Match 57 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I hope that's true. Good choice. Nishimura has shown admirable restraint with the cards so far. Only 11 in three matches and no reds.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Oh goodie, I like a ref who lets the game flow and isnt card-happy

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I don't see how people can call Brazil 2010 boring, they defend well, play solid midfield and pounce on you when you make a mistake, they don't park the bus or start faking injuries when they are up 1-0 on you. The 1970(Pele, Rivelino, Jairzinho, C.Alberto, Tostao) and 1982(Zico, Eder, Falcao, Junior, Socrates) minus Serginho are my favorites but this current squad is solid, the only thing that worries me will be how they react if scored against first given that they have left the creative thouh inconsistent Ronaldinho at home.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Sometimes I think people who like to comment on world cup matches do not have a good memory. Brazil almost always (of course exceptions like 2006 do exist) start slowly and build up during the competition, "exploding" on the quaterfinals, improving a little on the semifinals and playing all it can on the finals. Brazil always is considered a favourite before de Cup starts, is always criticized on the groups rounds, is always acused of not playing the "Brazilian way". It was just like that in 1994, 1998 and 2002 (exception in 2006, and look what happened). Brazil is following its traditional way of playing the world cup, and it gives me tranquility expecting this match (not disregarding Netherlands, of course Brazil can lose the match, but will not lose like it was in 2006, by lack of will).

Brazil is playing a beatifull football, tactically and defensivelly beatifull. People associate "jogo bonito" with a game completely offensive and full of pirotecny. That's not the only way of playing beatifull football, and that's a kind of football impossible of playing with locked up adversaries, at least if you intend to win and keep your players to the final. The Europeans are the first to criticize Brazil for not playing the "jogo bonito", but will they be willing to take the risk of their national teams playing openly and offensively against Brazil? When, in the last worldcups, did Netherlands play openly against Brazil?

Brazil is playing to win, and since it's not a teatrical performance but a sport competition, I can see no problem with that. And the ofensive, "creative" playing will be seen if, hopefully, Brazil and Argentina get to make the finals.

Sometimes it looks like the Europeans, like Cruyff, prefer to see Brazil full of superstar players more interested on signing photos and making plastic but redundant passes than playing a competitive football, players more interested in appearances in magazines and newspapers than winning games and competitions for their countries. Well, we had that on 2006, and we say: no, thank you.

Best Wishes,

Marcos

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

It might sound strange to say this about a team that has won 4 straight world cup games in a row, but no team has disappointed me as much in this tournament as the Netherlands. Through the years, I enjoyed watching different editions of the Orange play one of the more entertaining brands of football. Indeed, I saw my first World Cup as a youngster rooting for the Dutch in the final against Germany in 1974. And in 1998, when everyone else was upset with their opening game against Belgium, I saw a side that was as exciting as ever. That year, I rooted for them in the semifinal against Brazil, a game which they lost on penalties despite being the better side in my book.

This time around, however, I will definitely be rooting for Brazil. The Dutch have been entirely boring and unimaginative. Indeed, they have even been somewhat mediocre. I think it would do past Dutch squads a great injustice if this mediocre and boring edition goes any further in this tournament.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

You have no idea about football do you? The game BRA is playing is one of the most beatiful ever. Still BRA with a little bit of samba but mainly smart game that occupies you brain while watching it.

If you want goals and dribbling I understand practice is open for public

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Winner 53 v Winner 54 - Pre-Match Thread

They'll have to. I don't see them beating us on the wings or in midfield. And we surely won't be just opening up to them.

But hey, it's only a day away. We'll just see what happens

Nervous as hell now.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Let's discuss this in a day and a half, shall we

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Winner 53 v Winner 54 - Pre-Match Thread

I'm not nervous at all. I'm not too bothered about this world cup (and you know why!)

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

See this attitude cracks me up. Foreigners demanding that Holland play entertaining football. As if they've got a paid subscription to the Dutch national team and want their money's worth.

On that note, why have Iran been so crap of late. I demand that they provide more entertainment.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

johan neeskens you talk rubbish.
maybe if you talk so much about how good we are you think you start to believe it.
brazil is just better than we at this world cup
with some luck we win, if not we'll lose.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

we dutch play bad but we win against B-countries, so we all start to call it 'zakelijk' businessly. it's just an excuse for playing bad, but we had the luck to win against those shitty countries.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Eh?! When have I said we're good? Mind you we're not so bad. Just very boring to watch.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I guess you won't be joining the conga line then if we do by chance end up winning the world cup.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Oh, because I note that we play bad, I should not cheer when we win the World Cup.
I just note this:
1. Brazil is looking strong at this World Cup
2. Holland is not

You just talk courage into yourself, by calling it businessly, but what we've seen from Holland is just crazy bad.
Only when we reach our level from before the World Cup we can win.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I'm not saying that you should not cheer. Footy journo Auke Kok said that if we win the world cup this way he'll be miserable rather than happy. I thought you fell in that category.

We're on our longest unbeaten run in history with very few goals conceded. Those are good results. A crazy bad side doesn't go unbeaten in 23 games.

As for Brazil: plenty of renowned footy pundits believe it's them rather than us who are crazy bad. Johan Cruyff and Rene van der Gijp notably. If you rate Brazil more highly than Holland, fine, but it's weird the way you're bigging them up and by contrast slagging your own country off. Are you one of them people who have such a mancrush on Brazil that you can't see their mistakes?

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Winner 53 v Winner 54 - Pre-Match Thread

No, I don't.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I completely disagree thb. If our defense holds, we should beat brazil.
It's a big if, but not that far fetched.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

Agreed, I don't see this game as the toughest game Brazil is facing on their way to the final, I think that Ghana and most especially Uruguay can be a more daunting opponent for Brazil. If Holland can raise their game to the standard of the european qualifiers then Brazil will have their hands full but the Holland that is playing so far has been disappointing and will be cut to pieces if they don't improve.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I'm not slagging my own country off. I am just a realist. You act like I must say that we play world class blabla because it's my own country??
I don't care how we win it, but everybody is acting like that this is our game all of a sudden. We play like this because at the moment we are not able to do any better than this. In my opinion the word 'zakelijk' (businesslike or something) and those statistics are just an excuse for the Dutch to feel good and have hope. But if we want to win we just have to improve, simple as that.

1 Statistics say nothing:
How many teams from the level of Brazil have we played in those 23.
England 2-2 Two blunders from them, and we still got in trouble almost losing it.
Italy 0-0 They were better because we had no answer to them putting pressure on our backs and keeper.
Mexico 2-1 against B-team
And then draws against Australia, Paraguay, Tunesia, Russia. Wins over Macedonia, Scotland, Norway etc.

2 You come up with the argument of 2 goals against us in the qualification against those low level countries.
I can say we had 6 goals against us the last 8 matches. It's another view on the statistics.

3 And many Dutch come with the argument of that we couldn't play our game because they played with 11 men behind the ball. This is not true, only Denmark and Japan played with those tactics.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

We can't give the fans what they want because our coach is a coward. Cause really, we have the talent to be one of best offensive sides in the whole tournament. Luckily, Dunga is just as big a coward.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

I am so disappointed in the quality of the games so far, mainly due to poor officiating and erratic ball, that it's hard to know what to expect. We have a potential for an exciting game but this Brazil team is very pragmatic, and Dunga is more interested in result than style which produces results. Holland hasn't offered anything special and Brazil maybe physically too strong for them to overcome. Again, hard to predict the outcome but Brazil could frustrate Holland with tight defense and counters till Holland falls apart half way thru the second half. Holland's best chance is in PK.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

When did I say Holland are playing excellent football??!!! Stop putting words into my mouth! We've got a chance v Brazil that's all I'm saying. There is no real stand-out nation at the world cup.

Holland are far from perfect, Brazil are far from perfect too. That's the bottom line. Even the intelligent Brazilians on here like Leonidas agree and expect a tight game. So I don't know what you're getting your panties in a twist about.

Btw I don't care if we'd played pub teams in qualifying. Two goals conceded in an entire qualifying campaign is downright good regardless of who you're playing.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Winner 53 v Winner 54 - Pre-Match Thread

I've already got my football prize this year. In culinary terms, I've already had a 10-course meal and am now wondering if I should have my dessert too.

 

Re: Match 59 (QF) - Netherlands v Brasil - Pre-Match Thread

You had a big mouth about Holland which is getting smaller every post.
Two goals conceded in a qualifying campaign is good, but it doesn't say anything when you don't get tested by top teams.