Official World Cup Thread

[Soulforged]

2- 1 for Argentina ... so now it's Germany vs. Argentina on Friday.

This should be an interesting game

If we play as today Germany will win 4-0 at least. I think there's various keys to understand why Argentina played so "bad" today: 1- Scaloni: He entered in place of Burdisso who's injured, I'd have prefered Coloccini. Scaloni is more like Sorin he places himself in the defense but he quickly starts to move forward to add himself to the offense. However he isn't nearly as good as Sorin, he's mostly a player with attitude (i.e. only knows how to scream, insult and make the referee and the adversary nervous). 2- Sorin: He played pretty bad today. He was also very well marked by the mexicans, almost boxed, but even when clearing the ball he was unprecise and the attackers almost always surpassed him in speed and strenght hence wining the ball. 3- Riquelme: Opposed to the other three matches he played everything but football today. Full of unprecise passes (until now Riquelme was the most precise passer on the tournament), slow (well he's always kinda slow), he seemed a little out of concentration and lost many balls. Note this, if Riquelme fares bad the entire team follows. 4- Pekerman: Well he introduced Scaloni, but beyond that two changes that, even though they changed the game, were not right, principally Aimar, Cambiasso was playing pretty well, so was Crespo. 5- The actitude of the mexicans: They started with fury, pressing, having and stealing the ball, controlling its possesion and controlling the argentinian players wherever they were. 6- Saviola: He wasn't as sharp as in the first two matches, but that can be atributed in part to Riquelme. 7- Heinze: Well what to say. If it wasn't for Ayala who actually was one of the best players in the match today, the errors of this man would have been more noticeable.

About the referees: I haven't seen many good ones in this World Cup. The referees seem to have their priorities all mixed up, when, doubting, they should fail in favour of the continued gameplay they opt for stoping the game, when it's the contrary they opt for continuing the game. For example, in the game near the end of the second half, nor Messi nor Tevez were in off side, however before the doubt the referee on the corner opted for the off side. Like this there's a lot of examples, some more noticeable than others. The foul of Heinze in the first half deserved a red card, here, in Germany, in China and in any other place where people have at least one eye and a brain. Then again all referees, always, seem to fail also before the doubt, in favour of the team wich has a richer history (i.e. politics).

Now everyone goes on at England playing bad, argentina were woeful and showed me nothing to they are the best the WC has to offer. Great goal but i felt for the mexicans, all the arg did was dive and fall about. Riquelme the next maradona? Do me a favour

That's a press myth. Riquelme and Maradona by their very natures are two different players. Riquelme is a slow player, but he thinks every move before executing, if you give him the time to do so, wich didn't happen today, you'll suffer the consequences (all in all I prefer Beckham, who should be playing in the same possition).
Now the german press says that Messi is the new Maradona (or was it Tevez). I don't like this kind of comparission but it's freedom of speech.