FIFA World Cup 2014

[Adelaide Celt]

Anything to take my mind off the Kevin Love saga!

Looking forward to Australia's game against Chile on June 14th. Our best chance for a point.

The following games against the Netherlands then Spain could get ugly. Possibly the weakest team we've sent to a World Cup.

On a different note, if Qatar have the 2022 World Cup taken off them I sure hope we don't waste more millions in taxpayer money to bid again.

[Amonkey]

Ive been on WC fever for the last month as it gets closer and closer. Ive got the Panini sticker book which is not yet complete (which makes me look like i am a 12 yr old boy), ive been watching team previews on the Fifa youtube channel (which has great videos to really get you excited) and ive been searching for any World Cup stuff on demand (Rise presented by Budweiser has some good inspirational stories).

This year its in my native country of Brazil. I would love to go but cant since i have a baby coming pretty soon but my brothers are and they got tickets for USA vs Ghana. My in-laws got tickets for France in Maracana (theyre French).

I think this WC is gonna be awesome. I am glad that people will have the opportunity to see Brazio beyond just Rio and Sao Paulo. Hopefully there womt be trouble but the Brazilian spirit will be high, welcoming and the food is going to be great and the whole atmosphere will be out of this world.

[Adelaide Celt]

Ive been on WC fever for the last month as it gets closer and closer. Ive got the Panini sticker book which is not yet complete (which makes me look like i am a 12 yr old boy), ive been watching team previews on the Fifa youtube channel (which has great videos to really get you excited) and ive been searching for any World Cup stuff on demand (Rise presented by Budweiser has some good inspirational stories).

This year its in my native country of Brazil. I would love to go but cant since i have a baby coming pretty soon but my brothers are and they got tickets for USA vs Ghana. My in-laws got tickets for France in Maracana (theyre French).

I think this WC is gonna be awesome. I am glad that people will have the opportunity to see Brazio beyond just Rio and Sao Paulo. Hopefully there womt be trouble but the Brazilian spirit will be high, welcoming and the food is going to be great and the whole atmosphere will be out of this world.

Was just reading an article a couple of days ago that said about 3000 people, mainly Brazilian locals, turned up to watch one of the Australian team's training sessions! Unbelievable.

Incredible support from the Brazilian people, as expected.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

France will win the World Cup. That squad is sneaky good.

Yep, you heard it here first.

[D.o.s.]

Anything to take my mind off the Kevin Love saga!

Looking forward to Australia's game against Chile on June 14th. Our best chance for a point.

The following games against the Netherlands then Spain could get ugly. Possibly the weakest team we've sent to a World Cup.

On a different note, if Qatar have the 2022 World Cup taken off them I sure hope we don't waste more millions in taxpayer money to bid again.

I thought Brazil's protests against the World Cup and the Olympics were pretty fantastic.

[Vox_Populi]

France will win the World Cup. That squad is sneaky good.

Yep, you heard it here first.

Good luck with Giroud. 

[Who]

France will win the World Cup. That squad is sneaky good.

Yep, you heard it here first.

Yeah, I have been pretty disappointed with Deschamps' continued refusal to consider his team as even a dark horse candidate in the World Cup.

There is loads of talent in that team. Very good keeper in Lloris. Strong CBs in Mangala, Varane, Sakho and Koscielny. Evra is still a good player. Not wild about the RB Debuchy though. The talent in midfield with Pogba, Cabaye and Matuidi is fantastic. Ribery and Valbuena down the flanks. Excellent. Benzema up front. A bit inconsistent but a fabulous talent. Players like Grenier, Sissoko and Griezmann off the bench who can come in and change the flow of games off the bench.

There is just so much to like about that team. Genuine balance. Multiple creative passers. Multiple scoring threats. Quality defense. That to me is a team that has a chance (not a favourite but a darkhorse) of winning the tournament. 

[Adelaide Celt]

Anything to take my mind off the Kevin Love saga!

Looking forward to Australia's game against Chile on June 14th. Our best chance for a point.

The following games against the Netherlands then Spain could get ugly. Possibly the weakest team we've sent to a World Cup.

On a different note, if Qatar have the 2022 World Cup taken off them I sure hope we don't waste more millions in taxpayer money to bid again.

I thought Brazil's protests against the World Cup and the Olympics were pretty fantastic.

Other than seeing a graffiti piece showing a starving crying child being served a soccer ball on a plate, I haven't seen much too much of these protests myself.

Could you explain a little more about them and why you thought they were fantastic?

[Yoki_IsTheName]

France will win the World Cup. That squad is sneaky good.

Yep, you heard it here first.

Good luck with Giroud. 

I dont even think he'll start, that Striker spot will surely be Karim Benzema's. Unless they play two up front.

Plus, he played well in Arsenal, being played like a horse too. I think they'll be fine.

But that midfield. Franck Ribery, Paul Pogba, Yohan Bacaye, Blaise Matuidi, Antoine Greizmann. That's got to be on of the best midfield crew in the Cup.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

France will win the World Cup. That squad is sneaky good.

Yep, you heard it here first.

Yeah, I have been pretty disappointed with Deschamps' continued refusal to consider his team as even a dark horse candidate in the World Cup.

There is loads of talent in that team. Very good keeper in Lloris. Strong CBs in Mangala, Varane, Sakho and Koscielny. Evra is still a good player. Not wild about the RB Debuchy though. The talent in midfield with Pogba, Cabaye and Matuidi is fantastic. Ribery and Valbuena down the flanks. Excellent. Benzema up front. A bit inconsistent but a fabulous talent. Players like Grenier, Sissoko and Griezmann off the bench who can come in and change the flow of games off the bench.

There is just so much to like about that team. Genuine balance. Multiple creative passers. Multiple scoring threats. Quality defense. That to me is a team that has a chance (not a favourite but a darkhorse) of winning the tournament.

True. I don't think putting Bacary Sagna on that spot will help either.

[Amonkey]

I will try to root for France again since my wife is French. Last Cup i try but couldnt with all the whiney, but this ill try again and as long as theyre not playing Brasil or USA, then bon chance!

[ederson]

i was on the france-is-not-a-condender wagon but after a closer ... man they are stacked!

And they have a relatively easy way to the quarterfinals

[Yoki_IsTheName]

i was on the france-is-not-a-condender wagon but after a closer ... man they are stacked!

And they have a relatively easy way to the quarterfinals

If we look at their history, France should do good in this year's World Cup. It's all about the  Le Pattern.

1998 - Won
2002 - Last in Group A
2006 - Finalist
2010 - Last in Group A
2014 - ?

If we follow the trend of the Le Pattern, France will do very well this year.

 

[ederson]

No you won`t !!

If we follow this kind of logic France needs to not qualify first and then will win the next WC

[D.o.s.]

Anything to take my mind off the Kevin Love saga!

Looking forward to Australia's game against Chile on June 14th. Our best chance for a point.

The following games against the Netherlands then Spain could get ugly. Possibly the weakest team we've sent to a World Cup.

On a different note, if Qatar have the 2022 World Cup taken off them I sure hope we don't waste more millions in taxpayer money to bid again.

I thought Brazil's protests against the World Cup and the Olympics were pretty fantastic.

Other than seeing a graffiti piece showing a starving crying child being served a soccer ball on a plate, I haven't seen much too much of these protests myself.

Could you explain a little more about them and why you thought they were fantastic?

Sure -- there are lots of people in Brazil who think that their country would be better served by focusing on their infrastructure and the problems within the country, rather than spending a ton of money and time (a large chunk of it lost to corruption, in the case of some arenas) on the World Cup.

Personally, I think it's great that these people are using the platform that the World Cup provides, in terms of scrutiny and attention paid, to try and get their point across, even though I'm very much a soccer fan, and enjoy the International tournaments immensely.

Lots more reading to do here:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/22/us-brazil-worldcup-protests-idUSBREA4L1AA20140522

http://www.thenation.com/article/174936/why-are-brazilians-protesting-world-cup

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/16/world/americas/brazil-world-cup-protests/

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100222371/even-brazil-doesnt-want-fifas-tainted-world-cup-now-footballs-capacity-for-magic-is-waning/

http://www.businessinsider.com/brazils-world-cup-problems-with-corruption-2014-5

http://www.ibtimes.com/brazilian-world-cup-protesters-decry-perceived-corruption-their-beloved-game-1586666