FIFA World Cup 2014 - GROUP A [Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon - 12/13/17/18/23 June] **spoilers**

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Before I dare to turn on, is there a single vuvuzela sound being made?

Oh god that just reminded me of Africa 2010, shocking world cup. Shocking football, shocking noise. Probably the worst world cup i watched so far.

 

[Azza]

Anyone got a copy of Rosetta Stone handy?

 

[manic111]

I'M SO EXCITED

 

[Azza]

These anecdotes.

 

[Azza]

Brazil XI: Júlio César; Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo; Luis Gustavo, Paulinho; Oscar, Hulk, Neymar; Fred.





Croatia XI: Pletikosa; Srna, Ćorluka, Lovren, Vrsaljko; Modrić, Rakitić, Perišić, Brozović; Olić, Jelavić.

 

[manic111]

No Mandzukic? Injured?

Not a bad Croatia team though. Rakitic and Modric are obviously the stars, but Perisic also knows his way round a football.

 

[Azza]

Brozović will be worth a watch like. Hint hint Roberto.

 

[McBain]

Oh ffs Luiz, my bet on Brazil suddenly doesn't fill me with confidence.

 

[Andybtsn]

Corluka..

 

[Clipsey]

I'M SO EXCITED

Got every Tv at work tuned in to the game!! Can see a Croatia goal sneaking in early!

 

[Azza]

Full team sheet.

 

[Andybtsn]

Oh ffs Luiz, my bet on Brazil suddenly doesn't fill me with confidence.

To be fair he was superb when Brazil won the Confederations Cup

 

[Pighardia]

Oh ffs Luiz, my bet on Brazil suddenly doesn't fill me with confidence.

Their defense is very good!

 

[Andybtsn]

Is your team wrong Azza?

Mateo Kovacic is brilliant on FM

 

[McBain]

Their defense is very good!

They're going to have to be as they're carrying a liability at centre half.

 

[Azza]

Is your team wrong Azza?

Mateo Kovacic is brilliant on FM

That's what Ben Smith (BBC) just posted on Twitter. Looks like Kovacic is starting rather than Brozović.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Brazil are a very over-rated team imo. Semi-finals would be my prediction for them. They have one great player in their team and thats T. Silva, Unless Neymar has an outstanding WC i dont think they will win it.

 

[V F]

There's probably been better produced village fetes than that! Just dire from start to finish.

Least the tournament can only go up from there.

It took them over a week to deal with those shoddy pipe things in Africa. Despite all the complaining.

 

[manic111]

Brazil are a very over-rated team imo. Semi-finals would be my prediction for them. They have one great player in their team and thats T. Silva, Unless Neymar has an outstanding WC i dont think they will win it.

There are so few genuinely excellent teams in the competition though. Brazil are a much better balanced team than Argentina, are more solid than Spain, and are less of an unknown quantity than Germany. They also have home advantage (albeit they need to deal with the pressure that provides).

My money's on Spain again for the tournament, but it's a really tough one to call.

 

[Pighardia]

My money's on Spain again for the tournament, but it's a really tough one to call.

I've gone out on a limb and got Spain not to get out of their group!