So, as we all knew, France sucks. Then, Mexico has showed up that they need 569865634 shots to score, Uruguay hasn't a single decent midfielder, and South Africa, well, they suck too.
Fantastic group, I look forward to 4 more matches of pure quality.
Well i liked the first game, becuase both those teams wanted to play football, and they tried to, it wasnt the highest quality, but it was still 100 times better than the France - Uruguay match, which was one of the most boring matches i have seen this year.
stuartmcstuart wrote:
This is supposed to be the top echelon of football, remember?
Eg France have good players and then are supposed to play well but they do not. So what? The matter is how you play - not your rank
True. Although to be honest, that's not the point I was trying to make. I was making a tongue in cheek remark about the quality of international football in general. Even with a squad of 23 good players, the limited time a coach has to mould a team that plays with cohesion is evident. Also, no international team has 23 outstanding players, and some countries have none (North Korea, New Zealand, Japan etc etc), yet there is a regard that international football, in particular the World Cup, is the highest level achievable in the sport. Rubbish.
It's good to watch in general, though, maybe because the teams are not as well drilled tactically, and there those gaps in quality, even in 'top' nations.
France vs Uruguay last night excepted, that was snoozeworthy
stuartmcstuart wrote:
yet there is a regard that international football, in particular the World Cup, is the highest level achievable in the sport. Rubbish.
So the ideal World Cup would be 23 european teams, a handful of South Americans, Mexico, USA, maybe South Korea, Maybe an african for fun?
stuartmcstuart wrote:
yet there is a regard that international football, in particular the World Cup, is the highest level achievable in the sport. Rubbish.
So the ideal World Cup would be 23 european teams, a handful of South Americans, Mexico, USA, maybe South Korea, Maybe an african for fun?
Nah, the ideal world cup can keep the current teams, only the players would be dwarfs.
stuartmcstuart wrote:
yet there is a regard that international football, in particular the World Cup, is the highest level achievable in the sport. Rubbish.
Using that logic, say if we took the top 32 in the world there would be:
5 Africans
2 North Americans
5 South Americans
Australia
18 Europeans
Now compare that to the World Cup:
6 Africans
3 North Americans
5 South Americans
3 Asians
Australia and New Zealand
13 Europeans
stuartmcstuart wrote:
yet there is a regard that international football, in particular the World Cup, is the highest level achievable in the sport. Rubbish.
Using that logic, say if we took the top 32 in the world there would be:
5 Africans
2 North Americans
5 South Americans
Australia
18 Europeans
Now compare that to the World Cup:
6 Africans
3 North Americans
5 South Americans
3 Asians
Australia and New Zealand
13 Europeans
Its simply fairer using the current system.
I didn't say I wanted to change it. The unevenness of it all adds to the appeal, surely. I just don't think that the World Cup is the highest level of the sport.
Waghlon wrote:
But surely you cant think of UEFA Champions League as the highest level. I mean River Plate, Boca Juniors, just to name a few...
Exactly, the Champions League is only European based. The World Club Championship is the next best thing to a world competition but is only open to about 6 teams a year.
Waghlon wrote:
But surely you cant think of UEFA Champions League as the highest level. I mean River Plate, Boca Juniors, just to name a few...
Exactly, the Champions League is only European based. The World Club Championship is the next best thing to a world competition but is only open to about 6 teams a year.
Oh noes, not another Champions League vs World Cup forum! Copa Libertadores, a late challenger for the title?
Waghlon wrote:
But surely you cant think of UEFA Champions League as the highest level. I mean River Plate, Boca Juniors, just to name a few...
Exactly, the Champions League is only European based. The World Club Championship is the next best thing to a world competition but is only open to about 6 teams a year.
Oh noes, not another Champions League vs World Cup forum! Copa Libertadores, a late challenger for the title?
France's shape fit Uruguay's to a tee, defensively. And France are reasonably good defensively, so it's only natural Uruguay didn't create much.
On the other hand, Uruguay's shape meant the French fullbacks were always free, and the same happened to Toulalan, so France could easily recycle posession.
Problem here is....France's offensive movement, as usual, varied between awful and nonexistant. Anelka drops off, drags a defender and.........nobody moves to take advantage.
The one time someone did decide to actually...you know....MOVE...Govou was behind the defence and almost scored.
But the way they're playing is a lot more suited to facing Mexico. This group is going to be wide open.
On the other side, Uruguay were just way too scared and the fullbacks stayed at home so they had no width. Result: That was boring. Very very boring. Hopefully today's games will be better. Also, Lodeiro has to start. Period.
On a side note, I had to watch the game on BBC. It was painful. It's just as (the genius) Jonathan Wilson constantly says: english "experts" know F*** ALL about tactics. The commentators' pathetical lack of insight would be funny if it wasn't so damn sad. If Mark Lawrenson was coaching France, I guarantee they would've been humilliated.
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
that's why in england, anyone with an opinion will drown out the commentators or just take the piss out of them.
After yesterday and a football manager career which saw me reach the world cup quarters thanks to a strike from him, siphiwe tshabalala is my favourite player and name.
