Soccer World Cup 2014 in Brazil

[Mzx10484]

Anyone watching Soccer World Cup?

The U.S.A. is in competition there (with German coach Jürgen Klinsmann ;) ) : U.S.A. has defeated Ghana 2:1 !

Wonder: Are there a few who follow it?

Greetings from Soccer-crazy Nation - Germany !

http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y468/mzx10484/WM-2014-Brasiliensvg_zps453afa4a.png (http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/mzx10484/media/WM-2014-Brasiliensvg_zps453afa4a.png.html)

[Prowler]

I'm a big football fan, but more on a club level than a national team level.

Not really a fan of the Portuguese national team, the primma donnas who play for it and all the politics and the BS surrounding it these days, so it's been a while since I've rooted for them. It's a shame when you can't bring yourself to support your own country :ohwell:. But like I've said, I've always been a bigger club football fan.

It's been a pretty solid tournament so far. Much better than the entire 2010 World Cup.

Winner? Well, Brazil have the home advantage but their team isn't really that great. They're gonna need help from the refs to win this. Italy and Germany look like the best European teams so far. The Netherlands are pretty good as well, but they never end up winning these kind of tournaments no matter how well they play. France aren't a bad team either. But it's still early, anyway.

[Mzx10484]

Hey wow, one person following the tournament...

I'm a big football fan, but more on a club level than a national team level.

Just the opposite with me, no club level interest, the more international interest.

Well, Portugal will face the U.S.A. on Sunday. Italy lost against Costa Rica today - uhahahah :lol:

[joefsas]

England are now going home thanks to Italy losing against Costa Rica :(
First time in years we've been knocked out of the group stages which really sucks.
Ah well, theres always 2018 :P

[Mzx10484]

England are now going home thanks to Italy losing against Costa Rica :(
First time in years we've been knocked out of the group stages which really sucks.
Ah well, theres always 2018 :P

Too bad for England. I've always had sympathy for the country and its culture, the great rock bands of the 70s, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, so I also like to see that England is successful in tournaments like this. Surely they return successful at the Soccer European Championship 2016, and at the 2018 World Cup !!

[Dirty Blond]

I just cannot stand to see Rooney described as 'World Class'.

England's world class players on the world stage in the last 30 years:

Gary Lineker (1986, 1990)
Paul Gascoigne (1990, 1996)
Alan Shearer (1996)
Michael Owen (1998, 2002)

There are teams out there with more than that in their current squad. So quite why England are hyped so crazily is beyond me.

[Mzx10484]

I just cannot stand to see Rooney described as 'World Class'.

There are also plenty of conflicting opinions. An article before the World Cup:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/04/18/why-wayne-rooney-is-definitely-not-a-world-class-player-yet-4702716/

Has unfortunately somehow confirmed.

[Lou 500]

I can't wait for it to be over.

[Kanon]

I hoped Japan could make it into eighth final. :cry:
I like them, for not aiming higher than they are able to play.

I hope the netherlands will win, cause they deserve it. :D

[Prowler]

Shame neither Japan or South Korea made it.

I'm rooting for Germany, Netherlands and Belgium. Wouldn't mind France winning ti either. If it ends up being a South American country winning the trophy then let it be Argentina.

[Davin]

Rooting for Germany (I was born there, army brat) and the Netherlands (best team to never win the cup). Been a fan of the Clockwork Orange since I attended a quarterfinal match in 94 between them and Brasil, even though they lost 3-2. Can't wait for Sunday.

I always enjoy US games, but I have no dillusions of them having a real chance at winning the cup.

I wish I had the time to follow teams at the club level, but between watching MMA, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, boxing, and national soccer/futbol teams I can't do it.

[Prowler]

Rooting for Germany (I was born there, army brat) and the Netherlands (best team to never win the cup). Been a fan of the Clockwork Orange since I attended a quarterfinal match in 94 between them and Brasil, even though they lost 3-2. Can't wait for Sunday.

I always enjoy US games, but I have no dillusions of them having a real chance at winning the cup.

I wish I had the time to follow teams at the club level, but between watching MMA, jiu jitsu, kickboxing, boxing, and national soccer/futbol teams I can't do it.
I guess the problem is there being several competitions with each country having more than one as well. Then there's the international competitions like the UEFA champions leagues, etc.

The best thing about football is that there's always something to watch/follow somewhere. It can be quite time consuming, though. Although, I don't watch that many games that don't involve my team.

[Mzx10484]

The first penalty drama is over with good ending for Brazil ... I am very confident that the Netherlands will defeat Mexico tomorrow. Looking forward to !!

[shuriken]

Rooting for Mexico to come out with the Upset. The crowd is gonna help put em over.

[Mzx10484]

Rooting for Mexico to come out with the Upset. The crowd is gonna help put em over.

They almost made ​​it! Foul was too stupid in injury time! :ohwell:

[Davin]

Tim ****ing Howard! :teek: That is all.

[Wingnut]

Tim ****ing Howard! :teek: That is all.
No kidding. Seemed liked he was alone out there at times.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know the intricacies of soccer. However, when Belgium came out of the gate like that I knew we were screwed. You can't be on your heels for that long and not crack at some point. Most of those Belgians were f'ing beasts too, simply outclassed in every way. They gave it a hell of a run at the end, though.

[Mzx10484]

The team of the United States exercised enormous pressure on Team Belgium in the additional time! Impressive!! I hoped very much on the 2-2 ... I'm sure they will return in 2018 !

[Davin]

Mzx10484 you must be happy right now. Germany 5-0 at halftime. I though they would win, but this is ridiculous.

[Prowler]

My favorite game so far.

[Mzx10484]

Mzx10484 you must be happy right now. Germany 5-0 at halftime. I though they would win, but this is ridiculous.

Yes, 7:1, but it's done and dusted, just look forward --> Sunday.

[Prowler]

I'll be happy with any of the 3 teams left winning this tournament.

[Hannurdock]

Wow, watched the Germany/Brazil match today. Awesome stuff. Herzlichen Glückwunsch, Germany

[Mzx10484]

Germany with Argentina as his opponent on Sunday hits upon a much more confident team than Brazil, which is clear. Looking forward to !!

I hope for Brazil that they won't go through a second embarrassment in the match for the third place on Saturday. The Netherlands has played just as well as Argentina today - 120 minutes! What came after - that's another thing.

[Prowler]

Pretty boring game.

I'll be happy with either side winning the final. Germany is one of my favorite European teams and Argentina is my favorite team from the Americas, by far. Hell, back in older NES/SNES games such as Nintendo World Cup and ISS I used to mainly pick either.

Hope the Dutch get the 3rd place.

[Mzx10484]

Hope the Dutch get the 3rd place.

Neither the Netherlands, nor Brazil are motivated for the match for 3rd place :D
After the defeat in the semifinals, now once again the chance to reap another defeat --> double slap in the face, despite the relative success of both teams in this tournament !

[Davetello]

I thought there might be more interest in this due to America's success in the tournament, but still only two pages :(

I and some others said about a year ago that this Brazil team really isn't that good, and would be nowhere near favourites if not for the hosting situation. Without Neymar and Thiago Silva they were clearly going to struggle, but I don't think anyone could have predicted that. I and most others thought Germany would win by two, maybe three goals, but that was a complete capitulation. I think Brazil made Germany look better than they are, and it would be foolish to draw any conclusions from that game. Argentina and Holland would probably have put plenty past Brazil as well. I tipped Colombia and Chile to do well pre-tournament and I wish one of them would have eliminated Brazil. One of them probably should have and it would have been best for the spectacle as either would have given Germany a proper game in the semis.

To be honest, Germany are a very good team, but I don't think they're an outstanding team like the recent Spanish generation was, or Brazil 1970 etc. I said that about Germany even before the tournament. This tournament has lacked a truly generational team, regardless of who wins. I will be hoping Argentina win though as I've had a soft spot for them over the years due to the likes of Maradona, Batistuta, Zanetti and Riquelme. It will also be pretty funny to see Ronaldo fanboys in tears if Messi wins the World Cup. I don't like Messi much, but I find Ronaldo fanboys pretty obnoxious, to be honest. Then there's seeing Argentina win a WC in Brazil...

I'm delighted the Netherlands are out. Other than the anomalous result versus Spain, they've played defensive football all through the tournament, relying on moments of genius from Robben. They've been pretty thuggish, much like in 2010. Rinus Michels would probably be turning in his grave. It's pretty annoying because when I was growing up (80s and 90s) and even before that, Brazil and Holland were probably the two most entertaining national teams. Now they're both pretty average and resort to kicking teams off the park. The main reason I'm glad Holland are gone though is because of Krul's behaviour on the shootout against Costa Rica. He displayed a total lack of sportsmanship and karma has bitten he and Holland hard. That sub gave them the psychological edge vs CR but the failure to repeat it in the semi handed the psychological advantage to Argentina - as they knew that Holland didn't want Cillessen in goal for the shootout.

Going back to Brazil, after the other night and 'Maracanazo' you'd think that they will never want to host the tournament again.

Germany probably deserve to win the tournament overall (although they had a few unconvincing games before they moved Lahm back to RB) but I sorta fancy Argentina, tbh.

We all get things right and wrong, so here are some of mine, good and bad:

Right -

Brazil would be found out eventually due to Scolari's stubborness and insistence on picking his favourites rather than their best players.
Belgium would look unimpressive in every game but stumble their way to the last 16 or QF due to a gentle draw, eventually succumbing to either Portugal or Argentina. This so-called 'golden generation' generally consists of pretty good players who aren't actually amongst the best in the world in their position e.g. Witsel, Dembele, Vertonghen, Mertens etc.
Algeria would emerge from gp H.
Argentina to go far and possibly win it
Chile and Colombia would have good tournaments.
Pertaining to the two points above, the claim that most South American teams would do well generally due to the climate and home continent advantage.
England would flop - although a lot of that could be due to my Scottish bias :)



Wrong -

Holland would be the team not to escape group B with Chile, rather than Spain.
Australia would be beaten soundly in all three games.
USA would struggle and either Portugal or Ghana would qualify behind Germany.
Japan would do well.
Mexico would struggle due to the internal divisions in their squad and their hopeless qualifying campaign. And by extension, Croatia would make the last sixteen.
Bosnia would finish second to Argentina. Although in fairness, they probably should have as everything seemed to go against them in the tournament.

[Mzx10484]

I think Brazil made Germany look better than they are, and it would be foolish to draw any conclusions from that game.

Of course. You can only draw conclusions regarding team Brazil and their unfortunate situation.

My perception of Germany in this tournament is that many facets were to be seen. Surprising, boring (or just defensive), superior ... generally successful.

The U.S. convinced me and were my "kind of girl"! I hoped very much for the team. And the fact that Germany was relatively unconvincing inthe game against the U.S. ... makes one more good impression for the U.S. team !!

[Kanon]

I think Germany will win, but with just one goal difference and after the 90mins.

[Prowler]

Pretty good WC by the Dutch. Van Gaal still got it. And ofc, Robben and Persie. ;)

[Mzx10484]

I wish all followers of the tournament an exciting and challenging final match!

May the best team win!

http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y468/mzx10484/Brazuca-Final-Rio-Ball-Endspiel-WM-2014_zps01e3ba0b.jpg (http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/mzx10484/media/Brazuca-Final-Rio-Ball-Endspiel-WM-2014_zps01e3ba0b.jpg.html)

[Hannurdock]

Come on, just start already! Lol

[Kanon]

The coaches are more stressed than the players. :lol:

[Hannurdock]

Is Germany holding back?

[Mzx10484]

Is Germany holding back?

Seemed so from time to time. On the whole, confident !

[Hannurdock]

I hope a goal is scored soon!

[Mayhem]

At least it's more exciting than the Argentina Holland semi final...

[Mzx10484]

At least it's more exciting than the Argentina Holland semi final...

Yes it is. Still 15 minutes left ...

[TigerClaw]

Goal for Germany!

[Prowler]

Congratulations to Germany!

[MrTMNT2012]

Messi gave it his all. I can't even begin to imagine how much pressure was on him during that last free kick! He definitely deserved the Golden Ball.

Congrats to Germany for being the best football team I've seen in decades! :)

[Mzx10484]

http://i1276.photobucket.com/albums/y468/mzx10484/googlestatscom_ifb_natl_201407131727628290391-p5_desktop_header_1x_zps0e468957.jpg (http://s1276.photobucket.com/user/mzx10484/media/googlestatscom_ifb_natl_201407131727628290391-p5_desktop_header_1x_zps0e468957.jpg.html)

[Davin]

Time to add that fourth star to the jerseys.

[Davetello]

I think Germany will win, but with just one goal difference and after the 90mins.

Spot on mate.

As many thought, it was a tight and intriguing game. Germany probably been the best team overall throughout the tournament so congrats to them. Shame to see Gotze get the winner after his treatment of Dortmund, but he took it like the fantastic technician that he is.

Congrats again to our German posters.

[Davetello]

Messi gave it his all. I can't even begin to imagine how much pressure was on him during that last free kick! He definitely deserved the Golden Ball.

Congrats to Germany for being the best football team I've seen in decades! :)

I'm not anti-Messi, but I don't think he deserved the Golden Ball. He played well in fits and starts but he wasn't constantly involved. I'd have given it to Robben.

I respectfully disagree with your final paragraph. For me the recent Spanish generation and the French generation of the late 90s and early 00s were better. But Germany could go on to dominate, we will have to wait and see.

[Kanon]

Spot on mate.

As many thought, it was a tight and intriguing game. Germany probably been the best team overall throughout the tournament so congrats to them. Shame to see Gotze get the winner after his treatment of Dortmund, but he took it like the fantastic technician that he is.

:lol: I should have bet on this score. :D

[Hannurdock]

Well done, Germany. Valliant deservers of the World Cup Victory.

[Prowler]

The 4 stars look good on top of the German NT's logo. If Brazil had won it instead, they'd probably put the 6 star below it which would make it look not so good. :P

As for the team's quality, it was only a matter of time before this German generation won a big tournament. Their weakest spot is the coach, imo. Joachim Löw isn't cut out to coach a team like Germany. Lucky for him, he has a big lot of great players. And Germany were lacking Reus, remember. It's early to say but the 2016 Euro will either go to the Germans or the French.

Best NT I've seen? Zidane's France, by far. That team was superb. 2008-2012 Spain's comes pretty close too.

Messi did not deserve the award. He wasn't even Argentina's best player of the tournament. As much as I like Messi, he hasn't been so great in the past couple of years.

[shuriken]

The Germans were dominant throughout the entire tournament, and deserved the win. Makes me feel a bit better about the US losing to them, but not much.

[Davetello]

:lol: I should have bet on this score. :D

Hahaha yes mate. Congrats to yo anyway.

The 4 stars look good on top of the German NT's logo. If Brazil had won it instead, they'd probably put the 6 star below it which would make it look not so good. :P

As for the team's quality, it was only a matter of time before this German generation won a big tournament. Their weakest spot is the coach, imo. Joachim Löw isn't cut out to coach a team like Germany. Lucky for him, he has a big lot of great players. And Germany were lacking Reus, remember. It's early to say but the 2016 Euro will either go to the Germans or the French.

Best NT I've seen? Zidane's France, by far. That team was superb. 2008-2012 Spain's comes pretty close too.

Messi did not deserve the award. He wasn't even Argentina's best player of the tournament. As much as I like Messi, he hasn't been so great in the past couple of years.

Agreed about Low, the guy is an average coach imo. He makes mistake after mistake and Germany looked subpar in quite a few games in this tournament mainly due to his refusal to play Lahm at RB instead of Boateng. I still maintain though that there is no generational team in this tournament. Germany might go on to be one but they're not there yet.

Yes, Zidane's France are the best NT of the last two decades, imo, toss up between they and Xavi's Spain. This is why I think it's risky to say that Germany will dominate though - as someone else from another site said to me, and then abused me when I said you can't take things for granted! That French team won two tournaments and then totally imploded at WC 2002, and didn't really do anything again until Germany 06. Even the best teams can mess things up so Germany winning Euro 16 or WC 18 is far from a given. If Del Bosque stops being sentimental and properly integrates the new (but not as good as 08-12) Spanish generation, they will be back as well.

Reus and Gundogan. And they wouldn't have had to put up with playing Howedes out of position if Schmelzer had been fit. On the other hand, for Argentina, Aguero hasn't been properly fit since January and Di Maria was a big miss last night.

As for Messi, he hasn't been the same player for the last few years. But I think he's ill. I've had physical health problems myself and I can tell from the way he looks and his body language and lack of movement that he's struggling with something. He keeps vomiting on the park as well - I had the same problem at my level of the game when I was really struggling with physical illness. I think perhaps these could be a result of the hormone treatment he had as a teenager. He should probably take 6-12 months away from football to recuperate. Barca can cope without him now they have the likes of Neymar and Suarez in attack, even though his goals will be a big loss. His health is more important though. He could come back as an impact sub at the Copa America and then have a good pre-season, ready to go in the 15-16 season. It sounds extreme but in the long-term it might do him the world of good. The guy is going to be crucified for his last couple of perfomances but it's clear that he's in poor shape physically, and probably mentally as well.

I'd have given the golden ball to Robben or Rodriguez.

Football really is often a game of fine lines. If Palacio or Higuain score their excellent opportunities then Argentina would probably be world champions right now. That's part of why we love the sport so much.

[Prowler]

Yea it's painful to watch Messi these days. His constant puking isn't normal. He needs some help.

Germany worked hard to rethink their youth system in the last 14 years or so and it's paid off. Their Euro 2000 run was a big wake up call for them. Sure, they've reached the 2002 WC final but their team wasn't that great. Just like Argentina this year weren't such a strong team. In 2004, Germany failed to pass a group stage again and couldn't even beat Latvia.

France seem to be improving lately. They haven't done anything noteworthy since 2000 other than a WC final in 2006.

I'm interested in Belgium's current gen but it looks like 90s Netherlands/Czech Republic/Portugal all over again. Lots of talented players but average coaches and no trophies.

[Mzx10484]

The Germans were dominant throughout the entire tournament, and deserved the win. Makes me feel a bit better about the US losing to them, but not much.

You are all right, and the US team was my favorite after the German team! They were so different, and yet they have achieved remarkable success!

[Davetello]

Yea it's painful to watch Messi these days. His constant puking isn't normal. He needs some help.

Germany worked hard to rethink their youth system in the last 14 years or so and it's paid off. Their Euro 2000 run was a big wake up call for them. Sure, they've reached the 2002 WC final but their team wasn't that great. Just like Argentina this year weren't such a strong team. In 2004, Germany failed to pass a group stage again and couldn't even beat Latvia.

France seem to be improving lately. They haven't done anything noteworthy since 2000 other than a WC final in 2006.

I'm interested in Belgium's current gen but it looks like 90s Netherlands/Czech Republic/Portugal all over again. Lots of talented players but average coaches and no trophies.

Hopefully Messi gets the help he needs. I'd hate for something to happen to the guy.

Agree with all of that. I said the same thing. The Bundesliga and the national team was a shambles circa 2000, and that German team in 2002 was poor despite making the final. I think it's harsh to compare Argentina to them though - Argentina didn't perform but they were one of the pre-tournament favourites, largely due to the competition being hosted in South America. Germany in 2002 were considered poor before the tournament and it was a real surprise they made the final. I see your overall point however.

Germany are now reaping the benefits of restructuring their football at the turn of the millennium. They were poor in 2004, as you say. They were probably even worse at Euro 2000. It all started with the hammering by Croatia at France '98. They're been back since 2008 (didn't really rate their 2006 team either, overachieved on home soil) and it's good to see as a strong Germany is good for international football.

France are definitely improving. They have lots of talented players and I was surprised so few people thought they were contenders before the tournament. Quarters or semis was their level but with a hell of an effort they could have beaten Germany and went on to win the tournament, as they do have the talent.

Belgium have some good players, but the hysterical hype around them is quite bemusing. Other than Kompany, Courtois and possibly Hazard, none of their players are actually world-class. I also feel the fact that most of their players play in the PL - which is the most expoed league in the world - leads to a fair bit of overhyping. They have some good players but as you say, Wilmots is a poor coach and that's more important. I still think they can do well at Euro 16 and the next WC, as they come into their prime, but tbh I think France have a more talented team and better young players on the whole (Griezmann, Pogba, Varane etc).

The 90s Holland team came very close to winning France 98 and Euro 2000, and was a sensational generation. The Czech Republic team of 2004 were by far the best team in the tournament and I still regret that they didn't win it. Possibly my fave national team of the last ten years, alongside Spain. Their game with Holland was one of the game of the last 15 years.

Bruckner was actually an excellent coach for the Czechs.

[Davetello]

Seeing as you mentioned the Czechs, you'll probably enjoy the following article. This website is fantastic btw:

http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/02/22/teams-of-the-decade-8-czech-republic-2004/

[Prowler]

Hopefully Messi gets the help he needs. I'd hate for something to happen to the guy.

Agree with all of that. I said the same thing. The Bundesliga and the national team was a shambles circa 2000, and that German team in 2002 was poor despite making the final. I think it's harsh to compare Argentina to them though - Argentina didn't perform but they were one of the pre-tournament favourites, largely due to the competition being hosted in South America. Germany in 2002 were considered poor before the tournament and it was a real surprise they made the final. I see your overall point however.

Germany are now reaping the benefits of restructuring their football at the turn of the millennium. They were poor in 2004, as you say. They were probably even worse at Euro 2000. It all started with the hammering by Croatia at France '98. They're been back since 2008 (didn't really rate their 2006 team either, overachieved on home soil) and it's good to see as a strong Germany is good for international football.

France are definitely improving. They have lots of talented players and I was surprised so few people thought they were contenders before the tournament. Quarters or semis was their level but with a hell of an effort they could have beaten Germany and went on to win the tournament, as they do have the talent.

Belgium have some good players, but the hysterical hype around them is quite bemusing. Other than Kompany, Courtois and possibly Hazard, none of their players are actually world-class. I also feel the fact that most of their players play in the PL - which is the most expoed league in the world - leads to a fair bit of overhyping. They have some good players but as you say, Wilmots is a poor coach and that's more important. I still think they can do well at Euro 16 and the next WC, as they come into their prime, but tbh I think France have a more talented team and better young players on the whole (Griezmann, Pogba, Varane etc).

The 90s Holland team came very close to winning France 98 and Euro 2000, and was a sensational generation. The Czech Republic team of 2004 were by far the best team in the tournament and I still regret that they didn't win it. Possibly my fave national team of the last ten years, alongside Spain. Their game with Holland was one of the game of the last 15 years.
Were they really? Didn't see many people keen on Argentina before the WC. people favored Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay over them. I expected them to go far though, but it was still a bit of a surprise to see them reach the final. Sabella was their weakest link, imo.

The Netherlands and Czech Republic were my favorite sides back in the 90s/early 00s next to Portugal. Both had a few of my favorite players. Always had a soft spot for the Dutch teams and the country itself.

Can't believe Germany conceded 3 goals from a Portuguese team with subs and those 3 goals being of Sérgio Conceição of all players in Euro 2000. You know something's wrong when that happens :lol:

2002 Germany benefited from Ballack who had been great at Leverkusen in the 01/02 season.

[Davetello]

Were they really? Didn't see many people keen on Argentina before the WC. people favored Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay over them. I expected them to go far though, but it was still a bit of a surprise to see them reach the final. Sabella was their weakest link, imo.

The Netherlands and Czech Republic were my favorite sides back in the 90s/early 00s next to Portugal. Both had a few of my favorite players. Always had a soft spot for the Dutch teams and the country itself.

Can't believe Germany conceded 3 goals from a Portuguese team with subs and those 3 goals being of Sérgio Conceição of all players in Euro 2000. You know something's wrong when that happens :lol:

2002 Germany benefited from Ballack who had been great at Leverkusen in the 01/02 season.

You're right about Sabella.

Yes, Argentina were considered one of the 'big four' alongside Germany, Spain and Brazil. I tipped Argentina to win the tournament, and so did many others. There were lots of things in Argentina's favour, particularly their low travel time in the group stage as well as the fact that they played most of their games in the cooler south of the country. This allied to their talent was what made people fancy them. The big thing for me is that I never bought into how apparently 'poor' their defence is, and I thought they'd do well defensively (although Caballero should have been in goal). However, I never expected them to struggle going forward. The team I and others thought would fail of the four was Brazil, who were lucky to go far. Colombia, Chile and Argentina were the three teams I rated highly, with Ecuador and Uruguay lower on the list. Brazil were still fairly fancied simply because of their status as a top nation and the hosting thing.

Very few really saw Spain's capitulation coming, as most thought Holland would the team to struggle of the top three in that section.

That's what I meant earlier about Holland, saying that Michels would be turning in his grave etc. Since the 1970s and total football, the Netherlands have been one of the most exciting teams to watch. I've been very disappointed in them since 2010 as they have turned into a bunch of thugs. They always had players like Stam, Seedorf, Davids - guys who could mix it with the best of them - but these days they seem to take to the park purely to kick other players and rely on genius from Robben. Tim Krul's antics vs Costa Rica were the last straw for me, and that's why I was happy when they were eliminated. The same logic applies to Brazil btw - another formerly extremely entertaining team.

I still have a lot of respect for the Netherlands as a country as it's pretty liberal and a beautiful place. But I dislike the current generation of their national team.

Hahaha, I remember that game. Germany hit a real low point that night - Portugal actually destroyed them. Germany should never be being hammered like that by anyone. Shows how far they had fallen.

Ballack was probably the most in-form player in world football on entering the 2002 WC. Shame he was suspended for the final, and that he was runner-up in everything that season. I remember some guy being quite catty with me for no reason, saying that Ballack was brilliant in the 2002 WC Final. I had to remind the guy that he didn't even play due to suspension lol.

[Prowler]

You're right about Sabella.

Yes, Argentina were considered one of the 'big four' alongside Germany, Spain and Brazil. I tipped Argentina to win the tournament, and so did many others. There were lots of things in Argentina's favour, particularly their low travel time in the group stage as well as the fact that they played most of their games in the cooler south of the country. This allied to their talent was what made people fancy them. The big thing for me is that I never bought into how apparently 'poor' their defence is, and I thought they'd do well defensively (although Caballero should have been in goal). However, I never expected them to struggle going forward. The team I and others thought would fail of the four was Brazil, who were lucky to go far. Colombia, Chile and Argentina were the three teams I rated highly, with Ecuador and Uruguay lower on the list. Brazil were still fairly fancied simply because of their status as a top nation and the hosting thing.

Very few really saw Spain's capitulation coming, as most thought Holland would the team to struggle of the top three in that section.

That's what I meant earlier about Holland, saying that Michels would be turning in his grave etc. Since the 1970s and total football, the Netherlands have been one of the most exciting teams to watch. I've been very disappointed in them since 2010 as they have turned into a bunch of thugs. They always had players like Stam, Seedorf, Davids - guys who could mix it with the best of them - but these days they seem to take to the park purely to kick other players and rely on genius from Robben. Tim Krul's antics vs Costa Rica were the last straw for me, and that's why I was happy when they were eliminated. The same logic applies to Brazil btw - another formerly extremely entertaining team.

I still have a lot of respect for the Netherlands as a country as it's pretty liberal and a beautiful place. But I dislike the current generation of their national team.

Hahaha, I remember that game. Germany hit a real low point that night - Portugal actually destroyed them. Germany should never be being hammered like that by anyone. Shows how far they had fallen.

Ballack was probably the most in-form player in world football on entering the 2002 WC. Shame he was suspended for the final, and that he was runner-up in everything that season. I remember some guy being quite catty with me for no reason, saying that Ballack was brilliant in the 2002 WC Final. I had to remind the guy that he didn't even play due to suspension lol.
Was never sold on Brazil. I had a feeling they wouldn't get past Germany but obviously I'd never guess they'd get hammered like they did. I'm glad they did, though. :D

A shame Leverkusen didn't win the CL final against RM that season. They've always been my favorite German club.

[Davetello]

Was never sold on Brazil. I had a feeling they wouldn't get past Germany but obviously I'd never guess they'd get hammered like they did. I'm glad they did, though. :D

A shame Leverkusen didn't win the CL final against RM that season. They've always been my favorite German club.

I'm surprised you were happy about it. Are the colonial links between Brazil and Portugal not as strong as expected then? I remember seeing a few Brazilians say they would support Portugal in group G.

Yes, that Leverkusen team was brilliant - a real shame that they could have done a treble and ended up with nothing. Man it seems like just yesterday yet it was twelve years ago.

[Prowler]

I'm surprised you were happy about it. Are the colonial links between Brazil and Portugal not as strong as expected then? I remember seeing a few Brazilians say they would support Portugal in group G.

Yes, that Leverkusen team was brilliant - a real shame that they could have done a treble and ended up with nothing. Man it seems like just yesterday yet it was twelve years ago.
Many Portuguese and Brazilians don't care about each other. Until there was a wave of Brazilian immigrants to Portugal 14-15 years ago, both countries didn't know each other very well, and still don't to some degree. There's a lot of cultural differences between both nations and you know how people view immigrants "taking their jobs". I've never been to Brazil nor do I have any connection to them so I've never really cared about that place or its people. I just like when they lose in football due to their very arrogant supporters.

[Davetello]

Many Portuguese and Brazilians don't care about each other. Until there was a wave of Brazilian immigrants to Portugal 14-15 years ago, both countries didn't know each other very well, and still don't to some degree. There's a lot of cultural differences between both nations and you know how people view immigrants "taking their jobs". I've never been to Brazil nor do I have any connection to them so I've never really cared about that place or its people. I just like when they lose in football due to their very arrogant supporters.

Fair enough mate. On the subject, are you ashamed of guys like Ronald and Mourinho?

I've been to Portugal and most people there were great. I'd imagine that having two complete imbeciles like that representing you must be pretty embarrassing (I imagine you hate Mourinho due to his Porto days).

If they were Scottish I'd be embarrassed, put it that way. I also think Ronaldo's one of the most overrated players I have seen in 25+ years following the game. Great goalscorer but he just doesn't the x-factor that football fans can immediately recognise as that piece of genius. He scores lots of goals but his playmaking ability is average to say the least. His name looks so out of place netx to Pele, Maradona, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Garrincha, Beckenbauer, Puskas, L Ronaldo, Eusebio etc. He has nowhere near their level of talent if we are being honest.

The again I do strongly dislike him and find his behaviour awful and his face repulsive to look at, so perhaps I am slightly underrating him as a result.

[Prowler]

Fair enough mate. On the subject, are you ashamed of guys like Ronald and Mourinho?

I've been to Portugal and most people there were great. I'd imagine that having two complete imbeciles like that representing you must be pretty embarrassing (I imagine you hate Mourinho due to his Porto days).

If they were Scottish I'd be embarrassed, put it that way. I also think Ronaldo's one of the most overrated players I have seen in 25+ years following the game. Great goalscorer but he just doesn't the x-factor that football fans can immediately recognise as that piece of genius. He scores lots of goals but his playmaking ability is average to say the least. His name looks so out of place netx to Pele, Maradona, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Garrincha, Beckenbauer, Puskas, L Ronaldo, Eusebio etc. He has nowhere near their level of talent if we are being honest.

The again I do strongly dislike him and find his behaviour awful and his face repulsive to look at, so perhaps I am slightly underrating him as a result.
I can't speak for all of us but I personally don't care about Mourinho. Nah I don't hate him from leading the criminals to glory. Plus, it's been a decade already. He doesn't seem to like them much either and even some of their hardcore fans dislike him(seriously). He had to be escorted by cops when he faced them in 2004-2005 with Chelsea for the CL. He usually refers to Chelsea and Inter as the teams of his heart.

Don't like Cristiano.

[Davetello]

I can't speak for all of us but I personally don't care about Mourinho. Nah I don't hate him from leading the criminals to glory. Plus, it's been a decade already. He doesn't seem to like them much either and even some of their hardcore fans dislike him(seriously). He had to be escorted by cops when he faced them in 2004-2005 with Chelsea for the CL. He usually refers to Chelsea and Inter as the teams of his heart.

Don't like Cristiano.

Fair enough mate. Like I say the Portuguese people are pretty lovely but these two act appallingly at times. True enough about Mourinho, he seems to have distanced himself from Porto and it was ten years ago anyway.

We could make this into a general football thread for the new season. I don't see the harm in using it for that :)

[Mzx10484]

Recently The FIFA World Champion Germany has lost against its World Cup final opponent Argentina 4:2 ... Was it about nothing? Germany is a tournament team.

[Davetello]

Recently The FIFA World Champion Germany has lost against its World Cup final opponent Argentina 4:2 ... Was it about nothing? Germany is a tournament team.

You're about to lose to Scotland too :)

:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Mzx10484]

:D Looking forward to the Game !!

[Davetello]

Outplayed Germany in the second half but you get the feeling they could have gone up a gear if necessary. The referee was an utter scumbag though - a complete clown.

Once again Scotland is synonymous with glorious failure. But there are encouraging signs for the remainder of the campaign.

[Mzx10484]

Outplayed Germany in the second half but you get the feeling they could have gone up a gear if necessary. The referee was an utter scumbag though - a complete clown.

Once again Scotland is synonymous with glorious failure. But there are encouraging signs for the remainder of the campaign.

Really? Haven't watched the game.

[Mayhem]

Outplayed Germany in the second half but you get the feeling they could have gone up a gear if necessary. The referee was an utter scumbag though - a complete clown.
Oddly enough, I often say the same when England are playing... there are very few referees I think do a good job, and two of them were from the UK, sadly now both retired. From reading the transcript of the game, sounds like Scotland played pretty well, which is encouraging for the rest of the qualification. England should qualify, but it will take a few games to further bed in the youngsters.

[Davetello]

Really? Haven't watched the game.

Perhaps 'outplayed' is somewhat strong - but given that we were playing a far superior team away from home, I thought we more than held our own in that second half and had numerous opportunities to score. We were actually forcing some German mistakes at the back with our pressing as well. You'll still qualify and be a favourite for the main tournament. The German posters on here are all very nice - I've talked to a few arrogant German football fans in the past so this makes a nice change :)

Oddly enough, I often say the same when England are playing... there are very few referees I think do a good job, and two of them were from the UK, sadly now both retired. From reading the transcript of the game, sounds like Scotland played pretty well, which is encouraging for the rest of the qualification. England should qualify, but it will take a few games to further bed in the youngsters.


Yeah, I generally don't like blaming the officiating because it's verging into making excuses - something which rarely helps anyone. But it's hard not to be irritated by this referee and his assistants. He didn't send off Germans when he should have, he let them time waste, and he blew way too early - Reus was down injured from the 89th to 92nd minute, so he should have played to at least 95 given the three mins of stoppage time he allotted (and it really should have been more, btw). However, he blew on 94:30 just as we had a corner. We probably wouldn't have scored but that isn't the point.

He just had a very poor game. There's probably some big team bias in there, but his performance was poor.

England put in a professional perfomance the other night. I don't really rate Welbeck but he played well and took his goals nicely, fair play.

[Mzx10484]

I've talked to a few arrogant German football fans in the past so this makes a nice change :)

I'm not even a real football fan. I watch events like FIFA World Cup, and I was wondering whether it is seen in the United States. Therefore this thread.

[Davetello]

I'm not even a real football fan. I watch events like FIFA World Cup, and I was wondering whether it is seen in the United States. Therefore this thread.

Fair enough m8.