2014 FIFA World Cup - Brazil

  • Thread starter Akmuq
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So then. The full list of goalkeepers that have done good here.

Ochoa. Mind blowing against Brazil, did a fair bit against the Dutch too.
Bravo. Was fine against Brazil as well.
Ospina. Hasn't been called upon too much here, but he's done his job brilliantly.
Navas. Simply stunning v Greece. (But based on his mental domestic season, he was going to show it.)
Dominguez. Wasn't enough to save Ecuador but he kept out a previously rampant France.
Enyeama. For a few glorious moments against France until one mistake.
Howard. He's blown our minds tonight.
M'Bohli. Kept Algeria alive against Germany!!

That's one per group. None European...but they're probably gonna be bound to somewhere good in Europe.
How do you choose one for the best 11 at the end of this??
Of course, at the end of it all, only Navas has a QF place to show for it all.

And now, it really is the best 8 of the tournament. Can't wait another 2 days!!
 
USA clearly doesn't deserve to be in the World Cup at all apparently. Each team has a different style.
 
Belgium had 34 shots, 17 on target - which isn't a World Cup record, but is officially Quite A Few.

Quarter Finals
4/7/14 -
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Brazil -
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Colombia
4/7/14 -
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France -
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Germany

5/7/14 -
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Netherlands -
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Costa Rica
5/7/14 -
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Argentina -
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Belgium
 
What a game!! Belgium needs a proper striker, like asap. Another problem/advantage is their defense with 4 central defenders. And Belgium should go through against Argentina

But, as most teams USA fell in with glory and should take no shame of what they did. My hat is off to them.

Furinkazen
But Costa Rica are? And tbh hope Argentina and Holland lose.
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Yes Costa Rica deserve it. Why you may ask, they're just a better team than those they faced. A bit of an accident but, they got there with merit
 
How mad is it that 15 of the 16 teams in the last 16 proved themselves worthy of it? There's not a soul that isn't sorry for the 7 that went out.
The exception is of course Uruguay. No one wanted them. Ever.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
Considering the game the Netherlands played the other day and your comments on that, I guess they too don't deserve it as much as the U.S. doesn't right?
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What does that have to do with anything...?

Both Netherlands and Mexico are better teams than the USA, no matter which one of them deserved to win that particular game.

Seriously, does anyone here think the USA is one of the top 8 teams in this tournament?
 
I think Belgium definitely deserved to go through. In the 90 minutes and first half of extra time they outplayed the Americans.

Anyway, the quarter final that I'm most excited about watching is Brazil v Colombia. It looks like the most balanced game overall.
 
Damn this feels good, last time i saw Belgium get as far as this was 12 years ago, and now we've gone one step further again. Haven't gotten this far since 1986!

:cheers:
 
I'm not quite in to soccer otherwise but that was a good looking match.
Apart from the fact that we push through to the next round. :sly:
 
Ross
Even if they can get Messi under control, there is still Lavezzi, Higuian and Di Maria.
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Messi shall be no problem, he is being eclipsed by himself. Of course they still have to tame it.
Lavezzi is not enough, so isn't Higuain
Di Maria is a whole different story... This one can change outcomes
 
I think Belgiums quality stood out this game. Equally the athleticism and work ethic of the US team was very impressive and a lot of teams could learn a great deal from performances like that.
 
I'd argue that the US/Belgium game was by far the best game of the tournament. I have a good hunch that 2018 will be quite an interesting one. Wish the US would have won, but for them to lose 2-1 (especially with a never say die attitude) is quite commendable. I really hope that the US keeps Klinsmann as manager. To be honest, I don't think that they would have even made it without him at the helm. And if the American squad plays like they did in the World Cup, this team could be good in the future.
 
Brazil-Colombia is very balanced. But Brazil have, in the end, just been a bit lukewarm. Colombia on the other hand have shot everything in their sight to pieces. If James can work his magic on this bunch, then he could well lead them to the final. Head says Brazil, heart says Colombia.

But they'd have the winner of France-Germany to get past afterwards. Not sure I can call this one realistically, I've been talking up France a lot but I can't just 'write off' Germany. That said, I'd still take the teamwork of France to progress.

Netherlands-Costa Rica seems the easy pick of the bunch, but this is the 2014 World Cup where anything can happen as long as it's plausible. Both teams have already proven that, and the Dutch are ultimately still my favourites.

Argentina-Belgium will doubtless finish 0-0. I'd have picked Argie normally but they did themselves no favours against Switzerland. It's either going to be Messi winning it with help from his friends, or Belgium winning it as a whole. I'm sticking with Argentina...just.
 
DiabolicalMask
Seriously, does anyone here think the USA is one of the top 8 teams in this tournament?
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It's not about being a top team, it's about the competition having surprises and amazing outcomes by teams that show something special on the night. So I guess only the predictably good teams should even start the World Cup then?

For that matter, just rank all the teams in the world and do away with the World Cup altogether. Crown the winner right now. Today an unceeded player beat Nadal at Wimbeldon, on paper he is worse so I guess he doesn't deserve to move further forward then.
 
Robin.
It's not about being a top team, it's about the competition having suprises and amazing outcomes by teams that show something special on the night. So I guess only the predictably good teams should even start the World Cup then?

For that matter, just rank all the teams in the world and do away with the World Cup altogether. Crown the winner right now. Today an unceeded player beat Nadal at Wimbeldon, on paper he is worse so I guess he doesn't deserve to move further forward then.
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Paper ≠ Actual performance.
 
Robin.
So I guess only the predictably good teams should even start the World Cup then?
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Of course not! Look at Costa Rica. In fact, look at Belgium.

For the record, I do think the USA did surprisingly great, too. And they do leave the WC with their heads very high.

I just wish Portugal had done half of what they did...
 
DiabolicalMask
What does that have to do with anything...?

Both Netherlands and Mexico are better teams than the USA, no matter which one of them deserved to win that particular game.

Seriously, does anyone here think the USA is one of the top 8 teams in this tournament?
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No but that attitude has a hint of what I've come to see as the U.S. can do no good. They did a good job this time around especially when stacked with the 2010 effort that was just awful.

And yes it does have something to do with it, you personally may not feel that way because it takes the steam out of your fervor toward the U.S. or the people you think are blowing smoke...

The point is any team that comes in and doesn't play half as good as they have shown previously or were only good because of the placing and then when cross matched have difficulty, should come under question. Holland are great but they didn't show it in the Mexico match and if you cant show or do a 100% all the time, then they're just as much of a non-viability as the group you say. Also it's a bit of a hypocritical stance to claim the Dutch had help in that game or they cheated a penalty and thus didn't deserve to go on and then say "well they're better than the U.S. so it doesn't matter forget what I said prior, let me have this cop out"
 
@LMSCorvetteGT2: look, there was absolutely no attitude in my comment. The way I see it is:

- Belgium deserved to win;
- Looking at the 8 teams that a are still in, I don't see any team that I would trade for the US (judging from what they did throughout the whole tournament).

It's my opinion, that's all. And I very much respect the US team, trust me.
 
I don't know how one can say Mexico is better than USA especially when Mexico almost failed to qualify for this World Cup.

But like Robin said, it's all about surprises. And Mexico surprised especially in light of their dismal performances in qualifying. Likewise with USA surviving the group they were given.

Likewise with Costa Rica winning its group, or Italy and Spain getting bounced in the first round.
 
DiabolicalMask
@LMSCorvetteGT2: look, there was absolutely no attitude in my comment. The way I see it is:

- Belgium deserved to win;
- Looking at the 8 teams that a are still in, I don't see any team that I would trade for the US (judging from what they did throughout the whole tournament).

It's my opinion, that's all. And I very much respect the US team, trust me.
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That's fine, considering the game that both Germany and Holland played who most people are pegging as the first and second place (pick your order), to get to the final 8...it wasn't good or great. The other teams wore them down and in the end experience and a bit of luck got them through. Now if they played a game like Colombia, I could easily agree with your "U.S. didn't deserve it". To me I can't say that didn't, what I will say is they didn't play a good game the first half like they should have and they lost. However, the games they played in the WC this time overall showed me that they deserved it as much as any other team that worked hard and got in the top 16 and then kept trying.

That's my point I don't see people who deserve or don't, that's as bad as people that bring up a hypothetical. But what I do see are good and bad games that make say "if that keeps up, they're going to lose and they'll have themselves to blame".
 
I would be the first to say that ALL of the teams who went out(minus Greece) could easily have made the next stage. This has been an incredible uprising and an incredible tournament thus far. The swiss part of my heart was ripped out today, and it hurt BUT we still have amazing football to come!
 

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