Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

The 2017-2018 Football Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
Lord Blackadder said:
It’s a symbolically huge win for Mexico, but from a German perspective it’s the least important match they will play in this tournament - and despite not playing all that well they should have at least drawn it. As for Mexico, South Korea and Sweden will not press them like the Germans did, so I expect they will find it harder to get behind those defenses with longballs and threaded passes.
Click to expand...

I disagree a bit on the "least important match" comment - I think, on the contrary, it's quite important to not start with a loss into a tourney; be it to only avoid a distracting national media-meltdown. A draw could have happened as we had some good chances to score a goal and I agree that Mexico wasn't really dominating the match but were defending really clever - as for their counterattacking: abysmal. :D
Good for us as they should have scored at least 2-3 goals imho. Bit ridiculous what happened back there to be honest, first our "defending" and then Mexico throwing away best chances left and right.

As for Germany: that was pretty, pretty poor. Devoid of any sane tactic...be it pre-game or in-game, some helpless players, some lazy players and some missing players that could have helped but weren't in the squad (Sané) and so on.

My only positiv take on it, and that could be a huge "win" in retrospect is that Löw is forced to shake up his own plans as well as making a long needed cut in the squad. Khedira needs to go, Müller is lost (since a couple of seasons tbh) and shouldn't start at all - given the history of a World cup winning team's performance in the following tourney it should be a no-brainer to bring in some young n hungry players (Gündogan, Reus, Brandt - did I say it's a pity Löw didn't manage to fit in Sané?).

Anyway, entertaining WC so far - although I do have to say that I follow it rather losely compared to all the other tourneys before. Not that much enthusiasm in general on my part, but that goes for all professional football related stuff atm.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Lord Blackadder said:
Me too - except when Mexico is the underdog. My desire to see them lose is purely sporting, but I don’t buy into this movement for USA fans to support them. They are our biggest rivals.

Mexico’s counterattacking plan bore fruit against a German side that were partly flat, partly unlucky. I disagree with those pundits who claimed Mexico ‘dominated’ parts of the match (I heard some of that on FS1 in the post match analysis). They defended pretty stoutly, created a few good counterattacks and scored on one, and had a slice of luck. Germany tried to force their way through a crowded middle zone and were too eager to shoot when a more patient approach using more width, and one that utilized their height advantage with crosses, would have served them better.

It’s a symbolically huge win for Mexico, but from a German perspective it’s the least important match they will play in this tournament - and despite not playing all that well they should have at least drawn it. As for Mexico, South Korea and Sweden will not press them like the Germans did, so I expect they will find it harder to get behind those defenses with longballs and threaded passes.
Click to expand...
About the eagerness to shoot: Yes, they many times shot from some rare locations, and many went really far from the target. Now, isn't that better, than trying not to score at all? Take, for instance, Argentina's match. They passed the ball throughout the whole amplitude of the field looking for that perfect in-between pass that would allow a sure-fire score. It never came, because Iceland was a wall on the back, and they were trying desperately to maintain the tie (Which they unfortunately did). If Argentina would have tried a few shots, then maybe we would have won. Just my little honest opinion.
 
FeliApple said:
Now, isn't that better, than trying not to score at all?
Click to expand...

It is, but it wasn't working, and a team as good as Germany should be able to change tactics and find something that does work.

To be fair both sides had some poor finishing, so the chances were there - they just weren't finished.

twietee said:
Anyway, entertaining WC so far - although I do have to say that I follow it rather losely compared to all the other tourneys before. Not that much enthusiasm in general on my part, but that goes for all professional football related stuff atm.
Click to expand...

I completely agree.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Well, to date, neither Germany nor Brazil have impressed (though I imagine that their opening matches may serve as something of a wake up call).

And nor, for that matter, have Belgium impressed much for the first half of their opening game.
 
Took them a while to get going, but Belgium rolls through Panama. Lukaku was starved for service in the first half, but scored a brace in the second. Wonderful volley from Dries Mertens to open the scoring, as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
All ready for England's big game. I'm feeling a bit nervous, but a win will be needed for those nerves not to get worse next week.
No disrespect to Tunisia, but we should be able to beat them.
Come on England.
 
Apple fanboy said:
All ready for England's big game. I'm feeling a bit nervous, but a win will be needed for those nerves not to get worse next week.
No disrespect to Tunisia, but we should be able to beat them.
Come on England.
Click to expand...
I no longer trust the favourite moniker before the match. Not after what happened to Argentina :confused:.
Anyway, England should win that one if - finally - the preconceptions of both teams hold true.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
And England currently lead 1-0, (thanks to Harry Kane) and lead comfortably enough.
[doublepost=1529347219][/doublepost]Ho hum.

It looks like I was - or may have been - just a little premature when I described how England appeared to enjoy a degree of 'comfort'.

Tunisia put away a penalty; one-all.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: FeliApple
Tunisia game plan is pretty clear. Break up any attacking play with an injury.

I think their pen was a little soft. We could have had one with a wrestle to the ground of Kane.

Mind you we should have scored another three with better finishing. Where's Geoff Hurst when you need him?
 
Apple fanboy said:
Tunisia game plan is pretty clear. Break up any attacking play with an injury.

I think their pen was a little soft. We could have had one with a wrestle to the ground of Kane.

Mind you we should have scored another three with better finishing. Where's Geoff Hurst when you need him?
Click to expand...

Yes, the it ca be argued that the penalty was "soft", but, frankly, 1) I like to see a competition, or contest, not a walkover, and, 2), England's finishing - with such a potentially gifted team, not encumbered by the baggage of the past - has been deplorable.

Therefore, I'm not going to dispute the penalty, instead, will merely content myself with the observation that England could (and should) be three-one up by now and comfortably coasting to victory.
 
Last edited:
Scepticalscribe said:
Yes, the it ca be argued that the penalty was "soft", but, frankly, 1) I like t see a competition, or contest, not a walkover, and, 2), England's finishing - with such a potentially gifted team, not encumbered by the baggage of the past - has been deplorable.

Therefore, I'm not going to dispute the penalty, instead, will merely content myself with the observation that England could (and should) be three-one up by now and comfortably coasting to victory.
Click to expand...
Indeed. The difference displayed so far - should it remain - will possibly bring about a comfortable lead for England.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Yes, the it ca be argued that the penalty was "soft", but, frankly, 1) I like t see a competition, or contest, not a walkover, and, 2), England's finishing - with such a potentially gifted team, not encumbered by the baggage of the past - has been deplorable.

Therefore, I'm not going to dispute the penalty, instead, will merely observe that England could (and should) be three-one up by now and comfortably coasting to victory.
Click to expand...
Personally I'd prefer neither the penalty given by Walker or the one Kane should have got, awarded. I prefer football to remain a contact sport.

But yes with better finishing it should be 3 at least. Hopefully Dele Alli is ok to carry on. He's been a key player in our better attacks.
 
I think it was probably a pen. Walker knew what he was doing, and he was clumsy in the way he went about it. The Tunisian player sold it but if you swing your arm like that you're taking a risk.

England are still clearly superior and should still be able to win this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Silencio and Scepticalscribe
Lord Blackadder said:
I completely agree.
Click to expand...

Well, on second thought - putting aside that the whole thing is happening in Russia, where I just hope the regular russian people find some pleasure in it.. and that I just don't have the time to watch and follow it as closely as I did the years before - might as well embrace it (a little) since it will be the very last tournament before that convoluted crap starts to hit the fan. And whatever evil plan Infantino and his mob comes up with on top of that.

;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Apple fanboy said:
Personally I'd prefer neither the penalty given by Walker or the one Kane should have got, awarded. I prefer football to remain a contact sport.

But yes with better finishing it should be 3 at least. Hopefully Dele Alli is ok to carry on. He's been a key player in our better attacks.
Click to expand...

Well, I'd like for Tunisian heads to remain up for at least a little longer; let them think they have something to fight for.

England should win comfortably, but there finishing has been surprisingly poor for such a talented team.

And, as the Guardian pointed out a few days ago, several of the England team have benefitted - as club players - from close mentoring from some of the best coaches in the world (Guardiola, Pochettino, Klopp and so on) and they have also benefitted from the fact that Southgate has known some of them - and kept a close eye on them - since they came through the underage system with him (a consideration that has also applied with some of the successful international continental teams, such as Germany).
 
Lord Blackadder said:
I think it was probably a pen. Walker knew what he was doing, and he was clumsy in the way he went about it. The Tunisian player sold it but if you swing your arm like that you're taking a risk.

England are still clearly superior and should still be able to win this.
Click to expand...
Agree. But what about Kane being wrestled to the ground twice now? Both off the ball.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
With the serious and genuine talent at their disposal (not to mention that Tunisia have lost their No 1 keeper) England should be strolling comfortably to victory. Instead, they are making heavy weather of it.
Click to expand...

To be fair, Argentina, Spain, Germany, and Brazil have all gotten off to rocky starts...of the "contenders" only the French have won their opening match.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scepticalscribe
Lord Blackadder said:
To be fair, Argentina, Spain, Germany, and Brazil have all gotten off to rocky starts...of the "contenders" only the French have won their opening match.
Click to expand...

Oh, true. Agree completely.

(And I remarked in some earlier post on the uninspirational start many of the well regarded and highly fancied teams have made to the tournament).

But: It is just that after the first twenty minutes, I really thought England would sort of stroll to victory. And now, they are sort of making heavy weather of it. Still, a point is better than none, but they do have the firepower to do better.

Mind you: I think that Dele Alli should have been taken off at half time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back