viva fifa!

[Tecumsehsbones]

Damn. USA 2-2 Portugal. Portugal tied it up with less than 20 seconds on the clock. It looks like the USA will probably go through to the Round of 16. Excellent result for the guys.

The USA chant is "Seven Nation Army," which just happens to be the chant of the ferocious RAVENS!

 

[gopher]

I d@mn near died when Portugal scored the equalizer. Unfortunately, coach Klinsmann persists in staying with Beasley at defensive back- he missed his mark on the initial goal and on the cross pass that set up the tying goal. His clearing has been poor throughout and often kicks the ball into the side lines deep in our zone. Luckily goalie Tim Howard has bailed out the defense but he just cannot do it alone - he must get more defensive help.

The game ended as a tie - but to me it was a loss and my blood pressure still hasn't returned to normal!

 

[tay]

Good thing I don't bet on these things.........






Football match-fixing: Ghana deal casts cloud over World Cup finals in Brazil




The Telegraph and Channel 4’s Dispatches launched a six-month investigation into match-fixing after receiving information that some football associations were working with criminal gangs looking to rig scores in international games.

Reporters from The Telegraph and a former Fifa investigator claimed they represented an investment company that wanted to “sponsor” games. Christopher Forsythe, a registered Fifa agent, along with Obed Nketiah, a senior figure in the Ghanaian FA, boasted that they could employ corrupt officials who would rig matches played by Ghana.

The president of the country’s football association then met the undercover reporter and investigator, along with Mr Forsythe and Mr Nketiah, and agreed a contract which would see the team play in the rigged matches, in return for payment.

The contract stated that it would cost $170,000 (£100,000) for each match organised by the fixers involving the Ghanaian team, and would allow a bogus investment firm ​to appoint match officials, in breach of Fifa rules.

“You [the company] will always have to come to us and say how you want it to go…the result,” said Mr Forsythe. “That’s why we will get the officials that we have greased their palms, so they will do it. If we bring in our own officials to do the match…You’re making your money.”


“You have to give them [the referees] something… they are going to do a lot of work for you, so you have to give them something,” said Mr Nketiah, who is also the chief executive of the Ghanaian football club Berekum Chelsea and sits on the management committee of the Ghana U20 national team.


“The referees can change the matches every time. Even in England it does happen,” he said. Following the meeting in London, the representative of the investment firm asked if his company could be sure their approach would work.

Mr Forsythe replied: “We will always choose associations/countries that we think we can corrupt their officials for all our matches.”

He listed a number of African and European countries, adding “we can look for match officials who will sing to our tune”.






much more




Football match-fixing deal casts cloud over World Cup - Telegraph

 

[Blackleaf]

I read yesterday on the BBC Red Button that these match-fixing claims against Ghana do not involve any of their matches in this World Cup.

*************************

That match last night between USA and Portugal shows how cruel football can be for teams.

USA were 2-1 up four-and-a-half minutes into five minutes time added on at the end of the match. They and their supporters were about to celebrate going through to the Last 16, condemning Portugal to a World Cup exit at the Group Stage. But then, with thirty seconds or so to go Portugal go and equalise and it finished 2-2. So Portugal could still qualify for the next round and USA could still go out at the Group Stage.

 

[tay]

Well I hope it's not affecting the WC.


It's both amazing and sad how money will corrupt some people......

 

[Blackleaf]

Football's becoming almost as corrupt as cricket.

 

[Locutus]

 

[Blackleaf]

The Lancashire-born former Liverpool and Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson, now a famous TV and radio football pundit and co-commentator in Britain and Ireland on shows like Match of the Day, who is known for injecting humour into his football punditry and commentaries (watching the World Cup on BBC and listening to his jokes when he's co-commentating is like watching a comedy), gives his predictions for the final World Cup group matches.

The keen gardener, trombonist, pipe smoker and kite flyer (which is believed to have originated from a dream he once had as a small child where he enjoyed a kite flying session with his then idol Ronald Reagan), 57, gives his predictions for today's four matches and tomorrow's four matches:

World Cup 2014: Lawro's predictions - final group games

23 June 2014
BBC Sport


BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is predicting the outcome of every game at the 2014 Fifa World Cup.

Defending champions Spain and England are already out, but 27 of the 32 teams go into the final round of group games with something to play for, whether it be a place in the last 16 or top spot in their group.

The final round of group games include Netherlands playing Chile in Group B, and England against Costa Rica.

Lawro is backing Argentina to win the World Cup and lift the famous trophy at the Maracana on 13 July.

Group A

Cameroon v Brazil (23 June, 21:00 BST)

Cameroon have had a shocking World Cup so far but I think they will make a better fist of this game because they are playing the hosts and then going home.

Brazil should still win and top the group but they have been OK at best. I was at their previous game and they struggled to break down Mexico - I just think they move the ball too slowly. You can also get at them when they don't have the ball.

They still have match-winners but the problem they have is up front - do they play Fred or Hulk? The other day, Fred's performance, quite honestly, was a disgrace.
************************

Croatia v Mexico (23 June, 21:00 BST)

This is set up perfectly because Croatia have to win to get through to the last 16, while Mexico just need a point.

I am going to go for Mexico because I was impressed when I saw them against Brazil.

They play with three centre-backs but Rafael Marquez comes out from the back and the wing-backs bomb on. Oribe Peralta looked a decent player as well up front.
*************************

Group B

Australia v Spain (23 June, 17:00 BST)

Both these teams are already out and you could say they are playing for pride but I am not sure defending champions Spain are feeling much after their miserable tournament so far.

It is the end of an era for them after an absolutely fantastic run so I think they will raise themselves against a spirited but limited Australia side, who were a bit unlucky not to get anything from their game with the Netherlands.
************************

Netherlands v Chile (23 June, 17:00 BST)

Whoever wins this game wins the group and potentially avoids Brazil in the last 16 - if the hosts win Group A as expected.

The Dutch have gone from strength to strength, and scored a lot of goals, since almost going 2-0 down to Spain in the first half of their first game.

But Chile have been very strong too and their high-tempo, in-your-face football will cause everybody problems.
I am going for a draw, which would give Netherlands top spot on goal difference.
***************************

Group C

Greece v Ivory Coast (24 June, 21:00 BST)

Ivory Coast carry a goal threat, and in the last half-hour of their defeat by Colombia, with Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou on with Yaya Toure, they could easily have nicked a draw.

Greece know a win could put them through but they have not been great and, as soon as they go a goal down, it could be game over.
***********************

Japan v Colombia (24 June, 21:00 BST)

I was at Colombia's win over Ivory Coast in Brasilia and they are another of the teams to have impressed me. Most of their fans seem to be in my hotel, and they kept me awake all night celebrating that victory!

James Rodriguez is a livewire going forward and I like the look of Mario Yepes at the back too.

Japan need to win to have any chance of progressing but I cannot see that happening. I did not think much of them in their first two group games, especially up front where they don't look like they have got enough quality.
*********************

Group D

Costa Rica v England (24 June, 17:00 BST)

United States boss Jurgen Klinsmann has been saying for a while now that Costa Rica are a good side, and they have shown it in Brazil. They are fast and strong and have been the best team in the group so far.

I tipped England to go through but they have fallen well short and I have a feeling their World Cup will end with another defeat. I am glad people have not torn into them for failing because this tournament is the starting point for that team, not the end.
*************************

Italy v Uruguay (24 June, 17:00 BST)

This is essentially a play-off for a place in the last 16, although a draw will put Italy through on goal difference.

I wonder how much Uruguay's efforts against England will have taken out of them, though having said that Italy were given the run-around by Costa Rica.

I see goals in this game, but ultimately Italy will just about sneak through.



BBC Sport - World Cup 2014: Lawro's predictions - final group games

 

[gopher]

I was just checking into the NY news media's reports on the WC and am pleased to see the tournament is getting much attention. NY'ers really know their soccer and they were stunned (as I was) by the last minute defensive lapse that enabled Portugal to score the equalizer. It's taken me hours to get over this mishap. Hopefully, it will spur our side to rally up and win the next match vs Germany.

As we said back in the 70s, you gotta bee-leeve!

 

[gopher]

Two more exciting matches today:


Mex 3
Cro 1



Braz 4
Camm 1



I just heard a radio report which said the USA-Portugal match got the highest tv rating in USA soccer history. This belies the myth that the sport is not popular here or that it has only a small but loyal following. Indeed it is very popular though not quite so much as the other sports brands.


Next match vs Germany should be a wild one!

 

[Blackleaf]

USA and Germany each need just a draw to qualify for the Last 16 - and they both, rather conveniently, play each other next.

So we may well see a situation that occurred in the 1982 World Cup in Spain which still causes controversy to this day.

Algeria beat Chile 3-2 in their third match of Group 2, meaning that Algeria would become the first African team to reach the second round unless the group's final game, to be played the following day, ended in a one-or two-goal win for West Germany over Austria, in which case both the European teams would progress at Algeria's expense. In the 10th minute of that match Horst Hrubesch put the Germans in front. Then … nothing happened. Realising the scoreline suited both of them, Germany and Austria effectively stopped playing. In the ensuing 80 minutes there were no shots, and barely any tackles, crosses or sprints! Both teams knew that if the match finished as it was - 1-0 to West Germany - they would both go through at Algeria's expense. So both teams just deliberately played out a 1-0 win for West Germany. The game was no longer a contest, it was a conspiracy. The teams' cynicism provoked universal scorn and West Germany went on to reach the Final, losing 3-1 against Italy.

So just watch. When the USA and Germany play each other both teams know that if they draw against each other they will both go through at the expense of Portugal or Ghana. Prepare for the match to finish 0-0, with both the USA and Germany knocking it about the pitch with both sides deliberately not scoring and deliberately making the match finish 0-0.

Two more exciting matches today:


Mex 3
Cro 1



Braz 4
Camm 1



I just heard a radio report which said the USA-Portugal match got the highest tv rating in USA soccer history. This belies the myth that the sport is not popular here or that it has only a small but loyal following. Indeed it is very popular though not quite so much as the other sports brands.


Next match vs Germany should be a wild one!

Two mouthwatering ties in the Last 16:

Brazil vs Chile (Belo Horizonte)
Netherlands vs Mexico (Fortaleza)

This is getting to the business end of the World Cup. No more second chances now as you get in the Group Stage. Once you get out of the group then you will be packing your bags for home should you lose just one match. Each of those four teams above will have to play very well to get to the Quarter Finals.

I was just checking into the NY news media's reports on the WC and am pleased to see the tournament is getting much attention. NY'ers really know their soccer and they were stunned (as I was) by the last minute defensive lapse that enabled Portugal to score the equalizer. It's taken me hours to get over this mishap. Hopefully, it will spur our side to rally up and win the next match vs Germany.

As we said back in the 70s, you gotta bee-leeve!

Midfielder Frank Lampard, who played for Chelsea between 2001 and 2014, becoming their all-time leading goalscorer with 147 goals in 429 appearances, and who has scored 29 goals in 105 appearances for England since 1999, looks set to move to the MLS's new "franchise", New York City FC.

New York City FC was announced as the 20th franchise in Major League Soccer in May 2013. They will enter the League in 2015.

English champions Manchester City and the New York Yankees baseball team jointly bought the club's 'expansion rights' - making them the club's owners - for $100 million.

They will be the city's second franchise, alongside the New York Red Bulls, who are based in Harrison, New Jersey.

It is thought New York City will play in light blue shirts, just like their Manchester City owners.

Who are New York City FC? All you need to know about Frank Lampard's prospective new club.

Jun 02, 2014
Daily Mirror

Here is all you need to know about New York City FC - where they play, how they were born, when their first match is and who their other players are likely to be

Big-name signing: Landing Frank Lampard would be a big coup for MLS's new franchise

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard looks set to end his illustrious playing career in the United States with New York City FC.

Major League Soccer's new franchise are offering the England vice captain regular first-team football, a long-term deal AND a salary almost on a par with his Chelsea wage.

New York City are part-owned by Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour and enjoy close links with the Premier League champions.

They also look set to be the biggest spenders in the burgeoning MLS.

Here is the lowdown on New York City FC, who will enter the MLS next year...

A new club is born

New York City FC was announced as the 20th franchise in Major League Soccer in May 2013. They will enter the League in 2015.

Manchester City and the New York Yankees baseball team jointly bought the club's 'expansion rights' - making them the club's owners - for $100 million.

They will be the city's second franchise, alongside the New York Red Bulls, who are based in Harrison, New Jersey.

Their badge was unveiled in March 2014, following a vote to choose it by 100,000 fans. It was designed by the renowned Rafael Esquer and is inspired by the old New York subway token.

Where will they play?

For the first season at least, New York City FC will play at the iconic Yankee Stadium in New York, home of the New York Yankees baseball team.

The club wants its own stadium though, and plans are afoot to build one next to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. This will not be ready until 2018 at the earliest though (artist's impression above).

When does the season start?

The 2015 MLS campaign begins in March next year. The fixtures are yet to be announced.

Who is the coach?

Jason Kreis was appointed as New York City's first head coach in December 2013. The 41-year-old was a striker who played his entire career in the MLS and won 14 caps for the USA.

He is the third-highest scorer in the history of MLS and in 2007 he became the youngest head coach in the MLS when he took over Real Salt Lake, aged just 34.

Kreis spent six seasons at the Utah side before he was announced as New York's new boss. Before the season starts in May, Kreis will spend his time with Manchester City, learning from their manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Which players have been signed?

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno

On the move: David Villa is leaving Atletico Madrid after receiving an 'irresistible offer'

Only one officially so far. The club will take players from Manchester City - most likely talented youngsters who need first-team experience.

They will also utilise the 36 scouts at City.

Atletico Madrid forward David Villa, 32, has joined New York City for £5 million, the club confirmed this afternoon.

The former Barcelona striker confirmed at the weekend that he was leaving Atletico after receiving an "irresistible" offer from an unnamed club.

He was then seen at Manchester's Bridgewater hospital, having undergone a medical, and the move was completed today.

What next for Lampard?

With the MLS season not due to start until March next year, Lampard should be available for a short-term loan.

There are likely to be plenty of suitors, with his uncle, the QPR boss Harry Redknapp, particularly keen.

New York FC is an attractive destination for Lampard - not least because they are believed to be offering him a long-term deal, with wages very close to those he was on at Chelsea.

And landing one of the Premier League's best-ever players would be a coup for the US side, really announcing them to the rest of the MLS.

Brooklyn will 'bleed blue' in favour of the new franchise

A proposed design for NYCFC's kit

Who are New York City FC? All you need to know about Frank Lampard's prospective new club - Mirror Online
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook

 

[gopher]

This is great news to know that NYC will have a second major league soccer team. Trust me, there are MILLIONS of soccer fans in the Metro area and, if the the teams has success and is marketed properly, there will be tens of thousands of fans to attend their games. I well remember the 78,000+ fans we had for the Cosmos in the days of Pele and I know we can draw those crowds again.



-------------



Re WC, initially the referee added 4 minutes to the game but added one more due to the laxity of the defensemen who left the field:



Y! SPORTS


That makes me madder than ever as we could have and should have won!!!!

 

[EagleSmack]

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Aaaaand. . . mighty England finishes up with a goalless draw with Costa Rica.

Rumour has it that the victorious England side will return home on the majestic RMS Titanic. Only fitting that the unbeatable side should travel on the unskinkable ship.

Funniest moment of the tournament: I was watching the match in a bar, and some guy said of England, in a broad Southern accent, "Them boys couldn't kick a beach ball inta the Grand Canyon!"

Possibly the first-ever all-American soccer dis.

 

[EagleSmack]

Funniest moment of the tournament: I was watching the match in a bar, and some guy said of England, in a broad Southern accent, "Them boys couldn't kick a beach ball inta the Grand Canyon!"
.

Awesome!

 

[gopher]

both matches this morning were very exciting

Eng-Cr was a 0-0 draw but it was neck-and-neck all the way


Uruguay's defeat of Italy was even more exciting.


Such superb soccer! Small wonder why it's the world's # 1 sport.

 

[coldstream]

Disappointing tournament for England.

Uruguay over Italy 1 - 0.. but i don't know. Italy received a Red Card (Claudio Marchisio) for a high leg tackle.. that looked like a Yellow to me. And i'm almost 100% sure Luis Suarez BIT Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini and went unpenalized near the end of the game. If some definitive evidence comes up.. the best Striker in the world could be gone from the tournament. AND one of the pictures i saw show a clear bite mark impression of Chiellini's shoulder.

Suarez was penalized 10 games for biting an opponent in a Liverpool match last year. He's like a bad dog that has to be put down because he can't help himself from biting people. In fairness he was being relentlessly hacked down by the Italian defense.. but that's not an excuse FIFA will consider. :roll:

 

[EagleSmack]

When are they going to ban this guy?

Soccer’s notorious ‘Cannibal’ bites rival at World Cup | New York Post

 

[gopher]

Suarez = Vampiro!

 

[Blackleaf]

Aaaaand. . . mighty England finishes up with a goalless draw with Costa Rica.

Rumour has it that the victorious England side will return home on the majestic RMS Titanic. Only fitting that the unbeatable side should travel on the unskinkable ship.

Funniest moment of the tournament: I was watching the match in a bar, and some guy said of England, in a broad Southern accent, "Them boys couldn't kick a beach ball inta the Grand Canyon!"

Possibly the first-ever all-American soccer dis.

England were out of the tournament BEFORE the game with Costa Rica. The result of that match didn't matter for England.

This is an England side in transition, a team that is being rebuilt. It is one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams to take part in this World Cup (I think only three teams, including Australia, are younger) and is actually the second-youngest England team ever to take part in a major tournament.

It is a team packed full of kids like Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling, all of whom played last night against a far more experienced Costa Rica side and all of whom have never played in a major tournament before, even though the last one England took part in was just two years ago. Last night was just Shaw's third cap, Lallana's ninth, Barkley's ninth and Sterling's fifth.

This will probably be the last tournament for England's old guard - such as Gerrard and Lampard - and even more youngsters will be brought through to the senior side, players like Nathaniel Chalobah, Nathan Redmond, Andre Wisdom, Connor Wickham, Tom Carroll, Tom Ince.

This is an England team in transition. As Lawro rightly side, the press and public back at home aren't tearing into this England side because this is the starting point for this team, not the end.

Despite being such a young side, though, England were the only team in the group who managed to take a point off Costa Rica.

And another thing to bear in mind is that European teams traditionally tend to do badly at South American World Cups and that is being shown by teams such as England, Italy and even holders Spain being knocked out at the Group Stage. No European team has ever won a World Cup in South America and I can't see it happening this time either.