FIFA World Cup 2014

[sniper]

Kuyt beat a player with a Cruyff turn yesterday and no one even noticed. 40 years ago it was considered the greatest skill in the history of football.

kuyt looked incredibly bulky by the way.
muscles much more inflated than in previous years.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

But from the Dutch team Ron Vlaar impressed me the most (from Robben world class is expected).

I never knew he turned into such a rock solid defender at Aston Villa. I still remember when he had his first cap for the Dutch team against Italy and had a woeful match against Luca Toni.
This World cup i have not seen 1 mistake from Vlaar. Wins almost all his duels, solid tackles, brilliant last minute interventions..

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Van Gaal let it slip that two players refuse to take the 1st penalty and so Vlaar had to step up.

 

[MBotero]

But from the Dutch team Ron Vlaar impressed me the most (from Robben world class is expected).

I never knew he turned into such a rock solid defender at Aston Villa. I still remember when he had his first cap for the Dutch team against Italy and had a woeful match against Luca Toni.
This World cup i have not seen 1 mistake from Vlaar. Wins almost all his duels, solid tackles, brilliant last minute interventions..

You are right about Vlaar,i was more impressed by him than anyone else in the Holland squad,i wasn't even remember that he was playing for Villa.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'm now changing both my prediction, and hope for the final. I see 1-0 Germany. Maybe 2-0. Unless Messi does something amazing, the Germans will stop him the way they did Ronaldo, and Argentina doesn't score and has few shots on goal. I am hoping however for a great match.

The snide part of me wants to see something akin to the Argentina-Netherlands match. A 0-0 tie with very few goal shots. Add in several blown offsides calls by refs, and end the match in a shootout with the weaker team winning. Why would anyone want such a thing? To perhaps wake up FIFA to making some badly needed, if subtle, rule changes (not that I'd hold my breath).

The Broncos might have a shot year in, year out. But the brains will not forget the february drubbing.

Unless they win this year, or the next. Brazil doesn't really have that option. But you're right, that Superbowl loss was a nightmare. A very bitter pill to swallow either way.

I often have critics of your country, but at least your sports system works. In our country OTOH everything is on the decline.

Usually works in the US. Usually. I do see more problems in euro sports though. Like our previous discussion about F1 and how different (as in boring) it is compared to the glory days 20+ years ago. Cycling seems to be doing at least a little better in the last couple years, after the witch was caught and burned at the stake.

 

[sniper]

Agree, Belgium are one bucking the trend. I rate Germany in midlfield and they're OK in defence but what if Klose retires after this World Cup? You're relying on Mueller(who can do well there) with no recognised striker up top. Germany as much as I like them lack depth in the striking areas. Maybe Gomez might come back, although I'm not a fan and I don't think Volland or Kruse are tip top quality who can make a difference at the highest level. I'm really talking about producing recognised ones in that area of the pitch.

Still saying that, they are clearly the best team in this tournament.

indeed germany lack strikers to fill the gap klose will leave.
otoh, every great team at every world cup in the past has relied on at least one or two older players at key positions who often also play an important role in the dressing room, etc.
think pirlo for italy.
that's not necessarily a sign of a lack of depth.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

The snide part of me wants to see something akin to the Argentina-Netherlands match. A 0-0 tie with very few goal shots. Add in several blown offsides calls by refs, and end the match in a shootout with the weaker team winning. Why would anyone want such a thing? To perhaps wake up FIFA to making some badly needed, if subtle, rule changes (not that I'd hold my breath).

This would change nothing.

This is not the NFL. There you have 32 little dictators with a speaker president, a true speaker, a rule commitee, and else. That leads to open discussions for mostly the better for the sport (and business OFC).

Fifa OTOH is rotten to the core. Blatter is everything in one person (where the NFL has it distribution). the rest around him a corrupt gotten rich yes men.

Yeah a lot of Broncos Brazil comparisons here. Both teams were said to be even or slight favourite before the game, and then hell broke lose to them from the around the beginning on.
A lesser talented team that knows it will be clobbered can live with it. OTOH, those highly trained sport machines won´t recover mentally, always remember the shame, may melt again under pressure (with Manning that´s 100% sure in any case).

Usually works in the US. Usually. I do see more problems in euro sports though. Like our previous discussion about F1 and how different (as in boring) it is compared to the glory days 20+ years ago. Cycling seems to be doing at least a little better in the last couple years, after the witch was caught and burned at the stake.

Agree with that. But I meant my post different. In your country talent is spotted and goes trou the highest level educated (even tough in their sport only) for max production.
In Germany (& maybe rest of Europe) sports is at zero in schools, education in sports is bad. Into the 90s we depended on the leftovers from GDR (Ullrich, Ballack, olympic sports athlets, etc.). Now Germany depends on 3 double passport holders. In the not too far future it will be 11 of those in our "national" teams. The rest dies dumb, poor educated, fat, watching Freak-Show-TV... It´s not as bad as Africa, but the overall level is shrinking in every phase of life...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Good post Foxxy. I can't disagree with anything you wrote.

After my previous post I listened to Steve Gorman Sports on Fox radio. I like the guy and he's big on soccer, knows a lot about it. This very topic came up about 0-0 matches and PKs. He, and his expert guests would be like FIFA and against any rule changes at all. Even if every other match in the WC ended 0-0 with PKs, they'd still say that's the way the sport has been for years, and the way the sport is.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Good post Foxxy. I can't disagree with anything you wrote.

After my previous post I listened to Steve Gorman Sports on Fox radio. I like the guy and he's big on soccer, knows a lot about it. This very topic came up about 0-0 matches and PKs. He, and his expert guests would be like FIFA and against any rule changes at all. Even if every other match in the WC ended 0-0 with PKs, they'd still say that's the way the sport has been for years, and the way the sport is.

That´s how the whole soccer world thinks. They are not open for new ideas. It took decades to just implement the goal line tech and a little spray, so that the free kick cheating stops...

OTOH, if they had gone trou a metamorphosis like I did at a young age (seeing Fotball and Baseball in awe the first time, knewing instantly something is real wrong with soccer rules compared to US sports), they would change opinions. Grumpy old men just can´t... and those are the guys who talk, rule, corrupt and coach soccer.

 

[theyoungest]

Mascherano has an interesting injury after tackling Robben: a torn anus...

 

[l.Harm]

I already read about Javier Mascheranus

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

Kuyt beat a player with a Cruyff turn yesterday and no one even noticed. 40 years ago it was considered the greatest skill in the history of football.

Probably because few people had ever seen it when Cruyff did it. People were amazed when Pong first came out... less so now I imagine.

 

[Jagartrott]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rvsuYssoTw0

"Everyday football fouls"

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Not particular interested in today's marketing exercise, but for the hell of it:

Brazil vs Oranje

3 - 0

Messi will still be in Maradona's shadow after today's match.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Probably because few people had ever seen it when Cruyff did it. People were amazed when Pong first came out... less so now I imagine.

Put it this way, Cruyff would be successful 4 times out of 5 with such a move.
Kuyt will likely lose the ball or fall over himself in majority of cases.

 

[MBotero]

Brazil vs Holland
I don't know if i even waste my sleep for this game,like Van Gaal said “I think this match should never be played and I’ve been saying this for 10 years,” really doesn't have any importance.
Holland for the win.

 

[Flamin]

Yeah, lets play a game 'who's the least biggest loser between the two of us?'. Ridiculous.

I have no clue about who was 3rd in 2010. I suppose Germany beat Uruguay, but that's just a logical guess.

 

[Merckx index]

Think the Dutch are a better team, but think conditions favor Brazil:

1) Really want to end their home WC on a positive note, and begin the very long process of forgetting that horrible game vs. Germany
2) Get Silva back, which should help their D a lot
3) NL has played three straight OT games, and only has had two days rest for this one. RVP was so tired he had to be taken out of the last one, which probably cost the Dutch the win (keep him in and they make one more PK; bring in Krul and they stop at least one PK)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

1-0 and should have been red for Brazil

 

[The Hitch]

Netherlands: so you beat Brazil 7-1 Germany? Challenge accepted

 

[roundabout]

Looked like the foul was outside the box and it should have been simply a red?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

This is an atrocious referee. You can see it already

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No but seriously. A blind dog would have been a better referee

 

[roundabout]

Yeah, that was no way a yellow

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Brazil vs Holland
I don't know if i even waste my sleep for this game,like Van Gaal said “I think this match should never be played and I’ve been saying this for 10 years,” really doesn't have any importance.
Holland for the win.

Yeah, lets play a game 'who's the least biggest loser between the two of us?'. Ridiculous.

I have no clue about who was 3rd in 2010. I suppose Germany beat Uruguay, but that's just a logical guess.

That´s what´s phucked up in todays (neo capitalism) world: The winner takes it all.
When I was young and still played soccer, I was proud and fully motivated even winning bronze medal games. Shame on van Gaal and all the others giving up pre-game. They teach our kids wrong.