FIFA World Cup

[Saku]

Okay well it all boils down now to...

Tuesday July 6th 2:00 EST Semifinal ESPN: Uruguay vs Netherlands
Wednesday July 7th 2:00 EST Semifinal ESPN: Germany vs Spain
Saturday July 10th 2:00 EST Third Place Match ABC: Match Between the Losers of the Semifinals
Sunday July 11th 2:00 EST Championship Game ABC: Match Between the Winners of the Semifinals

WOOT!

I want to see Germany vs Uruguay at the end! And I want Germany to win!

[Nico]

I want to see Netherlands - Germany. And Germany will win!

[Izu]

Netherlands x Germany. Germany wins. This will be the best possible end. And I want Spain on 3rd. Or if Germany loses to Spain. I want Spain x Netherlands, Spain wins, Germany in 3rd place.

[Ridcully]

I have a really bad feeling for our boys :(

It's the same atmosphere like in 2006. You're in love with the team, the whole country is tensed, the medias are celebrating the team...and then along came the destroyers of football dreams, Italy.

And Spain...Spain...They might give you the idea of not being so dominant. They might give you the illusion their defense isn't rock solid. But they are Spain. They are Iker Casillas, Carlos Puyol, and overall, always, Xavi and Iniesta, plus at least one deadly striker with David Villa. It's the best of the best in this football world.

And our team is so young, so very young, and without Müller now...It feels like 2006, when Frings was out for yellow cards as well. It just feels all the same.

Go boys, prove me wrong. But I'm really, really worried about the the triangle Xavi-Iniesta-Villa. You can't stop them.

And Carlos Puyol eats little boys like Özil alive.

So it's basically down to Miro Klose. How I didn't want him to play before the World Cup, and how wrong I was again. The man looks so harmless, so freaking harmless. And his movements seem so strange at times. Yet again, he's there when needed, and there's hardly any better player when it comes to headers in this world.

Here's my bet: Germany wins in penalty shootout after a memorable match with a 2-2 after regular time and a 3-3 after overtime.

EDIT:
One thing is strange. I'm writing here that I am worried because Thomas Müller can't play.

Thomas Müller. One year ago, only a few people knew him. I had no clue about him.

Thomas Müller, 20 years old.

Number of matches played in the First German Division: 38

Number of matches played for Germany (INCLUDING ARGENTINIA): 7

20 years.
38 matches in the Bundesliga. 38. 38.
Number of matches played for Germany: 7.

Goals at the World Cup: 4. Rooney? 0. Messi? 0. Christiano Ronaldo? 1.

Things Müllers says on German TV, right after the match against England:

"I want to say Hi to my Grandma and Granddad."

He just scored two goals against England. England. THE football nemesis for Germany. He made two goals which will be remembered for all eternity.

And the guy says hello to his grandparents, as if he was on TV for the first time.

Football. I love this game.

[Oniya]

Geico Commercial

[Ridcully]

:(

The damn octopus voted for Spain this time.

:(

[Lithos]

I have faith in German team, what they lack in experience they make up in enthusiasm, and even though many players are young, they still have impressive experience of playing already.

I am worried cause the octopus voted for Spain though.. damn thing has not been wrong yet :(

[Ridcully]

The octopus had been wrong in 2008 at the Euro. Though before it guessed all German matches (including the loss against Croatia) right, for the finals it voted for Germany. Spain won.

Now, it's the different situation. So there's hope...

FYI: It's not strange that after Leonardo da Vinci, Newton, Rousseau, Kant, Nietzsche, Marx, Sigmud Freud and Albert Einstein, an university degree and a few years of life experience, I still get worried by the predictions of an Octopus. It's an Octopus which can predict the outcome of soccer matches. In your face, Darwin. In your face.

[Nico]

:(

The damn octopus voted for Spain this time.

:(

Even the octopus can be wrong! There's hope!

[Rachubka]

That match is tomorrow! Why is no one talking about the Oranje?

[Arhys]

*peeks for Imogen and Oranje supporters*

And here we go...

[Shoshana]

Any other Uruguay fans out there?  (Ok, they're my second team after the US  )

[Remiel]

I would like to see Uruguay win it all (just because they're the only New World team left =p)  but it probably won't happen.   Between Iniesta, Xavi, and Villa, Spain has too much talent, but Germany plays like a well-oiled machine.   As for Holland, it seems like they're the scrappers of this tournament, biting, clawing, and scratching their way past their opponents.

I guess I'll be cheering for Spain or Holland, just because they've not won a World Cup before.

[Arhys]

Beautiful~~!!  Woo... Netherlands 1.

[Shoshana]

Sigh--yeah, I just saw the shot.

I'm rooting for Uruguay because one of my favorite groups--El Cuarteto de Nos--is from there. (Yeah, yeah--shallow reason, but what can I say?) Besides, I thought they had the best fall-on-your-sword type of hand-ball penalty I'd ever seen. 

But since the US is already out, I'll be teamless if Uruguay is eliminated today. And I hate that they're already behind 1-nil. But I refuse to give up hope yet!

[Shoshana]

And Uruguay evens it up! 1-1. Woot!

[Arhys]

Shoshana, there are no silly reasons for choosing one team over another in my book, and that hand penalty deserves some recognition.  I do like Uruguay a lot  Purely emotional--I lived in Germany but could not root for them for years because I disliked one of their players intensely.  I loved France in the last World Cup because one of their players made me smile by mocking a Portuguese player for diving with grace and humor.

It's a good game so far. :)  But Hup Hup Holland!!

[Shoshana]

Yeah, you're probably right, Arhys, about there being no silly reason to root for a team. Besides, I just thought of another reason to root for Uruguay: they have a really cool flag. 

[Kitsunetsuki]

I just can't root for Holland...not at all...*sigh* I'd much rather see Uruguay win. Not counting them out, but it's not pretty right now at 3:1 against... 

[Arhys]

I like Uruguay's national anthem too    

[Shoshana]

WAAAAAAAAAH!

[Imogen]

As for Holland, it seems like they're the scrappers of this tournament, biting, clawing, and scratching their way past their opponents.

That sounds about right. Some beautiful goals but omg, that was way too sloppy. Bouhlarouz and his 'back to the keeper' shots made for some heart stopping moments too. I'd rather seen we'd have won beautifully, but we won!! Holland in the finals! YAY!!

[Rachubka]

Well, now that that game is over. Germany Vs. Spain is going to be the handsomest semi-final in a long time. Except Puyol... and Iniesta's the palest Spaniard I've ever seen. Ozil is a little funny looking.

[Lithos]

True irony is that uruguay was trying to complain about a hand ball towards the end

[Kitsunetsuki]

Ah, well...they tried...

Well, it doesn't matter to me whether it's Germany or Spain in the final...I just want whichever team it is to beat Holland...

It'd be nice to see Spain there for the simple fact that neither team has gotten the Cup yet...plus, it means more Villa/Torres time