The World Cup Thread

[jterrell]

[youtube]0ks3h2PbR7Y[/youtube]

 

[Coy]

thanks mate!
even a blind squirrel....

now I am off to lick your avatar.

:laugh2:

 

[casmith07]

[youtube]0ks3h2PbR7Y[/youtube]

That goal was absolutely ridonkulous. He bent it in at basically a zero angle.

 

[Temo]

Switzerland-Spain was awesome. I love watching Spain play, it's the way I hope all soccer is played at all levels.

 

[daschoo]

stuck in work so i've missed the two games this afternoon, apparantly chile were good to watch as well. biggest shock of the tournament so far the spain result anyway. looking forward to the uruguay match tonight

 

[Temo]

stuck in work so i've missed the two games this afternoon, apparantly chile were good to watch as well. biggest shock of the tournament so far the spain result anyway. looking forward to the uruguay match tonight

You have no idea how big a shock. I think Spain outshot Switzerland 23-8 for the match, and many of those were quality opportunities. So many balls hit off the post and crossbar, and so many went over the crossbar altogether. But yea, Spain I think played better than Switzerland despite the result.

Oh, but also good desperation defense by Switzerland and Fernando Torres is kind of the goat of the match.

 

[joseephuss]

You have no idea how big a shock. I think Spain outshot Switzerland 23-8 for the match, and many of those were quality opportunities. So many balls hit off the post and crossbar, and so many went over the crossbar altogether. But yea, Spain I think played better than Switzerland despite the result.

Oh, but also good desperation defense by Switzerland and Fernando Torres is kind of the goat of the match.

It was similar to the game last year at the Confederations Cup when the US beat Spain. The Spaniards just could not find the back of the net even though they kept getting plenty of good opportunities.

 

[jterrell]

It was similar to the game last year at the Confederations Cup when the US beat Spain. The Spaniards just could not find the back of the net even though they kept getting plenty of good opportunities.

I am not as big on Spain as most others are. I know they play the ball control style amazingly well but the lack of emphasis on creative finishes or even counter attacks is why they don't score more. I also know they are ranked 1st or 2nd by everyone else but me....

Yes, David Villa and Torres can be beasts but when they aren't just playing European teams the style is not always so exciting. I don't think they match up at all well with Brazil.

I also wouldn't pick them over Germany or England.

Call me a contrarian I only rank them 5th

 

[joseephuss]

I am not as big on Spain as most others are. I know they play the ball control style amazingly well but the lack of emphasis on creative finishes or even counter attacks is why they don't score more. I also know they are ranked 1st or 2nd by everyone else but me....

Yes, David Villa and Torres can be beasts but when they aren't just playing European teams the style is not always so exciting. I don't think they match up at all well with Brazil.

I also wouldn't pick them over Germany or England.

Call me a contrarian I only rank them 5th

I put them above both England and at least even with Germany whom Spain beat in Euro 2008. Casillas is a pretty good keeper. Germany is a little unknown in goal and England has major issues at goaltender.

Tommy Smith raised a pretty interesting point the other day on the radio. The top German league, the Bundesliga played with the Addidas Jabulani soccer ball this past season. Addidas is based in Germany from what he said. The other top leagues usually play with the Nike ball. I know there have been a lot of complaints about the Jabulani ball, so it could be an advantage, even if only a slight one if you got to play several games with the newest ball. I think the MLS is also using the Addidas Jabulani ball this season.

I have played in games that had the previous top Addidas ball, the Euro Pass and thought it was a good soccer ball. The Jabulani is supposed to be even better.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Switzerland-Spain was awesome. I love watching Spain play, it's the way I hope all soccer is played at all levels.

but they lost

I have Spain and Serbia in my office World Cup pool, so far I am 0-2 ugh

Of course, ultimately, I want France to win.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

stuck in work so i've missed the two games this afternoon, apparantly chile were good to watch as well. biggest shock of the tournament so far the spain result anyway. looking forward to the uruguay match tonight

Nice goal difference built up by Uruguay with that late 3-0 goal.

 

[Temo]

but they lost

I have Spain and Serbia in my office World Cup pool, so far I am 0-2 ugh

Of course, ultimately, I want France to win.

I've always thought soccer was the type of game where you admire the style of play almost as much as the result. And I just like the way Spain plays. It's great team ball.

Basketball is that way too. Don Nelson's teams never win in the playoffs, but they're always fun to watch.

 

[ethiostar]

I've always thought soccer was the type of game where you admire the style of play almost as much as the result. And I just like the way Spain plays. It's great team ball.

Basketball is that way too. Don Nelson's teams never win in the playoffs, but they're always fun to watch.

I agree 100%.

 

[kristie]

looking forward to USA-slovenia. should be good(i hope).

 

[jterrell]

I put them above both England and at least even with Germany whom Spain beat in Euro 2008. Casillas is a pretty good keeper. Germany is a little unknown in goal and England has major issues at goaltender.

Tommy Smith raised a pretty interesting point the other day on the radio. The top German league, the Bundesliga played with the Addidas Jabulani soccer ball this past season. Addidas is based in Germany from what he said. The other top leagues usually play with the Nike ball. I know there have been a lot of complaints about the Jabulani ball, so it could be an advantage, even if only a slight one if you got to play several games with the newest ball. I think the MLS is also using the Addidas Jabulani ball this season.

I have played in games that had the previous top Addidas ball, the Euro Pass and thought it was a good soccer ball. The Jabulani is supposed to be even better.

I know in 08 Spain dominated but again that was just against other Euros.

I am hardly an expert on them so the games I did see (both losses) obviously color my opinion. Then again the Suisse coach basically gave Bob Bradley credit for his game plan. They followed the US plan and stacked the middle tight and Spain wasn't creative enough outside. They played through the tough middle and then would end up with 1 man chances that were stops by a quality goal keeper.

England is a better team offensively imho but a worse one in goal by far. England will play outside in on you (crossing to Heskey/Crouch is their mainstay) but the goalkeeping is obviously a mess. Calamity James or Goo-hands Green? Tough call, lol. If they had Howard they' d be the favorite. England would be better off if the Premiere League didn't allow straight thug ball.

Germany was very young in 08. Ballack and his group is not around now so its the kids who ran amok over Australia and they did so with more speed than Germany usually displays but the same sharp attack and robotic defense.

Style-wise I love the South Americans. It is hard to be consistent with everything is based on magic but it is exciting. Messi uses horrid form at times but that just makes it all the greater because it is not expected. He'll carry the ball right at defenders away from the goal, lol.

The only team I despise is France... because they are so friggin French. Plus they robbed Ireland and basically suck.

Spain's biggest weakness is coaching or at least so says their former coach

They should move one of those two midfielders out wide more often or attack with their defense men on the flanks. After watching it last night all the way through it was clear what I saw in the quick play version was correct, the attacks were there they just occurred too often based on singular play. On one play Xavi torched the midfield defense but no one sprung on the wings and the middle was super-stacked with 3 defenders within like 15 yards. Even his very good play and pass meant only a hurried shot by someone for Spain.

I watched Chile last night on replay and man they looked good. Creative, athletic and sound defensively.

 

[MC KAos]

i LOVE watching Messi play, he is so fast with the ball and has such great control, and to think he is only 22!! he will be in his prime in the next 2 world cups. i would think he is gonna win a world cup at some point in the next 8 years. Group G should be very interesting, north korea plays pretty good defense so its gonna be interesting to see if the Ivory coast and Portugal can get goals in for the GD they will need to grab the second spot, and brazil winning the group is not a given either

 

[Ren]

i LOVE watching Messi play, he is so fast with the ball and has such great control, and to think he is only 22!! he will be in his prime in the next 2 world cups.

I think it will be this year, would love for them to win, so many good memories of Maradona from my childhood. It would be nice to see him get one as a coach too

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Maradona finds a new use for the Vuvuzela

 

[joseephuss]

They should move one of those two midfielders out wide more often or attack with their defense men on the flanks. After watching it last night all the way through it was clear what I saw in the quick play version was correct, the attacks were there they just occurred too often based on singular play. On one play Xavi torched the midfield defense but no one sprung on the wings and the middle was super-stacked with 3 defenders within like 15 yards. Even his very good play and pass meant only a hurried shot by someone for Spain.

I watched Chile last night on replay and man they looked good. Creative, athletic and sound defensively.

Ramos is not much of an attacker from the flank and Puyol provides even less offensive punch.

 

[jterrell]

Ramos is not much of an attacker from the flank and Puyol provides even less offensive punch.

You are ahead of me if you knew their names

Most teams have set ups where they get the defenders involved for scoring; especially Brasil.

I do appreciate Spain's fantastic mid-field play but they seem to have put all their talent right on top of each other. Xavi is not far below Messi but if the players closest to him on the pitch are the best players left then it's easier to defend just that space.

Don't get me wrong, Spain has great spacing and can dominate ball control they just don't have the width you'd expect of the World's top-ranked club. The Suisse GK never worried about rebounds or lateral plays at all it seemed; everything right up the pipe.

Then again, Mr. Green gave up a right up the pipe goal to a man marked about 35 yards way, lol.