The 2014 FIFA World Cup Thread - The only time people give a shit about football! - General

[QUOTE=Big Bang;45176066]Argentina is actually shit and everyone but them know that, and the fact that they're struggling against bottom tier teams like Bosnia and Iran just proves that.[/QUOTE] Argentina is one of the leading teams in the current WC and in general. How are they shit? There can be plenty of surprises in football. A team that's inherently better on paper doesn't automatically mean it'll be a sure, crushing win against the lesser team. Iran has put up a pathetic bunker defense which was basically "place most of our team inside the penalty and goal area whenever we lose possession", because they knew that any other tactic just wouldn't work against an Argentinian attack, especially with a player like Messi and several others. It was an extremely cheap defense that would stop even the most experienced and aggressive teams.

[QUOTE=Melnek;45176242]Argentina is one of the leading teams in the current WC and in general. How are they shit? There can be plenty of surprises in football. A team that's inherently better on paper doesn't automatically mean it'll be a sure, crushing win against the lesser team.[/QUOTE] Argentina is playing against tier 2 teams. I don't think they stand a chance against the actual contenders once they move out of the group stages. [QUOTE=Melnek;45176242]Iran has put up a pathetic bunker defense which was basically "place most of our team inside the penalty and goal area whenever we lose possession", because they knew that any other tactic just wouldn't work against an Argentinian attack, especially with a player like Messi and several others. It was an extremely cheap defense that would stop even the most experienced and aggressive teams.[/QUOTE] Did we watch the same game? It was a close match and could have been anybody's. Also, playing with 11 defensemen worked out for chelsea.

[QUOTE=WeekendWarrior;45176241]Aguero, Higuian, Lavezzi, Zabaleta, Demichelis and Campagnaro are all well known in Europe so to call them nobodies is quite the exaggeration.[/QUOTE] To call any of those players top tier would be an exaggeration too. Their last two games (And the classification matches, they infamously lost against Venezuela) have shown how they struggle playing together with Messi pretty much holding the whole thing togehter. [QUOTE=Melnek;45176242]Argentina is one of the leading teams in the current WC and in general. How are they shit? There can be plenty of surprises in football. A team that's inherently better on paper doesn't automatically mean it'll be a sure, crushing win against the lesser team. Iran has put up a pathetic bunker defense which was basically "place most of our team inside the penalty and goal area whenever we lose possession", because they knew that any other tactic just wouldn't work against an Argentinian attack, especially with a player like Messi and several others. It was an extremely cheap defense that would stop even the most experienced and aggressive teams.[/QUOTE] They WERE something else back in the day, or so but have degraded continuously due to their own huge massive fucking egos (I recall going to Argentina, passing by the national team's training camp which is close to the airport, and my taxi driver telling me that their team barely trained together at all since they all had commitments elsewhere), the way that they're not crushing teams that are meant to be inferior to them like what France, Germany and Brazil are doing means they're not gonna do well in a WC where underdogs like Chile, Costa Rica and Colombia are taking wins from teams that are meant to be strong as well. Portugal is the clear example of a team with few star players that doesn't perform well together. And even if Iran had to mount a desperation defense (Would be stupid not to considering that the strongest point of Argentina is it's offense), the mere fact that Iran got a fuckton of goal opportunities shows some weaknesses in Argentina's backline, which will doom them against the extremely fast plays we're seeing nowadays.

[QUOTE=Big Bang;45176066]Argentina is actually shit and everyone but them know that, and the fact that they're struggling against bottom tier teams like Bosnia and Iran just proves that.[/QUOTE] even as a brazilian i admit that argentina is actually pretty damn good. their defense is sub-par but they're definitely not a bunch of nobodies

[QUOTE=Melnek;45176242] Iran has put up a pathetic bunker defense[/QUOTE] Don't be thick, you know full well Iran played them to the edge. If anything the chances Iran had were simply a few inches off from goal. Where were the other $65 million a year shots? You tell me.

[QUOTE=Big Bang;45176358]To call any of those players top tier would be an exaggeration too. Their last two games (And the classification matches, they infamously lost against Venezuela) have shown how they struggle playing together with Messi pretty much holding the whole thing togehter.[/QUOTE] aguero, demichelis and higuain are not top tier?

[QUOTE=Big Bang;45176358]To call any of those players top tier would be an exaggeration too. Their last two games (And the classification matches, they infamously lost against Venezuela) have shown how they struggle playing together with Messi pretty much holding the whole thing togehter.[/QUOTE] At club level Aguero, Zabaleta and Demichelis are world class, they just obviously don't fit into their national team's system very well (which happens).

Sabella seems like a terrible coach, IMO, which degrades the team a lot, it also wouldn't be the first time the team complained about his tactics, he's resigned before for protests from the players.

[URL="http://www.gfycat.com/ImpossibleVigilantGrison"]GFY of the "penalty". [/URL]

time for ze germans

i'm betting on 3-1 germany

Morning peeps! Let's go, Deutschland! Good save!!

Ghana's looked remarkably strong, either that or the Germans just aren't stepping up to the game.

Man, Ghana are playing really well.

Ghana might pull a Costa Rica on Germany.

Does Muller have microscopic shin pads?

[quote]All seven of Germany’s goals against Ghana have been scored from the 60th minute onwards. Wait. [/quote]

They don't want to skew their stats, so they're going to cross a ball to Müller at 59:59.99 [editline]22nd June 2014[/editline] ...or not.

10 minutes early Germany.

GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL Edit: wait was there a streaker or something

Ghana deserved that.

Gotta be shitting me, Score 1, concede 1.

This sport is so random.I mean who scores a goal by getting hit in his face and then his knee accidentally? I guess a player worth 40mil$

[QUOTE=godfatherk;45177191]This sport is so random.I mean who scores a goal by getting hit in his face and then his knee accidentally? I guess a player worth 40mil$[/QUOTE] Reminds me of a Chicharito goal where he shot the ball into his face and it went in the net :v:

What happened to that streaker

this is actually a really good day of football so far... no easy games at all.

[QUOTE=Ignhelper;45177209]What happened to that streaker[/QUOTE] His streak ended heh

[QUOTE=godfatherk;45177191]This sport is so random.I mean who scores a goal by getting hit in his face and then his knee accidentally? I guess a player worth 40mil$[/QUOTE] He's redirecting it with the crown of his skull, that's the difference. It's altering the trajectory of the ball from the kicker to get around the goalie.

UGANDA OHHHHHH YEAHHHH

#2!!!! WTF?!