Mexico are really impressive atm. I'd seriously feel bad for them should Brazil manage to snatch this (which I have a feeling will happen)

Whatever happened to Dos Santos? He was so huge back when he was at Barca but has seemingly been forgotten, he's looking really good in these games

Brazil need someone in that midfield who can actually get his foot on the ball and calm things down, they get too overrun in midfield at times

Brazil being reduce to Jo in attack. Depressing.

Yeah, I was about to post that it is sad to see Brazil playing with strikers like Fred or Jo.

Ochoa is very impressive, weren't we linked with him a couple of months ago?

Yep, we were linked to him recently and he's a free agent. But we signed Agazzi instead.

WHAAAT!?

This was the best game so far IMO. Mexico are crazy good, and Neymar is living up to the hype much better than I'd imagined.

Agazzi will be second choice, I think this is confirmed. If he is a free agent he won't be for long if he continues to play like this

Some of the saves he pulled off were just amazing


On another note

Italy probable line-up for Costa Rica

Sirigu; Abate, Bonucci, Chiellini, Darmian; De Rossi; Candreva, Thiago Motta, Pirlo, Marchisio; Balotelli

Defence looks a million times better than what played against England. That midfield though.... This Candreva obsession Prandelli has is seriously unsettling. He has so many better players on that bench it's just ridiculous that he's the one picked to start over them.

Thiago Motta should either play in that De Rossi role or not at all. He can't play in such an advanced position. Also it would allow De Rossi to have a bit of a breather

I don't think it was confirmed (at least I didn't see it) but with him and Abbiati renewing (plus we also still have Gabriel), I don't think we are planning to bring another keeper in this transfer window.

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2014/04/ac...can-goalkeeper/

No, it's not confirmed. Abbiati will be second choice. Agazzi's role is still uncertain.



Why the hell would he play Thiago Motta? Verratti is ten times better and more suited to that position.

Brazil just cannot cope with the pressure. Home advantage is a home burden to them.

The team that flourished wonderfully last summer at the Confed Cup is nowhere to be seen, and Silva is the only player, maybe Oscar aside, that has performed.

The past two days have been such a drop in quality compared with the first 4.

Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar have all flopped, and Portugal, Spain, Argentina, France and Brazil have all been ghastly.

Belgium showed signs if they can get their system right they're a force to be reckoned with, while Uruguay didn't even try to fix their system when it was clear how poor their formation was.

The Dutch and the Germans are the only teams so far to really have an impact on this tournament.

I thought tonight's game was one of the best.

I really don't know, and this 4-1-4-1 thing when he has a team packed to the rafters with CMs is also just very puzzling

For this second game I think he should go



It will give some of the other guys a rest while still putting out a very strong formation, probably better than the one that played against England imo if DDR was included over Motta

If we're winning and holding the game comfortably just put in Verratti for Pirlo and Aquilani for Marchisio to close things out

Agreed

I think the bad games have come from the match ups where it was very much expected and not really surprising that it was a bore fest.

African team also struggling in this tournament, I think there won't be even one side that makes it through to the KOs

Well Brazil - Mexico was a fair non-event, disappointing, was expecting big things.

It's definitely on a downward spiral, guess the first few days couldn't keep going on.

Really, as I said above, I thought the games that really disappointed were the ones that were expected to disappoint. Most of these bad/average teams are in this second block of groups so it's not a surprise that there's a dip in quality.

I thought the Brazil - Mexico game was one of the best yet, just because there weren't any gaols it didn't mean that it was a bad game

Oh, yeah, I basically look at the results and decide if it's a bad game because of the result

Ochoa made 2 good saves, Cesar 1 aside of that it was a non-event with a poor tempo, constantly disrupted by fouls. But yeah, I decided it was a bad game because it was 0-0, cool.

How did my off handed remark become a personal insult to your football intelligence?

Maybe you my later messages where I saw the replays at HT and said that I was wrong and that Pepe should have been sent off? I have no problem admitting I'm wrong when I am, like in that case. IMO the penalty was wrong, but in a 4-0 game v 10 men a penalty doesn't change the result.

Haha. The most overrated keeper on the planet being useless again.

1-1, I guess you should've started him, eh Fabio?

I hope Algeria go through, at least they gave it a go. Korea and Russia were awful.

Who in your opinion is the favorite then, or at least more of a favorite then Germany?


Well, Verratti never showed something special against England. Sure, he did okay and it was a hard match, but I guess Prandelli wants another defensively oriented middle man to keep of the counters. On the other hand, I get you man, Motta shouldn't be used...at all.

Btw. the formation han posted suggests Abate on the left? Or Darmian?


But what an overall awful group, no? Some teams did really hit the jackpot with the draw.

I personally don't have a favourite atm, I usually wait to see how teams perform in the group stage before making up my mind and so far the teams that were hyped as being favourites have all been underwhelming for me tbh

I think Germany will go far, but once again stumble at the last hurdle. I think Spain can get knocked out as early as tonight. The Dutch were highly impressive against Spain but taking into context how Spain completely fell apart and gave up, I still don't know what to make of them, I think they have issues in that defence, their midfield is not all that either. Robben and RvP will have to play out of their skins for Holland to do anything of note in this competition. Brazil have been average at best in both games I've seen them play, a lot of hustling and bustling but they don't really have any quality in the middle of the pitch and this will hurt them against better opposition than what they've faced up until now. Same applies to Argentina, great attackers no doubt, but midfield and defence are woeful.


I thought Verratti was very impressive against England. But within the formation Prandelli is playing him and Pirlo tend to occupy similar positions. I don't get why Prandelli doesn't utilise a diamond and put Verratti at the tip of it and Pirlo at the base like he did at the Euros with Pirlo and Monto.

I think Darmian will play left Abate right. He's already used Darmian on the left in the warm ups and I don't think Abate ever played a game of football on the left, it just wouldn't be a good idea


Yeah, this 2nd block of groups have had too many mediocre teams all clumped together

The second post was after the game and the one that inspired my reaction. It had sarcasm written all over it. Why would you even mention the referee in such a one-way thrashing? And why would you imply that Germany get favorable calls?

With De Sciglio recovered he can play Darmian on the right and De Sciglio on the left.

The Brazil Mexico match? A flat Brazil and a well-drilled Mexico. It didn't grab me. Neymar underachieved, Oscar struggled to get into it, and even the commentators, bad though they've been, gave MOTM to Silva.

It had pace and intensity, even though there were many fouls that continuously stopped the flow of the game.

In your opinion. I didn't enjoy the match at all, and haven't really had a kick, pun not intended, out of any of the past 6 matches. Belgium Algeria was the best and it was something of a slow burner itself.

Have you seen all games? I'm only going through one game per day, as I'm in exams season, but I should start watching the games on a more regular basis from Monday onwards.

DS won't be ready to start for the Costa Rica game. And in current form of all 3 players, I'd rather just play Darmian on the left and Abate on the right. DS has been bad all season long as well as in the warm up game he played.

Just had a thought, all 3 players have come through the Milan system, at least they must be doing something right in this department

Yes it is a very poor group. Belgium didn't impress me too much.

Starting formation was poor - a creative attacking team with 5 in midfield and one up top. It didn't work till they went 3 up top with Lukaku being flanked by the two wingers.

Beset by injuries though.

Once Fellaini came on to aid the 3 up front it worked way better.

Every game bar Ivory Coast Japan - I fell asleep on 30 minutes (it was about 2:30AM here).

Brazil are nowhere to be seen?

Neymar has flopped?



I find these remarks strange.

I wouldn't say flopped, but he's been a little disappointing. He has scored 2, one which was poor goalkeeping and the other a penalty. Yesterday he tried to many weird things and wasted possession. He scares teams when he's ran at them though.

on ya timmy! fantastic goal

This is why I read far more into Spain's humiliation than who actually beat them. A lot of 'OMG the Dutch are incredible' after 5-1 but it told me more about Spain than it did about the Dutch.

Australia completely outplayed them in that first half, and even Robben's goal, while well taken, was against the run of play.

Australian, btw, are the lowest-ranked side in this tournament.

I can't see Holland doing much damage in this tournament unless every team they play is Spain.

Australia are not TOO bad

They do rely on Cahill a lot, but this display today so far has shown they have a rather nice balance in midfield and with Cahill up top can do a lot of damage.

Alas for him and Australia he's suspended for Spain.

I respect your opinion. I just feel, as many did, that the flourishing Brazil of recent years is conspicuously absent and they're really struggling under the pressure of 200M demanding they win this.

Neymar hasn't dominated their attack the way we expected him to. Fred's first touch has been abject and is missing half of his passes, and only Oscar has really looked like doing anything up front.

I had them as sure-fire winners of this whole thing, and they do have the parts, but the sum right now isn't quite there.

Whether it IS that pressure, or the Scolari issue which has derailed them a bit, I don't know.

But this isn't the Brazil that dismantled Spain last summer or the one who's been looking so good in the past two years.

big problem for us if we manage to get something out of this game.

woop woop!

LOL, what's going on? The mighty Holland flopping against Australia.

Flopping? Australia are a very good team. And Holland are playing their game. 3-2.

Wasn't Australia very poor against Chile? Someone in here even labelled them the weakest team in the tournament. So yeah, struggling to beat them 3-2 (and losing twice in-game) is a flop when you consider the thrashing Holland did on Spain.

it was just a nervous start to the first 30 mins from an inexperienced side (not incapable).

anyway, very entertaining game to say the least. its a shame we couldnt make it count. still hopeful we can cause some damage to spain next game

When the draw was made Australia were the lowest ranked team in it. So labelling them the weakest has some merit.

But as we know it doesn't translate to the 'real world' and Australia did well in both matches. But the Dutch were horrendous today, and anyone who bought into their win over Spain may just have opened their eyes now.

One thing the Dutch were was clinical, and that is essential when playing poorly. RVP is the player of the tournament so far. Arguably Cahill isn't far behind him. And I don't mean Gary.

Not exactly poor, just in awe of the situation. Jitters. Which were removed after the half hour mark. And then they took the fight to the South American team and played like champions. As I said in this thread before, Australia are the greatest sporting nation on the planet, they give their all in all games, all sports. Winning mentality.

Flop was Brazil against Mexico. Touch match, somewhat entertaining, end to end game, but flop nevertheless.


Exactly. Not incapable by any means. I've been following Aussie soccer since 2002. They are built for this, and if things keep on improving, they have the potential to become one of the better teams around. Top 16 easy.


Yeah, a very entertaining affair, enjoyed it immensely. Shades of pure, positive football, free of shameful and shady tactics, and cringe worthy styles . Now this is what I like to see the direction the game go towards, pity we are stuck with the opposites and negatives.

And to think people questioned my sanity over excluding Spain from the semi finals.

End of an era.

RIP tiki tika 2008-2014.

*disclaimer - I may still end up being wrong, but it would require a miracle beyond turning water into wine.