Halftime!
Results are good so far.
I don't have time to look at scenarios for our leaderboard yet.
I might just be looking hard to find collusion, but it seemed to me Germany did a lot of kicking the ball directly at Howard.
Also, it'd be nice if Bradley could actually control a f***ing pass.
My law clerk this summer is from Germany. But she doesn't follow soccer. I think I'll still give her some big files to organize if the US loses.
Drop them on her desk all dramatically and say "Courtesy of Herr Müller" and walk out without another word.
D'oh!
Suck it, Ghana!
Group G finals:
POR 1 - 0 GHA and USA 0 - 1 GER (Nibbish, lead+6 = lead)
POR 0 - 1 GHA and USA 0 - 1 GER (AMR, lead+4 = -2)
POR 2 - 0 GHA and USA 0 - 1 GER (Magoo, -2+6 = -2)
POR 0 - 2 GHA and USA 0 - 0 GER (FTLT, -4+0 = -10)
"Peerless" (who is that?) is the only other person really on the fringes, with Free and DG now at -20.
Don't count your chickens too soon. The subsequent rounds get you more points and more points for correctly picking the score. Even Beau still has a shot at this rate.
I didn't mean to overcount chickens.
I've just limited myself to people who were within (or nearly within) the amount of points that could be scored at any one time.
So, within 8.
Oh, MF'er! I got roped into a drive to Indiana on Tuesday so I'll probably be in the car during the US game. Might have to try to figure out an excuse to stay the night in Indianapolis instead of going home that night.
I have to leave the bar and go directly to footy practice on Tuesday. I seriously wonder about the state of half the team at training next week, especially if/when we win.
It looks like the game will be starting right around when we get into LA. I'm hoping we can find somewhere to eat that will have the game on.
Group H finals:
ALG 0 - 1 RUS and KOR 0 - 1 BEL (Nibbish, lead)
ALG 2 - 1 RUS and KOR 0 - 2 BEL (AMR, -2)
ALG 0 - 3 RUS and KOR 0 - 3 BEL (Magoo, -2)
ALG 0 - 1 RUS and KOR 0 - 2 BEL (FTLT, -10)
Well Algeria looked awesome last weekend, so I went with them. No one else did, I see.
Finally, a word if I remove the score of the game: KORBEL!
This round of 16 has:
6 UEFA teams (tied for fewest in World Cup history* (2010))
5 South American teams (tied for most in World Cup history (2010))
3 CONCACAF teams (most in World Cup history)
2 African teams (most in World Cup history)
*Only the last 8 World Cups have featured a knockout round of 16.
Asian teams went winless (9 losses, 3 draws) and none advanced to the round of 16. They were outscored 25 to 9 in those twelve games.
Alright.
I just spent an inordinate amount of time in the repository trying to figure out what is what in the world of football. FIFA, UEFA, Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Budesliga, Football League ... I'm taking my cousins to the Man City v. Olympiacos game in a few weeks but can't make heads nor tails of the set up. These are the two best teams in their respective leagues?
Probably the best two teams in the English and Greek domestic leagues, yes. They're not in season right now, so I think this is a pre-season game.
CoC, their will be quite a few Youngsters (Sheenie, me, and Greg included) at that game. It's part of a fake tournament staged just to get the top European teams to play their preseason games in the US. Man City just won the Premier League and both teams are in the Champions League. However, we're not likely to see them both playing all their best players.
Good to know, but can you explain how Man City can be in both the Premier League and Champions League? Is it like the Twins being in the Central Division and the American League? Anything analogous in American professional sports? It just that there are so many teams playing in so many different leagues and tournaments, and then you throw in promotion/relegation, etc., that I'm having trouble keeping track of all the pieces.
There really isn't anything analgous in the "big 4" American sports.
The Champions League is made up of the top teams in each of the country's top soccer leagues, based on the previous year standings.. The better leagues like EPL, Bundesliga, la Liga, etc, get 3-4 teams. The lesser country leagues like Poland Portugual, etc, maybe get 1 or two. ManCity, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal were the top 4 teams in the the EPL this past year so they will also play in the Champions League this coming year. The EPL and Champions League are two different schedules but basically run about the same time: from August to May. It is quite lucrative for the teams involved and is a fun competition because the top European teams have the opportunity to play each other in high stakes match-ups.
Imagine if instead of just two leagues (AL and NL), there were 50+ professional baseball leagues. The top teams from each league participate in playoffs (Champions League), but instead of the playoffs happening at the end of that regular season, they happen during off days of the next season.
Thanks guys - that actually makes a lot more sense than the convoluted scheme I was envisioning.
Couple more questions:
1. How does the MLS stack up to football leagues like the EPL, Budesliga, or those found in the CONCACAF in terms of quality of play?
2. Can players be on both MLS teams and EPL/La Liga teams?
3. The Minnesota United FC are in the NASL which is a Division 2 league, like the Football League in England?
1. Matter of opinion but MLS is generally considered to be of a much lesser quality.
2. Generally no. But there is transfer of contracts
3. Yes.
Looks like Russia gave Alaska back in the the graphic. USA!
Or should I say the Soviet Union gave Alaska back...
So, they gave up their North American claim, but reclaimed 14 independent countries. Which option would start a bigger war?
I just realized that we missed out on a US-Russia soccer match to rekindle memories of 1980. "Do you believe in Soccer Miracles?"
Halftime!
Results are good so far.
I don't have time to look at scenarios for our leaderboard yet.
I might just be looking hard to find collusion, but it seemed to me Germany did a lot of kicking the ball directly at Howard.
Also, it'd be nice if Bradley could actually control a f***ing pass.
My law clerk this summer is from Germany. But she doesn't follow soccer. I think I'll still give her some big files to organize if the US loses.
Drop them on her desk all dramatically and say "Courtesy of Herr Müller" and walk out without another word.
D'oh!
Suck it, Ghana!
Group G finals:
POR 1 - 0 GHA and USA 0 - 1 GER (Nibbish, lead+6 = lead)
POR 0 - 1 GHA and USA 0 - 1 GER (AMR, lead+4 = -2)
POR 2 - 0 GHA and USA 0 - 1 GER (Magoo, -2+6 = -2)
POR 0 - 2 GHA and USA 0 - 0 GER (FTLT, -4+0 = -10)
"Peerless" (who is that?) is the only other person really on the fringes, with Free and DG now at -20.
Don't count your chickens too soon. The subsequent rounds get you more points and more points for correctly picking the score. Even Beau still has a shot at this rate.
I didn't mean to overcount chickens.
I've just limited myself to people who were within (or nearly within) the amount of points that could be scored at any one time.
So, within 8.
Oh, MF'er! I got roped into a drive to Indiana on Tuesday so I'll probably be in the car during the US game. Might have to try to figure out an excuse to stay the night in Indianapolis instead of going home that night.
You might try this, if it's reopened.
The turf and turf!
I have to leave the bar and go directly to footy practice on Tuesday. I seriously wonder about the state of half the team at training next week, especially if/when we win.
It looks like the game will be starting right around when we get into LA. I'm hoping we can find somewhere to eat that will have the game on.
Group H finals:
ALG 0 - 1 RUS and KOR 0 - 1 BEL (Nibbish, lead)
ALG 2 - 1 RUS and KOR 0 - 2 BEL (AMR, -2)
ALG 0 - 3 RUS and KOR 0 - 3 BEL (Magoo, -2)
ALG 0 - 1 RUS and KOR 0 - 2 BEL (FTLT, -10)
Well Algeria looked awesome last weekend, so I went with them. No one else did, I see.
Finally, a word if I remove the score of the game: KORBEL!
This round of 16 has:
6 UEFA teams (tied for fewest in World Cup history* (2010))
5 South American teams (tied for most in World Cup history (2010))
3 CONCACAF teams (most in World Cup history)
2 African teams (most in World Cup history)
*Only the last 8 World Cups have featured a knockout round of 16.
Asian teams went winless (9 losses, 3 draws) and none advanced to the round of 16. They were outscored 25 to 9 in those twelve games.
Alright.
I just spent an inordinate amount of time in the repository trying to figure out what is what in the world of football. FIFA, UEFA, Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Budesliga, Football League ... I'm taking my cousins to the Man City v. Olympiacos game in a few weeks but can't make heads nor tails of the set up. These are the two best teams in their respective leagues?
Probably the best two teams in the English and Greek domestic leagues, yes. They're not in season right now, so I think this is a pre-season game.
CoC, their will be quite a few Youngsters (Sheenie, me, and Greg included) at that game. It's part of a fake tournament staged just to get the top European teams to play their preseason games in the US. Man City just won the Premier League and both teams are in the Champions League. However, we're not likely to see them both playing all their best players.
Good to know, but can you explain how Man City can be in both the Premier League and Champions League? Is it like the Twins being in the Central Division and the American League? Anything analogous in American professional sports? It just that there are so many teams playing in so many different leagues and tournaments, and then you throw in promotion/relegation, etc., that I'm having trouble keeping track of all the pieces.
There really isn't anything analgous in the "big 4" American sports.
The Champions League is made up of the top teams in each of the country's top soccer leagues, based on the previous year standings.. The better leagues like EPL, Bundesliga, la Liga, etc, get 3-4 teams. The lesser country leagues like Poland Portugual, etc, maybe get 1 or two. ManCity, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal were the top 4 teams in the the EPL this past year so they will also play in the Champions League this coming year. The EPL and Champions League are two different schedules but basically run about the same time: from August to May. It is quite lucrative for the teams involved and is a fun competition because the top European teams have the opportunity to play each other in high stakes match-ups.
Imagine if instead of just two leagues (AL and NL), there were 50+ professional baseball leagues. The top teams from each league participate in playoffs (Champions League), but instead of the playoffs happening at the end of that regular season, they happen during off days of the next season.
Thanks guys - that actually makes a lot more sense than the convoluted scheme I was envisioning.
Couple more questions:
1. How does the MLS stack up to football leagues like the EPL, Budesliga, or those found in the CONCACAF in terms of quality of play?
2. Can players be on both MLS teams and EPL/La Liga teams?
3. The Minnesota United FC are in the NASL which is a Division 2 league, like the Football League in England?
1. Matter of opinion but MLS is generally considered to be of a much lesser quality.
2. Generally no. But there is transfer of contracts
3. Yes.
Looks like Russia gave Alaska back in the the graphic. USA!
Or should I say the Soviet Union gave Alaska back...
So, they gave up their North American claim, but reclaimed 14 independent countries. Which option would start a bigger war?
I just realized that we missed out on a US-Russia soccer match to rekindle memories of 1980. "Do you believe in Soccer Miracles?"