Well that's your opinion I suppose, but I thought that was no more than a so so game, France scored and then stifled it. It wont be on ESPN classic too many times in the future, not the way France 4-3 Argentina and Porugal 3-3 Spain almost certainly will be.
Day 25: France vs. Belgium SF
- Thread starter oneniltothearsenal
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Yeaahh... it seems like WC'14 will still be the best one of this century IMO. No one reached Germany 2014 in terms of performance in this World Cup and there is no "Rodriguez" also. However, WC'18 will probably be above another ones much thanks to the drama and entertaining of the group stage.
I much preferred this World Cup than 2014.
You think he's good enough for us? He has been bad in the big games for us. Granted it was his first year so I will give him 1 more year to wise up.
Okay, 75 m with easily achievable add-ons to take it to 90m and then rooney was valued at 10m.. no?Who is our 100m striker?
The one that cost 75m?
Not at all. I was buzzing to see him all tournament. He did well for the most part, but this was the biggest game. He didn't play well. Not a surprise because he didn't perform in the biggest of games for United.What?
Were you waiting the whole tournament to post this, didnt you
The game was pretty boring today. Brazil v Belgium was a lot better.
Five things I learned:
1. The ref is a bit bent.
2. DeBrunye is a choker.
3. Mbappe is a bit of a douche.
4. Giroud is a donkey (ok I already knew that).
5. Football's coming home.
1. The ref is a bit bent.
2. DeBrunye is a choker.
3. Mbappe is a bit of a douche.
4. Giroud is a donkey (ok I already knew that).
5. Football's coming home.
Shit post
@Ronaldo's Mum Eh?
Transfermarkt has his value at £75m.
His value is 75m pounds. That's what he cost the club. He's also bagged 4 goals and an assist in 5 WC games. His value is now risen.
Stop with your silly agenda. It's quite pathetic and boring.
Transfermarkt has his value at £75m.
His value is 75m pounds. That's what he cost the club. He's also bagged 4 goals and an assist in 5 WC games. His value is now risen.
Stop with your silly agenda. It's quite pathetic and boring.
Can I just say that I'd like for us to dig up 50M or more to make a bid for Kante. This man is world class in every sense of the word.
I feel that Germany team was overrated. They were good, yes, but so is this French team. We don’t have a winner yet, but if France win, there’s not much difference between them and (the more recent) past World Cup winners.
Think you're trolling at this point but both Chelsea and Liverpool at home he was instrumental in us winning.
I see your point, but I've never felt it. I always thought Germany 2014 was great and they demonstrated it right in their first match against Portugal. I'd say Joachin Löw changed the game unnecessarily in some matches (put Lahm in the midfield against Ghana even after successive failures, for instance) and sometimes they just played in the second gear, but I was always convinced they are a top-tier team. A matured version of (a also great) Germany 2010-12 and considerably better than Germany 2006.
This French team isn't bad, but, unless they are saving their best performance for the final (like Spain did in 2012), I haven't seen anything that special in this team yet as I saw in Germany 2014 and Spain 2010 (more in that semifinal).
Yeah I agree with that point about tinkering. There were flaws in that German team: midfield, as evidenced by the fact that Lahm, one of their greatest defenders, was shoehorned into midfield; they had a void at left back; no world class striker; lacked quality wingers, etc. I honestly think they were bailed out by having a few phenomenal talents. Collectively, they weren’t special, and I feel that Khedira and Draxler starting and getting significant minutes in that team supports that point.
Apain 2010 were good but astonishingly boring. 7 goals all tournament, terrible.
If the French are mediocre then we're all in trouble. Easily the best team at the tournament. They'll beat Croatia in the final
France could win this tournament without ever hitting top gear. I honestly think for the talent they have in the squad, they could blitz the thing, but are doing just enough to beat every opponent. They're playing well but not amazingly. Fair play to them though. Heavy favourites.
This. They know how to dispatch teams in normal time without going full throttle or anywhere close. Argentina is the only team that have really tested their resolve because they scored and went ahead of them twice. They are walking the tournament.
Great match IMO. My thoughts...
- Why was Hazard played centrally in the last 35? He was very dangerous on the left because of space.
- Big mistake to play Dembele as he was not up to the pace.
- As good as Hazard was in the first half, Pogba was just as good the whole match.
- I wish Giroud had scored after that great sequence with Matuidi and Mbappe. That would have been a goal for the ages.
- If England make the final, they will need some luck to beat France.
- Why was Hazard played centrally in the last 35? He was very dangerous on the left because of space.
- Big mistake to play Dembele as he was not up to the pace.
- As good as Hazard was in the first half, Pogba was just as good the whole match.
- I wish Giroud had scored after that great sequence with Matuidi and Mbappe. That would have been a goal for the ages.
- If England make the final, they will need some luck to beat France.
It was a good game.
France exposed Belgiums tactical weaknesses and matched their raw talent accross the pitch.
If they had a better manager they would have done better.
France exposed Belgiums tactical weaknesses and matched their raw talent accross the pitch.
If they had a better manager they would have done better.
To think that France is in the final without ever really putting it all together is a testament to how talented this team is. We have to see how they approach the nerves of a world cup final, but I feel the hardest part has been done and the path they went through to get to a world cup final has been sensational.
Belgium would be a far greater team if they had a better manager.
Hold on -- let me check something....
Has England beaten Croatia already?
Cart. Horse.
Agreed, they could have go on to become the new world champion with those talented players and the draw etc.
I was hoping for a new World Champion to be born in 2018.
It's really is coming home now, let that sink in.
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What a fecking simplistic way to look at football. Your retort, examining only one game in which they destroyed a broken Brazil, is exactly why they’re overrated. I stated above why they’re hardly better than France’s current team, which is both hardly a particularly controversial opinion, and hardly a slight on that German team.
Thought Dembele was mostly crap today and should have been taken off earlier. He did have one great defensive play but otherwise was useless.
The French defense was really good though.
The French defense was really good though.
Lahm started to play as a right back after Mustafi's injury though and it killed two birds with one stone: Lahm contributed much more to the team playing there (becoming the best right back since then), and Germany gained more quality in their midfield with Schweinsteiger, Khedira (Özil as an option in the center) and Kroos. They were quite dangerous in aerial game especially thanks to great positioning sense of Müller (great WC) which rather makes up for a real top-class striker, and they never seemed to lack quality playing on the flanks. By the way, that German squad demonstrated a lot of mental strength and collective excellence to set the pace of the match when it was necessary. You brought one good point though, when you mentioned the left back shortcoming. However, as far as you can see, their reputation is absolutely well-deserved.
NOTE: My observation has nothing to do uniquely with their 7-1 match.
EDIT: As to Spain 2010...
Only 7 goals, but keep in mind they hardly lost the control of match and created many chances to score in that tournament. IMO Fernando Torres was the main responsible for that negative retrospect since he was nowhere as good as he was in EURO'08. Pedro Rodriguez replaced him against Germany and Holland and it was undeniable Spain stepped up its game since then.
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I thought it was a pretty ordinary game, Belgium had little to offer but Hazard continually running into a dead end. De Bruyne flitted in and out of the game, Lukaku didn't have much service but wasted what little he did have. Belgium's delivery from wide areas was woeful.
France were as efficient as they needed to be without lighting up the place.
France were as efficient as they needed to be without lighting up the place.
Read back in the thread a few or couple posts before the one you wear triggered by.
Tbf I should have put would, I am 50/50 about tonight.
Nevertheless. Gun. The. Jumping
I have been watching World Cups since 1982. None beats this year's edition in terms of sheer drama, excitement, entertainment and unpredictability. The VAR factor added a significant extra sizzle to it.
For me I just don't understand what Witsel, Dembele and Fellaini were all supposed to be doing in that team last night. Dembele gave away silly fouls in critical areas. Witsel just seemed to pass back to whoever passed the ball onto him. Only Fellaini seemed to have a clear role. Just a shame he ran himself ragged so was not able to exert any pressure late on.
Martinez bottled it as far as I can see. Mertens offered much more threat as he attacked the French from the flanks.
I think France look very solid when everything is in front of them - Kante just swallows everything in and around the penalty area. However they looked much more vulnerable when Mertens ran at them. I think France would prefer to play Croatia in the Final as they will soak up their attacks easily and Croatia's only threat will be long range shots.
I think if England can get past Croatia they would offer more of a threat to France, but we could get horribly exposed by them if we don't get off to a bright start.
If England end up playing Belgium in a third / 4th place game will Belgium rest players like Hazard as he is subject to transfer speculation?
Martinez bottled it as far as I can see. Mertens offered much more threat as he attacked the French from the flanks.
I think France look very solid when everything is in front of them - Kante just swallows everything in and around the penalty area. However they looked much more vulnerable when Mertens ran at them. I think France would prefer to play Croatia in the Final as they will soak up their attacks easily and Croatia's only threat will be long range shots.
I think if England can get past Croatia they would offer more of a threat to France, but we could get horribly exposed by them if we don't get off to a bright start.
If England end up playing Belgium in a third / 4th place game will Belgium rest players like Hazard as he is subject to transfer speculation?
that is not true, Martinez has an impressive record with them, he just risked to play fellaini in this game, like Mourinho tried with him on many more occassions only to cost us the game. Martinez is a great manager and he showed it in this WC itself last game was a bit disappointing tactics though and loosing against france full of worldies in the semis isnt exactly totally embarrasing compared to shokers by spain, argentina, brasil or germany...
Why would they do that, it's a fecking world cup, bronze medal is still a medal. I can see Belgium playing England with much more free approach. France was a big test bu they can play better football in the game for the 3rd without fellaini etc.
De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku were quite poor in the offball actions. Belgium basically looses 3 players in the defensive process. Dunno if it was for strategic reasons or just poor work ethic by those players.
There are no excuses in football. Brazil were not broken, far from it, they were in a WC semi-final, in their own patch. They were rumbled, with ceremony, by a German team whose only criticism in that tournament could be that they peaked too soon. They started strong vs. Portugal and never looked troubled for the rest of the tournament, even in a lacklustre final vs Lionel Messi feat. Argentina.
The big problem for Brazil that day was they were missing both Thiago and Neymar. Thiago was the glue to the defense and they fell apart without him.
Yer man Luiz was running around like a headless chicken when he should have been breaking up the constant German attacks.
Yer man Luiz was running around like a headless chicken when he should have been breaking up the constant German attacks.
If Mourinho managed Belgium they would have probably progressed. Martinez too focused on fancy football clearly.
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Is this called losing with dignity.
Courtois and Hazard post in caf?
Crap quotes from such losers is really the only way to describe this. We get it they really hate this loss. If I were French I would love at this.
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Somebody should explain to them that France scored one goal and they scored the grand total of none.