FIFA World Cup: Russia 2018

[Fierce_LiNk]

I was working and didn't get a chance to check the scores until it was around the 80th minute mark. I was so confident that Germany would get a goal and didn't really pay attention to the group table standings that I went off to go and do a few odd-jobs. When I came back, I couldn't believe it! 2-0 to South Korea! What the absolute fuck? That second goal is crazy. How did Germany allow this to happen? They're usually so ridiculously reliable. Blows the whole thing wide open, though!
Unlucky, @drahkon

[Julius]

Brazil really found their stride tonight against Serbia, after a very nervy start to the group against Switzerland followed by a relatively better display without much decisiveness against Costa Rica. I think their stepping up and coming into their own is exactly what was expected after Germany lost to Mexico, but alas, their chance at revenge just wasn’t to be. Neymar went down a lot less tonight, looking stronger all around (as expected, Tite was right in saying that it would take five matches for him to be up to snuff — tonight was his fifth match since returning from injury) and Brazil looked really hungry for some goals against Serbia tonight. If they can carry their evolution on into the knockout stages, there’s no reason that they can’t win the tournament, with some great flair going forwards reminding me of their team from the 2000’s. 

The Round of 16 is looking like such fun. Uruguay v. Portugal should be a belter of a match in terms of seeing how the former’s defence comes with Ronaldo; Spain v. Russia is going to be very, very loud  ; France v. Argentina should put both teams to the sword, and its an early chance for them to prove if they’re seriously capable of going on to win it; Brazil v. Mexico should be a very fiery contest; and Sweden v. Switzerland will probably be a nervy, end-to-end game for both sides. I think that Croatia v. Denmark is the only game that I’d be comfortable predicting the outcome of in the Round of 16 at the moment! It’ll probably be a comfortable one for the Croats, at least based on their group stage form. 

I don’t expect England to do so well against Belgium tomorrow — beyond the typical pessimism English fans have when it comes to our national team, we really weren’t as good as the scoreline against Panama might suggest. The biggest surprise for me so far this tournament is probably that Belgium only scored 3 against them! Colombia v. Senegal and Poland v. Japan should be great games, and it’ll be interesting to see who we end up facing. I don’t think coming first in our group matters too much when it comes to the first round of the knockout stages, but it’ll certainly mean a lot beyond that. 

Germany really weren’t deserving of going through, and it’ll be interesting to see if Löw keeps his job. I was fairly annoyed by commentators droning on and on about Sané being left out, but many of the players that featured at the Confederations Cup should have been here for the World Cup, and much of the old guard — Khedira, Özil, Reus, and a couple of others — should have been left out in their place. So yeah, Sané probably should have been here. Neuer did very well to return the way he did at this World Cup after so long out, and I hope that this doesn’t knock his confidence too much, because the blame clearly lies elsewhere.

They only took two real strikers, and Gomez seemed keen to spurn every chance that he had, whereas Werner was exceptional in work ethic for his age — you’d think he was one of the veterans. But why was he playing on the wing with Reus playing centrally at times today?

Regardless, a big shake-up isn’t needed to the infrastructure of German football after this, but their approach needs to change. There was no chemistry in this side because Löw was so indecisive in choosing his teams in the lead up to the competition (37 different players during qualifying is a waste of a lot of people’s time, and a stupid mistake for a manager as experienced as theirs to make). Their best players by far in their three games were Werner, Kimmich, and Brandt (who really deserved a start today after hitting the post during both of his substitute appearances). Kroos’ free kick against Sweden was superbly worked, but he’s been successfully marked out of all of their games. I’m shocked that Müller didn’t turn up after scoring 5 goals in both South Africa and in Brazil, but again, the blame can’t all go down to only one player not turning up as they have before. 

Yes, Löw lost the spine of the national team since Brazil 2014 in Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Klose, et al, but that doesn’t mean that the bit-part players who are still around, like Özil and Khedira, can successfully step up to become the spine of the team, because they were never the core of the team. Quite frankly, they didn’t deserve to come to this World Cup based on form and fitness/injury concerns anyways. 

The curse of World Cup champion continues, eh?

[Julius]

Too soon? 

[Hero-of-Time]

I didn't get to see the match as I was at the cinema but I was completely shocked when I seen the score. What the hell happened to Germany in this tournament? Unlike a lot of England fans, I love watching the Germans play, especially when they are firing on all cylinders, but they clearly fell apart this WC. I'm gutted for you @drahkon.

[drahkon]

My thoughts:We absolutely deserved to get knocked out. Horrible performances in those three matches. Changes have to be made in the next two years to be ready for the European Championship.

I'm in a good mood again, though. It's just football anyway  

Now it's time to enjoy the rest of the tournament as a neutral. Not sure if I'm going to root for Belgium or England. 
Belgium because I like their talent (and beer) and they're our neighbours, England because it would be awesome to see the trophy go to the homeland of football (and because I don't want to get banned)  

[Julius]

29 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

What the hell happened to Germany in this tournament? Unlike a lot of England fans, I love watching the Germans play, especially when they are firing on all cylinders, but they clearly fell apart this WC. 

I think the vast majority of football fans enjoy watching Germany play, English fan or not. Obviously, English fans who are more casual football followers, or those still holding things against them (football related or not) seem keen to forget what a great side they are, but I do think that the majority of English football fans enjoyed watching them prior to this tournament. 

It’s when we come up against them that the hate comes to the fore  

As for what happened, here’s my opinion:

• There was no real drive to win it again, as has been the problem with France in 2002, Italy in 2010, and Spain in 2014. Many of these guys are serial winners at club level, and for those who have experienced winning the World Cup before, what’s the incentive for them to do it again? And that’s a very big problem when the team’s veterans only played a bit-part role in 2014 and weren’t the spine of the team, but have been slotted into such roles as a result of the team’s key players having since retired. 

• No tactical zest. In 2013, tiki-taka football — as we knew it in its hey day under Guardiola’s Barça— came to an astonishing end when Vilanova’s Barça were knocked out 7-0 on aggregate by Heynckes’ Bayern, who played and marked them out of the game. It was a tactical masterclass. They very effectively marked the key players who drove the team and synchronised their play — Xavi, Iniesta, Messi — and thus won the game by a pair of resounding results. 

In 2014, Germany played a variant of tiki-taka which focused much more on slower build-up play due to the Brazilian heat, and decisive moments of pressing, which caught teams on the back foot. It was a tactically adept, typically German version of tiki-taka football which was much more efficient than it was beautiful, but it worked. At this tournament, they looked to be playing much the same style of game, but the big difference is of course that the players who made them tick before (Lahm and Schweinsteiger) have since retired, and only Kroos seems to be continuing that legacy. With only one player in the role of key passer, who synchronises the team’s rhythm, in the event that they become marked out of the game, the team’s doomed. His late goal against Sweden was superb, but he was effectively marked in every single one of their group games.

Yes, it’s hot in Russia too, but to keep your playing style virtually the exact same from four years ago? Is that not the exact same problem Spain had four years ago too? All it takes is one manager to figure a team’s tactics out and successfully implement a counter to those tactics before the managers and players of other teams are aware of how to beat them. If the team’s tactics aren’t adapted after such a defeat, then everyone else now has the knowledge of how to beat you, and perhaps it was unfortunate for Germany, then, that they came up against a tactically aware Mexico first; high press, speedy counter attack, and Kroos marked out of play. After the last decade of tiki-taka and its variants, this is the go-to way to beat a highly possessive side with fullbacks who play in the far corners of the final third, and it is such common knowledge at this point. 

• Holding on to memories of past bliss. The Confederations Cup was proof enough that the youngsters in the German national team were ready for the next step up, and the hungriest of their players in this tournament were very clearly Brandt, Werner and Kimmich. I hate that reports droned about this for too long, but yes: obviously Sané should have been there. Süle was very impressive for much of yesterday’s match. 

A substantial change in personnel like this — due to their own individual dynamism — would have meant that Löw could have actually got away with using virtually the same tactics as he used four years ago because of how these young players, for the most part, aren’t seen week in and out on the biggest stage possible, meaning that their movement and styles of play aren’t as well documented. The spine of the team could have been kept much the same — Neuer (who was great for a goalkeeper who had been out for so long, and his only really mistake was for that second Korean goal); Boateng/Hummels paired with a new, fresh centre back, like Süle; Kroos; Müller still deserved to feature given his previous World Cup campaigns. But then throw in the new players around them, like Brandt (practically Schürrle 2.0) on the left wing and Goretzka in midfield (he was poor yesterday, but that’s what happens when your first start of the tournament is in your do-or-die game). 

I’m worried now that the German FA will see this is a reason for an overhaul of the sport over there like back in the early 2000’s, but it’s not. It’s just time to let poor-performing players like Özil and Khedira fade out of international football.  

[bob]

I don't dislike the German team. I would have been happy watching them go far, but I do love an upset.

[Julius]

Gutted for Senegal. Their going out on the new Fair Play qualifier just doesn’t feel right. 

So, after those results, if England...

• come first: we have Japan in the Round of 16 (on paper, the much tougher side of the draw).

• come second: we have Colombia in the Round of 16. 

Edited June 28, 2018 by Julius Caesar

[Happenstance]

I'm not necessarily against that rule as it makes sense to have more punishment for cards etc but it sounds like Japan were a bit of a mess at the end there.

[Hero-of-Time]

1 minute ago, Happenstance said:

I'm not necessarily against that rule as it makes sense to have more punishment for cards etc but it sounds like Japan were a bit of a mess at the end there.

Yeah, they were shocking. They may as well have not been on the pitch for most of the match.

Senegal was another example of a team being on top for most the match but wasting chance after chance to kill the game off. This kind of thing has been costing a lot of teams in this tournament.

[Julius]

21 minutes ago, Happenstance said:

I'm not necessarily against that rule as it makes sense to have more punishment for cards etc but it sounds like Japan were a bit of a mess at the end there.

I’m not really against it either, but it does feel like an unnecessary extra punishment. Players will already feel bad enough within the confines of one game for getting booked, and too many yellow cards in a set number of matches results in them missing a game. What’s the point of it? Are we trying to send the message to those watching that players should challenge for the ball much less aggressively than they already do? I just don’t get what the agenda is here — this isn’t taking aim at a particular problem with the sport, such as diving (which many players still aren’t booked for), and is just serving to put defenders specifically at a disadvantage. 

It just doesn’t seem like the best way to go about it — tackles are a part of the sport and cards come along as a result of that. If it came down to Fair Play specifically regarding the treatment of the other team’s players and being a good sport (i.e. not diving; not getting involved in spats on or off the pitch; not grievously endangering the opposition; not kicking the ball away in frustration; stopping the opposing team from taking a free kick; or throwing the ball away from the opposition when its their throw-in; etc.), then I think that it wouldn’t be a problem at all. 

Because is there really any surprise that the relatively taller and relatively stronger Senegal picked up more cards than Japan? 

Edited June 28, 2018 by Julius Caesar

[Hero-of-Time]

The match is garbage as expected. Both teams clearly don't care about winning. Players are skying shots left and right and there's zero urgency or intensity from either side.

 

[Hero-of-Time]

Belgium woke up. I wonder if England just call it a day now.

[Happenstance]

I hope not. I hate the idea of trying to win by taking the easiest route.

[Hero-of-Time]

1 minute ago, Happenstance said:

I hope not. I hate the idea of trying to win by taking the easiest route.

Indeed.

I would rather play Japan over Columbia.

[Julius]

I can’t stop laughing at the shot of Batshuayi booting the ball against the post in celebration of Januzaj’s goal, before it rebounded and hit him square in the face 

[Eenuh]

11 minutes ago, Julius Caesar said:

I can’t stop laughing at the shot of Batshuayi booting the ball against the post in celebration of Januzaj’s goal, before it rebounded and hit him square in the face 

I couldn't help but laugh, even though I also felt kind of bad for him.

This game has been boring though, you can tell no one really wants to win it... but I guess they forgot to tell Januzaj that.

Edited June 28, 2018 by Eenuh

[Fierce_LiNk]

11 minutes ago, Julius Caesar said:

I can’t stop laughing at the shot of Batshuayi booting the ball against the post in celebration of Januzaj’s goal, before it rebounded and hit him square in the face 

@Eenuh spotted that when it happened. I missed it, but the replay is hilarious! 
I guess Januzaj wasn't at the team meeting or something. Great finish, though. 

[Eenuh]

Well that was a bit shit.

England didn't even pretend to want to win it, they just sat back the entire game. I'll be annoyed if they get further than Belgium now simply because of tactical play.

[killthenet]

Poor game but was more entertaining that I had feared after it seemed like both managers were setting their teams up to lose. It did seem like both teams actually tried but England will probably come to regret finishing second, I can't see them getting past Colombia so the adventure will likely be over on Tuesday evening. 

It's such an open tournament, Brazil, Belgium, Spain and France are probably the favourites but none of them have played particularly well. I think Mexico could shock Brazil in the next round and Spain will find it hard to beat a buoyant Russia team if they play the same way they did in the group stages. It's great that one of England, Colombia, Sweden or Switzerland will make it to the semi-finals but I'm really gutted that Senegal didn't manage to get through. 

[Fierce_LiNk]

No point denying it, Belgium were the better team and deserved to win that game. Even though it was a completely different team, their second 11 are better than England's second team. 
Something's not quite right though that Belgium have it that much harder despite winning the group. Less travel time for England and an extra day to prepare, despite finishing second in their group. Dunno, just seems pretty wrong, to me.

 

[drahkon]

Knock out stage begins today

France - Argentina
A match that, on paper, should be incredible but both teams haven't really stepped up, yet. Here's hoping they do tonight.

Uruguay - Portugal
A strong defense against a strong offense. Could be a boring game.

[Julius]

7 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Knock out stage begins today

France - Argentina
A match that, on paper, should be incredible but both teams haven't really stepped up, yet. Here's hoping they do tonight.

Uruguay - Portugal
A strong defense against a strong offense. Could be a boring game.

Can’t wait!  

The Argentinian midfield is noticeably quite short, so I wonder if they’ll have problems winning the ball in the air against the likes of Pogba? He’s been the catalyst for a lot of France’s movement going forwards so far. 

Suarez and Cavani haven’t exactly shown up yet for Uruguay, having only scored one goal each so far (in the game against Russia). If they can actually get on the same wavelength today, Portugal could have a big problem on their hands.

[drahkon]

Ohhhhhh. Di Maria. What a goal

[Julius]

8 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Ohhhhhh. Di Maria. What a goal

He’s got a real knack for those, hasn’t he? That’s definitely his strongest area on the pitch (as we’ve seen at Paris, and when he was at Real), so I wonder if we’ll see some changes in shape should Aguerö come on. 

Pogba and Griezmann have been superb in their attitudes and play so far, Pogba’s striding and excellent forward passing should have Mourinho taking notes, but Mbappé has definitely been the star man on the pitch so far. Unreal pace and unbelievably good natural positioning. He’s only four days older than me, which makes me feel out of shape and very old. 

Edited June 30, 2018 by Julius Caesar