Brazil v Germany (Semi Final) Tuesday 8th July 2014

[friedaweed]

Stop me if I'm being too technical, but Brazil fannied about with it more than once and Germany pressured them into losing possession in their own half. Germany knew exactly how to exploit Brazil's weaknesses

Yep most of those mistakes happened because the krauts were pushing on and not allowing them the space they like to have and have been afforded by other teams. They had a very good game plan for undoing theim at the back. The Zilians also had no answer to the Germans very organised defense. No flare, no tricks, just Hulk and Fred and the other chunk trying to barge their way through. It was the worst game I've ever seen from a south American side. No imagination at all.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Stop me if I'm being too technical, but Brazil fannied about with it more than once and Germany pressured them into losing possession in their own half. Germany knew exactly how to exploit Brazil's weaknesses

which is why neither Argentina nor Netherlands will be a walkover. The former have conceded just one competitive goal in the tournament

 

[Doctor Carrot]

I'm with Hanson. Brazil were just plain poowar

Suicidal defending and playing that far up the pitch against the Germans.

This. The Germans are a good side, no doubt about it, but Brazil were just absolutely woeful. Algeria gave Germany a damn good run for their money, as did the yanks, as did Ghana and France could've got more from that dire game if they had a bit more gutso. Germany did play well last night but no better than they've played against other opposition, it's just that other opposition did a better job of defending against them. Brazil were absolutely pathetic in defending yesterday.

 

[JTG]

Yeah, they made good decisions in front of goal (although in contrast they managed to score twice from 29 shots against Algeria, and once from 13 against the USA, so not that clinical)

oh, they're not invincible. Very good though and coming to the boil bang on schedule

 

[friedaweed]

*whoosh* bad night, relatively early morning - clarify?

 

[Lo Siento.]

Hmmm. I see a lot of 'good' players unable to trap or pass a ball well. Basic ball skills aren't valued or taught imho

By "good" players, at what level? I don't think there's a single England first teamer these days who can't pass or trap a ball well and major club academies (which is where pros are trained, not school playing fields) are obviously going to teach those skills. England's major problem at this tournament wasn't technique, it was decision-making and organisation.

 

[JTG]

which is why neither Argentina nor Netherlands will be a walkover. The former have conceded just one competitive goal in the tournament

Yep. My money's still on Argentina, the most Euro of the South Americans and totally motivated by winning the Cup in Rio

 

[mod]

Especially if it ends up being against Argentina...

Oh yes please! I'd certainly watch that one.

 

[friedaweed]

By "good" players, at what level? I don't think there's a single England first teamer these days who can't pass or trap a ball well and major club academies (which is where pros are trained, not school playing fields) are obviously going to teach those skills. England's major problem at this tournament wasn't technique, it was decision-making and organisation.

and Rooney

 

[mack]

No way will either Holland or Argentina be as naive or woeful as Brazil - cannot understand what they were thinking. Fucking embarrassing.

 

[Lo Siento.]

and Rooney

and Rooney obviously

 

[JTG]

By "good" players, at what level? I don't think there's a single England first teamer these days who can't pass or trap a ball well and major club academies (which is where pros are trained, not school playing fields) are obviously going to teach those skills. England's major problem at this tournament wasn't technique, it was decision-making and organisation.

I think the overall strength of the game is a factor and there are players at Prem level who can't play. I'd disagree with your assessment of the quality of England's squad too. But it all feeds in.

 

[Badgers]

and Rooney obviously

Goes without saying

 

[Lo Siento.]

I think the overall strength of the game is a factor and there are players at Prem level who can't play. I'd disagree with your assessment of the quality of England's squad too. But it all feeds in.

(a) You don't think there are rubbish journeymen and limited players in La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga etc? Come on.
(b) Is the overall strength of football in Chile an impediment to putting together a national team good enough to take on anyone and play attacking football? How close do you think Nottingham Forest's Gonzalo Jara and Wigan Athletic's Jean Beausejour would get to an England squad? You only need 11, and not all of them even need to be good.
(c) I didn't make an assessment of the quality of England's squad. I said they can all pass and trap a ball well and are technically proficient footballers. Is that really beyond dispute? How long do you think you hold down a starting position for a team in the Champions League if you can't trap a ball?

 

[JimW]

Without wanting to sound bitter here (* he writes while whistling the Dambusters themetune)...
In normal circumstances maybe but the Ghana and Algeria games showed that an organised & passionate team can seriously unsettle their very average defence (exception Neuer and Lahm)
Last night Brazil made them look a lot better than they are. I'd have loved to have seen Mexico, Chile and particularly Colombia have a go at them.
Btw, the same smugness was evident in the WC2010 & Euros2012 before Spain and Italy respectivly snuffed it out of them.

Agree very much about seeing how Colombia would have fared, very different game surely.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Without wanting to sound bitter here (* he writes while whistling the Dambusters themetune)...
In normal circumstances maybe but the Ghana and Algeria games showed that an organised & passionate team can seriously unsettle their very average defence (exception Neuer and Lahm)
Last night Brazil made them look a lot better than they are. I'd have loved to have seen Mexico, Chile and particularly Colombia have a go at them.
Btw, the same smugness was evident in the WC2010 & Euros2012 before Spain and Italy respectivly snuffed it out of them.

Expectations for a German victory in the Final are now massive, almost as much presssure on them to win as on the poor old Brazilians before last night. Holland are probably a tougher proposition in the Final, looking for revenge for 1974 and also to wipe out the memory of losing to Spain in the last final. I think an average Argentina side could get blasted away like Brazil.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Expectations for a German victory in the Final are now massive, almost as much presssure on them to win as on the poor old Brazilians before last night. Holland are probably a tougher proposition in the Final, looking for revenge for 1974 and also to wipe out the memory of losing to Spain in the last final. I think an average Argentina side could get blasted away like Brazil.

I think Argentina are a good deal better than Brazil. They've certainly not been blasted away by anyone and were comfortably in control of their Quarter Final. I think Germany would prefer to play Holland in the final...

 

[goldenecitrone]

I think Argentina are a good deal better than Brazil. They've certainly not been blasted away by anyone.

Not yet. Neither had Brazil before last night. Anyway, let's see if they Messi can get them past Holland first.

 

[Badgers]

I think,” Scolari said afterward, “that it was the worst day of my life.

Until the €7.4m tax fraud case starts after the world cup is over maybe

 

[editor]

A major part of Germany's victory was the way that they managed to avoid being intimidated by the atmosphere and expectations in Brazil and just played their game (with some finesse!). No mean feat, that.

 

[Idris2002]

 

[Idris2002]

On a less humorous note, an English contact on Facebook - someone with no Brazilian connections at all, btw - was yelling "FIX" at the end of this amazing match. He couldn't possibly be right, could he?

 

[girasol]

From Facebook:

 

[editor]

On a less humorous note, an English contact on Facebook - someone with no Brazilian connections at all, btw - was yelling "FIX" at the end of this amazing match. He couldn't possibly be right, could he?

No. Well, not unless there turns out to be thousands of far East betting syndicates all putting down millions for a 7-1 German victory.

 

[twistedAM]

No. Well, not unless there turns out to be thousands of far East betting syndicates all putting down millions for a 7-1 German victory.

I wonder if anyone in the world actually got the score right. Only scenario I can think of is someone who was meant to bet 1-1 but forgot to go to specsavers.

 

[The Octagon]

I wonder if anyone in the world actually got the score right. Only scenario I can think of is someone who was meant to bet 1-1 but forgot to go to specsavers.

Looks like a few did: http://blog.paddypower.com/2014/07/...from-the-madness-that-was-germany-7-1-brazil/

 

[twistedAM]

Looks like a few did: http://blog.paddypower.com/2014/07/...from-the-madness-that-was-germany-7-1-brazil/

Four people had it!!! I guess some people just put a quid on about ten crazy scores on the one game with a chance of one coming up and still being in the money.
Bookies seemed to take a real hammering and some of the odds in retrospect seemed quite generous. I was watching it with someone who had Germany to win by two goals at 14/1

 

[Badgers]

The most 'tweeted' sporting event in the history of Twitter
35.5m tweets last night

 

[Badgers]

I guess some people just put a quid on about ten crazy scores on the one game with a chance of one coming up and still being in the money.

I did....

In all the low score draw matches

 

[editor]

The most 'tweeted' sporting event in the history of Twitter
35.5m tweets last night

I can still see that passer by's disbelieving face from the pub last night when he was told it was 5-0.