tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post8281248399509265411..comments2024-03-28T20:31:59.315-04:00Comments on The Heath Post: World Cup UpdateGoHeathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-6014481004108435222014-06-23T14:05:35.720-04:002014-06-23T14:05:35.720-04:00Very good--yes, this jibes with what I heard them ...Very good--yes, this jibes with what I heard them saying after last night's match. Thanks!Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-36513696985925477132014-06-23T13:59:46.341-04:002014-06-23T13:59:46.341-04:00I'm pretty sure that this was the group stage ...I'm pretty sure that this was the group stage that featured Austria and West Germany. The games were such that if Austria lost to West Germany 1-0, both of those countries would go through. But other results would allow Algeria to go through. Significantly, Austria lost to West Germany 1-0.<br /><br />You will notice that in the last round of group play, all four teams in a group play at the same time. I'm pretty sure that's the change that was made after the Austria/West Germany match.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-5496274946443159252014-06-23T11:02:49.174-04:002014-06-23T11:02:49.174-04:00They were talking about this World Cup in the afte...They were talking about this World Cup in the aftermath of the United States-Portugal draw yesterday. Apparently, two teams who would both advance with a draw conspired, and so it set in motion some structural changes that make it more difficult to engage in this type of chicanery. This came up at the suggestion that the United States and Germany might rig Thursday's match to draw (and both advance).Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-52178580466320542622014-06-23T09:45:40.356-04:002014-06-23T09:45:40.356-04:00Back then they had two group stages. It was very ...Back then they had two group stages. It was very confusing, which is why they don't do it any more.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-77724627338055645922014-06-22T20:06:49.913-04:002014-06-22T20:06:49.913-04:00So what's the deal with the 1982 World Cup?So what's the deal with the 1982 World Cup?Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-28694359620899108822014-06-21T20:12:49.362-04:002014-06-21T20:12:49.362-04:00Here are the odds for the U.S./Portugal match tomo...Here are the odds for the U.S./Portugal match tomorrow:<br /><br />Portugal victory: 8 to 11<br />Draw: 3 to 1<br />U.S. victory: 9 to 2<br /><br />So we are pretty heavy underdogs.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-14697950917915585502014-06-21T20:10:30.278-04:002014-06-21T20:10:30.278-04:00Here are the latest odds from Britain on who will ...Here are the latest odds from Britain on who will win the whole thing:<br /><br />Brazil: 10 to 3<br />Germany: 7 to 2<br />Argentina: 7 to 2<br />France: 9 to 1<br />Netherlands: 9 to 1<br /><br />No one else is better than 20 to 1. Mexico is 66 to 1. The United States is 200 to 1.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-10151223311314840772014-06-21T20:07:29.075-04:002014-06-21T20:07:29.075-04:00Here are the teams that have clinched a spot in th...Here are the teams that have clinched a spot in the knockout rounds so far:<br /><br />Netherlands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Argentina.<br /><br />Spain and England are the two biggest teams to be eliminated so far.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-23779702161530503432014-06-21T20:05:48.569-04:002014-06-21T20:05:48.569-04:00In Group F, Nigeria beats Bosnia 1-0, which means ...In Group F, Nigeria beats Bosnia 1-0, which means that the Bosnians will not be going to the next round. As mentioned above, Argentina has already clinched a spot in the next round. Here are the latest standings:<br /><br />Argentina: 6 points<br />Nigeria: 4 points<br />Iran: 1 point<br />Bosnia: 0 pointsGoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-6816812133173859702014-06-21T17:27:23.061-04:002014-06-21T17:27:23.061-04:00Germany and Ghana play a 2-2 thriller. Remarkably...Germany and Ghana play a 2-2 thriller. Remarkably, the United States can now clinch a spot in the next round with a win tomorrow.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-931542431324787212014-06-21T13:56:48.229-04:002014-06-21T13:56:48.229-04:00In Group F, Lionel Messi -- who may be the greates...In Group F, Lionel Messi -- who may be the greatest player in the world -- scored a spectacular, looping goal in injury time to send Argentina past a game Iranian team by the score of 1-0. That clinches a spot for Argentina in the knockout rounds. The huge pro-Argentina crowd was suitably appreciative.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-47580792567099959222014-06-21T13:35:13.812-04:002014-06-21T13:35:13.812-04:00In Group E, France pounded Switzerland 5-2(!), whi...In Group E, France pounded Switzerland 5-2(!), while Ecuador beat Honduras 2-1. So that group now looks like this:<br /><br />1. France: 6 points<br />2. Ecuador: 3 points (goal differential of 0)<br />3. Switzerland: 3 points (goal differential of minus 2)<br />4. Honduras: 0 points<br /><br />France will probably finish top of the group, while Switzerland will probably win its last game against Honduras and take second.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-36442887727409670822014-06-20T14:41:27.385-04:002014-06-20T14:41:27.385-04:00So far, the Latin American teams are doing very we...So far, the Latin American teams are doing very well. Colombia, Chile, and Costa Rica have already clinched sports in the knockout rounds, and Mexico is very close to doing so.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-20024454887889239682014-06-20T14:40:09.890-04:002014-06-20T14:40:09.890-04:00Costa Rica stuns Italy, beating them 1-0. That me...Costa Rica stuns Italy, beating them 1-0. That means Costa Rica has clenched a sport in the knockout rounds, while England has been eliminated. Italy and Uruguay will battle for the last spot from Group D. Here are the Group D standings after two rounds of games:<br /><br />1. Costa Rica: 6 points<br />2. Italy: 3 points (goal differential of 0)<br />3. Uruguay: 3 points (goal differential of -1)<br />4. England: 0 points<br /><br />Costa Rica is the biggest pleasant surprise of the tournament so far. England joins Spain as the two biggest disappointments.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-18102773220881644822014-06-19T19:59:12.239-04:002014-06-19T19:59:12.239-04:00Japan and Greece play a dreadful 0-0 draw. So the...Japan and Greece play a dreadful 0-0 draw. So the Group C standings after two rounds of games now look like this:<br /><br />1. Colombia: 6 points<br />2. Ivory Coast: 3 points<br />3. Japan: 1 point (goal differential of minus 1)<br />4. Greece: 1 point (goal differential of minus 3)<br /><br />So Colombia joins Netherlands and Chile as the first three teams to clinch a spot in the knockout rounds.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-20327717073630357262014-06-19T19:39:38.526-04:002014-06-19T19:39:38.526-04:00Both of the Uruguay goals were scored by Luis Suar...Both of the Uruguay goals were scored by Luis Suarez, who plays for Liverpool.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-17923443177205870652014-06-19T19:38:17.046-04:002014-06-19T19:38:17.046-04:00So imagine an England fan who's my age. He co...So imagine an England fan who's my age. He could remember every World Cup back to 1974. Here's what he's seen:<br /><br />1974: England fail to qualify<br />1978: England fail to qualify<br />1982: England win their group and move to a second group stage. They are part of a 3-team group with West Germany and Spain. Both of England's matches end in scoreless draws West Germany beats Spain 2-1 to top the group and move into the semi-finals. England are eliminated without losing a game.<br />1986: England reach the quarterfinals, only to be eliminated by Argentina 2-1 in a game where Argentina scored on a handball.<br />1990: England reach the semi-finals, only to be eliminated by West Germany on penalty kicks.<br />1994: England fail to qualify<br />1998: England reach the last 16, only to be eliminated by Argentina on penalty kicks.<br />2002: England reach the quarterfinals, only to be eliminated by eventual champion Brazil 2-1<br />2006: England reach the quarterfinals, only to be eliminated by Portugal on penalty kicks<br />2010: England reach the last 16, where they are humiliated by Germany 4-1<br />2014: England are eliminated in the group stages<br /><br />Now that is a depressing bit of history, and if you're an Englishman my age, you now have to seriously wonder if you'll live to see England get back to the semi-finals -- much less win the whole thing.<br />GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-70561157836106149602014-06-19T16:54:22.187-04:002014-06-19T16:54:22.187-04:00Every so often, the English decide to go into batt...Every so often, the English decide to go into battle with an English coach. This is always a disaster, because English coaches are terrible. The fundamental problem is that English coaches like to attack, and England doesn't have players who are good at attacking. So when they try to attack, they just give up a bunch of silly goals at the back.<br /><br />Anyway, for the second time in two World Cup games, England came out and fell behind 1-0. Then they tied it up at 1-1. And then their horrific defense gave up an easy goal, and they lost the game 2-1. So Uruguay gets three points, and England are, for all intents and purposes, out of the World Cup.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-20706494155347244902014-06-19T13:58:11.120-04:002014-06-19T13:58:11.120-04:00Colombia has beaten Ivory Coast 2-1 to seize contr...Colombia has beaten Ivory Coast 2-1 to seize control of Group C.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-7047540025467717472014-06-19T13:56:54.309-04:002014-06-19T13:56:54.309-04:00That's a brilliant and very applicable quote. ...That's a brilliant and very applicable quote. But they do have a new king.GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-52262739480759945482014-06-19T12:08:40.854-04:002014-06-19T12:08:40.854-04:00In the wire report that they carried in the Madiso...In the wire report that they carried in the Madisonville <i>Messenger</i> this morning, a Spanish fan was quoted as saying the World Cup was all the country had to celebrate of late--and that now "we have neither bread nor the circus," or something about like that.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-75734982390208459602014-06-19T12:07:03.122-04:002014-06-19T12:07:03.122-04:00In the wire report they carried in the Madisonvill...In the wire report they carried in the Madisonville <i>Messenger</i> this morning, some Spanish fan was quoted as saying that the World Cup was all that his country had to celebrate of late--and that now "we have neither bread nor the circus," or something about like that.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11218278987255792995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-50367821932122562872014-06-18T19:55:26.527-04:002014-06-18T19:55:26.527-04:00Here are the standings in Group B after two rounds...Here are the standings in Group B after two rounds of games:<br /><br />1. Netherlands: 6 points (goal differential of 5)<br />2. Chile: 6 points (goal differential of 4)<br />3. Australia: 0 points (goal differential of minus 3)<br />4. Spain: 0 points (goal differential of minus 6)GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-74999099912282572522014-06-18T19:40:48.641-04:002014-06-18T19:40:48.641-04:00Croatia is blowing out Cameroon; they are up 4-0 i...Croatia is blowing out Cameroon; they are up 4-0 in the 81st minute. So the standings in Group A look like this:<br /><br />1. Brazil: 4 points (goal differential of 2)<br />2. Mexico: 4 points (goal differential of 1)<br />3. Croatia: 3 points<br />4. Cameroon: 0 points<br /><br />Brazil's last game is against Cameroon, so they should top the group. Mexico and Croatia play each other, and the winner of that game will finish in second place. If they draw, Mexico will take second. GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1697242053625998558.post-61148883919211570272014-06-18T17:41:09.283-04:002014-06-18T17:41:09.283-04:00Now that Spain is out, the latest odds to win the ...Now that Spain is out, the latest odds to win the World Cup look like this:<br /><br />Brazil: 3 to 1<br />Germany: 7 to 2<br />Argentina: 7 to 2<br />Netherlands: 8 to 1<br />France: 14 to 1<br />Italy: 16 to 1GoHeathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11122010542579322600noreply@blogger.com