By RYAN TOLMICH
The highest scoring World Cup of all time gets back under way Monday, with a trio of games on the schedule from Groups F and G.
The day’s action will be kicked off by international powerhouses Germany and Portugal in one of the group stages’ most star-studded clashes. Despite suffering through an injury scare, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo will be ready to go against the Germans, who the Portuguese have only beaten one time in nine tries in their history.
Up second are Iran and Nigeria, as the Nigerians will start a lineup including Victor Moses, Emmanuel Emenike and Ahmed Musa against the defensively-strong Iranians. Despite not being favorites, both sides could give themselves a chance at moving on to the knockout stages by grabbing all three points in the wake of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s loss to Argentina.
Finally, the U.S. Men’s National Team will finally get their chance to exorcise their Ghanaian demons when they take on the African nation in today’s final matchup. Both sides will view this game as a must-win as, with Portugal and Germany on the horizon, three early points will be necessary in the bid to qualify for the tournament’s later rounds.
If you will be watching today’s matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (TV listings after the jump):
TODAY’S WORLD CUP SOCCER ON TV
12 p.m. – Germany vs. Portugal – ESPN
3 p.m. – Iran vs. Nigeria – ESPN
6 p.m. – Ghana vs. United States – ESPN
Take that, Holland!
its not possible we lose by 4 to germany
Don’t go there.
seriously… if Germany needs 7 goals vs US, they’ll get 9
we did beat there b team….. theres hope
Are you sayin’ we can’t win the cup?!
not with JK as coach
is Muller the German Chicharito?
he scores tons of goals yet not really a goal creator of his own-always right spot, right time
the german wondo*
aha… that’s why JK brought him! to bury all those chances Bedoya and Beckerman will create for him
Chicharito doesn’t score, so no.
Chicharito can’t touch Muller.
The Iberian Peninsula has been outscored 9-1 so far in this World Cup. It’s like they don’t even know what soccer is over there.
Somebody talking about me?
Weird. My comment is gone.
As I was saying, well played. Made me laugh.
I was just thinking the same exact thing!!!!
Yeesh….
this is amazing.
hahahahahahaha
I think Germany has a rule, all players must touch ball with opposite foot before shooting on goal. :0)
Portugal having a meltdown of epic, Fukushima proportions now…. Yikes.
Group of Injury
Pray for our back line!
wow, now Hummels…
the soccer gods love ghana and the usa
I’m getting nervous because portugal looks so bad, they are meant to mean revert next game and that would be a problem for the U.S. Also Germany is barelytrying to score now… it’s almost as if they are avoiding having to score despite Portugal leaving the left flank WIDE open-yet none of the vaunted German central mids want topass there and hit the open wing in stride….
Now Ronaldo has to go the full 90
Germany rather lackadaisical now
I can’t really blame them. They’re up three goals and a man. Finish up and get out of the building without any damage.
OK, Ronaldo now has to dive for 3: himself, Coentrao, and Pepe.
At least they are doing the job of lowering expectations for their next game.
yes, now they will blame their failure on injuries rather than the fact that the show little at full strength.
*they
so they lost Fabio and Almeida to injury and Pepe to red. YIKES.
Now we just need Ronaldo to run himself into the ground trying to prove something, and for Germany to lay two or three more goals down.
Anyone see this yet?
Might be 3rd starter Portugal will be done if FIFA sees it.
https://twitter.com/benny_berger/status/478581970298212352/photo/1
Awww, I just realized its not the middle finger. Dang, unless the forefinger is a thing in Portugal.
I’m guessing it’s Meireles with the double bird after to the ref after Pepe’s red card…for those who can’t access Twitter at work.
*to the ref after
Look at his right hand. Those are his index fingers. Is a double index finger an offensive gesture in Portugal?
Yep I noticed right afterwards. I doubt its a thing.
Rats. I was hoping we would beat Portugal’s A lineup for more bragging rights. They are thinning out rapidly.
kinda sad imma real madrid fan though. but could be a hernia
brutal. Fabio out now too.
now coentrao is down…definite pull of his hamstring or groin
Could they be without Almeida, Coentrau, and Pepe for our match? Cards seem to be falling right (not that I’d wish injury on anyone’s WC).
I’m not sure of what to make of this game is Germany this good or Portugal this bad.
& it also crazy how the Seven Nation Army has caught on internationally
You can thank the Champions League for making that song so popular.
winning, coentreo hurt looks legit
Nani is given further justification for Van Gaal to show him the door. #Horribledisplay. He should be sold to the Miami Heat.
what a meltdown by Pepe.
Pepe is watching the game with Kaka. Should be a pretty clean game from here on out.
Everybody says Germany looks good. They do they support off the ball by getting open and away from defenders….Bipety Bopety Boop.
I think all the concaf teams could still advance. Hoping America beats the crap out of Ghana. For christsakes why do all the teams fall for the 1st pass out of the corner. I think this World Cup is a great opportunity for the Concaf teams. This might be the best top to bottom World Cup since I’ve been alive. I’m 27.
Honduras is a long shot still … and Croatia deserves some ref-love after feeding an underwhelming Brazil; I wouldn’t be too surprised if Mexico falls to both Croatia and Brazil, or ties Brazil and loses out on goal differential. The Ticos looked great, but England and Italy both looked better.
http://nationalreport.net/netherlands-continue-world-cup-despite-doping-scandal/
Did you guys hear about this? Apparently Holland’s players are being charged with doping. Check it out!
That’s the only article I could find on that. I don’t think I believe it.
Well, the original source where I read it was Spanish-based.
Do you read Spanish? I can send you that link as well.
Thanks. Fines only? that’s insane.
consider the source.
the link is to a fake news site. The same site has a story in which Sarah Palin says that soccer fans love terrorists. Real funny stuff. (eye roll)
Good old Fox News.
I am guessing soccer fans are liberal then! hahaha
No problem, I just thought I would share. Neither way, it doesn’t undo that 5-1 score!!
Not this one.
(No need to make this partisan, the more fans the merrier.)
Bipedy Bopity Boop
This World Cup had worse refs.
I missed the first half! I might have to take the month off work … How did Pepe get sent off??
Muller goes down holding his head, Pepe thinks he’s faking so gets in his face and gives a little head butt.
his hand (inadvertently, imo) hit mueller’s face, mueller went down holding his head, and pepe lightly headbutted him. straight red, easy call. so so stupid.
He threw his hand up in the arm on a challenge with Muller for the ball, then when Muller was on the ground, Pepe came up and shouted something in his face and kinda of head butted him.
you know something’s true when 3 sbi commenters say pretty much the same thing.
There is no work getting done here. Trying to control outbursts at work and look busy.
This must be the highest scoring Cup of all time. What are we at, 35 goals thus far?
Anyone know the facts?
Portugal’s flanks look DANGEROUS. Apart from that, I see nothing to worry about.
Germany on the other hand looks killer. The fluid passing, especially in the attack is something to worry about. I predict they will get to the semis against Brazil.
Today is MUST WIN for the USMNT, although I am sure everyone already knows that.
Also I am shocked that there hasn’t been a tie yet. Not One!
Also there has not been a tie game yet in the tournament. There were two ties on the first day in South Africa.
the way this gets better is that Ronaldo can dive twice, get yellows and get suspended from the US game
Germany looks really, really good. Jesus. Any thoughts on how we slow them down?
Yes, beat Ghana and Portugal so neither team needs points…
well in a perfect world, yes.
great point
Make it a scrimmage by qualifying for the next round before playing Germany?
Tim Howard and excellent communication among our center backs. Also, a few borderline red-card tackles from our favorite Germany American, Jones, will do the trick.
keep scoring
God yes… run down that goal difference
I bet Ronaldo is benched in second half to save for US game.
i doubt they give that easy
If they don’t bench him its a monumental mistake.
thats kind of how they are playing, a lot of monumental mistakes, lol
yeah i was thinking the same even before the red, why risk it
because it could come down to goal difference and taking him off guarantee’s two more goals
Good point also 3rd tie breaker is goals scored.
That’s a better point. It’s not that CR will keep goals out (that’s what Costa was subbe in to do), but rather he provides that chance to score with individual brilliance.
Very good point
lol this is amazing
3-0 before halftime. This looks to be getting very out of hand
Ronaldo is gonna cry.
CD7 does not get back very well to defend. I think Germany will take advantage of that A LOT.
This could get ugly…
Pepe should try out for the Raiders. The love talented idiots who blow up team’s chances mid-way through a crucial game.
as a Real Madrid and Raiders fan, this comment hurts.
It’s funny this game is almost partly a Madrid vs. Madrid scrimmage from two years ago with a few extras from Bayern Munich throw in.
the only thing better would have been Pepe collecting red in the USA match. The little head butt at the end was the clincher,surely.
Wow. We’ll be seeing a lot of keep-away now.
Not the German mentality. They will seek to inflict maximum goal punishment.
Guess So.
this has shades of Germany-Saudi Arabia 2002
Portugal definitely not mentally prepared for
This tournament, as of yet…
They are never mentally prepared. They most likely spent half of training entertaining Brazilian co-eds.
I’m predicting further implosion for them. Mental toughness is something Americans take for granted in sports. We are raised with it whereas, Portugal will show us what the oposite of that looks like. Ronaldo knows the odds of his side advancing have plummeted – he should just exaggerate his injury to the doctors and remove himself from the rest of the tournament.
Pepe out vs. US. Almeida out vs. US? Portugal with potentially huge goal differential issues?
What could be better, realistically?