The unofficial World Cup Thread,

[Rhyfelwyr]

Unlucky Uruguay, would have been nice to see the folks from the other side of the River Plate in a final.

What a goal from van Bronckhorst though, you won't see a better strike than that.

Oddly, the Jabulani didn't seem to float around like a beach-ball tonight.

[Moros]

Close call it became. Though the dutch dominated most part of the match. Though I'm a big fan of Van Persie I think it's clear he is of no use atm. I'd put Huntelaar up front as he can be much more of a threat on the crosses Robben and Kuyt can put in. Now the main headers and threat have to come from the wingers and Sneijder. Though I don't understand why Van Nistelrooy isn't in the selection. Okay he might not be that young anymore, but he still can score from anywhere without needing much space and no striker plays the game as clever as him. Not even Forlan or Villa. Plus that would have given van Marwijk much more tactical freedom, for when things go wrong. I'd have played an attcking 4-4-2 as well. But then again the guy reached the finals, so I guess Van Marwijk is right in what he does.

Personally I see Spain winning from Germany even though the latter is the better team well... when we look at the WC games. But if Spain makes a goal, try getting chances or even the ball when they don't need to move forward. Germany will have to take the lead first and hunt the ball very high on the pitch. Disruopting the Spaniards possesion football on their halve of the pitch isn't easy, it's risky but it's the only possible way. That and a having a good organisation, but that shouldn't be a problem. I think this game will go to the one who scores first. If Germany, spain will have to come and time and space will be in the advantage of the Germans. If Spain they can just play their possesion passing game which they do best, without having much problems. Either way I think it'll be a close match both with few chances, little roomand few goals. I hope Germany goes trough, it'd make a great final with beautifull football, they deserve it as well. I don't want to be bored to death again by the spaniards. Either way good looking forward to the finals. Congrats to the dutch, though not the prettiest or most ofensive football and with some, they got to the finals, won all their group matches and beated brasil. If you do that, you prove to be a rightfull contender for the WC title.

[Myrddraal]

Good riddance Uruguay, they didn't deserve to be there in the first place.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Great game. Surely the goal of the tournament - what a belter!

The Netherlands - Germany would be an absolute cracker of a final.
Still, Holland does not look like true world champion material. There weaknesses at back, a certain fluidity up front is missing, and Van Persie's main contribution today was to get in the way of the others again. Quite literally so, with his blocking a Sneijder shot. It is not working, put Huntelaar up front.


I am soooo looking forward to Spain - Germany tomorrow. Will Spain solve the Torres riddle?

Torres, Van Persie, Tevez, what is with coaches clinging on to strikers that don't perform well? Yes, each player is worldclass in his own right, but they don't function at this WC, in these teams. Just put a Klose up there - the least talented of them all, on the bench the entire season, but the most succesful of the lot.

Spain should be warned - replace Torres for Fabregas or face the fate that befell an Argentina that refused to replace Tevez for Veron against the Germans, and got ripped apart:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In Maradona's case, he allowed himself to get carried away by euphoria. As he will surely be reflecting on the plane home, back in March his side won away to Germany with a cautious 4-4-2 formation. In South Africa he went with something more expansive and refused to change back, even when the warning lights were flashing.

After 20 minutes of the second round match against Mexico it was obvious the team was not right. The Mexicans could have been two goals up and Maradona was in earnest conversation with his assistants. There was, as German coach Joachim Loew said after the quarter-final, no balance between attack and defence.

Against Mexico two mistakes got Argentina out of jail - one by the linesman, allowing Carlos Tevez's offside goal to stand, the other from Mexico's Ricardo Osorio, who gifted Gonzalo Higuain the second - but they were not going to get away with it twice.

This is not hindsight - it was clear as day before the game against Germany began. With the same starting line-up that played against Mexico, they were inviting a rout.
The big change that Maradona had made since March was to include Tevez in place of Juan Sebastian Veron, a switch made largely on emotional grounds.

Tevez is key to the soul of Argentine football, even more so than Lionel Messi. His upbringing in the poor outskirts of Buenos Aires, his time with Boca Juniors, his never say die spirit - it is reminiscent of Maradona himself. The two of them have a bond.

But despite the glorious finish Tevez came up with for his second goal against Mexico, his inclusion in the team was a huge mistake.
Messi's best football in the tournament came while Veron was on the pitch. They formed a partnership which looked like being the central axis of the team. No Veron meant that Messi had to drop deeper in search of the ball, but Messi setting up play for Tevez made little sense, especially in the light of the latter's poor international scoring record.

No Veron also meant no raking diagonal passes to bring Angel Di Maria into the game and left Javier Mascherano desperately overworked with the defensive midfield duties.
All this was apparent before the Germany game. But to act on it, Maradona had to first recognise it - and with Argentina's campaign riding on a wave of optimism, there was no place for a dose of realism.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvicker...ickery_17.html

Oddly, the Jabulani didn't seem to float around like a beach-ball tonight.

I think I've noticed the players getting more used to the ball as the tournament progressed.

There was an odd curve in Forlan's equaliser, but that could've been intentional.

~~o~~o~~<<oOo>>~~o~~o~~

[Fragony]

What a thriller, Germany don't let us down

[naut]

Ah Gio, was a real pity you were only a Gooner for a season, but as an invincible we still love you.

[Ser Clegane]

GAH! Congrats to Spain - clearly the better team today - always in control of the match.

Would have been too nice to see a Final between Germany and the Netherlands ... but I am looking forward to two more nice matches on the weekend.

[TinCow]

Ug... Spain clearly deserved to win that one. What happened to the German team that dominated the tournament before today?

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

Gah. BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD German game.

The Spaniards continued their suffocation style that proved so successful two years ago, but seemingly the Germans were unable to react to that. I say you got to play more aggressive against such teams. It's no good tactics wanting to beat them with their own style, at least if you don't dominate that style yourself. Spaniards ought to get "tanked down" american football style if necessary, and not keep a polite distance to allow them their infamous short-pass game.

I sincerely hope that Holland will become Champion.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Germany and Spain have been by far the most solid looking teams throughout the tournament. Sure, others have produced moments of flair, but none have been able to consistently grind out results quite like these two have. OK, they each lost a game in the group stage, but ultimately, they get the job done. And that's been the difference between themselves and the likes of Argentina, or Brazil.

A big factor in this is I suspect the fact that the starting eleven of Germany and Spain are each all but the squads of a single club side, put into a national jersey. Tonight, IIRC, the commentators said 7 of those starting for Spain play for Barcelona. And after a quick check myself, it turns out half the Germany squad play for either Bayern Munich or Werder Bremen, and just one player (Boateng) plays outside Germany. The core players, like Lahm, Schweinsteiger, and Klose, all play for Bayern Munich.

Now, compare and contrast this to the other extreme, with many of the African sides. Look at how the Ivory Coast stuck Drogba up front and hoped he would somehow win every game for the team. Adebayor pointed out that as a strength-based player based in England, Drogba was not well suited to the rest of his national side, and indeed, he looked out of place in many of the games in the same way van Persie and Torres have.

The solidity in the German and Spanish sides is most likely due to the fact that they are based on players who play together week in week out, and that helps them to become the solid, efficient sides that are able to grind results out as they have done. So many star players in this tournament simply having been able to shine due to the fact they can't function in their national side. As well as van Persie and Drogba, the likes of Lampard, Gerard, Ronaldo etc come into this category.

Maybe Dunga recognised that he needs a functioning team rather than a collection of individuals when he chose to leave those big names out the Brazil squad. And instead he built what was a very solid looking Brazil side, with samba football being replaced by the big centre back Juan smacking in headers from the edge of the box. Although he hasn't proven as successful as Low (can't get the dots over the 'o', the Germany manager) in particular in getting a well oiled machine running.

Germany and Spain are therefore for me the two teams of the tournament, even though only one will make it to the final. It is their ability to combine the stability of a club side with the quality of the international scene that has allowed them to go as far as they have. In Germany' case, this has meant overachieving for their quality on paper. For the Spanish, it's finally allowed them to realise their potential in the tournament finals.

[johnhughthom]

Ah Gio, was a real pity you were only a Gooner for a season, but as an invincible we still love you.

van Bronckhorst left before that, surely?

[Fragony]

Oh why oh why, now we have to play Spain, if their women would go down on their backs that fast my holidays would be more fun gahgahgah

[Husar]

Well, I hope the oranjes tear big holes into the spanish midfield and make it a 5:0.

If this will be another "spain passes ball around for 90mins" 1:0 victory for Spain, I'll probably be disappointed.
It may be effective but somehow I don't like it a lot.