don_quixote
Trent End
maybe for you. i enjoy it. i like watching talented footballers execute a plan.
World Cup 2010
- Thread starter scottdisco
- Start date
grizzleb
Well-known member
This is mental chat. A team that plays to it's strengths is a poor football team. A team that plays with a distinctive style (that I think can be very impressive to watch) is boring...A team that can hold off a hugely touted German side for 90 minutes and limit their chances to less then a handful - not by defending deep, but by pressing all over the pitch and dominating the midfield by tight passing and movement is boring...?
mixed_biscuits
_________________________
What's the plan? If you mean the plan is 'keep possession until something halfway decent eventually happens', then they execute it. If the plan is anything like 'convert possession into assists into chances with high efficiency', then they fail.
In fact, their inability to carry out the latter plan means that the former one is the only sensible course of action for them.
mixed_biscuits
_________________________
It's the inefficiency that I find vexing and this inefficiency means that they can't be considered a great team. They have the best striker in the world and should be converting 70-80% possession into four goal tonkings a la Barcelona, but they can't.
don_quixote
Trent End
they don't have to.
don_quixote
Trent End
i agree it'll be interesting if holland take the lead. i think spain will still win. unfortunately we'll never find out; spain won't conceed and spain will win 1-0.
mixed_biscuits
_________________________
hmm tactical incompetence
don_quixote
Trent End
tactical incompetence that has seen them breeze through to the world cup final and lose 2 matches out of 50? i would like a dose of that tactical incompetence.
mixed_biscuits
_________________________
I wonder if they'll bother to ask that spoilsport octopus what he wants to happen*, now that Germany are out.
* cause and effect is more plausible than prognostication
don_quixote
Trent End
i imagine kalimari will be popular on german menus tomorrow
mixed_biscuits
_________________________
heheh
Slothrop
Tight but Polite
Presumably they let Kroos have an absolute peach of a chance because they're on such a different level that they actually knew he was going to fluff it.
They're brilliant at what they do well, but some of the gushing in this thread is getting a bit embarassing.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
i'd like to see them up against france 2000 or netherlands 88 (22 years admittedly).
They are incredibly good, but I'm not convinced that they're that good when the going gets rough. Chile were only beaten 2-1, even with 10 men and a gift of a goal from their goalkeeper, and they HAD to win that game. They do just enough to get by, and that's why they'll win the tournament, which'll be fair enough.
Spain-Brazil would've been very interesting.
that was a great game. first half was so tight, both teams dangerous, but spain just bossed it in the second half. germany looked like they had a chance up until the goal went in but after that spain were pretty comfortable, which given the form germany have been in is a pretty resounding triumph for the possession game if you ask me. spain probably should have been one or two up already by that point anyway. it was kind of the first time germany had come up against a team that defends intelligently - alonso outplayed schweinstiger at his own game and without being able to get their counter attacks started from midfield germany didn't really know what to do. xavi and iniesta were both immense again, must make such a difference that they've played together for club and country for so long. xavi made 92 successful passes out of 100 or something ridiculous. i personally think spain are brilliant to watch, but then i'm pretty patient.
mark lawrenson criticising spain for having "one too many players" was the stupidest thing said by a commentator in a tournament that's been knee deep in stupid things said by commentators.
mark lawrenson criticising spain for having "one too many players" was the stupidest thing said by a commentator in a tournament that's been knee deep in stupid things said by commentators.
don_quixote
Trent End
i didn't see holland 88 but i agree on france 2000 as giving them a close run. but i still think spain would win. don't forget france were 2 minutes away from losing that final and going out in the semi on penalties.
luka
Well-known member
it made me think of boxing too quixote. specifically trying to fight mayweather and how utterly frustrating it must be to fight someone you simply cannot hit. he will always be faster, always attack from angles you weren't expecting, always effortlessly dodge or block everything you throw at him. he doesn't have a knockout punch just as spain dont score a lot at the moment, but he has never lost.
crackerjack
Well-known member
It's impossible to judge the France of 2000 properly cos of the circumstances of the final. Brighton could've beaten Brazil that day. What we do know is that they struggled against Paraguay (more so than Spain), almost lost to Croatia and were short of goals for much of the tournament. The 2002 team were better.