So who will win? I bet Argentina. I think Messi and the others deserves it.
So sad that Italy and Netherland are out... I think my country need at least 8 years to build up a reasonable team again.
Let's see what will happen, I am expecting a lot of surprises.
Columbia in a Columbia/Iceland final.
Columbia in a Columbia/Iceland final.
Never heard of the country Columbia
Of course I meant Coulombia; they always draw a Capacity crowd...
Colombia
Japan to me won the FIFA World CUP 2018
Respect. I have a lot to learn from them.
A big hug to all the japanese EE here.
Not Portugal
I think Belgium, France and Brazil are the biggest contenders, but we shall see.
Russia
Because they are drugging all the other teams. Reverse doping.
Who cares ...?
I agree. However, I feel that way about all professional sports. I think that it is shameful what professional athletes earn to throw/catch/kick a ball around while people who truly make a difference in peoples' lives don't earn a fraction. Add trying for force their politics down our throat--wait, that is only the National Football League. I can't be arsed to watch any professional sports or sports in general. That is, except curling during the winter Olympics. Curling fascinates me for some oddball reason.
Who cares ...?
I agree. However, I feel that way about all professional sports. I think that it is shameful what professional athletes earn to throw/catch/kick a ball around while people who truly make a difference in peoples' lives don't earn a fraction. Add trying for force their politics down our throat--wait, that is only the National Football League. I can't be arsed to watch any professional sports or sports in general. That is, except curling during the winter Olympics. Curling fascinates me for some oddball reason.
Yeah you guys are living some weird times over there. And it's creeping over here to europe. At least here in Portugal I haven't seen any craziness, yet.
Being Brazilian I am obviously rooting for Brasil but, given the current state of affairs in the country, I am very torn as such championship will only amplify the "panis et circensis" and make people forget the "sea of mud" of corruption there (former president and his staff were arrested since a few months ago but corrupt judges in the supreme court are putting strong pressure to release all of them).
Being Brazilian I am obviously rooting for Brasil but, given the current state of affairs in the country, I am very torn as such championship will only amplify the "panis et circensis" and make people forget the "sea of mud" of corruption there (former president and his staff were arrested since a few months ago but corrupt judges in the supreme court are putting strong pressure to release all of them).
Ya the good old "pão e circo" never fails. And it seems that wherever you turn, there's a corrupt person. And I mean stupid corrupt, like they could at least improve the lives of the people while at it. Instead they completely suck them dry and toy with them
I agree. However, I feel that way about all professional sports. I think that it is shameful what professional athletes earn to throw/catch/kick a ball around while people who truly make a difference in peoples' lives don't earn a fraction.
I find this so weird.
At least a footballer's performance can be measured and judged relatively objectively. They're paid what they are worth to their employers. When CEOs can run businesses into the ground to be rewarded with golden parachutes and a bunch of board memberships, or when a disgraced politician gets some job at an international organization courtesy of taxpayers I find it infinitely more obnoxious. Professional sports income doesn't phase me, it's too low on the totem pole of excesses. Fix crony-capitalism first, then I might care about the excesses of capitalism.
Ya the good old "pão e circo" never fails. And it seems that wherever you turn, there's a corrupt person. And I mean stupid corrupt, like they could at least improve the lives of the people while at it. Instead they completely suck them dry and toy with them
I agree that's a stupid corruption, but with all due respect, that kind of thinking is a stab for me. It's one of the main pillars for latin america populism. "They steal but they do" (I hate that). On the other hand, most people is aware of "panis et circensis" but they need some kind of temporaly escape from reality.
I was rooting for some African team.
Many of their players are excellent and play in European teams.
However for some reason, as a national team, they have not been able to capitalize on that experience.
I agree. However, I feel that way about all professional sports. I think that it is shameful what professional athletes earn to throw/catch/kick a ball around while people who truly make a difference in peoples' lives don't earn a fraction.
I find this so weird.
At least a footballer's performance can be measured and judged relatively objectively. They're paid what they are worth to their employers. When CEOs can run businesses into the ground to be rewarded with golden parachutes and a bunch of board memberships, or when a disgraced politician gets some job at an international organization courtesy of taxpayers I find it infinitely more obnoxious. Professional sports income doesn't phase me, it's too low on the totem pole of excesses. Fix crony-capitalism first, then I might care about the excesses of capitalism.
This can be extended to artists, musicians, etc. I tend to look at this differently: nobody pays someone more than what they can bring in return.
To me this happens because people nowadays put a lot of value in their emotions. This may have been provoked by a flawed system (if people were trained or conditioned to think like that) or it naturally occurred as people meet their bare necessities in life and become more attracted to subjective traits.
I was rooting for some African team.
I like Nigeria very much. I hope that no countrymen is reading this right now. They are excellent athletes and they make us run like hell.
I always wonder what will happen when at least a significant percent of people in USA, China, Russia or India begins to play football and it becomes a very mature business there. I think that demography will define the cup in the future.
I enjoyed watching Nigeria and Senegal.
I was struck by how much narrower the gap is between the so-called "best" and "worst" teams in the Group Stages, compared to, say, 20 years ago.
I was struck by how much narrower the gap is between the so-called "best" and "worst" teams in the Group Stages, compared to, say, 20 years ago.
Yes, I would call it globalization.
nobody pays someone more than what they can bring in return.
Only in a transparent market.
There is almost no room for quid pro quo based on friends, family, class, ethnic or religious ties in professional sports. In large companies and politics so much more.
Unfortunately, the team with the most possibilities, because it is the one that has proven to be the most powerful, is that of France. I say unfortunately, because I have never liked France, although Holland is worse for its extremely hard game.
The final will probably be France-Brazil or France-Croatia. Uruguay could have chances, but with Cavani injured, it is unlikely that they will reach the final.
I would have liked to see Germany in the final, and of course Spain too, but both have offered very poor results, they will need to completely renew their team.
Hard play ? Please elaborate. We play for keeps which each decent team should do.
Some players are acting clowns, dropping screaming to the ground while there was even no or minimal contact, Neymar comes to mind, those are the worst kind of soccerplayers.