Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? # 10 (June 20 - Day 9)

Just eight days after the WORLD CUP begins, ENGLAND is already out but the England FA gives Manager ROY HODGSON a vote of confidence.. ..  

Match 24: ITALY v. COSTA RICA

Date: Friday June 20, 2014 

Venue: Arena Pernambuco, RECIFE

PANDO! or GORDO? Pando!

THE GOLD STANDARD OF C.O.N.C.A.C.A.F. GAVE THE MIGHTY ITALIANS ALL THEY COULD HANDLE! NOT ONLY DO THEY LOSE TO U.S.A. AT HOME, THEY GET TAKEN APART BY MIGHTY COSTA RICA!

You all saw it, tonight CRC officially entered the elite of the Federation with a terrific, cultured, and actually overpowering win over ITA .. .. CRC came out the better side, pressuring high and causing turnovers, both enforced, and unforced .. .. CRC created the better chances and ITA didn't even attempt their first shot until the 27th minute .. .. CRC had 4 CKs, compared to 1 for ITA .. ..

CRC Superstar JOEL CAMPBELL was clearly pushed down in the box in the 42nd minute, but the Ticos were not to be denied three minutes later when

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? # 9 (June 19 - Day 8)

Press reports claim AC MILAN playmaker KAKA has been signed by ORLANDO CITY for the 2015 MLS season and will go on loan back to BRA until then!.. ..  

Match 21: COLOMBIA v. IVORY COAST

Date: Thursday June 19, 2014     

Venue: Estadio Nacional, BRASILIA

PANDO! or GORDO? Pando!

COL opened up full of running and looking for that killer ball despite being a bit loose with their distribution early on .. .. COL had more clear chances in the first stanza especially with JAMES 'GOLDEN FOOT' RODRIGUEZ sending in an exquisite F/Flank cross to an unmarked TEOFILO GUTIERREZ whose F/T volley dribbled harmlessly into the signage board .. .. IVC tried to counter but their 9 crosses usually found nothing until out of touch .. ..

JAMES RODRIGUEZ broke the match open in the 64th minute when JUAN CUADRADOs CK from the left saw J-ROD climb in the L/Box and crush home a header that found the roof despite BOUBACAR BARRY getting a full palm on it .. .. COL added a second six minutes later when RODRIGUEZ pressed and stole the ball in the IVC half and started a counter that saw

Issue #2.1.1 "I Believe That We Will Win : TheComeBacker"

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Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Issue #2.1.1 "I Believe That We Will Win : TheComeBacker"
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OPEN PLAY MEANS NO LEAD IS SAFE; NED, CRC, USA SHOCK WINSOur 5th World Cup pool has a record 75 entries; Americano Pazzo & The Mighty Mobelfakta share lead

LA HABRA, CA (smt) --  This crazy FIFA schedule has A1-Brazil and A3-Mexico finishing their second matches before #H3-Russia and #H4-South Korea started their first.  That, coupled with FIFA caving in and changing some times around due to heat (foreshadowing 2022 if Qatar keeps it), means match #'s are not necessarily in order.  This World Cup has also started off with a bang with 49 goals scored in the first 17 matches (in first 16 in 2010, just 25 goals) and six teams coming back to win their matches (just 3 times in all of 2010).  Also, just 2 ties in the first 16 matches (6 in 2010) before A1-Brazil and A3-Mexico kicked off their second matches with a herculean MEX GK effort in a scoreless draw.  It took 12 matches before the first tie, listless scoreless draw between F3-Iran and F4-Nigeria.  With the varied climates, the humidity, rain, and heat haven't stopped the goals from coming, thanks to some poor GK (how many goals went in after hitting the GK's hands?) and superstars actually performing (last year, the first 25 goals were scored by 25 different players).

Haven't seen most of the World Cup live despite taking two weeks off from work.  Been reduced using my Moto X to tether 4G to my Roku 2 player and using WatchESPN to project that to the

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? # 8 (June 18 - Day 7)

None.. ..  

Match 20: AUSTRALIA v. NETHERLANDS

Date: Wednesday June 18, 2014  

Venue: Estadio Deira-Rio, PORTO ALEGRE

PANDO! or GORDO? Pando!

Maybe NED came into the match in letdown mode after dismantling ESP, and maybe they underestimated AUS .. .. Understandable on both, so it was not surprising when they were a bit lose with their passes and then overcompensated by over-hitting .. .. AUS hustled from the opening whistle, getting stuck-in and running their arses off .. ..

But, NED overcame all that in the 20th minute when ARJEN ROBBEN made a nice hard steal in the middle of the pitch, shrugged off an arm tackle before racing into the L/Box and smashing his L/Footer > L/Left .. ..

AUS then came right back in the 21st minute, with TIM CAHILL taking a long cross in the L/Box and brilliantly first-timing the volley over the stunned GK, off the bar into the net - WOW, WOW, WOW! It's too bad

Foster's Football Brew # 3: Is Chile the little train that could?

Santiago to Rio, June 18, 2014

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL -- Who would have thought Chile stood a chance to win today's Battle at the Maracanã in Rio against the defending World Champs?!??  Well, tens of thousands of Chileans, that's who!

I flew into Rio this morning from Santiago with a plane-full of Chile fans, nearly all of them dressed for the game with tickets in hand.  As the airplane was about to touch down in Rio, the ENTIRE plane broke out in song, starting with "Chi-Chi-Chi, Le-Le-Le, Vi-va Chi-Le!!" With their "fight song" following.  A sea of red jerseys, zany mohawk whigs, and gladiator helmets.

The fans were really confident in their team, and the players didn't let them down!  Holland's revenge blow-out last week really shattered

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? # 7 (June 17 - Day 6)

Spain MF CESC FABREGAS moves from Barcelona to Chelsea for an estimated ₤30,000,000 .. .. No wonder he had other things to worry about .. ..  

Match 17: BRAZIL v. MEXICO

Date: Tuesday June 17, 2014      

Venue: Estadio Castelao, FORTALEZA

PANDO! or GORDO? Gordo?

LUST -- LUST -- LUST! Little wonder KOBE BRYANT was here!

The putrid, steamy CONCACAF desire to pass the ball to your opponents continued for a second-straight day as BRA & MEX started the first-45 minutes with a charity-fest .. .. Much like the USA/GHA drama served up, both sides were determined to give the ball away and dribble into pressure .. ..

Neither side produced any clear danger until a climbing NEYMAR saw this terrific header pawed off the line by a diving MEMO OCHOA - A terrific save that saw 'eagle-eye' tell the world the ball was exactly above the line when it was saved .. .. OCHOA again came up big when the MEX defence broke down and OCHOA made a point-blank save to keep the match level at the whistle .. ..

He was even busier in the second half when he was called on to stop

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? Extra - Audio Edition # 3

Another audio sniplet blast from the PRESENT this time...

Now that I've regained consciousness, here are the BBC 5LIVE RADIO calls of both goals .. ..

Sammy

Direct Link (CLINT!)

Direct Link (BROOKS!)

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? # 6 (June 16 - Day 5)

GERMANY could not find a hotel the liked so they purchased their own land and built a luxury resort instead .. .. WOW .. ..  

Match 13: GERMANY v. PORTUGAL

Date: Monday June 16, 2014       

Venue: Arena Fonte Nova, SALVADOR

PANDO! or GORDO? Gordo?

I - I - I . .. ... ME - ME - ME . .. ... I - I - I . .. ... ME - ME - ME

When you have a player who only goes forward, and after your most undisciplined player gets sent off after 36 minutes, I think I would like playing 11 v. 9 .. .. Wouldn't you? And .. .. You have to cheer against any team that has their names painted in gold in their hotel rooms .. ..

MARIO GOTZE punished the POR defence for their lack of discipline at the back when he was hauled down in the box by JOAO PEREIRA and THOMAS MULLER easily R/Footed > U/Left .. .. MAT HUMMELS climbed above the POR defence in the 32nd minute off a CK and crushed his header > U/Left and MULLER again penalized an indifferent POR back-four on a box scramble in the 46th minute in M/Box and R/Footed his brace > U/Left .. ..   

POR didn't force an attacking set-piece until the 36th minute after GER already had 5+ and RONALDO only had 15 total touches in the first-45 .. .. Reckon he saw the writing on the wall in the tunnel @ HT when he already

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? Extra - Audio Edition # 2

Another audio sniplet blast from the past...

You never know how desperate the BBC got before the 2010 opener v. ENG .. .. How about GRAHAME JONES? 

Here's that clip, about 7 minutes long .. ..

Direct Link

GO USA,

Sammy

Foster's Football Brew # 2: What's the Record Number of Flops in a World Cup Game?

June 15, 2014

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SANTIAGO, CHILE -- I went to Mr. Jack's, a sports bar/burger joint in the poche "Sanhattan" neighborhood of Santiago, Chile to watch the World Cup opener.  A Brazilian couple were sitting at the table next to me, chatting with some Chilean businessman enjoying the game.  The restaurant was heavily "pro-Brazil".  In fact, unless a South American country is playing against their own, any of the 6 qualifying countries' fans will root for the other  South American team (with my dear Argentina, sadly, being the unpopular exception).

The Opening game was quite exciting, and most can agree Brazil got away with a win when perhaps a tie should've been the just result.  Neymar and Oscar were sharp and quick.  I'm scratching my head as to why Willian wasn't in the starting roster in place of the lesser "Hulk" (an apt name, indeed, but not the best choice for Brazil's starting 11).  Some of the other Brazilian players seemed mortal, if not beatable, especially on defense.  Croatia showed how a strong and powerful set of forwards and midfielders can expose the Brazilian defense with hard crosses from the wings.  Although Marcelo gave up an "own goal" by accident, it could've happened to any player.  The real liability in the back is David Luiz, a heavily overrated player.  What he possesses in offensive-minded talents, he lacks

Sam's PANDO! or GORDO? # 5 (June 15 - Day 4)

BRA striker HULK limped out of practice today .. ...  

Match 9: SWITZERLAND V. ECUADOR

Date: Sunday June 15, 2014

Venue: Estadio Nacional, BRASILIA

PANDO! or GORDO? mas Gordo?

U know how it goes > U meet someone for the first time, hate them from the very start, yet you're still across from them at breakfast the following morning, and hate them even more .. .. Well, that's what this morning was like > Last night's nightcap bollocks (IVC/JPN) was the first bad match of the Festival, and now followed up by this garbage .. .. terrible .. ..

I reckon the first half was the difference in outlooks > SUI peppered the ECU box with 7 crosses and 7 CKs while ECU attacked down the center and didn't even attempt their first cross until the 30th minute .. ..

By then they had the lead 1-0 when ENNER VALENCIA headed in a CK in the 22nd minute in the middle of the box when he climbed above the SUI defense and saw GK DIEGO BENAGLIO leaning in the wrong direction .. .. Considering the SUI are a bit slow to find their stride, and they had some unforced TOs, I would imagine

Updates Galore

What an incredible 8 matches so far.  There have been 28 goals and just two of the 16 teams have been shut out.  There also have been no ties (typically 30% of the round robin matches end in a tie).  Also, 4 teams have rallied to win (just 3 in 2010) so far.  Two former World Cup champs have been shocked as Spain and Uruguay now face an uphill battle.

But, more info on the pool have been revealed.  8 matches is a nice cutoff point so the first Pool Standings are now up.  Earlier, the Team Distribution (how many entries picked which team to win each match plus how many entries picked a team to reach what round) and Everyone's Picks were posted.  And I'm using Excely's World Cup spreadsheet to update the Results.