FIFA World Cup 2014

[Don't be late Pedro]

Some thoughts on the England game.

England might well regret not taking Ashley Cole from that performance.

Rooney on the left is a waste. He is not really interested in playing there and for most of the game it showed. He also fails to track back giving no cover. No goals in 3 world cups. Is it time to make him a sub?

Although England seemed setup to play for a counter attack I don't think that there defence is strong enough. They allowed Italy to dictate play too far up the field and as a result gave Pirlo all the room in the world (Though stopping him is obviously easier said then done).

In such conditions I would have thought you want to keep the ball as much as possible yet they seemed to waste it quite a bit going for shots that were never going to trouble the keeper.

Looked good going forward (in parts) with raw speed.

Still they know what they need to do now - pretty much win both games so from that point of view not too much has changed. Costa Rica winning has changed the dynamics though so will be interesting to see how the other results pan out.

 

[Jagartrott]

Don´t know what you saw, but I saw very clear (my drinking bouts come later, when Klose breaks the record, just 1 1/2 days to go ) walling up defense by Italy. I am old school, and call it what it is: Cattenacio. Now the new wave guys can call it whatever they want, can find some fancy tactics names, but in the end, the result is the same as "always": Italy prevails with superb defense.

What I further saw was that b/c of that 7+ men defending, that ENG barely got into the 16m box. Shots were from the outside and high. Just two shots came from the inside, with Rooney´s chance in the 62nd minute as the golden opportunity to score*. You better take it... or you are just World-Cup-off-target-Rooney... and lose.

(* The other one being Barkleys shot in the 64th minute. That was it. Feierabend. 16m box, and thus the goal was nailed up for the reminder of the game. Again: I call that good old cattenachio, while you can call it what ever you want, depending on the game you watched. Certainly not this one...)

Edit: It could be also that you didn´t read comprehensively. I talked about the tactics after Italy took the lead in the 50th minute. But it´s not my fault if you don´t read the posts you criticise completely.

*Every* team falls back a bit if they are ahead. That's not catenaccio. Italy doesn't have the players to adopt that system today. Their playing style is in no way comparable to the 'real' catenaccio, which is a system you generally play all match long.

 

[MBotero]

*Every* team falls back a bit if they are ahead. That's not catenaccio. Italy doesn't have the players to adopt that system today. Their playing style is in no way comparable to the 'real' catenaccio, which is a system you generally play all match long.

Come on it's Italy trademark,they always played liked this,nothing has changed.They really love to defend and they are very good at it.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

*Every* team falls back a bit if they are ahead. That's not catenaccio. Italy doesn't have the players to adopt that system today. Their playing style is in no way comparable to the 'real' catenaccio, which is a system you generally play all match long.

Ok, let´s make a compromise here. We don´t call it "real" cattenacio, since it wasn´t applied trou-out the game. OTOH, I like this Italy tactic (but only nowadays, since I finally accepted boredom in soccer. If I don´t have to watch it 24/7/365, but only for a few WC games, I can live with it, actually see some beauty in it): Get in front, then protect the lead...
Now the difference to other teams; how many times does it happen a team takes a lead, but fails to protect it? No answer needed. It was rhetorical.
For me real cattenacio is protecting successfully without even let opposing players into your 16m box. That way it can´t fail.
If Italy plays like that trou-out, they get far (the only uncertainty will be... the refs, OFC).

 

[Jagartrott]

Fair enough. But really, Italy's quality with this team lies in midfield and offence, not defence. They are vulnerable at the back (look at the England goal: beautiful pass, but Cannavaro or Nesta would never defend so far from the striker).

 

[MBotero]

Ok, let´s make a compromise here. We don´t call it "real" cattenacio, since it wasn´t applied trou-out the game. OTOH, I like this Italy tactic (but only nowadays, since I finally accepted boredom in soccer. If I don´t have to watch it 24/7/365, but only for a few WC games, I can live with it, actually see some beauty in it): Get in front, then protect the lead...

No,no a few WC games is too much ,i hope they really miss their home and they shorten the time spent in Brazil

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Andrea Pirlo against England:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3cogc-fYBk

 

[The fridge in the blue trees]

Don´t know what you saw, but I saw very clear (my drinking bouts come later, when Klose breaks the record, just 1 1/2 days to go ) walling up defense by Italy. I am old school, and call it what it is: Cattenacio. Now the new wave guys can call it whatever they want, can find some fancy tactics names, but in the end, the result is the same as "always": Italy prevails with superb defense.

Old school? That's not old school, that's simply laziness, applying a term that means a certain tactical set up to describe something else. In case you mean catenaccio of course, cattenacio as you wrote it would be a fancy new wave term.

That wasn't catenaccio, not even close.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Chris Froome disapprove

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Swiss week.

2 - 1

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I am really looking forward to see Valtentin Stocker play. I haven really seen any of Basels games over the last years. But as he will join my team, I'm curious to find out how good he actually is.

Look out for Drimic guys! He's brilliant.

 

[ILovecycling]

How about today?

Ecuador - Switzerland
1-1

France - Honduras
3-0

Argentina - Bosnia n Herzegovina
2-2!

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I am really looking forward to see Valtentin Stocker play. I haven really seen any of Basels games over the last years. But as he will join my team, I'm curious to find out how good he actually is.

Look out for Drimic guys! He's brilliant.

your club?

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

your club?

Hertha BSC, internationally known as Hertha Berlin. It was quite a surprise that we got Stocker.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

How about today?

Argentina - Bosnia n Herzegovina
2-2!

3:4 Bosnia to win with 4 free kicks. 3 x Salihovic, 1 x Misimovic.

 

[DonMI6]

Looks like a lot of empty seats...I'd really expect capacity crowds at any World Cup game.

edit: Seats & Swiss fans are the same colour...may not be quite so bad.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

1:0 Ecuador, after a set piece. The Swiss didn't think marking on set pieces is necessary.

It's gonna be good for the game, Switzerland can't be conservative now.

 

[ILovecycling]

Looks like a lot of empty seats...I'd really expect capacity crowds at any World Cup game.

edit: Seats & Swiss fans are the same colour...may not be quite so bad.

it is,but it is reported that couple of thousends! people are waiting in queues due to safety controls.


what a header and what a terrible defense by Djorou
Ecuador 1-0

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Old school? That's not old school, that's simply laziness, applying a term that means a certain tactical set up to describe something else. In case you mean catenaccio of course, cattenacio as you wrote it would be a fancy new wave term.

That wasn't catenaccio, not even close.

What is it for you? Please enlighten me. 11 defenders for 90 mins?... May I am just used to too much offense since I changed to NFL. May I am cosseted, and see walled up defense when there is none... Possible.

 

[ILovecycling]

1:0 Ecuador, after a set piece. The Swiss didn't think marking on set pieces is necessary.

It's gonna be good for the game, Switzerland can't be conservative now.

yep,same with greece colombia yesterday,better match after 1st goal

 

[MBotero]

Vamos La Tri,Colombia show you how to do it,one more goal and they are done.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Anything other than comfortable-ish wins for FRA and ARG would be major surprises. I think the current game may see our first draw.

 

[Flamin]

Wow, horribly low level

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Fair enough. But really, Italy's quality with this team lies in midfield and offence, not defence. They are vulnerable at the back (look at the England goal: beautiful pass, but Cannavaro or Nesta would never defend so far from the striker).

OK, may England was too weak competition, and more quality teams will break them... OTOH, I thought England is still a great soccer nation?

Who is able to beat Italy? I mean truly cracking them, not prevailing with a lucky punch or a favourable ref.

No,no a few WC games is too much ,i hope they really miss their home and they shorten the time spent in Brazil

I know, I always felt the same way. This year it´s the first time I am ok with Italy advancing with their usual ways.

 

[jens_attacks]

go ecuador!

and yes i know this match completely sucks