Quote from fr33noob

To give teams more games. More chances. You can loose and win the other three in your group right? The team that beat you can also loose the other 3 games. We don't wan't any flukes right?

Quote from tactics

It gives all teams a chance. If you go for a straight out you-lose-you're-out style, if you're unlucky enough to be drawn against a strong team, well it's not fair is it. Plus draw results would be considered useless :/ This way, if you have pre-world cup qualifiers, all teams have a chance to get into top 16 and it goes from there. You also have to remember that 32 teams is a hell of a lot. It's natural that they'd want to cut it down.
That's just me using my logic though. Don't quote me or anything XD

Actually, that makes a lot of sense. Thanks for explaining. 🙂

Quote from Klapzi

The cool part is that I never get tired of being deceived

Quote from tactics

Just because someone's head was chopped off doesn't mean they're dead. That's just silly.

[img]http://oi44.tinypic.com/vzy2qv.jpg[/img]

FOR SURE, Spain.

They have not missed a penalty goal for the last years.
They are ready to win this cup, and i'm sure they will. 😀

At least I won the bet that I made with my friends at college... 2x1...
In the first half I thought I was going to lose (the bet)... But after the 2 goals I started to cheer for Korea to score one xD (all that for one box of chocolate...)
I liked the game... but only when the second half started... Before that it was kind of annoying to see them all lazy...

Quote from tactics

It gives all teams a chance. If you go for a straight out you-lose-you're-out style, if you're unlucky enough to be drawn against a strong team, well it's not fair is it. Plus draw results would be considered useless :/ This way, if you have pre-world cup qualifiers, all teams have a chance to get into top 16 and it goes from there. You also have to remember that 32 teams is a hell of a lot. It's natural that they'd want to cut it down.
That's just me using my logic though. Don't quote me or anything XD

With pre world cup you give teams a chance to be within the 32 teams... o.o;;;

Ahhh.. Brazil kinda dissapointed me today!!
Not to mention Portugal, >< without C. Ronaldo playing well, they can't do anything!

Quote from loosecannon504

I have another question about the World Cup.

I know that there are qualifying matches so that teams can qualify for the Cup, but why doesn't it just start as a single-elimination tournament from the beginning with the 32 teams instead of having more qualifying matches to determine who goes to the top 16?

Beside what has been already said I think there are other main reasons.

1- TV rights -> 64 matches will give more income from tv rights than 32. So FIFA earns more.
2- Organization -> Think of the team which has to go home after the inaugural match. Especially for a poor country this is an opportunity to gain popularity and for some relative unknown players to be saw in all the world. Also there are some expenses to organize the trip. Is worthy to organize an abroad expedition just to play a match? And their supporters too, at least with this if you go in South Africa you're sure to see three matches from your team.
3- Length -> For the same reason, you should count in also the tourist income. If the competition is short, there would be less people who go there.
4- Less luck -> If you tie a single match there are penalty kicks, which is usually just luck. Providing more single matches will increase the luck factor. If you can't pass a single match, it could be that you've been just unlucky, but if you can't pass in a group with four teams, you could have still been unlucky, but for sure you've definitely some faults too.

There are other reasons of course, these are just a couple I can think of.

What I like in Trivial Pursuit style. Pick your category:[img]http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo233/Reid4891/Manga/trivia-1.jpg[/img]

Well the main reason for me is the group stage usually lets the best teams go forward while letting the lesser teams show what they have got.

There should be another choice in the poll:
"I'm from the USA. What is the World Cup?"

I kid, I kid. I come from Southwestern Pennsylvania where (American) football is king, hockey is prince, and soccer is a serf toiling in the field. I sometimes watch baseball - please pray to the deity of your choice for my poor beleaguered Pittsburgh Pirates. 😢

Quote from tactics

I liked that Brazil - North Korea game. I'm so glad NK got one back. They deserved it. They played really well defending like they did for that first half especially.
Kaka was rusty. He hardly played for Real Madrid last season so he needs to get back into the game. That first goal though...I can't decide whether he meant it or whether it was supposed to be a cross. I mean, he shot when he was at the bi-line for godsake! What sort of next angle is that 🤣

North Korea were brilliant. I remember shouting at my TV yesterday when they score. saying YES, show the Brazilians you know how to play football.personally that was north korea's win they were the better side. they were just unlucky to have two goals against them. right at the beginning when i saw north Korea loosing the ball so many times i was like " this is gonna be a spanking from Brazil. damn Brazil where a let down.

what is wrong with this world cup all the teams we expected to get easy wins are all playing under average (with the exception of Germany) and all the teams we weren't expecting much from are doing brilliant. anyway with this kind of results the next round should be interesting. especially the groups where they've got 1 point each.

Quote from scarletrhodelia

...soccer is a serf toiling in the field...

SOCCER 😲 SOCCER >:-( it's football when will the american's learn this everyone calls it football so therfore it's F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L. trying to be different is a bad thing. lol 🤣 🤣

[img]http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/westsiders2/Signatures/comicsigcopy2.jpg[/img].
http://westsiders2.deviantart.com/

Quote from westsiders2

Quote from tactics

I liked that Brazil - North Korea game. I'm so glad NK got one back. They deserved it. They played really well defending like they did for that first half especially.
Kaka was rusty. He hardly played for Real Madrid last season so he needs to get back into the game. That first goal though...I can't decide whether he meant it or whether it was supposed to be a cross. I mean, he shot when he was at the bi-line for godsake! What sort of next angle is that 🤣

North Korea were brilliant. I remember shouting at my TV yesterday when they score. saying YES, show the Brazilians you know how to play football.personally that was north korea's win they were the better side. they were just unlucky to have two goals against them. right at the beginning when i saw north Korea loosing the ball so many times i was like " this is gonna be a spanking from Brazil. damn Brazil where a let down.

got to admit i agree with you both. Brazil isn't looking as sharp as people thought. Aparantly they lost 2-0 to paraguay in one of the qualifiers 😲 ........ 🤣 Who's paraguay?
Think Brazil was called "Donkeys" for loosing that game. Maybe we over rated their perfomance?

[img]http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k528/fr33noob/on3winged9.jpg[/img]
I believe in letting people do as they wish, as do I myself. Sometimes, of course, what I wish to do is kill them and they do not wish to die. This gives life interest.
[img]http://www.nodiatis.com/pub/26.jpg[/img]

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. WELL DONE CHILE.
THEY WERE PLAYING BETTER ANYWAY

[img]http://i572.photobucket.com/albums/ss162/westsiders2/Signatures/comicsigcopy2.jpg[/img].
http://westsiders2.deviantart.com/

Think Germany might have good chances.
And by the way, just because C. Ronaldo is a wank it doesn't mean the all team sucks...Sometimes I wish people would see past him. It's not like he's the only one playing nor the best, you know...

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best..."

Quote from Rita593

Think Germany might have good chances.
And by the way, just because C. Ronaldo is a wank it doesn't mean the all team sucks...Sometimes I wish people would see past him. It's not like he's the only one playing nor the best, you know...

Personally Ronaldoz one of my favourite players currently. Anyways in the portugal team he is by far the best definetly, no else has achieved as much as him in that portugal team and in this world cup tournament he is certainly one of the best players.

Angel Beats--best anime of the 2010 spring season

I said yesterday that it wouldn't surprise me if Spain drew there match, the way this games going right now it wouldn't surprise me. Torres need's to be brought on now.

Spain have got to bring their A-Game right now, 1-0 down.

Great performance by Switzerland. I had Spain and Chile as favourites for this group, who know's now.

The Bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame.

I think all the shitty teams have been learning from Jose Mournho(inter milan manager) on how to defend and play negative football. The way they play, its just not the beautiful game anymore oh well as long as they win they are happy. Am so pissed off right now that Spain lost.

Angel Beats--best anime of the 2010 spring season

Quote from tactics

I think someone's going to surprise us this year. Who will? I don't know, but football has been so unpredictable this season that something odd is going to happen.

And it's only the first matches of the group stages 🤣
I had a feeling there would be upsets. There's more to come for sure.

See this is why I seriously can't even think about who could possibly win this world cup. Everyone's raving about Spain, yet things like this happen.

Credit to Switerzland, their defence was soild. Spain were very unlucky though.

That was like watching Arsenal for me. Dominant possession of the ball, lots and lots of chances - Never score.