World Cup 2014

http://abload.de/img/lvgfyjt4.gif

vs

http://www.txssa.org/images/blog-photos/2012/09/07/dan%20and%20laura%20dotson.jpg?Status=Master&sfvrsn=0

Second one is Diego Armando, no? Still not recognizing the first one, sorry

First one is van Gaal, second is Dan Dotson off Storage Wars.

thanks. Van Gaal's head doesn't look so big there, more like Neil Patrick Harris than David Lynch.

lol at me thinking other guy was Maradona.

Imago, I see what you mean. He shifts his weight on Bolanos's (#7) penalty, so he wouldn't be able to jump the other way. You can see he's leaning to his right because his left leg is straight. But by staying closer to a neutral position he could better account for a central or high shot.

That's not the case on Ruiz's penalty though, the image above with the left-footed shooter. Both of Krul's knees are bent, his centre of gravity is midline.

Again there, Krul doesn't get anywhere near reaching the post but the shot is well inside and he's able to save it:

http://cdn1.independent.ie/sport/soccer/article30409651.ece/07180/ALTERNATES/h342/D-M59-NED-CRC_281_Cropped.jpg

A better technique for shooters facing Krul would be not to try to fool him or psych him out but just to place the shot right inside either post. Don't think he'd ever get close to saving a shot placed far enough away from him, even if he guesses right, because he physically wouldn't be able to stretch that distance in time given that he's not jumping early.

that van Gaal gif is apparently from a Pride parade

yup

http://giant.gfycat.com/SpiffyFragrantGreyhounddog.gif

http://i.imgur.com/pO8eHRl.jpg

Holland are the last of the big boys not to have won it, but you could argue that, relative to size, footballing tradition and level of support, Russia are the single biggest underachievers on the world stage. Say what you like about the US but at least they have the mitigating factor of not really giving a shit.

It's totally Russia. If it wasn't for 1966 it'd be England though.

I suppose it would've been Spain until six years ago

I would say Mexico, except they've never gotten past the 16 as far as I know. Lots of money, good league, history, tradition, it's sort of smaxzing they have achieved less than Uruguay, at the very least.

Smaxzing = amazing but I kinda want to let that stand

turkey have an odd but overall surprisingly poor record

teams that have never won it in the top 20 of current FIFA rankings
7 of the 8 previous winners are in the top 10, with France at 17.
Switzerland will never win this thing, c'mon ...

4 Portugal
6 Switzerland
8 Colombia
11 Belgium
12 Greece
13 USA
14 Chile
15 Netherlands
16 Ukraine
18 Croatia
19 Russia
20 Mexico

and the neymar on painkillers fairytale final rumours begin #http://www.iua.upf.edu/formats/formats2/nike.jpg

You'd have said the same about Belgium, but in 2018 they'll be one of the most-feared teams xp

lol rtc

just as well di Stefano's not brazilian

How in gods name are we ranked above the Netherlands

It's tough to find a rooting interest in the remaining teams. I think I'm going with Brazil given the Neymar injury. I just really hope Netherlands don't win.

I'd like to see Argenttina win it. I think we can all agree that Messi deserves a World Cup at this stage.

In order of preference, Germany-Holland-Argentina-Brazil. Could never begrudge Messi being a WC winner and England having a WC win while Holland doesn't seems wrong somehow.

England?

It's a country situated on an island on the edge of western Europe. Part of the United Kingdom

in order of preference Argentina ------------ Brazil - don't care

"How in gods name are we ranked above the Netherlands"

FIFA rankings are pretty crazy.

FIFA rankings have had US as the FOURTH best team in my lifetime which basically no one in their right mind thinks has ever actually been the case.

Dutch the obv team to root for out of what's left

cpt navajotm

xp http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr22/alexandralay/gifs/bump.gif

merte&lukas&ozil>messi>robben>hulk

hooray for the three least impressive components of the german side

Seeing tweets that the head of FIFA's hospitality partner has been arrested in a police action against ticket scalping in Rio.

thought BRA-GER was today :(

https://twitter.com/TitiCamara22/statuses/486235993742520320

thought BRA-GER was today :(

Holland are the last of the big boys not to have won it, but you could argue that, relative to size, footballing tradition and level of support, Russia are the single biggest underachievers on the world stage. Say what you like about the US but at least they have the mitigating factor of not really giving a shit.

Is football really that big a deal in Russia though? I know there's a lot of money in Russian football these days, I don't have any stats but isn't ice hockey equally (at least) as popular?

Football is much bigger day to day. The national hockey team is taken almost as seriously as the football one, though.

The Soviet Union won the Euros and reached a World Cup semi-final, which Mexico never has, so they are probably still the greatest under-performers. As Russia they have been disappointing though. Hopefully some of the new money will filter down into training youth players.

it is bernard! oscar #10?

"One doesn't win the cup with nice football"

such a Matthaus quote

Given that Germany, Brazil and Argentina have all won the World Cup twice since 1970, will the trophy get retired if one of them wins it this time around?

anyway hoping for a signature performance from Germany tonight

ye'd think neymar wiz deid.

brazil definitely win the singing contest.

rooting for Brasil

Hulk and Dante killing it in the arm-folding

Rip Neymar.

Otm, so glad to see Dante get some minutes

Cmon Germany

Brasil to win with a set piece

I just want drama

like this germany shirt