Football World Cup 2014

just watched that little bit of history on Ewetube. Horrendous foul. So many dives are rewarded, but that vicious assault, which could easily have killed Battiston, went unpunished.

Will Zuniga make it out of Brazil alive?

skully wrote:I thought the Spanish ref did a good job in that last petulant 20 minutes. There were enough fouls to fill a chook shed, but he kept his head. Probably used to plenty of Real-Barca bloodbaths.

Conversely, I thought he was poor throughout. The reason both sides felt free to kick lumps out of each other was his flat refusal to sanction anyone until about the 70th minute.

Brazil committed 31 fouls. Yet their only bookings were for a silly technical offence by Thiago Silva and a yellow that should've been red (since when has bringing down a player in the middle of the goal, heading into the six yard box not been a clear goalscoring opportunity?) for the goalkeeper.

Dello wrote:

skully wrote:I thought the Spanish ref did a good job in that last petulant 20 minutes. There were enough fouls to fill a chook shed, but he kept his head. Probably used to plenty of Real-Barca bloodbaths.

Conversely, I thought he was poor throughout. The reason both sides felt free to kick lumps out of each other was his flat refusal to sanction anyone until about the 70th minute.

Brazil committed 31 fouls. Yet their only bookings were for a silly technical offence by Thiago Silva and a yellow that should've been red (since when has bringing down a player in the middle of the goal, heading into the six yard box not been a clear goalscoring opportunity?) for the goalkeeper.

Aye, I fell asleep during the game, but the reports are not very complimentary about the refereeing.

taipan and PCS in agreement shocker

It's sad about Neymar, but given that Fernandinho's brief appeared to be to hobble James Rodriguez at all costs, I don't have too much sympathy for Brazil.

I thought Brazil were pretty wank for 70 minutes. They were phoning it in like a mofo. Still, I was shitfaced, so only remember glimpses of girlish rolling around on the floor. TBH, I wondered if I'd actually wandered into a pub that was collectively watching tranny porn.

Can we write them off now then, or is it like when Dan Carter went down for the All Blacks and everyone said their dreams of winning a home World Cup were over... who's their Piri Weepu going to be?

beamer wrote:Neymar ruled out of the World Cup... Scolari will pay for having no plan B in terms of creativity up front, even a 95-year-old Ronaldinho would have given them a fallback option! You can't beat the Germans on penalties so the nation of samba football is now relying on parking the bus and getting a set-piece header. And Thiago Silva's suspended as well...

At least the hosts will be involved up to the last weekend of the tournament... third place match against Belgium in Brasilia.

The Yurpeens (GW Bush) will never have a better chance of winning in Latin America.

Robben is practising his dives at this very minute. Got up specially early to perfect his Petrushka.

beamer wrote:Can we write them off now then, or is it like when Dan Carter went down for the All Blacks and everyone said their dreams of winning a home World Cup were over... who's their Piri Weepu going to be?

I don't understand half that post, but from the Brazil squad, only Bernard leaps out as being a possible like for like for Neymar: young, nippy, skilful, inside forward.

Not seen a lot of him. Proper clubs were supposedly looking hard at him, but he ended up at Shakhtar Donetsk instead. Don't know if that means he's any good or not.

Ze Germans will crush the dreams of a nation.

I think this is the only time I will ever want Argentina to win a World Cup and it's solely down to the Messi effect.

Still in need of a Messianic leader, vilks?

Dello wrote:

beamer wrote:Can we write them off now then, or is it like when Dan Carter went down for the All Blacks and everyone said their dreams of winning a home World Cup were over... who's their Piri Weepu going to be?

I don't understand half that post, but from the Brazil squad, only Bernard leaps out as being a possible like for like for Neymar: young, nippy, skilful, inside forward.

Not seen a lot of him. Proper clubs were supposedly looking hard at him, but he ended up at Shakhtar Donetsk instead. Don't know if that means he's any good or not.

Was a rugby reference as I expect you worked out, but a similar situation - hosts and favourites whose supporters won't accept anything but victory lose star player through injury, I think in their case his initial replacement also limped off shortly after introduction, then the unheralded third or fourth choice stepped up, held his nerve and got them over the line.

Brazil need a spark of inspiration from somewhere but I can't see where it's coming from. I suspect they will just add another workhorse in Ramires, break up the play, lump it up to Fred and rely on the full-backs and Luiz as their main attacking threat. Which with continued favourable refereeing might still do it for them.

Would be a travesty if Brazil won this tournament. Has been a brilliant tournament and it deserves better winners.

vilkrang wrote:Would be a travesty if Brazil won this tournament. Has been a brilliant tournament and it deserves better winners.

It's been a brilliant tournament, but there aren't actually any good teams in it. All those remaining would be unsatisfactory winners really.

The Netherlands would be worthy enough.

Well, depends what they do in their remaining games, but barring the remarkable second half against Spain they haven't been that special - they were a few minutes from going out to Mexico and if they take Costa Rica lightly they will be on the plane home.

beamer wrote:

vilkrang wrote:Would be a travesty if Brazil won this tournament. Has been a brilliant tournament and it deserves better winners.

It's been a brilliant tournament, but there aren't actually any good teams in it. All those remaining would be unsatisfactory winners really.

I think that remains to be seen. How the remaining QFists (< that doesn't have a good look) rise to the challenge today.

Now the chips are down, the Argies may raise their game. (Or slump off home, tails between legs, after another underwhelming show.)

The Cloggies may cop a few Oscar nominations, at least. Or even turn on the sparkling champagne tap as in the 1970s.

Belgium look a very decent side, if not perhaps classic. If their stars shine, they could yet be worthy winners.

And if Costa Rica don't seize up with stage fright - or get conned out of the Cup by those twin spear-head-firsters Robbie van Knobbie and Robbin' Robben - who knows what they might produce? You'd hope they'd have a go and refind their form from the start of the competition. It would be a breath of fresh air if they played their competitive, uninhibited best. (That's all very conditional, it's true.)


It's been a very dicey tournament defence-wise, for sure - despite the feats of some outstanding keepers - but definitely exciting in most matches, and I think in terms of attack, and in the sense of creative and adventurous play, generally of pretty high quality.

Disappointing that there can't be a Cloggies v Froggies final now.

Argentina score after just eight minutes.

Nice strike by Higuain.

Hazard was a pile of shit. Took the momentum out of all attacks and never contributed in defence. Kompany was poor. Poor performance really, and no ten minutes of urgency.

And why didn't they try hoofing the ball with that height advantage?

Also seems that a defender losing balance in his own box is a free kick....

What a disappointment Belgium were. Another side that went out with a whimper.

Poor game, not helped by an incredibly fussy referee.

About as much as could be expected of them given they have no tournament experience, the question is whether they can go on from this and find success in the more favourable environments of France and Russia. Rich man's England really, very much a Premier League style team as the club loyalties would suggest but lacking in finesse.

Argentina looked the best I've seen them so far, which admittedly isn't saying much but a massive step up from that dismal performance against the Swiss. With a magician like Messi in their ranks that could be as much as they need to do.

Aye.

Argentinians generally improved, worth their progress.

Hazard has been one of the disappointments of the tournament, and he saved the worst till last.

Personally, I wouldn't blame Kompany unduly - he was put under a lot of pressure by his own teammates, I felt.

The Belgians slumped to the occasion.

To end on a positive note: He may have missed a golden chance to seal it near the end, but Messi really is that good. He's a bloomin' magician. Deserves a winner's medal. Maybe three.

Snap with beamer about the Harry Potter.