World Cup 2014 Thread

Liverpool have something England don't though... Suarez.

Liverpool wouldn't have gotten as close to City without him

 

I have written some articles Cheeks now and then. I used to do PES Option Files which take an enormous amount of time to compile in the past especially for u21, u18 players. Now that FM is about there is a formula used by some OF makers which makes the process of accurately describing players far easier. Keep my eyes on South America for the most part.

These are all the definite squads so far announced along with England. Most other teams still have a 30 man shortlist.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26730772

This guy was also selected for Ghana's preliminary squad. Great story.

I actually played against a Glentoran Legends team last week on their home pitch. The team had 3 members of NI's 1982 World Cup squad

 

World Cup thread

So it'll soon be here.

England squad has been announced and Hodgeson is taking a risk on playing youth, apparently,
you've just got to roll a hard 6

So who is in the squad, let's cast an eye:

Goalkeepers:

Hart - error prone Hart is the darling of headline scapegoaters across the land, he may have played a few more games for city this year had his hair been right

Foster the amber nectar

Forster - like foster but more piratey ?

Defenders:

I don't watch the premiership so my knowledge in this area is patchey

Johnson average
Cahill average
Jagielka - think he pied for Sheffield United so no good
Jones average
Smalling too small
Baines, less piratey version of John Barnes
Shaw apparently wanted for 28 gazillion pounds so definetly good and not overrated
No Ashley cole - expect him being dumb in the studio then


Midfielders:
Gerrard - youth
Lampard 65 year old youth team albatross around the neck of the England team and main booing target Wilshere,
Henderson,
Oxlade-Chamberlain ******* son of gravy and watford goalkeeping legend
Milner square face
Sterling euro unless UKIP gets in
Lallana possible muslamic
Barkley

Forwards:
Rooney, potato faced oap lover - always does well for England
Welbeck ****
Sturridge
Lambert 48 year old ex dog paint factory worked

Stand-by list: Ruddy, Flanagan, Stones, Carrick, Cleverley, Carroll, Defoe

Jesus Christ cleverley?? Really

 

http://www.wfcforums.com/showthread.php?49437-World-Cup-2014-Thread

 

So all the provisional squads have been announced, some notable omissions: (not counting those due to injury)

Cole
Nasri
Clichy
Pastore
Kaka
Ronaldinho
Robinho
Lucas Moura
Coutinho
Miranda
Felipe Luis
Tevez
Isco
Lamela
Kruse
Sam
Nainggolan
Gomez

Probably missed some other big names too

 

El Shaarawy is another who wasn't selected

 

Scolari apparently has issues with Coutinho and Moura in terms of their defensive efforts going back towards their goal which led to their omission. Moura is particularly surprising given the conditions he would be an invaluable impact substitution.

For Pastore ditto. He is too inconsistent still and in his outing against Bolivia committed the same heinous crimes. Besides Sabella does not believe in the playmaking/enganche concept and has never had one in any side he has managed.

Amazed that Nainggolan who can pop up with a goal has been omitted given the lack of depth Belgium have upfront in the absence of Benteke. Ferreira-Carrasco too who has impressed at Lille although his youth may have counted against him. Adrien Silva's omission the all action Sporting Lisbon midfielder will bite Bento in the bum should they pick up cards (as I expect they will). He was the form midfielder along with Perez in his role in the Liga Sagres.

Caballero whose save denied Atletico the title last weekend may prove a fatal omission for Argentina given that Romero has been chosen. He is one of the best keepers in La Liga, the best Argentine keeper but for whatever bizarre reason he has been left out. Ditto for Gaitan who is not far off di Maria in his abilities.

Argentina along with Brazil, Spain and Germany are probably the only countries that could field two competitive teams in a World Cup i.e 23 man squads. The lack of quality options for England on the other hand is worrying.

Argentina for example:
GK Caballero, Speroni, Rulli
DF Peruzzi, Orban, Fazio, Musacchio, G.Rodriguez, L.Lopez, Ansaldi, Colocinni
MF Pastore, Lamela, Gaitan, Kranevitter, L.Romero, Paredes, d'Alessandro
FW Tevez, Icardi, Correa, Ferreyra, Barcos

The bolded players could and should be in Sabella's team.

 

Honduran midfielder Oscar Garcia of Dynamo Houston should remain in his national squad despite picking up a minor hamstring strain against LA Galaxy last weekend. Steve Mandanda on the other hand suffered a cracked neck vertebra ruling him out of Deschamp's squad. Which means the hardly reliable Stephane Ruffier of St.Etienne has been called up.

Should Lloris be injured there will be fun and games in the French net as Landreau is hardly the best either. For anyone thinking the Oranje has a chance of winning the Cup think again. Despite the youth of the side against Ecuador which ended 1-1 the defence is a shambles even if the experienced players show up and most of those are over the hill.

[video=dailymotion;x1vbmfy]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1vbmfy_netherlands-vs-ecuador-1-1-all-goals-hd-international-friendly-17-05-14_sport[/video]

The official song of this summers World Cup has also been released. It is a terrible abomination.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W3sWiZ-iO8

Nothing tops the one for 1990 L'estata Italiana:
[video=youtube;dTbMwJMqilI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTbMwJMqilI[/video]

 

Suarez is having an knee op and could be a doubt for the World Cup - but they expect him to be fit in 2 weeks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27514880

According to the BBC Phil Jones was out for 10 weeks with such an injury but then he is injury prone!

Be handy from an England point of view but shame for the tournament as whole.

Mind you he's not the only decent striker Uruguay have!

 

Landon Donovan left out of USA's 23 man squad

 

Some media from abroad trying to whip up patriotic fervour for their respective teams.

[video=youtube;6pjliE37ENY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pjliE37ENY[/video]