2014 Fifa World Cup: Quarterfinals

[Correspondent Kiu]

As said in previous thread, I picked Argentina to win the Cup.

Fresh thread, so you can change your mind.

I was 5 for 8 for the round of 16!
:cry

 

[tennisville]

I also am supporting Argentina in this cup and hope they win , like I said Di Maria is their key player. If he plays well Argentina will be a top side . Too bad he has been pretty unimpressive so far leaving Argentina to look scrappy in their wins

All matchs look great especially France vs Germany, I am picking Germany there

 

[markus1]

Costa Rica in the QF lol

 

[Kieran]

It's been a disappointing World Cup so far, no great team has emerged and few great players.

There's been goals, but the knockout stages have been ruled by fear, and we're gonna rue the loss of Spain and Italy more now, since both Chile and Costa Rica froze in the headlights on the bigger stage. Brazil have been awful this World Cup, and I hope James Rodriguez and Colombia show them how the Beautiful Game - as once exemplified by the Brazilians - should be played. I watched Brazil beat Cameroon with something approaching a nervous breakdown: could it be that Brazil were playing long ball against the worst team I'd seen in the World Cup?

I hope the winners are Colombia, France, Costa Rica and Argentina.

Colombia for the reasons above.

France, because I prefer them to Germany, simple as this, but I think Germany are far superior, and will win.

Costa Rica, because I loved them in the groups, they showed tremendous courage in holding on until penalties against Greece - and they were excellent in the shoot-out. And nobody who loves football could want a cheat like Robben in the World Cup for even a scintilla of a second longer. FIFA should have taken his confession of guilt to heart - and turfed him out.

Argentina, because I blame Brussels and the EU for the destruction of European values and greatness, and the bureaucratic tyranny keeps its capital in Belgium. Also, Messi. Would love to see him succeed.

I think I'll be about 50% correct...

 

[shawnbm]

I hope Argentina and Messi make the finals, but I fear the Orangemen are going to be too tough. Maybe someone will cut out Robben's legs in the first ten minutes and "take" a red card (I am kidding). The Dutch is my pick.

Brazil is not going to get past Colombia unless they bring another level of play. Colombia has looked wonderful, but this is the big stage and nerves (and the home crowd) will play a factor. Brazil through to the semis.

France will not be up to snuff against the German onslaught, even though Germany has looked less impressive than they ought to have looked. Germany is going through and will then beat Brazil

Dutch finally win the Cup over the Germans.

 

[Kieran]

The Germans are claiming a flu-like bug has swept through their squad, affecting seven players, possibly including Muller...

 

[Moxie]

A really charming radio interview with a Costa Rican photographer about how tiny Costa Rica is dealing with their surprising fortunes in the WC. I'll be backing them to move on. Why not?

I would have pegged the Germans to beat France tomorrow, but if the whole squad is ill?

 

[tennisville]

The Germans are claiming a flu-like bug has swept through their squad, affecting seven players, possibly including Muller...

Thats not good news I hope they can recover and win the match today but its not looking good :nono

I also believe Columbia will beat Brazil and Argentina will get through Belgium. Robben does cheat Kieran but I think many footballers do that and he just admitted it , and that penalty was the correct decision as well. It was one

 

[Kieran]

The Germans are claiming a flu-like bug has swept through their squad, affecting seven players, possibly including Muller...

Thats not good news I hope they can recover and win the match today but its not looking good :nono

I also believe Columbia will beat Brazil and Argentina will get through Belgium. Robben does cheat Kieran but I think many footballers do that and he just admitted it , and that penalty was the correct decision as well. It was one

I agree about Robben and others cheating, Tennisville, but I think the fact that there was minimum contact was the reason why Robben admitted his cheating. He was saying, "yeah I cheat, but that time I was throwing myself on the floor because there was minimum illegal contact."

So he dived - even when it was a penalty. If the ref had stones, he'd have turned a blind eye, because how many times has Robben tried to get penalties by cheating. FIFA should have stepped in and banned him retrospectively.

Seriously, I hope Holland go home tomorrow because of that guy. It's unlikely, because they're stronger and CR have hit a wall mentally and physically, but the likes of Robben makes me furious when I watch him. Such a great footballer, and yet he makes me hope he gets done in a nasty challenge...

 

[tennisville]

The Germans are claiming a flu-like bug has swept through their squad, affecting seven players, possibly including Muller...

Thats not good news I hope they can recover and win the match today but its not looking good :nono

I also believe Columbia will beat Brazil and Argentina will get through Belgium. Robben does cheat Kieran but I think many footballers do that and he just admitted it , and that penalty was the correct decision as well. It was one

I agree about Robben and others cheating, Tennisville, but I think the fact that there was minimum contact was the reason why Robben admitted his cheating. He was saying, "yeah I cheat, but that time I was throwing myself on the floor because there was minimum illegal contact."

So he dived - even when it was a penalty. If the ref had stones, he'd have turned a blind eye, because how many times has Robben tried to get penalties by cheating. FIFA should have stepped in and banned him retrospectively.

Seriously, I hope Holland go home tomorrow because of that guy. It's unlikely, because they're stronger and CR have hit a wall mentally and physically, but the likes of Robben makes me furious when I watch him. Such a great footballer, and yet he makes me hope he gets done in a nasty challenge...

Robben admitted to falling for one foul before , not that penalty. That fall was obvious and the Referee rightly did not give the penalty at that time. You could actually make out from the replay that he tried to get a foul

He is a fantastic footballer and his goal against Spain was one of the best goals of the tournament. I think CR wont beat the Dutch as the latter is far superior in every aspect. But football is a strange sport , sometimes the better teams lose out due to the strange nature

 

[Kieran]

That's true, he didn't admit the dive for the penalty - but he did dive then, too.

Don't get me wrong - there was a tiny contact, therefore it was a penalty. Robben just couldn't help himself by embellishing it with his own fraudulent reaction...

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Germany goes through...awesomeness.

 

[Moxie]

Not pretty, but kind of a thriller with Colombia v. Brazil. (I was hoping Colombia.) Neymar just carried off. Silva out of the next match on yellow cards, and their keeper has a yellow, which my friend said should have been red. Advantage Germany?

 

[Kieran]

Brazil still lousy, really bad, hoofing long balls while they had time to play, and Germany didn't impress. I think the semi will be won by the ref.

I hope Neymar is okay, though...

 

[Moxie]

Neymar is not ok. Just read that he has a broken vertebra and will miss the rest of the WC. That's too bad. Brazil's chances going down by the minute.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Nobody is impressed by Brazil (even before we came to know that Neymar is in trouble).

I think the finals will be between Germany and Netherlands.

Messi is doing good, but IMO his support cast is not that good.

Argentina will win the QF, but lose in SF.

 

[Moxie]

I'll still be hoping for that little engine that could Costa Rica to beat those Dutchmen tomorrow.

 

[Kieran]

That's awful news about Neymar. The ref was terrible in that match - a free kick every 90 seconds! And he didn't book anyone until the 60th minute. He takes a huge portion of the blame. Brazil were physical and dirty and nasty in the first half, and Colombia lost their shape and followed suit in the second half.

And Neymar is the victim of this... :nono

 

[Kieran]

Nobody is impressed by Brazil (even before we came to know that Neymar is in trouble).

I think the finals will be between Germany and Netherlands.

Messi is doing good, but IMO his support cast is not that good.

Argentina will win the QF, but lose in SF.

Yeah, this seems most likely, although I wouldn't be surprised to see Belgium beat Messi today...

 

[markus1]

I think the finals will be between Germany and Netherlands.

I would want to watch Argentina v Germany final but having Messi and Di Maria is not really enough

I feel bad for Neymar, he created a plenty of good moments so far