World Cup 2014

[Ronaldo7]

^Jozy Altidore played? Hes prolly out for the entire World Cup. Besler was 100%? Did you not see him have hamstring issues during the game? Thats a carry over from last game. Dempsey has been having a lil bit of issues too.

Altidore was 50/50 to play. That's one. Compared to Portugal's 4-5. Ronaldo had fitness issues as well. Besler evens it out then. Dempsey played just fine. There wasn't any significant change, except for Altidore not playing.

Stop making excuses. Like I said, part of being a footballer is remaining fit. Btw...Costa Rica and Colombia have had no problems defeating teams with world class players. So lets stop overrating European teams shall we? All of these World Cup players play in league games year round. As well as many playing in dosmestic and international cup matches. Everyone is tired...and everyone plays competitively and pushes themselves hard most of the year.

Ronaldo played more games than any American player played during the club season. Get some facts. Ronaldo played Liga, Copa Del Rey and CL. Yes, i'm right. Don'try to argue. Also, Ronaldo plays in a more competitive league and in more competitive matches. Yes, i'm right here also.

This is a TEAM game. "World class players" mean nothing when they arent playing as a great team. And what defines world class anyways? There are American players playing in top flight leagues in Europe. And even if all of the USA were MLS players, that would be a great testament to our domestic league which needs to grow. True soccer fans in America want to build up our own league and see it become great. Im happy that many of our players get their experience domestically and abroad...while keeping us ranked in the top 15 worldwide in both FIFA and ELO rankings (ELO being widely accepted at the more accurate ranking). For the USA to be ranked 13th is damn good considering there's over 200 FIFA member nations, the fact that soccer is the 5th most spectator popular sport in this nation, and how our domestic league is only 20 years old.

You are right. It is a team game and they should play as a team. I never said Portugal was the best team. Ronaldo is the only thing that makes them good and not just an average side. Ronaldo carries that team every game. However, one man can only do so much. Name an American player that plays for a big team in Europe. Rankings don't really tell the whole story. They are very misguided.

Moving on, the fact of the matter is this; the world will remember the winners in this World Cup. They wont remember the losers, and they definitely wont remember the excuses being made for losing. Italy, England, and Uruguay ALL have world class players. What excuses will you come up with if Costa Rica finishes their group with 9 points? No matter what excuses you make, no one in the world will remember or pay attention to teams that got bounced out of the group.

Suarez didn't play vs Costa Rica. The whole world saw the difference Suarez made vs England. I don't need to explain it to you.

If the USA was in Portugal's spot, we would simply accept that we were not fit enough, nor were we good enough. And then we would take this as a lesson learned and look forward to our next continental cup matches, and towards rebuilding for the next World Cup. Excuses and whining makes fans of the losing team look like butthurt and whiny children.

But they are facts. You can see that half of the starting XI for Portugal was injured/suspended. Who are you trying to trick? If they weren't injured as they were and the USA won, i would be the first to concede defeat and accept that they were better. However, playing with 5 substitutes that wouldn't otherwise play is a big handicap.

If Portugal had won, you would have been in here talking so much sh!t...and so would a lot of trolls online who are simply anti-American and dont want us to be good at soccer. But now that you havent won, its excuses out the yin-yang in order to diminish the effort played by the other team. Accept the reality that Thursday will likely be Portugal's last game, and just be a good sport about it. Enjoy the spectacle that is the World Cup even if your team fails. You can be a fan of your team without bashing other teams when those teams get a positive result.

I'm not anti-American. I see facts. I wouldn't be talking sh1t. Remaining humble and having sportsmanship is very important. It's not the same thing facing Tyson in his prime than facing Tyson now. I'm sure you are smart enough to understand it.

 

[Jaylan]

I'm not anti-American. I see facts. I wouldn't be talking sh1t. Remaining humble and having sportsmanship is very important. It's not the same thing facing Tyson in his prime than facing Tyson now. I'm sure you are smart enough to understand it.

Continue to cling to those excuses buddy.

One thing I give Ronaldo lots of credit for is how humble hes been after the USA game. Hes realistic and says himself that Portugal is average. And despite his slight acknowledgement of the roster challenges the team has face, he doesnt use it as an excuse. And he definitely doesnt use his own injury issues as an excuse.

Also, most definitely Ronaldo has not taken any credit away from the teams that have taken points away from him and Portugal. However, certain un-objective Portugal homers on the internet cannot seem to follow in the footsteps of their great footballing leader. Instead of accepting the game results and respect their opponents, these fans remain arrogant and unrealistic about what is happening.

And btw, Altidore was not 50-50 to play. Get your facts straight. He's likely not see anymore games this World Cup, even if there was the slightest chance of playing in the Final. Anyways, I know not all Portugal fans are poor sports. All I can do though is enjoy the tears of those fans that cannot handle that their nation isnt going through, while the USA has a great chance of advancing.

Lastly, stop being lazy and learn to do multiple split quotes. Stop inserting bold into my quotes. Because I dont want people here mistaking your lame responses for something I said. Especially considering the fact that some of my posts have their own formatting.

Coming from one of the top European football countries, I must give the US team credit, Jaylan! The USA always had potential but after watching World Cups for over 20 years, this is the first team that looks really solid to me.


I'm curious, who do you guys pick as title favorites right now?

1. Chile. Made the best impression so far, I can't discover any real weakness about this team. I haven't seen their full matches, though, so I don't know if their defense is as solid as it appears.

2. Germany . Made a great impression as well. But they weren't able to dominate against Ghana, couldn't keep control over the match... If they can keep their focus for full 90 minutes, I don't see them losing to anyone. But that's a big "if"...

3. The Netherlands. Their defense doesn't look very solid but their offense is RAZOR sharp. Even if their opponent would have the ball 90% of the match and totally dominate them, they just need a few Van Persie or Robben moments to turn the match in their favor.
In fact, if the opponent dominates them, this leaves space for a counter and actually FAVORS a Van Persie or Robben moment...

Thanks man. A lot of butthurt Portugal and Ghana fans whining online dont want to give the USA credit. Weird how unbiased neutrals all over the world are saying the USA deserve footballing respect. And its also nice to see some other surprising teams get respect for outperforming some of the world's better ranked teams.

Right now for me based on all the games so far and how the brackets line up...my favorites to make the semi-finals look like France, the Netherlands, Germany and Costa Rica. And my favorites to win it all is the Netherlands. Robben is just too good and pacey...and having Van Persie as well makes them hard to beat. I havent seen any team defend Robben well yet.

 

[Formerlyrossitheking]

Fair play to the yanks. They have surprised me by the way they have played this tournament. They are playing without fear and look strong on the counter, especially using johnson as an outlet on the right wing. They looked menacing every time they used that channel. They were unlucky to concede but individual errors cost them at the end. Keep the ball!


As for Portugal - they are terrible. Poor in defense, lack of midfield tenacity and no firepower up front, a far cry from the days of figo, rui costa and Sousa. What has happened to Raul Mereiles - he is useless. Must be the beard.

 

[Ronaldo7]

Continue to cling to those excuses buddy.

One thing I give Ronaldo lots of credit for is how humble hes been after the USA game. Hes realistic and says himself that Portugal is average. And despite his slight acknowledgement of the roster challenges the team has face, he doesnt use it as an excuse. And he definitely doesnt use his own injury issues as an excuse.

I've never said Portugal were future WC champions. Neither did Ronaldo. It's just Portugal are playing without half their lineup.

Also, most definitely Ronaldo has not taken any credit away from the teams that have taken points away from him and Portugal. However, certain un-objective Portugal homers on the internet cannot seem to follow in the footsteps of their great footballing leader. Instead of accepting the game results and respect their opponents, these fans remain arrogant and unrealistic about what is happening.

Ronaldo, and everyone else out there, knows that he is a one man team. He can only accept that his colleagues are not up to par with his Real Madrid colleagues. ONCE AGAIN, my argument is that Portugal is without half their lineup. The USA was only missing 1 player.

And btw, Altidore was not 50-50 to play. Get your facts straight. He's likely not see anymore games this World Cup, even if there was the slightest chance of playing in the Final. Anyways, I know not all Portugal fans are poor sports. All I can do though is enjoy the tears of those fans that cannot handle that their nation isnt going through, while the USA has a great chance of advancing.

Altidore is still not ruled out like Coentrao was.

Lastly, stop being lazy and learn to do multiple split quotes. Stop inserting bold into my quotes. Because I dont want people here mistaking your lame responses for something I said. Especially considering the fact that some of my posts have their own formatting.

For the retards - MY responses are in bold.

 

[Jaylan]

Netherlands has more than RVP. I cannot see Mexico's defense being able to stop Robben. They are small and not that fast. You need speed, and/or strength to stop Robben. Robben will run right by Mexico's defense and midfield.

Their defense hasnt faced someone with a pace like Robben's yet. I think he will be the main factor in that game. RVP is just the cherry on top...and he does well too...not just because of his skill...but because of the attention Robben commands. The defense will have to focus so much on Robben, that it opens up chances for RVP.

 

[Jaylan]

Robben is faster and has better technique than anyone in Croatia or Brazil squad. I havent seen anyone on those two teams breakaway with the speed Robben has. Tell me who in those teams or Mexico are as fast as Robben? Did you see Robben outrun Sergio Ramos? And Ramos is definitely one of the better defenders in the world and has pace.

I cant see Mexico winning. Just because theyve done well against an average Croatia and underwhelming Brazil, does not mean they will beat Holland. The Netherlands have played a lot better than both of those teams in my book. And with exception to the Cameroon game, Brazil have been rather mediocre.

And Cameroon is pretty bad as we all know.

 

[Die Hard]

As for technique, let's not forget that Mandzukic of Croatia is still the preferred striker and top goalscorer at Bayern Munich over Robben (in the 2014 season, he scored 18 goals to Robben's 12).

I'm sorry but that statement is plain stupid!

1. A player being the preferred striker of his team, does not mean he has better technique than any of his teammates.
2. A player being the top goalscorer of his team, does not mean he has better technique than any of his teammates.

 

[Die Hard]

^ incredibly ignorant comment. But I'm glad we have you here to point out that speed and the ability to score goals are not poweful indicators of a player's technique

LOL!!! At first, I thought you just didn't think your statement through before you wrote it. But now it becomes clear that you simply have no idea what you're talking about, like AT ALL!

For the future, I suggest you learn some more about the sport before you take part in a conversation about it...

 

[Die Hard]

It seems we can always count on YOU to make strawman arguments in a thread...

Riiiight this coming from the guy who thinks speed and scoring ability have nothing to do with technical skill lmao

Where did I say that? Nowhere, and you know it. You're just butthurt that I pointed out your stupidity so now you try to put words in my mouth in a weak attempt to safe face...

This is what I said:

1. A player being the preferred striker of his team, does not mean he has better technique than any of his teammates.
2. A player being the top goalscorer of his team, does not mean he has better technique than any of his teammates.

Either refute these actual statements of mine or shut your deceptive mouth and accept that you've been schooled...

 

[Die Hard]

Haha, you're a funny guy, Bradd. Keep trying to twist the facts, it makes you look like a WOMAN, haha!

As for technique, let's not forget that Mandzukic of Croatia is still the preferred striker and top goalscorer at Bayern Munich over Robben (in the 2014 season, he scored 18 goals to Robben's 12).

In the above quote, you are arguing that Mandzukic has better technique than Robben, because he is the preferred striker at Bayern over Robben and also scored more goals than Robben.

I then told you that when a player is the preferred striker on his team and scored the most goals in his team, it doesn't mean he has better technique than his teammates.

Like I said, you either refute this statement of mine or you accept that you've been schooled. Apparently, you can do neither... Which makes me feel sorry for you!

 

[Die Hard]

If that's all the info we have on those two players, then we can't answer your question. Coz the amount of goals that a player makes, is dependent of far more variables than a player's technique. I can't believe how anyone who follows this sport doesn't realize this...

Edit: I just saw you edited your post, but I have to go now so I'll respond to the rest of it later on.

 

[Jaylan]

If that's all the info we have on those two players, then we can't answer your question. Coz the amount of goals that a player makes, is dependent of far more variables than a player's technique. I can't believe how anyone who follows this sport doesn't realize this...

Edit: I just saw you edited your post, but I have to go now so I'll respond to the rest of it later on.

This.

Robben plays almost always on the wing....i mean he is a winger. So of course a striker, like Mandzukic, who plays in the middle most of the time will have more goals. Its because wingers and midfielders feed that center playing attacker the most.

EDIT:

Allow me to provide stats to compare these two players during the 2013/14 season for Bayern Munich.

Robben: 45 apps, 21 goals in all competitions (http://www.fcbayern.de/en/teams/first-team/arjen-robben/)

Mandzukic: 46 apps, 25 goals in all competitions (http://www.fcbayern.de/en/teams/first-team/mario-mandzukic/)

Isnt it quite telling that a midfield winger as Robben, as listed and used by Bayern, has almost as many goals as the teams preferred forward in Mandzukic? I believe this says more about Robbens own ability and technique that he plays out wide in the midfield...floating from midfield to top of the formation...and is able to score like a forward but also does so much more; assists, accurate passing in a tiki-taka like system, mazing runs, etc. Ill provide more in-depth stats as to why I believe Robben has better technique and over all ability.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.whoscored.com/Players/4173/Show/Arjen-Robben

Robben : In just the Bundesliga and Champions League (30 apps total), he had 15 goals with 10 assists, thus being directly responsible for 25 goals. And if you check his offensive stats, he had 122 total successful dribbles in domestic and champions league (hover over the dribble statistic). Robben also averaged 31.4 passes per game with an 81.7% success rate in Bundesliga. In Champions league he averaged 58.5 passes per game with a 87.4% accuracy rate.

Now lets look at Mario. http://www.whoscored.com/Players/24088/Show/Mario-Mandzukic

Mandzukic: In just the Bundesliga and Champions League (29 apps total), he had 21 goals with 6 assists, thus being directly responsible for 27 goals. Now if you look at the offensive stats, he had 24 successful dribbles all season in both competitions. Mandzukic also averaged 17.6 passes per game with a 72.8% success rate in Bundesliga. In Champions League he averaged 18.6 passes per game with a 72.6% success rate.


The stat differences that really jump out at you are the HUGE difference in successful dribbles (122 vs 24). A Successful Dribble being "taking on an opponent and successfully making it past them whilst retaining the ball". Also what stands out is Mandzukic lower pass totals and lower accuracy rate. Wouldnt a player with better technique than Robben be a better dribbler and passer?

Now what does this all mean? Any knowledgable fan of the team or any good analyst would see that Robben's role is VERY different from Mandzukic. Anyone who closes follows Bayern would know that the team plays Robben outwide and in the midfield because of his valuable speed, technique, passing, AND scoring ability. Robben averages MANY more dribbles and passes than Mandzukic, and he also has better passing accuracy. And despite Robben's duties in a heavy passing, tiki-taka influenced midfield, he still manages to score many goals. And his position leads to more assists as well. Robben's superior abilities are why he plays out wide in the midfield and why Mandzukic stays in the upfront in center waiting to be fed the ball. Mandzukic would not be able to handle all of Robben's responsibilities in my opinion.

So for someone who watches Bayern and has these stats I presented....in what way is Mandzukic more technical or close to being equal to Robben in skill? Mandzukic is a good player...but I think any smart analyst would tell you that Robben is the overall more skilled and better player. Robben scores so much, while also running his butt off, making assists, and being highly accurate in passing. Mandzukic travels less distances in matches, has less assists, and is a weaker dribbler and passer.

While some of the statistical difference are because of the two different position being played, its also because Robben is just a clearly better player. Mandzukic's job is to stay in the center and accept passes. And even with his main job being to score...Robben is not far behind him in goals, and then pwns him in every other stats. Based on all these stats...how can anyone say Robben is less technical or valuable to Mandzukic.

PS - whoscored.com gets their stats from OptaStats, a highly reputable statistics company with other clients like ESPN, SkySports, Manchester City FC and Chelsea FC. www.optasports.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opta_Sports

And dont even get me started on Croatia's Srna. I stand by my earlier statement that Mexico has yet to face a player with the abilities of Robben...and I stand by my saying that Croatia and Brazil dont have a player with Robben's ability.

 

[Jaylan]

Ill say it one more time. Mandzukic is not better than Robben, and is less technically proficient in all areas of the game than Robben. Robben is the better goal scorer, and only scores less goals because of his position. Robben scores as many goals as most strikers despite being a midfielder...however Mandzukic has little of the other abilities most midfielders have to combine with his ability as a striker.

Mandzukic scores more goals because of his position, and even then, not many more goals. Robben has a vastly higher positive impact on his team because of his value in many areas of the game. I backed this up with evidence. Robben is the more complete player, and if he wasnt so important to Bayern on the wing, he could easily kill Mandzukic's goal scoring stats if Robben played as a forward.

Remember, you made the argument that Mandzukic is Bayern's preferred striker because of his technique when compared to Robben. That is patently false. Mario is Bayern's preferred striker because of his skills compared to other strikers on the team...not compared to Robben whos role is more important as their winger in the midfield.

The stats backed up Robben's importance. And you went on to use goals as evidence of Mandzukic ability vs Robben. And the stats showed that there is barely any gap in the goals that Robben and Mandzukic take part in...but there is a LARGE gap in every other statistic in which a player's technique is judged. If Mandzukic was anywhere close to as skilled or as technical as Robben, he shouldnt only have 4 more goals in 1 extra appearance than a midfielder. An elite forward should have a much larger gap.

Thus this original post of yours is wrong;

As for technique, let's not forget that Mandzukic of Croatia is still the preferred striker and top goalscorer at Bayern Munich over Robben (in the 2014 season, he scored 18 goals to Robben's 12).

And on any team, the best, most talented player will be the one who's placed up front so he can score goals.

Are you seriously a football fan and you said this ? Look at team USA, for YEARS our best players were Donovan and Dempsey and they have always been midfielders. They thrived in the midfield and we never place them upfront unless we absolutely have to. Dempsey is only playing upfront now because our striker Altidore got hurt. And actually right now...anyone whos a USMNT fan will tell you that our best player needs to be Michael Bradley and Jermaine Jones in midfield if we will do well.

Learn something about soccer buddy...because your best players arent always players upfront who score all the goals. Why the hell do you think Spain was so good from 2007 to 2013? Not because of forwards. It was because of a GREAT midfield and solid defense. Their best players for years were Xavi and Iniesta...which is why those guys have been Ballon d'or finalists. Their skill and fame is largely based on passing ability and technique in midfield...not goal scoring prowess.

Makes no sense for me to argue this, as your arguments make you come across as someone who lacks a basic understanding of how football works, or what makes a player important to their team. Its plain as day to anyone who watches Bayern and Spain who their best player(s) are/were. The reason Bayern was great last year, and the reason Spain was great for some many years, was because of their midfields. Their best players were their midfielders...not their forwards/goal scorers. Analysts have been saying this about Spain for years, and said the same thing about Bayern when they won the treble.

 

[Watawata]

I respect your game experience but I cant say the same about your football knowledge.
First, refering to your comentary on Brazil, it isnt about superstars but about how the team works together. Thats the reason for these not so stelar performances from Brazil. Otherwise, how would you explain Costa Rica's wins?
Second, I saw you were comparing Robben and Mandzukic. I think it is common knowledge in the world of football that Robben is a far more valuable player. How you can even compare his technique to that of Mandzukic ( which is average at best). Of course Mario is going to score more goals, since he is a centre forward: its his primary function. As for Robben, the amount of assists and inbalances that he creates make up for that difference in goals.
I also found funny your statement about World Cup winning Spain main point being the defence. They wouldnt be nothing without their amazing midfield composed by Xavi and Iniesta. Their football, the Tiki-taka, was boring only to those who dont understand this sport fully.
Finally, the quality of a player isn't measured by how many goals they strike, unless we are speaking of a center forward. Defenders may be very good and not score, so can midfielders and wingers, since thats not their main functions.
Please try to understand this sport better before making these kind of definitive statements:

So if anything, Spain owed the most to their boring defensive catanaccio-type soccer a la Italy than a truly amazing midfield.

In soccer, the technically best players are the ones who score the most goals. That’s why players like Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Brazilian Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi are considered the best. Not because of their tackling, or passing, and not even because of their dribbling

 

[Jaylan]

^That!

Good post Watawata. Let brad believe what he wants though. It doesnt matter if a few guys feel Mandzukic can be compared to Robben. The rest of the world, including Bayern Munich fans, Bayern Munich management and executives, Oranje fans, and neutrals whove watched Euros and World Cups...can all see who is the more valuable player with the better technique and skill set. Robben is it...but if people wanna disagree...so be it. Comparing different position incorrectly in soccer based on goals, is like saying a mediocre quarterback in the NFL is better than a top linebacker or cornerback because the quaterback scores more. (which completely ignores that the QB position is meant to score more, just like strikers are meant to score more in soccer)

But to keep this on soccer, no one would ever say David Villa was a better footballer or had more technique than Xavi or Iniesta just because of Villa scoring more goals. People who understand the game understand their different roles, hence why Villa has been only a Ballon D'or nominee and never a top 3 finalist like the other two players. People know who the better footballer with the better technique was (Xavi and Iniesta). David Villa has been very good, but theres a reason hes been a career journeyman, while Iniesta and Xavi were seen as too valuable to let go. Villa has always been seen as replaceable. Hopefully people understand my point about why goals dont automatically make someone a better footballer with better technique than another player in a different role.

Also, while we all know Spain had good high pressing defence, they were great because of tiki-taka positioning and possession with a midfield consisting of killer passers who created amazing goals. I would never put tiki-taka in the same category as catenaccio. That Italian defensive scheme was mainly about playing ultra defensive, and not conceding a goal. They stayed back and usually went forward on counter attacks. Hence why classic catenaccio uses a sweeper...they mostly slammed the door after going ahead. Attacking teams like tiki-taka dont use a sweeper. They consistently attack and exploit defensive holes all game with insane amounts of possession.

Tiki-taka is all about opening up holes in the other teams defense and going forward to score goals. Its very tactical and patient offence..and to those who watch the entire field and positioning of all players, its far from boring. The boring complaints usually come from people rooting against a team that keeps all that possession. Like I said classic Italian defensive schemes are about not giving up goals, and merely slamming the door shut after they go ahead (many feel Greece style of play is modeled after this). Spains system was about patient attack and pressing to immediately get the ball back when they lost it. Very different. Youd never see Bayern, Spain, or Barca stop attacking after they were ahead by 1 or 2 goals. They continued to probe and attack. But thats the last Ill speak on those two topics.

Anyways, moving on, I like Chile and Colombia tomorrow. While I do think the Oranje have been the toughest team in the World Cup, I feel Colombia has been the best team front to back. They are very balanced and skill as a unit from back, middle and front.

And I think the USA has a good chance against Belgium next week. They are rather evenly matched. Hazard and Kompany will be tough. Kompany I think can shut down Dempsey. Itd be nice if we had Altidore back though.

 

[VikingKing]

^That!

Good post Watawata. Let brad believe what he wants though. It doesnt matter if a few guys feel Mandzukic can be compared to Robben. The rest of the world, including Bayern Munich fans, Bayern Munich management and executives, Oranje fans, and neutrals whove watched Euros and World Cups...can all see who is the more valuable player with the better technique and skill set.

Also, while we all know Spain had good high pressing defence, they were great because of tiki-taka position and a midfield consisting of killer passers who created amazing goals. I would never put tiki-taka in the same category as Italian defense. Italian defence was mainly about keep away, and not not conceding a goal. They stayed back and didnt go forward as much. Hence why classic catenaccio uses a sweeper. Attacking teams like tiki-taka dont use a sweeper. They probe and exploit defensive holes all game with insane amounts of possession.

Tiki-taka is all about opening up holes in the other teams defense and going forward to score goals. Its very tactical and patient offence..and to those who watch the entire field and positioning of all players, its far from boring. The boring complaints usually come from people rooting against a team that keeps all that possession. Also, classic Italian defensive schemes are about not giving up goals, and merely playing keep away after they go ahead (kinda like Greece). Spains system was about patient attack and pressing to immediately get the ball back when they lost it. Very different. Youd never see Bayern, Spain, or Barca stop attacking after they were ahead by 1 or 2 goals. They continued to probe and attack. But thats the last Ill speak on those two topics.

Anyways, moving on, I like Chile and Colombia tomorrow. While I do think the Oranje have been the toughest team in the World Cup, I feel Colombia has been the best team front to back. They are very balanced and skill as a unit from back, middle and front.

And I think the USA has a good chance against Belgium next week. They are rather evenly matched. Hazard and Kompany will be tough. Kompany I think can shut down Dempsey. Itd be nice if we had Altidore back though.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=717748974933534&set=p.717748974933534&type=1&theater

 

[Jaylan]

TL; DR

Believe what you want brad. Youre the only one here with your viewpoint on these subjects. So lets move on now and stop wasting time.

Knockout stages are here and hopefully Brazil gets pwned tomorrow.

 

[Jaylan]

ignoring information is obviously a strong habit of yours, so yeah no point in debating

I ignored nothing, I backed up everything I have said, and you just have a difference in opinion. No stats, articles, or statements I provide from reputable football analysts will change your viewpoint. I cannot convince you, so like I said, its time to move on. Do you need the last word or something? Or can you just drop it and get back to the World Cup's upcoming games?

PS - I never once said Spain played "exciting" football. I said they played positional and possession minded attacking football. Now lets move on, and dont put words in my mouth again.

 

[Die Hard]

Hahahaha! I can't believe how pathetic you are, Bradd! You actually deleted yesterday's post of mine? Wow, it's really obvious now who's the real loser in this debate. Glorious example of a butthurt moderator abusing his moderating abilities coz he got schooled in a debate...

I guess this means you have given up on your attempts to refute my statement that "when a player is the preferred striker on his team and scored the most goals in his team, it doesn't mean he has better technique than his teammates"

See, it doesn't matter whether you openly admit it or not, by now it's obvious to anyone in this thread that you can't refute my statement and by deleting posts of mine, you obviously admit defeat anyway...



Anyway, now that this silly debate is behind us, let's focus on..........Brazil vs. Chile, which is on right now! Anything is possible but I still expect Brazil to win. I'm curious if Neymar can keep playing throughout the knockout phase, by the way. He already has one yellow card from a previous match, so another one means he misses the next match... Or does FIFA discard all previous yellow cards from the moment the quarterfinals are played?

EDIT: Damn, it's shaping up to be an interesting match, 1-1 now!

 

[Watawata]

Bradd, have you ever played football in a team before?

Watawata, your argument that "everyone knows x is a better player than y" is not a very convincing one.

I think I've explained myself pretty well. Robben is a better player, because his assists and dangerous situations he can create on the enemy defense more than make up for the difference between him an Mandzukic in goals scored.
You dont seem to understand what technique means. It doesn't mean you score more. It means you have more skill with the ball, which you can use to drible past defenders, make a trought pass, etc.. Take the example of Ronaldinho. He didnt score that many goals, but he was one of the most skillfull players ever, with incredible technique.
Another example would be Pirlo. He isnt in fact known for his goalscoring ability. He is valued because of his passing technique and tactic knowledge. Carlitos Tevez plays on the same team, juventus, and has scored much more goals than Pirlo. However, I can assure you that Conte ( Juventus manager) would much rater lose him than the aged midfielder, simply because Pirlo is the base of his team's game. All the plays pass by him, he knows when to speed up and when to slow down the game, when to make a trought pass or when to play it safe.
Like Pirlo, there are many other players who have incerdible technique and are seen as some of the best, not because of goalscoring ability but because they play well their position. For example: Neuer, Thiago Silva, Fernando, Xavi, Iniesta, Robben, Bryan Ruiz, etc..

Spain's brand of soccer was very defense minded and extremely boring.

Refering to your hate of Spain's tiki-taka, try to watch it for the tactics, whatch closelly every play they make, their passing technique, how Xavi controls the game, how the ball flow from player to player, without ever touching the oposite team. Thats how you really apreciate a game of football. It isnt a endless wave of goals or goal chances. Its these little details that make up for the magic of this sport.
Also, they didnt sufer many goals because their midfield could stop the atacks and intercept passes very well, due to a constant high presure, and because they dind't lose the ball often. If you took away Xavi and Busquets, this wouldn't work. They had a good defense, but the focus of this play style is the midfield.

For every one team that does well with no stars, I can name 12 teams that do well because they have plenty of stars.

And I can also name plenty which didnt work at all, dispite being full of stars. Of course that better players will lead to a better team, but more important than that is wether or not they can work together, which is why the manager's job is so important.

Lastly, I hope you dont immediatly refute all I said just because Im disaggreing with you, and take the time to think about it, ultimately expanding your knowledge of the game.