World Cup 2014

Man. This world cup.

assume Campbell must've been here the odd time

cr defender almost brained his gk for the goal

rooting hard for the island nation of costa rica (tm espn) against holland

What I mean is, there was an ugly beautiful to them in Euro '04. They held it well, and always, after they found a goal from somewhere. Kept their nerve in possession.

I suppose it helped that in the Euros they were always playing a top Euro team whose reputation could do with a pop.

I keep reading CR as Classic Rock, shame on me

Nowt but love for the Greeks here, but through that extra time you couldn't root against Costa Rica. Plus some of Greece's play when going forward was just so incompetent that you're left pulling your hair out.

Costa Rica were actually playing like that '04 Greek side - everything on the line in the penalty box, last ditch clearances a-go-go. That Greek Side were the kings of the white-knuckle rearguard action, and no-one could take them down. Apart from Russia in the group stages for some reason. This said, Costa Rica were reliant on Navas being man of the match, and Greece in 2004 had Nikopolidis in goal, who was pretty much dreadful.

i think van Gaal's tactics are designed to cope with the heat/humidity but if Mexico hadn't've stayed in their own half after they scored i don't think the Dutch wd've won. that final flourish was the result of being given the freedom to keep attacking i think

Mexico could've done with good possession and coolness after they scored, but they totally fell off instead. Lessons from Euro '04 Greece not learnt.

if you don't have the players to stonewall then it's foolishness to try it

dunphy on Belgium to win

NV OTM. I still don't understand why Mexico sunk back as much as they did after they scored. Totally unnecessary, and totally let us get back I to the game. Almost surreal. Maybe it was stage fright?

the fuck is robben doing with that release. fool.

they subbed off dos Santos almost as soon as he'd scored and you knew then they were gonna try and hang on. just tactical - won't say naivety - just bad tactical misjudgement imo

Really bad. Because we were nowhere near being in the match up until then. But after Mexico scored, they all ran backwards 20 yards, leaving massive space in the midfield we hadn't conquered all match. Such a poor tactical decision.

It's 2014's subbing Riquelme

Basically, Mexico scoring saved us. For Mex started to lean back and Van Gaal had a reason to depart from that awful 5-3-2.

Or 2006 subbing Robben

One of my daydream projects is a book profiling the beautiful teams who lose WCs in a cruel fashion. I'm waiting for Colombia's exit before assigning the 2014 slot to Mexico.

Was thinking of starting an Ochoa v Navas poll, but I'll hang on to see what Enyeama does tomorrow night. This said, I can see a possible case for Algeria grinding out something against Germany, but there's no possible way Nigeria can stop France, is there?

It's 2014's subbing Riquelme

Never defend a 1-0 lead. Really really really never defend a 1-1 tie.

xxp oh there's plenty of ways Nigeria can stop France and it's stressing me out. Enyeama could have a fabulous game and just stop everything. Koscielny could work some of his patented magic and leave the game with a red card/pk combo around the 20th minute, Pogba could go ballistic and earn himself a red card.

theres a tiny chance its not france-germany, nothing more

poor old kuyt y'day, first half patrolled the wing with no shade, then 2nd half LVG had him swap wings so he was doing it again!

no point coddling a workhorse

noticed that, like his whole job was to soak up the u/v

bit of the old u/v, a clockworkhorse oraanje

our old friend louis van, rvp all nonsense now

Really don't know how good France are - we should find out today.

'82 fix might spur Algeria coach team talk, but its Germany. No payback today.

ashley young licking his lips for next season when he becomes united's robben/chief penalty getter

fair play

https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/the-rio-report/greece-surprising-request-turning-down-world-cup-bonus-133423113.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory

That alone says a great deal about the importance of integrity and national spirit, even in a sport as high-profile and rabidly-competitive as football.

http://i.imgur.com/69WxLI3.gif

LOL

ffs I'm already shouting at the BBC coverage. The incident they're saying Robben called a dive is the clear penalty when he gets caught twice separately. Seriously, have these pricks never seen a football match before?

I did find that confusing though, because the really blatant dive (where he sort of threw himself over the prone Mexican player) actually happened in the second half. I don't remember another incident in the first half other than the clear penalty

So, uh, France/Nigeria then?

offside ;_;

omfg save

yawn

Yeah pretty sleepy.

Nah this is stressful

I'm not yawning, really enjoying this! Can see how it's a stressful affair for you Jibe.

Getting tenser as it goes, which is good.

Oooffff

Should've been a red tbh

def

that was ugly

geigs blowing that call

yeah that is a red all day