The Official 2010 World Cup Thread

[Guest the anonymous forumite]

Holland winning the world Cup in South AFRICA, how terrible for black south africans would that be ?

 

I was happy for Spain yesterday but then I realised how fucking boring their game is.

[keltoi]

i couldn't disagree more. got lots of exciting players, the way they pass it around, they look like they have fun.

[Guest Dirty Protest]

Aye, Spain and Holland have bored their way to a final. Technical and tactical they are, but theyre like Steve Davis in the 80's, clinical and dull to watch. I would at least like to see one team in the final who were forward looking, like Germany or Argentina. Hopefully Spain will step up, I still havent really forgiven the Netherlands for doing a Bolton and putting Brazil out on 2 set pieces.

[keltoi]

did we watch the same game? for me spain (and argentina) have been the most exciting to watch

[Guest Dirty Protest]

Sometimes a teams got to take a risk and Spain never seem to want to, they want to tiki taka the ball into the net. While this probably makes for the most effective football, i dont really want to watch it for 90 mins. Everytime Cesc is brought on he makes players get forward with the space he provides passing, but del Bosque would rather win 1-0. Saying that, hes at a world cup final and im a tit on a forum.

[goDel]

what? the germs were playing entirely on counter against the spanish. hows that for forward thinking?

[Guest Dirty Protest]

Pulling the opposition away from their goal to create space, then attack with speed is a bad option why? Optionally you can load the midfield and win, leaving whoevers watching slightly bored and uninspired.

[Guest stabilo]

dirty protest = no idea about football

[Guest abusivegeorge]

Aye, Spain and Holland have bored their way to a final. Technical and tactical they are, but theyre like Steve Davis in the 80's, clinical and dull to watch.

 

LOL dude, no.

[Guest Dirty Protest]

At no point did i say i did, but i know what i enjoy watching =)

[chenGOD]

Both Spain and Netherlands have shown glimpses of the teams they could be if they played together regularly. It's frustrating for sure. You can't disagree with Dirty Protest's analysis of Spain liking to pass the ball into the net, some players, especially Iniesta and Xavi almost seem to have no nose for goal at all. They have produced some beautiful football, but could it be more exciting? Sure.

same with the Netherlands - they have produced glimpses, but they could be better.

 

I'm looking forward to the final, as the NEDs love to play on the counter-attack, and are better at it than zee Germans. Should be interesting. I really hope Van Persie finds his form, and I think Robben will be a handful for Capdevila...

[Guest Mirezzi]

To each their own and I understand there's a certain amount of subjectivity that goes into assessing football as either "boring" or "beautiful" but I really don't understand how anybody can describe the Spaniards as boring but think the Germans were sexy.

 

The Germans, through the group stage and later against England and Argentina were, well, German. They were efficient, cold-blooded, and punished virtually every mistake made by the opposition. Against Spain, however, their passing was terrible, their energy and initiative was almost non-existent, and their defensive marking nearly led to two goals by the not-very-imposingly-tall Puyol. Spain completely outplayed Germany, something even Low and the German players conceded.

 

I thought Spain were brilliant tactically. When Argentina failed to create scoring chances against Germany, it was because Schweinsteiger and Kadeira stuffed the midfield passing lanes and cut off every effort to find Messi in even the smallest of open spaces. Messi and Tevez, as a result, resorted to dribbling their way into the German box (hawt!) and it failed horribly. Del Bosque's solution was to work the wings, something Argentina didn't even attempt. I think 50% or more of the Spanish attack was going through triangles formed between Xavi, Iniesta, and Ramos on the right wing. Although every cross was going to be hardpressed to get by the gigantic kraut defenders, it nevertheless opened up the middle of the pitch for Xabi Alonso to take a few cracks from long range and for Pedro to make diagonal runs into the box. I really think it was superb tactics from the Spanish. They basically answered every critic who'd said they depended too much on the short passes. They didn't abandon the excessive passing, obviously (as possession stats will show you), but they differentiated the attack with crosses from Ramos just enough to keep things loose enough in the middle for Xavi and Iniesta to work their magic.

 

The other thing the Spanish did that people will never given them enough credit for is defend. They were excellent in team defense, often using their attacking players to play a bit deep when the Germans would counterattack. It was the Spanish equivalent of total football and I thought it was delicious to watch. I consider the Spain - Germany semifinal to be one of the all-time classics and if I'm mostly alone in that assessment, meh.

 

Conversely, the Netherlands were far less impressive in getting to the final. That doesn't mean they are shit or that they'll lose to Spain. Rather, I think Brazil's complete self-destruction in the quarterfinals left a lot of questions to be answered still about the Dutch. Are they a great team? Not on paper, certainly. Are they playing great despite the lack of comparative talent? I guess. Sure. Maybe. Who knows? Uruguay actually played pretty damn well against the Netherlands and we all know that the Brazil game was far more about Brazil than it was about the Netherlands.

 

Spain, however, just totally dominated Germany. If I'm placing bets based on the most current form, my money is on Spain.

[Guest Dirty Protest]

Arsenal are the masters of the counter attack, when they hit with speed its a joy to watch, and alot of that has to do with Fabregas. I think Spain have been a much better team when he plays, as the rest of the team seem to look for the man, whereas he looks for the gap. Im not asking for much, just some ball to run on to =)

 

I said Spain to win along with everyone else at the start of this thread, no reason to change now.

[Guest Mirezzi]

Arsenal are the masters of the counter attack, when they hit with speed its a joy to watch, and alot of that has to do with Fabregas. I think Spain have been a much better team when he plays, as the rest of the team seem to look for the man, whereas he looks for the gap. Im not asking for much, just some ball to run on to =)

 

I said Spain to win along with everyone else at the start of this thread, no reason to change now.

Oh, don't take my previous post to mean that I don't like counterattacking football, because I thought Uruguay (along with Germany) were one of the purest joys to watch in this tournament.

 

I also agree that Fabregas makes Spain much, much, much more fun to watch, but if I'm Del Bosque, I'm not gonna sit Iniesta or Xavi until they basically die and playing with all three of them at the same time turns their team chemistry onto the knife's edge. Great in attack, but the defending gets a bit crap, because let's face it, Cesc takes the pitch with nothing but offense.

 

I did think the strikers were a bit odd looking with Pedro and David Villa, which seemed to give Pedro plenty to do but Villa completely ran himself into the dirt in the middle. I doubt Del Bosque will try the same against the Netherlands. In fact, I expect Llorente or Torres to start alongside Villa. Pedro's otherwise great game was literally blown to pieces when he failed to get the ball to Torres. That play was really ridiculous and the bluntness of Del Bosque removing him from the game moments later said everything about why Spain have just the right manager. If that were Brazil or Argentina, the idiots Dunga and Maradona would have laughed it off and went about their business.

[Guest Mirezzi]

The other thing playing with Fabregas creates is a lone striker formation with Villa, where he is not at his best. Anybody who watched Chile - Spain could see that the Torres for Fabregas substitution made Spain more fun to watch, but Fabregas' service was often wasted on an uncomfortable Villa. It's just so ridiculous, the spoil of riches in the Spanish midfield. If Iniesta or Xavi were in poor form, fine, I'd put him in instantly. That's just so far from the case...

 

My preference against Holland would be to put Llorente up front in a 4-2-3-1 as the lone striker so Villa can do his thing trailing on the left and Torres won't get to waste 150 good balls. Llorente is a giant target and maybe some of those crosses from Ramos would be put to bed for once. I'd love to see Cesc get a nice run, but I just don't see where he'd fit.

[Guest abusivegeorge]

About to watch "Distrct 9". Hoping it's good, I got it really cheap along with "The Crow" which is a film I've always loved.

Wrong thread, dumbass, I mean honey.

 

Lol, fucking hell. Thanks.

[chenGOD]

It's gonna be a great game in the midfield.

Dutch - Sjneider, Kuyt, Robben, and whoever the holding midfielder is (De Jong back in the side?).

Spaniards - Xavi, Xavi Alonso as the holding midfielder, Inieista and Busquets.

 

Spain were great in defence, but the Netherlands were hardly slouches, especially against Uruguay.

 

I think using Villa in the middle is a giant mistake as well, let him come in from the wings. It's where he wants to be.

[GORDO]

i'm in spain right now and gonna be for the final, it's gonna be crazy.

[keltoi]

I think using Villa in the middle is a giant mistake as well, let him come in from the wings. It's where he wants to be.

 

i heard on the radio that villa himself has said he prefers to play in the middle as a roaming centre forward but as we've all said, he's been more effective cutting in and across the defence.

 

long, high balls crossed into such a short arse are just a waste of time... he's left chasing passes he's no hope of winning and tiring himself out. i thought he looked like he might collapse before he was taken off against germany.

[keltoi]

About to watch "Distrct 9". Hoping it's good, I got it really cheap along with "The Crow" which is a film I've always loved.

Wrong thread, dumbass, I mean honey.

 

Lol, fucking hell. Thanks.

 

i enjoyed your insight into the game.

[Adamovich]

POR ESO SE OYE ESTE REFRÁN,

QUE VIIIIVA ESPANA

Y SIEMPRE LA RECORDARÁN

QUE VIIIIVA ESPANA

LA GENTE CANTA CON ARDOR,

QUE VIIIIVA ESPANA

LA VIDA TIENE OTRO COLOR,

ESPANA ES LA MEJOR!!

[keltoi]

Fuck, Octopus Paul chooses Spain over Holland to win the final :-(

 

We're doomed!

 

 

 

Maybe some comfort, he predicted all games right last European championship except for the final.

 

lol.

 

also a little incentive...

 

Spain's World Cup stars are set to net £414,000 each should they win Sunday's final - nearly double what the Netherlands' players will receive.

 

The Sun newspaper reports that Spanish players will receive the bumper payout if they manage to beat the Oranje at Soccer City in Johannesburg as the tournament reaches its climax.

 

But the Dutch squad can expect just £250,000 per man if they manage to go one better than the predecessors in the 1970s by lifting the famous trophy.

 

The two team's respective managers, Vicente del Bosque and Bert van Marwijk, will earn the same amount as their players in the event of victory.

[chenGOD]

I think using Villa in the middle is a giant mistake as well, let him come in from the wings. It's where he wants to be.

 

i heard on the radio that villa himself has said he prefers to play in the middle as a roaming centre forward but as we've all said, he's been more effective cutting in and across the defence.

 

long, high balls crossed into such a short arse are just a waste of time... he's left chasing passes he's no hope of winning and tiring himself out. i thought he looked like he might collapse before he was taken off against germany.

 

 

Interesting that he said that. Well, as we all know, footballers are not always the most intelligent people kicking about...that's why they have managers...:)

 

Yeah it's an utter waste having him chase balls over the top, and he's never gonna win crosses (I know I shouldn't say never, but really...). That leaves through balls in the middle on the ground, which again, are mostly him chasing.

[Guest Mirezzi]

Go Spain!

[Captain James Mission]

Germany didn't lose the World Cup, but the World Cup lost Germany