World Cup Thread

[cure]

England is truly a bad team. When Sweden scored their goal 3 guys were standing around watching the damn ball.

Spain looked good but they always do against weaker teams. It's when they'll have to face the likes of Portugal or Italy where they will have trouble.

I'm glad that Paraguay tied 2-2. Cesare Maldini screwed Italy the same way in France 98. Play defensively once you have the lead or play to go to overtime like they did with France. I'm glad it bit him in the ass and here's hoping Trap doesn't do the same with this Italian team. Also seems to me that most South American teams (besides Argentina and Brazil) are only dangerous on spot kicks yet have trouble breaking through defensive traps.

Germany is not that great. God they beat a Saudi team that looked horrible defensively and their goaltender wasn't that strong as well. We'll see how they do against Cameroon or even Ireland.

Emerson is out of the tournament for Brazil.

Can't wait to watch Brazil and Italy both play tomorrow morning.

 

[The Varnsen]

The spanish team, this time, will have a better world cup than usual, but i doubt they reach the semi-finals... England is, as i said earlier, overrated, and was lucky to get a draw with Sweden, because in the second half the swedes had a few clear cut chances... Beckam isn´t that good, the midfield doesn´t defend much, and the attackers lack creativity...
Germany isn´t that good? Well, of course the saudis are the worst they´ll find in the World Cup, but scoring 8 isn´t easy, and some of their players really impressed me... Still, they won´t make it past the quarter finals.
Emerson is out, on is Ricardinho, who is more creative and technical, but lacks the marking capabilities and the stenght of the captain.

 

[vinylgroover]

Spain and Argentina have looked the most impressive to me thus far, particularly Argentina. They didn't make many clear cut chances, but they totally shut Nigeria down in the midfield. Spain surprised me. I thought they may have a weak midfield, but they dominated Slovenia.

Of the others, Ireland surprised me the most. At half time, it looked like Cameroon would run away with it, but they fought back and were unlucky to lose.

 

[3Vandoo]

Is that me or the ball football is not going straight alway going in curve?

 

[cure]

Well Italy looked dangerous throughout the first half yet did the same old shit in the second. SIT BACK SIT BACK, WAIT IT OUT...no killer instinct like the Germans had. At least they won which they haven't had much success with in the past for openers but man it just aggravates me to see them sit back like that.

What also impresses me is their defense and midfield. No matter how many passes ecuador makes or how many times they make streaking runs down the lines they still can't cross the ball into the middle of the box because the italians always use 2 defenders to block crosses. 1 shot on net throughout that game was dangerous and Buffon make the save.

I also don't understand what this whole shit of sending balls in the air from defense straight to their strikers was. KEEP the ball on the ground!!! It worked twice for italy but they tried using it on every play. TOTTI looked brilliant!

 

[Liberator]

I think you are forgetting that England have/had alot of injuries, for one Beckham had not played since the middle of April before the Sweden game and no-one ever said he is the best player in the world, BUT he IS world class. He doesnt need to dribble, you point to where you want the ball and he will put it there from anywhere on the pitch, why would he need to have to dribble?

Vassell is an outstanding player, who can dribble in short spaces.

We have no Gerrard in midfield, he is injured, another world class player. Sure he is not Ronaldo, but he is world class in the position he plays and his passing and vision is floorless. Also his tackling. We badly missed it.

Dyer is another good player, again injured, he played some of the game but looked unfit.

We played the long ball game, god knows why, its like we went back 20 years or something - any idiot knows that with Owen upfront and Hesky playing on the wing (when he is a centre forward) long balls arent going to be won in the air by Owen when he is well under 6ft.

We have alot of quality, far more quality than Sweden, however the tactics we played were all wrong, coupled with major injuries and lack of fitness, we were lucky to get a draw - we should have killed them off in the first half.

We will beat Argentina though.

 

[specter]

I've already had to write this World Cup off.

A 2 1/2 yr. old + a 2 mo. old + Japan/S. Korea time zones = very little World Cup on the tube for me. I already told my wife I can't wait for 2006. Where will the finals be played then? Germany?

I have managed to watch a little, though. My thoughts so far:

1. All of a sudden, the Germans are looking clear to a quarterfinal meeting with Italy. Wow.

2. The Brazilians were also counted out a little early. And look out for Turkey. They're a team no one likes to play, and it should surprise no one if they make it through to a quarterfinal meeting with Argentina.

3. I like Bruce Arena starting Donovan and Beasley, but I'm not optimistic that this World Cup is going to turn out any better than '98. If we were playing South Korea at a neutral venue we might have a shot at advancing with a 1-1-1 record, but I'm afraid we may be looking at one win and two losses, at best. [Looking ahead to 2006, the U.S. has a potentially nice midfield and attack coming together with players like Bobby Convey and Santino Quaranta but where in the world will the defense come from?]

4. I like this Danish team more than the Laudrup teams. It's more balanced, while maintaining that calm, calculated Danish style.

5. Spain looked ok, although the penalty kick they were awarded in the waning moments of the match with Slovenia was a joke. A quarterfinal match with Portugal will be terrific.

6. Group H: yuck.

7. I saw very little of the England-Sweden match, but obviously the second spot in Group F is wide open (sorry, I'm conceding first place to Argentina). That group's games are the only must-watch games in this first round.

8. Other first round games I'm looking forward to: France-Uruguay (could get really interesting if Uruguay can manage to score first), Denmark-France (could be playing for first place in the group) and Mexico-Italy (I always root for fellow CONCACAF rival Mexico in the World Cup).

 

[The Varnsen]

I can´t wait for the Portugal-USA match... We´ll start more ofensively than usual, with a 4-1-3-2 tactic. Our midfield is great: Rui Costa in the middle, Figo and Sérgio Conceição in the wings, Petit as an anchor... the attack is one of the best also: Pauleta with the help of João Vieira Pinto... the defence will have more problems: the central defenders are aging and heavy... the right/left defenders aren´t brilliant, specially Frechaut, the one in the right... but i expect that that will be enough to take the 3 points, although as has been said the USA has a good young team, with some very quick players...
We´ll see.

 

[cure]

Yes, i watched the USA play in a friendly in Calabria and they did look good. Italy was lucky to escape with a 1-0 win.

 

[vinylgroover]

I agree, Italy didn't look impressive. One thing that stood out to me was the individual skill level of the Ecuadorian players in comparison to the Italian's. Their first touch was beautiful. If Ecuador knew how to defend, Italy would have been in real trouble. Italy just does not create enough chances for my liking, and against a better defence, they will be in real trouble. The one thing Italy has though is a great defence and goalkeeper. Will that be enough?