World Cup 2010 - Round of 16 (Knock-out stage) **spoilers**
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No football to watch till Friday
*starts to twitch*
I've unintentionally timed this extremely well, moving in to my new house from tomorrow and coming back on Friday afternoon. Good huh?
Caporegime
If you watch a replay, watch how Capdevila gets up once the whistle is blown, then when the referee reaches for his cards, he suddenly falls down in agony again
Haha, you're right. What a jessie.
Caporegime
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If you watch a replay, watch how Capdevila gets up once the whistle is blown, then when the referee reaches for his cards, he suddenly falls down in agony again
I do love a bit of controversy (Unless if it's against England
Yup, it was that "sneaky look" that so many cheats do that made me assume its a complete dive and it almost certainly was.
The ref was awful throughout, seemingly in an attempt to not let Torres and Ronaldo get away with diving he decided to give very little of anything to anyone.
I really can't see how giving a couple of freekicks for dives is worse than not giving a dozen or more freekicks for fouls, in an attempt to not get sucked in by cheating.
Made even worse when he ended up giving fouls for several dives and failed to book players for diving and gave a red card due to a dive.
Pathetic ref and sad to say I'll be quite ashamed of the Spanish team if they win the world cup, they and Brazil seem to dive quite readily compared to the teams in the past.
Shows what a manager will do, I didn't remember England being a diving team till Sven took over, then Gerrard, Owen, generally ENgland players in general started taking dives constantly which has stayed with the team unfortunately.
I thought Iniesta was incredibly poor again today, did very very little and gave away posession constantly while ignoring a lot of quick/difficult passes and instead slowed the attack. LIkewise I think Xavi, compared to the Euro's hasn't been even close to as effective. Busquets sucks, Villa is a superb player but he dived a heck of a lot, he kept getting near the box kicking the ball and going down hoping a player would make contact, some were embarassing.
Torres was non existant and it took 2 seconds for Villa/lorente to start making runs to trouble the centre backs after he went off. The main thing you need to trouble defenders, is movement and making runs constantly all over the place so they have no idea where to go.
Portugal were crap though, Tiago who had been good, would win the ball and blast it 60 yards to no one at all, Ronaldo got about 3 passes into his feet and really none to run onto in behind, delivery was appauling, the panic all out attack with no positions formation was a shambles. Saying that Ronaldo's control of that 50 yard long ball was immense and it was a clear as day foul when he would have been running through on goal after taking that down on his chest. Awful ref, Portugal didn't deserve anything out of the game but I'm not so sure SPain did, lacked a cutting edge, cheated a lot, scored an offside goal, didn't create a huge amount else and consistantly gave away posession.
Spain this cup aren't even a patch on the Euro's side, no not just because Fabregas isn't playing, Senna I think is the biggest loss, he's immense as a defensive shield and gets the ball going upfield fast, Busquets is just a little **** who isn't very good at anything.
No idea how Torres is playing though, Spain look a different and much better side with him on the bench.
Caporegime
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all i have to say is villa is immense, barcelona is going to destroy teams next year, its going to be interesting to see how mourinho deals with them
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I wasn't to surprised about the result, just disappointed that Portugal didnt give more effort but then again there was no support for Ronaldo. I still believe Spain aint that clever at the back especially with their left back.
Expect the same type of game with Paraguay.
Expect the same type of game with Paraguay.
Caporegime
Agree with you there...Spain arent as good as the Euro 2008 squad....they love passing the ball around and keeping possession but to me 95% of the time they dont get much done. its fustrating as i like them and want them to spank teams 3 or 4 goals etc but they havent quite reached that level....to me they definitely lack the killer touch and leaving out Senna for Busquets was a big mistake i think....i was hoping Fabregas would get on in the 2nd half but he didnt which didnt really surprise me but then the last time he came on...things started opening up for Spain...they do look very different when Fab's is on the pitch...i have to say that if Fabregas goes to Barca this summer then he best get used to riding the bench because unless Xavi or Iniesta are out long term...he isnt going to get much playing time there.
If they beat Paraguay which im sure they will...they will struggle against Brazil in the semi finals...i think they are meant to meet then should both get through their respective QF's...Brazils defence looks very solid and going forward they look good too.
Soldato
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Well that wasn't the most interesting match. Spain were ok but nothing compared to Argentina and Brazil, who look the most convincing so far. I have to say, I can't see past Brazil for the winners of this world cup. For the first time ever that I can remember, they have a fantastic defence to compliment a pretty good attack, and they all work their socks off. I think they are the most balanced and dedicated team left in the competition, if not quite as talented a group of players as the Spanish or Argentinians.
Still can't count out Germany but I think they will come unstuck against Argentina on Saturday, Messi to get his first goal!
Still can't count out Germany but I think they will come unstuck against Argentina on Saturday, Messi to get his first goal!
Caporegime
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Fabregas will walk into the Barca side, considering Iniesta played MORE than fabregas, and scored 22 goals and 12 assists LESS than Fabregas, Iniesta 1 goal 7 assists, Fabregas, less games worse injury, 23 goals, 19 assists, in a FAR worse team in a less offensive position. If people are honest Iniesta while good has only had a single stand out season in his career, Fabregas is a lot lot better. Have you noticed how Xavi has said Fabregas would be a truly brilliant signing, Puyol I think, Pique, Messi, Henry, the only person to keep quiet about it is Iniesta.
He's not being played because Spain have a thing(in general) about spanish players, Torres became established before he left Spain and they don't have many other options upfront. Alonso didn't get a look in before he went to REal and suddenly became first team despite a very poor season for Real, and Spain where he's ineffective.
Likewise can you see Barca spending 40-50million on the player the incoming president(infact all the ones running for president) wanted to get Fabregas in. Same way Ibra, despite being actually quite crap, was their "big name signing" and started regardless. Same way Kaka started loads of games despite being truly crap this season for Real, because they were big name signings and these presidents are ALL about the names and signings.
There isn't a club in the world that would buy a player for 30mil + to ride the bench, there isn't a club in the world who would bench Fabregas.
Don't be even close to surprised if Fabregas walks into the side and the second he moves to Barca he becomes a mainstay in the Spanish side aswell.
THe first game was a bit dead when he came on, though he almost scored seconds later, shame he didn't, good shot just good covering defending. Against Chile he opened them up and Chile had been a real threat till he came on, when he came on the range of passing was immense, the throughballs helped rip Chile open and Chile ended up defending deeper and deeper rather than pushing forwards as they had been. He also did a freaking ridiculous backhell pass on in behind the defence which created a superb chance, one of the passes of the tournament.
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Caporegime
I really don't get why Iniesta is being compared with Fabregas. Iniesta plays on the left at Barcelona and has the likes of Xavi and Messi in his team. Fabregas plays in the centre and has Bendtner and Diaby in his team. Doesn't take a genius to work out which of the two players is going to have the better stats when only of them is the focal point of every attack at his club. Stick Fabregas on the left at Barca and his stats will tumble.
You love to quote stats because you probably never watch Barca. Iniesta and Fabregas are very different players and Barca and Arsenal are very different teams. Iniesta's role is to suck players in which creates space for messi/henry/pedro who attack from wider positions. Tonights goal is a perfect example of it: Villa is wide left, Iniesta is on the edge of the box, kills the ball with 1 touch, plays a quick one-two which pulls 3 players out of position-1 of whom is the right back that should have been on Villa.
Now that is not to say that Iniesta is better than Fabregas, but he gives Spain something different while Fabregas is Xavi mark II, although Fabregas has become more direct.
As for the game, I thought Spain were reasonable good. They weren't great in the first half but they stepped it up in the 2nd and got what they needed. I think it is time that they dropped Torres. Just to correct Spawn- Spain can't meet Brazil until the final(otherwise Brazil could have met Portugal in the semi's even though they were in the same group).
Man of Honour
No football to watch till Friday
*starts to twitch*
A break which we all need, thank god.
Caporegime
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I watch most Barca games, as with the game yesterday Iniesta has had a very poor season. Yesterday he dropped loads of passes, failed to control it most of the time, and he had a 5 minute good spell, he scored in a game but was very poor before and after the goal and thats how his season has been for Barca.
Compared to 2 years ago he's 1/2 the player he was, as for stats, its a results based sport, unsurprisingly, I'd take a player who can set up 19 goals and score 23 in a season over someone who can't. Just like I'd play Torres who I don't particularly like, over Heskey, the two of whom show a similar difference in goals scored this season, and are also very different types of player despite both being strikers.
I'd find it hard to find someone who did infact watch Barca most of the season or saw suggest Iniesta's had a great season, same way I'd find it hard for someone to suggest playing Torres over Heskey. Of course, I find it hard to believe anyone would suggest player Heskey over Bent, Defoe, Gabby or Crouch, but unbelievable crap really does happen.
Man of Honour
Do you perhaps have the second statement the wrong way round?
Spain yesterday looked fairly uninspiring but competent enough for most of the game that I caught although Capdevilla didn't look all that great (apart from one block) and certainly made the most of the elbow from Costa (if indeed there was contact as it wasn't conclusive from the replays I saw). Portugal didn't look as if they really got into the game properly, whether that was down to Spain preventing them or just them playing relatively poorly I'm not sure.
Man of Honour
Someones bitter
Heh, it's totally wrong, but in football it's so damn right.
Associate
I'm posh and like tennis. But I like some football, does that make me a posh chav?
you were buying fishfingers earlier, you can't be that posh!!
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