World Cup 2014

[Thanas]

China approves

[Lagmonster]

It really looked, in the second half, that Germany was really trying NOT to score. At least two instances my wife suggested that it looked like the Germans just...stopped, when they could have easily pressed home another goal. I can't decide whether or not it would be better or worse for Brazil if that were true.

[Thanas]

We weren't trying anymore, as evidenced when we substituted our best defender at half time and brought in our substitutes.

[Spekio]

Pedantic comments like this are stupid. Plain and simple. "Football" does not just refer the sport you identify it with. Multiple sports are classified as "football", including rugby, American football, Canadian football, Austrailian football, and what the Americans call soccer. However, soccer isn't an American term. The formal name is association football, and soccer originated as English shorthand for it.

So soccer is actually a correct and more specific term to call association football than the general "football". You correcting him is like if you told me an apple was correctly called "fruit". If you're going to be a pedant, then use "association football" next time, but know you're only rejecting an abbreviation.

Yes, because a post that begins with "Fixed" and has two smileys was not intended to be facetious.

[Thanas]

Actually, I got to hand it to this guy here:

http://i.imgur.com/OzDvvaw.png

This was the replica he took to all the WC finals (Apparently he is somewhat famous and follows the Brazil team whereever they go). After the semi-finals he gave it to a German fan and said that they deserved it and wished them good luck.

Sportsmanship and class.

[Thanas]

But even more importantly:

On 30 April 2005, while playing for Werder Bremen, Klose refused to accept a penalty given against Arminia Bielefeld due to it being incorrect. He was later given a fair play award for his actions.

At the end of September 2012, Klose scored a goal using his hand for Lazio against Napoli. Klose admitted this to the referee, who then took back his decision for the goal, spared Klose from a yellow card and shook his hand.

[Crown]

So ... any predictions for tonight?

[Captain Seafort]

8-0 to the Dutch.

[Crown]

There's a romantic in me that doesn't want to see a European team win a World Cup on South American soil, at the same time I would love to see the Dutch to finally win a World Cup and yet, it's clear that Germany are the team at this tournament that deserve it.

*and breathe*

[Welf]

Do we know if Thanas is still conscious?

Quick, someone remind him that best German scorer that dethroned Müller is Gastarbeiter!

He is a German. Only racists dispute that.

It's not that easy to label Klose as German. Here the arguments:

contra:
-Klose speaks polish at home (according to wikipedia)
-he said he considers himself an "European", not only German
-he married a woman from Poland

pro:
-he shots goals in the national team

So yeah, he definitely is German

Actually, I got to hand it to this guy here:

http://i.imgur.com/OzDvvaw.png

This was the replica he took to all the WC finals (Apparently he is somewhat famous and follows the Brazil team whereever they go). After the semi-finals he gave it to a German fan and said that they deserved it and wished them good luck.

Sportsmanship and class.

That is a classy move.

[Elheru Aran]

It's a hard game to call regarding Netherlands and Argentina. Both are good teams to have gotten this far (with the disastrous exception of Brazil. Seriously, WTF happened? Losing Neymar can't have been that bad). I foresee the match being decided by either 1-0 or penalties, as at 38 minutes right now it's still 0-0. Which side? Now that's the real question...

[Purple]

If ever there was a boring game than this is it.

[Tribun]

If Argentina plays like this in the finale, then goodnight for them. Damn, was this shitty as hell.

[Thanas]

It's not that easy to label Klose as German.

Very easy. What does it say in his passport?

[Spekio]

Fuck.

[Purple]

It's not that easy to label Klose as German.

Very easy. What does it say in his passport?

Fuck.

So tempted to take this out of context and put it in my signature.

[Block]

Fair result, looked like that goal that was called back for offside was a wrong call by the assistant ref. I think Mascherano completely controlled the midfield for the most part, and made it a bit ugly on purpose.

[Lord Relvenous]

Pedantic comments like this are stupid. Plain and simple. "Football" does not just refer the sport you identify it with. Multiple sports are classified as "football", including rugby, American football, Canadian football, Austrailian football, and what the Americans call soccer. However, soccer isn't an American term. The formal name is association football, and soccer originated as English shorthand for it.

So soccer is actually a correct and more specific term to call association football than the general "football". You correcting him is like if you told me an apple was correctly called "fruit". If you're going to be a pedant, then use "association football" next time, but know you're only rejecting an abbreviation.

Yes, because a post that begins with "Fixed" and has two smileys was not intended to be facetious.

Yeah that doesn't make it any less stupid.

[Lagmonster]

In regards to Argentina being in the finals, my Portuguese soccer-obsessed coworker says, "Expletive, expletive, gibberish roar unintelligible throaty wailing expletive".

[Irbis]

Very easy. What does it say in his passport?

Yeah, in field 'place of birth'. What does it say? I'd also point out the 'Mirosław Marian' part of his name, but that was changed by authorities without his consent. I agree, full Deutsch there.

Also, can you find one place where Klose said he is German, because as far as I am aware he made a point to not do so, at least speaking to Polish press. Hell, he couldn't even speak German at 10, when his family emigrated there, and would have played for Poland if not irrational xenophobia of PZPN at the time (link - "Best if you considered me European, not German citizen").

Though, I must say I like German butthurt at Wikipedia, info he considers himself 'European' instead and speaks Polish at home was there for long time until yesterday when edit war to remove that began

[salm]

Very easy. What does it say in his passport?

Yeah, in field 'place of birth'. What does it say? I'd also point out the 'Mirosław Marian' part of his name, but that was changed by authorities without his consent. I agree, full Deutsch there.

Also, can you find one place where Klose said he is German, because as far as I am aware he made a point to not do so, at least speaking to Polish press. Hell, he couldn't even speak German at 10, when his family emigrated there, and would have played for Poland if not irrational xenophobia of PZPN at the time (link - "Best if you considered me European, not German citizen").

Though, I must say I like German butthurt at Wikipedia, info he considers himself 'European' instead and speaks Polish at home was there for long time until yesterday when edit war to remove that began

So, do his Polish roots mean that we should think that his record and goals are somehow worth less, or something?

[Thanas]

Very easy. What does it say in his passport?

Yeah, in field 'place of birth'. What does it say? I'd also point out the 'Mirosław Marian' part of his name, but that was changed by authorities without his consent. I agree, full Deutsch there.

Are you a fucking racist or why are you unable to come to terms with the fact that somebody is German if he is a German passport holder? Is German some sort of category that dictates blood and place of birth is important (and Poles are excluded)? Or skin colour? Or religion? Or first language? Do you mean poles can never become Germans or vice versa? Why not? What makes them unable of becoming Germans? Is there some special trait that makes them unable to become Germans? Same inherent Germanness quotient they fail to fulfill?

WTF is this shit? Has your account been hijacked by the NPD?

German is whoever choses to be German by citizenship. Full stop. The other stuff is nationalistic nonsense, which I'd expect from the CSU and NPD. He plays for our team and I will cheer for him as a German, just as I cheer for Özil, Boateng, Khedira and Podolski. All of them chose to be German, they deserve to have their choices respected and not questioned by racists on the internet.

For fucks sake, our society has transformed into a multicultural one. Fuck you and anybody else who thinks we should start excluding people because they had the misfortune of them or their parents being born elsewhere.

Or is this just another case of Polish small penis syndrome, trying to go "nuuh he is really Polish"? Well, you had your chance to get him and did pass. So GTFO.

[mr friendly guy]

China approves

I wonder how well European soccer, er I mean football teams promote themselves overseas particularly to countries like China where the sport is not that popular. Anyway congrats to the Germans, I totally did not see that coming.

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And with the controversy over Klose, is there some bullshit ethnicity or nationalistic thing going on here that an Australian from a country which doesn't have "failed multiculturalism" won't get? Because as far as I can tell, he has a German citizenship, then he is German even if he was born overseas. That's like saying Zinedine Zidane isn't French because his parents were born in Algeria.

[Thanas]

And with the controversy over Klose, is there some bullshit ethnicity or nationalistic thing going on here that an Australian from a country which doesn't have "failed multiculturalism" won't get?

Beats me, the whole thing is beyond surreal.

Because as far as I can tell, he has a German citizenship, then he is German even if he was born overseas. That's like saying Zinedine Zidane isn't French because his parents were born in Algeria.

Indeed.

[DaveJB]

Where Klose was born means precisely dick when you consider that FIFA's regulations regarding family members give players a lot of latitude in which country they choose to play for. Hell, I've lived in England my entire life, yet I'd be eligible to play for both Wales and the Republic of Ireland if I had become a footballer.