FIFA World Cup 2014

[FoxxyBrown1111]

BTW, what is that new fuss about "false 9". What does it mean?
I am used to old school soccer. Meaning at least... all people... at least one Forward... God god god... This game is about scoring. 0-0 doesn´t win you games. We have dumb-heads in football who think to go for 0-0 is a tactic to win games. It´s not. Simple mathematics. Even cattenacio Italians got that, always. At least one Forward.
Ticky tacka tuk tuk tuk blub blub doesn´t make it. You can dribble as long as the sun shines, you can even dribble out of the stadium, you can pass short back and forth and back and... but that leads to... nothing

 

[Eshnar]

BTW, what is that new fuss about "false 9". What does it mean?
I am used to old school soccer. Meaning at least... all people... at least one Forward... God god god... This game is about scoring. 0-0 doesn´t win you games. We have dumb-heads in football who think to go for 0-0 is a tactic to win games. It´s not. Simple mathematics. Even cattenacio Italians got that, always. At least one Forward.
Ticky tacka tuk tuk tuk blub blub doesn´t make it. You can dribble as long as the sun shines, you can even dribble out of the stadium, you can pass short back and forth and back and... but that leads to... nothing

Catenaccio, Foxxy... Catenaccio.
C A T E N A C C I O

 

[MBotero]

BTW, what is that new fuss about "false 9". What does it mean?
I am used to old school soccer. Meaning at least... all people... at least one Forward... God god god... This game is about scoring. 0-0 doesn´t win you games. We have dumb-heads in football who think to go for 0-0 is a tactic to win games. It´s not. Simple mathematics. Even cattenacio Italians got that, always. At least one Forward.
Ticky tacka tuk tuk tuk blub blub doesn´t make it. You can dribble as long as the sun shines, you can even dribble out of the stadium, you can pass short back and forth and back and... but that leads to... nothing

Football Tactics for Beginners:The False 9 http://www.thefalse9.com/2013/09/football-tactics-for-beginnersthe-false.html

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Catenaccio, Foxxy... Catenaccio.
C A T E N A C C I O

Sorry... my shaky italian.
I will try to get it right from now. Always check back to your post...

 

[Jagartrott]

Ticky tacka tuk tuk tuk blub blub doesn´t make it. You can dribble as long as the sun shines, you can even dribble out of the stadium, you can pass short back and forth and back and... but that leads to... nothing

Except for a world cup and a European cup of course (Spain)

 

[Eshnar]

...and a European cup of course (Spain)

make it two...

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

2 european cups. And some CLs and Spanish titles of course.

But Tiki Taka is boring football.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

You guys have fair points here. No doubt about that. And I saw it coming...

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

People are saying big things about the end of Tiki Taka. And I sure hope they're right (I mean, it doesn't have to stop totally, but it seems coaches found the key of how to play against it, and it won't be the dominant playing system anymore)

 

[Jagartrott]

Right, Spain also won 2008 - don't even remember that.
Time for a new kind of football to prevail! On club level, this seems the case, but internationally, which country has really been able to convince lately?

 

[Hugo87]

Portugal needs to be very consistent defensibly, play with high intensity/pressure (hard to do on this climate) and to score on the 2/3 chances that will get on the whole match to have a chance against Germany.

The stats speak for themselves, 3 wins on 17 matches against Germany, just 1 win on the last 7 World Cup games for Portugal (was against North Korea) and with Ronaldo not 100% fit, chances are very small.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Portugal needs to be very consistent defensibly, play with high intensity/pressure (hard to do on this climate) and to score on the 2/3 chances that will get on the whole match to have a chance against Germany.

The stats speak for themselves, 3 wins on 17 matches against Germany, just 1 win on the last 7 World Cup games for Portugal (was against North Korea) and with Ronaldo not 100% fit, chances are very small.

There are stats, and then there are stats...
While efficiency numbers of current teams certainly show something about future expectations... past number comparisons are nothing more than trivia. It´s nice to have these stats, but they nave zero implications for the upcoming game. Even if POR lost 20 in a row vs Germany, it means nothing for today. It´s all about Ronaldo being fit, creating chances (speak shooting instead of dribbling around the circle ), have the luck on your side that those chances get converted... and well, hope the Ref holds back, let the players decide the game.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Neutral on the game.

vs

1 - 1

The underwear model will score, just like Messi did yesterday.

 

[Hugo87]

There are stats, and then there are stats...
While efficiency numbers of current teams certainly show something about future expectations... past number comparisons are nothing more than trivia. It´s nice to have these stats, but they nave zero implications for the upcoming game. Even if POR lost 20 in a row vs Germany, it means nothing for today. It´s all about Ronaldo being fit, creating chances (speak shooting instead of dribbling around the circle ), have the luck on your side that those chances get converted... and well, hope the Ref holds back, let the players decide the game.

World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 losses against Germany do matter, teams are almost the same, but Germany has some very good youngsters and Portugal only has one (William Carvalho) and he won't be on the start 11 today.

Edit - Dazed don't post Sardines, hate those. I prefer this:

 

[MBotero]

It´s all about Ronaldo being fit, creating chances (speak shooting instead of dribbling around the circle ),

Come on ,Ronaldo is not Messi,the guy just loves to shoot from long range,he doesn't insist to walk the ball in also.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 losses against Germany do matter, teams are almost the same, but Germany has some very good youngsters and Portugal only has one (William Carvalho) and he won't be on the start 11 today.

Edit - Dazed don't post Sardines, hate those. I prefer this:

In other ball sports, season-to-season stats comparisons have close to zero correlation to future outcomes (unlike current season/tournament stats), and I am absolutely sure soccer is no different.
IOW, you are safe. The past won´t give us any hints of who could be the favourite today. (BTW, betting market odds are almost entirely a picture of assumptions by the betting public, thus you can forget these numbers as hints too).
POR has the same chances as GER. I am pretty sure the talent level is almost the same, with nuances of differences of in-play-level.
It all comes down to trying to score after creating chances, and then it´s about the right bounces in the right seconds... and, the refs (I know it´s getting tired. But that´s the sorry reality we have to live with).

About all the latest food pics: Wow. I´d like to have something like that now.... Out for half an hour, I am going to eat.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Come on ,Ronaldo is not Messi,the guy just loves to shoot from long range,he doesn't insist to walk the ball in also.

Who is better? I can´t judge. Too long out...
It seems Ronaldo, since Messi was pretty much a no-show in past World Cups?!

P.S.: That wasn´t about Ronaldo solely, but for both teams.... Actually I am more concerned about Germany trying to ticky tacka its way out of the stadium than I am worried about Ronaldo.

 

[Hugo87]

In other ball sports, season-to-season stats comparisons have close to zero correlation to future outcomes (unlike current season/tournament stats), and I am absolutely sure soccer is no different.
IOW, you are safe. The past won´t give us any hints of who could be the favourite today. (BTW, betting market odds are almost entirely a picture of assumptions by the betting public, thus you can forget these numbers as hints too).
POR has the same chances as GER. I am pretty sure the talent level is almost the same, with nuances of differences of in-play-level.
It all comes down to trying to score after creating chances, and then it´s about the right bounces in the right seconds... and, the refs (I know it´s getting tired. But that´s the sorry reality we have to live with).

The pic: Wow. I´d like to have something like that now.... Out for half an hour, I am going to eat.

Not sure about the talent level being almost the same, but I like your optimism.

Getting excited, just about 3 hours to start.

About the pic, it's a portuguese speciality from the North (Porto), it's called "francesinha" = "little frenchie" , tastes even better than it looks, believe me.

 

[MBotero]

Neutral on the game.

vs

1 - 1

The underwear model will score, just like Messi did yesterday.

Maybe this is more apropriate:

vs

 

[The Hitch]

Who is better? I can´t judge. Too long out...
It seems Ronaldo, since Messi was pretty much a no-show in past World Cups?!

P.S.: That wasn´t about Ronaldo solely, but for both teams.... Actually I am more concerned about Germany trying to ticky tacka its way out of the stadium than I am worried about Ronaldo.

Messi was like 18 and injured in hist first world cup.

In his second one he was on the shortlist for player of the tournament.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Not sure about the talent level being almost the same, but I like your optimism.

Getting excited, just about 3 hours to start.

About the pic, it's a portuguese speciality from the North (Porto), it's called "francesinha" = "little frenchie" , tastes even better than it looks, believe me.

Of these tree dishes I much prefer grilled top quality sardines.
Along with a bottle of wine of course.

 

[del1962]

People are saying big things about the end of Tiki Taka. And I sure hope they're right (I mean, it doesn't have to stop totally, but it seems coaches found the key of how to play against it, and it won't be the dominant playing system anymore)

Tiki Taka like all systems is on as good as the players playng it, I think it was more interesting to watch in the early days before teams found ways to counter it.

 

[The Hitch]

This game is gonna be like the NBA final yesterday.

Portugal have Lebron, but Germany have a well rounded team that works well together and will kill them slowly.

 

[Amsterhammer]

This game is gonna be like the NBA final yesterday.

Portugal have Lebron, but Germany have a well rounded team that works well together and will kill them slowly.

And, schnitzel is ultimately more substantial and satisfying than sardines.

 

[Parrulo]

World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012 losses against Germany do matter, teams are almost the same, but Germany has some very good youngsters and Portugal only has one (William Carvalho) and he won't be on the start 11 today.

Edit - Dazed don't post Sardines, hate those. I prefer this:

Ever been to Alicantina? I think those are my favourites, even better than Santiago!!!

Also Varela won't be on the starting 11, Nani will. A shame Bento still insists on having Meireles playing from the start. A guy that must be replaced after 60 minutes because he is exhausted shouldn't be on the starting 11 imo. Bento should have experienced with Carvalho playing in Meireles position. The guy isn't very fast but is a total physical beast and almost never makes a wrong decision. I saw a video analysing his last game and he had something like 90+% rate of best choice in passes with 1 good pass that wasn't the best choice and only 1 bad pass.

Also our lack of strikers is embarrasing. I hope Bento goes with Eder and not Almeida.