Klopper76
"Did you see Fabinho against Red Star & Cardiff?"
Still 0-0 but Canada are down to 10 following two yellows for Kaye. Panama are drawing so if everything stays the same Canada are qualified.
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Maybe there is, but I can’t think of one from my memory.What a bizarre thing to say about that final,there have been so many finals that were more one sided than that one just in the last 2 decades
Italy dominated possession but they hardly created anything in the 120 minutes.Maybe there is, but I can’t think of one from my memory.
Tbh Spain wasn't all that either, their group stage performance was meh, and they struggled against Croatia (with ten men) and beated Switzerland on penalties.Italy dominated possession but they hardly created anything in the 120 minutes.
They were great in their first two games in the Euros but they weren't the best team overall, Spain was better.
Maybe there is, but I can’t think of one from my memory.
Yeah, I'd say they were. But characters nonetheless.Ravanelli to Boro
Mancini Sampdoria to Leicester.
Lombardi to Palace.
But all these were fading towards end of their career. EPL was then, like the American Soccer League is now. He he
Forgot about Bergkamp. Definitely a good shout. If memory serves though, he didn't really set Italy alight.Probably was Gullit, and while he was at the end of his career it did kind of open things up for those kinds of moves. Bergkamp around the same time too.
Haha wtf. Why would they do that.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...hobox&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1648209398-1
Replace Wales/Scotland with England and I’m on board.
Didn't see those. Finally we have the anti-Firmino. From don't shoot don't score, to keep shooting and keep scoring.Missed his other handful of chances he fecked up then?
Doucoure has recently switched to being a Mali international, there's also been rumours that Moussa Dembele (Lyon) will switch. The problem is Mali are already quite stacked in midfield so Doucoure isn't really needed, Dembele is more important for them right now.Disapppointed Mail lost. Have some talented midfielders but not much elsewhere but would've been a new name at the tournament. Will see what happens in second leg but up against it.
Tunisia always seem to be a making up the numbers team at the world cup and can't remember many star players from there bar Trabelsi who was good at Ajax about 20 years ago. Think Khazri did alright at Sunderland a while ago but generally they don't produce memorable players compared to other African teams.
They don't but they tend to be very professional and street-wise in qualifiers.Disapppointed Mail lost. Have some talented midfielders but not much elsewhere but would've been a new name at the tournament. Will see what happens in second leg but up against it.
Tunisia always seem to be a making up the numbers team at the world cup and can't remember many star players from there bar Trabelsi who was good at Ajax about 20 years ago. Think Khazri did alright at Sunderland a while ago but generally they don't produce memorable players compared to other African teams.
Yup, North Africa dominate African domestic football (particularly Egypt and Tunisia). Which is probably the reason why they're the 2 North African teams that depend the least on players in the European domestic leagues.They don't but they tend to be very professional and street-wise in qualifiers.
North African leagues in general tend to be more organized allowing for a collection of local players (alongside players in second tier leagues in Europe) that can be moulded into an effective team. Now that lack of star quality you mention hurts when they actually make it to the WC finals.
Nah, This results suits your game plan. You will definitely get opportunities on the break, you have to hope Marmoush/Salah/Trezeguet can take advantage.No way we're qualifying. We're going to lose away.
It will probably go to pens again I guess.Gonna celebrate this victory, as I'm definitely not looking forward to the away game.
We didn't defend well today. Mane were running riots on his flank. We looked like we would completely collapse if we conceded one goal.Nah, This results suits your game plan. You will definitely get opportunities on the break, you have to hope Marmoush/Salah/Trezeguet can take advantage.
It's set up for a brilliant second leg.
Agreed. South Africa is the weird outlier.Yup, North Africa dominate African domestic football (particularly Egypt and Tunisia). Which is probably the reason why they're the 2 North African teams that depend the least on players in the European domestic leagues.
DR Congo is probably the only other African country that can compare domestically to Egypt and Tunisia, hence why they also have a strong national team based on mainly domestic talent.
Oh stop it, you have a great chance of stealing it in DakarNo way we're qualifying. We're going to lose away.
Home advantage can be a bitch. Can't wait to see the flares in Casablanca and Tunis next week.So few goals in african games. Why are all teams so defensive? Was the same in african cup of nations.
Even star players like Salah, Mahrez etc are doing nothing for the national sides.
Even if European teams also are defensive in tournaments you see more goals.
It's called tactical evolution, which is a code for "defensive set up".So few goals in african games. Why are all teams so defensive? Was the same in african cup of nations.
Even star players like Salah, Mahrez etc are doing nothing for the national sides.
Even if European teams also are defensive in tournaments you see more goals.
I can't believe anyone who saw today's match can believe this.Oh stop it, you have a great chance of stealing it in Dakar
Although in leagues you see the weaker sides getting destroyed a lot of the time. In european qualifiers the big sides score a lot more.It's called tactical evolution, which is a code for "defensive set up".
Tier 2 and tier 3 teams just play defensive most of the time nowadays, to avoid getting spanked by better sides.
For the spectacle it's garbage, but i guess no player enjoys getting spanked 5-0 by a better team just to give the neutral viewer a beautiful game with lot of goals.
The thing is these are the best 10 teams in Africa (barring Ivory Coast who were unlucky). It should be compared to two top teams playing against each other in the other continents. If you saw the previous round of qualifiers there were plenty of goals. The big African teams usually destroy the weaker teams as well.Although in leagues you see the weaker sides getting destroyed a lot of the time. In european qualifiers the big sides score a lot more.
I get it national football is quite defensive. The few teams that play attacking football like Belgium and Germany fail tactically in the big games a lot.
England is pretty attacking against weaker sides, but go defensive against the top sides. France the same. Brasil the same.
Then you have teams like Portugal, Spain and Italy that are pretty defensive and have been for a long time, but are extremly good in attack still and can smash weaker sides.
What I wonder though is why the african sides are so defensive in general.The thing is these are the best 10 teams in Africa (barring Ivory Coast who were unlucky). It should be compared to two top teams playing against each other in the other continents. If you saw the previous round of qualifiers there were plenty of goals. The big African teams usually destroy the weaker teams as well.
The way the CAF qualifiers work is there's 10 groups of 4 and the teams that finish top are drawn and play a two legged knockout fixture to qualify for the world cup. There's not really a 'weak' team left in the CAF qualifiers at this point in time.
Algeria scored a total of 25 goals in their 6 group games, Morocco scored 20...
considering that Italy has never lost in a wc qualifier at home and Germany only twice before, I say not many have accomplished that within a decade.Just a reminder that North Macedonia has won games in Italy AND in Germany in the past 365 days. I wonder how many countries have achieved that over the course of a year, probably not many.
Let's see what they can do against Portugal.considering that Italy has never lost in a wc qualifier at home and Germany only twice before, I say not many have accomplished that within a decade.