News: The Other National Teams Thread

Discussion in 'The Netherlands' started by DRB300, Mar 30, 2012.

  1. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    It's funny but I don't think that any team has looked all that convincing. Spain have the best talent but a terrible manager; Portugal looked darn good against the Oranje but that might be a mirage. Greece defends like there is no tomorrow. France laid a big one yesterday. England, well they are England. Italy will go only as far as Balotelli can score. Czech Republic won the weakest group and Germany labored against Denmark. I'm not picking a winner.
     
  2. Mr.S

    Mr.S Member

    Oct 22, 2011
    The strength of opposition is pretty beatable. I am so sad that oranje is out. In the World Cup Brazil & Spain looked way stronger than now
     
  3. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    What is terrible about Del Bosque?

    I think Germany will win. Against Denmark they were lucky but that is the signal of the true champion.
     
  4. Falcon_11

    Falcon_11 Member

    Jun 15, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Spain were lucky against Croatia, Portugal were lucky against Denmark, Italy were lucky against Spain, England were lucky yesterday..

    I'm hoping for Spain - Ita/Eng final. France would be nice, but I can't see them win it
     
  5. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Italy and France have the best looking kits, so they get my support!
     
  6. TFC Ajax

    TFC Ajax Member+

    Mar 20, 2011
    Greater Toronto Area
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Guardiola combined tiki-taka with Total football to create a team that applies unrelenting attacking pressure and scores oodles of goals.
    Del Bosque combined tiki-taka with Anti football to create a team that, with almost the same players available to Guardiola, doesn't attack at all, but instead move the ball around between the halfway line and halfway to the box. He then pretends that Spain is playing like Barca and everyone worships them for it because they're too blind to see just how useless their style really is
     
  7. windycity

    windycity Member

    Oct 19, 2001
    Where do you think
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Since I'm 1/2 French I'm rooting for France now but don't expect them to win it.

    Allez Les Bleus!
     
  8. TFC Ajax

    TFC Ajax Member+

    Mar 20, 2011
    Greater Toronto Area
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    ^Same! Except I'm only 1/16th French. But none the less, it's my only other known background other than Dutch, and I need someone to cheer for!
     
  9. PuckVanHeel

    PuckVanHeel Member+

    Oct 4, 2011
    Club:
    Feyenoord
    The difference is that they have no Messi. Barcelona also plays quite boring but in the end, all attacks end with an attempt by Messi - and he becomes angry when Tello or Pedro himself decides to make a shot. Barcelona has the highest posession stats of all teams in Europe but their shots per game is below the likes of Dortmund, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Juventus, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal.
     
  10. windycity

    windycity Member

    Oct 19, 2001
    Where do you think
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Good stuff
     
  11. DRB300

    DRB300 Member+

    Sep 21, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    :geek:

    (Click it and listen to funny English football fan rant)

    The classic result vs style discussion. Will never end.

    I must say I have not a big problem with England (though I see what they are doing). I also watch for freshness in new faces, like Ox and Welbeck. That does compensation for me for now I guess (though Ox is a bit gone). Let's see how they will do against Italy.
     
  12. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    ^I was glad to see Capello go as he was really not a very good manager. Hodgson did the right thing and cleared out some of the older players from the team. I think he has them playing with a goal in mind but Milner really hasn't been very good for them and probably should not be starting.
     
  13. DRB300

    DRB300 Member+

    Sep 21, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands

    Milner is not doing well. Against Italy I would consider my options and look if he really needs to play.
     
  14. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    The alternative is Walcott but he's carrying an injury and cannot play a full 90 (actually I don't think he can go more than 20 minutes at this point). Too bad because he is very dangerous on the wing.
     
  15. Mr.S

    Mr.S Member

    Oct 22, 2011
    I dont buy the fact that Guardiola combined Tiki Taka with Total Football. There's very little of Total Football in there IMO.

    And I dont like Barca's style too. I find Tika Taka sometimes creating un-necessary continous boring diagonal passes. I think they could be a bit more direct. This is the reason I dont like Xavi & Biscuits tempo control & Iniesta & Messi dribbling through & making connections is like a breath of fresh air admist safe meaningless diagonal passes.

    And Del Bosque has a massive Madrid bias,maybe a big Barca-Madrid bias since he does not want to play the other guys. I would drop one of Biscuits or Alonso & play a Navas for width & speed or a Carzola for width & long shots.
     
  16. echo201

    echo201 Member

    Mar 17, 2012
    Club:
    12 de Octubre

    It will be very excited
     
  17. the one and only

    Jul 15, 2011
    Del Bosque is a horrible tactician, the Spanish team is only doing well due to the players individual talents imo. Didn't Fabregas say that they never discussed the 4-6-0 formation before until they saw the first team list to face Italy?
    imo Del Bosque just picks 11 players and then sends them to the pitch to figure things out themselves.
     
  18. DRB300

    DRB300 Member+

    Sep 21, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Portugal won. I guess they deserved it. Czech's were pretty energetic in the first half, but in the second half it looked like a handball game. They had one outbreak where they really could have scored on the Portuguese when a guy ran down the left side, but mist precision with the final ball.

    Every second ball at one point was for Portugal and the goal would fall sooner or later. Half final again this "decade". Portugal for the size of their country is doing really good. Don't have to like them, to give them some credit.
     
  19. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    ^yes, and if they can somehow protect the left side of their defense because Ronaldo refuses to track back they have a shot at going to the final match. They trashed Spain in a friendly and I really don't like del Bosque's tactics; he is capable of losing the championship for Spain. I don't think France has a chance against Spain unless Lloris comes up big in the goal and somehow France can snatch a goal..
     
  20. MarioKempes

    MarioKempes Member+

    Real Madrid, DC United, anywhere Pulisic plays
    Aug 3, 2000
    Proxima Centauri
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    LOL :). Spain have won the last 2 major tournament championships with Del Bosque as manager. You don't do that if Del Bosque is terrible. He is a quiet, humble man who lets the players express themselves on the field. Managing a team of players with a wide variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds is no small feat. Managing egos at Real Madrid or the Spanish National Team is an even greater achievement. He won 2 La Liga titles and 2 Champions League crowns while at Real. To say he is a terrible manager shows a disconnect from reality.

    Spain are without their best striker and most important defender, and yet they were still top of their group, 7 points, and only 1 goal against. If only the other managers could be so terrible.
     
  21. Falcon_11

    Falcon_11 Member

    Jun 15, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Small correction: Luis Aragones was the manager in 2008, Del Bosque in 2010.

    I do agree that he can't be that bad, remember how Real Madrid totally failed after he left. He won 2 CL's and La Liga's but the Galactico years after him (2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006) were a joke.

    And yes, Spain is without Puyol and Villa, almost every Spain critic ignores this. :)
     
  22. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    ^but they really ought to be doing much better than they are. Playing with two holding midfielders is just a waste with this team. It is one of the primary reasons that you are seeing a lot of 1-0 victories as opposed to 2 or 3 - 0. I don't think he manages the players that he has to the utmost of their abilities. Regarding managing Madrid, I don't put much on that given that they are pretty much guaranteed a top two finish in the Spanish league because of the wild disparity in finances between the teams there. Don't get me wrong, he is decent but not one who can really bring out the best in the team.
     
  23. Falcon_11

    Falcon_11 Member

    Jun 15, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Without Del Bosque the galactico's were thrashed in the CL by teams such as Leverkusen (not the 02' team) and Monaco. That is unacceptable. Also, 10 years ago there wasn't such a gap between Real/Barca and the rest as there is now. Valencia was a serious title competitor and won it in 2002 and 2004. Deportivo (with Makaay) won it in 2000! It also wasn't surprising to see Barcelona finish 3th in those years.
     
  24. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    ^probably not worth getting into an argument about whether the galactico approach was correct; just to note that a lot of the players that came into Madrid were on the downside of their careers at the time. My only hope is that the league get its house in order in terms of the TV revenue. It cannot last with Madrid and Barcelona getting the money that they are with only a pittance for the other clubs.
     
  25. Orange14

    Orange14 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Apr 27, 2007
    Bethesda, MD
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    Don't think the Greeks can come back in this one. Germany was almost as wasteful in their shooting as we were against Denmark.
     

Share This Page