Is there still no world cup thread? (the sequel)

[Leferd]

 

 

Hah. Serves them right for playing **** football. And by "****" I am not referring to their skill level, but the craven strategy to play with 5-6 defenders and 9 defending players.

It's not the first time this happens, typically these types of teams lose when their opponents score one goal and they are unable to even the score. Costa Rica did some interesting stuff in the extended playtime, but their overall strategy here is just utter **** football.

 

Completely and utterly disagree. It'd be nice if they could play attacking football, but they are just outclassed talent wise. Costa Rica has maybe three good players, one being the keeper.

They actually employed a very aggressive high defensive line trap, trying to congest the midfield, limiting the ability of their opponents to go out on runs. They bought in completely and put on a CLINIC on team defense. That was beautiful tactical football and defense pr0n.

 

No. You use a lot of words for what was just plain and simple ordinary all-out defensive football. The objective behind that strategy is to force the game to penalties, where there is typically a higher probability for weird **** to happen. This is obviously only a feasible strategy in games which can be won on penalties (which is why you don't typically ever see this). So to exploit the fact that this is elimination rounds in that way is a very underhanded strategy in my mind.

They surrendered 0 goals in regular play during the group stage and flat out won their group. Sorry if you can't grasp tactics and appreciate perfect team execution.

[Rostere]

It does not matter one way or the other, we failed to use the very good chances we got, we can't blame Costa Rica for that.

 

I'm not at all complaining about the fact that the result after extended playtime was 0-0, I'm complaining about the strategy Costa Rica used to get there.

 

Of course it's their right to play as they want, it's just that they are not using their skills to win the game, they are using a special rule which is there for the elimination rounds.

 

An other example of **** strategy would be if a coach should instruct all his players to always lie still on the ground and scream after they fall, if the team has a goal advantage, or pass their own players safely back and forth. It is completely in their right to do so, as much as they can get away with at least. But it is using the rules against the purpose of the game.

[Leferd]

"Of course it's their right to play as they want, it's just that they are not using their skills to win the game, they are using a special rule which is there for the elimination rounds.

 

An other example of **** strategy would be if a coach should instruct all his players to always lie still on the ground and scream after they fall, if the team has a goal advantage, or pass their own players safely back and forth. It is completely in their right to do so, as much as they can get away with at least. But it is using the rules against the purpose of the game."

 

You realize that both teams still have to play the game, right? As good as their defense was, an Offside Trap defense is beatable. It's not like it's a complete new strategem that came out of nowhere. It's been in use for decades. In fact, as many times as Holland got called for offsides, they beat the trap dozens of times and got numerous scoring opportunities to score and would have done so if it wasn't for a combination of blind luck and Navas being the Keeper of the Tournament.

 

It would be sheer stupidity and incompetence on their coaching staff, if Costa Rica were to employ an attacking style. They have to rely on the counter attack to generate scoring chances due to the huge skill disparity. To Costa Rica's credit, they actually did generate a few chances, especially late.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Leferd

[Keyrock]

Van Persie looked very ordinary today.  Sneijder, on the other hand, hit a couple cracking strikes and was denied by metal both times.  In the end, the right team won.  Hats off to Costa Rica for their run, but Holland was clearly superior.

[Keyrock]

I was rather surprised at how well Argentina played defense in the earlier game.  It wasn't the most exciting match, but they stayed extremely disciplined.  Belgium had basically no chances the entire match.

[Rostere]

 

 

 

Hah. Serves them right for playing **** football. And by "****" I am not referring to their skill level, but the craven strategy to play with 5-6 defenders and 9 defending players.

It's not the first time this happens, typically these types of teams lose when their opponents score one goal and they are unable to even the score. Costa Rica did some interesting stuff in the extended playtime, but their overall strategy here is just utter **** football.

Completely and utterly disagree. It'd be nice if they could play attacking football, but they are just outclassed talent wise. Costa Rica has maybe three good players, one being the keeper.

They actually employed a very aggressive high defensive line trap, trying to congest the midfield, limiting the ability of their opponents to go out on runs. They bought in completely and put on a CLINIC on team defense. That was beautiful tactical football and defense pr0n.

 

No. You use a lot of words for what was just plain and simple ordinary all-out defensive football. The objective behind that strategy is to force the game to penalties, where there is typically a higher probability for weird **** to happen. This is obviously only a feasible strategy in games which can be won on penalties (which is why you don't typically ever see this). So to exploit the fact that this is elimination rounds in that way is a very underhanded strategy in my mind.

They surrendered 0 goals in regular play during the group stage and flat out won their group. Sorry if you can't grasp tactics and appreciate perfect team execution.

 

You are wrong. Uruguay scored one goal against them. Furthermore, they are tied with Belgium for the lowest number of goals for a group winner, and they did not win all their matches. In any case, it does not matter here.

 

It's not that I can't appreciate "perfect" team execution. My complaints are not against the skill of the players. It's not that I can't grasp tactics. I understand their tactics perfectly well. It's their choice of all-out turtling in this match (at least during the first parts, the later part is usually always more back and forth) that I don't like. It's not their style of defence, it's the ridiculous balance towards defence (in a match which must be decided by penalties, otherwise this would be no problem). I guess this is OK if you think penalties are just as integral a part to football as the game itself. For me it's like delaying a losing match in Starcraft in the hope that your opponent will disconnect or lag out. It's not cheating, but it is also not about winning what is really the game.

 

I also think you ascribe too much of the offsides to efforts from the Costa Rican side. It was not really only Costa Rica (even though they clearly have a great defence line discipline) but the Netherlands who played clumsily. In any case, offside is just another way of seizing the ball from your opponent on your side of the field. That is not the issue, but the overly defensive overall formation.

[Leferd]

Well we have four quality, albeit flawed, teams going into the semis.

 

GER - BRA

ARG - NED

 

Any of those four can win and won't be a complete upset. Looking forward to these matches!

 

...

 

Rostere, I get your point. And no, I wasn't wrong, I stated Costa Rica didn't surrender a goal in regular play during the group stage. The surrendered goal game on a penalty kick. Anyways, this was about semantics, don't need to belabor it.

 

We'll agree to disagree regarding Costa Rica's tactics. I thought they played well executed futbol and were playing well over their heads. It was fun and extremely entertaining to me.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Leferd

[Malcador]

Seemed less adventurous than their games against Uruguay or Italy. Well could have been worse, imagine if Greece had made it.

[HoonDing]

Goalkeeper's gamesmanship in the end was hilarious. Those Costa Ricans were too timid. Good ol' Gazza would've punched his teeth out.

[Zoraptor]

We'll agree to disagree regarding Costa Rica's tactics. I thought they played well executed futbol and were playing well over their heads. It was fun and extremely entertaining to me.

Don't know about fun and entertaining, I'd probably describe it as an absorbing tactical battle or similar, but CRC most certainly weren't under any obligation to do anything other than play to their strengths and play to a plan that maximised their chances of winning, which is exactly what they did. Doing otherwise would be stupid. They played well, beat several far more fancied teams over the course of the tournament and did their best to beat the dutch as well, all by playing to their strengths. Good on them for doing so, it's one of if not the main reasons they did do better than England, Italy and Uruguay.

[Blarghagh]

Finally caught up on the games after being stuck traveling all day yesterday. Gotta say, Costa Rica made that game so amazingly boring. It's a good thing not all soccer games are elimination, because if more teams played like that everyone would stop watching the sport out of sheer frustrated boredom. Time to see if Holland can beat the amazing Messi and his pointless meatpuppets. Looking forward to Germany - Brazil, though I wish Brazil had lost their last match because they played like jerks.

[HoonDing]

In these final stages the WC is giving me 1990 vibes.

 

Expecting Brazil-Argentina final being decided by a dubious penalty.

Edited July 6, 2014 by HoonDing

[Meshugger]

I really hope for GER - anyone final....because i will be in Berlin on the 13th

[HoonDing]

I was in Germany during the semi-finals vs Turkey in 2008... awesome atmosphere.

[Pope]

Brazil is only a ghost of its former self, even more so with Neymar out. Seriously doubt they'll make it past Germany.

 

Hoping for a GER-NL final now. With Germany coming out on top

[Malcador]

Rumors that Suarez will get a reduction in his punishment. Funny if true.

[JadedWolf]

Rumors that Suarez will get a reduction in his punishment. Funny if true.

 

What they should do is ban the chap who did a job on Neymar for a couple of months. While not wanting to say that Suarez'  punishment was undeserved. what Zuniga did sure was a lot worse.

[Labadal]

What Zuniga did was not intended to injure Neymar. That was a situation of unlucky circumstances in my point of view.

[Malcador]

 

Rumors that Suarez will get a reduction in his punishment. Funny if true.

 

What they should do is ban the chap who did a job on Neymar for a couple of months. While not wanting to say that Suarez'  punishment was undeserved. what Zuniga did sure was a lot worse.

 

See stuff like that a lot, especially in the EPL, don't think there was real malice in it and it really warranted a yellow card. But Zuniga is a nobody so they can lay it to him easy, I suppose.

[Zoraptor]

Yeah, the difference is that while Zuniga's challenge looked quite bad- albeit on repeated slow motion replays, which tend to make everything look bad- it was the sort of thing that does happen all the time in football and usually without significant adverse effect. It's the equivalent of a sprigs up challenge or flappy elbow aerial challenges, they happen multiple times a game but don't usually result in broken legs/ noses and are not necessarily a sign of an attempt to injure, but may be simply reckless- or even so far as purely accidental, I've certainly elbowed one of my team mates in the head when playing football and that certainly wasn't deliberate. I've also accidentally kneed someone in the back playing rugby under circumstances that would have probably looked quite deliberate if there had been replays. Biting someone though is an absolutely deliberate act that simply cannot be accidental under the circumstances Suarez committed it- and it was his third offence.

[HoonDing]

I'm more annoyed that Messi never receives a card no matter what he does - including challenges worse than Zuniga.

[Malcador]

I'm more annoyed that Messi never receives a card no matter what he does - including challenges worse than Zuniga.

I was surprised he didn't get one for shoving Shaqiri out of the way. I guess he's not a saint like Kaka

[Keyrock]

Rumors that Suarez will get a reduction in his punishment. 

Did he pay for Chiellini's rabies shot as a gesture of goodwill, or something?

[Walsingham]

I think the only way to go for Suarez is to file his teeth to points. All of them.

 

Even the molars.

[JadedWolf]

Well, speaking for myself, I would really rather be bitten than to have someone break one of my vertebrae, especially since if it had been one a bit higher up Neymar would have been paralyzed for life.

 

But that's just me.