SF: July 11 Croatia vs England [R]

No it's not, this is the tournament forum.

 

The problem with youth tournaments it's that they seldom translate to first team success. I've seen many African teams shred competition in youth tournaments to make no difference in World Cups. Argentina had a long run of U20 and Olympic titles, which included Messi, and nothing.

Now, France won the U20 a few years ago with Pogba and Umtiti. It might happen this time.

 

I think that most of the 2010 Spanish side came through the youth teams too.

 

the difficult thing with youth tournaments is that some countries place higher emphasis on certain tournaments.

for example: Italy places their strongest talent on the U21 team where applicable. While other countries will go for U-20 etc.

 

Zlatko Dalic has been performing on all front in Asia. Not because he won domestic leagues he's got also great work rate in the AFC Champions League in consecutive years (winning record is concerned).
You can't ignore that proven record. You could argue that the standards were lower in Asia still that can't works against him in that respect, he did his main job reasonably well.
He's a great tactician and he gets his team to play the right way, a good motivator too, brilliant to get the best out of the side.

Happy for him, he deserves all the credit he has coming his way, great coach and a genuine humble person.

 

I don't think anyone believes it will lead to world and European titles. Just that there is talent coming through. Of course many may not even play for premier league teams let alone the national team but it's great to know some of the FA's plans (st George's park/ DNA) are working and will hopefully change English football for the better and allow us to compete more. They're has been a change and generally English players are becoming much more competent technically. Still a long way to go tho

 

Croatia's overall campaign is pretty impressive. Fighting back from a goal down via three consecutive overtimes—including against the hosts. That's an incredible physical and mental feat that would break lesser teams.

 

France and England have two of the youngest squads in the tournament. The future looks bright for both.

 

Guess you were right. The extra minutes didn't matter.

In fact, I was very surprised that they came alive in the second half the way they did. Surely it'll have an impact on Sunday. They're only human after all. I feel that Croatia have just played their final.

 

BTW, England's might have found their goalkeeper for a good couple of years.

Great keeper all around, and not bad on the feet either.

 

Croatia deserved the win, but it took a somewhat fortunate bounce for Mandzukic, who was quickest to react, to win the day. Perisic, I felt, was the best player on the pitch. Sterling, Alli, and Lingard (as well as Croatia's Rebic) found chances similar to the ones Perisic had crafted, yet Perisic was always the more dangerous and more clinical looking player between them. That's one area where Croatia proved superior and it made a difference. The other issue was that England didn't make more effective use of Kane. The fact Kane would drop back and play in teammates says it all. Mandzukic never needed to the same and that meant he was always in a position to pounce on chances. Not so for Kane who was being pulled out of danger areas in a tame attempt to draw out Croatia's CBs. The tactic didn't work and it worked out to the benefit of Croatia.

 

It's not shocking. He might be great but he has had very ordinary teammates. They can score but can't defend.

It will be interesting to see how they cope physically on Sunday. They have clearly done something right to get through 3 extra time periods successfully. I haven't seen the stats but they must have done a lot of running tonight. It is a World Cup final and they are the team with big game experience at club level. They will be the best they can possibly be on the day. They might play high intensity in bursts and conserve energy at other times.

 

No Denmark is much better team than Columbia. Peru is better than Columbia, and Denmark beat Peru in a game where Denmark certainly wasn't at it best.

 

Well done Croatia on reaching your first World Cup final It was a close match

 

Don't you think Dalic took too long for the subs (not one in regulation, with a team that came from 2 extra-times)?

And Pivaric (22) was one of the best in the end too, but wouldn't had come in if it wasn't for an injury..

 

Who would have predicted Belgium and England would play two inconsequential matches in the same tournament.

 

Yo! Where's big @Nico777 at?

That goal by Perisic, magnificent!

Congrats on the win. Well fought, well deserved.

 

Well, there were also some allegations in terms of age cheating directed at certain African youth teams. And that might also explain why their players didn`t have a better career later on.

 

Never mind that Colombia finished ahead of Peru in qualfying and won the home away 3-1 and that Peru kind of outplayed Denmark for large stretches. Other than that you might have a point

 

Guardian (UK): Croatia motivated by England’s lack of respect, says Luka Modric

 

Unfortunately, u20 WCs are different because FIFA does not make their attendance mandatory. Many UEFA clubs keep young stars from appearing at u20 WCs.

Mbappe is a proper example: played u19 qualifiers (2016), scoring 7 goals. Did not play u20 WC (2017). France u20 was eliminated by Italy u20, right after group phase.

Where was Mbappe? His club Monaco used him heavily prior to that u20 WC.
Monaco did not allow Mbappe to play the u20 WC.
However, Mbappe gained his 1st championship with Monaco, on May 2017.

Germany u20 was much worse, with 3-4 players missing the 1st match date of 2017 u20 WC, due to German club obligations.
Germany u20 managed to advance group phase as *best 3rd team*, sharing a group with Vanuatu.
Germany u20 was eliminated right after group phase, by Zambia u20.

The u20 WC can be a joke, primarily when UEFA NTs are undermined by UEFA clubs.
Not a good indicator of world football standings, due to the absence of youth stars.

 

I guess he is partying now all the night. He has currently certainly better things to do than writing in a BigSoccer Forum. But I look forward to his first post after this semi-final.

 

"Modric impressed as Croatia came from behind to win after extra time in Moscow but the Real Madrid midfielder was scathing in his reaction towards sections of the English media, some of whom had predicted an easy win for Gareth Southgate’s side.

“People were talking … English journalists, pundits from television,” he told ITV. “They underestimated Croatia tonight and that was a huge mistake. All these words from them we take, we were reading and we were saying: ‘OK, today we will see who will be tired.’ They should be more humble and respect their opponents more.

“We showed again that we were not tired – we dominated the game mentally and physically. We should have killed the game even before extra time. This is an amazing achievement for us – it’s a dream come true after such a long time. We are in the final and that is the biggest success in Croatia history. We have to be proud.”

Sime Vrsaljko added: “The all-round perception was that this is a new-look England who have changed their ways of punting long balls upfield but when we pressed them it turned out that they haven’t.”

lol

 

Well played Croatia, very well deserved especially after the first 45 minutes. I can’t complain tbh, whilst my mates were obviously disappointed, I could only remind them that Croatia deseverd it. They adapated after the first half and we didn’t, Southgates decision was to take off like for like ie: Rashford for Sterling which I thought was bizarre when it needs another midfielder in there to help Henderson but he didn’t and Croatia picked punished us and fair play. Well done Croatia, the best team won in my opinion.

Anyway, proud of our lads regardless, before the tournament if you would have said to me you would get to a semi with this squad, I would have snapped your hand off.

 

Yep, tbh it wasn’t the strongest England U20’s side either.