Such as unsporting conduct? I'd choose a nervous keeper over one who violates the integrity of the game like Krul did.



Kuyt was one of the best players for the Dutch yesterday.



Again, Clasie was excellent. He had at least one incredibly timed tackle on Messi as I recall.



I agree with you often but not here. If LVG had made all the mistakes you imply this match wouldn't even have GONE to ET.

And overall the best player on the pitch was Mascherano, who might just have proven himself as the world's best DM in that match. He made things tougher for the Dutch than the cakewalk you imply it should have been.

Well, seems we disagree here. But you've made a good point: I may have exaggerated LvG's errors. Those were errors of finesse, but after the brilliant displays, one would hope it repeats.

My point is that Cilessen wasn't able to bring in anything for the shootout, while the whole substition line could have been avoided with more preparations. In the end, yes, Krul was unfair, but the harm was already done. Seeing Cilessen trying to emulate what Krul has done earlier was painfully tragicomic.

I too don't understand the Huntelaar substitution. Holland (as well as Argentina) clearly had problem getting the ball forward and Huntelaar is not a creator and he can't do much in tight spaces other than get the ball with his back to the goal and pass it to incoming players. Even if he'd inserted a creator in the game I still think it'd be unnecessarily risky. He knew he had a goalie that's a PK specialist so he should have waited. Not that that would have guaranteed a win but even mentally, after his display in the shootout against Costa Rica he would have gotten into the Argentinians's heads. I guess he didn't want to put all the pressure on Krul but he put all the pressure on Cillessen and the latter was evidently scared and didn't even manage to stop the last PK even though he guessed correctly. I know this is second-guessing and he probably thought they wouldn't be able to win two PS in a row (especially with their history ) but it was too big of a risk for me.


I agree with this.

RvP has been really bad in the KO games though.

When he's good, he's actually ridiculous. When bad, yes, really doesn't add much.

I hadn't realised how close Vlaar's penalty was to going in. Went back towards the goal and stopped on the line!

Poor guy. Seems like no one wanted to shoot first, and then Vlaar turned into the next Jaap Stam. But he had an overall good WC.

Yeah I was pleased with how he did, he was basically the only Villa player there. I doubt we'll keep him past the summer now. Wouldn't be surprised to see van Gaal take him as a short term fix at United with all the big spending being in other areas.

Di Maria in the race against the clock to take some part in the final. Probably won't play though.

Mascherano is their most important player. Even when Messi doesn't perform and Di Maria is injured, Mascherano keeps them going.

And Mascherano has torn his anus making that tackle against Robben. So as twitter is on and on about - Robben torn Mascherano a new a$$hole. Quite literally it would seem.

He was the glue of the Argentinian team. If he's out of the final they literally have no chance.

Thank the Lord.

Mascherano and Di Maria imo are both more important for Argentina than Messi, if those 2 are out then forget about it. It seems like everything is turning the Germans' way. I really can't see how they can lose this at this point

Nah, man. It's a world cup final. Everything can happen in such a big match.

Argentina absolutely need Mascherano and I doubt he won't fight through it and play. I wouldn't rule them out if he didn't make it though.


I hadn't realized that either but I just checked this and he totally touched it if you check the camera view from behind him.

I just think these things just go with momentum and Germany have it all at the moment.


Nah, I don't think he touched it, in the video a bit further down on that page when the camera stays on him it's pretty obvious that he avoided touching it by ducking his shoulder

Even from that angle I'd say the opposite is quite obvious. But you can definitely see a very sudden change of direction of the ball from the back angle. Even with the back spin its direction changes too abruptly. Anyway...

He touched it, but did the ref see it touch him? I don't think so. If it had have gone over the line, they'd have given it I think.

Germans to win it 2-1

I don't think the ref saw it, no. That would have been great if it had gone in.

I've got 1-0. Argentina, for the players they have, have no kind of attack at all.

They have no creative midfielders so even with the players they have upfront they can't do much.

saying that i might revert to a 0-0 extra time penalties , the Argentinians might play like Netherlands did in there last game not attack much try to when they can but sit back and just hang on.

That's what Di Maria is. If he makes it then Argentina have that link between midfield and attack.

Agreed, which is why I think he's more important than Messi for them. They're saying there's a chance that he could make it back for tomorrow but it's very slim

They play badly, so all of them are necessary for them to achieve the minimum. But they're a very bad team overall.

First refereeing error within 2 minutes, the foul was outside of the area and Silva should have probably been sent off for that, Robben was through clear on goal

Well. This WC is ending like it started. Worst refereeing since 2002 I'd say.

As for the games...well, this one blends in perfectly. Another one-sided match without any real highlight - just like the whole KO phase: a combination of stale-mate games and one-sided matches. All in all, nothing special, this WC I'll easily forget.

There were some very entertaining games, the Germany Algeria match comes to mind, as does Chile Brasil.

Think this was a good WC, had Brasil been knocked out earlier, like to Chile, Im sure Chile would have put Germany to the sword. The refereeing, i agree with you on. Otherwise how could this Brasil reach the last four?

So I think I find Germany the lesser of two evils, so I want Argentina to lose.

Agreed


I think this WC has been called "entertaining" because of the amount of goals and end-to-end games. But in terms of quality it has been poor imo, all the teams are very average


The opposite for me, I don't want Germany to get their 4th star

I honestly don't care who wins , just want to see a good final and the best team to win.

Germany that is

The first 2 weeks were pretty great in all honesty. Group stages were fantastic pretty much throughout. I'll agree that the KO stages have been largely forgettable though.

Germany all the way. I even changed my avi on Twitter.

LIONEL MESSI CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO WIN THE WORLD CUP.

F YOU ALL!

GO MESSI!!!!!

I don't know. Chile-Brazil and Algeria-Germany may have been slightly better then the rest. Yet, I watched them with zero anticipation. I knew bot Brazil and Germany would come trough, and not for a second did it appear to me Algeria could do any real harm. As han said, entertaining, sure - every WC is entertaining.

But did any team convince me? Win me over with their brand of football or quality? The answer is no. Did any of the matches leave a special taste or memorable moment? I'll probably remember Persie's goal, maybe James and Cahill and a few other moments, but all in all quite forgettable. I'd compare it with the WC 1990.

That said, hopefully history repeats. Germany all the way, who cares about Messi.

You have to remember it's being hyped up too because the 2010 World Cup was an absolute travesty. I've seen better pre-season tournaments than that.

I could do with Messi scoring or getting an assist as it will guarantee me winning money in my fantasy league thing. I would ever so slightly prefer Germany to win, but ultimately I don't care. I'm not even watching it.

Kramer to mark Messi. Khedira out with an late injury.

curious why?

Aguero has been really bad in the whole tournament. Truly negative. Wow.

This thread is like...totally dead?

No one cares?!

Probably because it is has been an wretched final between two pitiful teams? FIFA Play won in the end, but at least Argentina tried a few good plays, that ultimately came to nothing. Good riddance to bad garbage, though, pretty bad tournament overall. One of the worse I've watched, right up there with the 1990 tournament.

Well for once we disagree Acid. I loved this world cup. KO stages weren't so great I admit but I was a pig in sh*t during the group period.

And no offence, but to called Germany a wretched team really does make me wonder if you just absolutely hate them for reasons outwith football, because while they weren't Pele's Brazil, they were the best team overall and deserving winners.

Argentina's tactics in the final were absolutely disgusting and Messi deserved nothing.

?????

Pitiful teams? Acid, really! I think you've gone over the top now. Germany surely isn't a pitiful team and I'm not even gonna list you why. Argentina played defensive deconstructive football, I disliked their way, but goodness gracious, it happens.

Few remarks from my side:

- Han didn't want Germany to win the 4th star and catch up with Italy, that's how the penguins think

- Messi with the Golden Ball?? Really?? That's a gift, can't be anything else then this. Neuers award was deserved.

- What's you best XI?

Here's my selection:


Honorary mentions: Neuer, Marquez, Neymar, Di Maria, Kuyt, Schürrle, Suarez

Such bias.



He didn't have a great tournament in the sense that he didn't play full great games and, obviously, didn't win, but he probably was the MVP. Argentina would never have made it to the final without him and there was no one that stood out for Germany, it was a group win I thought.

Nah, man, I haven't enjoyed it bar for a few moments here and there. The problem started with the grouping, some really mediocre teams making it in the finals, leaving aside a couple of good ones. And then the players that were left out, due to injury, bad selection or you know, in case of Ibra, just bad luck.

The knock out stages were not good, plenty of forgettable matches, some unmatched teams, and mostly even the big teams playing it very safe. The biggest problem, in my opinion, has been some mismatches, and that started because of the big teams not making it. Good for the fans of smaller ones, but really, not much fun.

I do enjoy underdogs very much, and one or two going deep in any World Cup is fine by me. This one, not.


Eh, I just hate their football, the way they play it, military style, soulless. Strong opinion, but I don't think they've produced one great player, someone with flair and you know, genius and gift. Maybe it's the system they follow in all walks of life. Which I find admirable overall, but not in sports. Not in football, at least.

A Maldini, Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo, storied player, heck, that probably is the reason why they have not produced someone like Messi or Cristiano. Their limited system just does not allow it. They play as a unit, a FIFA (the video game, that is) system as I call them. Heck, most of their goals are similar, when you look at them.

The only two players in this German team that I think highly of are Hummels and Reus. Schweinsteiger and Lahm are a couple of other quality chaps, but again, just too mechanical and lacking in flair just like most of their other team mates. But if you are talking overall, I think the Germans do a whole lot of things very right.

I just prefer watching a game in certain fashion, and that is something most other teams provide. And I like them, bar a few I find who play it dirty and not in spirit. I can understand a limited team like Greece and Algeria playing against a bigger opposition a certain way. But man, Germany? This Germany? Nah.

As for them playing badly in this tournament? I still standby it, but that is for another post.


Probably true, very in fact. However, they did try to make some plays, they just came to nothing. Messi, on the other hand, as low as I think of the guy, I was still supporting him to come good. Just so we can end this Messi vs Cristiano debate, silence the fans, and move onto the next big rivalry in football.

Or you know, hope that some four, six, ten players become big in the near future, so neutrals are not bored to death by pathetically needless comparisons between two, well good, players. Football is more than that.

Guilty as charged. I've made it no secret that I dislike most German squads. Probably that is because I take history into account, footballing history that is. And partly it has got a lot to do with a certain way I like to see the game played. Mechanical? No sir. Malicious? No sir.

Germany don't play dirty, but they do play perfunctory, a bit too motorized. Their style, not mine.


I don't think he deserved it, though, either way. Robben had an equally good tournament, and better in some cases. The Dutch earned it on the basis of how much he tried, and his attitude. Came third, sure, but for me he deserved the award ahead of Messi, Really enjoyed watching him play.

Oh, by the way, just for the record, I do overall, pretty strongly dislike tactics heavy football. Or any sports for that matter. It has to be free flowing, with players deciding it on the pitch, not coaches on the benches. I like watching games, not tactical battles. At best, or at worse, I can live with a balanced approach.

This increased commercialization and focus on tactics is what has destroyed the game for me. Even the African teams now emphasize tactics, which is taking their game nowhere. Then again, I guess, the old years are never going to come back, and this is what we have to live with. Everyone. Some find joy in it, some probably don't.

Acid...I don't even know where to begin man. I disagree with pretty much everything you've said. This was overall the best World Cup I've ever watched. Granted that only goes back to '02 but seriously the overall competitiveness and late drama of this World Cup was incredible. The game isn't all about super stars. This German team didn't need one. They played together and with heart. How can you see Schweinstieger fight for every tackle and get abused by a dirty rough Argentina and not see passion? Muller plays his heart out every game and is the closest spiritual successor I've seen to Inzaghi regardless of their different nationalities. Neur is so good in his positioning that he makes everything look easy. This German team is with out a doubt a deserving winner. Argentina played compact and and much better defense than I expected of them but they were incredibly rough a lot of the time. They should have exploited a slow German defense but they failed miserably.