Match #8 - Argentina v. Saudi Arabia

Don't you just love it when the cheats of football are humiliated. Argentina? Mugs

 

Messi messes his pants!

 

Poland and Mexico blew a perfect opportunity for an easier path to the knockouts.

 

I've been watching Argentina in World Cups since 1994, in all that time they've only advanced past the quarter finals once.

It's always the same, they have a great qualifying campaign and people label them as favourites and then the tournament begins and they lose against the first big team they face. They are more similar to England than they are to Brazil, Germany, France and even Italy.

Don't expect much from 35 year old Messi. It's laughable how he and Ronaldo are being talked up, they never did it at their peak 8 years ago.

 

It's true but on the other hand this is the geriatric era! The last person under 30 to win the Ballon D'Or was Messi back in 2015.

 

Argentina fans sometimes tease if not flat out mock Brazilians with their 1-0 result over Brazil back in the round of 16 in 1990.

However, that was the last occasion Argentina defeated a top-tier footballing nation in the elimination stage of the World Cup during 90 minutes.

Yes, they ousted England on PKs in 1998 and the Netherlands, also in PKs, in 2014. But every other time they faced a former champion or a traditional powerhouse (such as the Netherlands, which is not a former champion but is historically, in all likelihood, the best non-champion team which consistently contends for the title) and advanced, it was on PKs. That includes 1990 again, with Yugoslavia and Italy.

This isn't something being written in mockery. Brazil, my team, has not defeated a top-tier team in 90 minutes since the 2002 World Cup (2-1 over England and 2-0 over Germany). Serbia and Croatia from 2014 and Mexico in 2018: these are strong teams, but they're not top footballing nations.

The 2006-2018 period has been one of seemingly unbreakable UEFA domination. Italy defeated Germany 2-0 in the 2006 semifinals; Spain defeated Portugal, Germany, and the Netherlands in the knockout stage in 2014; Germany beat France and Brazil in the knockout stage (and remains the last team to defeat France in the World Cup); France beat Croatia and Belgium in 2018.

It will definitely take something quite special for a non-UEFA team to defeat a top footballing team (which is pretty much confined to UEFA outside of Brazil and Argentina) in 90 minutes this year.

 

There's so much you guys can fire back with - the 1982 annihilation, the 5 World Cups, the 2004 Copa America.

I'm not sure if all these midgets that Argentina and Brazil field in attack are capable enough. Brazil were at their strongest when they had the tall strong Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Sure you can have 1 or 2 small forwards but 3 is too many. You saw how useless Argentina was during set plays.

 

Right, but the point wasn't trash talk by the Argentines. Believe me, I know Brazil's achievements and not only can fire back, but have fired back.

The point is that it's very difficult to eliminate a top team in 90 minutes. If you as you said have watched the knockout stages since 1994, you'd agree; Argentina has not gone beyond the quarterfinals since 2014 and that was the only time in the past 28 years, but they're not the only team which has struggled to reach the final four.

As for "midgets," well, I do think Tite has done an excellent job selecting Brazil's men in attack. We'll see whether they get the job done on Thursday.

 

It is tough no doubt.

Since I started watching the World Cup in 1994 Argentina and England have done it once, Holland twice, Spain once with one win, Italy twice with one win, Germany four times with one win, France three times with two wins, Brazil four times with two wins.

So Argentina are more similar to England than they are to the big four. Another problem that I notice with them is their lack of mental strength and how they are prone to a meltdown when things aren't going their way. Their behaviour in the 1990 final and the 2006 losses to Germany was disgraceful.

Both of their victories have been tainted with controversies as well with the rumours of a bribe to Peru in 1978, the hand of God in 1986 and then there was also the drugging of Branco in 1990.

 

Thanks for this gem.

Now I can be sure that ESP will lose to CRC tomorrow, thus becoming WC champions with 6 games to go.

 

What about Uruguay? They also won 2 world cups.

 

This is the player Argentina really misses and needs: Carlos TEVEZ. He always made a difference for Argentina!

 

Despite some grass-rolling this was a clean win. Very different from the Japanese victory in 2018.

 

And of course, vastly different to Koreans "victories" in 2002.

 

I’ve often wondered how foreign coaches handle motivational speeches when they don’t speak the local language. Obviously the translator has to match the coach cadence for cadence and be just as fiery!

 

It could be called “To the Future and Back”. Or something like that.

There should also be a crazy scientist. And Libyans.

 

Have you been locked in a cryogenic lab for the last five years? Tevez is 38 and retired.

 

And how is it different from Japan in 2002 that caused a riot in Russia?

Even the ESPN commentator had to mention the usual home court advantage to calm down the controversy in the final game of Japan's group stage.

The only reason that Japan's home court advantage in 2002 is not talked about is that you did not get far enough and the victims were low profile countries like Russia and an African country. Even Belgium were not contenders then.

 

Those three goals called back offside weren't opportunities created?

 

No.

 

We watch a different sport then. I don't know what the one you watch is called.

 

Some leaked footage of the VAR linesman from yesterday...

 

I meant Tevez at his prime. Honestly, I was bias there. I just really loved Tevez as a player, and miss seeing him play.

 

The Japanese win over Colombia was a bit of a fluke.
Early dumb red card, Colombia missing their best defender and James being injured/not 100%.

Granted, it is still a valid win but the Colombian team they beat that day was not the same as the Colombian team that won the Group against Senegal in the third match.