The best World Cup?

[TBM]

For me this has probably been the best World Cup I've watched. Admittedly I only remember it from 86 but from a neutral perspective it's the most exciting one I've watched - I actually feel depressed it's ended

Agree? Disagree?

[Libertine]

It was one of the better ones I have seen. Drama, plucky underdogs punching above their weight, heavyweights failing spectacularly. One thing I won't miss is having to watch this thoroughly fucking annoying Gatorade commercial they played over and over again here in the States...featuring Messi, David Luiz and Sergio Ramos all "succeeding".

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

It was one of the better ones I have seen. Drama, plucky underdogs punching above their weight, heavyweights failing spectacularly. One thing I won't miss is having to watch this thoroughly fucking annoying Gatorade commercial they played over and over again here in the States...featuring Messi, David Luiz and Sergio Ramos all "succeeding".

that commercial was god awful! youre talking about the oxf*rd bipity bopity boo one right? that and the go you chicken fat one annoyed the hell out of me.

[USA_Loyal_Royal]

just saw the link you posted with your comment.

as if america didnt need more reasons to call football players grass fairies.

i cant tell you how many times i was called that growing up playing football.

[Libertine]

Ahhhh, the iPhone ad. Nawwww, that is infinitely more annoying than the Gatorade one. That one is all over the airwaves. Baseball, football, any program having to do with sports there is that fucking commercial. The next product that enables you to do anything/everything/the impossible. Please make it fucking stop...

[Libertine]

It was one of the better ones I have seen. Drama, plucky underdogs punching above their weight, heavyweights failing spectacularly. One thing I won't miss is having to watch this thoroughly fucking annoying Gatorade commercial they played over and over again here in the States...featuring Messi, David Luiz and Sergio Ramos all "succeeding".

that commercial was god awful! youre talking about the oxf*rd bipity bopity boo one right? that and the go you chicken fat one annoyed the hell out of me.

Yep. Just drink Gatorade and you'll score a ton of goals, save the day and win the tournament. Let's check how that worked out for David Luiz, and also the Spanish team they featured. So Luiz can thank Gatorade for his wonderful performances, especially against Germany? Ummmmmmm, thanks but no thanks, I'll pass on it...lol. Plus they had Donovan in that commercial. He didn't even fucking make the US squad.

[Royal Ginger]

For me this has probably been the best World Cup I've watched. Admittedly I only remember it from 86 but from a neutral perspective it's the most exciting one I've watched - I actually feel depressed it's ended

Agree? Disagree?

Yep, group stages were easily the best I can remember. The dull knock-out stages were on par with most tournaments, but even they had their moments. Fantastic world cup.

[Reading4eva]

Never seen the Gatorade one?

[sandman]

Flamin' Americans talking about "commercials". Stop ruining football you bunch of grass fairies.

[Bandini]

I think I slightly preferred 98, but that was because I watched pretty much every match then (I even enjoyed most of 90 on that basis), whereas on this occasion real life intervened. But it was definitely really good.

[PieEater]

I think it probably was one of the best, slightly tinted by the irritating and lame ITV theme music - Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil.

Somehow the totally shit Italia 90 seems better with the operatic theme music.

[Pepe the Horseman]

I liked it.

[Ouroboros]

I think it's the best major tournament since I started watching in 1990, though I think the disappointing knock-out stages put paid to any idea that it might challenge 1970 or 1982.

I know I'm OT of the OP here, but the best tournament I've seen up until now was Euro 2000. Two spectacular games involving Spain, lots of goals being scored against England, a dramatic semi-final bewteen France and Portugal ending in a massive Portugal meloltdown and a good final with the right winner in the end.

But 2014 was better.

[Handsome Man]

Italia 90 was the best that I remember: it makes a massive difference if England are one of the best teams. The stunning dreadfulness of Hodgson and England was ever-present throughout this tournament no matter how much I enjoyed all the games: every well-coached defence was a dagger through my soul.

[stealthpapes]

I thought up until the last R16 game it had been superb. Only one stinker (Iran-Nigeria) and even though there'd been no upsets in the first knockout round, the Algeria and US games had been tense, there'd been some cracking goals, extra time had tended to mean more excitement, and it kept up the level of football. QFs? Dull. SFs? Brutal and boring, respectively.

Best World Cup I can remember in an age, though.



Shared love for Euro2000, also a big fan of 1994 and 2008. I think Euros tend to be better tournaments because of the distillation of 10-12 good teams into 16, while the world cup is 12-14 into 32.

[Starfish]

Agree that the group stages were great but I really lost my love for this WC in the Q-Fs. Still, a good one. My favourite remains 1982, possibly because it was the first that I watched as many games of as I could, and I think 1994 edges the World Cups from the last 20 years.

[Whore Jackie]

I thought up until the last R16 game it had been superb. Only one stinker (Iran-Nigeria) and even though there'd been no upsets in the first knockout round, the Algeria and US games had been tense, there'd been some cracking goals, extra time had tended to mean more excitement, and it kept up the level of football. QFs? Dull. SFs? Brutal and boring, respectively.

Best World Cup I can remember in an age, though.



Shared love for Euro2000, also a big fan of 1994 and 2008. I think Euros tend to be better tournaments because of the distillation of 10-12 good teams into 16, while the world cup is 12-14 into 32.

Yep, pretty much agreed with all of this. Presumably you meant Euro 1996? Euro 2008 still remains my favourite EC. Perhaps England's non-qualification helped, but despite being held in two not-particularly-strong footballing countries, it was just superb.

Really looking forward to France 2016 now. Just hope Platini hasn't killed the golden goose with its expansion to 24 teams.

[Whore Jackie]

I think it probably was one of the best, slightly tinted by the irritating and lame ITV theme music - Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil, Bra-zil.

Despite BBC romping home with its coverage, do think that ITV nailed the opening titles and theme music. BBC version got really boring after the first viewing.

[stealthpapes]

I thought up until the last R16 game it had been superb. Only one stinker (Iran-Nigeria) and even though there'd been no upsets in the first knockout round, the Algeria and US games had been tense, there'd been some cracking goals, extra time had tended to mean more excitement, and it kept up the level of football. QFs? Dull. SFs? Brutal and boring, respectively.

Best World Cup I can remember in an age, though.



Shared love for Euro2000, also a big fan of 1994 and 2008. I think Euros tend to be better tournaments because of the distillation of 10-12 good teams into 16, while the world cup is 12-14 into 32.

Yep, pretty much agreed with all of this. Presumably you meant Euro 1996? Euro 2008 still remains my favourite EC. Perhaps England's non-qualification helped, but despite being held in two not-particularly-strong footballing countries, it was just superb.

Really looking forward to France 2016 now. Just hope Platini hasn't killed the golden goose with its expansion to 24 teams.

No, World Cup 1994 was generally brilliant. But I mixed things up there, yes.

[Ouroboros]

I hit reply to say that I thought USA 94 was shit, but the wiki page has put my memory straight on that one.

That brilliant Romania team - especially the stunning 3-2 win over Argentina.
Spain 2-2 South Korea - Spain having been 2-0 up with 5 minutes to go.
Al-Owairian imitates Maradona.
Late Baggio goals.
Bulgaria 2-1 Germany

Shame the final was such a disaster.