Originally posted by TheOldMan I'd be less surprised to hear that the Brazilian who got in the way of his netminder on the 'own goal' equalizer, and then was red-carded for an incredibly selfish retaliation turns up murdered. It's something of a South American tradition for World Cup goats.
Once hardly constitutes a 'tradition', and Colombia was (and is) a hell of a lot crazier than Brazil is (also, Felipe Melo plays in Italy, so he's less likely to be hanging around Rio's less salubrious areas)
Originally posted by Captain FerretOnce hardly constitutes a 'tradition'
After actually bothering to look it up, fair enough. Though I'd heard about a Paraguayan star who was out of the tournament after getting shot in the head. (And there is an actual "Murdered Footballers" wiki page.) Needless to say, no one hopes Melo gets Escobarred, or that Gyan goes all Donnie Moore on us - right?
Onto today's action.. what can you say? I wouldn't want every World Cup to be this.. dramatic, but you have to give it up for whomever is booking this.
I did not see Argentina laying an egg as they did in the early game. OTOH Paraguay actually made a scoreless game entertaining, just watching them fly all over the pitch and totally putting Spain off their passing game.
Onto the semis - I can't see Uruguay beating the Netherlands without Suarez (who should get a year's international ban for that stunt.. he'd still think it was totally worth it) And I like Spain since Muller is out for Germany on cards - IF - if Spain sits Torres from the start.
And no Maradona running naked is countered by no Larissa Riquelme getting nekkid either
As much as I would pick Xabi Alonso (unless Gaizka Mendieta comes out of retirement) to take the decisive penalty kick in the Spain vs. Alpha Centauri game to determine the fate of humanity (you see him - ICE COLD), in a retake you should always switch kickers to give the goalie a different look.
I've picked Spain from the beginning. Even disregarding how insanely stacked with talent that club is, they have two huge and underrated advantages - first, that almost half the team plays club football together on a regular basis, and second, that 3/4th of their team has been playing together since the last World Cup. This isn't the NBA All-Star game - this is real compition where games are won 1-0 and defense is actually played. A collection of superstarts doesn't cut it.
The other consideration people miss a lot is that the World Cup is a tough, 2-intense-games-a-week schedule. Winning your first two group games and being able to rest your older players in the third helps a lot - and Spain didn't get to do that. I'm starting to wonder if say, Puyol and Capdevila are maybe are going to start to run out of gas a bit.
I know this is a bit of sacralige, but the other thing I've wondered about is keeping Casillas as the GK. Valdes was not only in better form last year, but he also plays regularly with your two center-backs. That's big.
Originally posted by MoeGates I know this is a bit of sacralige, but the other thing I've wondered about is keeping Casillas as the GK. Valdes was not only in better form last year, but he also plays regularly with your two center-backs. That's big.
Yes, Valdes plays with Pique and Puyol, but Casillas is god. More than the penalty save, it was a reflex, close-range kick save of a certain goal in the 86th minute that kept Spain's slim advantage intact against Paraguay. The man steps it up on the international stage; there's a reason he's the captain.
I'm still waiting for Spain to choke.
I'll take Netherlands over Uruguay and Germany over Spain. The way Bastian Schweinsteiger is playing, he could cause problems to any defense, and Puyol and Pique were rather distressed against the extra pace and constant pressure that the Paraguayans exerted on them. Missing Mueller will be big for Ze Germans, but I think they can pull through. I really, really hope that Del Bosque sits Torres and starts Fabregas in his place - simply because Torres no longer deserves a place in the starting eleven.
Forfeit the game, before somebody else takes you outta the game, and puts your name to shame Cover up your face, you can't run the race The pace is too fast, you just won't last - "Points Of Authority" - Linkin Park
Originally posted by used2bcoolYes, Valdes plays with Pique and Puyol, but Casillas is god. More than the penalty save, it was a reflex, close-range kick save of a certain goal in the 86th minute that kept Spain's slim advantage intact against Paraguay. The man steps it up on the international stage; there's a reason he's the captain.
I think Valdes is simply the better keeper right now. Casillas has had a pretty average season by his (admittedly very high) standards and he's looked dodgy already in this tournament, particulalry against Portugal. If they were going to switch they would really have to have done it well before the tournament started though so they're right to stick with him (Iker) now I think.
I'm still waiting for Spain to choke.
Spanish teams of old would've wilted after losing to the Swiss. This lot are made of stronger stuff.
Missing Mueller will be big for Ze Germans, but I think they can pull through. I really, really hope that Del Bosque sits Torres and starts Fabregas in his place - simply because Torres no longer deserves a place in the starting eleven.
I feel very sorry for Muller, who now misses the biggest game of his career because of two fairly innocuous bookings in five games. Agreed on Torres. I'd like to believe he could get himself to match fitness in the next 48 hours, but he's been a waste of a perfectly good pair of football boots so far.
Man - if Spain wins Sunday Puyol, Xavi, and Iniesta will have basically won every single possible trophy available in 2 years (Confederation Cup nonwithstanding). Has there ever been any other atheletes that have had that kind of run in any sport?
Originally posted by Captain FerretThe (West) Germans who played for Bayern Munich in the early 1970's won everything going (several times) too.
Bixente Lizarazu did it with France & Bayern between 98 & 2001 too. It's still a pretty remarkable feat though.
Fun Fact - Holland are 90 minutes away from a perfect World Cup campaign going all the way back to the start of their qualifiers in September 2008. They won all eight games in qualification and have won all six so far in South Africa. Of the mere seven goals they conceded in that time only three came at a point when they didn't already have a two goal lead, and only once have they trailed (1-0 down against Brazil in the quarters).
It's kinda funny to me that both Sneijder and Robben were deemed surplus to requirements during Real's rebuilding last summer, since when they've gone on to star in both the Champions League and World Cup, making the finals of both.
In the interests of getting a good game, I hope Spain get an early goal in the final. Holland can quite happily sit in and hit teams on the break whereas Spain just aren't wired that way.
Originally posted by MoeGatesHas there ever been any other atheletes that have had that kind of run in any sport?
It's hard to compare sports too much, but Kobe Bryant won the 2008 gold medal in hoops, and the next two NBA championships. Otherwise, you could make the case for guys like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt...
If the Dutch win Sunday Wesley Sneijder will have won the Serie A and Champions League with Inter Milan and World Cup back-to-back. If the Spanish win, I'll argue that there are a whole host of guys who SHOULD have done that but Barça and Real Madrid failed to meat expectations.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
Originally posted by MoeGatesHas there ever been any other atheletes that have had that kind of run in any sport?
It's hard to compare sports too much, but Kobe Bryant won the 2008 gold medal in hoops, and the next two NBA championships. Otherwise, you could make the case for guys like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt...
If the Dutch win Sunday Wesley Sneijder will have won the Serie A and Champions League with Inter Milan and World Cup back-to-back. If the Spanish win, I'll argue that there are a whole host of guys who SHOULD have done that but Barça and Real Madrid failed to meat expectations.
Actually, Sneijder will have won the Series A championship, the Italian cup, Champions League and World Championship in one year. Only Pele has been able to do that. In fact, Pele's team also won the "world championship for teams" that year, and obviously Sneijder can still get that one as well. So that would be the FIVE top prizes in ONE season.
I guess in honor of that damn octopus, the Dutch decided to channel some Motown, and let out their inner "Bad Boys" Pistons. That final was the sort of cynical game that needs four years or so to get washed out of my mind before I'm ready to watch another tournament.
Of course it's good that the best side won, and in a bonus not needing the penalty kicks to do it. But (as a casual fan) it's a bit hard to appreciate four straight 1-0 wins, even if it's a product of the opposition being scared sh-tless of your ball handling, they prefer losing close to taking the chance of getting embarrassed 4-1.
If you could regularly get the action of that third place game into MLS, they'd double their fan base. Maybe allowing retroactive cards and fines for the more obvious (to slow-motion video) dives would open things up?
All we need to close matters properly is a vuvuzela bonfire, I'm enough of a fan to know I missed the crowd chants.
If De Jong had hit his kick about 5 inches further up the body of Xabi Alonso, it would've been a deadly version of Sweet Chin Music.
I felt the ref didn't have a particularly good game. He missed a couple of fouls which could have been automatic reds, particularly De Jong's sidekick, van Bommel's hit on Iniesta, and Puyol trying to rugby-tackle Robben, and a couple of fairly obvious corners. Even then, the 14 yellows were a bit much, and only 3 or 4 of them went to Spain. There was not a single card shown for simulation in a game chock full of diving and playacting on both sides.
Sky made a big deal of how Spain was the right team to win because they played the "right kind of football." Sure, the Dutch played a hard game but at least they didn't try to bore me to death. Spain's style puts me to sleep, and there was certainly nothing beautiful about their game, either.
Forfeit the game, before somebody else takes you outta the game, and puts your name to shame Cover up your face, you can't run the race The pace is too fast, you just won't last - "Points Of Authority" - Linkin Park
I caught the last five minutes and it was pretty exciting. I have come to the conclusion that the last 10 minutes of soccer is probably the best time to watch. A friend of a friend who is living in the Netherlands explained the Europeans have killed this game by creating a Rat Trap defense. Spain seemed to follow through with that and I pity anyone who had to sit through this entire 112 minutes of boredom. Soccer is never going to be as popular here due to the massive amount of time when nothing happens. Football games are 3 hours long, baseball averages 3 to 3 1/2 and hockey is about 2 1/2 all of which are longer then or in hockey's case the same amount of time, so not about attention span. Its the fact the rest of those sports have things going in their games as well as scoring. Hopefully, this will be the end of soccer talk for the next 4 years, its not going to happen and probably never will. Let the rest of the world have this game.
Originally posted by lotjxHopefully, this will be the end of soccer talk for the next 4 years, its not going to happen and probably never will. Let the rest of the world have this game.
Yeah that world cup final just set the sport back in America 10 years. And the one thing I learned in this topic is that soccer has way too many league championships.
Originally posted by Psycho PenguinYeah that world cup final just set the sport back in America 10 years.
That's OK, because the USA/Algeria game pushed it ahead 12 years, so it's still two years to the good.
It's too bad the Dutch didn't get the message when the yellow cards were coming like crazy and they kept the physical play going. That was their only real chance to contain Spain, though, and it worked until it didn't.
And the one thing I learned in this topic is that soccer has way too many league championships.
This is so wrong I don't even know how to respond. The variety of competitions is one of the things that makes European soccer great.
Holy fuck shit motherfucker shit. Read comics. Fuck shit shit fuck shit I sold out when I did my job. Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck. Sorry had to do it....
*snip*
Revenge of the Sith = one thumb up from me. Fuck shit. I want to tittie fuck your ass. -- The Guinness. to Cerebus
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