World Cup 2014

Switzerland seem like the lower key version of Belgium. Drnic Xhaka and Shaqiri should be exciting. Hard to root for a team with a center back pairing of Senderos and Djouro though. Hope Fabian Schar starts instead.

Switzerland also have one of the highest rated young full backs (Rodriguez) and three central midfielders that play together at Napoli.

Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj has had his first cap for Belgium taken away after FIFA wiped last month's 5-1 win over Luxembourg from the official records.

Coach Marc Wilmots made seven substitutions during the May 26 World Cup warm-up in Genk - one more than the quota permitted by world football's governing body.

The decision means that Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku's hat-trick in the match has been erased, while back-up goalkeeper Sammy Bossut also loses his first cap.

does the US have any chance of advancing beyond group play?

Ronaldo is carrying an injury so...maybe?

It's another tough group. They would do well not to come last.

so best case is we steal one against Portugal with an injured Ronaldo? I don't know too much about Ghana's team, other than they are typically much better than us, but is Ghana an even tougher game than Portugal?

(quietly) go Australia woooo *sob*

shrug

Ghana are probably sightly better than Portugal. Excellent midfield and a good attack.

thanks and ;_;

with Donovan's goalscoring record at World Cups there's still a chance

All the USAUSAUSA pundits agree that if they can beat Ghana they've got a great chance to advance.

xp lol NN

Haha xp

I have a feeling that Germany will struggle which could make the group even more difficult.

feel like if the US wants to purport to be good at the football they should hang tough with their group.. sink or swim bitches

im glad the first US game is the week after my wedding when I wont be doing a fucking thing.

coincidentally this image is making the rounds on usa soccer nerd twitter right now

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BpTmSeaCYAAXtLq.jpg

recant my earlier blasphemies about England perhaps not being *totally* shit. I might turn this game off, don't think it's good for my enthusiasm for the tournament as a whole

ah they've actually been alright other than the goal. Lambert and Barkley bright, Rooney fucking it up as usual

ox and barkley very bright. number none otm re rooney. stick him on the subs bench for each game.

aye the reserve attackers look like they could do a job if called upon, no doubt. just wish the same could be said for the reserve defence

Roooooney

smalling so bad it beggars belief. foster worse if possible

milner at right back not much cop either but i give him a pass

balotelli done something special?

delicious flicked/dinked cross for marchisio to head in, lovely stuff

the #7 has been good for ecuador

dwade getting no love from tyldesley there.

merseyside leading 2-1

nice goal. barkley again. can't not start him against italy surely? oh hang on, i forgot danny welbeck.

easy done tbf

Barkley should be starting in place of Rooney though

Wellbeck will most likely be marking Pirlo

Jesus soft defence this

Playing someone in WC warmup who isn't actually in your squad takes some cojones.

lol

Jesus

Wellbeck will most likely be marking Pirlo

pretty sure he would be more or less exactly as effective at this as any other role

Luxembourg have just equalised against Italy.

it's ok, if they make enough subs they can get it stricken from the record

ref otm

Townsend a stupid stupid cunt

there aren't enought stupids in the world to do that sentence justice

what'd he say

England look tactically well-prepared on the off chance they have to play any Latin American sides

"didn't quite get enough of the ball"

fuck off

I'm assuming the sentence was either "honest challenge" or "the cards were entirely down to Valencia". Xp

Valencia apparently caused both cards by reacting to an honest challenge that might have taken him out of the world cup.

It was only slightly late, like British Rail trains.

Two England players now on the pitch who can't play in a week's time.

In far more important news, Gibraltar just picked up their first ever win, 'grats to Danny Higginbotham. Italy - Luxembourg is crazy, that was their first choice team out tonight

"teams always like to beat England"

only for the lulz

Italy's last five matches were DLDDD.