0 World Cup Tweet(s) of the Day - 3 July 2014

From 32 teams to the round of sixteen; now just eight teams remain at the FIFA World Cup. The USA was the most recent side to bow out, losing 2-1 to Belgium. 

Football fever reigned in the US for a few short hours:

However another wit has tweeted this morning that just 1437 days remain until the USA becomes a soccer-mad nation again; assuming of course they qualify for the 2018 version!

And goalkeeper Tim Howard produced an incredible performance yesterday as he bravely held the Belgians out until extra time. That has produced dozens of internet memes, of which this is but one example.

The USA fought bravely yesterday, but not even Barack Obama's support could save them. Roll on the quarter-finals on Saturday morning (NZ time), and especially the clash between European heavyweights France and Germany. And could Colombia provide possibly the biggest upset in World Cup history, and oust the hosts?

Bring it on!

0 World Cup Tweet of the Day - 27 June 2014

The 2014 FIFA World Cup has been spectacular so far; for the most part. But there's one blight on the game.

Acting, diving, simulation; call it what you will. Whatever you call it, it's cheating, and it's a blight on the game. So some wag has found the time to produce statistics as to who are the leading simulants at the 2014 World Cup; check this out:

Whilst Brazil has the most instances of faking it, the fakes are "healed" relatively quickly; an average of just 11.6 seconds each. On the other hand, it has taken each French player an average of 43.9 seconds to be restored to health after such dramatic injuries that they have been forced to the ground, writhing in agony.

And kudos to the players from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have had the fewest dives. They may not have progressed to the knockout rounds, but they have played the game on their feet, as intended. We salute them.

0 World Cup Tweets of the Day - 21 June 2014

Costa Rica provided the upset of the World Cup to date so far, upsetting 2006 champions Italy 1-nil. That's bad news for England, whose mathematical chance of qualifying (and a complex equation it was too!) was stuffed by the Costa Ricans.

Here's the agony and ecstasy of two nations:

And the French weren't bad either, winning 5-2 over Switzerland. The parade of brilliant football rolls on.