Are you kidding me? Many World Cups have had huge surprises go deep in the tournament. Last year was a great example in Uruguay. They qualified FIFTH in South America with extremely subpar play, barely edging out whatever Concacaf team they faced in the playoffs. Going into it, who would have guessed they'd qualify over France??? Or New Zealand screwing up their group by tying against everyone. Or Honduras getting a tie from Switzerland when all Switzerland would need was a win to go on. Or England being left out of the first round. And I'm just using one World Cup, with examples off the top of my head only. If I did my research, I could pull up a bunch of examples of results no one expected.
SBI already responded to the ridiculousness of the comment above but just to add- OTOMYH The USA in 2002 Croatia in 1998
Ah, the old "name as many keepers at top teams " move. How about we just stick with the premiership since you chose to name four from the same league Tim Howard plays in. Go check the stats. Never mind I'll just give you a link to check and tell me how Tim fared compared to other goalkeepers you mentioned that play on teams that finished higher than his team(Cech, Hart) and teams that finished lower than his team( Lloris, De Gea). Saves can be deceptive due to teams with solid defensive units and teams w/less than impressive ones. Same with goals allowed and the GAA but goalkeepers have to be analysed in some way and with some stats and those are the stats in use. http://www.squawka.com/football-pla...5/04/2014#season#4#all-matches#name#asc#total To mention Lloris and De Gea as world class goalkeepers that are better than Howard is silly imo. Just because one is the French #1 and the other is in the Spanish pipeline and plays for United doesn't mean they are definitively better. Neither are more consistent for club or country than Howard has been and still is. Neither organizes a defense better and neither commands their goal better than he does. Same could go for Hart as well in comparison to Howard. If there is any position in which the USA has produced world class players over the last 15 or so years, it is goalkeeper. No other position but that. No need to denigrate Howard's abilities just because he plays for Everton and the USA as opposed to United and Spain or some other club and country.
Dude go take a bloody seat somewhere. That was the best team they've ever had?? They didn't shock anyone? Sorry for my language but stfu. You want to tell me in May 2002 that YOU and EVERYONE around you knew that the U.S. team, which was still dealing with infighting between Keller and Friedel, a striker that had the potential to cause issues -Mathis, an aging Cobi Jones and Earnie Stewart, a midfielder that few outside of hardcore US fans and Dutch fans knew anything about-John O'Brien, a couple of decent but unspectacular strikers in McBride and Joe-Max and a couple of young, talented but inexperienced players in Donovan and Beasley were going to make it out of a group featuring Portugal's "Golden Generation", a seemingly rejuvenated Poland side and the co-host South Koreans and get to the quarter-finals?? Mayne GTFOH! Pardon my language but take that weakness elsewhere. The USA could be considered a Cinderella team in 2002. Especially given what happened to them four years earlier. Same w/Turkey that WC as well.
You left out...and had a damn good chance at making the semi-finals had a handball been called against Germany. 1990 Cameroon winning a group that included Argentina and making it to the QF, narrowly losing to England. 1994 USA - yes, it was hosting, but beating Colombia was a huge upset. Nigeria was arguably a surprise, too. 2002 Senegal, USA, Turkey winning 3rd place Nope...no Cinderellas in the World Cup.
Cinderella runs last 20 years 1994 - Sweden, Bulgaria 1998 - Croatia 2002 - Turkey, South Korea 2006 - None 2010 - Uruguay (possibly Ghana had Suarez not handballed) That's just teams making the semifinal round. The guys have pointed out plenty non semifinal runs (Senegals, USAs of the world). If you notice the times there has been multiple sleeper teams have been World Cups outside of Europe.
USA was a Cinderella team in 2002. Reaching the quarters was a big accomplishment. I didn't see them beating Portugal.
If we also include European championships (which is basically the best teams in the worldexcept Brazil and Argentina) we actually have cinderella winners: Denmark 1992 (didn't even qualify for the tournament), this one still hurts. Greece 2008
There's a Cinderella story each World Cup, look up the last 10 or so and you'll always find at least one team that advanced way further than expected. Same with basically every other continental championship. This is one of the best things about these tournaments and not rare at all.
What is the general consensus of Belgium? Are they a darkhorse? I could see them flying under the radar and going far in the tournament. Sadly for me, they are in Group H. Here's to hoping for a good result
