately to really challenge the Brazil goal.. Also missed some great opportunities on the break to make the pass instead of the shot. But Brazil's organization and defense impressed me- I had them to win, and lthat performance does nothing to change that.

 
1994 - lost 2-1 to Bulgaria (on pens) - Mexico topped their group when all 4 teams finished on 4 points, 0 goal differential - Mexico had most goals scored.  No recollection of Bulgaria, and how good they might have been. They did lose to Italy in the semi-finals.
Bulgaria was led by the legendary/notorious Hristo Stoichkov, who had a fantastic tournament, winning the Golden Boot.  They had a great run, eliminating Germany in the quarterfinals.  I still remember Iordan Letchkov's goal that won the match.  It was a very good team.

 
Death, taxes and Mexico going out in the round of 16
it is incredible.  Not only losing every second round but the variance involved to get out of the group stage every time is enormous.  No other country besides Brazil has an active streak as long.

It certainly helps that they qualify every cycle but even there they needed the unimaginable friggan San Zusi variance just to get to Brazil last time.

 
Credit to Mexico for going at Brazil and trying to impose their own game plan that wasn't about sitting deep. Lacked the class ultimately to really challenge the Brazil goal.. Also missed some great opportunities on the break to make the pass instead of the shot. But Brazil's organization and defense impressed me- I had them to win, and lthat performance does nothing to change that.
Great point there.  A number of times the attacker with the ball went going for glory and missed wide open teammates that could have led to even better scoring chances for El Tri.  Perhaps the pressure of trying to get to the "Fifth match" had the Mexicans trying too hard to make something happen.

 
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@AndrewDasNYT: Osorio goes full Klinsmann, says Mexican players need to go to Europe if the national team is going to improve. Wonder how that'll play at home.

 
@AndrewDasNYT: Osorio goes full Klinsmann, says Mexican players need to go to Europe if the national team is going to improve. Wonder how that'll play at home.
16 of his players on the roster have a ton of Euro club experience.  3 others are probably too young to move yet but could easily in the future.

Odd comment.

 
This thread has been derailed long enough, time to post more about drinks and less about kicking balls. Just ordered a Belgium beer off the tap :banned:  

 
Japan taking a page out of the Mexico playbook with the early attacking..... how long until they start fouling Hazard non-stop?  :oldunsure:

 
How much did the White Stripes get paid to play their tunes at every game?
The sound is stylized so they don't get the full royalties like a radio performance.  They likely entered into an agreement with Jack to have someone else perform it, and he gets a straight fee.  

In general, the USA did not enter into all the agreements that the EU did surrounding paying royalties for performances but still do a little CYA in case the laws change.

The EU pays out based on some formula surrounding how many people are expected to hear it, and how many seconds it played for.  Royalties for those bands can easily exceed 2MM Euro for the tournament.  Would be shocked if Jack White saw 10% of that.

But the RIAA had no issue going after Napster for 10 years!

 
The one time a player could have justifiably taken a dive/flop... and the Belgium guy stays on his feet. 

 
TAKE A SHOT SAMURAI BLUE!
Yeah he definitely would have been better off letting one go low far post. 

Woz non-educated, casual observer hot take: it seems like high level soccer should take a lesson from hockey and learn that it's a +EV to just get balls on net as opposed to trying to set up the better shot. 

 
Yeah he definitely would have been better off letting one go low far post. 

Woz non-educated, casual observer hot take: it seems like high level soccer should take a lesson from hockey and learn that it's a +EV to just get balls on net as opposed to trying to set up the better shot. 
the sport has been played for over a hundred years by hundreds of millions of players.  If there was one best way to play, it would have been found by now. 

I guess in a way that is part of the charm seeing teams try to crack a puzzle that is in many ways unsolvable due to the advantages defenses have.

 
the sport has been played for over a hundred years by hundreds of millions of players.  If there was one best way to play, it would have been found by now. 

I guess in a way that is part of the charm seeing teams try to crack a puzzle that is in many ways unsolvable due to the advantages defenses have.
It's also really really hard to get a quality shot off, so I get it. 

I'd note that it did take over 100 years for baseball stats to be better understood and the game has adapted with it (e.g. more players swinging for home runs, less bunting, more taking pitches). 

 

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