Yet they still schooled the reigning champs in all facets of the game.

Class is permanent in Brasil, Hating isn't brah.

#Hexa

I didn't know the Confeds Cup was such a benchmark........

Guess that means Nigeria can probably beat most of the European countries, since they gave Spain a real challenge......

izzy wrote:I didn't know the Confeds Cup was such a benchmark........

Guess that means Nigeria can probably beat most of the European countries, since they gave Spain a real challenge......

we can

Oh i certainly recall Mikel destroying Spain midfield, world class player

Do I really NEED to explain why rating players over the course of a handful of pre-season games isn't sensible? Really?

Pls Tom just because Italy doesn't it seriously or that what their fans say to justify their performance, anyway... doesn't mean that no countries take it seriously. Both Spain and Brazil wanted it very badly. And since Brazil only play friendlies in the run-up to the WC these are the only official matches to judge them by.

Fernando Torres is World Class too, he was the joint top scorer no?

Not to mention it's what? 5 games long.

Meh, if people want to judge a player because he excells over the space of 5 games in Pre-season then I won't stop them. All I will say is that Giaccherini is World Class.

Come on... it's much more than preseason. On the NT importance scale, it's like winning the cup (CDR, FA, etc.)... not the most important; but still relevant.

NT games... even friendlies... are far more pressure-packed than club games imo. The reason is that there are few and the competition to get into a NT sqaud/starting position is often fierce for top NTs.

That's why i must give credit for his performance in confed cup. But again, he didn't show anything near that level before that tournament and he's been injured since... so i don't know what his level is now.

And in any case, 5 games never makes anyone WC or shat for that matter.... it's just 5 games.

In terms of people rating Fred based on the Confederation Cup, I don't think those people were just going off that. They have watched him play in Brazilian league (or so some have claimed) and they also saw him perform well in a tournament. The issue/miscommunication seems to be that you're presuming they are judging on that one tournament alone.

This just in.. a team willingly lost 3-0 cuz they simply didn't care.

GL 0/10, I'm throwing this bait back into the sewer m8s, no good.

this thread is pure speculation.  I haven't seen any numbers suggesting the amount of players from SA has declined in European football. nor that the price tags have gone down, or that their performance isn't up to scruff.
Its basically, "I don't like (insert name)" Fred is a baller, you have to be blind not to see it. Its not like Adriano was the epitome of greatness either.  Yes if you want to compare him to El Fenomeno or Ronaldinho, its a drop in quality.  but every big footballing country has a generation where they produce a ridiculous amount of talent (i.e. Spain and Italy before them), you cant expect that to go on forever.  

Plus a lot of these players are just now entering their primes

And lastly, Brazil has a little bit of money now.  Teams can afford to turn down big money moves for players like Damiao. and likewise the player can play at home and still be paid very well.  personally, financials are the same or close, id rather be a star at home and be with my friends and family than have to go  half way across the world and get acclimated to a new way of life.  South America and Europe are very different places, with very different cultures, food, climate, women, ect.

Ok guys, let me get this straight.

Fred is WC?

Then I guess Mexicans can justify calling Chicharito and Vela WC, I suppose.

Fred owned Italy & Spain?

Yeah Bocanegra & Onyewu owned Spain in the previous Confed as well and therefore must have been WC too.

Brazil owned Italy & Spain?

I guess Spain were in serious business mode when they were 2-3 down to Brazil and let Ramos take a crucial Pen. Dat serious business Spain. Let's see if Del Bosque allows that in the World Cup. As for Italy, meh, I'd say Brazil had some luck with ref decisions. Happens all the time.

Everything outside of Europe is irrelevant?

What would you say if you heard an EPL fan say everything outside of PL is irrelevant. Oh, the irony.

Seriously, this thread is wrong, wrong, & wrong stacked over more wrong. Cavani, Aguero, Suarez, Falcao, Vidal, Thiago Silva must be total pushovers, I suppose.

Lord Awesome wrote:What would you say if you heard an EPL fan say everything outside of PL is irrelevant. Oh, the irony.

Isn't this was most of them actually always say? XD

rwo power wrote:

Lord Awesome wrote:What would you say if you heard an EPL fan say everything outside of PL is irrelevant. Oh, the irony.

Isn't this was most of them actually always say? XD

Apparently. Often criticized for it, too. And now we're seeing similar attitudes from people who criticize PL fans for being that way.

Why does this forum have such a hard on for Fred? Every time Brasil is brought up, Fred is usually the most talked about. No, he's not world class but the vast majority already know that and considering CF is arguably our weakest position, he's been performing quite well.

And do people really believe that Spain didn't take the game against Brasil seriously? Really? A final of a tourney they never won against Brasil?

Highburied wrote:Strikers in general have disappeared.

When u you think of quality strikers, only a few come to mind.

Really?
Aguero, van Persie, Messi (yeah false 9 blabla), Ibrahimovic, Lewandowski, Suarez just the (imo) world class strikers from the top of my head and of course you have a huge group of quality strikers like Gomez, Mandzukic, Higuain, Benzema (some might argue he's wc but whatever), Cavani, Costa, Negredo, Sturridge.....

Only Lewandowski is considered a pure striker from those you mentioned amongst the world class. The rest work best behind a true 9.

Fred is world class   

Catracho wrote:Brazilian League is the most unpredictable league in the world unlike other leagues (especially in Argentina), anyone could relegate and anyone could win.. there hasn't been a back to back winner since Sao Paulo almost 10 years ago or so. Fred was also injured majority of the season so he had no contribution towards their relegation, love how yall forget he was the leading scorer the season prior with 30+ goals and also scored a nice lump some prior to him going down last season.

Anywho Nick is reaching.. he said South America talent pool is declining because we don't have any up and coming greats when thats very wrong. SA has players dominating in Europe and in SA of all ages.. from Suarez to James Rodriguez to the next GOAT CB, Balanta of River Plate.. there's talent to spread.

Especially in Argentina? I am not an expert on the Argentinean league, but this year I saw the league table and when there was only 2 games left, I belive that almost 8 team had a real possibility to win the league. If that is not unpredictable, then i have no idea what unpredictable is..

harhar11 wrote:

Catracho wrote:Brazilian League is the most unpredictable league in the world unlike other leagues (especially in Argentina), anyone could relegate and anyone could win.. there hasn't been a back to back winner since Sao Paulo almost 10 years ago or so. Fred was also injured majority of the season so he had no contribution towards their relegation, love how yall forget he was the leading scorer the season prior with 30+ goals and also scored a nice lump some prior to him going down last season.

Anywho Nick is reaching.. he said South America talent pool is declining because we don't have any up and coming greats when thats very wrong. SA has players dominating in Europe and in SA of all ages.. from Suarez to James Rodriguez to the next GOAT CB, Balanta of River Plate.. there's talent to spread.

Especially in Argentina? I am not an expert in the argentinean league, but this year I saw the league table and when there was only 2 games left, I belive that almost 8 team had a real possibility to win the league. If that is not unpredictable, then i have no idea what unpredictable is..

i agree with you

below is the final result of argentina league for last season

the difference between no.1 & no.17 was 11 points only,
that's what i call competitive
1 San Lorenzo final pts 33
2 Lanus 31
3 Velez Sarsfield 31
4 Newells Old Boys 31
5 Arsenal S. 30
6 Belgrano 29
7 Boca Juniors 29
8 Atl. Rafaela 29
9 Estudiantes 27
10 Rosario Central 26
11 Gimnasia LP 26
12 Tigre 25
13 Argentinos Juniors 25
14 Godoy Cruz 24
15 River Plate 23
16 Olimpo 23
17 All Boys 22
18 Quilmes 20
19 Racing Club 16
20 Colon 6

harhar11 wrote:Especially in Argentina? I am not an expert in the argentinean league, but this year I saw the league table and when there was only 2 games left, I belive that almost 8 team had a real possibility to win the league. If that is not unpredictable, then i have no idea what unpredictable is..

Catrollcho is just doing his thing. Argentina's league is definitely as competitive as it gets.

guest_07 wrote: i agree with you

below is the final result of argentina league for last season

the difference between no.1 & no.17 was 11 points only,
that's what i call competitive
1 San Lorenzo final pts 33
2 Lanus 31
3 Velez Sarsfield 31
4 Newells Old Boys 31
5 Arsenal S. 30
6 Belgrano 29
7 Boca Juniors 29
8 Atl. Rafaela 29
9 Estudiantes 27
10 Rosario Central 26
11 Gimnasia LP 26
12 Tigre 25
13 Argentinos Juniors 25
14 Godoy Cruz 24
15 River Plate 23
16 Olimpo 23
17 All Boys 22
18 Quilmes 20
19 Racing Club 16
20 Colon 6

If that's uncompetitive, then the PL marketing machine has no right to call the PL competitive..

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

harhar11 wrote:Especially in Argentina? I am not an expert in the argentinean league, but this year I saw the league table and when there was only 2 games left, I belive that almost 8 team had a real possibility to win the league. If that is not unpredictable, then i have no idea what unpredictable is..

Catrollcho is just doing his thing. Argentina's league is definitely as competitive as it gets.

Oh, ok..