But they've played really bad teams those two games.
[Soccer] World Cup 2018
- Thread starter mikerc
- Start date
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are in on it. They've been throwing games for years, just so Russia can have a cakewalk through the Group Stage.
My favorite story so far from the World Cup.
http://time.com/5314526/mexico-city-world-cup-earthquake/
Mexico City partied so hard for the first goal scored, they set off the earthquake monitors.
http://time.com/5314526/mexico-city-world-cup-earthquake/
Mexico City partied so hard for the first goal scored, they set off the earthquake monitors.
Man, such rotten luck for Costa Rica. I as really rooting for them. For Iran too, by the way. The big teams are really disappointing me so far, but it seems likelythey'll all manage to wiggle through. Who played valiantly and lost in the 97th minute, and who got played all the way up and down the field, nobody'll remember. Costa Rica causing Brazil to go home in the first round would have been hilarious.
It is probably just me, but I feel that Argentina and Brazil deserve to lose after changing their national uniforms. Argentina gave up their cool Blue and White stripes for a black kit, and Brazil is wearing a Vault Suit instead of their national colors.
Maybe Brazil changed theirs colors after last cup. They also changed it after the maracanazo.
It's strange that I don't like the game, but the history behind it I do like. It's like a bad rpg.
I think you're overestimating the good feelings we have for the Scots, we probably won't store our cup all they're way over there.
Hmm? Ah! That's my cue!
*Ahem* Oh, go on Bubs. Unlike the English, I promise we won't lose it.
We would definitely end up losing it.
0-0 until the 92nd minute, when SK scored from a corner. This led to Germany throwing everyone forward, including their goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer.
Now, in case you didn't know, Neuer is known as a "sweeper keeper", in the sense that in addition to his goalkeeping skills (which are admittedly very good, in fact Neuer is widely considered the best keeper in the game currently), he also has the skills to play with the ball at his feet, ie he's also a good dribbler, passer, tackler, etc. This means that Neuer can often be found outside his penalty area, to challenge opposing attackers before they can get into dangerous scoring positions.
Today, though, Neuer was so far forward he was basically playing in the midfield or as an attacker. And while he's good with the ball at his feet, he's not infallible. Neuer lost possession high up the pitch, the SK player Ju Se-jong booted the ball downfield, and SK's star player Son Heung-min chased the ball down to tap it into the net. The game finished 2-0 to SK, which means Germany finished bottom of their group and have been eliminated from the World Cup.
Dave
Staff member
Meh. That last goal didn't mean anything. They would have lost 1-0 anyway and would have finished at the bottom anyway. That made 0 difference. Even had the goal differential kept them ahead of South Korea, they still would have been 3rd in their Group and gone home.
In fact, since Sweden beat Mexico, the Germany/South Korea game meant fuck all since they were both eliminated.
In fact, since Sweden beat Mexico, the Germany/South Korea game meant fuck all since they were both eliminated.
Dave
Staff member
Shit, you're right. I was looking at the Group G standings. But if they won by a single goal they still would have stayed home, right? Mexico would have had the same goal differential and beat them head-to-head.
Right?
edit: Nope. I'm forgetting they lost 2 in the point differential to South Korea.
Right?
edit: Nope. I'm forgetting they lost 2 in the point differential to South Korea.
Some more thoughts on the France-Argentina match.
Messi, despite getting two assists, was largely anonymous for much of the match. I think this was partly due to a tactical error by Argentina, and a tactical masterstroke by France. Argentina's error was to play Messi centrally as a false nine. The false nine strategy works by having the center forward (who usually has the number 9) drop deeper, which either gives the false nine player open opportunities to receive the ball, or forces one or more of the central defenders to track him, thus leading to space for teammates to exploit. The problem is, though, that for the false nine strategy to work, the wingers or midfielders need to move into the space vacated by the opponent's central defender(s), and Argentina's wingers and midfielders weren't doing that. So Messi would receive the ball in a deep position, then have no one making a dangerous run to pass to before he's harried off the ball. The only exception was for Argentina's third goal, after Aguero had finally come on, and Argentina finally had someone making the kind of runs that Messi can supply. France's strategic win was when they recognized that Argentina would be using Messi as a false nine (which isn't that hard to deduce, really, given that Messi's pretty much the guy who popularized the false nine position in the modern game) so they assigned N'Golo Kante to mark him out of the game. The genius of this move is twofold. Firstly, Kante is a midfielder, which means France's central defenders won't be pulled out of position by Messi dropping deep. Secondly, Kante is famed for his defensive awareness, work rate, stamina, and unselfish playstyle. He's basically perfectly suited to shadow Messi for 90 minutes and harass him whenever he has the ball, and even some of the time when he doesn't. Plus, every time Messi got a sniff of the ball, at least one other France player would come help Kante defend. Even Messi can't do much when he's getting triple-teamed by Frenchmen all game.
Argentina also played into France's hands in the later stages of the game by pushing forward and chasing goals. This opened them up to French counter-attacks, as we saw in France's second and fourth goals. I mean, look at the fourth goal, it started with the ball at the goalkeeper's feet, and then five passes later Mbappe is rifling a shot into the net. That's Wengerball-levels of movement and efficiency there.
Speaking of Mbappe, holy shit this guy is good. He reminds me of a young Cristiano Ronaldo with his pace and fearlessness. He was scaring the crap out of Argentina every time he ran at them. The last time I saw Argentines so terrified by a young forward at a World Cup match was Michael Owen in 98.
As a final note, I liked how the camera would pan to Messi every chance they got, whether it was a France goal, or Argentina's attack breaking down, or whatever. Messi had a constant "WTF is this shit" expression throughout the whole match.
Messi, despite getting two assists, was largely anonymous for much of the match. I think this was partly due to a tactical error by Argentina, and a tactical masterstroke by France. Argentina's error was to play Messi centrally as a false nine. The false nine strategy works by having the center forward (who usually has the number 9) drop deeper, which either gives the false nine player open opportunities to receive the ball, or forces one or more of the central defenders to track him, thus leading to space for teammates to exploit. The problem is, though, that for the false nine strategy to work, the wingers or midfielders need to move into the space vacated by the opponent's central defender(s), and Argentina's wingers and midfielders weren't doing that. So Messi would receive the ball in a deep position, then have no one making a dangerous run to pass to before he's harried off the ball. The only exception was for Argentina's third goal, after Aguero had finally come on, and Argentina finally had someone making the kind of runs that Messi can supply. France's strategic win was when they recognized that Argentina would be using Messi as a false nine (which isn't that hard to deduce, really, given that Messi's pretty much the guy who popularized the false nine position in the modern game) so they assigned N'Golo Kante to mark him out of the game. The genius of this move is twofold. Firstly, Kante is a midfielder, which means France's central defenders won't be pulled out of position by Messi dropping deep. Secondly, Kante is famed for his defensive awareness, work rate, stamina, and unselfish playstyle. He's basically perfectly suited to shadow Messi for 90 minutes and harass him whenever he has the ball, and even some of the time when he doesn't. Plus, every time Messi got a sniff of the ball, at least one other France player would come help Kante defend. Even Messi can't do much when he's getting triple-teamed by Frenchmen all game.
Argentina also played into France's hands in the later stages of the game by pushing forward and chasing goals. This opened them up to French counter-attacks, as we saw in France's second and fourth goals. I mean, look at the fourth goal, it started with the ball at the goalkeeper's feet, and then five passes later Mbappe is rifling a shot into the net. That's Wengerball-levels of movement and efficiency there.
Speaking of Mbappe, holy shit this guy is good. He reminds me of a young Cristiano Ronaldo with his pace and fearlessness. He was scaring the crap out of Argentina every time he ran at them. The last time I saw Argentines so terrified by a young forward at a World Cup match was Michael Owen in 98.
As a final note, I liked how the camera would pan to Messi every chance they got, whether it was a France goal, or Argentina's attack breaking down, or whatever. Messi had a constant "WTF is this shit" expression throughout the whole match.
Ah, poor Schmeichel you mean. Saves a penalty with extra time almost done to keep his team in it, saves 2 more in the pen shoot out, and still his team mates conspire to get themselves knocked out.
Props to Modric for stepping up to take a pen in the shoot out after missing the one earlier though.