The Real Football Thread

[JR1012]

0 shots on target....

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

(S)pain has won the game.

Truly horrible final.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Paredes has allegedly thrown some haymakers, excellent, show the scenes bbc come on!!

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

0 shots on target....

Just like in 2014, yet they felt miles more away from success this time.

 

[Gratemans]

Those last games I actually really enjoyed Spain. Let's just say it's definitely not their fault this was a bad finale.
They deserved to win.

 

[JR1012]

So Rodri now Ballon d'Or? Or still someone from PSG or Kane?

 

[Tim Cahill]

Can't tell if the Argies are better winners or better losers, regardless Paredes should be facing a long ban.

 

[Rackham]

Another nightmare fuel final. Add that one to 1990, 94, 2006, 2010 and 2014. But tbh this one probably takes the cake.

 

[E_F_]

Another nightmare fuel final. Add that one to 1990, 94, 2006, 2010 and 2014. But tbh this one probably takes the cake.

I can't shake that Dutch war crime.

 

[Sciatic]

Violently grabbing another player with two hands around his neck AFTER the final whistle has to be some kind of future penalty, fine, or whatever.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Another nightmare fuel final. Add that one to 1990, 94, 2006, 2010 and 2014. But tbh this one probably takes the cake.

I'm not sure about 94, but all the others were action packed compared with this one. Almost nothing happend here, except for a goal and a red card.

 

[Gratemans]

Another nightmare fuel final. Add that one to 1990, 94, 2006, 2010 and 2014. But tbh this one probably takes the cake.

I kinda get what you're saying, but I still really enjoyed Spain. They always have a lot of possession, but NOT just for the sake of it: they constantly play forward passess between the lines. Combine that with the almost zen-like way they defend and play their way out from under pressure, it's beautiful to see imo.

I can't shake that Dutch war crime.

Yeah. Sorry about that.
I've seen many tournaments where it really hit me when we got knocked out. But the one time we were in the final? I wasn't even really that bummed when we lost that one as we really where playing anti-football at the time.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Another nightmare fuel final. Add that one to 1990, 94, 2006, 2010 and 2014. But tbh this one probably takes the cake.

I kinda loved 2010, just because the Dutch almost pulled it off and I've never seen Serie C tactics deployed in a world cup final like that. 2006 was poor but for the obvious iconic moment.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I kinda loved 2010, just because the Dutch almost pulled it off and I've never seen Serie C tactics deployed in a world cup final like that. 2006 was poor but for the obvious iconic moment.

Instead of the half time show, they should've had a UFC fight in memory of this final and the dark arts displayed there. Much easier to prepare as well. Just drive an octagon into the arena on a monster truck.

 

[Gratemans]

Instead of the half time show, they should've had a UFC fight in memory of this final and the dark arts displayed there. Much easier to prepare as well. Just drive an octagon into the arena on a monster truck.

Netherlands - Portugal 2006 was actually way, way, way worse than the 2010 final. It's still called "the disgrace of Nurnberg" here.

Anyway, it went the way it went, so it wasn't possible, but France - Spain should have been the final.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I kinda loved 2010, just because the Dutch almost pulled it off and I've never seen Serie C tactics deployed in a world cup final like that. 2006 was poor but for the obvious iconic moment.

2006 had 2 goals in extratime, a great penalty, a penalty shootout and the legendary red card of the sport. It wasn't a great game either, but I think there were actually some chances on both sides in the 90 minutes.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Netherlands - Portugal 2006 was actually way, way, way worse than the 2010 final. It's still called "the disgrace of Nurnberg" here.

Yes. True. They could have had Mark van Bommel fight Pepe in the octagon then.

Anyway, it went the way it went, so it wasn't possible, but France - Spain should have been the final.

Yes.

 

[killswitch]

Scary how good this young Spanish squad already is. Only missing a David Villa/Fernando Torres goalscorer now.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not sure about 94, but all the others were action packed compared with this one. Almost nothing happend here, except for a goal and a red card.

This was better than 1994 or 2010, evens on 2014 and definitely worse than 2006.

Spain turned up to play football, but they did the classic Spain "1-0 aet" thing thanks to largely firing shots right at Emi Martínez or as close to him as they could. Argentina turned up to do their usual thing: stifle play, break it up, prevent as much action as possible and keep running around to a minimum for as long as possible so that Messi can stay as sharp as possible.

Spain kept the ball better than England, and didn't rise to the bait in the face of significant provocation, which, partnered with the Argentinians' total lack of a pressing game, meant a lot of the ball being manoeuvred around the back and frequent passes to Unai Simón to make sure he didn't fall asleep back there.

The gag is really that you have to beat Argentina 1-0 by not scoring until as late as possible because they only switch on at that point. Even with 10 they were creating chances against a miserly defence, although I have absolutely no clue what nonsense that disallowed goal was about, although Torres' offside goal was a lot closer than I initially thought too. The Argentine team crowding the referee and protesting Fernández' red card was absolutely crazy too, that was just an absolutely pants-on-head stupid challenge to make when you're already on a yellow (that you got for being a petulant man-child). After his antics in and after the semi-final and getting a red card today, I think we can expect him to get absolutely pilloried in away matches in the EPL next season.

 

[theyoungest]

I've rarely seen a more deserving winner in a football match. Argentina are a disgrace. It's unbelievable that FIFA try anything in their power to protect this insane asylum of a team.

 

[jono]

I've rarely seen a more deserving winner in a football match. Argentina are a disgrace. It's unbelievable that FIFA try anything in their power to protect this insane asylum of a team.

There have been many winners as deserving or more, but I can't imagine a more deserving loser than this Argentina team.

 

[Põhja Konn]

There have been many winners as deserving or more, but I can't imagine a more deserving loser than this Argentina team.

Dutch team of 2010 was even worse - every bit as cynical, but with significantly more uncontrolled violence in their approach.

 

[Rob5091]

A real snooze of a final. FIFA had their man Messi in the final but he was a poor shadow of himself in his glory days. Spain deserved winners.

 

[Rackham]

The Argentinians were terrified of losing because they all know this was the end of the Messi era. It took them 24 years to reach a final again post-Maradona. It'll be the same again I reckon.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

20, because Maradona went out in a blaze of white powder in the 1994 World Cup too, but yes, there is the definite sense of a window slamming shut with the uncomfortable realisation that Messi is, in fact, old. They've managed to find ways to maximise his value through the World Cup (notwithstanding his not being sent off or suspended in the Algeria game of course), but most of his goals were empty calories in the group stages, and his impact was getting less as the tournament went on until he was an absolute ghost in the final.

I said a few games back that this tournament was a changing of the guard, with Ronaldo becoming more of a hindrance than a help for Portugal, Modrić now being exposed as too slow for the pace of the game at this level in the England game, Belgium being stronger without de Bruyne, Neuer no longer able to play the role he once did for a fading, mediocre German squad and an injured Salah being ineffectual for an Egypt team finally showing at the World Cup what they habitually show at AFCON. But last night, he was just as much of a has-been, a passenger, reduced to scraps; the team has set up in a way to try to carry Messi through the first hour so that he can coast, preserve energy and then turn up the heat later in the match when the opposition tire, but that relies on being able to choke the opposition's game, keep the ball out of play, lots of set piece play and anti-futebol for the first half of the game and preventing the opposition from building up any momentum. The semi-final against England was a masterclass in how this era of Argentine football works in order to succeed; but Spain were just too good in possession to let Argentina play that game; the guys who came off the bench and changed the game in the England match were ineffectual as starters, but didn't have the same effect as pests that Simeone had.

The idolatry and hagiography that surrounds HGH Jesus has always been cringeworthy, I've seen articles and comments this morning that Argentina somehow failed Messi in that they didn't carry him to victory and absolving him of any blame for any negatives, but if he is really as good as his most vocal supporters claim, then the very fact they wanted Argentina to carry him speaks volumes in and of itself. And it isn't like he wasn't throwing tantrums at not getting all the decisions his way, diving for cheap free kicks especially as they grew desperate late on, protesting the red card or begging for Spanish players to be sent off for his part too.

LOL at Scaloni saying that his team showed that they know how to lose with grace, too.