World Cup 2014 thread
 

Domestic seasons have started and international friendlies are taking place this week in the lead up to qualifiers so we are now into the 2013/14 season with the World Cup under a year away. Expect this thread to be quiet for months until around March.

Currently 5 teams have qualified: Brazil, Japan, Australia, Iran and South Korea.

Discuss friendlies in the lead up to the World Cup, injuries, suspensions, squads, kits, goals, matches, Messi to lift the World Cup and prove he is the greatest ever while playing like a man possessed, everything.

England play Scotland tomorrow.

I'll stake my chances with Germany. Messi always ****s the bed in International Play when it matters. I think Brazil is a better team then Argentina also they have really started to round into form. Go England.

What makes you think Messi bottles it? He did everything but score in the last World Cup. He scored in 2006 at the age of 19. He's won gold with Argentina at the Olympics and he's now scoring a goal a game for the national team, after having averaged an assist a game previously, he plays higher up the pitch now. I try to watch Messi whenever he plays and in the qualifiers toward the back end of last year he was phenomenal. I know it's a cop out but I really do believe he's just been unlucky and he's gonna silence his critics good and proper next year. For me he is already the greatest of all time.

Good shout on Germany, probably the best squad as well. Wouldn't mind seeing them winning it but England > Argentina > Germany > everyone else for me. Just really want to see Messi win the World Cup. The Netherlands too actually.

If we fail to qualify I think I'll cry as this is the last decent World Cup for the next 13 years at least.

EDIT - Are you English? So-Cal?

I'm under the impression hes about as good as they come also, but winning on the biggest stage has always alluded him. He hasn't proven **** on the big stage. Hes done everything but score? Thats what hes there for is to score. I'm not convinced he will do anything to bust out. Hes gonna get bottled up again. Germany is a very poised group with a multitude of talented players, they will do very well in 2014.

I'm in Southern California.

Best didn't do anything in the World Cup either and he's still top 3 in terms of natural ability for me.

Messi seriously must have hit the bar or post 3 or 4 times in the last World Cup, Messi does everything, in 2010 he was still being used as a playmaker for Argentina so assisting would have been as important as his goals (can't be bothered to check how many assists he got.) He couldn't do anything about Germany either, they were just better. There's no chance he won't score in Brazil, he is superhuman and is not going to bottle it.

:cool:

I actually have a ton of Messi cards I'm hoping he will bust out also. I just don't see the same fire in him when he gets frustrated by a good squad. Hopefully they don't draw Germany or else it will be more of the same.

Messi is still being used as an AM for Argentina. His best position.

Yeah, I was gonna say that Messi was pretty unlucky in South Africa. If he didn't hit the woodwork he was forcing fantastic saves out of opposition keepers. This'll be the world cup for him to prove himself at a major international tournament, and seeing if he steps up to the task or not will alone make this an interesting tournament.

Overall, I'm just hoping for a more watchable world cup than 2010. Such a dire tournament that was top to bottom - I just hope more teams bring their A-game to this one.

And as for England, unless Hodgson turns things around quickly and stops picking mediocre (at best) players like Ashley Young, Danny Wellbeck and James Milner, we could be in real danger of not getting past the qualifiers here. I really hope I'm wrong though. I was willing to cut Hodgson and the lads some slack right up until that draw with Montenegro earlier this year. Since then my patience has been pretty thoroughly worn thin with this lot.

I'll be in Brazil. And I'll be for Spain no matter what. Why Spain? Well, as a young US girl from Maine, I didn't know anything about professional so-called "soccer" until I spent a summer (2007) in Spain. Where I learned how to love, drink, and MOST importantly, support a team. So Spain is and will always be "where I grew up."

THEN I was in Vienna during the Euro 2008, so I got my first real taste of Spanish victory. For 2010, I planned no matter what to be in Spain on the day of the final, and planned it months in advance. You could not imagine my surprise when Spain won again. Gooooood times. After winning Euro 2012, I'm sure most people are bored with all the Spain-wins-everything drama. But I'm not!! I'm betting on them again...if they qualify....

Just something interesting to think about... I guess?



It always grinds my gears how much government money is spent on large sporting events like these when health and education are failing.