The 2014 World Cup thread

[maxxi]

Gripping? For a while. Not so much now as they continue to cancel each other out. Argentines relying on one man and Germans trying to pass it into the net.

[Mick Mac]

Great game I thought, some massive battles. Could not look away from the screen. Great winning goal and deserved winners.

[maxxi]

The kind of goal that deserved to win it - and the team that most deserved it too.

[Otta]

Yep and yep, but I was starting to look forward to a shootout and feel robbed. Bastatds!

Complacency was the wrong word really, just meant they didn't like it up 'em at that stage.

Well deserved especially over the tournament. But that match would have been well resolved with a great goal from eitherr side.

[Mick Mac]

And it was a great goal I thought Otta, incredibly cool finish under the circumstances. Thankfully no penalty shoot out this time and also Messi had a good opportunity and pulled it wide so not cool under the greatest of world cup pressure.

Golden boot to James Rodriguez (100/1 thank you) and BBC goal of the tournament and should I thought also have been the Golden Ball winner, Messi didn't have a great tournament I thought and they gave it to him as a consolation.

[Jah Lush]

Messi was anonymous tonight. Best team won.

[Otta]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> And it was a great goal I thought Otta,

That was my first yep.

Messi probably embarrassed by that award. A nonsense.

He carried his team in the earlt stages for me, but failed to step up when it really mattered. Which is a shame, because he is a great player.

Not sure I'd agree that he was anonymour tonight (in fact I disagree), but couldn't do much special.

Best team won.

[Mick Mac]

Jah might have been in Franklins for too long today to notice the nuances of Messi's performance tonight ;) or maybe just someone who looked like Jah. Eek.

[MrBen]

Germany next competitive international is Scotland at home in September. Bring it on.

[Mick Mac]

Otta. I had a think before I posted and wasnt sure how your two yeps were apportioned... We are clear now on the yeps.

[El Pibe]

silly but made me chuckle.

 

[Jah Lush]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> Jah might have been in Franklins for too long

> today to notice the nuances of Messi's performance

> tonight ;) or maybe just someone who looked like

> Jah. Eek.

I was in Franklins during the afternoon and probably did overindulge on the vino but I stand by what I said about Messi. He certainly went missing for long periods of the game and doesn't deserve the player of the tournament award.

[Mick Mac]

I said the same thing, not deserving of any award. But did think he had a v good first half and a decent overall game - not anonymous.

However for me he'd been overall poor for the whole tournament apart from the odd late goal against tiring defences, last night was his big chance and he didn't take it.

He'll be hurting more than most today. I wanted him to shine and he didn't unfortunately.

[????]

"There were no great teams at a great World Cup" Discuss

[Jeremy]

The best team won. Disciplined in defence, organised in possession, and ruthlessly clinical in the box. And as Bung Moktar Radin wisely noted, they fought with the efficiency of Hitler's war machine.

[El Pibe]

"There were no great teams at a great World Cup" Discuss

Pretty much.

Actually there was a great team at the world cup, it's just they played badly and looked, for want of a better desdcription, knackered!!! (spain of course)

Fantastic world cup, even quarters onwards, the entertainment value drained away but there were still some fascinating encounters.

And of course noone will EVER forget *that* game.

[????]

I think this German team will become 'great' and it was a massive achievement to win in South America to put them on the way but generally some weak teams and/or displays

[Jeremy]

El Pibe Wrote:

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> (spain of course)

Yeah England are a great team too, they've just not reach maturity yet. Just wait until the Euros..

[El Pibe]

well, it was the team that won three championships back to back.

If that doesn't qualify, I'm not quite sure what you would accept.

[maxxi]

I think the 'verve' of teams like Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, USA were an antidote to the slowly-slowly possession-minded football everyone has been copying from the Spanish/Italians; and was delighted the pressing and creativity of the Germans (who were far from 'efficient and clinical') won out over the 'defence with counter attacks' philosophy.

[El Pibe]

or in the case of a couple of games 'defence with no counter attacks'.

Was this the chamionship where the old truism about no easy games actually came true.

[maxxi]

El Pibe Wrote:

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>

> Was this the chamionship where the old truism

> about no easy games actually came true.

Unless they were against England...

[El Pibe]

or spain....or brazil ;)

[Jeremy]

El Pibe Wrote:

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> well, it was the team that won three championships

> back to back.

> If that doesn't qualify, I'm not quite sure what

> you would accept.

were a good team is not the same as are a good team.

Otherwise England might as well send Gazza, Gary Lineker, Peter Shilton and co.

[Mick Mac]

In terms of good teams - I'd like to have seen Columbia get past Brazil and that might have made for a better semi final (Germany Brazil was a non event mis-match). They were for me the surprise package and good quality and would like to have seen James Rodriguez in the latter stages.

That's my only disappointment as I think the ref helped Brazil on that night.