The 2014 World Cup thread

[aquarius moon]

Origi was great tonight & apparently might be going to Liverpool.

A new Suarez for the future maybe?

[miga]

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[david_carnell]

All the knockout games now decided.

Can't pick a winner but the semi finals will be:

Brazil vs Germany

Argentina vs Netherlands

[El Pibe]

Some of it might stem from the lack of ambiguity in intent.

If you bite someone its a deliberate act to inflict pain on someone else, it's assault plain and simple.

A stray elbow, a late challenge with studs up can certainly do more damage, but it can be clumsy rather than vicious, and it can be very hard to tell which.

Effectively its part of the game. You can't ban tackling or jumping for the ball on the off-chance.

See also Cantona's kung fu kick.

[El Pibe]

Irish pundit had Chile for the whole thing

[david_carnell]

Chile beating Brazil is going to be close. If they do, you'd fancy them going all the way.

[El Pibe]

I guess it depends on whether they can get their mojo going, they're still not looking world beaters, but they are improving, if they get past chile i still think they're favourites.

Other than that, who knows, I'm inclined to agree with your last 4, but it could easily be USA in that semi-final if argentina are indifferent again and Belgium haven't looked quite as tasty as people predicted.

[????]

Not being a bah humbug....but from now on in the games tend to be less exciting (on average)....still some (most) I am thorughly looking forward to

[miga]

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[StraferJack]

World cups can be a bit like those "100 best albums" lists

The interesting stuff is all near the bottom and middle while the top 10 has been done to death a million times and is lifeless

Plus. None of it matters really and a lot of it is arbitrary

[Mick Mac]

???? Wrote:

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> Not being a bah humbug....

of course not.

[El Pibe]

you asked for a possible explanation ot a personal opinion.

The dirty challenge and pretence of innocence is morally the same as the challenge that's three yards away and the guy goes down to get the guy carded/penalty etc in my book.

As I've said a dozen times, it's the critical mass where 'gamesmanship' is almost more a part of the game than actually trying to, you know, kick the football, that has turned me off the sport at the higher levels.

I'd head down Champion Hill if I were you!!

Amazingly here are my local replacements, also Paul McGrath's local team!!

Go on you pink and blacks!

[Jeremy]

What game is that they're playing, EP?

[El Pibe]

football, sorry 'soccer'

[StraferJack]

Soccer is the correct name. It's only snobbishness that makes modern Brits think otherwise

Association football was soccer and rugby was rugger

Don't be blaming foreigners

[Jeremy]

El Pibe Wrote:

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> football, sorry 'soccer'

It looked more like kabaddi from the picture.

[????]

I prefer soccer to 'footy' which is post 1996 scarfer talk

[miga]

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[El Pibe]

he he, yeah, me too.

Italia '90 would be my peak WC tournament I guess, coming of age, down the pub, genuine excitement. *wafts away into haze of nostalgia*

[El Pibe]

I know the origins of 'soccer', what annoys me is its use here differentiates it from the true 'football', you know, the one where they carry it in their hands ;-P

[Otta]

"i find mob justice unpleasant, is all, and felt there was a touch of it about the reaction to the bite."

That's how I felt, but was perhaps too cross yesterday to articulate.

[????]

Rubbish. I get a bit shocked when my little girl comes back with bite marks (occasionally) from other 4 year olds; i'd be mortified if any of my kids did it; a 27 year old millionaire doing it in front of a global audience including many kids is a fooking disgrace.

[Parkdrive]

???? Wrote:

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> Rubbish. I get a bit shocked when my little girl

> comes back with bite marks (occasionally) from

> other 4 year olds; i'd be mortified if any of my

> kids did it; a 27 year old millionaire doing it in

> front of a global audience including many kids is

> a fooking disgrace.

Well said quids, the man is a head case and needs help, on the basis that he's done the same thing on 3 occasions, I think that is apparent to all.

[StraferJack]

what quids said

You can't cry "mob justice" everytime a large number people see something and say "that's not on"

No-one is picking on this guy - he is doing it to himself and has had repeated and escalating punishments already

Imagine if Wayne Rooney or Stevie G did it, 3 times over a number of years - do youthink they would play for their country again? I don't think so

he should stop crying, accept the punishment, get treatment and stop surrounding himself with people who allow him to continue like this

[Mick Mac]

Reality finally bites for Suarez.