Football 2014 FIFA World Cup

[Leoat12]

That's a solid argument right there.

It was my impressions while watching the matches, so it is indeed subjective.
Argentina showed more safety for me, but well... we can solve this in the Quarter Finals in a duel between Argentina and Belgium. If Belgium pass, Argentina I have no doubt it will.

 

[FrostyMouse]

Hardy, Belgium were fairly poor in all three matches; what I'm saying is that if they were in a stronger group, they'd be going fishing right now. They didn't play as a team, but they have a lot of individual quality and a lot of players who can take on their man, plus a solid defense/keeper, so they can progress. This certainly isn't the Belgium we saw in WC Qualifying and friendlies. They were open and expressive, with powerful runs, headers, long shots, and counters. In the WC, Belgium has just played like a team burdened with too many expectations and it hasn't worked at all.

You can't expect to progress in the knockout stages if you're only scoring goals from the 70th minute and later, as well as relying on last ditch tackles to deny runs. Oh, and let's say that Defour got himself sent off in the knockout stages. Well, Belgium would've been knocked out in the tournament. South Korea weren't that bad, but they failed to pressure Belgium at all, even when up a man.

 

[Hardy]

Hardy, Belgium were fairly poor in all three matches; what I'm saying is that if they were in a stronger group, they'd be going fishing right now. They didn't play as a team, but they have a lot of individual quality and a lot of players who can take on their man, plus a solid defense/keeper, so they can progress. This certainly isn't the Belgium we saw in WC Qualifying and friendlies. They were open and expressive, with powerful runs, headers, long shots, and counters. In the WC, Belgium has just played like a team burdened with too many expectations and it hasn't worked at all.

You can't expect to progress in the knockout stages if you're only scoring goals from the 70th minute and later, as well as relying on last ditch tackles to deny runs. Oh, and let's say that Defour got himself sent off in the knockout stages. Well, Belgium would've been knocked out in the tournament. South Korea weren't that bad, but they failed to pressure Belgium at all, even when up a man.

So? My point is, no way in hell they were ¨so bad¨ that the US look better.

Sorry for replying a 1 liner to your huge post but it is what it is.

You can't expect to progress in the knockout stages if you're only scoring goals from the 70th minute and later, as well as relying on last ditch tackles to deny runs.

It was enough for Spain 4 years ago.

 

[xi0]

Huh? It wasn't merely a comparison between the two team's performances. You do realize they played in different groups against quite different opposition as far as quality goes?

And Belgium isn't Spain of 4 years ago. Spain actually won something prior to the tournament. Belgium didn't even qualifying for Euro 2012.

 

[FrostyMouse]

So? My point is, no way in hell they were ¨so bad¨ that the US look better.

Sorry for replying a 1 liner to your huge post but it is what it is.

Oh, Belgium were pretty darn bad. Did you watch those three matches? I'm not saying that the US looked better, but the US certainly had more positive play. Belgium was expected to win three matches against fairly weak opponents and they did the job. The US defended and countered excellently (the first goal was catching Ghana off guard at the start of the match, not a counter, but oh well) against Ghana, outplayed Portugal for 70 out of 95 minutes of that match (and should've won), and played pretty well against Germany. Now, you can only play who is in front of you, but the US looked livelier, and against better opposition. Belgium are still favorites against the US, but I wouldn't be that surprised if Belgium lost to the US.

It was enough for Spain 4 years ago.

I knew you were going to bring that up...

Spain had a real plan and played as a team. They got the job done, and may have gotten really lucky a few times, but you have to ride your luck now and then. As Gary pointed out, Spain had also won Euro '08, so they had experience and they'd won together.

Spain, apart from the Switzerland match in the group stages and maybe the Paraguay match, never looked bad or failed to play as a team. Belgium lacked cohesiveness.

---------- Post added at 07:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:11 PM ----------

Oh, Hardy, with a number of countries failing to make the knockout stages, Argentina should be the favorite to make the Final from their half. I may have said that Argentina weren't a contender before the WC started, but I was basing that on how I judged all of the countries. I also had low expectations for Messi, which were proved wrong.

 

[xi0]

I have Argentina winning, actually

 

[kakashi919]

Oh boy...a global ban, nice. Don't see why Liverpool should be affected since he was playing for Uruguay at the time and only gets banned for 9 matches, while he will miss almost 30 matches for his club. Ah well..like I said, because of his record it would be a length ban, still don't agree with Liverpool suffering.

 

[xi0]

Oh boy...a global ban, nice. Don't see why Liverpool should be affected since he was playing for Uruguay at the time and only gets banned for 9 matches, while he will miss almost 30 matches for his club. Ah well..like I said, because of his record it would be a length ban, still don't agree with Liverpool suffering.

I get your point, but at this point I wouldn't want him playing for the team I support.

 

[Hardy]

Oh, Belgium were pretty darn bad. Did you watch those three matches? I'm not saying that the US looked better, but the US certainly had more positive play. Belgium was expected to win three matches against fairly weak opponents and they did the job.

The first 2 matches, yeah. Is Russia weak now btw? Algeria is that weak compared to Ghana?

Belgium are still favorites against the US, but I wouldn't be that surprised if Belgium lost to the US.

Which is exactly what I said.

Spain had a real plan and played as a team. They got the job done, and may have gotten really lucky a few times, but you have to ride your luck now and then. As Gary pointed out, Spain had also won Euro '08, so they had experience and they'd won together.

Spain, apart from the Switzerland match in the group stages and maybe the Paraguay match, never looked bad or failed to play as a team. Belgium lacked cohesiveness.

Spain played like shit the entire tournament. They won the Euro 08 with Aragonés, not Del Bosque. The latter picked up a team that already had a playstyle and tried to keep everything perfect, and it certainly didn't work well even if the results favoured him (they played pretty bad in the last Euro too but destroying Italy in the finals makes everyone forget it).

Apart from Switzerland and Paraguay? What about the Netherlands? What about the fact that they barely won with individualities in the last 30 minutes against Germany and Portugal? What's left? Chile (a good victory here) and Honduras (._.).

 

[kakashi919]

I get your point, but at this point I wouldn't want him playing for the team I support.

Yeah.. at this point I'm hoping we take the cash+Sanchez offer that Barca apparently want to offer us.

 

[Hardy]

Oh, Hardy, with a number of countries failing to make the knockout stages, Argentina should be the favorite to make the Final from their half. I may have said that Argentina weren't a contender before the WC started, but I was basing that on how I judged all of the countries. I also had low expectations for Messi, which were proved wrong.

There's still the Netherlands and the almighty US.

Yeah.. at this point I'm hoping we take the cash+Sanchez offer that Barca apparently want to offer us.

Sanchez is gud and he doesn't miss 8 matches every year, lol.

 

[xi0]

Yeah.. at this point I'm hoping we take the cash+Sanchez offer that Barca apparently want to offer us.

I think any offer Liverpool was given has disappeared

There's still the Netherlands and the almighty US.

So salty... Your team made it through too, what are you salty about?

 

[Hardy]

I think any offer Liverpool was given has disappeared



So salty... Your team made it through too, what are you salty about?

It was just a joke u.u

 

[Leoat12]

One thing I forgot to mention that increases the probability of USA winning is that Belgium is kicked out in the Round of 16, traditionally.

WARNING: It was an innocent joke, no need to make ruckus.

 

[MiyamotoMusashi]

I have an other explanation but you don t like it. National teams are less important to europeans (both players and supporters) than to american countries.

Hardy, when germany was eliminated in group phase ? I genunely can t find it
Edit: ok the only time was in 38 :d.

There was no group phase in 38

Germany holds the record for reaching the final, the 3rd place, and the semi-final. No other team is as steady as we are when it comes to reaching the later parts of the WC. We tend to suck (and/or lack luck) when it gets really important though, that's why Italy and Brazil still have more wins.
Not to mention the current team (for the last few years) is praised as the "Golden Generation", lots of talented guys with a high amount of skill. What we lack is a better coach (Löw plain sucks) and... mindset/spirit? I hate how our team is all happy go lucky without someone standing out/leading the group. The whole thing of "We win as a team" is just bullshit, you need someone who leads and pushes the others when necessary, not "Awww we all love each other and if one of us dares to criticize another he gets bashed". Right now it feels too much like most of them think they are awesome and don't care what others think, and when they fail they don't admit their mistakes. They got too much praise, honestly, and the wrong person to coach them. They need someone who puts some sense into them, and gives the team at least some kind of rough hierarchy, a team full of egocentrics won't win anything.

So yeah, that's what I think we lack and why we won't win this time either. Get a new coach and less hype from the media, then I'm going to have some faith.

Only that the German media and society in general are one of the most critical of their national team. The only nation that is probably more critical is England for good reasons obviously.


So, my quarter finals look like this:

Brazil - Colombia
France - Germany
Netherlands - Greece (one can hope )
Argentina - Belgium

 

[Koen]

Notes:
- Belgium has always sucked in the first round... But this our first WC's 9/9
- Against South Korea the coach started the match with 7 B(ench) players: no Witsel, no Hazard, no Kompany,... It is logical that playing with automatism is fairly difficult then. Or you should better ask: which other coach has the guts, which other team has so many talent to do this even when a group winner's position wasn't certain? None but Belgium
- one half we played with one player less than S-K

There is something peculiar: our play is not that good but there is something very difficult to decipher when playing against us. So, I really think we can beat USA and Switzerland/Argentina afterwards. And I think our players will show what 'the best is yet to come' means

 

[scav]

ROFL http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/27/5848598/russia-goalkeeper-shot-by-laser-out-of-world-cup

 

[Riku]

If it was any other team than Russia I wouldn't be so sceptical.

 

[FrostyMouse]

Notes:
- Belgium has always sucked in the first round... But this our first WC's 9/9
- Against South Korea the coach started the match with 7 B(ench) players: no Witsel, no Hazard, no Kompany,... It is logical that playing with automatism is fairly difficult then. Or you should better ask: which other coach has the guts, which other team has so many talent to do this even when a group winner's position wasn't certain? None but Belgium
- one half we played with one player less than S-K

There is something peculiar: our play is not that good but there is something very difficult to decipher when playing against us. So, I really think we can beat USA and Switzerland/Argentina afterwards. And I think our players will show what 'the best is yet to come' means

France did and, unlike Belgium, weren't already assured of advancing, although France would've had to have had a massive reversal of fortunes to fail to win the group, let alone fail to qualify. France's play was pretty boring and labored against Ecuador in the 0-0 draw.

Koen, obviously the third match was difficult to judge for obvious reasons, but Belgium did not look very good in the first two matches. Of course, countries have won the WC while playing really poorly, or have looked awful in the group stages and then turned it on. It's just that Belgium's primary three attackers, Hazard, KDB, and Lukaku were all pretty average/poor. KBB and Hazard both had a few moments to shine with assists and all, but they weren't that good overall, and you'll need them to be more incisive and influential if you want to progress.

 

[MiyamotoMusashi]

Notes:
- Belgium has always sucked in the first round... But this our first WC's 9/9
- Against South Korea the coach started the match with 7 B(ench) players: no Witsel, no Hazard, no Kompany,... It is logical that playing with automatism is fairly difficult then. Or you should better ask: which other coach has the guts, which other team has so many talent to do this even when a group winner's position wasn't certain? None but Belgium
- one half we played with one player less than S-K

There is something peculiar: our play is not that good but there is something very difficult to decipher when playing against us. So, I really think we can beat USA and Switzerland/Argentina afterwards. And I think our players will show what 'the best is yet to come' means

Colombia

France did and, unlike Belgium, weren't already assured of advancing, although France would've had to have had a massive reversal of fortunes to fail to win the group, let alone fail to qualify. France's play was pretty boring and labored against Ecuador in the 0-0 draw.

Koen, obviously the third match was difficult to judge for obvious reasons, but Belgium did not look very good in the first two matches. Of course, countries have won the WC while playing really poorly, or have looked awful in the group stages and then turned it on. It's just that Belgium's primary three attackers, Hazard, KDB, and Lukaku were all pretty average/poor. KBB and Hazard both had a few moments to shine with assists and all, but they weren't that good overall, and you'll need them to be more incisive and influential if you want to progress.

France was already sure to advance, even as leader in the group. They had 6 points and a GD of +6 before the last match while Switzerland and Ecuador had each 3 points with having a GD of -1 and 0 respectively.