World Cup Open Thread (Quarterfinals - Day 2)
HIRE BORGES! (the Costa Rican who just scored his PK)
whoa trash talking by GK.
Glad to see CRC guy make it...jerky move by GK.
It's not working.
other than 1 game almost all these PK have been excellent - usually you get 3-4 weak to average ones out of 10.
Wow. Keeper did a great job
So Argentina v Germany it is.
I see it no other way. Unless Brazil get another repeat ref performance from Friday, Germany should be able to handle them. No Neymar, no Thiago Silva, no win. Schweinsteiger and Khedira appearing to be fully fit will allow the Germans to dominate midfield and control the game, as they did to France. What Mexico did to the Dutch convinces me that the Argentines will advance. Di Maria (if he returns) and Lavezzi should keep the the wing-backs occupied, and Mascherano can shackle Sneijder.
They're able to go 90 if the game's under control, but they're still coming back from knee and ankle injuries and how fit will they be after they've been kicked around for 90 minutes?
I expect it to look like the final four years ago. Except that this time there'll be another match to play.
Bergkamp vs Argentina 2.0
To save a sub for a PK-Goalie in an extra time game.
Stones, man. Stones.
But much praise to Costa Rica.They were outstanding. Very impressed with the Costa Ricans.
I own an schnauzer so I guess I'll be rooting for Germany to win the damn cup.
WOW. JUST WOW.
Based on how Argentina smothered the Belgians, Messi and Co. should make the finals against the Dutch. Will be interesting whether De Jong returns to mark Messi.
I wouldn't count out the Dutch just yet. Any team that has a one-two punch like Robben-Van Persie has a good chance at beating anyone. Costa Rica simply played out of their minds today on defense.
I do agree that Argentina is the favorite and should be. That game Wednesday should be very good.
Robben is crazy dangerous but I'd put Wesley Sneijder as key #2 over RVP and I am a huge RVP fan from way back in the day he got injured every 3 minutes. Sneijder was robbed of 2 goals today and is the engine. RVP is party favors. He sort of disappears in knockout rounds as well.
Neither Argentina nor Dutch have been lights out so certainly either can win, but Dutch are living on the edge with Mexico and today PKs. I think at this point a case could be made for 3 teams and unfor Brazil is basically down their version of Messi and one of the world's best defenders. Their offense has been very Neymar oriented just as Argentina has been very Messi focused.
I hate the Dutch and Brazil both. Cheering for Germany and Argentina.
other than the last few World Cups, I've never paid much attention to soccer. But the more I watch these World Cups every 4 years, the more I realize that even a 0-0 game can be pretty exciting ---except when it's settled by a penalty-kick shootout.
Can't they come up with a better way of settling games of such importance? It really comes down to the goalies guessing right or left/wrong as to which direction to dive. Might as well flip a coin....
To be fair it isn't just kicking the penalty and diving, you saw Van Gaal subbing the goalkeeper who is better at penalties, also you have to take into account that the players are tired after 2 hours of running and the mental aspect as well, the players have their whole country watching at them and it could be pretty nerve wrecking.
Like ending an ovetime Hockey game with Rock-Paper-Scissors.
Like Lehmann in '06, Krul went the right way on every single penalty.
That's not luck, that's preparation. Maybe they always take it the same way. Maybe they have a couple of different strokes but there's something in the run up that tips it off. Spend enough time in the film room, you'll eventually pick it up.
I've proposed taking a man off for each team in OT and giving 2 additional subs. So you'd have 9 on 9 soccer (field players) and 2 sets of fresh legs. It would help teams with depth and talent, and probably hurt teams who are in defensive shells and less talented but in theory those are not teams that should advance.
It is basically like deciding a basketball tournament ending in a free throw shooting contest. Yes there is SOME minor strategy in terms of tendencies in it but it's not a soccer game. Someone else said they'd like to see corner kicks or free kicks as a decider... I'd rather see that than PKs but that would help teams who excel in those areas which are generally tall peeps like the Germans. If Peru ever got to the WC and had to face Germany and it was 0-0 and they said "well let's go to corners" it would not be fun.
Big loss for the Argentines. However, they still have Messi. That might be just enough.