WORLD CUP 2014 - BRAZIL

ohkcrlho

Silver Baronet of the Realm
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When Kahn retired in 2006, Neuer was 20 years old and played for Schalke's B-Team.
When Kahn retired in 2008, Neuer had just a few games played as a replacement coach for Schalke A and wasn't on anyone's radar yet.
That doesn't mean he hasn't improved.
 

Asshat Brando

Potato del Grande
<Banned>
5,346
-478
So I'm completely oblivious to the whole system. What is the length of the season? When does it start? What is the playoff system like? Is there one? Are there divisions that cause brutal rivalries?
-Season starts August 16th and the teams play on average of once a week until May 24th.
-Think of the English league like baseball in that there is a tiered system with the Premier League at the top and then 4 Football Leagues below that, eventually even getting into non-football league teams.
-Each season the top 3 teams in the league get Promoted to the league above them, the bottom 3 teams get relegated to the league below them. THIS IS HUGE AND CAN ROYALLY FUCK UP YOUR TEAM FOR YEARS.
-There are playoffs only in the lower leagues for the 3rd promotion spot
-The top 3 in the Premier League get assured Champions League spots for the following year, team #4 has to qualify via a playoff
-The Champions League is the holy grail for all European based teams in that it guarantees you a shit load of extra money and prestige that all the best players clamor for.

The Champions league is a European wide tournament similar to the World Cup, only the top teams from each European league get to participate. There is also the Euro League which is a shittier version for the smaller teams.
 

Alex

Still a Music Elitist
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7,564
Do teams stay the same going from the Premier League to the Champions League? So if Arsenal were to make it to the Champions League, it would still be the same group of guys represented as Arsenal?
 

PKS

N00b
324
0
-Season starts August 16th and the teams play on average of once a week until May 24th.
-Think of the English league like baseball in that there is a tiered system with the Premier League at the top and then 4 Football Leagues below that, eventually even getting into non-football league teams.
-Each season the top 3 teams in the league get Promoted to the league above them, the bottom 3 teams get relegated to the league below them. THIS IS HUGE AND CAN ROYALLY FUCK UP YOUR TEAM FOR YEARS.
-There are playoffs only in the lower leagues for the 3rd promotion spot
-The top 3 in the Premier League get assured Champions League spots for the following year, team #4 has to qualify via a playoff
-The Champions League is the holy grail for all European based teams in that it guarantees you a shit load of extra money and prestige that all the best players clamor for.

The Champions league is a European wide tournament similar to the World Cup, only the top teams from each European league get to participate. There is also the Euro League which is a shittier version for the smaller teams.
Let's add:

- We start with Premier league, then Championship, League 1 & League 2. Below that, are non League teams i.e. Conference league, Conference north/south then regional leagues. It goes a crazy amount of tiers, in series & parallel at this point.
- 2 cups to compete in during the season: FA Cup & League Cup. The League cup are only the teams from the top 4 leagues - traditionally the top clubs do not place high priority in winning this cup and it was often a place to test reserve team players to try and prove themselves. Unless you are an Oil club like M.City, they put out their best available players anyway desperate for some glitter in the cabinet!
- The FA cup has more prestige and includes non league teams, so, the idea that your local non league team actually has in theory a chance of winning the entire cup.
There is often beauty in this cup conjured from non league teams facing off prestigious league teams; the idea of your huge team having to go to some shanty town stadium. You do get upsets and lower league teams often do beat higher league teams over the years.

- The season technically kicks off the week before the league starts, with a Community Shield match. Which is the winners from the previous League versus the FA Cup holders. We'll have Manchester City vs Arsenal kick this off, at Wembley (Neutral venue, in London, Home of the FA & Englands international matches. Domestic cup semi & finals take place there also). So if you are a gooner, you'll want to watch this as it'll be your only trophy chance for the season.

- A team could win all 4 cups, but that has yet to be done in England. Scotlands Celtic did it in their league f.e., Munich in Germany last season won 4. Manchester United won the 'treble' in 99, (PL, CL, Fa cup). LFC in '84 got a 'lesser' treble, winning the league cup instead of the FA. So that one doesn't count at all!! Some count the charity shield, a 5th domestic cup. Then the club world cup; which is the winners of the European cup versus the winners from other regions (just becomes South america team vs European team, so, it's not a big deal)

- Rivalries exist between local teams (LFC Vs Everton, Man.City vs Man.Utd, London teams [Arsenal/Tottenham, Chelsea]. There are more brutal rivalries, LFC vs Man Utd, Man Utd vs Leeds, [West Ham's local support has been a feature of documentaries and films likeThe Firm, orGreen Street, they quite enjoy rivals Milwall.]
 

Eorkern

Bronze Squire
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5
Hey guys ! Let's stick to the world cup in the world cup thread ! I only had 6 pages of your premier league shit to read since the BEL - USA match...
 

Abefroman

Naxxramas 1.0 Raider
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suarezbottleopener.jpg
 

Serpens

<Silver Donator>
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Nope, I'm convinced. Arsenal all the way. Waking up before 6am will suck BALLS.
It's usually not quite that bad. The first league game on Saturday starts at 4:45 AM and the early Sunday game at 5:30. Then, most of the games are Saturday at 7:00 AM with another at 9:30. The late Sunday game is at 8:00 AM and if there is a Monday game it is at noon (and no replay).
 

Maul

Dental Dammer
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Suarez off seeming more likely than ever now to Barca, ?70mil the quoted fee.

I'd snap their hands off for that, he's 28? Soon and with the unpredictable nature and 4 month ban you its a good deal. 70mil could increase your squad depth dramatically. Fucking scouser cunts.

On a side note, that USA - Belgium game was absolutely nuts. This is the best world cup I can remember for years.

USA should be proud, not a technically gifted side at all, however the athleticism and determination made up for that, Belgium have a gifted and skilled side but USA held their own because of that. Teams like England and Spain could learn a thing or too about the disipline and commitment of the US team.

No one expects England to do well in the world cup, our team is fantastic on paper but can't play together and mostly can't be fucked. Yet week in week out they play their arses out for their clubs.

2018 our year though!

PS - Fuck Germany, players being reported as having the flu including Thomas Muller, so could be the end of the road for them today.
 

Serpens

<Silver Donator>
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No one expects England to do well in the world cup, our team is fantastic on paper but can't play together and mostly can't be fucked. Yet week in week out they play their arses out for their clubs.
I saw a couple of their games - it looked like they were trying to me. How can you tell they didn't give a damn?
 

Maul

Dental Dammer
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I saw a couple of their games - it looked like they were trying to me. How can you tell they didn't give a damn?
You are right in some respects, this tournament the England teams attacking play was alot better than I can ever remember, however watching the premier league performances of the players makes their performances sub standard. Few exceptions obviously, but its still much of the same as we expect from England. Group wasn't the easiest either I guess.
 

Running Dog_sl

shitlord
1,199
3
I saw a couple of their games - it looked like they were trying to me. How can you tell they didn't give a damn?
In the not-too-distant past you could tell just by watching them play, and then there's this:

I can tell you when I was at Tottenham, when full internationals came around, there were two or three players who did not want to play for England,? he told BBC Radio 5. ?They would come to me 10 days before the game and say: ?Gaffer, get me out of that game, I don?t want to play in that game.? That was how it was. I?d say: ?You?re playing for your country, you should want to play.? ?[They would say]: ?Nah, my girlfriend is having a baby in four weeks, I don?t want to play? and that is the truth, so it makes you wonder.
Harry Redknapp: Some Tottenham players tried to avoid England duty | Football | theguardian.com

Despite them going home so early I'd say this current bunch at least tried, whereas at the last World Cup they got further (in an easier group) but were practically unwatchable. There's 6 or 7 decent prospects for the future in the team, but where they'll find another 6 or 7 is the question.
 

Quineloe

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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You are right in some respects, this tournament the England teams attacking play was alot better than I can ever remember, however watching the premier league performances of the players makes their performances sub standard. Few exceptions obviously, but its still much of the same as we expect from England. Group wasn't the easiest either I guess.
No doubt about that, Groups were really piss poor this tournament, Groups C E F and H were complete joke groups, G and D were the exact opposites. Only B had the regular mix, a favorite for first place, a runner up, an underdog and a loser team.