The semifinal wasn't on pens. Congrats to Serbia. They were by far the grittiest team of the tournament. Definitely deserved.
Congrats to Serbia; like everyone else, even though I support Brazil, I need to acknowledge that the Serbs showed a lot of fighting spirit and executed well their game plan, with solid defense, a great goalie, and dangerous counter-attacks. Anybody who loves soccer must respect these guys and I tip my hat to them. Brazil over-achieved, missing a number of essential players from injury or from not being called up by the previous incompetent coach. The current coach is great and he accomplished a small miracle, taking this team to the final. They showed that they belonged there, is spite of having been outplayed by Portugal. They were deserving vice-champions, and could perfectly have won the tournament if Serbia had a slightly less good goalie. We saw a great final with high-level soccer. This Brazilian U20 team has a thing or two to teach the senior team. They play better as a unit, with good possession control, precise passes, nice movements on the field, exploring all sectors of the field, with good tactical awareness, unlike the senior team. Just, their finishing is a bit off with some missed opportunities with shots off-target. Also, this team doesn't engage in diving and unsportsmanlike conduct like the senior team does. Congrats to our boys as well for having reached the final and for having played very well in it, ultimately falling to a team that was just as deserving. This was a great tournament with some beautiful soccer. Too bad that it has ended; I'll miss the emotions that this tournament has delivered. A big congrats to all these young players from various nations that honored the sport of soccer in New Zealand.
I agree, it was a heck of tourney, so many OT games at the end, so much emotion, and it provided excellent soccer for fans to watch.
I guess with the success of Serbia we're going to see a return of catenaccio bunker ball at the youth level? That was absurd.
No, it wasn't, because they did counter-attack a lot. Many of these got stopped by the off-side trap, until one didn't. Playing good defense with strong counter-attacking is not just parking the bus and doing little else like the old catenaccio style used to be. I don't think one can fault what Serbia did. After all, they scored two beautiful goals and were close to scoring a few more times.
Mexico was in a very tough group, with Serbia, Mali & Uruguay. I over-rated Germany, truth is they were not that good. Form from qualification to the actual WC changes a lot, Serbia was playing better than Germany --in the quals they had tied. Portugal were unlucky to lose with Brazil, they controlled most of the game. The USA were unlucky to meet Serbia in the QFs. Colombia was perhaps the best South American team, all things considered. The U20 tournament grows more and more physical with each edition. Having big teenagers becomes a plus.
Yes, there were a lot of changes. This German team was not the same that deservedly won the U19 Euro last summer. Most importantly it was missing its striker and last summer's Golden Boot winner Davie Selke, but also midfielder Joshua Kimmich (was brilliant today at the U21 Euro). Still, despite the lack of a real goal scorer they only went out on penalties. Could have easily gone the other way.
The biggest surprise of the tournament for me was Germany actually losing a shootout. They are usually stone cold assassins in those. Does German blood get colder as they age?
And that they choked their lead away. Seems like they got a bit too comfortable when facing a team with the attacking prowess Mali had.
Germany has choked leads away in full senior football. The Ghana game at the World Cup a prime example. They were up 1:0, went down 2:1 and almost were down 3:1 (mindmelt by Jordan Ayew aside). So its not unheard of for Germany to lose leads.
Ah, yes, that glorious time when Ghana totally outplayed Germany and won 2:2 and went on to go out last in their group with 1 point. I was wondering when that one would come up again. Congratulations to Serbia. Well played.
Well, they blew a 2-0 lead to England in the 2010 World cup. Nobody is infallible. Even their shootout record is more down to chance than anything else (if 20 countries flipped a coin 4 times, chances are 1 or 2 would get heads each time).
Unless you are counting Lampard's legit goal that was called back, technically they did not blow that lead and they won. I'm not saying they are perfect, but it's very rare for them to choke games away in the knockout.
Yup, that's true. But then again its true for pretty much everyone (except Mexico ). Knockout games are usually quite cagey so even a 1-nil lead is massive.
Serbia are the FIFA U-20 World Cup champions after a late extra time goal from Nemanja Maksimovic sealed victory.