RadioactiveWaste Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 No one looks amazing out of the "contenders" so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariotofmyown Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Neymar looks like a player who used to be good when he played at a proper club. Now he just slows play down and gives it away...like the guy who thinks he is better than he is in a 6 aside and you hope he's not on your side as he contributes nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariotofmyown Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 1 minute ago, RadioactiveWaste said: No one looks amazing out of the "contenders" so far. Spain probably best. It's all set up for England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bris Vegas Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Tournament football is all about momentum. It's about playing well from the quarter-finals onwards for the actual contenders, not about smashing somebody in your first game and then running out steam two weeks later. Holland looked the best side in world in the group stages in 2014, smashing Spain and beating Chile. Then they were poor against Mexico and were aided by a dodgy ref, beat Costa Rica on penos before losing to Argentina. Teams like Argentina, Germany and Brazil shouldn't worry so much. The only downside I guess they may have is by finishing 2nd and getting a harder run to the final. But that's not a guarantee if other top teams also finish 2nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bris Vegas Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 2 minutes ago, ariotofmyown said: Neymar looks like a player who used to be good when he played at a proper club. Now he just slows play down and gives it away...like the guy who thinks he is better than he is in a 6 aside and you hope he's not on your side as he contributes nothing. He doesn't release the ball quick enough. Everything he learned at Barca seems to have gone out the window at PSG where he is playing in a pub league. Looks a proper ball hogger too who just runs inside all the time. It's alright when you're playing somebody rubbish. But against a good team, he'll hog it, Marcelo will run on the overlap, Neymar will lose the ball and then Brazil are totally vulnerable to the counterattack. This tournament from what I've seen so far is absolutely made for counterattacking teams. Portugal and Mexico, with better and more effective forward players (Ronaldo aside), could have scored a hatful. Switzerland too, had Shaquiri actually played a telling pass rather than also ballhog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sexydadbod Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 If De Gea gets his act together then this tournament is there for Spain to win. Carvajal is close to returning which will make a massive difference to them and Hierro will have more time to work on their defensive organisation. They’ve got a straight forward route to the semi finals too. Momentum is key in this tournament. Having said all that I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the opening games. Spain loss to Switzerland in 2010 and ended up coming back and winning the whole thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sexydadbod Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Brazil missed Dani Alves a lot, Danilo is nowhere near his level in my opinion. Most of the attacks came down Brazil’s left hand side which puts too much on Marcelo to create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewsFromTheMiddle Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ariotofmyown Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 5 minutes ago, Bris Vegas said: Tournament football is all about momentum. It's about playing well from the quarter-finals onwards for the actual contenders, not about smashing somebody in your first game and then running out steam two weeks later. Holland looked the best side in world in the group stages in 2014, smashing Spain and beating Chile. Then they were poor against Mexico and were aided by a dodgy ref, beat Costa Rica on penos before losing to Argentina. Teams like Argentina, Germany and Brazil shouldn't worry so much. The only downside I guess they may have is by finishing 2nd and getting a harder run to the final. But that's not a guarantee if other top teams also finish 2nd. True, but I think the manner of the games of those teams could cause concern. It wasn't like they just didn't click, they seem to have flaws. Argentina have been poor for a long time and can't work out a way to play with their abundance of great attacking players. Defence looked very ropey and Messi under too much pressure. Brazil's best chance is dropping Neymar and getting Firminio in there. They look too casual and reliant on pieces of magic rather than a creative system. Germans will be ok though I think. Mexico were great and Germans always get stronger. Do think that some of their players might be passed their best though, especially Muller. Spain look like they are getting back to their best and Costa is a great player to have in tight games. Portugal looked better than when they won the Euros too. Really impressed by Iceland too, also seem to have improved since Euros. Think they will be a match for anyone, especially against big teams who don't like it up them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuespachRam Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Brazil should have that point taken off then for Neymar’s haircut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramit Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 The 'big teams´stumbling at the start is good for the competition ⚽?♂️? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimbeard Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Alpha said: But we are learning here. This halftime chat has been an education. Certainly educated me. I've learnt that at half time, I should put the kettle on, go outside for a fag and then wash the dishes or do a spot of light gardening, anything but sit and listen to the balls being spouted on the telly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViewsFromTheMiddle Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 Remember when Januzaj was going to be the best player ever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerTedd Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Alpha said: Remember when Januzaj was going to be the best player ever? Everyone was talking about whether or not he could qualify for a British passport. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TigerTedd Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 4 hours ago, Grimbeard said: Certainly educated me. I've learnt that at half time, I should put the kettle on, go outside for a fag and then wash the dishes or do a spot of light gardening, anything but sit and listen to the balls being spouted on the telly. Salvan Bilic sums it up: ‘to be honest, I don’t really care.’ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bris Vegas Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 The commentary from Martinoli for Mexico’s goal against Germany is absolutely epic. Screams passion. You’d never get Phil Neville doing that for an England goal. He could kill the mood of a last-minute world cup final winner from Harry Kane against the Germans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSD Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 I must be one of the few who doesn’t mind VAR. If FIFA scrapped the annoying pitchside monitor and let the video ref make the call instead, that’d be so much quicker and easier. Broadcast the conversation for the crowd so they don’t get confused. It could definitely work. Bin the pitch monitor, let the video ref have the authority to overrule the main referee if it’s a game changing decision. Officials are allowed to make mistakes, the same as the players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 13 minutes ago, SouthStandDan said: I must be one of the few who doesn’t mind VAR. If FIFA scrapped the annoying pitchside monitor and let the video ref make the call instead, that’d be so much quicker and easier. Broadcast the conversation for the crowd so they don’t get confused. It could definitely work. Bin the pitch monitor, let the video ref have the authority to overrule the main referee if it’s a game changing decision. Officials are allowed to make mistakes, the same as the players. I’m with you. The most annoying thing about VAR is people moaning about VAR, and ITV telling you how the system works throughout the 90 minutes. Stop drawing so much attention towards it, 2 or 3 checks which take 15 seconds is nothing at all, I’ve seen South American/Spanish players waste more time rolling around the pitch with a tap on the laces. Sports evolve, embrace technology, I wonder what Steve Bloomer would make if these balls and boots today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted June 18, 2018 Share Posted June 18, 2018 19 minutes ago, David said: Sports evolve, embrace technology, I wonder what Steve Bloomer would make if these balls and boots today. He's probably on the ITV pundit panel so you could tweet in and ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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