The Round Ball Game

[Nick Armstrong]

Brazil without Neymar and Silva, all that raw emotion versus something like the old, teutonic Germany emerging again – it’ll be tears before bedtime.

Indeed Anna, very sage.

As someone remarked last night: Turns out training and ability are more important than shouting your national anthem whilst crying.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

There are still only two teams with a 100% record in this tournament. By midnight tonight, there will only be one.

[Anna]

Cortana (the AI) correctly predicted last night's result - the thirteenth correct prediction in a row - and she says Argentina will win tonight. I do hope she's right. It would make for a more interesting Final

[teamsaint]

So it seems the nation will be willing Germany to , deservedly, lift the old tin pot/gold statuette thingy.

Strange days indeed.

Nearly fell asleep. A rare example of clive and andy actually being no worse than the game.

[aeolium]

An execrable game between two mediocre teams who spent much of their time trying to stop the other team playing football. Under my proposed rule changes - which strangely have not been adopted by FIFA - no team in the group stage would be awarded a point if they failed to score and any team which had failed to score at the end of extra time in the knockout stages would be eliminated. That would at least prevent the negative formations and styles of play which have been seen in quite a lot of games here at least in the knockout stages (many teams being set up to counter-attack, not attack). Of the two teams who played yesterday, the Netherlands did not score in open play in four hours of football in their QF and SF, and Argentina only scored once (in the 118th minute) in their QF and SF. At least Germany - and a few other teams like USA, Colombia and Chile - have tried to play attacking football from the outset.

As a welcome antidote to the borefest yesterday, here is something by which to remember the late, great Alfredo di Stefano*:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H_89ue5s20

*ed: and Ferenc Puskás - what a player!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

... it was written ... it is fate ... and by golly it was, as noted, boring ....

[gurnemanz]

I was out last night and obviously didn't miss much. Heard some on the radio with Chris Waddle asking: Where's my Sudoko? I saw the uneventful extra time. Tim Krul looked on impotently from the Dutch camp during the shootout.

[teamsaint]

Trivial perhaps, but Germany will not be awarded the world cup trophy outright if they win on Sunday, even though it would be their third triumph with the current trophy.

Apparently there is only room for four more names anyway, so it would seem reasonable to give them the trophy and commission a new one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_Trophy

[Parry1912]

A rare example of clive and andy actually being no worse than the game.

I thought this was quite amusing.

[gurnemanz]

I thought this was quite amusing.

Coleridge anticpated some goalkeepers we might think of:

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.

[EdgeleyRob]

[johncorrigan]

So Farewell then Louis Suarez
master of the foot
and mouth.

You have delighted us
with your scouse
and with your nous
and your twosome in Brazil*

Your a Guy an' that's for sure
but you're parting for pastures nou,


Spain bound
you'll be the nou kid on the block,
and I hope in 3 months
your Barca will be worse
than your bite.

(with apologies to EJThribb)

[Lancashire Lass]

Not sure if this is on- or off-topic, but does anyone know if there will be any TV coverage (BBC4?) of the Concert from Rio 2014 tonight, with Placido Domingo and friends? I heard the trail on Classic FM so I assume they're recording it for later broadcast though I neglected to listen as to when.

The concert will start at 2am here, so a proper live broadcast is out. But seems to me the Beeb are missing a trick in their populist approach to classical music if they ignore it. I suppose another channel might show it but I won't be holding my breath.

Thanks if anyone can help.

[EdgeleyRob]

Not sure if this is on- or off-topic, but does anyone know if there will be any TV coverage (BBC4?) of the Concert from Rio 2014 tonight, with Placido Domingo and friends? I heard the trail on Classic FM so I assume they're recording it for later broadcast though I neglected to listen as to when.

The concert will start at 2am here, so a proper live broadcast is out. But seems to me the Beeb are missing a trick in their populist approach to classical music if they ignore it. I suppose another channel might show it but I won't be holding my breath.

Thanks if anyone can help.

I don't know the answer to your question LL,but I did notice a rather interesting looking tie for Wimbledon in the league cup 1st round.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So Farewell then Louis Suarez
master of the foot
and mouth.

You have delighted us
with your scouse
and with your nous
and your twosome in Brazil*

Your a Guy an' that's for sure
but you're parting for pastures nou,


Spain bound
you'll be the nou kid on the block,
and I hope in 3 months
your Barca will be worse
than your bite.

(with apologies to EJThribb)