Interesting theory. He definitely didn't do much... it's as if they played him just for his potential to pull some big finish out of his hat. How sure are you that Moura playing from 1' would've been the difference? Was that borne out by the last 30 mins of the match which Moura got to play? I didn't really watch the game with any focus. I was supposed to be doing other stuff so I just had it on in the background, keeping an eye on things when they got interesting. But even with that minimal attention effort, it seemed like one of the more boring finals in some years. What a contrast by each of these team's semi-finals which were insanely exciting.
Always a dangerous decision, risking the injured superstar or playing the healthier but less talented back-up. I tend to favor the latter move but we've seen instances where that was the wrong choice.
I think in that situation it's better to start the healthy player and use the superstar as a sub in the last 15-20 minutes. It's way more damaging to have to take the player off in the first half and completely adjust your game plan on the fly. See: Diego Costa against RM.
Had they held back Kane until the last 20 minutes against a tiring Liverpool defense, maybe he would've made a difference. Given his condition maybe he wouldn't have regardless, but it would've given Liverpool something to think about deep into the game.
Basketball you play the superstar no doubt But Tottenham’s best chance was countering and Kane had even less pace than usual
Basketball can sub in and out whenever. Not an accurate comparison. Kane has never won anything. Not sure why spuds though it would change now. Guess that’s why they always fail.
And injured LeBron still plays over 30 mins if needed My point is one player makes more diff when they are 1/5 rather than. 1/11
Wait, I'm just now realizing the host nation for the semis and finals for the UEFA Nations League was chosen from among the final four competitors. Isn't that a decidedly unfair advantage? Why not choose a neutral site?
Why does the US get to host every Gold Cup? Money! For a tournament like this with no prestige, hosting it in a neutral country is a recipe for empty stadiums and empty bank accounts. Maybe it'll be neutral in the future. Also, Portugal was the only Finals team to bid for hosting rights.
A) Gold Cup (16 team tourney) and Nations League final (4 games) are 2 completely different scale events and conditions. And I highly doubt the UEFA event would face the same lack-of-crowd issues compared to a tournament featuring nations like Trinidad, Guatemala, etc. B) There's plenty of interest in moving the Gold Cup but few nations capable of pulling it off with regard to venues, practice facilities, etc. Expect some rotation in the future but in the meantime it's voted by everyone and yes they go for the option that yields the most money. Conversely, you think the UEFA F4 wouldn't make money in, say, Spain or Germany? Most importantly... C) Given the stakes involved why would I as one of the other three nations competing voluntarily give one team an edge? That's just stupid. Now if only Portugal bid then bully for them and woe be to their opponents, but the idea is patently silly. To wit: Portugal just scored in the 88 min to take the lead against Sitzerland. Hooray for home field advantage.
Portugal appeal a penalty so the ref goes to VAR and awards Switzerland a penalty for an incident that happened before the one that that Portugal appealed for. had this in the wrong thread
I think the interest for a brand new tournament, hosted in a country where the hosts aren't participating, would be extremely limited. And I think most federations made the same calculation, which is why only 3 bid for it. The stakes aren't that big. The prize money for the winners is a third that of the Euros, which reflects its importance pretty well.
The idea of hosting the UEFA Nations League final 4 in a neutral country has obvious merit. HOWEVER, having just seen what UEFA did with the EL Final, do you really want to give them the chance of fvcking this one up too?
Baku is hosting group games in the Europe wide Euro 2020 next year (Rome is the other host in that group). Then they are hosting a quarterfinal match with the winners of matches in Amsterdam and Budapest, with the winners having to then fly to London for the semis. Such a mess.
Did not know. Ugh. Bribery is such a huge, endemic problem in the world. UEFA and FIFA are just smallish examples I suppose. But ones near and dear to our hearts. [emoji20]
We have been shit Gomez and taa will rectify the defence but the midfield is awful. Terrible combination with no playmakers vs a pressure side
He’s not as good as we thought Rice isn’t exactly pro at receiving these passes Why England could t drop him to a cab position when taking goal kicks and push the fbs up I don’t know