Posts: 9,706
Threads: 69
Joined: Dec 2010
Anyone watched Italy vs. Japan for the Confederations Cup? What a game! Best I've watched in a long time.
Posts: 8,762
Threads: 75
Joined: Apr 2006
I was watching Brazil/Mexico instead  .
Darrell
Posts: 9,706
Threads: 69
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 8,244
Threads: 30
Joined: Jun 2004
(June 30th, 2013, 20:48)Ichabod Wrote: 
You know that means they won't win the championship next year 
Posts: 8,762
Threads: 75
Joined: Apr 2006
That block by Luiz was the play of the match  . Why Ramos took the PK after his big miss vs. Bayern its beyond me. Spain is past their prime, especially on defense, and needs to look at some new blood for 2014.
Darrell
Posts: 9,706
Threads: 69
Joined: Dec 2010
We may not win next year's WC, but at least we showed yet again who is who on football. Spain has a long way to go to be compared to Germany, Italy or Brazil.
If it wasn't for all the hype around Spain's squad, yesterday would have been a way larger score (and Spain wouldn't have won their last titles). Spanish players call for fouls in every single damn play where they lose the ball (yeah, they don't dive, but raising the hand and making a crying face for the referee is the same thing) and the referee goes with it most of the time (because only Neymar dives for fouls  ). I wonder why Arbeloa and Ramos weren't sent off for plays exactly the same as the one where Piqué was sent off. My guess that's because the game was only 1 x 0 when the first two plays happened. Same thing with the PKs, where Spain was awarded with one, but Brazil wasn't.
I think Neymar won't receive much passes in his first matches with Barcelona, by the way.
Posts: 8,762
Threads: 75
Joined: Apr 2006
Funny...the British announcers all match were complaining about the thuggish Brazilian tactics and how the referees should have been carding them . As a fairly neutral observer who admires both sides, I thought it was generally well called. I think Spain is here to say as a football power, but I agree they have to win more consistently before they can claim international power status.
Neymar is awesome, but yeah I don't think he won any fans in Barca yesterday . That a guy so thin can generate such power is incredible. Oh, and I've never seen a better named player than Hulk. That guys thighs are thicker than my torso  .
In sad news, I costed the 2014 trip out and its going to run me ten grand easy, so its on hold for now  .
Darrell
Posts: 9,706
Threads: 69
Joined: Dec 2010
First thing everyone ought to know when discussing football with me is that I think passion > reason in this particular subject.  So, don't expect anything better than my comments above.
Though it is a bit ironic to see englishmen complaining about thuggish play.
A pity about your trip.  But maybe you can still attend to the WC, even without coming to Brazil. There has been some talk about changing the WC from Brazil to USA, due to all the manifestations happening across the country. I doubt it'd happen, but you never know.
Posts: 8,244
Threads: 30
Joined: Jun 2004
(July 1st, 2013, 11:35)darrelljs Wrote: I think Spain is here to say as a football power, but I agree they have to win more consistently before they can claim international power status.
Spain was the very first team that did defend its EC-title. Their success from 2008 till 2012 and their now ended streak of 29 games without a loss is more than enough to place them into the top-nations.
Posts: 8,022
Threads: 37
Joined: Jan 2006
We certainly aren't pretending that the Confederations Cup is a major, important tournament, are we?
I've got some dirt on my shoulder, can you brush it off for me?
|
