♡♡♡♡♡♡♡ World Cup 2014 - Brazil, June 12 - July 13 ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Azza · 13 May 2014 at 19:46

No Nasri is pretty funny.

Tummy · 13 May 2014 at 19:52

What a wonderful man Nasri is, no idea why he is not going to the World Cup...

Fulax · 13 May 2014 at 20:29

Holland's relatively weak and inexperienced 30-man squad:

Doel: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle United), Jeroen Zoet (PSV), Michel Vorm (Swansea City)

Verdediging: Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse), Daley Blind (Ajax), Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord), Terence Kongolo (Feyenoord), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Karim Rekik (PSV), Joël Veltman (Ajax), Paul Verhaegh (FC Augsburg), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord)

Middenveld: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Leroy Fer (Norwich City), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Quincy Promes (FC Twente), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord), Rafael van der Vaart (HSV), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV)

Aanval: Jean-Paul Boëtius (Feyenoord), Memphis Depay (PSV), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahçe), Jeremain Lens (Dinamo Kiev), Robin van Persie (Manchester United) en Arjen Robben (Bayern München).

BaZ87 · 13 May 2014 at 20:31

this_is_gav said:
Henderson has done OK when sitting in front of Gerrard even with Coutinho bombing on. It means Liverpool had to do without some of Henderson's strengths (athleticism box-to-box), but I thought it worked OK. Protection for the back four was OK, it was the back four themselves!

Henderson hasn't sat in front of Gerrard. They tried one game with him alongside Gerrard in a 2 and it went spectacularly wrong and had to make a change at HT.

From that game on we've either played a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 diamond with Henderson and one of Coutinho or Allen either side of Gerrard and it's worked a treat. Coutinho didn't bomb on and Henderson was in no way restricted either.

Viper² · 13 May 2014 at 21:35

Nasri's girlfriend kicking off on Twitter is pretty hilarious.

garak112 · 13 May 2014 at 21:45

What's the reason behind leaving him out, is it a football decision or is it more personal?

I am feeling more optimistic about the WC now. I don't think we will go very far but the squad selection makes me feel confident that we might play better football.

this_is_gav · 13 May 2014 at 21:52

garak112 said:
What's the reason behind leaving him out, is it a football decision or is it more personal?

It's for the benefit of the team... as in he doesn't work well in one away in a distant land (not that France have had a great number of team players in recent tournaments).

The__Malteser · 13 May 2014 at 22:30

Argentina team posted?

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero, Mariano Andújar, Agustín Orion.

Defenders: Ezequiel Garay, Federico Fernández, Pablo Zabaleta, Marcos Rojo, José María Basanta, Hugo Campagaro, Nicolás Otamendi, Martín Demichelis, Gabriel Mercado, Lisandro López.

Midfielders : Fernando Gago, Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Ever Banega, Angel Di María, Maximiliano Rodríguez, Ricardo Alvarez, Augusto Fernández, Enzo Pérez, José Sosa, Fabian Rinaudo.

Forwards: Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuaín, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Rodrigo Palacio, Di Santo

McBain · 13 May 2014 at 22:47

That French squad isn't up to much.

opethdisciple · 13 May 2014 at 23:08

The__Malteser said:
Argentina team posted?

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero, Mariano Andújar, Agustín Orion.

Defenders: Ezequiel Garay, Federico Fernández, Pablo Zabaleta, Marcos Rojo, José María Basanta, Hugo Campagaro, Nicolás Otamendi, Martín Demichelis, Gabriel Mercado, Lisandro López.

Midfielders : Fernando Gago, Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Ever Banega, Angel Di María, Maximiliano Rodríguez, Ricardo Alvarez, Augusto Fernández, Enzo Pérez, José Sosa, Fabian Rinaudo.

Forwards: Sergio Agüero, Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuaín, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Rodrigo Palacio, Di Santo

Top heavy.

Four of their best players are attackers. Suppose you play 3 up top (Sergio Agüero, Gonzalo Higuaín, Ezequiel Lavezzi) with Messi behind.

The__Malteser · 13 May 2014 at 23:41

Colombia Squad.

Goalkeepers: Faryd Mondragon (Deportivo Cali), David Ospina (Nice), Camilo Vargas (Independiente Santa Fe)

Defenders: Santiago Arias (PSV), Pablo Armero (Napoli), Eder Alvarez Balanta (River Plate), Aquivaldo Mosquera (America), Luis Perea (Cruz Azul), Carlos Valdes (San Lorenzo), Mario Yepes (Atalanta), Cristian Zapata (Milan), Camilo Zuniga (Napoli)

Midfielders: Abel Aguilar (Toulouse), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Fredy Guarin (Inter), Victor Ibarbo (Cagliari), Alex Mejia (Atletico Nacional), Juan Fernando Quintero (Porto), Aldo Ramirez (Morelia), James Rodriguez (Monaco), Carlos Sanchez Moreno (Elche), Elkin Soto (Mainz), Macnelly Torres (Al Shabab), Edwin Valencia (Fluminense)

Forwards: Carlos Bacca (Sevilla), Radamel Falcao (Monaco), Teofilo Gutierrez (River), Jackson Martinez (Porto), Luis Muriel (Udinese), Adrian Ramos (Hertha Berlin)

Re-read the strikers. :cool:

BaZ87 · 13 May 2014 at 23:43

Does somebody with too much time on their hands want to start individual threads for each group like we've had previous years?

Robbo · 14 May 2014 at 00:23

I was going to do it towards the end of the month, but if someone else wants to they can.

Tummy · 14 May 2014 at 01:24

I'm sure spamulatorman will do them, gotta' get them posts!

Nasri doesn't work well with the other French players and was pretty terrible in his last performance iirc, don't quote me on that though.

K1LLSW1TCH · 14 May 2014 at 01:42

Tummy said:
I'm sure spamulatorman will do them, gotta' get them posts!

Cosimo · 14 May 2014 at 06:36

Portugal

Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Sevilla), Eduardo (SC Braga), Rui Patrício (Sporting)

Defenders: André Almeida (Benfica), Antunes (Málaga), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahçe), Fábio Coentrão (Real Madrid), João Pereira (Valencia), Neto (Zenit), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valência), Rolando (Inter).

Midfielders: André Gomes (Benfica), João Mário (Vitória FC), João Moutinho (Monaco), Miguel Veloso (D. Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahçe), Rúben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting).

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Éder (SC Braga), Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Ivan Cavaleiro (Benfica), Nani (Manchester United), Rafa (SC Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (FC Porto), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg).

Cosimo · 14 May 2014 at 06:40

BaZ87 said:
Does somebody with too much time on their hands want to start individual threads for each group like we've had previous years?

Robbo said:
I was going to do it towards the end of the month, but if someone else wants to they can.

EDIT:

I'm quite happy to do the group stages but someone else will have to do the rest at the end of June.

MissChief · 14 May 2014 at 10:27

Really don't understand why some countries choose four keepers. I'm assuming one of them will be dropped from the final squad?

Fulax · 14 May 2014 at 10:37

The ones with four keepers are provisional squads. So they give 30 players a chance to train, then cut 7 of them for the final squad.

BaZ87 · 14 May 2014 at 10:39

Cosimo said:
EDIT:

I'm quite happy to do the group stages but someone else will have to do the rest at the end of June.

Go for it. Robbo will sort the latter stages.