World Cup 2014

[nakamura]

Can't Liverpool fans accept that it just didn't work for Hodgson at the club? **** happens. It didn't work for Dalgleish either but he doesn't get ripped to shreds.

People seemed to forget the superb work with the now relegated Fulham. Is he International material? Maybe, maybe not but to blame everything on him is ignorant and stupid. The players are as much to blame.

[hudson]

Sorry what are talking about? Liverpool fans wanting to keep one of the very best players in the world right now?

[Nu-Eclipse]

Can't Liverpool fans accept that it just didn't work for Hodgson at the club? **** happens. It didn't work for Dalgleish either but he doesn't get ripped to shreds.

Both utterly nonsensical and hilarious, considering that nobody is actually blaming Hodgson for England's dire performance. Instead, people have been quick to blame the players instead, as if they're responsible for tactics as well as their performances. Sorry, that's just as ignorant and stupid.

People seemed to forget the superb work with the now relegated Fulham. Is he International material? Maybe, maybe not but to blame everything on him is ignorant and stupid. The players are as much to blame.

Mid-table results with mid-table teams where there is no major expectation. Everywhere he has been where there was expectation, he failed. Yes, Liverpool, Inter and Blackburn when they were league champs.

Mediocre manager at best, and I'm sorry but I refuse to get caught up in unwarranted hype and brainwashing about a manager who is wholly unremarkable with a CV that underlines this. Lesser teams at this World Cup have looked, at the very least, organised and have thus outperformed England. Sorry, basic organisation of a team and making them hard to beat at the very least is basic coaching and its down to the manager, regardless of myopic excuses like this being made for him.

Eriksson and Capello were never given this kind of leeway (it was always their fault when England failed on their watches, funnily enough) and yet they achieved far more in comparison.

[parkinho]

Nah, it was all Gerrard's fault. Everyone knows that.

[VR46]

What losing LFC the title or England the World Cup.

Or both

Germany are through, they made hard work of that, 2-1 in the end. Was hoping for more penalties at midnight.

[fallenangle]

The Algerians played surprisingly well throughout and would have been well worth getting to a penalty shoot out. But as so often happens with the Germans even when they're not at their best they're usually relentless right to the end and that often gets them the match.

[VR46]

Is all shaping up nicely for some great Quarter Finals, and on the night anyone could be through.

[BaronSqwelch]

Am in Germany at the mo...was funny watching them all screaming at the game last night... Algeria were excellent I thought..a little unlucky too!

Those little flags on cars seem even more popular here than at home.

[EJG1980]

I managed to catch some of the World Cup (when the friend I was visiting had to work) while I was in Austin, on ESPN. Good in-depth analysis from the pundits, very detailed and thoughtful, and very little of the cliched soundbite analysis you often get over here.

They had an evening show (called final call, I think) with five or six pundits sitting around informally discussing that days events and the World Cup thus far, which was really good. All in all they had excellent coverage and it was a nice change from BBC and ITV.

It was fun being in the US during their World Cup run. I saw US vs Portugal in a restaurant / bar and there was a great atmosphere (until the last second!) during that. Very knowledgeable supporters and I even met a couple of Texan Tottenham fans. My flight back took off during the Belgium vs US match and they announced the result over the PA, which was met with a lot of groans and deflated sighs.

[VR46]

Can only be a good thing the Americans getting in to proper football.

Couple of cracking games lined up for Friday night

[EJG1980]

Yup, France vs Germany and Brazil vs Colombia on the same night...



It's been such a good World Cup so far. I haven't enjoyed a tournament as much since Euro 2000.

[fallenangle]

I agree; when you've seen some of the dire, cagey 0-0 draws that used to characterise the early rounds of the World Cup in the past the number of good and exciting to watch games there have been in this tournament has been incredible. Even some of the 0-0 draws have been entertaining.

[VR46]

Think we could be in for some really tight close games and extra time/penalties in the next 48 hours, hope the flowing exciting football doesn't go out the window in favour of ten men behind the ball.

[EJG1980]

Alas, not the greatest of matches between Germany and France, never really got going properly. I think the atmosphere alone should ensure the Colombia vs Brazil is a more exciting affair (fingers crossed).

Edit: yup, cracking match so far, end to end stuff!

Really good match, great tension at the end with Colombia trying to snatch the equaliser.

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

Am watching the Brazil v Colombia match now & I've never seen so many pussies on a football field. Its no wonder the USA takes the piss out of 'soccer' when you've got a bunch of cry babies weeping over a small nudge or trip.
Play the game ffs, not decieve the ref!!