WORLD CUP: Russia 2018 Commentary Thread

[Macunaíma]

I still find it hard to believe. This team seemed much more trustworthy, and they go and lose to Belgium. Okay, it's their best generation of all time, but that amounts to what? A regular Brazilian generation? I mean, individually our team was better, I guess. Not tactically, it seems. Still, the first goal had a lot of bad luck involved as well. And that reminds me again that with Casemiro the story would be different. Better defending at the midfield, probably no own goal... And Filipe Luís maybe should have been kept playing. He was doing good, giving the defense more solidity and supporting the attack well.

Eh, anyway, Cup's over for us. What a day. Uruguay and Brazil out. Maybe in the next one.

[PikeStance]

They're just human. Even if they try, when you dislike someone it's hard to be objective toward them.

Though the one moment when I think he made a bad call was when Neymar, instead of passing, went through the middle of formed defense and fell without a touch. It was premeditated attempt to get a free kick instead of playing, and should have been carded for that.

You are still not getting it. Referees ambition is to do the final. He/ she is not going to jeopardize it for any supposed grudge you want to envision.

The actually do in the so called All-time table of the FIFA World Cup
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-ti...FIFA_World_Cup

Thanks!

[Clint_Eastwood]

So it’s down to the Europeans now to show how the World Cup will be won! For me Belgian are looking good and Martinez since leaving Everton looks like a good manager at long last!

Hopefully the swedes will dump out “chav United” today and the Croatians will see off The USSR as there time in this competition is now coming to an end, Lady Luck cannot carry them to the final.

So Belgium Vs Croatia for me, on the day Belgium should pick up the cup.

[Cope]

I still find it hard to believe. This team seemed much more trustworthy, and they go and lose to Belgium. Okay, it's their best generation of all time, but that amounts to what? A regular Brazilian generation? I mean, individually our team was better, I guess. Not tactically, it seems.

Brazil put too many players forward after they had conceded. That's what cost them the second goal.

Still, the first goal had a lot of bad luck involved as well.

True. And Brazil should have scored from their own corners prior to the OG. Thiago Silva missed from about 2 yards away.

And that reminds me again that with Casemiro the story would be different. Better defending at the midfield, probably no own goal...

Yeah, they missed Casemiro badly. Missing a match for getting two yellows in different matches is a stupid rule in my view.

And Filipe Luís maybe should have been kept playing. He was doing good, giving the defense more solidity and supporting the attack well.

Nah. Marcelo was Brazil's MVP. they had real success down the left from the start.

[Macunaíma]

Funny how the South American teams eliminations had a lot to do with them missing key players from injuries or suspension. Argentina didn't have such a problem, but Argentina was a total mess anyway.

[Basil II the B.S]

Sweden's gk is really good.

[Macunaíma]

I think that Sterling is bad, actually. Very bad. It angers me to know that this English team will go to the semis being this bad, after relying on that robbed penalty against Colombia.

[Miguel_80]

Funny how the South American teams eliminations had a lot to do with them missing key players from injuries or suspension. Argentina didn't have such a problem, but Argentina was a total mess anyway.

And it won't be because they didn't play as they should?
Same as the main European favorites (even those not classified to World Cup)

[Macunaíma]

I don't get what you mean. Injuries are injuries. Sometimes you can't avoid them. Same as yellow card fouls, actually. There are moments when they're necessary.

[♔Greek Strategos♔]

Sweden's gk is really good.

Not good enough though.

[Basil II the B.S]

He can't prevent everything and Sweden's game has always been scoring the first goal and defending. They can't do that anymore.

[Miguel_80]

I don't get what you mean. Injuries are injuries. Sometimes you can't avoid them. Same as yellow card fouls, actually. There are moments when they're necessary.

That they should have played better. And if for lack of one or two decisive players a team loses a game, it's that their team (23 players) is not as good as it seems.

[♔Greek Strategos♔]

He can't prevent everything and Sweden's game has always been scoring the first goal and defending. They can't do that anymore.

Indeed. Pickford is also amazing today.

[Macunaíma]

That they should have played better. And if for lack of one or two decisive players a team loses a game, it's that their team (23 players) is not as good as it seems.

Colombia and Uruguay dependance on Rodriguez and Cavani was evident since the start, so they were "as good as they seemed". There's always important players without whom the team wouldn't be able to win. Belgium without Courtois, for example, would be eliminated by Brazil. If not for Mbappe France could have been eliminated by Argentina. That's how football is.

[Miguel_80]

Colombia and Uruguay dependance on Rodriguez and Cavani was evident since the start, so they were "as good as they seemed". There's always important players without whom the team wouldn't be able to win. Belgium without Courtois, for example, would be eliminated by Brazil. If not for Mbappe France could have been eliminated by Argentina. That's how football is.

True. Courtois? but if Brazil (for example) would have been better in defense it would not have received two goals, and if it had played better in attack it would have scored four goals (aprox.). Bad game? Or Brazil is not as good as it seems?

[PikeStance]

England They are not flashy, creative or even clinical. However, they are well- organized and very cohesive, solid team. They won't "wow" you, they just play solid well-organized football. I said in the beginning that England is made up of not super flashy superstars, but complimentary players. These complimentary players are just complimenting each other and they have been getting results. In many cases, such a team does not get the results they need, but England is doing it. To employ a cliche, they know who they are and they seem content with it.

[Macunaíma]

True. Courtois? but if Brazil (for example) would have been better in defense it would not have received two goals, and if it had played better in attack it would have scored four goals (aprox.). Bad game? Or Brazil is not as good as it seems?

Depends on what you consider being "good". The players are good, no doubt about it. The organization of the team is good as well, and it worked nice when with the proper players. There were mistakes on the tactical part, yes, but Tite repeated the same line up the whole Cup, so that mistakes were somehow working before. If a team being good is it making a perfect match tactically, them Brazil wasn't good against Belgium, but was good against Mexico. Being good then is something that varies depending on the match. Belgium wasn't good against Japan, then, for example.

Brazil was bad at defense. In my opinion that has directly to do with Casemiro not being on the field. So we return to the fact that a key player was absent. Regarding the attack, I may agree that maybe it was not as good as it seemed. Or they just underperformed. Willian wasn't good for most of the Cup, so we couldn't be misled about his "goodness". Same for Jesus. Coutinho and Neymar indeed were worse than what they had been before, although Neymar was visibly underperforming due to a physical problem. The manager was too stubborn to make the necessary changes on the team, on the other hand. Firmino and Douglas Costa showed much more than Jesus and Willian, yet they were only used on second halfs, as B plans. Still don't know if that makes the team not "good". It had all the necessary pieces for the win, but some weren't properly used and one in particular couldn't be used in this match. And the replacement was very below him.

Now, if you're suggesting that all 23 players should be able to play on the same level of the ideal 11, that's ludicrous. No team in the world has this level of quality. Even Real Madrid, which has like 2 stellar teams has some average players who wouldn't be able to keep the quality of the game up if they had to play. That being said, Brazil has a lack of quality central midfielders of late, and that has been made clear in this Cup and the last. Maybe the next generation has some talent in this part of the pitch for us.

[Halie Satanus]

Croatia should roll over Russia, but who knows.

Either or, both are beatable.

[Miguel_80]

Now, if you're suggesting that all 23 players should be able to play on the same level of the ideal 11, that's ludicrous. No team in the world has this level of quality. Even Real Madrid, which has like 2 stellar teams has some average players who wouldn't be able to keep the quality of the game up if they had to play. That being said, Brazil has a lack of quality central midfielders of late, and that has been made clear in this Cup and the last. Maybe the next generation has some talent in this part of the pitch for us.

The 23 not, but not only 11. It's important have good substitutes. You can't blame a defeat for a player or two, then it means that the level of that team is standard or normal, call it what you want.

[Basil II the B.S]

Indeed. Pickford is also amazing today.

Yup, great performance as well.