2014 FIFA World Cup Thread

[cipher]

If you can find anything, anywhere, in any of my posts to suggest I was presenting to you the picture of some pure sporting spectacle then well done. Clearly I'm very disenchanted with the way the game has gone and is continuing to go  "Football is already consuming itself through commercial greed". Whereas I'm sure that's the direction of travel and it will get even worse, I'm equally sure that process will be accelerated with American involvement. I think you could argue that if this is the way football is going to go, then American interference and influence won't make any difference. I'd probably accept that. It might accelerate the process, but that's all. Remember that prior to the 1994 World Cup American television networks lobbied FIFA to make the goals bigger so that they could have bigger scorelines because they were fearful that the American public wouldn't 'get' results like one-nil, and certainly not nil-nil. Mind you, they could have made the goals the size of California and it wouldn't have assisted Diana Ross!!! They also tried to introduce time outs as well. These sorts of things will fundamentally change the entire nature of the sport (I use the word sport loosely, as its clearly more of an industry). The frightening thing today is that if someone paid the plutocrats at FIFA enough money they'd probably agree now!!!

The argument about attendances is just a reflection on populations though. If you're going to invoke that, then frankly you'd also be able to say that India with its population approaching 1 billion, ensures that cricket is more popular than baseball, and certainly will have once everyone there has got electricity and television

We've certainly seen an influx of American ownership in the Premiership in the last 10 years, and I somehow doubt this has got anything to do with football. These clubs could have been picked up for busking money only 30 years ago if the likes of the Glazers, Randy Lerner, Stan Kronke, Hicks and Gillete or New England Sports Ventures were interested then. The bottom line is that football, and English football in particular by dint of its history, is a global brand that travels much more so than any franschise that is restricted largely to a single market (albeit a very sizeable one). Actually talking of franchises, that's another thing that some of these anti competitive American owners have mooted, and that's the abolition of traditional relegation and promotion so as to protect their financial interests above the very fabric of the club game that allows teams like Wimbledon and Wigan to rise from the amateur ranks in the 1970's and play in the top league (both have also won an FA Cup now of course too). I suspect this too will happen eventually, albeit it's likely to be a pan European venture which becomes a closed shop. We've also seen talk a few years ago of taking a 39th game to the far east? sound familiar? well its the same thing as the NFL does when it rocks up at Wembley every year or so

I don't have time to read all this right now.  I am watching one of those footy ball games right now.  Go USA!  Plus this is all getting .  When someone shows me how interest here will actually affect the commercialism of the game in your neck of the woods I will agree with you.  I get your concern, but it is not really fair to us fans here either.

[David in FL]

Good attempt by Zusi. Howard is doing a good job.

Zusi is a Central FL guy.  Went to High School just around the corner and is the nephew (sister's son) of one of my golf buddies.

Needless to say, right now he's a pretty big deal around here.....

[Chilli Dipper]

Own goal by Ghana! Portugal up 1-nil!

[jamo]

Commentators were just talking about how good Fabian Johnson has been this World Cup. Totally agree, though now as I type this I realize I'm only compounding their jinx.

[RJH999]

Good News. Portugal scored on an OG

[Chilli Dipper]

Halftime. Fair match, no score.

[jamo]

Been a good match so far. You definitely get the feeling that Germany's the clear better team (not a surprise), but the US has shown the ability to create chances, and the German defense can certainly be gotten.

[nevets88]

How often do players slam into the ref?

[RJH999]

Bring on Julian Green and Nordic Messi!

[jamo]

This game is about to get a little Klose-r.

[Chilli Dipper]

This game is about to get a little Klose-r.

[IMG]http://d1mxyp5ceukbya.cloudfront.net/images/david-caruso-gif-speed-glasses.gif[/IMG] YEAHHHH!

[nevets88]

Yikes. Deep breath.

[nevets88]

Shite.

[Chilli Dipper]

Keep calm, don't give up another. And Ghana's equalized. Oh, crap.

[FarawayFairways]

Good News. Portugal scored on an OG

You've lost me? How can you poissbly think that's good news (unless you're a Portugal supporter?)

[RJH999]

You've lost me? How can you poissbly think that's good news (unless you're a Portugal supporter?)

The US can advance with a loss by 1 or 2 even if Portugal wins by 1 or 2. Portugal's GD is awful. Ghanas is not.

[FarawayFairways]

A Portugal win is the less of the two worries. Ghana winning would be more of a threat, so Portugal scoring needn't be a bad thing if that's your thinking?

[RJH999]

A Portugal win is the less of the two worries. Ghana winning would be more of a threat, so Portugal scoring needn't be a bad thing

Exactly. Portugal got up 1-0. I guess i meant to say Ghana scored an own goal which made it 1-0 in Portugals favor