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Hear ye, hear ye! World Cup update!

Colleen
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Colleen

Colleen

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Let's pretend that the primarily-American, primarily-homeschooling, online world is reflective of the larger world in general. With that assumption in place, World Cup news is of interest here.

 

So!

 

We are through group play (32 teams, each of which qualified for the tournament via numerous games played over a two year period). We are through the round of 16. We are on the verge of the quarterfinals.

 

And who is playing in the quarterfinals? Thank you for asking. The slate consists of the very eight teams I picked beforehand. Yes! I correctly picked virtually every single game thus far, including all quarterfinalists: Brazil, Spain, Holland, Germany, Argentina (these were fairly obvious), Uruguay (only an Uruguayan would've made this pick), Ghana (only people who care about an African team doing well on African soil would've made this pick), and Paraguay (only people married to a Swiss guy, with five boys and 160 Jersey cows and a propensity for wine would've made this pick).

 

wOOt.

 

It's a cruel, crazy, beautiful world...It's your world so live in it...(Johnny Clegg & Savuka)

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partyof5

partyof5

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We've got a crazy-fun "pool" going here in our house with my husband at the helm...constantly chasing us down for our pre-game picks! Seriously, he even ordered 3 vuvuzelas that I now endure during each game. I'm sure the neighbors love us--the 8yo can belt out a brain-numbing sound!

 

We love World Cup excitement, and I'm not losing the family pool entirely. I missed on Ghana, but was right on Uruguay & Paraguay! Yay! This weekend will be hard to pick. Brazil v. Holland?! Yikes. Our family is split, which only makes it even more fun to watch the game together with live vuvuzela noise...

 

Here's to a fun few days!!

:)

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1bassoon

1bassoon

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My dog's out of the hunt (Portugal - my dh is Portuguese)

 

HOWEVER - as a side note, I've found it interesting to watch the change come over people I meet in casual settings - especially those working in convenience stores who are not native-born. If I ask them about World Cup - they light up and strike up a spirited conversation. It's been fun, actually.

 

Who should I cheer on, Colleen? (Don't tell me Spain. I just. Can't. Go there. Unless I want to sleep on the couch! ;))

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Mrs Mungo

Mrs Mungo

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My dog's out of the hunt (Portugal - my dh is Portuguese)

 

HOWEVER - as a side note, I've found it interesting to watch the change come over people I meet in casual settings - especially those working in convenience stores who are not native-born. If I ask them about World Cup - they light up and strike up a spirited conversation. It's been fun, actually.

 

Who should I cheer on, Colleen? (Don't tell me Spain. I just. Can't. Go there. Unless I want to sleep on the couch! ;))

 

I think Brazil is going to win. I am looking forward to the games this weekend!

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Heidi @ Mt Hope

Heidi @ Mt Hope

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Remind me....What sport is the world cup, again? :D

 

Is that what I'm supposed to be doing with all of my free time? (I suppose it would be as enlightening as reading Twilight. :lol:) I think I'll cheer on....let's say Argentina since my Dad was born there. May I cheer on a team without actually watching them play?

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Colleen

Colleen

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My dog's out of the hunt (Portugal - my dh is Portuguese)

 

HOWEVER - as a side note, I've found it interesting to watch the change come over people I meet in casual settings - especially those working in convenience stores who are not native-born. If I ask them about World Cup - they light up and strike up a spirited conversation. It's been fun, actually.

 

Who should I cheer on, Colleen? (Don't tell me Spain. I just. Can't. Go there. Unless I want to sleep on the couch! ;))

Well, no, of course you can't go with Spain or Brazil if you're a Portugal fan. Actually, you can't go with any of the favorites. So be crazy and, along with the rest of the African continent, throw yourself behind Ghana.:)
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Colleen

Colleen

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We've got a crazy-fun "pool" going here in our house with my husband at the helm...constantly chasing us down for our pre-game picks! Seriously, he even ordered 3 vuvuzelas that I now endure during each game. I'm sure the neighbors love us--the 8yo can belt out a brain-numbing sound!

Egads! Your own personal vuvuzelas? Out, out, dam* spot!:lol:

 

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Colleen

Colleen

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Remind me....What sport is the world cup, again? :D
Don't be fresh with me, young lady.
Is that what I'm supposed to be doing with all of my free time? (I suppose it would be as enlightening as reading Twilight. :lol:)
You know will be required to do penance for that, don't you?
I think I'll cheer on....let's say Argentina since my Dad was born there. May I cheer on a team without actually watching them play?

Ah, yes, I'd forgotten that tidbit about your father. Yes, cheer for Argentina. I grant you permission to do so without watching them play. And if they win the Cup, you are excused from watching their coach, Diego Maradona, run through the streets of Buenos Aires naked, as he's promised. Now, there are some footballers, current and legendary, whose nude celebrations might be, ah, worthwhile viewing. Diego Maradona does not qualify.

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Lucy in Australia

Lucy in Australia

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Diego Maradona does not qualify.

 

Dear, oh, dear.... No, indeed he does not qualify :eek::eek::eek: That, on its own, is a good enough reason to not support Argentina.

 

As far as I'm concerned, now that ALL MY FAVOURITES have been knocked out, :cursing:I'm firmly behind Ghana. No chance of winning, of course, but there you go...

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1bassoon

1bassoon

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Well, no, of course you can't go with Spain or Brazil if you're a Portugal fan. Actually, you can't go with any of the favorites. So be crazy and, along with the rest of the African continent, throw yourself behind Ghana.:)

 

Alrighty then - Ghana it is! (My brother currently lives in Nigeria, so that gives me an interest, eh?)

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keptwoman

keptwoman

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Gooooooooo Paraguay!!!!!

Yes, with NZ out of the running (no surprise but very proud, they drew with ITALY!!) we must cheer for Paraguay, country of one of our AFS daughters, who incidentally lives in the USA these days. :D

 

DD however, is still quite oblivious that Aussie is out and is proudly wearing her Socceroos shirt and scarf about the place, jolly sell out that she is.

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sagira

sagira

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Dh wants to see Maradona run naked LOL He thinks it's hilarious. This from someone who wanted to go to his college graduation with just his gown, nothing underneath :D In the end he chickened out.

 

Big World Cup fan here! I'm for the Netherlands today! Oranje Boven!

 

My two other favorite teams are Argentina and Germany, so I'll be sad either way on Saturday as I love both teams! I. Can't. Pick! Huge Maradona fan back when I was a little girl in the 80s with my Dad. In fact, one of my first words yelled from the playpen: goooooooooooooooooooooooooolllllll!!!!!!!

 

I was so disappointed when Herr Hotness, Michael Ballack, got injured by Kevin Prince Boateng and is not playing anymore :svengo:: Since he will be watching the game on Saturday, I've been thrilled. He sort of looks like dh, just his hair is darker and his eyes are a bit lighter. Dh has his jersey from four years ago. He has to wear it tomorrow!

 

Woohooooo!!!!! These are going to be such good games! Like FIFA said on Facebook, mouth-watering. I just wish Germany and Argentina would have met each other later, like in the Final. It's a shame :001_unsure:

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chiguirre

chiguirre

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Obviously, I like Brazil (see below). They won the first world cup I watched in '94 and I've been a fan ever since. But I'm tickled pink (or maybe celeste) that Argentina and Uruguay! have gotten this far. Paraguay is a sentimental favorite and I love listening to Jose Luis Chilavert call the games on Univision. I'm very surprised and thrilled to see a SA team in every game of the quarterfinals. This is the first time the Western hemisphere has dominated play. Even Mexico, Chile and our own US team have played well and got into the Round of 16. That's an amazing accomplishment!

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LG Gone Wild

LG Gone Wild

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Odd notes..Johnny Clegg, very interesting.

 

 

Maradona is still playing? Crikey, I remember him from 2 or 3 world cups ago.

 

DS wanted to know why the Mexicans kept cheating. We happened to be watching Mexico vs. Uruguay at a taco shop. He isn't used to seeing grown @ss men pushing, grabbing, and shoving each other from behind OR performing the very entertaining "cry wolf" injuries. His observation brought up the humorous memory of a particularly talented German player known for his theatrics. His play acting was so aggregious that a European newspaper dedicated 2-3 full pages, a step by step guide, on how to perform his signature move.

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hornblower

hornblower

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This year I'm staying blissfully away until the final.

 

I did turn on the cbc stream for a bit just to make sure it was working (because otherwise I'd have to invite myself to someone's house with a 'real' tv on the last day) and I was disappointed about the level of background noise with the horn things.

 

My standard mo when watching soccer is to turn it on & walk way to do something interesting. When the crowd starts to rumble louder, I put my eyeballs back on the screen cause something is going to happen.

 

Otherwise, the endless running back and forth (Jones passes to Smith, Smith passes to Taylor. Intercepted by Schmidt. Schmidt passes to Gothe. Yaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnn. :bored:) drives me mad. Instead I can file papers, plan curriculum, clean out bookshelves, pay bills..... until the cue that I should look at the screen.

 

But with the noise of the vuvuzelas, I might actually have to look at the screen all the time because you can't hear the crowd doing that sharp intake of breath which indicates there's actually something to look at.

 

And I didn't hear any chanting, any singing?

 

BTW, I grew up in a soccer house, I swear it was on all the time, we went to live matches too but I guess somehow it didn't fully take.

 

 

(& Oh heavens, I hadn't heard about Diego Maradona's threats to go starkers. :ohmy: )

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Colleen

Colleen

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I was disappointed about the level of background noise with the horn things....I didn't hear any chanting, any singing?

Yeah, during the first week of group play, the vuvuzelas were driving me bonkers. What an incredibly monotonous noise! I'm able to block them out now, for the most part, but it's a bummer not to hear the usual singing & chanting, like you said.

 

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Mom-ninja.

Mom-ninja.

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Yeah, during the first week of group play, the vuvuzelas were driving me bonkers. What an incredibly monotonous noise! I'm able to block them out now, for the most part, but it's a bummer not to hear the usual singing & chanting, like you said.

 

 

:iagree: The singing/chanting is much better!

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Colleen

Colleen

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Obviously, I like Brazil (see below). They won the first world cup I watched in '94 and I've been a fan ever since. But I'm tickled pink (or maybe celeste) that Argentina and Uruguay! have gotten this far. Paraguay is a sentimental favorite and I love listening to Jose Luis Chilavert call the games on Univision. I'm very surprised and thrilled to see a SA team in every game of the quarterfinals. This is the first time the Western hemisphere has dominated play. Even Mexico, Chile and our own US team have played well and got into the Round of 16. That's an amazing accomplishment!
I had a hunch, coming in, that this would be the case and expected some of the perennial European favorites (Italy, France) to go by the wayside early. My crazy semi-final bracket had three South American teams ~ including predictable Brazil, who this morning lost to the simulating Dutch boys. But this means they'll come back with a vengeance when the Cup is on their home turf.

 

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Colleen

Colleen

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Go Ghana! Go Ghana!

 

I just wish we had cable tv. Haven't gotten to see a game yet, except clips online.

We don't have cable, either. We have a satellite ~ which cost next to nothing to buy it and have it installed ~ and we only have the service turned on for a handful of special events (like the World Cup). So we pay for a month's service and then have it turned off again. I highly recommend going this route.
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sagira

sagira

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Would be great to see Ghana win!!! :D

 

I know ... it probably ain't Ghana happen.

 

:lol:

 

They're doing well against Uruguay, though.

 

Yup, Maradona is coaching now, and almost as much in the spotlight.

 

Hey, poor Arjen Robben his hamstring was injured, and the mean-spirited Mele stamped right on it! He wasn't acting, and I thought he was tough, and played well.

 

Curious: who's the German player who's theatrical? Italy is usually the team known for theatrics.

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Colleen

Colleen

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Poor Ghana. Yes, so sad to see them go ~ and what an ending. I was in tears for them. My 5 year old was bawling. My older guys were angry, griping about how Ghana played the better game and didn't deserve to lose. So many people were behind Ghana, thinking what a story it would be to see an African team finally make it to a World Cup semi ~ and on African soil.

 

Okay, having said all that, I do like Uruguay, and I picked them to be in the semis, so in that respect, I'm happy.

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