2014 FIFA World Cup...

[jp61]

Any US soccer fans on here? The world cup (every 4 years) starts in five days, this time in Brazil. 

Our boys are in a very tough group (Germany, Portugal and Ghana).  

Watched them play earlier today against Nigeria in a friendly (2-1 US).

They just might surprise a few teams.... nice ball movement and plenty of speed!

Good luck 

U.S. Men's National Team! Bring home some hardware! 

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Joe.  Semper Fi.  I am not a BIG fan but living here in England I can't get around hearing and talking "football".  And I have heard a million times that "in 1966 England won the World Cup",  give it a rest!!  Most of those guy's are dead now!  England has some great STARS and SHOULD be a major contender EVERY time but the primadonnas don't play as a team.  The World Cup is a BIG thing here as you can imagine but I have never experienced the lack of "home team" support as happens here.  Back home you back the home team no matter what, here they trash their own boys sometimes worse than the opposing teams.  REALLY strange.  The U.S. is still relatively new to the World Cup.  Maybe not this time but won't be long before that Cup resides fairly regularly in the good ole U.S. of A.!  Keep Smokin!

Danny

 

[jp61]

Hey Danny,

The US is not new to the world cup at all, we just haven't had much success over the decades and the sport itself hasn't been nowhere near as popular in the past as it is today. Even with the national team's recent "successes" and the sport's rising popularity in the US, soccer is still talked down and made fun of by many. Unless an individual has played the sport at a competitive level, it is difficult to understand and appreciate the skills involved. In most countries in the world, soccer has always been the #1 sport... "The Beautiful Game". Here, there's too much competition from the three major sports and in my opinion will probably never reach the status it deserves. Regardless, I will be watching and cheering on our boys. Go USA!!!

 

[jp61]

The road to Brazil...

 

 

[welshrarebit]

I will record and watch every game. I have three kids that play soccer. My oldest is now playing at a DI college, my second helped her team to the state championship in high school, and my youngest is an outstanding player as well.

I have spent most of my Saturday's at a soccer field the past 15 years!

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Joe.  Has the U.S. had a National team for that long?  I didn't realise.

My oldest daughter is 36 yrs. old now.  When she was 11 she wanted to play soccer.  As it turned out, the person running the league was a guy I had known for years, back in my school days.  He had a problem, he didn't have enough coaches.  I told him I had never even seen a game on tv but he said I'd be fine, handed me a rule book and I was roped in.  That off-side rule is a B**** to get your head around!  I had great kids and through no fault of mine we ended up in the semi-final game.  Because of points we were in a MUST win situation.  Tied with 5 minutes left so I figured "What that h*** we gotta lose" so I pulled my goalie to the centerline and pushed the entire team across with everyone attacking.  Getting the kids in place was a little difficult cause they kept giving me strange looks.  Even heard a comment or 2 from the parents as you can imagine, but I hadn't told anyone we were in a MUST win scenario as I didn't want that pressure on the kids.  We scored and then I pulled my mid-fielders wings and goalie back to protect our goal.  We won that one.  Then in the final we were in the lead and all of a sudden I see the biggest 11 year old boy I have EVER seen ( He was at least 6' and I think he shaved already ) has broken out into the open and headed for our goal.  Now I had 2 of the weaker players held back to assist the goalie, this kid was good but one on one like that the goalie almost has no chance.  One of those players happened to be a VERY small, VERY petite, girlie girl who didn't like getting dirty and I always had to remind to take her jewelry off.  She had never really done much untill then but my only reaction was to yell "Reagen take that ball away from him!" ( I still remember to this day )  She looked at me, charged straight at him, took the ball with a great tackle and kicked it out of bounds.  I wanted to adopt that girl!  We did win that final by one point but it was due to Reagen that we did.

I don't really care about what the England team is doing but will be trying to follow the "Home Team".

Danny

 

[jp61]

I will record and watch every game. I have three kids that play soccer. My oldest is now playing at a DI college, my second helped her team to the state championship in high school, and my youngest is an outstanding player as well.

I have spent most of my Saturday's at a soccer field the past 15 years!

I hear ya! My time as a soccer-dad ended about four years ago. Plenty of great memories and wish I could see just one more game, even though I was a nervous wreck most of the time. 

 It's not easy being the goalkeepers father! Very tough position to play both physically and mentally. My son also had a very successful high school career but in the end, decided it was enough. He's now having some regret but is doing well for himself.

Congrats to you and your children, especially to the eldest! DI level of play is a huge accomplishment!

 

[jp61]

 
Hello Joe.  Has the U.S. had a National team for that long?  I didn't realise.

My oldest daughter is 36 yrs. old now.  When she was 11 she wanted to play soccer.  As it turned out, the person running the league was a guy I had known for years, back in my school days.  He had a problem, he didn't have enough coaches.  I told him I had never even seen a game on tv but he said I'd be fine, handed me a rule book and I was roped in.  That off-side rule is a B**** to get your head around!  I had great kids and through no fault of mine we ended up in the semi-final game.  Because of points we were in a MUST win situation.  Tied with 5 minutes left so I figured "What that h*** we gotta lose" so I pulled my goalie to the centerline and pushed the entire team across with everyone attacking.  Getting the kids in place was a little difficult cause they kept giving me strange looks.  Even heard a comment or 2 from the parents as you can imagine, but I hadn't told anyone we were in a MUST win scenario as I didn't want that pressure on the kids.  We scored and then I pulled my mid-fielders wings and goalie back to protect our goal.  We won that one.  Then in the final we were in the lead and all of a sudden I see the biggest 11 year old boy I have EVER seen ( He was at least 6' and I think he shaved already ) has broken out into the open and headed for our goal.  Now I had 2 of the weaker players held back to assist the goalie, this kid was good but one on one like that the goalie almost has no chance.  One of those players happened to be a VERY small, VERY petite, girlie girl who didn't like getting dirty and I always had to remind to take her jewelry off.  She had never really done much untill then but my only reaction was to yell "Reagen take that ball away from him!" ( I still remember to this day )  She looked at me, charged straight at him, took the ball with a great tackle and kicked it out of bounds.  I wanted to adopt that girl!  We did win that final by one point but it was due to Reagen that we did.

I don't really care about what the England team is doing but will be trying to follow the "Home Team".

Danny

That's a great story Danny! 

I also coached in our city's recreation league for four seasons after my son's heart was broken as an eight year old playing for the first time. He wanted to play goalie for awhile but, his coach kept on putting it off, assuming he needed him as a forward. His coach promised him that he would play him half game as goalie in the last game of the season. We went to the sporting goods store together to buy him some goalie gloves for the "big game". Well, he never did play goalie and for that reason ended up crying after the game as he was coming off the field. I promised him that next year I would coach and if he wanted to play goalie, he could. It was a long road, but he ended up as the starting goalkeeper all four years of high school with great success.

I'm willing to bet that Reagen even today remembers that play and has a big smile on her face when she thinks of that moment in time.

 

[tiny chalupa]

Big Soccer, football whatever, fan checking in and I am extremely stoked for the World Cup.

I am still a bit sore about US dropping the ball the last World Cup. We were in a group that we could/should have gotten out of and possibly made some noise.

Now we are in group Death. The injury to the German star player is good news if you are only a US fan.

I cheer for the US but also Germany(Go BvB!!!) I am excited to see how this plays out, I do really like our new coach for the US time and think that he will lead us to better things. Possibly not this World Cup but he is getting us better

 

[moikel]

Yes it's that time again. Australia's Socceroos went early to Brazil ,we are are in a tough group .
We get all our players back from overseas clubs inEurope & Asia then try to get them into a unit in short time.
It's big here as a sport but this is not a big country . And we have lots of sports including 2 versions of rugby & our own AFL.
We are underdogs & our first game against Chile will be tough .
I will be in NewYork from the 15 th so I will have to find a sports bar . Tim Cahill has played the last season for NewYork & is a great Australian player who had a great career in England.
I am told that when the English play Germany the English fans chant We won " 2 World Wars & a World Cup "

 

[jp61]

 
Big Soccer, football whatever, fan checking in and I am extremely stoked for the World Cup.

I am still a bit sore about US dropping the ball the last World Cup. We were in a group that we could/should have gotten out of and possibly made some noise.

Now we are in group Death. The injury to the German star player is good news if you are only a US fan.

I cheer for the US but also Germany(Go BvB!!!) I am excited to see how this plays out, I do really like our new coach for the US time and think that he will lead us to better things. Possibly not this World Cup but he is getting us better

Yeah, the last WC for the US wasn't pretty at all. Even if they don't get out of the group (and probably won't), as long as they play well, I'll be happy. We'll just have to see what happens 

Speaking of Germany, I'll never forget the "HAND BALL" (IMO) on the goal line in 2002 

!!!

 

[jp61]

Yes it's that time again. Australia's Socceroos went early to Brazil ,we are are in a tough group .
We get all our players back from overseas clubs inEurope & Asia then try to get them into a unit in short time.
It's big here as a sport but this is not a big country . And we have lots of sports including 2 versions of rugby & our own AFL.
We are underdogs & our first game against Chile will be tough .
I will be in NewYork from the 15 th so I will have to find a sports bar . Tim Cahill has played the last season for NewYork & is a great Australian player who had a great career in England.
I am told that when the English play Germany the English fans chant We won " 2 World Wars & a World Cup "

Nice chant.... trying to start another?

Good luck to your team and country! I'll be over my son's place for the first two US games and will have to sneak a few peaks during work for the third.

 

[dandl93]

I am just learning the sport, also enjoying it more then I thought.Living here in Colombia I knew I needed to learn the game so not to make the fans mad.Soccer fans here can be brutal.I will be cheering for Colombia I am crazy but not stupid hahahah

Every one enjoy the games have a great time and smoke some meat.

Dan

 

[jp61]

 
I am just learning the sport, also enjoying it more then I thought.Living here in Colombia I knew I needed to learn the game so not to make the fans mad.Soccer fans here can be brutal.I will be cheering for Colombia I am crazy but not stupid hahahah

Every one enjoy the games have a great time and smoke some meat.

Dan

Fans can be brutal anywhere win or lose, especially if there's alcohol involved. I don't know if you're old enough to remember or heard of this tragedy. 

 

[dandl93]

 
Fans can be brutal anywhere win or lose, especially if there's alcohol involved. I don't know if you're old enough to remember or heard of this tragedy. 

Yes and Yes and there is more to this story.Luckily this country has evolved and moving forward in leaps and bounds.I hope they make a great showing at the world cup.

Dan

 

[jp61]

 
Yes and Yes and there is more to this story.Luckily this country has evolved and moving forward in leaps and bounds.I hope they make a great showing at the world cup.

Dan

Good luck!

Tomorrow, it's ON!

 

[jp61]

Any Hungarians on here?

Hungary's National team ever going to qualify for the world cup again??? I realize it's very difficult to get in from Europe, but, this is almost embarrassing! I don't get it!

 

[jp61]

1st game - Brazil vs Croatia

....and the bad calls begin!!!  

It was obvious Brazil was the better team, so should have been the dive in the penalty box which gave them 3 points. 

 

[fineswine]

I'm a huge soccer fan! I can't wait to watch some games this weekend!!!

 

[welshrarebit]

Spain vs Netherlands just kicked off!!! Last cup's final in the first round...