The 2014 World Cup thread

[Mick Mac]

I'm quietly enjoying the game, a bit cagey in the first half but midfielders and defenders are playing well. Very tight but not without quality. Messi nothing so far.

[maxxi]

So, no real argy-bargy...yet... but no great game either.

Oh, and those 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' trailers look like shit.

[Mick Mac]

Some great defensive performances so far. Not something we see a lot of with England.

I'm giving my MOTM to the Dutch number 2. He's been brilliant so far.

[Mick Mac]

Messi v Maradona, he hasn't quite done it yet.

[maxxi]

Brazilians who already have final tickets now faced with supporting either their greatest rivals or the team that humiliated their own boys... expect they will ALL be supporting Germany.

And expect Germany to win.

[StraferJack]

"I'm quietly enjoying the game, "

Everyone should bank this, next time Mick proffers a footballing opinion ;-)

[Otta]

Maradona didn't have a great game every single time.

And that is the beat Argentina have played as a team so far.

And good to see the Dutch go out on penalties after the quarters.

[nashoi]

According to the stats Messi is ahead.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/messi-is-better-than-maradona-but-maybe-not-pele/

I've always liked Lineker's story about Maradona though. Apparently when playing for Barcelona, Lineker took part in a charity game against a world 11 including Maradona. Before kick off Maradona came out to entertain the crowd, his party piece on this occasion was to stand on the spot and kick the ball straight up in the air as hard as he could wait for it to come back down then volley it straight back up again. He stayed routed to the spot not moving around at all, but repeated it seemingly as often as he liked. It left the likes of Platini and Lineker open mouthed and when they got back to Barcelona's training ground and tried to emulate it no one managed more than about 4 and that was running around desperately trying to stay underneath it. Lineker likened it to trying to balance snooker balls, something that shouldn't be possible.

[El Pibe]

Now i know how all those poor neutrals felt all those times watching England 'defend like lions', bored senseless!!

Still it was impressive defending throughout, and by god you'd have Mascherano on your team wouldn't you.

Surly arsehole he may be,but if England had 3 players with that commitment and even half the skill we might have had a bit of a tilt at it.

I thought the Dutch actually tried to win the game, but it's hard to feel sympathy for them isn't it.

[El Pibe]

I still find it surreal that he wore the claret and blue, however reluctantly.

[Otta]

I can't believe Liverpool let him leave.

[titch juicy]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Maradona didn't have a great game every single

> time.

>

> And that is the beat Argentina have played as a

> team so far.

>

> And good to see the Dutch go out on penalties

> after the quarters.

Not sure where this thread is with the Messi v Maradona thing, but for me, while he's a great player Messi can't be considered Maradona's equal, and not because of the World Cup argument. Messi has played at one club since he was a little boy, surrounded by players that have grown up with him and kniwing exactly what makes him tick.

Maradona excelled in many leagues, on different continents, at many clubs and at international level.

[Jah Lush]

Neither of 'em are as good as Pele though.

[????]

StraferJack Wrote:

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> "I'm quietly enjoying the game, "

>

> Everyone should bank this, next time Mick proffers

> a footballing opinion ;-)

Agree with SJ, I've tried to justify another late night when I was absolutley shattered with some sort of purist line, but, nah, it was a tedious visual spectacle...(the ex-hammer excepted)

[StraferJack]

even the pens didn't do it for me - I just shrugged and went to bed

[El Pibe]

I was mightily relieved when it was all over, why do we do it to ourselves?!

[Jah Lush]

One duff game amongst so many good ones. Jeez! You boys can't get enough cake can you.

[El Pibe]

http://www.wsc.co.uk/wsc-daily/1183-world-cup-2014/11735-how-european-magazines-saw-the-2014-world-cup

a couple of interesting opinions.

[Alan Medic]

When you get up at 5 in the morning it's too much for me to stay up. I tried last night and made it to half time. At least the Final starts an hour earlier I think.

[El Pibe]

Nashoi, not in the same league I'll grant you but matt le Tissier bet an old school mate of mine that played for Southampton, that he could hit a 50p in the penalty area 3 times from the corner flag.

Le tis won his bet, I'd be surprised if Lineker could have managed that either ;-)

[missse22]

Feeling very proud to be half German!! Bring on Sunday!!!

[Mick Mac]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "I'm quietly enjoying the game, "

>

> Everyone should bank this, next time Mick proffers

> a footballing opinion ;-)

I found it quietly interesting.

Ha. I imagine quite a few of the defenders and defensive midfielders in this game would say they had the gane of their lives in keeping the likes of Messi, Robben and VP completely quiet on the biggest stage of all - in the hope that as a result of these great performances a world cup final would be the reward.

[Help-Ma-Boab]

3 times in a row? Or just 3 times, after hitting ball after ball? V impressive if the former, but if he was there all day at it not so I reckon.

I've often thought if I spent all day on a easy par 3 I should get a hole in one. Maybe not, but would like to give it a go. What you reckon MM

El Pibe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Nashoi, not in the same league I'll grant you but

> matt le Tissier bet an old school mate of mine

> that played for Southampton, that he could hit a

> 50p in the penalty area 3 times from the corner

> flag.

> Le tis won his bet, I'd be surprised if Lineker

> could have managed that either ;-)

[El Pibe]

it was 3 out of 5, sorry, still pretty mad.

[Jah Lush]

I remember Terry Venables telling a story about the how the legendary Spurs skipper Dave Mackay could volley a ball hard against a wall from 20 yards 40/50 times without letting it bounce on the ground. That's pretty amazing too.