version

Well-known member
Not impressed with Portugal. So many poor passes. They just keep booting it out of play and completely missing each other, partly down to the Czech defending, but still. It's like watching Spain at their dullest with a bit more pace and the odd flash of excitement when 39 year old Ronaldo gets on the ball.
 

version

Well-known member
Scotland much better than in their first game, Shaqiri banger for the Swiss though.

One thing that's jumped out at me during this tournament's that nowadays seemingly everyone's capable of playing out of pressure and out from the back. Maybe it's just my mind playing tricks on me, but the technical level seems higher across the board. The Pep/Barca approach to passing's informed the game on a global scale, both at club and international level.

Not that everyone plays like Pep's Barca, just that everyone seems to have these passages of play nowadays where they'll get into one or two-touch passing or the defense will start passing it around their own area under pressure.
 

Murphy

cat malogen
Shaqiri goal was a fuckin pearler, top top corner, what a left foot

Barca influence is everywhere today but most of these players are at top flight clubs
 

version

Well-known member
this tournament is already more fun than the wc in qatar aka the most boring tournament there ever was

I didn't watch that one because of the migrant worker situation, but I've seen a lot of people saying this tournament's miles better because there's more of a footballing culture in Germany and the one in Qatar just felt off. Unsurprising, really. The latter seems as though it was purely a PR thing.
 

version

Well-known member
The main complaint I've heard is he's too conservative once they take the lead. The attacking drops off and he brings players on to defend what they've got rather than pushing for more, even early in the game. That's why so many of our wins seem to be 1-0.

They've been doing it again against Denmark, Kane scored then they dropped off and the Danes equalised.
 

version

Well-known member
The main complaint I've heard is he's too conservative once they take the lead. The attacking drops off and he brings players on to defend what they've got rather than pushing for more, even early in the game. That's why so many of our wins seem to be 1-0.

They've been doing it again against Denmark, Kane scored then they dropped off and the Danes equalised.

"England average positions before and after their goal"

england-average-positions-before-and-after-their-goal-v0-7gwfk9x5cr7d1.jpeg
 

Murphy

cat malogen
Lineacre was fuming

Danish goal was superbly measured, he couldn’t have hit it any more sweetly, off the inside of the post too precision placement

England are top of their group, get a 2nd place qualifying team so it could be worse, still worth a punt on making semi final/final but their luck is too off to win it (prove me wrong 3 Lions)

Solid tournament thus far
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
The main complaint I've heard is he's too conservative once they take the lead. The attacking drops off and he brings players on to defend what they've got rather than pushing for more, even early in the game. That's why so many of our wins seem to be 1-0

They shoulda beat Italy, gave em way too much respect and fucked up the shoot out.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Ukraine just took the lead against Slovakia and it was a beaut - the obvious comparison that yer gonna hear made a lot is that legendary Bergkamp goal vs Argentina. Really it wasn't that similar but basically there was a long ball deep into the box to the right of the goal, the striker stole a yard on the defender but he still had an awful lot to do. Luckily though he stretched his toe and, a la Bergkamp/IdleRich, he was able to use a wonderfully soft touch to drag it down and bring it under his spell after which one skillfully positioned or flukily scuffed (delete aa you feel appropriate, personally I think he meant it) shot was enough to slide it past the advancing keeper at a speed that was slow but still agonisingly just too fast for the chasing defender to make amends with a gut busting run and slide as he threw everything he had into an attempt to stop it creeping over the line and nestling in the side netting.

For me it was exactly the sort of goal I like; the perfectly weighted pass, but most of all it was the delicacy of the touch that changed what most likely began as nothing more than a hopeful punt forward into akiller pass before anyone on the pitch or on the stadium had grasped what was happening.
 

Murphy

cat malogen
Bergkamp's goal was one for the ages, 26 summers ago is wild too. His first touch = genius and the finish? Jizz time, never less than a class act

ps

 

IdleRich

IdleRich
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