FIFA World Cup 2014

[Don Carlos]

That's why he is a top 5 world player

Roy got it wrong as well, I think.

[Captain]

Iran have won only one of the 10 games they have played in the World Cup and they have not qualified for the finals of the tournament since 2006 but they reached this stage by defeating South Korea, making them the best team in Asia. Of their starting XI, six play in the Iranian league, one in Kuwait, one in Qatar and two in the Premier League – at Fulham and Charlton Athletic. And their preparation has not been easy either, with the Iranian federation struggling to arrange friendlies and resources being limited. Players even discovered their kit was shrinking in the wash.

In the front row of the press room, Nigerian journalists were gathered and Queiroz told them: “If you want to play a friendly, you go to London and you play a friendly. For us, it does not work like that. We have problems [just] to arrange matches and that is why I am very happy with what we have done. I think football people understand what we have done. Most of our players play in an amateur league. Our players deserve respect, OK?”

http://www.theguardian.com/football/201 ... -world-cup

It's also pretty sad how they get no support or funding from their own country's football association or developmental leagues. Hopefully they can keep it close against Argentina and beat Bosnia.

[Ryoki]

Poor old England, hopes and dreams crushed by Suarez Ye gods that man lifts up his entire team doesn't he, they're plain unimpressive without him but with him they're dangerous as hell. He really is one of the world's greatest players

Also i gotta be honest, this is the first match where i've seen Roony do some honest work, good on him. Except he could have scored a few times and didn't - the difference between a good striker and a legendary striker. Suarez would have killed it given those opportunities.

And aye, i did hear that about Iran having these difficulties, didn't realize it was that bad though :/ Perhaps they need to rethink how teams qualify, it's bizarre that Sweden is not in this world cup and Iran is. No offence, but the level of play for some of these teams (Iran, Nigeria) is just far too low.

Didn't see the other matches... did i miss anything?

[seremtan]

"hopes and dreams"

on the contrary: this is apparently the first time they've gone into a tournament with zero expectations from the home fans. my impression is that the people who'd normally be hanging out bunting and flags and making exaggerated claims for England are simply content to enjoy the tournament for its own sake. a long-overdue holiday from all the ridiculous hype that normally accompanies England

[Ryoki]

Strange in the sense that this English team is probably the best i've seen in many years...

[Eraser]

[seremtan]

Strange in the sense that this English team is probably the best i've seen in many years...

yes but you're a neutral observer not swept up in the 'Ingerland Expects' faggotry that generally descends on this country whenever there's an international tournament on

England definitely punches below its weight as a footballing nation. 50m people, most of whom are as mad about football as any Latin American crazies, yet haven't fielded a truly contending side since the 90s, relied heavily on one or two players (who then underperform, and aren't nearly as good as they're made out to be anyway), and now can't even beat a team from a country of <4m people - a team which, like England, relies on one player to make shit happen - but unlike Rooney, Suarez actually does the business

fuck knows what they teach young players at academy level but it doesn't appear to include skill or tactical nous

[HM-PuFFNSTuFF]

I love it when Italy loses. (Sorry England)

[PhoeniX]

England, so predictable.

[youtube]sdGNggrCRJo[/youtube]

Ouch.

[Captain]

lol @ Italy and Switzerland

This must be the highest scoring WC in recent times so far.

[seremtan]

it'll be funny as fuck if England now beat Costa Rica

France are on a roll as well

[seremtan]

This must be the highest scoring WC in recent times so far.

thank fuck for that. teams are actually trying to win instead of trying not to lose

[Plan B]

Costa cunting Rica?
what the motherloving fuck?

[Captain]

Not much to do in those countries other than play with balls amirite?

[DRuM]

thank fuck for that. teams are actually trying to win instead of trying not to lose

Lol, yep, very true, that sums up England. They give too much respect to other teams.

When they're not playing in their respective premiership league teams with multi million pound foreign bought players to fall back on, it exposes how mediocre english players really are.

[seremtan]

yes but why though? how come a nation of >50m people who love soccerball can't produce 22 tournament-quality players? there's something gone wrong somewhere

i don't buy this "too many foreign players in the premiership" excuse. clubs buy the best players they can afford; clearly the English players on offer can't compete

[PhoeniX]

Wasn't it something to do with the fact our academies aren't pushing out enough quality players compared to the foreign ones, or we're not spending enough money in them to make them work.

Let's just form Europe United instead.

[Eraser]

It exists. It's called FC Barcelona.

[seremtan]

previously known as Chelsea FC

[Captain]

Fuck

[Eraser]

Messi really had to go and uh... mess things up.

Iran really deserved at least a tie there.

[xer0s]

lol, Iranians...

[xer0s]

Messi really had to go and uh... mess things up.

I see what you did there...

Iran really deserved at least a tie there.

If they deserved a tie, they would have got one...

[Tsakali]

More like lol argentina. That should not have been such a close game.

[Captain]

That was basically a home game for Argentina and Iran had about three golden opportunities to take the lead. xer0s didn't watch the game, he's just dumb.