I dont’ beleive England can win the title, but I do believe they can beat Italy, the bet by the English coach in the more younger players for the national squad was a good one.
Normally in this tornatments my second team is Holland (or first when Portugal was not around, which was no so often a few years ago), not for cultural reasons but because of their football, total or not I really learn to apreciatte them over the years, and Berkcamp is still my favourite recent player, pitty we wasn’t born in Lisbon.
For cultural reasons I would had to support Spain and as much as I love Spain (I’m Portuguese but also Iberian), we are neighbours and therefor automatic rivals, and believe it or not in the last years most people here are always wishing that Brazil doesn’t reach the finals, they have became rivals.
This year I have a third team Boznia cause it was the country where I’ve spended more time in it, than Portugal.
It turned out I was right picking Holland over Spain, but it wasn’t that easy how it looks in the end. Spain could lead 3:0 in first half, there were lots of holes in Holland’s defense which Spain easily exploited with cut-through passes although Holland had extra people back. There were couple of times (I’m sure stills can be found on the net) when 6 Holland players were between Spain’s striker and passer, and striker (Costa) was still alone in the passage between two defenders. In other words, 6 men were guarding nobody. But van Gaal knew what he was doing. Holland has two players that are so good in open space and 1-on-1, that he decided to stack people in the back to allow them as much space as possible so they can outrun the defenders. It also helps when you have one of the best passers in football in Sneider. Last Holland goal were Robben outrun Sergio Ramos is best example of what they were trying to do. It is also early candidate for one of the best goals on the tournament, that run was freaking amazing, Ramos is among fastest defenders. First goal by van Persie was not bad either. Once Holland scored second goal Spain inexplicably completely fell apart and disaster could’ve been even worse. We will see if they can come back from this. Holland is flying high now, but it was evident that they are very vulnerable team, but they are also team that can beat anybody and maybe most importantly, they looked like they really want to win and believe in themselves. I’ll continue to root for them (unless they meet Croatia in next round).
In other 2 yesterday’s games, Mexico looked really good and dominant over Cameroon, win should’ve been bigger, refs again made mistakes. Croatia and Brazil should be worried. Chile looked like Mexico in the opening of their game and it looked like Australia could face disaster, but as game progressed, when Australia started play and create chances, and Chile could no longer find the way through very disciplined Australian zone defense, Chile became to look more and more like Spain. Players became nervous and frustrated like they were behind, not Australia. Luckily for them, unlike Spain, they scored 2 goals while they were dominant and Australia missed their chances.
Uau if my level of predictions keeps on like this, things are not looking good for England, I even bet they are going to win
I’ve only watched the final 30 mns (I started watching when I noticed that Costa Rica were leading 2-1). I predicted (elsewhere) a difficult match for Uruguay (mainly because I thought they were a little overrated), but didn’t expect it to be THAT difficult. Looked as if Costa Rica deserved to win.
Costa Rica fully earned that win. Did I hear the commentators say early on in the match that Costa Rica have never beaten Uruguay before? If so this’ll mean even more to them than the understandably priceless 3 points. Does this potentially play to England’s advantage or could this bite us in the bum later on? I dunno, but good luck to them anyway. I’m into any side who comes out intending to seize their opportunities, whether it’s Argentina, Germany or East Timor.
Sometimes stronger teams (and I still believe uruguay is stronger than Costa Rica) when they socre first against less strong teams, they loose intensity, to save energy for the next games (its a hard group), and try to control the game. Uruguay try to do it, but the other side know how to play to (that Campbell guy, very good player great left foot).
On paper Uruguay got some great palyers (Suarez was out), but they just dind’t work as a team. Maxi a Benfica player was sent off with a red card, something that should had happen more often in the Portuguese league, if he wasn’t so pretected by our refs,
Maxi or Mini, he completely and absolutely deserved this red card. What a grim foul. Not the best loser in the world, I presume.
F*ckbums.
Well, we lost. We slowed down (inevitably) and went a bit ragged as time ran away from us. And the defending still drifted without warning from “General Cohesion” to “Existential Nihilism” too often for comfort but I’ve got to say that, despite the obvious negatives that come with losing an opening fixture, I hadn’t been this impressed by England in terms of their application, aggression and (ultimately flawed) industry since… Christ, I can’t remember. So often, you can kind-of tell that England aren’t going to find a way through even if they play for ten hours straight. And you sense that the opposition - whoever they are - realise that as quickly as we do. You try to ignore that voice in your head, proclaiming that if we weren’t English, England would be a team we wouldn’t want to watch.
But for a long time tonight, England meant it. The amount of fcks that Raheem Sterling gave in being up against the mighty Italians was zero. We didn’t quite throw them off of their tried and tested gameplan and, in the end, we paid for that; but they were given short notice that this wasn’t that usual England, wracked with doubt, aware of their inability to transfer stellar club form to International competition, under ridiculous and divisive media pressure and paralysed by laughably unrealistic expectation. THIS England had faith, swagger, belief. An energy and movement that demanded and commandeered the spectators’ full attention. If I was from A.N. Other country and entirely ambivalent towards the nations contesting this match, I’d have been just as appreciative of England’s intent to seize this game by the throat. No weird deference to our illustrious opponent’s historical superiority this time. Italy? Never heard of 'em, pal. And yet, because I AM English, those swashbuckling raids into the Italian penalty area were sparking a dormant swell of genuine pride in my nation’s footballing representatives. I mean, of course I always want England to win, but… well, because I’m English, they’re England and that’s that. I’ll just root for “England” in an abstract sense, focus on the flag, try not to think of the hateful assortment of gormless underperforming sweaty genital parts I’m expected to fall in love with out of the clear fcking sky for four weeks out of every hundred or so - Terry, Lampard, Shtevie G, Rooney the Slackjawed Yokel: The grannyfisting Deliverance simpleton with the volatile and expanding planet-head, once an uncanny Shrek-a-like, now eerily resembling the back of a Fiat 500. But tonight, I felt inspired, proud, excited.
Heh, Rooney put that ball where Sturridge needed it for the (at the time) equalizer with supernatural precision just as I was cresting on a lengthly and expletive-coated pontification (to my doubtful-looking son) about how Rooney is a passenger and a waste of a crucial position both in this match and at this level. I had to make some huge split-second edits and conclude my Rooney-hating diatribe with, “Well… I mean, that was good. That was … sh*t man, that was perfect. THAT time…(tails off)”
I don’t like being made wrong when I’m giving my boy the full Foghorn Leghorn parenting experience. Rooney’s just made my list. Right up there with Subway, who tried to commit foul murder upon me with a poisonous baguette once.
Anyway: Brave, reckless, silly defeat. Maybe it’s the overage of gin and lemon (I’m a lightweight: Two Babychams and I’m anybody’s), but I found it to be worth more than a hundred previous timid, uninspired and negative attempts to cling on to parity rather than lose.
Good game, bad result, nothing lost in this group, it’s still wide open.
Hodgson should drop Rooney, one great pass is not enough. England’s defensive problems in the first half were in the first place his fault because he wasn’t following that offensive right back of the Italians. All you need to do in that positions, is walk a couple of steps back and defend your zone, it’s not really too much asking. The italian would have got the ball anyway on several occasions, but now the Italians had an extra midfielder/forward on the right, as free as a bird. As an experienced player you’re supposed to give support to the younger players, not make things more difficult for them.
In the second half Rooney had a different role, but he remained largely invisible and had no real impact on the game whatsoever.
Hodgson should also think about Gerrard, haven’t seen too much of him either
All credit to guys like Sturridge and Sterling, they gave 150%
I enjoyed this young team.
England Italy, was by far the best game of the tournamnet, pitty it played in Manaus, nothing against the place but with 85% of humidity, there was no need I think.
I was surprised by how young the English team was, still they miss two good center backs and a decente striker, one like Balotelli that is, strage becasue normally those are positions with good players on the English side. Rooney is weak as the only reference at the front, even if he gives everything, but that s not enought, always fought he was a bit overrated, and if Cahill is the best center back for England forget it. Italy got a great midfield and its a very dangerous team, we have to count with them.
Pirlo even if he didn’t made a great match, is one the last survivers of the truly nº 10 or regista, they are a specimen in extinction in today’s football.
From what I’ve seen I still believe that England can beat Uruguay and Costa Rica.
And after the first results I’m quiting predictions at least until the knock out phase
Yes, England was pretty good. Italy’s win was deserved, but in that form England has all chances to qualify for the next round.
A fine tournament up to now.
What a complete idiocy to play in a place like Manaus.
You noticed that players lacked coordination after 70 minutes (with all those awkwardly looking crosses as a result): the first signs of dehydration, the body can longer execute the instructions it gets from the brain; it can’t be remedied, the only thing you can do is drink a lot beforehand, and have drinking pauses every 10-15 minutes.
I pity players of other teams who still have to play there. Hopefully none of the games takes place at 13,00 h local time.
Portugal will play there with the US.
And the worst thing is that the stadium in the future will serve for nothing in football terms, there are no big teams in Manaus which is comprehensible, so the only use for it will for concerts and relegious events, a real waste of money.
Just noticed that, and the game starts at 22,00 h (CET), 16,00 local time … dear me
I read Italian coach Prandelli blamed Fifa after the match for not allowing drinking pauses. As said, that’s the only way for the players to remain physically allright for 90 minutes, otherwise the body just loses the fight against the humidity and dehydration. Not only corrupt, but also stupid overthere at the Fifa.
Croatia is playing next game against Cameroon in Manaus, it could be Cameroon advantage…
These midnight matches are turning me into a zombie, but i’m going to watch (or at least start watching) ARGENTINA - Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of the four great favorites (according to the bookmakers) versus an interesting newcomer, a part of former Yugoslavia, so we might expect technically skilled players and an offensive philosophy.
Four years ago Argentina had great players, but no team (Maradona is one of the best players ever, but no coach). I wonder how they will do this time. I have my doubts, but it’s now or never for Lionel Messi, he won’t get a better chance to make a lasting impression on a major tournament. Moreover the two great favorites we’ve seen thus far, weren’t really impressive: we’ve seen better Brazilian teams in the past, and Spain is in deep trouble. So Messi, if you mess it up again, it might all be over for you.
Come to Portugal here are 23:00
Might help a little, but not with this game (so far: half time)
Not impressed at all, neither by the Argentine team, nor by Mr. Messi himself.
Actually the Bosnians were the better team for most part
Yep, Argentina was a little clay-footed.
I thought the Argie V Bosnia game was pretty dull for the most part.