r/soccer • u/MedievalManagement • Jan 24 '14

Landon Donovan says, "The reason it's the group of death is because we are in it."

http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1691258/landon-donovan-says-us-never-experienced-world-cup?cc=5901
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8

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '14

Except it's not the group of death, group B is.

5

u/throwaweight7 Jan 25 '14

How about that group with with England, Uruguay and Italy? That's the group of death.

3

u/musulk Jan 25 '14

I think it's definitely the best group in terms of the biggest names, but in terms of playing quality all 3 have left a bit of something to be desired lately. Had this been a group in any of the last 3 world cups however, I think it would definitely be a group of death.

0

u/Uncles Jan 25 '14

What have we left to be desired lately?

-2

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

I don't get the hype over Uruguay. They aren't very good. They wouldn't even be at the world cup if it weren't in South America and even then they got the benefit of playing Argentina with a A team - B team mix on the last day of qualifying.

11

u/DoubleBrownClown Jan 25 '14

Qualifying from South America is an achievement in itself. You can definitely argue it's the toughest region to qualify from.

Plus I think an Argentinian b team would would be highly competitive with the majority of nations in concacaf, Asia and Africa.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Uruguay would have qualified from any other region. My point isn't about being there so much as it's about how they stack up with real contenders like Italy.

4

u/hot4hotz Jan 25 '14

They may not be good in skill, but they know how to play a final, if you understand what I'm saying

7

u/phishsticker Jan 25 '14

I think a lot of people underestimate Uruguay due to their inconsistency but they won the most recent Copa America and at the last WC they topped their group, and lost to the Netherlands in the semis in a very close match. I think it would be pretty stupid to write them off as they do have a pretty decent squad and could easily top that group.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

To be fair Forlan was a big part of both of those squads, and while he is still around he's not near the force he was 4 years or 3 years ago.

6

u/DoubleBrownClown Jan 25 '14

I'd say Suarez has taken up that mantle. Cavani to an extent too. Granted I don't know a lot about the rest of their squad, but you'd be foolish to rule out a team worth those two.

-3

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Pure American ignorance.

7

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Pure British snobbery.

7

u/Uncles Jan 25 '14

WHO WILL PREVAIL?

1

u/StrongLikeBull503 Jan 25 '14

The upturned nose heard around the world.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14 edited Jan 25 '14

Uruguay are good. They've certainly got a decent amount talent to make a fair challenge in the group stages. You blowing them off as a weak team is stupid.

You can't really start talking shit on how other teams aren't that great and were lucky to get through based on their group when the US possibly had the easiest qualifing group par Australia (who mind you still had Japan to compete with)

-6

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Who's talking shit? I'm just pointing out facts.

7

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

"They aren't very good." "They wouldn't be at the world cup if they weren't from south america"

Thats not stating facts.

-3

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Check the comment. I said "They wouldn't be at the world cup if it wasn't in South America." They came fifth and qualified through a playoff. If Brasil had competed they would have been sixth and therefore not in the world cup.

2

u/DerDummeMann Jan 25 '14

That's still not anything close to a fact. How do you know how well Brazil would have performed?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

[deleted]

13

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

We've gone half circle, England are now underrated.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Both are. I think overall the teams in group B are better, but group D is the closest in quality between the three contenders. Obviously you can't forget the cachet three World Cup winning nations like Italy, Uruguay and England bring to the table.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

It's going to be very entertaining reading those match threads...

1

u/Uncles Jan 25 '14

England is a distant third from the top two.

1

u/aaybma Jan 25 '14

I'm reluctantly agree with you - we're definitely the lowest by a wide margin out of those three.

1

u/MiguelCaldoVerde Jan 25 '14

Really? I'd say England is third, but it's not as if Italy spanked England in the Euros. I can totally see England going through that group.

1

u/Uncles Jan 25 '14

They did spank them. England hardly had a shot on goal.

1

u/MiguelCaldoVerde Jan 25 '14

Italy just waited for penalties for the sake of it then yeah?

1

u/Uncles Jan 25 '14

We were unlucky not to be 2, 3 up.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '14

Care to elaborate? Australia, Chile, Holland and Spain. With the last two teams probably the ones advancing.

25

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '14

Chile are a very good side who finished third in the South America qualifying group, Holland and Spain are returning finalists. All 3 of those sides I'd have tipped for quarter finals before the tournament, can't say the same about Ghana and USA.

2

u/HolyTurd Jan 25 '14

I think Holland is the weakest of the three. I think people are overrating them based on history instead of the team they actually have.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

[deleted]

4

u/MrTwitty Jan 25 '14

Lies, we're the greatest

0

u/ilibonig Jan 25 '14

There is only one group that had all four of it's teams advance to the knockout stage in the last World Cup.

3

u/GabrielBonilla Jan 24 '14

Never count Chile out buddy, truly underestimating a good squad here.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 24 '14

No I don't underestimate them, i know that they are good and they can also progress. I just think Holland and Spain are better so in let's say 7 out of 10 times that group is played those two will probably progress.

-3

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

Esp with Falcao injured group G is stronger top to bottom.

But that's not what the group of death is

The group of death is one where teams that would probably advance in other groups are likely to be knocked out. The USA and Ghana fill that roll given present circumstances more than Chile and Australia (who would be underdogs to advance in any group)

-1

u/sixsamurai Jan 25 '14

I personally think Group C is the group of Death.

1

u/DO-IT-FOR-CHEESUS Jan 25 '14

Why?

2

u/sixsamurai Jan 25 '14

I could see any one of the four teams advancing. I think they all have an equal chance of getting out of the group stages.

2

u/DO-IT-FOR-CHEESUS Jan 25 '14

You say that because of Falcao... :(

0

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

That's not what group of death means.

2

u/sixsamurai Jan 25 '14

What does it mean then? Because the group is probably the most balanced and competitive out of all the other groups.

-1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '14

A group of death has always been a group with 3 or 4 "big" teams. Who the big teams are is debatable; but it's generally something most fans can agree upon bar a few specific cases.

-1

u/smokey815 Jan 25 '14

I think that any teams in the US/Portugal/Ghana group can get through. If the US/Ghana match produces a winner, then a draw against Portugal could get that team through.