Tuesday, July 1, 2014 
Issue #6.2.1 "Chalk! : Belgium Craft Beer"
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ALL GROUP WINNERS ADVANCE; EXCITING EXTRA TIMES
EEChick, The Mighty Mobelfakta, and TheSpecialOneLA tied for 1st; 30 still alive

LIVERPOOL, NY (smt) -- For all the criticism that soccer is the beautiful game and any team can win since it's so low scoring, for the first time ever, all 8 Group winners advanced to the Quarterfinals.  But they all got there in exciting ways with 15 of the 18 goals scored in the Round of 16 occurring in the 2nd half or extra time including two games where 3 goals were scored in the 30-minute extra time.  Luckily the endings have been great so with my limited time to catch games, if I can catch the last dozen minutes or so, it's great.  Whether I'm watching listening to the penalty kick shoot-out (PSO) on the Kidz Spot's speakers on their grand opening, watching our neighbors to the south implode on my Moto X in one of  many ice cream shops in Cooperstown, or watching Team USA rally at a local red-white-and-blue bar with my co-workers as a nice break of a 14-hour workday, this has been a great World Cup.

The first day was all about South America as four of the five teams played.  2B-Chile rallied to tie host 1A-Brazil but in the PSO, BRA jumped to a 2-0 lead and held on 3-2 when CHI hit the post on their 5th attempt (I mean, the bounced across the face of the goal and went out of bounds -- missed it by inches).  With Luis Suarez suspended for nine matches for biting, 2D-Uruguay succumbed to 1C-Colombia and James Rodriguez's brace.

The second day was all about CONCACAF or more accurately, watching them blow a lead.  2A-Mexico were a few minutes in regulation of securing their first quarterfinal appearance in six tries when the 1B-Dutch stunned them with two goals in just over five minutes, the latter on a penalty kick (a soft foul but needless tackle).  NED became the 7th team to allow the first goal and come from behind to win, the first since Match 26.  MEX picked up 2 yellow cards and wasted 2-3 minutes arguing the call which ate into the 6' of extra time added.  Fellow CONCACAF-mate 1D-Costa Rica were into stoppage time when 2C-Greece tied the match.  GRE played the last 54' up a man and had their chances.  But into the exciting PSO we went as the first seven players nailed their PKs but GRE's 4th attempt was saved which allowed CRC's Michael Umana to win it with CRC's 5th straight PK.  I was watching outside the Baseball Hall of Fame at one of the many ice cream shops they have at Cooperstown.

The third day was all about the African fight.  2F-Nigeria played well but 1E-France broke through with a 79' goal and added insurance on an own goal in stoppage time.  2H-Algeria held 1G-Germany scoreless for regulation but in the extra time, GER scored twice but ALG still had fight putting one back in the 120'+2' and a weak header easily picked up in the last seconds.  The 9 African/Asian teams went 3-20-6.

The fourth day was all about absorption.  Both teams that sat back and let the opponent come to them eventually succumbed.  1H-Belgium rattled off 38 shots with 27 of them on goal (including 16 saves by 2G-USA's Tim Howard, the most in 50 years) but was scoreless after regulation.  1F-Argentina fired off 29 shots with 22 of them on goal but was also scoreless after regulation.  With the SUI minutes away from PKs, Lionel Messi once again decided to show up and blew through the middle of attacking defenders before laying off a perfect pass for the game-winning goal.  But then SUI had a chance and somehow the player missed --- twice.  First off a header that went off the post and as he was falling towards to goal, the ball ricocheted off him not into the net, but wide left.  Very hard to do.  But not as hard as trying to put a simple tap in over the bar like USA's Wondo that would've won the game in stoppage time. 

Howard was heroic but even a stuck clock is right twice a day and BEL managed to finally break through with two goals in the first half of extra time (poor Matt Besler who contributed two gaffes for the two goals).  But then it was USA's youngest member Julian Green with his first World Cup and hit it first time from a great over the top pass by Michael Bradley (one of the few things Michael Bradley did right this whole WC) for a goal.  The U.S. then had a great designed set play (do those even exist in soccer??) that except for a bad first touch by Clint Dempsey (that was tough to handle in such a small space), nearly tied the match in incredible fashion.  Of course, we had to play one of the, if not the best young GK in the WC.  But alas, it wasn't meant to be as BEL deserved to win (not playing for a 1-0 win but still attacking and getting that 2nd goal) but USA did not give up, and that was great to see (it almost seemed like putting in the inexperienced Green was raising the white flag, but what a move).  In fact, a couple co-workers left after it was 2-0 (okay, part of the reason why was they were already late for a meeting but they were just casual fans anyway!) while a few of us stuck it out, and we were rewarded by inspired play.  Too bad it took 105 minutes.  And it stings that CRC is in the quarters but we (or MEX) aren't.

In the pool, EEChick1400 and TheSpecialOneLA got 6 of 8 winners correct to move into a tie for first with The Mighty Mobelfakta (88 pts).  Neyssinaldo2 (6th-T, 86), Gailpants2 (16th-T, 82), and Klinsi Raus (25th-T, 80) also got 6 correct.  Striker 7 (66th, 66 <--boy, lots of 6's), Briana505 (69th-T, 62), El Russo (72nd, 62), Belgium Craft Beer, and Muffi got just 2 of 8 correct with the latter two tied for last place (55).  70 each picked BRA and ARG into the quarters while just 6 picked NED and no one picked CRC. 

Finally, after cooperation with my laptop and re-writing the code from Euro 2012 (boy did that give me headaches all week long), I finally have the list of who is eliminated and who still has a chance to win money.  There will be 4 prizes for 1st-4th plus the Bonus (hopefully allocated later this week before I go back to Syracuse, or since it's soccer related, Liverpool, NY).  BigBlue (6th-T) has the most opportunities to win 1st (28.1%) and money (42.2%).  EEChick1400, TheSpecialOneLA, and On Striker (8th-T, 85) all have >10% to win 1st.  While yours truly (Futbol Fabone Five (4th-T, 87)) is the highest entry that can't win 1st, Rainman (10th-T, 84) is the highest entry that can't win any of the top 4 prizes.  Sisyphus86 (36th-T, 75) is the lowest placed entry that can still win 1st and Fotografo Vecchio and Kona Coast Sliders Deux are the lowest placed entries that can still win money (both 47th-T, 73).  My other entry, Let It Goal! (21st-T, 81) is the highest entry with the wrong champion (ESP) that can still (3 of 128 possible outcomes) win 1st.  In fact of the 30 entries still alive for money, that is the only one who has already picked the wrong champion.  Crazy.

This is probably the tightest pool race we've seen which has mirrored the exciting WC thus far.  With the champ worth 14 pts, 46 are within 14 pts of the leaders.  But there's still the Bonus!  More details to come... Check here if you forgot who you picked.

This year, Sammy is once again provide biting commentary (the once Landon lover and now a hater) with his daily matchday "PANDO! or GORDO?" newsletters (his 3rd straight pool doing it).  Also, following his successful HWCI EURO Pool newsletter, Eric's "Foster's Football Brew" is back and he is actually at the World Cup now to provide insights on the ground.  If anyone else wants to contribute, let me know.  Anyone else going to Brazil and want to send pictures or mini-reports?

The best way to keep up with the pool is to follow @HWCI_Pools on Twitter or visit the #HWCIwc hashtag (you don't need Twitter account to view) often for daily updates.  Less often will be our Facebook group page (post comments or organize viewing parties) and then these newsletters every 4 days or so.  But I intend to update the standings at the end of every matchday.

   SIDES 'N KICKS:  [56 matches] Goals: 154 (2.75/match) (Own: 5 (1-CROvBRA, 10-HONvFRA, 11-BIHvARG, 46-GHAvPOR, 53-NGAvFRA); Subs: 30)... Scoring First: 37-8-6 (5 0-0 tie; 1-CRO, 3-ESP, 6-JPN, 7-URU, 9-ECU, 15-ALG, 26-HON, 51-MEX)... Lead at Half: 20-4-2 (30 ties; 6-JPN, 8-URU, 9-ECU, 15-ALG)... Shutout: 29 (2-CMR, 5-GRE, 10-HON, 12-IRN, 12-NGA, 13-POR, 17-BRA, 17-MEX, 18-CMR, 19-ESP, 22-JPN, 22-GRE, 24-ITA, 27-IRN, 28-BIH, 31-RUS, 35-AUS, 36-CHI, 39-ITA, 40-CRC, 40-ENG, 41-HON, 42-ECU, 42-FRA, 46-USA, 47-KOR, 50-URU, 53-NGA, 55-SUI)... ET (GF/GA): 5 (49-BRAvCHI (0/o), 52-CRCvGRE (0/0), 54-GERvALG (2/1), 55-ARGvSUI (1/0), 56-BELvUSA (2/1))...  PSO: 2 (49-BRAvCHI (3/2[5]), 52-CRCvGRE (5/3[4.5]))... PK: 10/11 (1-BRA, 3-ESP, 7-URU, 10-FRA, 13-GER, 15-ALG, 20-AUS, 25-fra, 37-COL, 38-GRE, 51-NED)... Red Card (Goals For/Against): 10 (8-URUvCRC (94+' 0/0), 10-HONvFRA (43' 2Y 0/3), 13-PORvGER (37' 0/2), 18-CMRvCRO (40' 0/3), 22-GREvJPN (38' 2Y 0/0), 34-CROvMEX (89' 0/0), 39-ITAvURU (59' 0/1), 42-ECUvFRA (50' 0/0), 47-BELvKOR (45' 1/0), 52-CRCvGRE (0/1))... Multiples: 13 (Neymar (2) 2G (1-BRA, 33-BRA), Robin Van Persie 2G (3-NED), Arjan Robben 2G (3-NED), Karim Benzema 2G (10-FRA), Thomas Müller 3G (14-GER), Mario Mandzukic 2G (18-CRO), Luis Suarez 2G (23-URU), Enner Valencia 2G (26-ECU), Jackson Martinez 2G (37-COL), Xherdan Shaqiri 3G (41-SUI), Lionel Messi 2G (43-ARG), James Rodriguez 2G (50-COL))... Goal line technology: FRA G (48')... Regions: UEFA (13 teams) 22-15-8, CONMEBOL (6) 14-3-4, CAF (5) 3-11-3, AFC (4) 0-9-3, CONCACAF (4) 5-6-4 ... Water Break (>89.6F, 30' each half):  2 (30-USAvPOR 39' @Manaus (unofficial), 50-NEDvMEX 30' & 75' @ Fortelaza)... NED's Klaas Jan Huntelaar 90'+4 PK goal was the first sub to score in 11 matches... 6 of 8 R16 matches were scoreless at halftime... 67 picked GER, 40 FRA, 28 BEL, 25 COL... GER has made 16 straight quarterfinals...

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Where were you when USA lost?  At Tulley's in Liverpool (NY) with some of my-coworkers...
Scott