Official Netherlands - Ivory Coast POST Match Thread [R]

[ursula]

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This thread is neutral and strictly moderated.

Please take strongly partisan discussion to the
team boards (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6919151&postcount=3) or to the World Rivalries Board (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=160)
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No Flames - No Trolls
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[AFCA]

First of all too bad for CIV... great team and they definitely deserved the draw. Fortunately that's not how football works.

Let this be a lesson to the boys that there's no room for laying back and waiting for a counter chance.

[Tuco]

The first half was full of energy and tension - yet more good football from the Group of Death. Unfortunately, the second half saw little more than ugly football on Holland's part and a disappointing performance from Ivory Coast's offense.

The best result for a neutral would've been a draw, but now it seems as if the Arg-NL game won't be as exciting.

[grandinquisitor28]

Well some argued stridently that Serbia and Ivory Coast would make this a contrary group but it played just as I presumed it would with the two traditional powers advancing. Ivory Coast has to be gutted to be going home knowing how well they played and that it all came to nothing over a few poorly taken chances, chances surrendered, and the horribly unlucky draw (switch their place with any of the other African sides other than possibly Ghana and they're in the knock out rounds easily).

Also you have to say that no team has ever generated so many set pieces in the concluding minutes of injury time and done so little with them. I think 3 or 4 corners and two free kicks and only one of the chances was actually dangerous. Thank you to the Ivory Coast for helping to make the group stage amazing, let's hope they provide another entertaining match in their curtain call but I imagine Serbia will want to cover up todays humiliating effort with a full on defensive shell in their final game.

[bojendyk]

Two great matches today.

It's really disappointing that an extremely dull England team will progress to the next round while a team as tenacious and skilled as the Ivory Coast has to head home.

[Pingudo]

Worst ref so far. With a better ref, IC would've won this game. There were at least 3 missed PK calls.

[docsean]

I kept reading in the last game's forum that S&M had the best defence in the world, thereby keeping Oranje to one goal only. Fair enough.

Argentina 6 - 0 S&M

[Maruti]

vory Coast has to be gutted to be going home knowing how well they played and that it all came to nothing over a few poorly taken chances, chances surrendered, and the horribly unlucky draw (switch their place with any of the other African sides other than possibly Ghana and they're in the knock out rounds easily).

and biased referreing in both games. although in comparison the first game was fairly well reffed.

[Duncan Idaho]

Unbelieveable, the Dutch played like the Germans in the past, they've won and the dutch media won't lynch van Basten for it! Unbelieveable!

[SportBoy333]

Drogba's yellow card was very harsh. Even if IVC got a tie here Drogba would have missed their next match that they needed to win.

[PremierSoccer]

This tournament has made an Ivory Coast fan out of me. The point of the game is certainly to score the goals and get the wins but very few teams have played the game at the level IC has in the last two games. Unfortunately, this is now how the game is decided and Ivory Coast will have to become better finishers before they can compete against the world's best. I thought the Netherlands were overmatched today and they should consider themselves very fortunate for winning this game. Argentina is clearly the class of this group and I don't think the Dutch have what it takes to advance far into the tournament. In a way, I'm glad Ivory Coast got eliminated this would have been inevitable in the later rounds...making it just as painful. They can playing amazing soccer but they will never find the back of the net. That kind of soccer is good for only the streets.

[Machia]

The Dutch were sloppy, especially in defence. Ivory Coast on the other hand fought bravely but in both games they have played showed just not enough quality to win their matches.

I hope Boula will get more chances next time, he is the best defender in the Dutch squad and Heitinga is just awful. Gio should be exchanged too, he is bloody useless.

[ilv2]

the first half was great - but the second quickly turned ugly and understandably so. I feel for the Ivorians, despite two losses, they're still one of the upper tier sides of the tournament.

Are they better than England. Yes, hell yes.

[AFCA]

Biased reffing my ass... We had luck go our way sometimes.

[RemiNL]

We should be worried about the last 30 minutes of play there, were there was almost no ball control. However, I thought the first 30 minutes were exciting and demonstrated what Netherlands is capable of.
The ref was definitly the worst so far, but he made idiotic decisions both ways. Giving Robben a yellow instead of a clear penalty, and also some questionable holding of Drogba in the box might have been called. Either way he was complete trash and should not ref again.

[M]

Very disappointed to see Ivory Coast go out. They've been one of the better teams in the tournament but of course the draw did them no favours. In most other groups they would likely have progressed to the 2nd round. The WC will be poorer for their absence.

[Samuli]

Complaining about the refs is like so 2002 and stuff but COME ON, what the fook?!! Drogba and Eboue were wrestled down inside the box so many times that this match was only a few naked, oiled man-torsos, a hexagon and a Japanese model short from being turn into a full-out UFC -bout. Seriously. After the good start Holland looked like absolute garbage and will hopefully get their arses handed to them on a silver plate by the Argentinians.

[docsean]

hear hear

[Tuco]

I don't think the refereeing was biased here - Drogba, as well as Robben, has a reputation =D .

Neither Drogba nor Robber "deserved" pk's in my view, though as soon as I get hold of more replays, I may change my mind.

[BMike86]

where the hell is the score, usually at the beginning of post match thread the score is posted. The last I saw was 2-1, so what was the final?