World Cup Discussion Thread - Day 23 (6 July)

[nattydredd]

Brazil haven’t played the way commentators have portrayed them for years.
Brazil have played very pragmatic football relying on individual brilliance since I started watching football around the start of the 90s.

You'd have loved the 82 world cup side...

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Last time I saw a decent Brazillian side was when Ronaldinho lobbed David seaman. They have been media hyped ever since then.

 

[VegasII]

I saw a decent Brazillian

 

[dondo]

You'd have loved the 82 world cup side...

I’m sure I would have but the footballing nation of Brazil have been dinning out on the fair and entertainment of past teams for far too long

 

[worcestersauce]

Yep it does mate. Massively. Brazil are gash and we'd have a better chance of beating them. Second why should I be pleased for Belgium. Im not Belgian..

No it don't, we'll beat Belgium and you don't have to be pleased for Belgium I am though because we have some players in their team and I am pleased for them.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

I wish.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

I think the one thing we can all take from the Belgium-Brazil game is that Courtois is an exceptional keeper.

 

[ohtottenham!]

Bang average Brazil team got beat tonight..bang average.

Anything but bang average. Don't think they utilized their personnel to the fullest, and made the best of their options. Still think there isn't much separating Brazil, Belgium or France in terms of quality. Matches will play out and any of those teams could take each other out in any tie half of the time. That tie was pure entertainment! Two very good teams going at it.

Let's be honest, and I'm not complaining, but average, in terms of footballing quality, is the other side of the draw. The best teams don't always win World Cups, in fact, they often don't. And, one of those teams in our draw will be up against Belgium/France in the final. Be great if it was England.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Delighted to see the shithouse South American teams expelled. Can enjoy the rest of this world cup for the football now.

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Probably.

Should have had more yellows for clear dives too imo.

I've been thinking about this - over the years we've seen dozens of different suggestions for how the officials can combat diving, but I don't see the players doing anything about it at all. Even those who suffer for it (mostly defenders) seem to just accept it's happened and move on after a bit of shouting or waving arms.

Getting angry just makes the ref more likely to book you, instead, next time someone dives blatantly looking for a penalty or freebie, all the defenders... hell, all the nearby opposing players, should run up and form a wee line like the front row of an audience and all formerly applaud. Make a proper show of the fact that they don't condone it at all, stay there, until the physio is done then all just shake their heads and shoo them away.

It'll be like celebrating a goal in the 90's but for exceptional cheating instead.

 

[Hakkz]

I've been thinking about this - over the years we've seen dozens of different suggestions for how the officials can combat diving, but I don't see the players doing anything about it at all. Even those who suffer for it (mostly defenders) seem to just accept it's happened and move on after a bit of shouting or waving arms.

Getting angry just makes the ref more likely to book you, instead, next time someone dives blatantly looking for a penalty or freebie, all the defenders... hell, all the nearby opposing players, should run up and form a wee line like the front row of an audience and all formerly applaud. Make a proper show of the fact that they don't condone it at all, stay there, until the physio is done then all just shake their heads and shoo them away.

It'll be like celebrating a goal in the 90's but for exceptional cheating instead.

Absolutely. I would love for the people in the stadium to boo the player for the rest of the game too. Make him regret it properly.

 

[ljinko888]

I was watching this with a United fan.

Naturally the performance of Lukaku gravitated to a comparison with Kane.

This is not the first time I have heard Utd fans downplay Kane as if he will never get better than he is now, while Lukaku has scary untapped potential ready to burn. Lukaku is older than Kane by two months. Not that it's significant but they give the impression Kane is older while Lukaku is still a kid.

Lukaku played an awesome game no question, and he is clearly an excellent striker, but Kane scored more league goals than he did in all competitions last season.

Then there is this myth that Kane is just a goalscorer. He may not bustle his way through defenders regularly but his link-up play and technical ability as evidenced by the Colombia game is brilliant.

 

[Syn_13]

I was watching this with a United fan.

Naturally the performance of Lukaku gravitated to a comparison with Kane.

This is not the first time I have heard Utd fans downplay Kane as if he will never get better than he is now, while Lukaku has scary untapped potential ready to burn. Lukaku is older than Kane by two months. Not that it's significant but they give the impression Kane is older while Lukaku is still a kid.

Lukaku played an awesome game no question, and he is clearly an excellent striker, but Kane scored more league goals than he did in all competitions last season.

Then there is this myth that Kane is just a goalscorer. He may not bustle his way through defenders regularly but his link-up play and technical ability as evidenced by the Colombia game is brilliant.

I understand the comparison but Kane is on the next level to Lukaku. He has more to his game than him. His goal record is much better. Lukaku does have potential still, but it won't make him any better than Kane is now, I'm sure of it.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

.. hell, all the nearby opposing players, should run up and form a wee line like the front row of an audience and all formerly applaud. Make a proper show of the fact that they don't condone it at all, stay there, until the physio is done then all just shake their heads and shoo them away.

It'll be like celebrating a goal in the 90's but for exceptional cheating instead.

I thought you were going to suggest that the offended team piss on the diver. Was all for it. Golden idea.

 

[Ekmek]

Nice to know that there will be an minimum of one Spurs player in the world cup final.

 

[mightyspur]

Missed that. What happend?

Courtois, who made an excellent one-handed stop from Neymar late on, told the BBC : "Can I say one more thing?

“This thing about Jordan... I want to clarify it because I heard a lot of stuff. I never mocked his height, I want to make that clear. I would never mock the height of a goalkeeper - I think that he's a great goalkeeper, he proved that last year.

“I only said that because he got a touch, maybe I would have saved it because I'm 15cm taller than him - I never mocked his height because I know he's a great goalkeeper. I want to make that clear!"

 

[Col_M]

I actually thought he said Hind at the time, cos he does have a fat arse. Then I realised he meant Height.

 

[SdB]

You'd have loved the 82 world cup side...

Loved that side. Sadly they had the lumbering Serginho up front.

 

[TheHoddleWaddle]

Courtois, who made an excellent one-handed stop from Neymar late on, told the BBC : "Can I say one more thing?

“This thing about Jordan... I want to clarify it because I heard a lot of stuff. I never mocked his height, I want to make that clear. I would never mock the height of a goalkeeper - I think that he's a great goalkeeper, he proved that last year.

“I only said that because he got a touch, maybe I would have saved it because I'm 15cm taller than him - I never mocked his height because I know he's a great goalkeeper. I want to make that clear!"

Cheers dude. Missed that one. With the way some journalists and media outlets like.to twist things, especially for players who don't have English at a first language, it's safer for them not to comment at all.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Fuck me this World Cup just keeps delivering. Another absorbing game.

I'm sure there'll be a lot of schadenfreude going on re Brazil, but lets be honest, this wasn't Martinez tactical genius, or Belgium deserving to win. Yes he tried a different tactical set up, but they didn't win because of it, they won because they were 1-0 before they'd even had a shot on target, by which time they were lucky not to already be a couple of goals down, then they skanked Brazil on the break for 2-0 and Brazil proceeded to utterly dominate and waste a plethora of very good chances or situations. Even in the second half, with fantastic counter attacking footballers like Hazard, DeBruyne, Lukaku et al, they created absolutely fuck all on the break. I don't think this Brasil side are infallible, and they definitely have weaknesses, but they are/were better tactically and in a footballing sense than Belgium were tonight.

And Belgium should have been out last round, outplayed by Japan.