:::[Official]World Cup South Africa 2010 Thread:::

[cincoseisdos]

Originally Posted by Smokey1212

Is it just me, or does it seem like almost every damn team is trying to always make that one last pass or cut in front of goal rather than just trying to hammer one home when they get the opening? It's like some of these players don't want to shoot until they are in the 6 with no goalie. It's damn frustrating.

I've been noticing this too. I understand the want to get an OPEN NO DOUBTER shot in, but jesus they're playing hot potato with no one wanting to "risk" it and take the shot

 

[carlos tevez]

Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

If we're talking about up to and including the next-to-last kick before the shot on goal, then Spain have been the most impressive team this tournament, even though they lost to a sub-mediocre Switzerland team. But unfortunately for Spain, only the goals themselves count at the end of the day, and not how beautiful and creative you're playing up to a shot at the goal. A pattern is starting to emerge. They totally dominated U.S. at the confederations cup without converting their excellent passing into goals, but ended up losing on two counter attack goals. The same story with Switzerland about a week ago. Beautiful passing display, shot after shot on the goal but no goal, and then the Swiss score on them from a single counter attack opportunity. The only thing that saved this scenario from repeating today against Honduras is the fact that Honduras was a notch below in quality. If they scored on most of their opportunities today, we could've seen a Portugal vs North Korea-like score. So all in all, Spain should be worried about how many chances they blew instead of being satisfied with the 2-0.

I thought that Spain was a team without weakness, but now seeing the state Torres is in, it's obvious that they need an ice-cold pure center-forward striker who can convert their beautiful passing and creativity into goals. He doesn't need to be creative or have great dribbling ability, just be a decisive finisher. Their lack of this type of player might cost them the tournament.

This Spain team remind me too much about Arsenal/Barcelona. Very entertaining and high possession team  but at some point you have to stop passing the ball and just put it into the back of the net. We see how Arsenal get shut down/lose all the time in England...teams just let Arsenal pass themselves to death before they counter attack and kill them. Barca have been the most successful club in the world the past few years but Chelsea were somewhat successful against them in the 2009 UCL semis while we saw how Inter contained them in the 2010 2nd leg semis. The common theme is that opponents allow them to keep 60% possession but then they score and park the bus in front of goal. We saw it again today with Spain...this was a match they should've scored atleast 5-goals but they often took too long inside the box or made too many passes allowing the Honduran defenders to recover. I didnt think this Spanish team would win the WC prior to this tournament partly due to their style and partly due to what looked like a tough 2nd round bracket. Things may get even tougher for them if they meet Brazil in the 2nd round

As for weaknesses in terms of players, I think Sergio Ramos is a great attacking threat on the right side but he's often caught out of position leaving Spain weak on that side of the pitch. Torres is clearly very rusty but eventually will return to his usual self. I think Del Bosque will continue to stick with him even if he performs poorly against Chile.

 

[curious24]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Originally Posted by Curious24

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

David Villa was a beast on the left side today. He may have to carry more of Spain's offensive load given how rusty Torres still is.

Re: Fabregas to Barca...I think he can still start for them. Iniesta can play as a left-forward, Villa in the middle, Messi on the right, Fabregas as AM with Xavi as CM and Busquets as DM. Barca play a ton of matches each season so they need as much depth as possible. Iniesta is also kind of injury prone so Fabregas could just replace him in the lineup.

Really, Injury prone? How did you think of that?  Just because a player ran into his leg the other day and reagravated an injury does not mean he is injury prone sherlock.

[table][tr][/tr][tr][td]Barcelona[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
[/td][td]Games Played
[/td][/tr][tr][td]2004–05[/td][td]37[/td][/tr][tr][td]2005–06[/td][td]33[/td][/tr][tr][td]2006–07[/td][td]37[/td][/tr][tr][td]2007–08[/td][td]31[/td][/tr][tr][td]2008–09[/td][td]26[/td][/tr][tr][td]2009–10[/td][td]29[/td][/tr][/table]

Are you really that dense?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andres_Iniesta

In mid November 2008, Iniesta suffered a leg injury and was expected toreturn to action in six weeks. Iniesta, however, did not want to comeback until he was 100 percent and finally returned to action on 3January 2009 as a 65th minute substitute against Mallorca

On 5 February, Iniesta made his 250th appearance for Barcelona in the Copa del Rey match against Mallorca. Iniesta once again got injured in Barcelona's home match against Málaga,

Iniesta suffered a small tear in his thigh prior to the final but played through the pain, aggravating the injury.

Iniesta did not participate in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa due to a thigh muscle injury.[sup][22]

[/sup] Iniesta's 2009-10 season was largely disrupted by recurrent injury woes. He missed pre-season fitness training[sup][18][/sup] due to the thigh tear suffered in the 2009 Champions League finaland this meant that despite featuring in almost as many matches as theprevious season, he did so mostly as a substitute, starting only 20games throughout.[sup][19][/sup] His season came to an end after an aggravation of a previous calf injury occurred in training.[sup][2[/sup]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65J2FT20100620

Injury-proneSpain midfielder Andres Iniesta is still suffering from a knocksustained against Switzerland and is a doubt for Monday's World Cup game against Honduras, coach Vicente del Bosque said.

Iniestahas struggled with a string of muscle injuries this season and wassubstituted in the second half of the shock 1-0 defeat to the Swissafter a crunching challenge.

Iniesta is NOT injury prone

so because Iniesta got injured two times in the last two years he is injury prone? That same artice mentioned 250 appearences He probably missed two months total. 

At you reading Reuters for your football facts

Fabregas                                   Iniesta
[table][tr][td]2008–09[/td][td]22[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]
[/td][td]26
[/td][/tr][tr][td]2009–10[/td][td]27[/td][td]                      29
[/td][/tr][/table]
I guess the player with more less appearences the last two years should sub the player with more

 

[noskey]

Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49

Originally Posted by NikeTalker23

BTW ^ I hope the Netherlands win it all..

back-stabber

When you want to join the dark side too, we'll be waiting

 

[kidoopz]

Wow Enough Emoticons there bud ^ ... ANYHOO.. Portugal had me smiling unlike Nigeria. Meireles played really well and looks like the coach was listening when I said for Almeida to start.. Every goal was needed to keep as much goal distance as possible from Ivory coast and it came through..

Spain had so many chances to score.. Just like Chile did. Looks like Spain just ran out of gas in the waning minutes. Anyways Goal Differential could be a factor in that group as well..

 

[niketalker23]

Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49

Originally Posted by NikeTalker23

BTW ^ I hope the Netherlands win it all..

back-stabber

You knew what I meant 

....Of course I'd want Mexico to win it all..As a matter of fact, I promised my friends that I'd drink so much I'd black out if they won the WC(I've never tasted alcohol..)Do I honestly think they can win the WC? I don't think so..So after that, I will root for the Netherlands..Don't get it twisted though amigo..Viva Mexico..

 

[persiafly]

x2. 

 

[persiafly]

New post, after a while, but I think this one's pretty decent:

Storylines to watch for in the last round of group matches


Link in the sig.

 

[niketalker23]

^ No offense but don't you have a thread for your blog?

 

[babam11218719]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

OK...OK...just one last time. I promise.

Classic PersiaFly right here. He says Pirlo is top 5 in the world, a bunch of people or shall I say 'the herd' disagree with him and he returns fire with a furious blend of sarcasm, arrogance and stone faces. PersiaFly is NEVER wrong and disagreeing with him is worse than committing murder. 'Let the haters hate'...
http://niketalk.com/topic/183697?page=11

Anyone who reads that will see I was the one involved with a lot of that.  Fun times

Anyway, I think tomorrow is the real start of the tournament. 

 

[jumpman247]

Is it true North Korea's team is going to be executed? Keep seeing stuff about it online?

 

[air kooroush]

france and south africa tomorrow is gonna be an awesome game with s. africa as the host nation and frances internal struggles, I hope s. africa runs france into the ground. 
argentina handles greece 3-0.
nigeria over s. korea 2-1
mexico vs uruguay is gonna be one to watch 

dos santos vs forlan 

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by NikeTalker23

^ No offense but don't you have a thread for your blog?

I felt it was unnecessary to post in that thread when I could just post in a thread that's already on the first page instead of bumping one that's not. I'd see your point if I was bumping that thread and then posting in here as well, but I'm not doing that. Just ignore the post if it bothers you, I keep posting them because more people click to my blog from this thread than any other source. 

 

[cincoseisdos]

Originally Posted by jumpman247

Is it true North Korea's team is going to be executed? Keep seeing stuff about it online?

sillyness everyone outside of NK expects to happen a la Iraqi team under Saddam

 

[TheGift23]

That would be funny if France won big and some how managed to qualify

 

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by CincoSeisDos

Originally Posted by jumpman247

Is it true North Korea's team is going to be executed? Keep seeing stuff about it online?

sillyness everyone outside of NK expects to happen a la Iraqi team under Saddam

Yeah its pretty ridiculous.  I've read all these comments on "RIP to them" and whatnot... I'm guessing a lot of crazy stuff goes on in North Korea, but I think the DPR Korea gov. is reasonable enough to know the strengths of their football team and that expectations weren't that high.  Executing the team for performing to what everyone expected of them?  Come on.

 

[tonton32]

British tv asked fans what they would give up to see the england squad advance to the next round.

 

[persiafly]

For England to make it to the knockout round?

EDIT: holy crap, I was joking, I thought it was a question of winning the whole thing. Sad to see what English football has come to. Or maybe it's refreshing to see decreasing levels of delusion among their fans.

 

[f sharp005]

Djibril Cisse will be playing for France!

I think he suffered one of the worse broken leg I've ever seen while playing with Liverpool

Peace
F Sharp005

 

[jd214]

Let's get it!

 

[23bryan]

Vamos Mexico!!!!!!!!

 

[Sinner]

Originally Posted by F Sharp005


Djibril Cisse will be playing for France!

I think he suffered one of the worse broken leg I've ever seen while playing with Liverpool

Peace
F Sharp005

Against China during a friendly as well... a defender stepped on the back of leg while trying to chase him down... horrific. 

Hmmm... what should I watch?  France and SA going for a win or Uru and Mex going for a draw... 

 

[kidoopz]

Franco

Why does he start

 

[TheGift23]

RSA

 

[M. Fresh]

that was nice