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[2.71828.....]

Is this goodbye, Spain?

[soulnet]

The worst part is, Spain is playing worse and worse as the minutes go by. Xavi needs to enter the game.

[hvb]

The Spain Squad is still good, but the players got 4 years older and have already won everything. That reminds me on the performances of Italy 2010 and France 2002. Both were the World Cup Winners at that point and went out as 4th in their groups with poor and uninspired performances. Spain has the quality to promote, but the players arent hungry for success anymore

[Ozle]

They have also altered thier style slightly to accomodate an unfit Costa

[Teproc]

Spain imitating our 2002 performance (and Italy's 2010), good for them !

I'm so happy about this. And now Chili will collapse after playing an insanely exhausting match. But I guess it's ok, they can afford to lose the next one anyway.

[soulnet]

Chili

They did play a spicy game today...

[yuma]

All this debate about the US player is the same as what is going on in England after Rooneys first poor game, the country seems to be split down three ways:

He never performs at a World Cup, bench him.
He was played out of position, he is our best player so play him behind the striker
He is a world class player, he should be able to play anywhere.

Well the debate isn't exactly the same. For starters ash is the only person I have heard on all the boards I have visited even suggesting that Bradley should be benched. Everyone is saying he had a bad game but no one wants him to sit out. Second he is playing a position created for him, so he doesn't have an excuse. And third this is the only game in recent memory at a highly competitive level that Bradley has performed poorly, so it isn't a trend like Rooney's consistent poor performance.

[yuma]

Anyone else rooting for Costa Rica on Friday? They are the underdogs I want to win the most. Had a lot of respect for them as the US played them during qualifying.

[theory]

https://twitter.com/OfficialDCosta/status/479344592584966144

[Davio]

Gutted, really wanted australia to win that, would have made that group so exciting on final day!

Australia maybe deserved at least a draw.

The first half Australia dominated, but they didn't reward themselves with good chances (other than Cahill's amazing goal of course). The second half the Netherlands got more control and created a lot of chances. So all in all a draw would have seemed fair. Lots of respect for Australia, given the young and inexperienced players they had, they really outdid themselves.

But of course I'm happy that we're going through to the last 16!

[Davio]

The Spain Squad is still good, but the players got 4 years older and have already won everything. That reminds me on the performances of Italy 2010 and France 2002. Both were the World Cup Winners at that point and went out as 4th in their groups with poor and uninspired performances. Spain has the quality to promote, but the players arent hungry for success anymore

You can hold on too a good thing for too long.

During Euro 2012, the Netherlands did horribly with mostly the same squad that finished second at the world cup 2 years before.

Also, don't forget that most of the Spanish squad had very long and demanding seasons with the competition, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

[Ozle]

All this debate about the US player is the same as what is going on in England after Rooneys first poor game, the country seems to be split down three ways:

He never performs at a World Cup, bench him.
He was played out of position, he is our best player so play him behind the striker
He is a world class player, he should be able to play anywhere.

Well the debate isn't exactly the same. For starters ash is the only person I have heard on all the boards I have visited even suggesting that Bradley should be benched. Everyone is saying he had a bad game but no one wants him to sit out. Second he is playing a position created for him, so he doesn't have an excuse. And third this is the only game in recent memory at a highly competitive level that Bradley has performed poorly, so it isn't a trend like Rooney's consistent poor performance.

I think the debate is the same, just he numbers involved.

Rooney was our top scorer in qualifying. So people are counting his last performance 4 and 8 years ago against him. Plus, he did set up the winner.

But anyways, I'm in the camp that a poor game should not rule out your best player, especially if he can turn a game on his own!

[Ozle]

Anyone else rooting for Costa Rica on Friday? They are the underdogs I want to win the most. Had a lot of respect for them as the US played them during qualifying.

I'll get back to you on that one after tonight's game...

[Teproc]

Chili

They did play a spicy game today...

That's how it's spelled in French ! Also the reason I used to think chili con carne was a chilean dish, because duh, of course it would be.

[Ozle]

So so nervous right now....

Before we started this tournament nobody in England expected us to get out of the group..... But after the first round of games there's a big expectation again...

[ashersky]

Is it just me or do many of the Greek players look like they are in their mid-40s?

[yuma]

Ugh... never thought I would cheer for Italy but I want them to absolutely pound Uruguay. Suarez... yuck.
But I still want Costa Rica to beat England, sorry Ozle...

[yuma]

Is it just me or do many of the Greek players look like they are in their mid-40s?

not the funnest game to watch. really physical and lots of whistles

[ashersky]

Is it just me or do many of the Greek players look like they are in their mid-40s?

not the funnest game to watch. really physical and lots of whistles

Yeah...unfortunately, I think Japan's plan is to get into traffic near the top of the box and glop at the slightest contact.  Trouble of having an Italian coach.

[yuma]

really not a fan of this ref... either.

[shraeye]

really not a fan of this ref... either.

word

[greatexpectations]

suarez is so good. feel bad for stevie g though.

[Davio]

Why does England always play so poorly?

From the time I've been following the world and euro cups ('94), England has only made it to the semis in their own country ('96) and no further than the quarter-finals in any other cup.

[ipofanes]

The Spain Squad is still good, but the players got 4 years older and have already won everything. That reminds me on the performances of Italy 2010 and France 2002. Both were the World Cup Winners at that point and went out as 4th in their groups with poor and uninspired performances. Spain has the quality to promote, but the players arent hungry for success anymore

I'd grant Italy some exception for the last 15 minutes of the Slovakia match, when Italy started to realise what is at stake and played accordingly.

[ashersky]

So who's definitely out for good?

Australia
Spain

Is that it?

Japan needs to beat Colombia by 2 and have Ivory Coast lose, correct?
England needs everything to happen...