Twietee, I'm not sure, if I understand you right
Germany (and Bayern) did what they always do, against supposedly weaker teams or underdogs. They have big trouble and against the so called better teams, they shine.
Both teams had deserved the win and it was really fun (not as in laughing) to watch.
On the other matches... they all seemed usual for Germany, playing good against a praised Portugal, playing helter-skelter-like against a naged about Ghana, winning just so against a suguested weak US. Everyone will see France as one of the stronger teams (only because of history, bot because of recent years) and Germany will win much easier, then in the other matches and so it will go on as always and then they will loose the 1/2final or this time the final (maybe against a diving Robben).
I am still not sure, if Schürrles back heel trick was really intended, he said it was and that he had done the same against Cameroon in the friendly 3 weeks ago, but... hm, I don't know. (Did Özil and Boateng shout angry at the fans, after the lucky Özil goal, maybe because of the criticism? I was wondering there).
RE Löw, I am two sided on it. It seems his swaps in the Ghana match were good, but on the other hand it might just have been luck or freshness of the new players. I don't know.
"Tactically inflexible" = heh, at least we now play 4-3-3 instead of 4-2-3-1
On the Italy match 2012, I think Podolski and Gomez were just the wrong decision from the start. Also in that time and after that Boateng often was to slow or did fowl a lot, risking and getting cards. I am realy surprised, how different (and better) he plays this time.
Also, I find Mustafi doesn't look that bad, as people say, I think the mistake against Ghana just repercusses here. He was also always fullfilling, what is expected from a German wing defender, when attacking, be the last player on the right next to the goal box, to assist. But, if no one passes to him (like in the Ghana match), he can't look as good, of course. Also, didn't he block some balls, (if it was not Neuer ) in the ALG match?
The TV commentary said this morning, that when Lahm was put in the defense and Khedira next to Schweinsteiger, that that didn't make the defense better (or that it even worsened it, after the defense had become better), which is interesting, given how much everyone seemed to have called for this setup.
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On the whole Brazil topic. It depends on what you want to see. If you are fine with long balls on Neymar or Hulk all the time, that's ok, they do everything right (with limited abilities), but, if you think modern players have to be able to quickly make a chain of passes and also move around an attacking player, without loosing the ball, you might not like Brazil this time. I agree on you, that it was already known, that Brazil is weak this time, before the match. I also think I remember that during friendlies arround 2010 they said Brazil was too weak and that this was just a transition phase.
I don't understand, why in the Chile match they didn't play more on Hulk in the last minutes. That belongs to a good player, too, seeing if their might be a better option, rather than sticking to the "pattern Neymar". (Like Neuer, being in serious trouble, but still seeing that he has to quickly make a long ball on Schürrle, who is almost alone in the front. He didn't have time, to realy think a lot there).
Other teams, weaker than Brazil? Have you not seen how Mex. players moved around NED players, still keeping the ball, back and fourth 1-2m. Just one player. It didn't show against Brazil, but against NED you could see they have some superb technical players.
Mexico looked technically more advanced against the NED, than Brazil against Chile! IMO.
Same for Chile, they can't just counter attack or play 3 passes and are through, they can also keep the ball, when another player almost stays at their foot or get it back without bad tackling just fiddling the foot tip in, when running next to another player.
Columbia, not winning against Brazil? Hm, maybe, but on the other hand, they were organized at the back, need few chances and did both attack quick and defend. (From my view). Btw. I tipped right on the 2:0 against Uruguay.
But it might very likely be again more luck than quality for Brazil.
Oh, and Costa Rica, they deserve all the cheers for advancing with one man down. On the other hand Greek did look quite good given all the old players.
I am the least of knowledgable on the football matter, but that's just how my impressions were.
I feel, like I had done Chile and all other teams a bad luck and influenced the outcome, because I wanted to look, what the possible 1/2final against GER would be and just scribbled on a paper BRA-Col (though I wanted Chile), NED-Costa (though I wanted Mex), F-D on the paper (filling in the gaps between the lines I had drawn). I didn't do that for Switzerland-Arg. and US-Belg. and I hestitate to do that now. Of course, I know, I am not that important for the universe...
And the last note, did someone see the interview with the Algerian player after the match. His head was smoking (head hot and air cold). Funny. I wonder, if that was as transparent on a LCD flatscreen (I still have a big Tube).
But wasn't it the most entertaining / exciting 0:0 of all matches? It had speed all the time and a lot of positive "shock" moments followed by "phew, now that just went good".
Germany (and Bayern) did what they always do, against supposedly weaker teams or underdogs. They have big trouble and against the so called better teams, they shine.
Both teams had deserved the win and it was really fun (not as in laughing) to watch.
On the other matches... they all seemed usual for Germany, playing good against a praised Portugal, playing helter-skelter-like against a naged about Ghana, winning just so against a suguested weak US. Everyone will see France as one of the stronger teams (only because of history, bot because of recent years) and Germany will win much easier, then in the other matches and so it will go on as always and then they will loose the 1/2final or this time the final (maybe against a diving Robben).
I am still not sure, if Schürrles back heel trick was really intended, he said it was and that he had done the same against Cameroon in the friendly 3 weeks ago, but... hm, I don't know. (Did Özil and Boateng shout angry at the fans, after the lucky Özil goal, maybe because of the criticism? I was wondering there).
RE Löw, I am two sided on it. It seems his swaps in the Ghana match were good, but on the other hand it might just have been luck or freshness of the new players. I don't know.
"Tactically inflexible" = heh, at least we now play 4-3-3 instead of 4-2-3-1
On the Italy match 2012, I think Podolski and Gomez were just the wrong decision from the start. Also in that time and after that Boateng often was to slow or did fowl a lot, risking and getting cards. I am realy surprised, how different (and better) he plays this time.
Also, I find Mustafi doesn't look that bad, as people say, I think the mistake against Ghana just repercusses here. He was also always fullfilling, what is expected from a German wing defender, when attacking, be the last player on the right next to the goal box, to assist. But, if no one passes to him (like in the Ghana match), he can't look as good, of course. Also, didn't he block some balls, (if it was not Neuer
) in the ALG match?The TV commentary said this morning, that when Lahm was put in the defense and Khedira next to Schweinsteiger, that that didn't make the defense better (or that it even worsened it, after the defense had become better), which is interesting, given how much everyone seemed to have called for this setup.
---
On the whole Brazil topic. It depends on what you want to see. If you are fine with long balls on Neymar or Hulk all the time, that's ok, they do everything right (with limited abilities), but, if you think modern players have to be able to quickly make a chain of passes and also move around an attacking player, without loosing the ball, you might not like Brazil this time. I agree on you, that it was already known, that Brazil is weak this time, before the match. I also think I remember that during friendlies arround 2010 they said Brazil was too weak and that this was just a transition phase.
I don't understand, why in the Chile match they didn't play more on Hulk in the last minutes. That belongs to a good player, too, seeing if their might be a better option, rather than sticking to the "pattern Neymar". (Like Neuer, being in serious trouble, but still seeing that he has to quickly make a long ball on Schürrle, who is almost alone in the front. He didn't have time, to realy think a lot there).
Other teams, weaker than Brazil? Have you not seen how Mex. players moved around NED players, still keeping the ball, back and fourth 1-2m. Just one player. It didn't show against Brazil, but against NED you could see they have some superb technical players.
Mexico looked technically more advanced against the NED, than Brazil against Chile! IMO.
Same for Chile, they can't just counter attack or play 3 passes and are through, they can also keep the ball, when another player almost stays at their foot or get it back without bad tackling just fiddling the foot tip in, when running next to another player.
Columbia, not winning against Brazil? Hm, maybe, but on the other hand, they were organized at the back, need few chances and did both attack quick and defend. (From my view). Btw. I tipped right on the 2:0 against Uruguay.
But it might very likely be again more luck than quality for Brazil.
Oh, and Costa Rica, they deserve all the cheers for advancing with one man down. On the other hand Greek did look quite good given all the old players.
I am the least of knowledgable on the football matter, but that's just how my impressions were.
I feel, like I had done Chile and all other teams a bad luck
and influenced the outcome, because I wanted to look, what the possible 1/2final against GER would be and just scribbled on a paper BRA-Col (though I wanted Chile), NED-Costa (though I wanted Mex), F-D on the paper (filling in the gaps between the lines I had drawn). I didn't do that for Switzerland-Arg. and US-Belg. and I hestitate to do that now. Of course, I know, I am not that important for the universe... And the last note, did someone see the interview with the Algerian player after the match. His head was smoking (head hot and air cold). Funny. I wonder, if that was as transparent on a LCD flatscreen (I still have a big Tube).
