Cristiano Ronaldo has left Portugal's training session after 15 mins with an ice pack on his knee. pic.twitter.com/ya6PLOb0Ly— Transfer Sources (@TransferSources) June 12, 2014
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He's been hurt for months, and now he's hurt more. He's had a thigh thing for quite a while, and he's developed knee tendinitis recently. Looks like he's having a lot of trouble with it.
Ronaldo at 60% is still a very big asset, but this is one reason why I'm optimistic about our chances. Plus, the field where we're playing Portugal is in really, really bad shape. That plays into our hands for that matchup.
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Was the foul embellished? Yes, but it was still a foul from the angle the referee had. Anywhere else on the field, that would have been called and we would have moved on without any discussion, but the issue is that it resulted in a PK. From the referee's angle, he saw the Croatian defender's arms around the other guy's waist. Had he not put his hands on his waist and then immediately thrown them up in the air as the player started to fall, he likely would have been fine. Throwing your hands up after a guy is falling does more to show you're guilty of a foul than it does to prove your innocent. It's a controversial call, but as a referee myself without any vested interest in the outcome of that match, I can see why the call was made and would have likely made the same call. The Croatian player got enough of the Brazilian's left arm in the process to justify it. Brazil received the ball only 12 yards out from the goal with one defender behind him and one coming in range. It was a play that was developing to a goal scoring opportunity. Often we want to blame a referee for a call like that but what should be asked is why is a high level athlete putting himself in a position to be called for something like that? You don't risk having a PK called at any time. It's not worth it. It would be the same as a DB playing aggressive on a 4th and 12 when the other team is going for it and getting called for Pass Interference.
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I'm a referee too and I would never have called that. That was blatant diving from every angle I saw, in my opinion. A hand on the upper arm is not a foul.
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You have to think of it in full speed and the angle he had. From that angle, which was looking directly at the play and the players, the Croatian player looked to have pulled Fred's arm backward, pulling him to the left as Fred was turning right. The call can be justified either way given the situation so it's neither a bad call or a good call. It would have been just as correct to let play go on as it was to make the call.
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Believe me I'm the first person to defend a referee in almost any sport, but in this case I can't do it. We'll have to agree to disagree, I honestly don't think that call would have been given on the other end of the pitch.
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I also think that referee was letting a lot of stuff go for the majority of the match, like the buildup to the 3rd Brazil goal (which I had no problem with). But if he's going to let all that go, even if there WAS any real foul on Fred, you can't call that.
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Unfortunately I didn't get to watch this match as I was on my commute home from work so I can't speak to the tone of the match that he set, but that was just my piece on the call that seems to have everybody up in arms.
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I fully believe that there was a little bit of home favoritism and that it had a bearing on the fact that it was a call, but I don't think he was 100% wrong as everyone tries to vilify an official for making a controversial call. Unlike the Sugar Bowl, these calls aren't reviewed so no matter how many times we want to watch replays of it and see whether he was right or wrong, everything changes in real time.
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Corrupt country = corrupt WC. It's easy to see if any ref makes a non call or call against Brazil and it causes them to lose or even tie that individual will be dead.
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I would be somewhat surprised if they make it out of the group. Croatia will rebound. Mandzukic coming back will help them a lot. I don't expect them to lose again in the group stage.
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Cameroon had a few quality chances. I REALLY did not like how Mexico went to embellishing every single contact over the last 15 minutes of the game. Their guys were falling down like they were shot with the most minimal of contact.
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For Spain's sake, they really need to change keepers after this last game. Those last 2 goals (and debatably the set piece goal as well) all involved mistakes by Casillas. Pepe Reina deserves his shot anyway.
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I'd start degea the dudes an animal for man u (and I'm a city fan....) Regardless I know a good keeper when I see one and you'll be going through the same process again in 4 years if you start reina.
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Last go around, Spain became the first team ever to lose their opener and win the cup. I don't see them doing it again, but, for this particular team, that's not the best statistic to cite.
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Right. They lost to the Swiss 1-0. This was a worse defeat by a wide margin, but it was the Dutch, not the Swiss. Casillas had a nightmare. Robben looked great, even though he's old. Spain better pull it together.
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Thus far, Mexico has looked like the best team in the tournament. Odd, since they were so poor in qualifying and in recent friendlies. The might just be peaking at the right time. Their short and single-touch passing looked awesome, like Spain in the early stages of del Bosque's tenure. We'll see how they play Brazil, but, at this point, don't sleep on them too hard. If this is what we can expect from el tri, they might do some damage.
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I don't totally disagree. I haven't seen anything from Croatia yet that makes me believe in them. Both teams looked like early nerves were getting to them.
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Mandzukic brings a lot to that attack, even if it's just his presence pulling defenders away. And apparently pissing off Alex Song to the point that he makes the most idiotic move I've seen in a few years.
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Yeah, that should be a good one. Croatia looked better against Cameroon last night, but it's hard to read too much into that. But Mexico looked WAY better against Brazil than Croatia did.
I'm going to reiterate that Mexico has exceeded expectations more than anyone in the tournament. They play aggressive, apply a lot of pressure, adopted a little tiki taka, have guys that can both create and finish, and are tenacious on defense. Not to mention the fact that Ochoa was probably just sainted for his otherworldly performance against the hosts. I'm rooting for them. They're playing with a passion that is nearly unparalleled in this tournament so far.
But yesterday also showed pretty clearly why I wasn't too hyped on Holland. Yes, they are good. But Australia isn't very good, and managed to keep themselves in the game. Spain was clearly not starting the tournament well against Holland, and after the game against Chile (who also looks pretty good), I think we can now say for sure that the Spaniards didn't show up to this event. Diego Costa should have chosen Brazil and played really poorly for Spain. Iker Casillas was a dumpster fire. del Bosque may not survive this debacle.
I still contend that the Mexicans could put a serious dent in this tournament (but could certainly lose to Croatia), Germany is still the best looking team out there, Chile has thoroughly impressed me, and Honduras is far and away the worst team in the tournament by a wide, wide margin.
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To me, France and Germany are the ones to beat right now. I know France has just played Honduras, but they shouldn't be ignored. That team is firing on all cylinders.
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France did look good, with a revamped roster. I'm holding off on judging them too much because they played against the worst team in the tournament. The game against the Swiss tomorrow will go a long way towards setting my expectations for the rest of the tournament.
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They're pretty high. Of the European teams, they're in the top two, agreed, with Germany. Again, haven't seen Germany twice yet, but I think they're likely to continue be impressive, albeit against Ghana and US. So I'm not sure what we're really going to learn about them before playing the knockout stages. Assuming they win the group, they'll probably be matched up against Belgium, who I think they'll beat, then get, presumably, France in the quarters.
That's a long way off, but one of the best European teams might knock the other out before the semis.
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Nah man they're gonna get Russia/ south Korea, do you really think either of those two teams are capable of beating Belgium for the group? I mean i wasn't blown away by Belgium but good grief south Korea and Russia were riding the struggle bus the other day
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I think worst team in the tournament is harsh for Honduras...Greece and Cameroon have to be pretty strong contenders for worst team in the tournament....let's not forget that Spain has the worst GD in the tournament at the moment..
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Well France just ALSO beat Switzerland, who most thought were at least an okay team, by 3 goals. And hell, it may as well have been 5, both of Switzerland's goals came well after the game was over by all means.
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Yeah Honduras wasn't as bad yesterday. Maybe the French make people look that bad. Greece is totally unwatchable. But from what I expected from Spain, they're pretty unwatchable at the moment, too. I could totally see Australia coming in and beating them, completing Spain's fall from grace.
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Yes, I missed the clinic but I saw that Spain vs. Holland game where no clinic was given. Spain starts slow, and Casillas is a mess. At 3-1 the game had been fairly even, but then Casillas gave one away to van Persie and Spain shut it down. Don't let the score fool you.
Mexico looked like the best team in the tournament so far. Against bigger, faster, stronger players, they controlled the ball and the tempo. Columbia looked good earlier too, and the Pura Victory that was just chalked up was a real nice game, even though Costa Rica has a short shelf life.
The poster above that said Cameroon was a mess was right, but no one has played a better game than Mexico so far, even against inferior competition. They looked well organized, played with precision, and may be peaking at the right time. Their change in strategy failed during qualifying but it looks like something clicked yesterday.
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And now, after just finishing the Brazil/Mexico game, I'm going to reiterate that Mexico looks really good, far better than we should have expected after their qualifying performance. Mexico could very well lose to Croatia, and Brazil/Croatia could move on, but at this point Mexico is as good a team as I've seen.
I'm starting to question the $5 bet I put on Brazil, though. Marcelo and Dani Alves both played better today, but Oscar kinda fell off the map.
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I'm not sure I'd say Mexico looked THAT impressive yesterday. Ochoa saved their bacon numerous times throughout that game. Without his play, Mexico probably loses something like 4-0. They had some decent chances, but their defense had some unfathomable breakdowns. I am actually gonna say the bigger story is the fact that Brazil failed to capitalize on any of those chances (many of them 1 on 1 with the goalie) especially the ones in the box with an open look on goal.
Mexico played well to earn the draw, but they play that same game against someone like Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, etc, the scoreline won't be pretty.
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Ugh. I typically dislike Italy's style of play, but they were better today. I guess when you have Balotelli up top, you'll play a more attacking style. Pirlo's free kick late was brilliant, even if it did hit the bar. I heard this joke recently:
The English national team went to a children's chronic disease ward to see if they could bring up the spirits of the kids. "That's the saddest, most despondent group I've ever seen," said one six-year-old with leukemia.
I would have really liked England to have won that game. They've almost entirely moved on from the Beckham/Terry/Lampard generation, who were extremely talented but have brought them nothing but heartbreak. They need to get Rooney off the field, though, because his form for the national team has just never been there. Replace him with Barkely and see what shakes out. Their young talent looks promising, and their goal yesterday was a beautiful piece of stereotypical English soccer. Take it up the side, give it across, finish.
The Ivorians really picked it up when Drogba entered the match. He didn't even contribute to either goal, but it seemed like the simple fact that he was on the field pumped them up. Toure didn't play well. Honda had a brilliant strike early, but Japan just seemed to fear Drogba.
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...and wasted lots of other opportunities, including kicking a corner directly out of bounds. If I recall correctly, he has never scored a goal for England in 3 World Cups. Never. Pretty sad for a guy who is supposed to be a good forward.
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Overall, I thought England played the better game. They created more opportunities than Italy. Italy was just able to capitalize on the few opportunities they had. I believe England's future is bright. I expect them to be a dangerous team in the 2018 WC
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I don't know if I would say that Bosnia and Herzegovina looks better than Argentina, but they certainly look better than I think a lot of people were expecting. You should feel silly for expecting Messi to win the final anyway. :P One player does not a championship team make.
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And oh I know I was more taking a shot at ESPN. They seem to think that's Argentina's entire team haha that goal was gorgeous though....holy hell. I don't have hidef so I couldn't tell was it di maria who laid it off with the backheel? They really needed to get out of the back 5, higuain is a difference maker and they need him on the pitch.
I haven't been impressed with agueros performance but zabaleta has looked good!
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Bosnia looked surprisingly good, yes, and I texted a friend early in the second half that Bosnia might look like the better team. They have a good shot of getting to the next round.
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Eh I was never really worried for Arg. I new they had it in the bag. Good game from Bosnia. I must caution, it would punch a fancy gap in your prediction if they eff it up in their next match.
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So far of all the games I'd say the Switzerlands last second win and costa ricas stunning win against Uruguay have been the games of the world cup so far with van persies diving header being the goal of the cup so far.
But saying that I'll add im a manchester united red devil so seeing Van Gaal's Netherlands thrash Spain with a few goals from Van Persie makes me have hope for next season. One thing I'll say is I'm suprised Spain didnt use Juan Mata as a sub to help give them some offensive attacking fresh legs.
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At this point, I'd say that will be a hard goal to beat for goal of the tournament. I don't know many other players that could have timed and headed that so perfectly.
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A perfectly floated cross and header. I haven't seen a better goal yet. Of course I was at the Cascades yesterday, so I didn't see the last two games yesterday.
Pepe, I'd say just committed the dumbest red card of the tournament.
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Seriously though, if you are so adamant that there were better, which ones? Maybe, I have forgotten or missed one. I would put Dempsey's from last night ahead of it at this point though.
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You know what? After I posted this, I thought about it and I was a little too aggressive with that statement. I stand by the fact that it was a good goal, but not a great one, but I went overboard. I'm sorry, hokiejoe11.
The best strike I've seen was Belgium. I still haven't seen a spectacular goal. The Ghana goal was really really good. Each of the last three cups, I've seen a goal that made me stand up and scream. I haven't seen one of those yet. I think the diving header off the Costa Rican free kick was really good, too. At this point, they're starting to blend together.
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Yeah, I was mostly just impressed he didn't take the dive and try and get the penalty. He looked determined to actually stay on his feet to get the goal.
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i was a fan of Gervinho, but i don't think he could be a top starter for us. his finishing (for whatever reason) was never there. he was explosive over the ball and could provide a spark off the bench if we needed it, but i don't think he was starting XI quality we needed. we were fairly compensated for him and he is thriving as an every day player in Rome now, so i think it worked out for everyone in the end.
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Yeah I didn't mean I wanted him as a starter, but I'd have loved to keep him as depth and a sub. I agree it has worked out for everyone since then, but hell we could have used his pace most of last season after Theo and Ox got injured.
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Mata isn't even in the reserves dude he didn't make the squad. Fabergas was brought on but Spain wanted to keep tiki taki ing to another world cup, and I mean you can't blame em it won them the euro. Mata is to Lacey and aggressive and not a sharp enough passer so they left him out...coupled with probably his club form.
I gotta give a shoutout to messis goal today too. As far as a team effort goes it was an awesome goal and better than van persie. Van persies individual effort on that goal was phenomenal though
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Who would have thought that at the end of Week 1, Spain and England would be eliminated from the World Cup? Wow.
The Americas are really starting to flex some muscles in soccer this week. Chile knocks out Spain, Uruguay flatlines England. Mexico is holding their own, and the US has a chance to knock out Portugal this weekend. Something crazy is going on right now down there, and I kinda like it.
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I hate watching uruguay win. Hate hate hate it. flops, fake injuries, intentional hand balls, dirty take downs, ugh. Everything that is wrong with the sport wrapped in a package just good enough to knock off other teams. admittedly, England had their chances and didn't take them, but still I completely agree with the analysts that said godin should have been sent off early. Would have been a very different game with only ten men on the field for uruguay.
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True, but the chances of England advancing at this point are so slim even the players were resigned to the fact they're not advancing for the first time in 40 years.
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Well, they haven't looked bad, per se, just not good enough. As long as they take care of business against costa rica, they could have hope. Unfortunately, the british aren't really good at hope. Expectations, yes. Hope, no. They're really good at let downs and despair. Must be the weather and the whole losing the colonies thing.
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I do think they've looked bad, personally. I don't get why they want to play a midfield pairing of Henderson and Gerrard. It's just ugly, and it's not working.
Also I'm of the (maybe slightly biased) opinion that Baines is not doing them any favors at LB. Yeah he's a great place kicker and he provides some nice crossing, but defensively he's been failing to perform. I know everyone calls for Ashley Cole (who they left out of the squad), but I think Gibbs would have been the best choice.
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Because if it worked for Liverpool, it'll for for England, right? I don't know why, but it does work at Liverpool, but with the wealth of talent at the disposal for England, I do think they should replace Hendo with somebody else. And I think they should have used Sterling as sub since his speed would have been more of a factor later in the game.
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I'll tell you why it worked for Liverpool. It's that guy that just smoked England for 2 goals. England doesn't have one of those.
Edit: Also the English media is going to sensationalize Sterling like every other promising young player to come through England and ultimately hurt his career through pressure. It's happened to Wilshere already IMO.
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They do have Sturridge though, who just scored 21 goals this season. Not saying they are the same caliber, but he is no slouch. Just needs someone other than Rooney up top with him.
I'd like to think Stevie G will keep him grounded. The core of the team really seems like they are family almost, so I think he will ultimately be fine.
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I just don't think Henderson is very good. Sturridge is okay but he's going to need more support. Liverpool also has access to Coutinho.
Maybe it's just me but England plays some of the ugliest soccer for about 90% of the game. haha. It's like they have no strategy. I really don't think they're managed well at all.
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Ya'll also have to think of the Managers.. I think there is a big difference between BR and Hodgson , some know how to get more from players than others. Its all about using the magic words and BR has figured that out at Liverpool.
I also didn't understand why Rooney was put out left.. If anything put sterling wide right Rooney up top and Sturridge out left. Also Welbeck is utter shite no idea why he still has/had a place in the team. You could easily put Barkley or even Lallana in there and have a better total player, welbeck is fast but thats it.
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This is effectively a home tournament for the Americas and you can't ignore the value of proximity to the cup finals. The last cup was the first hosted in the continent of Africa and also the first time a European team has won outside of Europe.
Hosting the tournament is incredibly influential on the results and is critical to the development of the sport in the region (US 94). This is evident with the weaker performances by African teams historically, and a vastly improved football product by Japan and South Korea.
So while I'd predicted the strongest European performances from France (especially) and Germany, I can't see a European team winning the finals.
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France looks pretty good, but, as I said in another place, I hesitate to judge a team after only one game. They also played against Honduras, who is, hands down, the worst team in the tournament. Don't sleep on the Swiss, once they assembled themselves the other day, they looked strong. We should learn a lot in today's French/Swiss match.
Given the strength thus far of Columbia, Chile, and the big two (that isn't even counting a pretty good looking Ecuador), the CONMEBOL contingent is highly likely to make up most of the semis (maybe even most of the quarters).
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I agree with everything except your Honduras position. I don't necessarily disagree with you, but for me it was difficult to analyze given the nature of their first match. The common theme I've noticed in this year's cup (thus far), is that inferior teams have gone to the extreme for self preservation and sold out on defense; maybe hoping to build confidence as the match/tournament progresses. That was the game plan for Honduras until they were relegated to 10 men. I do however look forward to today's evaluation, but it would be difficult for me to place anyone in the Americas as the worst team just based on how motivated I've seen their desire to play well close to home.
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My opinion on Honduras is part because they could barely connect passes, part that they weren't organized at all, part because they are the biggest moaners/fakers in the tournament, and part because they just tackle people like it's American football.
We'll see if those observations hold up this evening against...Ecuador? I expect an Ecuador victory.
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They are saying Pogba is out for today's match. France is a completely different team without him in the middle so I'm not sure what we'll see from the French.
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And with the Costa Rican win over Italy, England is officially eliminated from the World Cup and will not advance to the Knockout Stage for the first time since 1958.
This is now 3 separate teams from the Americas that have played a direct part in knocking out one of the European superpowers. First, Chile knocked out Spain. Then Uruguay crippled England, and now Costa Rica finished them off by shocking Italy (who could be eliminated themselves with a loss to Uruguay next week). Now, you have Portugal going up against the US this weekend in a game they must win to stay alive, and you already have Mexico and Brazil looking like teams that could make a run themselves.
Not a good week at all for the European bloc in the World Cup.
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you've got to wonder how long Costa Rica can depend on that off sides trap to shut down opposing strikers. While they execute it brilliantly, I feel like any decent striker should be able to adjust throughout the course of the game and make them pay.
After watching that game, I'm wondering whose defense is more obnoxious: Greece or Costa Rica. At least Costa Rica generates some offense from their set up, but having an offsides call every 3 minutes got old really quickly.
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that high line is a nightmare for the back 4. very stressful to hold...their discipline was very impressive. it's so easy for a center half back to "cheat" back and break the line, esp with a center forward like Super Mario pressing, but the moment they do they will be beaten. if they stay disciplined, it will be almost impossible for someone to beat it...but that's the hard part: staying disciplined. as soon as one of them cheats back and gives a forward that extra yard or 2 to run is when it will all break down.
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Live by the offsides trap, die by the offsides trap. I have loved watching Costa Rica this tournament. I hesitate to buy into them too much, but they're a blast to watch. I just think that a highly disciplined team will break the trap a few times and you'll see an unjustly lopsided victory over Costa Rica.
I'd love for them to go far, though.
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I believe that as of right now, CONCACAF is 4-1-1 in this World Cup, which is superb for a hex that gets a considerable amount of crap for their level of play.
US 1-0-0
Mexico 1-1-0
Costa Rica 2-0-0
Honduras 0-0-1
Makes the US finsihing at the top of the qualifiers even that much more impressive. If the good guys can just get the draw against Portugal and Germany defeats Ghana, they are in great shape given the tiebreakers.
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It seems that Altidore is back to regular training with the squad. It may be risky to start him immediately in a game that could run 120 minutes, but I'd still do it.
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I anticipate that he will be a sub. If we are down and need a boost out there, I see him coming in around the 60th minute. If we are up by 2, expect him to sit this one out and come back next round.
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If he's 100% fit I see no point in leaving him benched. I have no clue if he's actually to that point though.
Hell Portugal knew they needed Ronaldo so they played him at less than full-speed. World Cup only happens once every 4 years, I wouldn't be surprised to see that risk taken.
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true, but in games like this particularly when subs have been so effective in the world cup, you gotta save every one you get. jozy going out for zusi could be the difference between yedlin coming onto the field and stretching the defence. and if that were the case...well I'd be a saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad panda
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Comments
wait for it.. wait for it...
Gotcha all!!!!!!!
let's try and keep it safe for work, shall we?
Can't type... watching world cup...
....damn....
Ya think that Brazilian team is ready to dominate? Geebus
Did not expect to see THAT happen
lol aaaaaand the lights just went out
what a disastrous opening 15 minutes for Brazil... yeesh
So there's this:
Good grief, if he's hurt for their World Cup run, Portugal goes from potential contender to likely also-ran.
agree here. I'm sure we will hear more news soon. Portugal is a one man team and if ronaldo is out it takes the sting out of their team for sure.
He's been hurt for months, and now he's hurt more. He's had a thigh thing for quite a while, and he's developed knee tendinitis recently. Looks like he's having a lot of trouble with it.
Ronaldo at 60% is still a very big asset, but this is one reason why I'm optimistic about our chances. Plus, the field where we're playing Portugal is in really, really bad shape. That plays into our hands for that matchup.
He also stands no chance, if that Ghanaian witch doctor has his way.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/world-cup-2...
Gonna take a shot at Brasil here, better his knee than his head.
Aaaaand there's the first terrible call by a referee in this World Cup. Such a dive.
Hell, the Pac-12 refs from the Sugar Bowl could've gotten those calls right.
Woah woah woah let's not jump the gun here....they both wouldve screwed the pooch there
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbole
Edjakate yerselph
Was the foul embellished? Yes, but it was still a foul from the angle the referee had. Anywhere else on the field, that would have been called and we would have moved on without any discussion, but the issue is that it resulted in a PK. From the referee's angle, he saw the Croatian defender's arms around the other guy's waist. Had he not put his hands on his waist and then immediately thrown them up in the air as the player started to fall, he likely would have been fine. Throwing your hands up after a guy is falling does more to show you're guilty of a foul than it does to prove your innocent. It's a controversial call, but as a referee myself without any vested interest in the outcome of that match, I can see why the call was made and would have likely made the same call. The Croatian player got enough of the Brazilian's left arm in the process to justify it. Brazil received the ball only 12 yards out from the goal with one defender behind him and one coming in range. It was a play that was developing to a goal scoring opportunity. Often we want to blame a referee for a call like that but what should be asked is why is a high level athlete putting himself in a position to be called for something like that? You don't risk having a PK called at any time. It's not worth it. It would be the same as a DB playing aggressive on a 4th and 12 when the other team is going for it and getting called for Pass Interference.
I'm a referee too and I would never have called that. That was blatant diving from every angle I saw, in my opinion. A hand on the upper arm is not a foul.
You have to think of it in full speed and the angle he had. From that angle, which was looking directly at the play and the players, the Croatian player looked to have pulled Fred's arm backward, pulling him to the left as Fred was turning right. The call can be justified either way given the situation so it's neither a bad call or a good call. It would have been just as correct to let play go on as it was to make the call.
Believe me I'm the first person to defend a referee in almost any sport, but in this case I can't do it. We'll have to agree to disagree, I honestly don't think that call would have been given on the other end of the pitch.
I also think that referee was letting a lot of stuff go for the majority of the match, like the buildup to the 3rd Brazil goal (which I had no problem with). But if he's going to let all that go, even if there WAS any real foul on Fred, you can't call that.
Unfortunately I didn't get to watch this match as I was on my commute home from work so I can't speak to the tone of the match that he set, but that was just my piece on the call that seems to have everybody up in arms.
Ex-FIFA refs are also not happy.
From ESPN
I fully believe that there was a little bit of home favoritism and that it had a bearing on the fact that it was a call, but I don't think he was 100% wrong as everyone tries to vilify an official for making a controversial call. Unlike the Sugar Bowl, these calls aren't reviewed so no matter how many times we want to watch replays of it and see whether he was right or wrong, everything changes in real time.
oh my god the fact that it was reviewed, uuurgh.
Keep bringing it up, and I'm gonna fracture my wrist on this desk right here
grr
Brazil look just OK today. Not as entertaining as they used to.
Corrupt country = corrupt WC. It's easy to see if any ref makes a non call or call against Brazil and it causes them to lose or even tie that individual will be dead.
That game should have ended 2-2 IMO. FIFA'd.
Hey, FIFA might be forced to right at least ONE wrong, eventually!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mrloganrhoades/fifa-tells-us-to-be-ready-if-qata...
first one was a bad call, second one seemed legit
As much as I would like to Cameroon win this match, Mexico clearly should be up 2-0. Awful, awful officiating.
The center is doing fine, the assistant on that side isn't. They were both extremely close calls but, yeah, bad calls.
1-0 Mexico
I have nothing more to say. Don't like to see them do well
I would be somewhat surprised if they make it out of the group. Croatia will rebound. Mandzukic coming back will help them a lot. I don't expect them to lose again in the group stage.
And that's the final.
Cameroon had a few quality chances. I REALLY did not like how Mexico went to embellishing every single contact over the last 15 minutes of the game. Their guys were falling down like they were shot with the most minimal of contact.
There's a reason this exists, note the one for Mexico:
http://i.imgur.com/4lr1YA2.jpg
With the way he has played as of lately, is all but guaranteed that Reina or De Gea play out the group stage?
For Spain's sake, they really need to change keepers after this last game. Those last 2 goals (and debatably the set piece goal as well) all involved mistakes by Casillas. Pepe Reina deserves his shot anyway.
I'd start degea the dudes an animal for man u (and I'm a city fan....) Regardless I know a good keeper when I see one and you'll be going through the same process again in 4 years if you start reina.
Looks like Spain's soccer team is about on par with their armadas.
In the past 4 World Cups, 46 teams have lost their opener. Of the 46, only 4 made it out of the group stage....not looking good for Spain
Wasn't Spain one of those though, last time around? They lost to Switzerland 1-0 IIRC.
Not that I think they're anywhere near as good this year. I've thought they'd regress.
Last go around, Spain became the first team ever to lose their opener and win the cup. I don't see them doing it again, but, for this particular team, that's not the best statistic to cite.
Right. They lost to the Swiss 1-0. This was a worse defeat by a wide margin, but it was the Dutch, not the Swiss. Casillas had a nightmare. Robben looked great, even though he's old. Spain better pull it together.
we need more history jokes around here
Thus far, Mexico has looked like the best team in the tournament. Odd, since they were so poor in qualifying and in recent friendlies. The might just be peaking at the right time. Their short and single-touch passing looked awesome, like Spain in the early stages of del Bosque's tenure. We'll see how they play Brazil, but, at this point, don't sleep on them too hard. If this is what we can expect from el tri, they might do some damage.
I don't see it taking them too far. I still think Brazil and Croatia emerge from the group. Cameroon is simply a mess.
I don't totally disagree. I haven't seen anything from Croatia yet that makes me believe in them. Both teams looked like early nerves were getting to them.
I think the return of Mario Mandzukic will tip the scales in Croatia's favor.
However Luka Modric is dealing with an injury since the Brazil game. They'll need him healthy as well.
And so it will come down to Mexico vs. Croatia.
Mandzukic brings a lot to that attack, even if it's just his presence pulling defenders away. And apparently pissing off Alex Song to the point that he makes the most idiotic move I've seen in a few years.
Yeah, that should be a good one. Croatia looked better against Cameroon last night, but it's hard to read too much into that. But Mexico looked WAY better against Brazil than Croatia did.
I'm going to reiterate that Mexico has exceeded expectations more than anyone in the tournament. They play aggressive, apply a lot of pressure, adopted a little tiki taka, have guys that can both create and finish, and are tenacious on defense. Not to mention the fact that Ochoa was probably just sainted for his otherworldly performance against the hosts. I'm rooting for them. They're playing with a passion that is nearly unparalleled in this tournament so far.
But yesterday also showed pretty clearly why I wasn't too hyped on Holland. Yes, they are good. But Australia isn't very good, and managed to keep themselves in the game. Spain was clearly not starting the tournament well against Holland, and after the game against Chile (who also looks pretty good), I think we can now say for sure that the Spaniards didn't show up to this event. Diego Costa should have chosen Brazil and played really poorly for Spain. Iker Casillas was a dumpster fire. del Bosque may not survive this debacle.
I still contend that the Mexicans could put a serious dent in this tournament (but could certainly lose to Croatia), Germany is still the best looking team out there, Chile has thoroughly impressed me, and Honduras is far and away the worst team in the tournament by a wide, wide margin.
To me, France and Germany are the ones to beat right now. I know France has just played Honduras, but they shouldn't be ignored. That team is firing on all cylinders.
France did look good, with a revamped roster. I'm holding off on judging them too much because they played against the worst team in the tournament. The game against the Swiss tomorrow will go a long way towards setting my expectations for the rest of the tournament.
To be fair Croatia is a much more offensive capable team with Mario manduzick (butchered the spelling....) On the team than not
They oughta be pretty damn high now. haha. They might be my favorites for it all at this very moment. Them or Germany.
They're pretty high. Of the European teams, they're in the top two, agreed, with Germany. Again, haven't seen Germany twice yet, but I think they're likely to continue be impressive, albeit against Ghana and US. So I'm not sure what we're really going to learn about them before playing the knockout stages. Assuming they win the group, they'll probably be matched up against Belgium, who I think they'll beat, then get, presumably, France in the quarters.
That's a long way off, but one of the best European teams might knock the other out before the semis.
Nah man they're gonna get Russia/ south Korea, do you really think either of those two teams are capable of beating Belgium for the group? I mean i wasn't blown away by Belgium but good grief south Korea and Russia were riding the struggle bus the other day
Right! My bad. Well, maybe it's time for a European team to win a South American World Cup.
I think worst team in the tournament is harsh for Honduras...Greece and Cameroon have to be pretty strong contenders for worst team in the tournament....let's not forget that Spain has the worst GD in the tournament at the moment..
Well France just ALSO beat Switzerland, who most thought were at least an okay team, by 3 goals. And hell, it may as well have been 5, both of Switzerland's goals came well after the game was over by all means.
Yeah Honduras wasn't as bad yesterday. Maybe the French make people look that bad. Greece is totally unwatchable. But from what I expected from Spain, they're pretty unwatchable at the moment, too. I could totally see Australia coming in and beating them, completing Spain's fall from grace.
Did you miss the clinic that Holland put on???
Yes, I missed the clinic but I saw that Spain vs. Holland game where no clinic was given. Spain starts slow, and Casillas is a mess. At 3-1 the game had been fairly even, but then Casillas gave one away to van Persie and Spain shut it down. Don't let the score fool you.
Mexico looked like the best team in the tournament so far. Against bigger, faster, stronger players, they controlled the ball and the tempo. Columbia looked good earlier too, and the Pura Victory that was just chalked up was a real nice game, even though Costa Rica has a short shelf life.
The poster above that said Cameroon was a mess was right, but no one has played a better game than Mexico so far, even against inferior competition. They looked well organized, played with precision, and may be peaking at the right time. Their change in strategy failed during qualifying but it looks like something clicked yesterday.
Did you say short shelf life?
PURA VIDA!!!! GO TICOS!!! WOHOOOO!
I now get to revise this statement. Germany is far and away the best team I've seen. By a wide, wide margin.
And now, after just finishing the Brazil/Mexico game, I'm going to reiterate that Mexico looks really good, far better than we should have expected after their qualifying performance. Mexico could very well lose to Croatia, and Brazil/Croatia could move on, but at this point Mexico is as good a team as I've seen.
I'm starting to question the $5 bet I put on Brazil, though. Marcelo and Dani Alves both played better today, but Oscar kinda fell off the map.
I'm not sure I'd say Mexico looked THAT impressive yesterday. Ochoa saved their bacon numerous times throughout that game. Without his play, Mexico probably loses something like 4-0. They had some decent chances, but their defense had some unfathomable breakdowns. I am actually gonna say the bigger story is the fact that Brazil failed to capitalize on any of those chances (many of them 1 on 1 with the goalie) especially the ones in the box with an open look on goal.
Mexico played well to earn the draw, but they play that same game against someone like Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, etc, the scoreline won't be pretty.
Goddammit Mexico! You were eight minutes away!!
Holland was clearly the better team. Mexico played sloppily today. Herrera took out Dos Santos and Peralta, their two best players.
Goddammit Mexico...
MEXIC-0 for 6
I really wish team USA kept Donovan on.
Ugh. I typically dislike Italy's style of play, but they were better today. I guess when you have Balotelli up top, you'll play a more attacking style. Pirlo's free kick late was brilliant, even if it did hit the bar. I heard this joke recently:
The English national team went to a children's chronic disease ward to see if they could bring up the spirits of the kids. "That's the saddest, most despondent group I've ever seen," said one six-year-old with leukemia.
I would have really liked England to have won that game. They've almost entirely moved on from the Beckham/Terry/Lampard generation, who were extremely talented but have brought them nothing but heartbreak. They need to get Rooney off the field, though, because his form for the national team has just never been there. Replace him with Barkely and see what shakes out. Their young talent looks promising, and their goal yesterday was a beautiful piece of stereotypical English soccer. Take it up the side, give it across, finish.
The Ivorians really picked it up when Drogba entered the match. He didn't even contribute to either goal, but it seemed like the simple fact that he was on the field pumped them up. Toure didn't play well. Honda had a brilliant strike early, but Japan just seemed to fear Drogba.
Rooney set up their only goal...
...and wasted lots of other opportunities, including kicking a corner directly out of bounds. If I recall correctly, he has never scored a goal for England in 3 World Cups. Never. Pretty sad for a guy who is supposed to be a good forward.
Overall, I thought England played the better game. They created more opportunities than Italy. Italy was just able to capitalize on the few opportunities they had. I believe England's future is bright. I expect them to be a dangerous team in the 2018 WC
So since when did RG3 play for Ivory Coast?
I was not expecting IC to pull that one off on Jap. Also never realized how sad & pathetic the US Men's record is against Ghana. 0-4. Smdh
Allez Les Bleu!! FWIW, they'll be sporting the best looking jerseys in the entire cup. Fashion Forward French #FFF.
In Honor of France getting ready to take the field...
Priceless.
Dear Santa,
I like the way France plays soccer..I would like for us to play like that.
I've been (mostly) good this year...I swear
Two things!
1) how awesome was the end of the Switzerland game?! Amirite?
2) is it just me or does Bosnia look better than Argentina so far? I'm starting to get nervous about picking messi to win the final
urite. that was a great ending to a close game.
I don't know if I would say that Bosnia and Herzegovina looks better than Argentina, but they certainly look better than I think a lot of people were expecting. You should feel silly for expecting Messi to win the final anyway. :P One player does not a championship team make.
although, I do have to give him credit..that was an incredible individual effort. beautiful goal
So classic. Instant classic
And oh I know I was more taking a shot at ESPN. They seem to think that's Argentina's entire team haha that goal was gorgeous though....holy hell. I don't have hidef so I couldn't tell was it di maria who laid it off with the backheel? They really needed to get out of the back 5, higuain is a difference maker and they need him on the pitch.
I haven't been impressed with agueros performance but zabaleta has looked good!
Bosnia looked surprisingly good, yes, and I texted a friend early in the second half that Bosnia might look like the better team. They have a good shot of getting to the next round.
Eh I was never really worried for Arg. I new they had it in the bag. Good game from Bosnia. I must caution, it would punch a fancy gap in your prediction if they eff it up in their next match.
If they play anywhere near as well as they did today they'll breeze through Nigeria and Iran Bosnia has a solid roster
So far of all the games I'd say the Switzerlands last second win and costa ricas stunning win against Uruguay have been the games of the world cup so far with van persies diving header being the goal of the cup so far.
But saying that I'll add im a manchester united red devil so seeing Van Gaal's Netherlands thrash Spain with a few goals from Van Persie makes me have hope for next season. One thing I'll say is I'm suprised Spain didnt use Juan Mata as a sub to help give them some offensive attacking fresh legs.
At this point, I'd say that will be a hard goal to beat for goal of the tournament. I don't know many other players that could have timed and headed that so perfectly.
Best goal of the tournament? That one? Really?
Messis was better
Pirlo was about 2 inches north of being the best. So close.
Yeah that was an awesome free kick
Yes! That Pirlo free kick was incredible
A perfectly floated cross and header. I haven't seen a better goal yet. Of course I was at the Cascades yesterday, so I didn't see the last two games yesterday.
Pepe, I'd say just committed the dumbest red card of the tournament.
If you haven't seen a better goal yet, I'd question your ability to identify a great goal.
Was it a good goal? Yup. Was it a great goal? No.
Seriously though, if you are so adamant that there were better, which ones? Maybe, I have forgotten or missed one. I would put Dempsey's from last night ahead of it at this point though.
You know what? After I posted this, I thought about it and I was a little too aggressive with that statement. I stand by the fact that it was a good goal, but not a great one, but I went overboard. I'm sorry, hokiejoe11.
The best strike I've seen was Belgium. I still haven't seen a spectacular goal. The Ghana goal was really really good. Each of the last three cups, I've seen a goal that made me stand up and scream. I haven't seen one of those yet. I think the diving header off the Costa Rican free kick was really good, too. At this point, they're starting to blend together.
TIM CAHILL'S FULL VOLLEY IS NOW THE LEADER IN THE CLUBHOUSE FOR BEST GOAL OF THE TOURNAMENT
haha I said the same thing in another thread!
I was wondering how you felt about that one. It's a shame he will miss the next match since this could be his last world cup.
Gervinho had a pretty sick goal today too, taking on half the Columbian defense. The strike wasn't stellar, but it went in.
Yeah, I was mostly just impressed he didn't take the dive and try and get the penalty. He looked determined to actually stay on his feet to get the goal.
That's Gervinho for you. Unlike a lot of Arsenal fans, I wish he was still in London.
i was a fan of Gervinho, but i don't think he could be a top starter for us. his finishing (for whatever reason) was never there. he was explosive over the ball and could provide a spark off the bench if we needed it, but i don't think he was starting XI quality we needed. we were fairly compensated for him and he is thriving as an every day player in Rome now, so i think it worked out for everyone in the end.
Yeah I didn't mean I wanted him as a starter, but I'd have loved to keep him as depth and a sub. I agree it has worked out for everyone since then, but hell we could have used his pace most of last season after Theo and Ox got injured.
Mata isn't even in the reserves dude he didn't make the squad. Fabergas was brought on but Spain wanted to keep tiki taki ing to another world cup, and I mean you can't blame em it won them the euro. Mata is to Lacey and aggressive and not a sharp enough passer so they left him out...coupled with probably his club form.
I gotta give a shoutout to messis goal today too. As far as a team effort goes it was an awesome goal and better than van persie. Van persies individual effort on that goal was phenomenal though
Portuglol.
Anyone have an Xfinity account that they can share for watching games via interweb?
Aw F-K YES!!! Dempsey out for blood tonite! I could see it.
Yes!
Croatia is whupping dat azz.
Who would have thought that at the end of Week 1, Spain and England would be eliminated from the World Cup? Wow.
The Americas are really starting to flex some muscles in soccer this week. Chile knocks out Spain, Uruguay flatlines England. Mexico is holding their own, and the US has a chance to knock out Portugal this weekend. Something crazy is going on right now down there, and I kinda like it.
I hate watching uruguay win. Hate hate hate it. flops, fake injuries, intentional hand balls, dirty take downs, ugh. Everything that is wrong with the sport wrapped in a package just good enough to knock off other teams. admittedly, England had their chances and didn't take them, but still I completely agree with the analysts that said godin should have been sent off early. Would have been a very different game with only ten men on the field for uruguay.
While I don't necessarily disagree with you... I do find joy in England going home early, hopefully much earlier than we do.
England isn't eliminated yet...2 Italy wins and an England win could put them through still...
True, but the chances of England advancing at this point are so slim even the players were resigned to the fact they're not advancing for the first time in 40 years.
Well, they haven't looked bad, per se, just not good enough. As long as they take care of business against costa rica, they could have hope. Unfortunately, the british aren't really good at hope. Expectations, yes. Hope, no. They're really good at let downs and despair. Must be the weather and the whole losing the colonies thing.
I do think they've looked bad, personally. I don't get why they want to play a midfield pairing of Henderson and Gerrard. It's just ugly, and it's not working.
Also I'm of the (maybe slightly biased) opinion that Baines is not doing them any favors at LB. Yeah he's a great place kicker and he provides some nice crossing, but defensively he's been failing to perform. I know everyone calls for Ashley Cole (who they left out of the squad), but I think Gibbs would have been the best choice.
Because if it worked for Liverpool, it'll for for England, right? I don't know why, but it does work at Liverpool, but with the wealth of talent at the disposal for England, I do think they should replace Hendo with somebody else. And I think they should have used Sterling as sub since his speed would have been more of a factor later in the game.
I'll tell you why it worked for Liverpool. It's that guy that just smoked England for 2 goals. England doesn't have one of those.
Edit: Also the English media is going to sensationalize Sterling like every other promising young player to come through England and ultimately hurt his career through pressure. It's happened to Wilshere already IMO.
They do have Sturridge though, who just scored 21 goals this season. Not saying they are the same caliber, but he is no slouch. Just needs someone other than Rooney up top with him.
I'd like to think Stevie G will keep him grounded. The core of the team really seems like they are family almost, so I think he will ultimately be fine.
I just don't think Henderson is very good. Sturridge is okay but he's going to need more support. Liverpool also has access to Coutinho.
Maybe it's just me but England plays some of the ugliest soccer for about 90% of the game. haha. It's like they have no strategy. I really don't think they're managed well at all.
Ya'll also have to think of the Managers.. I think there is a big difference between BR and Hodgson , some know how to get more from players than others. Its all about using the magic words and BR has figured that out at Liverpool.
I also didn't understand why Rooney was put out left.. If anything put sterling wide right Rooney up top and Sturridge out left. Also Welbeck is utter shite no idea why he still has/had a place in the team. You could easily put Barkley or even Lallana in there and have a better total player, welbeck is fast but thats it.
In all fairness, a wet fart can hurt Wilshere.
This is effectively a home tournament for the Americas and you can't ignore the value of proximity to the cup finals. The last cup was the first hosted in the continent of Africa and also the first time a European team has won outside of Europe.
Hosting the tournament is incredibly influential on the results and is critical to the development of the sport in the region (US 94). This is evident with the weaker performances by African teams historically, and a vastly improved football product by Japan and South Korea.
So while I'd predicted the strongest European performances from France (especially) and Germany, I can't see a European team winning the finals.
France looks pretty good, but, as I said in another place, I hesitate to judge a team after only one game. They also played against Honduras, who is, hands down, the worst team in the tournament. Don't sleep on the Swiss, once they assembled themselves the other day, they looked strong. We should learn a lot in today's French/Swiss match.
Given the strength thus far of Columbia, Chile, and the big two (that isn't even counting a pretty good looking Ecuador), the CONMEBOL contingent is highly likely to make up most of the semis (maybe even most of the quarters).
I agree with everything except your Honduras position. I don't necessarily disagree with you, but for me it was difficult to analyze given the nature of their first match. The common theme I've noticed in this year's cup (thus far), is that inferior teams have gone to the extreme for self preservation and sold out on defense; maybe hoping to build confidence as the match/tournament progresses. That was the game plan for Honduras until they were relegated to 10 men. I do however look forward to today's evaluation, but it would be difficult for me to place anyone in the Americas as the worst team just based on how motivated I've seen their desire to play well close to home.
My opinion on Honduras is part because they could barely connect passes, part that they weren't organized at all, part because they are the biggest moaners/fakers in the tournament, and part because they just tackle people like it's American football.
We'll see if those observations hold up this evening against...Ecuador? I expect an Ecuador victory.
They are saying Pogba is out for today's match. France is a completely different team without him in the middle so I'm not sure what we'll see from the French.
And with the Costa Rican win over Italy, England is officially eliminated from the World Cup and will not advance to the Knockout Stage for the first time since 1958.
This is now 3 separate teams from the Americas that have played a direct part in knocking out one of the European superpowers. First, Chile knocked out Spain. Then Uruguay crippled England, and now Costa Rica finished them off by shocking Italy (who could be eliminated themselves with a loss to Uruguay next week). Now, you have Portugal going up against the US this weekend in a game they must win to stay alive, and you already have Mexico and Brazil looking like teams that could make a run themselves.
Not a good week at all for the European bloc in the World Cup.
you've got to wonder how long Costa Rica can depend on that off sides trap to shut down opposing strikers. While they execute it brilliantly, I feel like any decent striker should be able to adjust throughout the course of the game and make them pay.
After watching that game, I'm wondering whose defense is more obnoxious: Greece or Costa Rica. At least Costa Rica generates some offense from their set up, but having an offsides call every 3 minutes got old really quickly.
that high line is a nightmare for the back 4. very stressful to hold...their discipline was very impressive. it's so easy for a center half back to "cheat" back and break the line, esp with a center forward like Super Mario pressing, but the moment they do they will be beaten. if they stay disciplined, it will be almost impossible for someone to beat it...but that's the hard part: staying disciplined. as soon as one of them cheats back and gives a forward that extra yard or 2 to run is when it will all break down.
Live by the offsides trap, die by the offsides trap. I have loved watching Costa Rica this tournament. I hesitate to buy into them too much, but they're a blast to watch. I just think that a highly disciplined team will break the trap a few times and you'll see an unjustly lopsided victory over Costa Rica.
I'd love for them to go far, though.
I believe that as of right now, CONCACAF is 4-1-1 in this World Cup, which is superb for a hex that gets a considerable amount of crap for their level of play.
US 1-0-0
Mexico 1-1-0
Costa Rica 2-0-0
Honduras 0-0-1
Makes the US finsihing at the top of the qualifiers even that much more impressive. If the good guys can just get the draw against Portugal and Germany defeats Ghana, they are in great shape given the tiebreakers.
So, I happened to be in Paris for Yesterday's match against the Swiss. It was quite a scene at the Arc.
This World Cup has featured some rather stylish haircuts. However, #18 for Argentina wins the award for the most ridiculous, hands down.
One thing I learned today, Argentina should quit screwing around and just give the ball to Messi, regardless of what the other team is doing.
And with that, USA can seal their advance to the knockouts tomorrow, should they win. I BELIEVE!
Anybody in Blacksburg going to catch the game downtown tomorrow night?
champs for this guy, im not screwing with lady luck. if we keep winning ima keep going
On the by and by, thanks to whoever gave me my 10,000th leg.
As well as everyone else for giving me the other ones.
On to Belgium!
#IBelieveThatWeWillDrink
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/06/27/326180559/usa-vs-belgium-...
It seems that Altidore is back to regular training with the squad. It may be risky to start him immediately in a game that could run 120 minutes, but I'd still do it.
I anticipate that he will be a sub. If we are down and need a boost out there, I see him coming in around the 60th minute. If we are up by 2, expect him to sit this one out and come back next round.
but goddamnit we need him.... i hope he gets in somewhat...yet at the sametime i really hope we dont need him
If he's 100% fit I see no point in leaving him benched. I have no clue if he's actually to that point though.
Hell Portugal knew they needed Ronaldo so they played him at less than full-speed. World Cup only happens once every 4 years, I wouldn't be surprised to see that risk taken.
Another reason to start him in my mind. If you start him and he re-injures himself or needs to be subbed early, that's one early sub down the drain.
If you put him on as a sub, and he does the same thing, that's two subs down the drain.
true, but in games like this particularly when subs have been so effective in the world cup, you gotta save every one you get. jozy going out for zusi could be the difference between yedlin coming onto the field and stretching the defence. and if that were the case...well I'd be a saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad panda