Right about Peru, wrong about Brazil

 

TBF - Brazil was robbed - Peru's goal shouldn't have stood but refs can't use replays to make judgments <_<

TBF - Brazil was robbed - Peru's goal shouldn't have stood but refs can't use replays to make judgments <_<

I wonder if this will tip things toward video replay now that an influential superpower is on the victim end of it for once.

Looks like no Luiz to blame for this one

https://streamable.com/ciwq

 

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https://streamable.com/ciwq

 

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Lo Siento Hombre...Venezuelan goal was better & probably goal of the tournament

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hAnjY7Dh5Y

Edited June 14, 201610 yr by robdog

Lo Siento Hombre...Venezuelan goal was better & probably goal of the tournament

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hAnjY7Dh5Y

Shades of Mark Hughes!

The games in general have been fantastic. Lots of passionate performances from non prominent teams. Great pace, great goals, great saves. Hope they can sustain this. Sometimes teams turn cautious during the knockout rounds.

Quarterfinals start tonight!

USA vs Ecuador, not familiar with the Ecuador team, so I don't have a sense in how it will go.

Tomorrow it's Peru vs Colombia. On paper Colombia should easily win, but Peru have been surprisingly good.

Saturday it's Argentina vs Venezuela and Mexico vs Chile.

Argentina should easily win.

The Mexico Chile game could potentially be the best game of the tournament. Impossible to call, but I'm leaning toward Mexico because of the "home advantage" they have. It'll be interesting who starts in goal. They used three different goalkeepers in their three group games, and all of them were excellent. If Chile win there will be ugly scenes though thankfully not as ugly as what we've seen at Euro 2016.

Edited June 16, 201610 yr by offside

I think Ecuador will provide tricky opposition but I am picking US to win a close contest tonight. Argentina and Colombia should win their matches without too much drama. Mexico v. Chile is tougher to call. Chile looked pretty good the other night but their keeper is worse than Joe Hart. I will tip Mexico in a close and hopefully entertaining game.

Chile looked pretty good the other night but their keeper is worse than Joe Hart.

Claudio Bravo has had a disappointing tournament, but he's usually a very good goalkeeper.

What's with the beard? It works for Messi but just makes Clint's face look even more gaunt.

The hair at this tournament, both head and facial, has been pathetic. In a few decades the players will look back and regret it. I was contemplating posting some pictures but couldn't narrow it down to a manageable number of players. Cockatoos, cupcakes, two lane roads, you name it. Practically the only players with decent hair are the ones that are totally bald.

The hair at this tournament, both head and facial, has been pathetic. In a few decades the players will look back and regret it. I was contemplating posting some pictures but couldn't narrow it down to a manageable number of players. Cockatoos, cupcakes, two lane roads, you name it. Practically the only players with decent hair are the ones that are totally bald.

 

It's football & not a fashion show bro

It's football & not a fashion show bro

Haha of course. I mentioned it because many of these athletes are very vain, any they probably chose those styles because they thought it would make them look soooo cool.

The Ecuador coach was ejected last night for being mouthy at the referees. The Jamaican coach and a Mexican assistant were ejected earlier in the tournament for being mouthy. A player was also carded for it.

Overall I think it's a good trend, but sometimes referees really are sh*tty and biased and deserve a mouthful.

Klinsmann is trying hard to keep his job. For better or worse

The amount of faking in the Colombia/Peru game was pathetic. Multiple players actually injured themselves diving!

Other than the constant starts and stops due to real fouls and pretend fouls, it was a good game, the parts I saw. Great pace as has been a constant in the tournament. Both sides played with passion.

I thought Colombia would go through easily, but Peru put up a good fight. They almost won it in stoppage time if not for a great save by Ospina.

For whatever reason, in the Copa America, there is no extra time. After 90 minutes it goes to penalties. Ospina made a save with his feet to send Colombia through. Ospina has been spectacular this tournament.

James was very emotional after the game.

https://twitter.com/alansmith90/status/742123310566248449

Funniest commentary I've ever heard

Mexico 0-7 Chile

Absolutely sensational. Vargas was absolutely deadly. Some goal scoring record he has for Chile but so poor at club level.

Mexico were 22 games unbeaten and then handed their worst ever defeat in a competition. Ouch.

Chile were unbelievable last night! One of the best national team performances in a major tournament from any country I've ever seen. (Mind you, I haven't seen nearly as many as some of you.)

Their pace was incredible as was their positioning.

To put it in perspective, Mexico had not lost for 23(?) games prior to this. Among their opponents during that time were Chile(!!), Uruguay, and Argentina.

This was totally a fluke. Uncharacteristically bad day for Mexico, uncharacteristically brilliant day for Chile.

Edited June 19, 201610 yr by offside

Do not underestimate the impact such a defeat can have. Brazil still has not recovered from the Germany game.

It obviously has a huge psychological impact on the players, but it goes far beyond that.

The Mexican football association is already dysfunctional. This will cause upheaval within Mexican football. Simmering political battles will escalate. The blame game will be endless.

The Mexican media are ruthless, absolutely ruthless. Their fans are likewise ruthless and are as likely to take it out on their own players as on opponents.

Throw in a healthy dose of corruption, drug cartels, and lots of angry criminals who lost money, and you've got yourself a situation reminiscent of Colombia a few decades ago. If you think I'm exaggerating, keep in mind that a Mexican player was kidnapped and held hostage recently.

There is no chance the USA will outplay Argentina. Zero. On the other hand, as we see over and over again every season every year, the team that plays better isn't always the team that wins.

It basically comes down to two people for the USA: John Brooks and Brad Guzan. Brooks has been a beast, and Guzan seems to have found his form again.

Will di Maria be back?

Argentina jubilantly celebrating their quarterfinal victory

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BG0UszrxqSu/

:bow:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy21IpflCKo

He even impressed himself with that one.

 

 

 

 

 

Just glad we kept it under 7.