...::[The Footy Desk]::... (Part 2)

[Edward RDRIII]

Just now, TheSantader25 said:

Richarlison was out. Neymar or veterans like Silva and Casemiro should have stepped up for the first.

I think he could still put him to shoot though, sorry if I'm wrong.

[TheSantader25]

3 minutes ago, Edward RDRIII said:

I think he could still put him to shoot though, sorry if I'm wrong.

You can't.

 

@Eutyphro

 

Yeah the subs were just typical switches that made no sense tactically. I was waiting for a midfielder to come on and shut down the super strong Croatian midfield but that never came. He kept subbing his forwards for no reason. Also weakening his pen takers in the process.

Edited December 9, 2022 by TheSantader25

[Edward RDRIII]

Just now, TheSantader25 said:

You can't.

 

@Eutyphro

 

Yeah the subs were just typical switches that made no sense tactically. I was waiting for a midfielder to come on and shut down the super strong Croatian midfield but that never came. He kept subbing his forwards for no reason. 

Alright, thanks, like you said he could've putted Neymar, Casemiro or Antony to shoot first.

[Eutyphro]

1 minute ago, TheSantader25 said:

I was waiting for a midfielder to come on and shut down the super strong Croatian midfield but that never came.

This is pretty much the point I had been making over and over even since the group stage, from analyzing Brazil's formation against Serbia. I thought it would have been more of a problem that Brazil played a sort of 424, as Neymar is not really a midfielder. But we've discussed before why it worked better than one might think, cause Brazil defends very well, and because the creativity of their attackers solves a lot of issues.

 

Today indeed definitely first half they were dominated on the ball, but all in all they were more dangerous than Croatia all game. We can judge the game by the scoresheet, but I think what we saw was a high quality game, where Brazil was very unlucky in the end. Brazil gave very little away defensively and the deflected goal was unlucky. Croatia was definitely the tactically smart team they would struggle against as I had been saying. Croatians just seem to understand how to set themselves up tactically, how to play good football in posession, etc. I don't know any other nation with such a natural tactical understanding as Croatia. In the end I thought the lack of ability to create danger would break them down, but they had the right perseverance and luck ultimately. Their lack of creating many dangerous chances is definitely what Croatia struggled most with.

[Jason]

Brazil did the (I wanna say modern, but idk true that is) thing of putting your most established pen taker as the 5th choice, as that is often the deciding penalty. It's not an awful strategy but the problem is when you do that and lose before the 5th penalty it looks really, really, really bad.

 

It's a video game, but my preferred method in Football Manager (lol) was to put my best taker first then 2-3 good takers in the next 3 then my second best taker 5th.

[TheSantader25]

What was that pass from Messi. Absolutely insane.

 

Edit: wtf is this game man

Edited December 9, 2022 by TheSantader25

[Karl11]

Right at the last seconds, Netherlands....

[Eutyphro]

1 hour ago, TheSantader25 said:

Edit: wtf is this game man

I have no idea either. I'm watching as a Dutch fan of course, but as a neutral spectator it's also a funny game this.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Eutyphro

[Jason]

Genius free kick for the equaliser. The whole world expected him to shoot lol.

[Edward RDRIII]

This game is tight af.

[Karl11]

Off to Penalties yet again...

 

And it's Argentina onward

Edited December 9, 2022 by Karl11
Argentina win

[TheSantader25]

Argentina played like pussies in the last 10 and got punished but they were by far superior in extra time. Overall I think they deserved to go through.

[Jason]

Mess of a game. Got needlessly petty at times and the ref was a complete mess. He obviously tried to get control of the game by going mental with yellows but it had the opposite effect lol.

[Edward RDRIII]

I think there's a high chance of Argentina and Portugal disputing the last game, they play way better than Croatia and Brazil, you can notice the faster passes and the stronger attack.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Edward RDRIII

[Donald Lov]

f*ck me sideways. It was way more intense than it should have been About 15 minutes of decent football from Holland and about 105 minutes of toiling. Emiliano is fabulous, and Messi looks like player of the tourney material. It's been a pleasure sharing this moment with you all. 

 

P.S.  Just imagine Martinez-Livakovic penalty showdown... My God, just the thought of it makes me drool.

[TheSantader25]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

Mess of a game. Got needlessly petty at times and the ref was a complete mess. He obviously tried to get control of the game by going mental with yellows but it had the opposite effect lol.

 This is just a normal performance from Lahoz. People who watch La liga know he does this every game just to be the center of attention. He f*cks up every game with yellow cards and drama yet doesn't have the balls to give a red when it's actually deserved.

[Cordohen]

Netherlands coming back to the score in the last minutes of the game was the same thing that happened with Australia in the previous game. Argentina made the same mistake, and this time they were punished and had to go through ET and penalty kicks. Emiliano Martinez made 2 very decisive saves on the first NL pens, just like Bono and Livakovic did against Spain and Brazil respectively.

 

We now have at least one non-european team in the Final 4, which is welcoming lol.

[Eutyphro]

8 minutes ago, TheSantader25 said:

 This is just a normal performance from Lahoz. People who watch La liga know he does this every game just to be the center of attention. He f*cks up every game with yellow cards and drama yet doesn't have the balls to give a red when it's actually deserved.

That two footed tackle on Gakpo late in the extended time should have been a red I think.

Anyway, this is one of those games where you just decide to not think about football for a little while afterwards, because though for a neutral spectator it was probably very entertaining, for a Dutch fan it was not lol. Much of the game didn't really look like football anyway. Also the penalty that was given was absolute sh*te. Seems like we really came alive in the changed system (433), but playing extra time with Luuk de Jong and Weghorst didn't work, and once again Frenkie had to do pretty much everything. We can leave with our head held high, but I also think we could have won this game and it's a waste.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Eutyphro

[Edward RDRIII]

2 minutes ago, Cordohen said:

Netherlands coming back to the score in the last minutes of the game was the same thing that happened with Australia in the previous game. Argentina made the same mistake, and this time they were punished and had to go through ET and penalty kicks. Emiliano Martinez made 2 very decisive saves on the first NL pens, just like Bono and Livakovic did against Spain and Brazil respectively.

 

We now have at least one non-european team in the Final 4, which is welcoming lol.

Yeah, the only european team I wouldn't mind to win the cup is Portugal, otherwise it has to be Argentina.

[Donald Lov]

15 minutes ago, Edward RDRIII said:

Yeah, the only european team I wouldn't mind to win the cup is Portugal, otherwise it has to be Argentina.

Croatia would be pretty insane too. Modric will solidify his status as one of the greatest to ever grace the field.

Man, what a ridiculously gifted generation it was for Croatia. Physical freaks of nature like Perisic and Brozovic, one in a 100 million kind of genius like Modric, and all those berserk strikers and defenders... And we were all lamenting Belgium

[Raavi]

Absolutely joke of a game. The Argentinian team wouldn’t know sportsmanship if it shat on them from a height, and the referee might as well have been wearing a white and blue striped shirt. I hope the Argentinians get humiliated by the Croats. 

[Donald Lov]

2 hours ago, Raavi said:

Absolutely joke of a game. The Argentinian team wouldn’t know sportsmanship if it shat on them from a height, and the referee might as well have been wearing a white and blue striped shirt. I hope the Argentinians get humiliated by the Croats. 

Are you off your meds or something?

[Raavi]

1 hour ago, Donald Lov said:

Are you off your meds or something?

Clearly you watched a different game. 

[Shyabang Shyabang]

I think the Moroccans have the best ball control. And they make quick and accurate passes. I can see why their fans are very confident about this World Cup.

[Lonely-Martin]

Croatia doing their bit, but Morocco, hey? Blimey!

Edited December 10, 2022 by Lonely-Martin

[TheSantader25]

What an end for Ronaldo. At least I think this has to be the end for him both at high level club and international level.

 

I have to say there was a time around 2018 that it felt like he really caught up to Messi and kept his own in the big debate. Even I as a Barca fan kinda held him in very high regards in those years and even equal to Messi.

 

But the past 2-3 years have really been downhill for him and he seems to have lost the ultimate fight. I believe leaving Madrid for Juve and United were big mistakes. What a player though.

 

The Moroccan manager deserves a job at a top European club imo. Seems to have analyzed his opponents perfecty.

[smokeless6]

Smash and grab for Morocco. Less than 30% of the ball and the win. This is why we play 'em! Hakimi has been excellent all tournament. Morocco's just a plucky underdog that doesn't quit. What a result.  Morocco in the semis! Their fans deserve nothing less.

Edited December 10, 2022 by smokeless6

[Cordohen]

WTF is this WC...

 

Morocco making history. Eliminating both Spain and Portugal back to back in the knock-outs, after playing Croatia and Belgium in the groupe stage (and not losing any game) their people can be proud.

 

And I though Portugal and Brazil were the ultimate favorites...

 

Now I'm shatting myself for tonight.

[Karl11]

I wonder, could Morocco end up being the Dark Horse of this World Cup?...

 

OOF, Kane's gonna get chewed up tomorrow for sure probably. France onward

Edited December 10, 2022 by Karl11
France won

[Lonely-Martin]

Unfortunate for Kane, poor refereeing puts it kindly though. Gah!!