Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A) Southern hemisphere advantage
B) Confident/cocky (ability to penetrate rather than remain in a defensive position)
C) Team organization
D) Spirited fans
E) Strength (sprinting and shooting)
F) Endurance (tackling and dribbling, taking possession man to man and outlasting the opponent overall)
G) Ball handling ability (aka the Harlem Globe Trotters of the futbol world)
H) Experience
I) Charm (who knows, may have an effect on the refs)
J) Used to the vuvuzelas (can we say Samba?)
Brazil were favorites in the past 2 WCs and they couldn't win. They might choke again!
IMHO, favorites never mean too much in a world cup. More important are which teams manage to "gel", which players suddenly hit form, when teams have a bad day and, if we are honest, who gets a bit of luck or a good refereeing call.
Refs are deciding more games than teams, ridicolous. England and Mexico were robbed today and no, you can't look at the final result and say "it was only one goal". It would have changed everything for England and Mexico as the punishment then came through counterattacks caused by the situation.
It's time to introdduce the replay at least for World Cup games. In the knock-out stage, one goal can make a huge difference.
I think it could have made a difference. We will never know.
That was a clear goal. Unbelieveable mistake. It would have been 2-2 at half time. A goal in soccer is just too valuable to think it could not have made a difference.
disgrace FIFA.
Get technology into the game if the Ref's cant make basic decisions like that. It is your biggest competition, and it if farcical that such blatant mistakes are made.
I see the issue of who would've won 'regardless' as completely separate from the issue of protecting the game's integrity.
It shouldn't matter whether or not Germany scored 10-0 and beat England to a complete pulp, same with the Mexico/Argentina match. Doing the right thing is doing the right thing. It also shouldn't matter whether it's a high profile match like the ones we saw today or two hopeless teams playing each other in the first round. It's about the game itself, and the way it's perceived. When an organization like FIFA is so blatantly backwards in addressing such issues it gives the sport a bad reputation and people get turned off to it(especially if they were casual onlookers who might have gotten into the sport).
Brazil were favorites in the past 2 WCs and they couldn't win. They might choke again!
They did win one of the last 2...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.