This Was Not What Brazil Expected

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

After getting blown out in the semi-finals by a far superior German side, the Netherlands got their pound of flesh in the third-place game with a 3-0 shut out for the bronze in Rio...

And you can bet that Scolari is SO done after this loss... Brazilian fans booed their home squad after the pitch...
Here's the highlights- if you're Dutch...


"Medals for Holland, Mockery for Brazil" indeed...

The HQ always enjoys Jon Champion...

If Nick Saban Was In Jurgen Klinsmann's Cleats...

((HT: Fox Sports/Mike Romano via Vimeo))

This is what happens when Nick Saban is answering questions as the head coach of the USMNT after Group play...

And Mike, pretty much, nailed it...


No other questions, coach, thanks...

World Cup: Messi Makes Sure Argentina Takes Down Nigeria

Yes, you can argue about a handful of soccer players who depending on the game and day can be christened, "The Greatest in the World".

But Lionel Messi of Argentina is proving it on the field.

Messi had 2 goals to lead Argentina to a 3-2 win over Nigeria Tuesday afternoon, propelling his team to a Group F win.

The Argentinians move on to the next round and Messi leads all players with 4 goals.

However, it must be added that the game was a 2-2 draw until Marcos Rojo scored midway through the 2nd period in what proved to be the game-winner.

And we should add the Nigerians will be moving on as well, courtesy of an Iran loss to Bosnia-Hersogovenia.

ESPN.com provides the highlights:

Yeah, Okay... We'll Talk About It, Too...

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

The HQ had the feeling Twitter broke twice in, about, a half an hour Sunday when Clint Dempsey scored and then CR7 assisted in game-tying goal with ten seconds left in the USA-Portugal match for a salvaged 2-2 draw.

Let's relive that hell all over again, shall we...??? With analysis...


So, there's all the talk now of colluding with Germany Thursday so both advance (yeah, that NEVER has happened in the past) and Portugal can go home- which would be the biggest irony of it all.

The back line was a complete breakdown in the last possession and NBCSports analyzes with a Molly Ringwold reference
((HT: Dan Patrick Show/Audience Network))


Yeah, it feels like a loss- and with a country that has increased expectations- it should be...

Now, go and park that bus against Germany!!!

Brazil 2014: Is England Next Out...???

((HT: ESPN/FIFA/Sky Sports/Sportsnet))

The answer is prolly...

After Luis Suarez knocked off 5 teammates yesterday in his soccer debut after knee surgery. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says that the squad is "grasping at straws" if they think they'll make it to the knockout stages.

Here's how Suarez did it...


And England skipper Roy Hodgson is not gonna quit- although a lot of folks want his head...


FOSG James Sharman thinks that the big guns for England didn't show up...

Clint Dempsey's Goal Broke Twitter

((HT: ESPN/FIFA))

It was the 5th-fastest goal in World Cup history and the fastest ever in the history of the US National Men's team. But Clint Dempsey caught the Ghanaian defense napping for this opener in competition


Larger issues are around Jozy Altidore's injured hamstring and Matt Besler wasn't too far behind in the 41st minute to go along with the shot Dempsey took to his nose- which is, probably, broken.

Tim And Sid Get A Guy Off Work For Portugal-Germany

((HT: Sportsnet))

FOSG Tim and Sid, for those of you who don't know, host an afternoon drive-time simulcast on Sportsnet360 and the Fan radio network.

They were holding a contest for listeners to see if they could call a boss and get their worker off to watch a particular Brazil-based soccer match.

Tim and Sid got such a request and tried to make it happen

Here's the exchange

When van Persie Is Healthy, This Happens...

((HT: gifdsports Vine))

Okay, the HQ looked at the Diego Costa foul that resulted in a Xavi Alonso PK- and we thought it was a weak call...

Not surprising in keeping up with the theme of the games i Brazil over the last 24 hours...

But the Dutch came back and THIS is what you get with a healthy Robin van Persie- a thing of beauty


Spain and the Netherlands are 1-1 at the break

Soccer Breakdown In 3,2,1

((HT: Spence Vermeer/Dan Patrick Show))

As an homage to the beginning of the soccer tournament in Rio and the rest of Brazil...

Here's how the sport can completely cripple sports announcers- like Gary Miller...

The one tape that DP got to take out of Bristol was this


And let the tournament begin...

And What Happens If Brazil Loses...???

((HT: FIFA/ESPN))

Well, first and foremost...

It would be Neymar to score the equalizer for the home country. It wasn't a thing of beauty, but it got the job done...

Welcome back Ian and Macca


But, it took an odd turn in the first nine minutes with an own goal of all things off a deflection to give the Croats some hope in the tournament opener...


The goals are up until they get pulled, obviously...
But it was 1-1 at the break...

Protests In Sao Paulo Day Of Brasil 2014 Start

((HT: CNN))

Police are setting up a 5km perimeter around the football stadium in Sao Paulo, Brasil- which translates into a little over 3 miles before the World Cup opener between Brazil and Croatia.

But protesters are working their way around in Sao Paulo and at the airport in Rio de Janeiro (with the airport workers themselves) setting the stage for, what could be, a very nasty month.

This morning police with tear gas canisters met protesters in frint of CNN's Shasta Darlington


Word is that a CNN producer also had her arm broken covering these protests.

This may not go over well and there's Russia and Qatar four and eight years from now to look forward to...

DEVELOPING: Neymar Rolls Ankle In Training

((HT: The Score))

Well, this has put the collective breath and heartbeat of the host country in their throats...

Neymar rolled his ankle in training today...
((HT: World Football))


Word was that he was running "normally" a few minutes later, but this is something to keep an eye on as Brazil has had a lot of injuries leading up to the tournament that starts Thursday.

International Friendly Sunday Gives Some Answers

And yields more questions...

Will the guys at Team USA figure out their issues at the back...? They have another two weeks to figure it out...
The friendly in New Jersey against Turkey gave both teams a lot of offensive chances and the game could have been a lot more than the 2-1 final in favor of the stars and bars.

But Team USA showed some of the brilliance people expect...
((HT: ESPN))


And in the Belgium friendly with Sweden started with this shot from Romelu Lukaku
((HT: Footy Goals))


Looks like some folks are figuring it out...

So, Which USMNT Team Do We Believe In...???

((HT: ESPN))

The one where Michael Bradley showed what he does is world-class and Chris Wondolowski is back being an offensive force or the one that had the gaping hole directly in front of Nick Rimando for Rafa Marquez...???

The USMNT was up 2-0 at the break in Glendale last night, but gave up two in the second half to only leave the friendly with Mexico with a 2-2 draw.

Here's the highlights...


Who is writing this stuff, indeed...

Kawasaki's World Cup Predictions

((HT: Sportsnet))

Gotta love Kawasaki...

And by that, we mean the second baseman for the Blue Jays and not the motorcycle...

Barry Davis went up to him and asked about the upcoming World Cup of Soccer in Rio...
This is how his predictions went...

Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Japan, and Canada...

That just sings success...

Brazilian Soccer Riots Explode In Stadium

((HT: TheBest))

There is already, plenty, to be concerned about as the World gravitates toward Brazil for the World Cup in the summer...

Other than the corruption, the stadia that may or may not make their deadlines (and may or may not meet spec when the ARE done), and the violence in the streets... the country seems prepared for just about anything...

Except more rioting inside a soccer stadium...

Today, a match between Atlético Paranaense and Vasco da Gama led to nothing short of mayhem

Evidence below...


And it makes you wonder about how security will be when the world's best soccer players are all over a country in civil unrest...

Three fans injured were taken to hospital in critical condition...
Here's a longer version with interviews on the field in Portuguese...

DEVELOPING: Sao Paolo Stadium Collapse Kills 2

((HT: Sky News))

The stadium scheduled to be the centerpiece of the Rio/Brazil World Cup has collapsed- causing significant damage, setback, and killing two... the numbers, initially called three fatalities...

The Itaquerao stadium was claimed to be "94 percent" completed before the accident.

Some local media said the accident occurred when a crane collapsed on top of a metal structure inside the stadium.

Here's the breaker...


"The safety of workers is the top priority for FIFA, the LOC, the federal government. We know the safety of all workers has always been paramount for all the construction companies contracted to build the 12 FIFA World Cup stadiums," FIFA said in a statement.

More when we know more...

Here's a longer breaker from Brazilian news with aerials...

Ronaldo In, Zlatan Out...

Your run to Rio had an interesting turn today...

It was Sweden versus Portugal... which means that it was a case of Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic...

Winner is in and the loser goes home...

Portugal qualified after a hat trick from Cristiano Ronaldo secured a 3-2 win over Sweden and a 4-2 victory on aggregate...

Here's how it happened...
((HT: ESPN))


Ibrahimovic admitted postgame that this may have been his last chance to attend the world competition, and the last two berths are up for bid tomorrow- and unless something happens of an earth-shattering variety, it looks like Uruguay and Mexico will go in to complete the 32-nation field...

Would El Tri Do What The USMNT Did Last Night...???

Conventional wisdom says "no..."

For about a 45-minute window last night, CONCACAF was back-and-forth flipworthy television...

Considering what needed to happen for the play-in game in New Zealand with the US, Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica going at it, the ending was nothing short of the 2012 Premier League finish...

To recap, Costa Rica and the US were in to head to Rio for the world title games in 2014. But in the last part of the round robin, the play-in spot was in play...

Here's what the US did to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a "B" team squad that really didn't need to prove anything...
((HT: beINSport))


Now, Mexico travels to New Zealand, but will have to play without Chichirito on yellow accumulation...