World Cup Match Thread Day 12 - Monday

[Marty]

Rakitic has signed for Barca, you say? Good thing for him that he was signed pre-tournament. Both he and Modric were extremely disappointing today. At 0-0 Croatia were crying out for some runs from deep to put more pressure on the Mexican defence but almost everything those two did was awfully pedestrian and it meant that they were too easy to defend against.

Once Mexico got the first there was only one outcome. In fairness they were impressive throughout, but I maintain that Croatia made it easy for them.

 

[Marty]

Someone talk me off the ledge. I just have a feeling Logi Low will not fucking cooporate and the US will lay a massive egg after getting its hearts broken and we'll be knocked out.

I dont give a shit if its cheating, I will be bitterly dissapointed if Jurgen and Jogi dont work something out so we draw the game and both advance.

I honestly can't see any other outcome than a draw, and I hope that's what happend tbh.

As for Mexico, yes you Yanks got them to the tournament but the work they've done since then is incredible. Massive creds to the manager who came in late in the qualifying.

 

[faymantaray]

Someone talk me off the ledge. I just have a feeling Logi Low will not fucking cooporate and the US will lay a massive egg after getting its hearts broken and we'll be knocked out.

I dont give a shit if its cheating, I will be bitterly dissapointed if Jurgen and Jogi dont work something out so we draw the game and both advance.

Fuck that Jurgen's going for the top seed!

 

[SpurSince57]

He played ok tonight. If you're going to rip him for a performance use the first game of the tounament. He was pretty poor in that one.

Sure. That's why Beeg Feel took him off.

 

[yankspurs]

I honestly can't see any other outcome than a draw, and I hope that's what happend tbh.

As for Mexico, yes you Yanks got them to the tournament but the work they've done since then is incredible. Massive creds to the manager who came in late in the qualifying.

I agree with you that they've really improved a ton with this new manager. But there would just be no God if the US get knocked out and they advance.

 

[yankspurs]

Fuck that Jurgen's going for the top seed!

If the US beats Germany, I will be shocked.

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

Sure. That's why Beeg Feel took him off.

Well i'd discuss this point with you if you can point out what he did poorly tonight and also acknowledge his positive points too...

 

[gp13tot]

modric was poor tonight.

and wtf was corluka doing for the 3rd goal?

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Im not pretending AVB was a fluke but ask anyone who watches Falcao at atletico he became the complete striker at atletico

Under AVB he was simply the best striker in the air in the world and going forward in to the box but was poor with his back to goal and being involved in play at atletico he changed that and became more of the complete package

Under AVB he was the best pure No.9 in Europe. And was not "poor" with his back to goal.

 

[Blake Griffin]

paulinho was robbed of the ball close to his own goal on at least two occasions, he simply doesn't have the speed of mind or foot to be a productive player at this level.

 

[Marty]

modric was poor tonight.

and wtf was corluka doing for the 3rd goal?

That was classic, Charlie just jumped up nowhere near the ball and looked like he pretended to head it. But Rakitic was the one who was ballwatching and let Hernandez sneak in behind him...

 

[THFCSPURS19]

paulinho was robbed of the ball close to his own goal on at least two occasions, he simply doesn't have the speed of mind or foot to be a productive player at this level.

yawn

Sorry about that, I forgot you were a footballing genius

 

[0-Tibsy-0]

paulinho was robbed of the ball close to his own goal on at least two occasions, he simply doesn't have the speed of mind or foot to be a productive player at this level.

Once he was, agree entirely (won the ball back with a slide though, still not great obviously), The second main one he had a player closing him down about 2 feet in front of him. Which is why, if I remember correctly, one of the defenders turned to shout at the man playing the ball to him. He also had a poor miscontrol on the far side of the pitch but wasn't in a dangerous position to make it that noticeable..

Again though, not saying he was great, just that he had his fair share of positive moments too. Like creating two clear cut chances in the first 45 mins which is more than Hulk, Oscar and Fred..

 

[Blake Griffin]

yawn

Sorry about that, I forgot you were a footballing genius

i prefer oracle but i'll accept genius.

 

[beats1]

Under AVB he was the best pure No.9 in Europe. And was not "poor" with his back to goal.

He is mate, just look at everyones complaints about Falcao its always been about him being poor with his back to goal. It was one of the reason why Columbia played him in the hole in the copa america

Even now people complain about him being not great with his back to goal. Its always been his biggest complaint

Im Falcao biggest fan but he isn't great with his back to goal

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Someone talk me off the ledge. I just have a feeling Logi Low will not fucking cooporate and the US will lay a massive egg after getting its hearts broken and we'll be knocked out.

I dont give a shit if its cheating, I will be bitterly dissapointed if Jurgen and Jogi dont work something out so we draw the game and both advance.

If the best two teams go through from this group it will be Ghana and Germany.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

He is mate, just look at everyones complaints about Falcao its always been about him being poor with his back to goal. It was one of the reason why Columbia played him in the hole in the copa america

Even now people complain about him being not great with his back to goal. Its always been his biggest complaint

Im Falcao biggest fan but he isn't great with his back to goal

I didn't say he was great. He just wasn't shit. It wasn't part of his game or remit, but he wasn't a shit footballer. And I don't remember anyone complaining about it, they were too busy eulogising over a player who scored a goal every 1.2 games at Porto.

 

[beats1]

I didn't say he was great. He just wasn't shit. It wasn't part of his game or remit, but he wasn't a shit footballer. And I don't remember anyone complaining about it, they were too busy eulogising over a player who scored a goal every 1.2 games at Porto.

There were plenty of complaining about it when they wanted. I wanted him more than any striker that season but the columbian pundits and etc all say he is poor with his back to goal which is why they played him off Ramos and even costa at times. Here are articles all moaning about him being poor with his back to goal and build up play

http://www.espnfc.com/fifa-world-cu...tions-as-they-defeat-ivory-coast-at-world-cup
http://www.espnfc.com/team/colombia...lombia-without-falcao-forces-tactical-rethink
http://www.givemesport.com/401061-chelsea-must-sign-lewandowski-over-falcao?&mobile=on
http://www.just-football.com/2013/0...-world-analysis-ii-ibrahimovic-rooney-suarez/
http://chewingthecoca.wordpress.com...-can-get-the-best-from-radamel-falcao-garcia/
http://www.football.co.uk/chelsea/is_falcao_the_answer_up_front_for_chelsea__rss3611692.shtml

As I said he was the best striker in the world in the air and in the box at the time and don't forget he had a buyout clause for £26million but no one came in for him.

It didnt help that his goal record wasn't great compared to europe and he also suffered abit of the "oh its portugal and Oscar Cardoza got 26 goals there the season before"

I think he is the best no.9 in the world but his link up play and his play with his back to goal though improved isn't that great

 

[Bus-Conductor]

paulinho was robbed of the ball close to his own goal on at least two occasions, he simply doesn't have the speed of mind or foot to be a productive player at this level.

In terms of the premiership (which is all I give a shit about where he's concerned) I think only two players scored more goals playing in a CM2 than Paulinho (6 goals and 2 assists in 28 games). Ramires for example managed 1 goals and 2 assists from 29 games

In terms of Spurs he scored /assisted 8, tackles more per game than Sandro, and averages a pass less than Eriksen a game.

I know he doesn't always look great doing what he does, I don't think he's wonder bread, he is a bit dynamically meh at times, but you either have a specialist who excels at one aspect, or you have a player like Paulinho who does a bit of everything.

In terms of the EPL and more pertinently us, what he's actually bringing to the team is pretty productive, goals/assists wise, tackles per game wise and passes per game wise. Which comes down to people basically not liking the aesthetics of he he goes about that.

Who do you think we could realistically bring in that would score more, assist more, tackle more, pass more and look better doing it ?

 

[yankspurs]

If the best two teams go through from this group it will be Ghana and Germany.

Well that's certainly a way to talk me off the ledge