What's great in these Cup moments is when teams from different continents face one another.

Algeria played against Germany without the kind of complex a European team would have shown.
I was puzzled at first, wondering whether their stamina wouldn't wither too early, but no, they were up for the task.

Neuer playing so high as a sweeper, as !@#$%! said, my eyes bulged.
Someone please lob him in the quarter.

Politics now: when Algeria got through the group stages, some demonstrations of joy here and there in France lead to the police arresting people being excessively violent (burning cars, looting shops). This made the news here. Which prompted the National Front leader to demand that immigration stopped. But she can't top Ann Coulter.
In the South of France, in Nice, the mayor published a decree to make sure noone would hand an Algerian flag at his/her window (I bet it wasn't restricted to Algeria, any non French flag, but the target was the Algerian community). Ridiculous. In my hometown, during the Euro, there were Portugese flags down a few streets, noone's ever complained.

I guess most people are happy here that Algeria didn't make it, fearing animosity in the aftermath of the game.

I'll try to watch the US face Belgium.
Haven't seen your team play a whole game yet.
I have no idea what the backline looks like, apart from DaMarcus (how I liked him in his younger days). I'd really like to see how Zusi plays.

watching argentina for 90 minutes has been an exercise in frustration

props to switzerland for defending well, but... COME ON!

BOrefest for sure.

it got hotter near the end but the clock won.

Was there some kind of conspiracy to make this the most BORING Round of 16 in WORLD CUP HISTORY?? What the fuck yo, its worse than watching the worst teams play in the fucking Gold Cup ;)

I swear Martinique vs Canada would blow away like the past FOUR matches!!

FINALLY. Thank God another boring fucking game didn't end in kicks! Seriously this has been so damned boring, the only good match was Brazil-Mexico, and even the second half of that was totally fucking boring to shit...

Difficult to disagree but the last 5 mins were pretty mental. and as a basketball fan, shouldn't you be used to games that only actually come to life in the last few moments?

Massively harsh on Switzerland. The game (and pretty my argentina's tournament so far) was summed up by Di Maria's goal. Provided by their best player for probably the most disappointing player in the tournament to benefit.

This difference between a basketball game going to the buzzer and these cera-a-cero borefests is that in a basketball game there were upwards of 200-240 points scored back and forth BEFORE crunch time ;)




And this happens between 10 and 20 times leading up to it!

when canada has something like that messi-di maria combo and can stand up to someone like shaqiri i'll take you seriously

argentina's i think is a coach problem though

One more hour until the Library heads to the Rockwell Pavillion to watch USA/Belgium!

my cuz just posted this up. This novela is over the top(wait...what novela isn't?)....but this picture is hilarious.

Di Maria ran the whole time like a rabbit and in the end seemed to be the only Argentinian on the attack. He deserves a gold medal for today. I don't recall anyone else having more attempts than him.

Not sure that Switzerland deserved better. Argentina dominated the 2nd half, Switzerland came back briefly in overtime but then gambled on penalties.

Also peculiar the ref gives no stoppage time at the end of the first half but at the end of the second overtime suddenly 3 minutes are required? Oh ha ha ha. Hm…

The Argentinian attack continues to be a mess though. Poor as a team, overcome only by individual brilliance. Again, I think Sabella is lacking. But Switzerland defended very well in their area and their gigantic keeper was very good-- I forget his Italian last name right this second.


HILARIOUS

And yet the results are the same as if it were any shit CONCACAF teams, 1-0 ;)

Meh, I could careless about talent on paper when it doesn't show up on the pitch. Be HONEST, how is watching 130 minutes of NO SCORING even remotely entertaining?? I mean, I love futbol, but I don't think ANYBODY loves that boring shit!

teh game was mega-frustrating but as usual you're looking at the surface.

argentina didn't fail to score for lack of trying. messi would have 3 men on top of him constantly. are they lacking cohesion? for damn fucking sure. are they terrible? no way.

strangely enough, this has been the best argentinian match of the world cup-- once they start cooking with gas you'll have to hide under the table because an earthquake is coming.

then again maybe sabella fucks it up.

I like no score or late scoring matches. The tension just builds and builds and builds! That is part of sport!

"I do not like basketball. Any sport where you can score 100 points and still lose makes no sense." - Tom Hanks.

Messi's pass was amazing though. Froze up the Swisssssss

You mad? There's only been two bad games. Brazil/Chile was great and so was Germany/Algeria. I guttingly missed the Columbia game so I can;t comment on that one.

Yeah, I'm exaggerating a bit, but all these 80 minutes 0-0 stretches are getting on my nerves..



Its true because I didn't even turn this game on until overtime BUT my point remains valid, 0-0 matches are boring. Yes, there is the obvious tension, but that same tension is there in 1-1 or even 1-0 matches as well, indeed its amplified.


Sorry, try harder. IF you're truly the best player in the world, fucking score a goal brah, its your job. For example, the Miami Heat may have just lost the Championship, but to be clear, the best player in the NBA was also the highest scoring, most assist, most rebounding player in that series. Even though Heat lost, Lebron did his job. Messi? I'm just not seeing it no matter how many "on-goal" kicks he has, because the point of futbol is to put at least some of those kicks through the goal no?




If you say so. I can appreciate the nuances and subtleties of a low-scoring futbol match as much as the next guy, BUT this is the Round of 16, these are some of the best teams in the world, I expect at least SOME scoring yo ;)


If Argentina couldn't score against the Swiss, they should be careful to think they are favorites. For all the no-scoring games that have happened, the Argentinians did the worst (the French, Dutch, and Germans all managed to pile on a few quick goals at the end of their scoreless matches meanwhile Argentina was a posted on-goal kick by the Swiss away from going to penalty kicks or did you forget that part, hence why scoring goals is important, Argentina scores two goals that Swiss chance never happens)

colombia was awesome! i hope you catch a recording.


i won't dignify that with an answer


i don't think they are. they have a lot of individual quality but as a team they're still a no go. if they shape up in time though...