The Official 2018 FIFA World Cup Thread

#304
#304
I used to think that Messi had a better supporting cast than Ronaldo (forwards are better clearly), but from midfield, defense, and goalkeeping, Argentina is absolutely terrible.

At least Portugal has some midfielders that know what they’re doing, but looking at Argentina outside of they’re big 4 (higauin, messi, dybala, and aguero), it’s like watching a bunch of chickens running without a head. I enjoy never seen a more disorganized team in my life.

Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, make up a world class midfield and Croatia’s starting lineup can go toe to toe with almost anyone. Croatia as a team has better overall talent than Argentina from top to bottom, and they deserved to win.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#305
#305
Argentina needs to include Dybala into their starting lineup. It seems like Messi is literally the only one on the team capable of creating for others. I understand dybala and Messi play the same position, but Dybala is a skilled dribbler and playmaker who can exploit other teams if Messi is getting suffocated by defenders.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#306
#306
n_huffhines said:
I will be so happy if Argentina is out.

Has Messi ever won a major international tournament?
Click to expand...

Quick Wikipedia search says he's won an Olympic gold medal.

But as for the stuff that really matters in soccer, I don't believe he's won anything as an international. Hasn't won a WC and has a ton of runners up in Copa America.

I feel bad for Messi. He doesn't have a great supporting cast, never has, and there's all that pressure back home. He also doesn't have the swashbuckling charisma of Maradona, and I think they hold that against him too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#307
#307
Messi doesn't have a great supporting cast now, or ever? I don't remember anybody complaining about his team before.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#308
#308
05_never_again said:
Quick Wikipedia search says he's won an Olympic gold medal.

But as for the stuff that really matters in soccer, I don't believe he's won anything as an international. Hasn't won a WC and has a ton of runners up in Copa America.

I feel bad for Messi. He doesn't have a great supporting cast, never has, and there's all that pressure back home. He also doesn't have the swashbuckling charisma of Maradona, and I think they hold that against him too.
Click to expand...

He isn't carrying a team of scrubs. A huge portion of the guys on that team are playing for significant European clubs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#309
#309
I believe it’s the manager more than anything. They have these star attackers but he has no idea how to play them all together. I don’t see why they can’t play 4 at the back, have two CDMs, have Messi and Dybala as two CAMs, and then put higauin and Aguero together up top.

In regards to talent, Argentina’s forwards blow the rest of South America out of the park. But their midfield and defense is no better than your average South American country in terms of talent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#310
#310
I’m sure having Cab back in goal as a back up now starter doesn’t help. That guy made tons of boneheaded moves in both games
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#311
#311
Friday's Matches

Brazil vs Costa Rica 8 AM FS1
Nigeria vs Iceland 11 AM FOX
Serbia vs Switzerland 2 PM FOX
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#312
#312
95 Vol Alum said:
iceland-fans-show-their-support-prior-to-the-uefa-euro-2016-quarter-picture-id544398406-hero-large-ddfc0d47-2232-4626-8379-3a7b93f1392e.jpg
Click to expand...

Bump
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#313
#313
ButchPlz said:
He isn't carrying a team of scrubs. A huge portion of the guys on that team are playing for significant European clubs.
Click to expand...

They aren't scrubs, but they also aren't deep. Messi and his team of forwards are world-class by any measure. The midfield, outside of Di Maria, doesn't wow anybody. Rojo and Otamendi are pretty good, not great, at the back, and there's a steep drop off to their 3rd best defender. They aren't good in goal at all. If Argentina wants to win it all, they are going to have to, at some point in the tournament, beat teams who are very good or great at all position groups. Argentina is great at only one position group.

Argentina is a good, not great team. The team that beat them yesterday, Croatia, is sneaky good/underrated, a deeper team than Argentina, and also has a significant portion of guys on the team playing for big time European clubs. Croatia's midfield in particular is deeper than Argentina's. The margin of defeat was surprising, but not the fact that they lost.

Honestly Messi probably could carry Argentina a bit more than he already has if he was more of an attacking midfielder-type of player. That way he could create for others (Higuain, Aguero) while also picking his spots and attacking himself. However all of those guys are more finishers than facilitators, and the guys tasked with getting the ball to them aren't elite.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#314
#314
n_huffhines said:
The risk/reward of duping a ref with flopping is really imbalanced in soccer. The players have not adjusted to replay yet, but I think they will and we'll get more quality and less flopping. If you don't have to sell contact in the box when someone clearly fouls you, you can attempt to play through it and then get the benefit of replay.

Defense will also adjust. Fouling has become a lot more costly. What have we played, 24 games and we've had 5 PK's from replay? Defenders would have gotten away with some of those in the past.
Click to expand...

RE: Neymar's flop today

He gave up a great chance at a SOG to sell a non-foul and replay took the PK away. Ref should have carded him
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#315
#315
n_huffhines said:
RE: Neymar's flop today

He gave up a great chance at a SOG to sell a non-foul and replay took the PK away. Ref should have carded him
Click to expand...

A blatant flop in the box should just be an straight, automatic red. That would get rid of this garbage very quickly. You have to balance the risk/reward back up. Make it incredibly risky to flop in the box. You are absolutely correct that it isn't risky at all (you might get a yellow, at worst) and the reward is huge.

There should be a FIFA directive to refs at the coin toss to just tell the captains if any of you guys flop in the box trying to get a PK, or if you flop in the immediate area around the box trying to get a dangerous free kick or make it look like you got fouled in the box, you're gone, no questions asked. Flops elsewhere on the field should be automatic yellows.

I bet some idiot soon after that would call the bluff, get whacked, dearly cost his team (in either that game or the next one), and then it'd stop immediately.

None of this will happen, because deep down flopping is believed by a lot of people to be a legitimate part of the game.
 
#317
#317
Still trying to figure out how they didn’t call a penalty when the Serbian guy was getting tackled by two Switzerland players.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people
#318
#318
Saturday's Matches

Belgium vs Tunisia 8 AM FOX
South Korea vs Mexico 11 AM FOX
Germany vs Sweden 2 PM FOX
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#320
#320
Persian Vol said:
Curious to see how both Mexico and Germany respond tomorrow.
Click to expand...

I think Germany comes out with a vengeance. But if it is a whimper, what happens with Joachim? I would take another and better German coach. I know there is no chance of that.

And go South Korea. I love Mexico, the country, people, culture, food, drink; everything except the National team.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#321
#321
The Tunisia goal aside, has anyone looked better than Belgium? I know they haven't played the best competition, but they look so well organized.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#322
#322
NorCalVol67 said:
The Tunisia goal aside, has anyone looked better than Belgium? I know they haven't played the best competition, but they look so well organized.
Click to expand...

There was concern whether all their stars would play well together, but they are playing fantastic team soccer. I think they’ve been the most impressive team so far this tournament.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top