Football 2014 FIFA World Cup

[MiyamotoMusashi]

As good as those players are, they aren't experienced on the big stage like the World Cup. Not to say Nasri ( didn't make the team in 2010), having only European competition experience but still a valuable inclusion to the squad imo. But like you've pointed out, Valbuena and Cabaye are very good step ins for Ribery.

I guess I'm just very gutted for Nasri; having now missed 2 World Cups. Though it's understandable, as he's not been prominent to the Man City team and found himself in a similar situation around 2010 too.

So Germany are only taking ONE out and out striker, Miroslav Klose? who will be 36 by the time the tournament starts
Now, I don't follow the german national team very much, so I have to ask, isn't there anyone else they could've taken?

Well, there are actually 1 or 2 players in the league who play really well but for some reason (you know, beyond what the public sees) Löw does not take them.

Mario Gomez? I used to think that he was such a great player, i actually never understood why Bayern let him out like that.

But i think he didn't do that great this year on Italy, and i am not sure, but he might be or have been injured for some time.

Gomez was a good, traditional striker, meaning he did his goals but beyond that, he had no contribution to the system and that´s something not acceptable in modern football or at least not something Bayern could accept at that point and not something Löw aims for either.

It might be like that on paper, but on the other hand Podolski and Mueller can play as a foward without any problems, and Gotze has played as a fake 9 before (and Reus and Draxler are more Wings than actual midfielders). In fact, I expect Klose to be a sub, he's only there to potentially break Ronaldo's record, lol.

None of them are real striker though or have not played like that for a long time. Podolski played a center-forward back in Cologne i guess, after that not really.
Müller is like an emergency solution, he rather plays behind the strikers and Götze is also much better coming from the sides like Reus or Schürrle.
None of them are 100% satisfying solutions but i will wait to see what Löw comes up with.

 

[Hardy]

Banega is out for us and, more importantly, FALCAO won't be in the WC (expected tbh, the dude is still recovering). This WC will miss a lot of important players.

 

[xi0]

Ramos gonna carry Spain easily. He's in prime form and is gonna score important goals, just wait and see. Continuing his latest personal success in Madrid. I believe in Ramos the God. Hope he gets recognized in the ballon d'or next year.

lolwat...is he playing a different position for Spain this time? Not going to argue about him performing well, but...

 

[Leoat12]

[sarcasm] Messi was confirmed! What a surprise, I thought that he didn't play well enough to be chosen! [/sarcasm]

 

[goldb]

Ribery is still included in France's 23? I thought he was left out.

Seems like Falcao will be missing the tournament for Colombia; having not recovered from his injury in time. Losing too many big players for this tournament.

 

[Leoat12]

Ribery is still included in France's 23? I thought he was left out.

Seems like Falcao will be missing the tournament for Colombia; having not recovered from his injury in time. Losing too many big players for this tournament.

He is, but he can be cut. Apprently, his participation in the friendly match against Jamaica will determine his participation in the WC or not.

Falcão Garcia is out indeed. It can't be helped.

 

[Hardy]

He is, but he can be cut. Apprently, his participation in the friendly match against Jamaica will determine his participation in the WC or not.

You can't get cut if you're already listed in the 23. Unless France wants to go to the WC with 22 players I guess?

 

[Leoat12]

You can't get cut if you're already listed in the 23. Unless France wants to go to the WC with 22 players I guess?

A player can be cut until 24 hours before the first game of his team in the WC, but it's necessary a review by FIFA doctors. That's what the report I read says.

 

[Sky]

Regarding Germany: Löw was basically ignoring Kruse and Volland. I guess nobody here understood why the player from Gladbach didn't make it in the squad. Löw just doesn't understand that neither Götze nor Müller are able to play the false nine. You could see that against Cameroon very well.

Only going with Klose is a very big risk... Especially if there are strikers like Lasogga, Volland, Kruse, etc.

Seems to me that he wants to win with just the midfield... I'm more worried about the ghosts called Özil and Draxler though...

 

[Hardy]

[sarcasm] Messi was confirmed! What a surprise, I thought that he didn't play well enough to be chosen! [/sarcasm]

Is Neymar in Brazil's list?

We're Di María + 10

 

[kkck]

Any thoughts regarding the safety thing at the world cup? I keep reading how the whole thing has not been properly planned, stadiums not being finishes and the protests which have been going on for quite some time (with varying degrees). At least from what reading the news suggest it seems like things are less than peachy over there. If there have been protests there for quite a while then doing a big one while there are 3 million pissed off due to bad airports tourists seems like a good way to bring attention to themselves.

 

[Leoat12]

See? Brazil showed how a friendly match must be played.

 

[xi0]

I saw an article that the stadium in Sao Paulo isn't even completed yet? lol

 

[Leoat12]

I saw an article that the stadium in Sao Paulo isn't even completed yet? lol

Just details. Don't worry. XD

 

[Ipoopshootingstars]

The sao paolo standium isn't completed yet because the color of the glass plates on on the were green wich is the colors of their cross town rival corinthians. So naturaly that is not acceptable. But i think everything will be ready in time and this will be a cup for the age. Better then the 06 germany cup which had the best final that i have seen in my life time. I still can't believe that Trezeguet hit the cross bar and lost it for france ....

 

[Saintz0r]

The biggest problems are the airports, if anyone is coming, expect at least a few hours of waiting... and the public transportations, overpriced, old, and in the case of Rio's subway, laughable small

To be fair, the traffic is awful, but there'll be a holiday for public workers in every game there's on Rio, so it'll be much better than our reality.

Maracanã is complete from what i've seen, can't say much for the others, but we hear that in some (São Paulo, for example) there'll be no 'completion

We'll have protests again, but nothing lake last year, these will be smaller

 

[Leoat12]

I picked it from a news about the recent contusions and the opinion of Brazil team about it.

"The World Cup has already began. I always give 100%, it doesn't matter if it is a friendly match or not. If you are concentrated, you have a smaller risk of get injured." - Luiz Gustavo, Brazil Team.

"Soccer has contact. If you don't want contact, go play Tennis instead."

That's why I like my team.

 

[zelllogan]

Any thoughts regarding the safety thing at the world cup? I keep reading how the whole thing has not been properly planned, stadiums not being finishes and the protests which have been going on for quite some time (with varying degrees). At least from what reading the news suggest it seems like things are less than peachy over there. If there have been protests there for quite a while then doing a big one while there are 3 million pissed off due to bad airports tourists seems like a good way to bring attention to themselves.

The worst case scenario aside from a stadium collapsing would be a first or second round elimination for brasil. How would the country react ? And a second round elimination is possible

 

[Hardy]

We'll have protests again, but nothing lake last year, these will be smaller

Just wait until you get eliminated, lol. Last year everything magically stopped once you won the Conf Cup.

That's why I like my team.

Tbh those quotes sound pretty dumb.

The worst case scenario aside from a stadium collapsing would be a first or second round elimination for brasil. How would the country react ? And a second round elimination is possible

I don't even want to know what will happen when we beat them in the finals

 

[Leoat12]

Tbh those quotes sound pretty dumb.

No, it is not. We play this sport with our heart, that's why we're 5 times champion. You'll see much of this passion during the World Cup, there is no better place to demonstrate it than our home.

They're right. There are means to avoid contusions in a sport of contact like soccer, any player know that, or should know.