For some reason, I wasn't seeing this from the main page.
These first two games are both 0-0 at the half. Here are the picks at the top of the leaderboard:
ITA 1 - 2 URU and CRC 2 - 1 ENG (AMR, lead)
ITA 1 - 2 URU and CRC 0 - 2 ENG (Magoo, -2)
ITA 2 - 1 URU and CRC 2 - 2 ENG (FTLT, -6)
ITA 0 - 1 URU and CRC 0 - 1 ENG (Nibs, -8)
So I'll be comfortable with the second URU goal and once CRC goes up 1-0, 2-0, or 3-1.
Actual Scores:
ITA 0 - 1 URU (+2 AMR, Magoo, +4 Nibs)
CRC 0 - 0 ENG (+2 FTLT).
Standings:
AMR leads, Magoo -2, FTLT and Nibs -6.
I wish there was some way that both Italy and Suarez could be eliminated.
Suarez Red Card once he scores the only goal of the match? (Then they lose their first knockout.)
I think I got my wish.
Suarez is the gift that keeps on giving, though I think you have to be a sociopath (or a toddler) to bite others as much as he does.
Sociopath, you say?
Normally I'd be upset about Saurez but it's Italy so I'm more bemused.
The same newspaper, the Toronto Star, in the same piece, also wrote: "He will do something insane at this summer's World Cup -- mark it down. ... Eventually, he'll punch a baby."
Well then.
I've never understood the hate for Italy.
Heck, I'm still upset that headbutt France guy was painted as the victim back in 2006.
Because they are the floppingest mother floppers that ever flopped.
Eh, I think that's a problem of the sport, not the team.
Based on my personal eye test, Italy is the worst offender.
Do you also hate NBA teams for trying to get to the line?
Just the Italians.
I believe my distaste for Dwayne Wade is well documented around here.
Trying to get to the line/draw a foul is I've thing, but I'm talking about the egregious stuff.
I have to admit its changing... but they have played a style of soccer that detractor's can easily point to and say "see soccer is boring." They are infamous for scoring a goal and then passing the ball amongst themselves 20 yards either side of the midline to run out the clock and win 1-0. I do kinda like Andrea Pirlo, however.
Seems like they're really just taking the strategy to it's logical conclusion, right?
I wouldn't say it's the logical conclusion but one of a number of possible logical conclusions. And for choosing the one that is least appealing athletically and aesthetically, I would argue that's reason enough to hate them. Brazil for example has been more succesful than Italy in world soccer and they do not play that way.
Any team with Daniele De Rossi should be hated. Also, the fact that most of their fans are incredibly racist doesn't do them any favors.
so, Mario Balotelli is not popular?
The fans have really, really struggled with Balotelli. In Serie A, he's still faced racist chants from opposing crowds. After all, he's not a True Yankee Italian.
I enjoy the noble asshole* in athletic contests I watch. The Zizou headbutt immediately made me a fan of the French team retroactive to the beginning of the tournament.
*Bonds is the best example I can think of.
I'm with you about the noble asshole. I still love A.J., and I've long referred to Clint Dempsey as the A.J. of soccer.
If only that 2-1 score had held up against Portugal. Dempsey scoring the winning goal with his junk would have been the most American thing ever.
Yes, if it had held up, the entire team could have pulled a DX:
httpv://youtu.be/t40K17WfIdI
I'm having Yahoo issues. Can someone post the standings? I'm curious to see if I have any points.
It's possible that 9 of the 10 teams from North, South, and Central America will make the round of 16.
Ecuador and the USA can qualify in the next two days (both need at least a draw against good teams, Ecuador-France, USA-Germany)
Yeah, you're way in last place about 42 points behind AMR. You have 8 wins. The next lowest is 11 and the leaders have between 21-23 wins.
Columbia already has scored a goal, but GRECIV is scoreless. Here are the picks at the top of the leaderboard:
JPN 1 - COL 2 and GRE 0 - 2 CIV (AMR, lead)
JPN 0 - COL 2 and GRE 0 - 0 CIV (Magoo, -2)
JPN 0 - COL 2 and GRE 1 - 3 CIV (FTLT, -6)
JPN 0 - COL 2 and GRE 1 - 0 CIV (Nibs, -6)
So: please score, Japan and Côte!
We've got a Japanese Goal!
But a Greek Goal, too! (O no!)
I used a circumflex for you, Côte;, why did you let me down?
It would be totally awesome if all scoring in the GRE/CIV game ceased.
Likewise JPNCOL
Sorry, CIV rewards my circumflex and ties it up.
Now one more for the Win!, Côte!
Or let Greece take your spot in the knockout round, whatever.
A tie was worse for me than a loss.
Full standings at end-of-play today:
AMR (lead)
Magoo -2
Nibbish -4
FTLT -6
"My Peerless Pick Set" -12
Brooks & Freealonzo -14
Phil -20
Yickit & "Fußballnationalmannschaft!!" (Zee German?) -22
Pirate -24
HungryJoe -32
DavidWatts -40
Beau -42
Natürlich
My delusions of competing hung on for a while, but once I tried to throw in some reason to my picks, the regression was quite prompt.
Your correct score picks accuracy has me in awe.
Two words: Dart board.
Greece: triple three; Japan: outer bullseye.
We understand why someone would bite a soccer player. Lots of dense protein. Great for spring. Too lean for late fall though.
For some reason, I wasn't seeing this from the main page.
These first two games are both 0-0 at the half. Here are the picks at the top of the leaderboard:
ITA 1 - 2 URU and CRC 2 - 1 ENG (AMR, lead)
ITA 1 - 2 URU and CRC 0 - 2 ENG (Magoo, -2)
ITA 2 - 1 URU and CRC 2 - 2 ENG (FTLT, -6)
ITA 0 - 1 URU and CRC 0 - 1 ENG (Nibs, -8)
So I'll be comfortable with the second URU goal and once CRC goes up 1-0, 2-0, or 3-1.
Actual Scores:
ITA 0 - 1 URU (+2 AMR, Magoo, +4 Nibs)
CRC 0 - 0 ENG (+2 FTLT).
Standings:
AMR leads, Magoo -2, FTLT and Nibs -6.
I wish there was some way that both Italy and Suarez could be eliminated.
Suarez Red Card once he scores the only goal of the match? (Then they lose their first knockout.)
I think I got my wish.
Suarez is the gift that keeps on giving, though I think you have to be a sociopath (or a toddler) to bite others as much as he does.
Sociopath, you say?
Normally I'd be upset about Saurez but it's Italy so I'm more bemused.
Well then.
I've never understood the hate for Italy.
Heck, I'm still upset that headbutt France guy was painted as the victim back in 2006.
Because they are the floppingest mother floppers that ever flopped.
Eh, I think that's a problem of the sport, not the team.
Based on my personal eye test, Italy is the worst offender.
Do you also hate NBA teams for trying to get to the line?
Just the Italians.
I believe my distaste for Dwayne Wade is well documented around here.
Trying to get to the line/draw a foul is I've thing, but I'm talking about the egregious stuff.
I have to admit its changing... but they have played a style of soccer that detractor's can easily point to and say "see soccer is boring." They are infamous for scoring a goal and then passing the ball amongst themselves 20 yards either side of the midline to run out the clock and win 1-0. I do kinda like Andrea Pirlo, however.
Seems like they're really just taking the strategy to it's logical conclusion, right?
I wouldn't say it's the logical conclusion but one of a number of possible logical conclusions. And for choosing the one that is least appealing athletically and aesthetically, I would argue that's reason enough to hate them. Brazil for example has been more succesful than Italy in world soccer and they do not play that way.
Any team with Daniele De Rossi should be hated. Also, the fact that most of their fans are incredibly racist doesn't do them any favors.
so, Mario Balotelli is not popular?
The fans have really, really struggled with Balotelli. In Serie A, he's still faced racist chants from opposing crowds. After all, he's not a True
YankeeItalian.I enjoy the noble asshole* in athletic contests I watch. The Zizou headbutt immediately made me a fan of the French team retroactive to the beginning of the tournament.
*Bonds is the best example I can think of.
I'm with you about the noble asshole. I still love A.J., and I've long referred to Clint Dempsey as the A.J. of soccer.
If only that 2-1 score had held up against Portugal. Dempsey scoring the winning goal with his junk would have been the most American thing ever.
Yes, if it had held up, the entire team could have pulled a DX:
httpv://youtu.be/t40K17WfIdI
I'm having Yahoo issues. Can someone post the standings? I'm curious to see if I have any points.
It's possible that 9 of the 10 teams from North, South, and Central America will make the round of 16.
Ecuador and the USA can qualify in the next two days (both need at least a draw against good teams, Ecuador-France, USA-Germany)
Yeah, you're way in last place about 42 points behind AMR. You have 8 wins. The next lowest is 11 and the leaders have between 21-23 wins.
Columbia already has scored a goal, but GRECIV is scoreless. Here are the picks at the top of the leaderboard:
JPN 1 - COL 2 and GRE 0 - 2 CIV (AMR, lead)
JPN 0 - COL 2 and GRE 0 - 0 CIV (Magoo, -2)
JPN 0 - COL 2 and GRE 1 - 3 CIV (FTLT, -6)
JPN 0 - COL 2 and GRE 1 - 0 CIV (Nibs, -6)
So: please score, Japan and Côte!
We've got a Japanese Goal!
But a Greek Goal, too! (O no!)
I used a circumflex for you, Côte;, why did you let me down?
It would be totally awesome if all scoring in the GRE/CIV game ceased.
Likewise JPNCOL
Sorry, CIV rewards my circumflex and ties it up.
Now one more for the Win!, Côte!
Or let Greece take your spot in the knockout round, whatever.
A tie was worse for me than a loss.
Full standings at end-of-play today:
AMR (lead)
Magoo -2
Nibbish -4
FTLT -6
"My Peerless Pick Set" -12
Brooks & Freealonzo -14
Phil -20
Yickit & "Fußballnationalmannschaft!!" (Zee German?) -22
Pirate -24
HungryJoe -32
DavidWatts -40
Beau -42
Natürlich
My delusions of competing hung on for a while, but once I tried to throw in some reason to my picks, the regression was quite prompt.
Your correct score picks accuracy has me in awe.
Two words: Dart board.
Greece: triple three; Japan: outer bullseye.
Thanks!