The A2K World Cup 2014 Striker Fantasy Game

The James Rodríguez bunch
1. eurocelticyankee 8
2. hingehead 6
2. ossobuco 6
2. Pantalones 6
5. fbaezer 4


Wanted
- Dead -
-- or --
- Alive -

Algeria Germany tomorrow night should be a good grudge match.

32 years ago, Algeria beat Germany in the first round, and in the final match of that group, Germany needed to beat Austria (virtually unbeatable at that time) to go through. If they only beat Austria by one or two goals, then Austria would go through as well.
In those days, group games were not played simultaneously, and Germany and Austria played that final group game a whole day after Algeria had played theirs.
Germany scored ten minutes into the game, and not one single tackle or shot on goal occurred from that moment on. A whole 80 minutes of nothingness from both sides.....absolutely disgraceful.
Algeria lodged a protest, but it was thrown out, as technically both the cheating Germans/Austrians had not broken any rules.

From that moment, all group games kick off at the same time, to stop "arrangements" being made in the future.

Algleria will be going all out to get their own back on Germany, and there will certainly be no love lost.
Will they beat them? Doubt it, but it won't be for the want of trying.


Holland Mexico just kicking off......

Forecast Holland 4 - 2 Mexico.

(Robben two, RVP two)

Cooling break?

If we're having cooling breaks in Brazil, what the hell is going to happen in Qatar?


Cooling break my arse!

It's a good idea. I don't know how much experience you've had playing footie in hot conditions, but it's brutal, even for these highly fit players. We're going to get better soccer/football because of these breaks.

Water breaks are common around here during the warmer months, when the temps reach 100F/38C or higher.

I understand that, but why not have an official time .....say at the midway point in each half, so that the referee would be unable to influence the flow of a match, intentionally or not?

Very dangerous, giving a ref the power to stop a match for three minutes, bearing in mind the outside pressures nowadays re. Betting syndicates etc.

Good point.

Look at Mexico! 0-1!

I'm looking!!

Hah, I almost picked Dos Santos.. He had those earlier goals that were disallowed. Well, y'all know that.

Adds -
Ajaccio wants Ochoa back.. http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/guillermo-ochoa-transfer-ac-ajaccio-3781918

2-1 Holland

Nuts!

Well that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Mexico were robbened.

Looking at that Ref, he wasn't going to give anyone a pen unless they did a double falco going into a half pike and ending in an impersonation of a swan landing on water.
The slow motion showed that the defender actually stood on part of Robben's boot and, seeing how he had been brought down or tripped or blocked several times before and nothing was awarded, he decided to do a Tom Daley, just to make sure the Ref didn't miss it.

He fairly launched himself alright.

Yeow, Costa Rica got through.. not without yellow and red cards.

That should not have been a penalty kick, but the ref didn't award a PK earlier in the match when Robben was fouled twice in the box. So, I've got not issue with the result.

I agree with this except the last sentence. Mexican players seemed to get nervous after the first goal, they missed many easy passes and gave the ball to the dutch.

Today's Matches.....


FRANCE v NIGERIA (kickmoff 17.00 BST)


Facts and Figures from The Telegraph. Probable teams and formations.

France (Possible, 4-1-4-1): Lloris; Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra; Cabaye; Valbuena, Pogba, Benzema; Giroud.
Nigeria (Possible, 4-4-2): Enyeama; Ambrose, Oboabona, Omerou, Oshaniwa; Mikel, Onazi, Azeez, Moses; Odemwingie, Emenike.
Referee: Mark Geiger (USA).
Betting: France 1-2, Nigeria 6-1, Draw 3-1

Team News
Yohan Cabaye returns to the France midfield after missing the 0-0 draw with ecudor through suspension.
Nigeria's Victor Moses had been the main injury concern the Chelsea winger trained on Saturday.
Only midfielder Michael Babatunde is missing with a broken wrist.
Match Notes
Nigeria are in the last 16 for the first time since France '98.
Now they meet a French team who have grown up together and remain one of the tournament favourites.
France have impressed and with Cabaye available should be too strong for the Africans.
Stat of the game: France had more goal attempts in their group stage games than any other team: 61.
John Ley's prediction: France 3 Nigeria 1.

I stand by my original post, that his foot was stepped on.

He made a complete meal of it, but the defender, when you look carefully at the slo-mo, clearly steps on and traps Robben's foot, thereby committing a foul.
Whether the victim then launches himself is irrelevant, as it is after the fact that a significant foul had been committed, stopping him from naturally running with the ball.

True. Eleven men behind the ball for the last twenty-five minutes or so thus allowing the Dutch to come forward at will. Too much fear. Even one player hovering on the halfway line would have made a difference. A bit more belief and The Netherlands were gonners.