Time Zone Converter Squads: What the Argentines think is the best WC goal ever: What actually is the best WC goal ever : That 1998 game was one of the best I have ever seen between 2 NT's. Had everything. Quality, beauty, hard play, red cards, drama, plot twists. It was great. Hope to see something similar with a same ending. Semifinal Video Preview:
So I don't want to be the party pooper but what a poor top 4 teams. Brazil must have one of their weakest sides ever, Netherlands has one of the weakest ever, Argentina looked better in the past and Germany is maybe oke. It has been an entertaining WC, but the quality of the teams is low. Brazil kicking balls into the stance after 70 minutes vs Colombia (Marcelo, Luiz), Argentina into turtle mode after they score vs Belgium and having difficulty against Iran let alone Switzerland. Netherlands is player quality wise just pretty damn poor. Is this an honest assessment or do people feel some injustice with that claim?
I recapped past Netherlands-Argentina matches in our match thread in the Argentine section of BS. You guys are more than welcome to join in on the conversation if you'd like: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads...netherlands-semifinals-july-9-2014-r.2007952/ Regarding the game, this is clearly our toughest match at this world cup yet. I sense a high scoring match.. Hopefully. If it's a 0-0 and goes to ET/PKs, I'd have a heart attack. Anyway, may the best team win! See you guys Wednesday.
De Vrij, Vlaar and to lesser extend BMI all rotate slow around their axis. Wijnaldum does not get stuck in, Blind a bit. If you add that up then Messi could have his podium of the tourney against us like Ronaldo in the Euro 2012 game when we had to open up to go for the 2 goal difference. Looking at the Mexico game after Nigel left the pitch and how Giovani was just allowed to shoot on goal and after that another Mexican player is alarming. Nobody just puts his foot out and stops a player. The player profiles in midfield and the back are just cut out for a little dribbler like Messi to have fun with and create some Youtube moments with.
Spot on mate. For all of the excitement and drama of this World Cup, the team to be crowned on July 13 will the survival of the fittest, not for the best team. Strange and somewhat ironic that statement was
There were a number of teams that have talented players or play good football like Spain, Chile, Colombia and France but factors like climate and refereeing made this world cup far less hospitable to teams that 'just' play good football. It reminds me a lot of Mexico 1986. Grit, fitness, managerial competence and individuals brilliance have been essential for success.
This is why I want Veltman in to mark Messi. I think he turns faster and is maybe a better tackler than de Vrij. Or just pray that Nigel makes a miraculous recovery
I have this funny feeling deJong will make the final (if we get that far) http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/vlaar-absent-hoop-voor-de-jong-en-fer.htm
It is so much better with the Dutch commentary. As I said in another thread, would be lovely if you guys were the first European side to win the World Cup in Latin America, considering how many times you have just fallen short. Good luck! Veel Geluk!
I have noticed same. The fact of the matter is in all the pro sports leagues the players & teams are nowhere near as good as some of the great players and great teams of years gone by with maybe one exception and that being Spain's recent run in soccer. None of these teams in WC2014 are exceptional sides. In the now 30 team NHL the league is so watered down with scrub level players it's pathetic. It costs way too much money nowadays for the average family to put their kids through 18 years of hockey in hopes he cracks the NHL one day. In MLB it's a joke as well mediocre players and teams are in abundance. The NFL may be the best of a bad lot. NBA couldn't tell ya cause i hate basketball. One of the main reasons is that despite world populations ever increasing the talent pool for pro level elite athletes is thinning out because of high costs for families to raise a kid into the pro's and because far too many kids these days are just too lazy to play sports and train to become an elite athlete they would rather sit on a couch or behind a desk and play video games or twitter or texting or youtube or facebook etc. Every house on my street has a male teenager in his late teens yet it's the 50 year old parents you see cutting the lawn and doing all the chores complete opposite of when i was a kid. Spain may very well have been the last powerhouse dominate NT we see in soccer for a long time. And IMHO another factor is that the elite rich that own these pro sports teams and run these leagues want parody they want to keep all the teams closely equal and competitive to keep fans interested in buying tickets to haul in more loot for their billion dollar pockets.
Every team in the tournament had weak spots and the final four are no exception. That being said I think the quality of the entire field is as high or higher than in past WCs. Some quality teams just slipped up big time (Spain & Italy), Uruguay lost Suarez (the only games they were any good were the ones he played), and the usual suspects pooped in their shorts (England). With a different match official maybe Columbia do better against Brazil, they had a lot of quality. Brazil without Neymar is going to have to be a brutal fouling team (remember 1974 against us? I sure do) to make it past Germany. Germany probably have the best chance of winning now that Lahm is back at fullback though Howedes on the left is a real liability. they do have the best keeper of the four teams still alive. Argentina have Messi, enough said, though the rest of their team aside from Mascherano are just average and probably could not start for the Dutch team. Netherlands have Robben and van Gaal.
Would you honestly describe Higuaín as just average? I wouldn't. I think you guys have the greater degree of talent, and I also think you will win, but I think you will be a bit surprised at the ability of some of Argentina's players outside of Lionel Messi. Garay is excellent as well, when he is on his game.
Messi, Zabaleta, Mascherano, Garay, Di Maria and Aguero could all start for our team depending on our formation. Higuain is obviously good as well, but he wouldn't start over Van Persie. On an indidividual basis I think Argentina has a slight edge, but it's pretty even.
There is some handwriting above the Vlaar name and I think it spells Huntelaar, though it is bad handwriting. Hard to read.
While fans & the media scrutinize every play under the microscope the warriors down on the field look back at games in sometimes a different perspective...great twitter quote from Dirk Kuyt... "The team who never gave up"!! So true...our team most frustratingly for the players & the fans missed many glorious scoring chances...but yes...our team never gave up!! Dirk Kuyt@Dirk_18_Kuyt 4h Enjoying the day after!! Proud of my team proud of the Dutch!! The team who never gave up!! Semi finals here we come! pic.twitter.com/GoSNBm1hdU
Does anyone else feel this Oranje has a certain champion feel to them?? Or am I just suffering from orange bias??
No I feel nothing. I am happy if they win a game, but this team can not win the WC. Impossible. There is too much wrong with it.
The Germans feel that it is their time. They are drawing a lot of interesting connections with the Italian squad of 2006. Great goalkeeping being a focus, lost the Euro finals 6 years before, played in a group with the US and Ghana and finished with 7 points, played a team in the round of 16 starting with an A, will have 4 World Cups if they win. A lot of silly speculation really, but it is a sign that everyone feels they have that "champion vibe" about them.