Tim Major
Platinum Member
When the hell did America get good at soccer...
2014 FIFA World Cup
- Thread starter Dene
- Start date
KongShou
Veteran
dude FIFA rankings mean nothing
Switzerland was a top seed in the draw, WTF. Also based on the current ranking are you saying that they are better than Brazil?
The US don't even know what the beautiful game is called, the proper name.
*FOOTBALL
*FUSSBALL
*足球
*not soccer
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PeelingStickers
Veteran
Club Football>International football ^^
Tim Major
Platinum Member
Why do you care whether I say football or soccer. I played for 6 years and our team was one of the best in the state. I love soccer, but I say soccer not football, because football is ambiguous in Australia.
Dene
Premium Member
FIFA rankings mean everything, and are a regularly updated source of a country's recent performances in the big time. Don't be hatin' just because England suck and got beaten by Chile 2-0 in a poor performance, if I do say so myself.
Switzerland have been playing very well lately; in August they beat Brazil 1-0. Also don't forget Switzerland were the only team to beat Spain at the 2010 World Cup. To be fair, Brazil have been pretty bad for about 8 years now. They lack any real stars at the moment... Again, don't be hatin' just because everyone is better than England.
Also, regarding your comment about "soccer/football", you have to bear in mind in other countries we have other forms of football. If I say "footy" I am either referring to soccer or rugby league, and yet anyone here in Melbourne would assume I'm talking about AFL...
stoic
Premium Member
I have the same problem living in Ireland because Gaelic. But as an Englishman soccer sounds...very strange...
you forgot belgium! 11th place in FIFA ranking, a month or something ago 5th place!
KongShou
Veteran
dude i was half joking.
Where do you gather that i dislike fifa rankings because England suck? We lost to Chile because it was by no means our strongest team, consisting mostly of youngsters. According to the ranking we are better than(and so is Greece):
14 USA
15 Chile
16 Croatia
17 Côte d'Ivoire
18 Ukraine
19 France
20 Mexico
21 Bosnia-Herzegovina
22 Russia
23 Ecuador
24 Ghana
25 Denmark
Fifa rankings are unfair and inaccurate. See here. Dont even try to convince me that Switzerland is better than the likes of Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium.. Just because they beat brazil in a friendly mean nothing. I am pretty sure it was not brazil's strongest team. If it was something like the world cup final, then Brazil, Netherlands or most countries in general will absolutely own Switzerland. What are you trying to say, adding in a random sentence about them beating Spain? Also dont forget that Brazil are five time world cup winners, and beat Spain 3-0 in the confederations cup final.
Hmm... Brazil lack any real star:
Júlio César(one of the best keeper in the world)
Dani alves
Maicon
Thaigo silva
David luiz
Marcelo
Dante
^all world class defenders
Oscar
Paulinho
Ramires
Luiz gustavo
Hernanes
Bernard
^all world class midfielders
Robinho
Neymar
No real star i gather eh?
LNZ
Premium Member
There was some drama when Australia played Chile in West Berlin on 22/06/1974.
During the last match the Socceroos played at the 1974 FIFA World Cup in then West Germany against Chile, some Allende supporters
ran on the pitch holding a Chile flag, protesting Pinoche. The Socceroos would not appear in another FIFA World Cup until 2006 when it was held in Germany.
There was a military coup in Chile (of some believe it was backed by the CIA) on 11/09/1973 overthrew the democratly elected left leaning President Allende and
replaced with a right leading Augusto Pinoche.
During the last match the Socceroos played at the 1974 FIFA World Cup in then West Germany against Chile, some Allende supporters
ran on the pitch holding a Chile flag, protesting Pinoche. The Socceroos would not appear in another FIFA World Cup until 2006 when it was held in Germany.
There was a military coup in Chile (of some believe it was backed by the CIA) on 11/09/1973 overthrew the democratly elected left leaning President Allende and
replaced with a right leading Augusto Pinoche.
Dene
Premium Member
Just judging from the fact that you appear to be a pom (based on where you have been to comps), and the fact that poms are generally passionate about football and I am assuming you fall into that category, all combined with the fact that England have, for years on end, constantly disappointed internationally, despite the EPL being amongst the best leagues in the world. Perhaps it wasn't England's strongest team, but youth =/= poor performances (and for proof, look at Germany of 2010).
Interesting read, but I'm not convinced. All of the weightings make perfect sense. Coming up with a few impossible scenarios to create seeming anomalies is bad science. Notice how in the article a tremendous amount of weight is put on American Samoa playing in the world cup, which would only be one match every four years (for the opponent), and is not about to happen anyway. Even if there was such weighting in the short term, over time this would quickly dissipate if performances didn't continue to go well. I genuinely believe FIFA rankings show a fair representation of where countries are currently at. I'd be interested to see your views on which teams you think are way out of place based on the past four years?
But Switzerland did beat the top country, at the World Cup (sure it wasn't the final, but still, I can't imagine Spain went out there to lose, and I recall the match well and Switzerland defended brilliantly).
Brazil have certainly had stars in the past; in more recent years Ronaldo (the greatest of my time) and Ronaldinho. But now they are relying on ageing stars of the past. Your list makes this point with crystal clarity; the majority of those players are 30+ years old. In recent times Australia have relied on the old "golden generation", and it has driven Australian football into the ground. England also appear to be struggling to move on from the old crowd-favourites at the moment...
pipkiksass
Veteran
The EPL is very possibly the best league on Earth, it certainly attracts many of the best players... And therein lies the rub - how many of those players are English?
Look at this season's top scorers thus far:
Suarez is Uruguayan
Aguero is Argentinian
Sturridge is English
Lukaku is Belgian
Ramsey is Welsh
Having a good league does not necessarily mean you have a good national team. We as a nation invest far too little in youth development - it's something that's been fundamentally wrong with the English Football Association for many years. They're just starting to address it now, but it will take a generation to 'fix'.
Dene
Premium Member
Yes I agree entirely (except I think the Bundesliga is the best in the world
). Unfortunately (for English fans) it's easier to buy talent than develop it.
ThomasJE
Premium Member
He's a beast!!!!
SolveThatCube
Veteran
First game tomorrow! I'll be waking up early to watch. (It's at 3:00am for me)
SolveThatCube
Veteran
Hey! Although there isn't really any chance of them going through...
Dene
Premium Member
Yea and by the looks of things Holland might be the other team to miss out from group B
I'm so excited! I've got special permission to get to work late tomorrow to watch the footy!
I'm going for Croatia (mostly because they're the underdog) but I expect Brazil to take it out.
SolveThatCube
Veteran
Yea and by the looks of things Holland might be the other team to miss out from group B
I'm so excited! I've got special permission to get to work late tomorrow to watch the footy!
I'm going for Croatia (mostly because they're the underdog) but I expect Brazil to take it out.
Do/did you play football? I've been playing since I was 6.
Dene
Premium Member
I started kicking a ball around as soon as I was old enough to
. I played for a club until I was about 13 or 14 I guess, then I stopped. I still love playing any time though.
SolveThatCube
Veteran
****! MY ALARM BROKE - I MISSED THE GAME 
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