R16: Belgium vs USA - 1st July

Tha's all nice and well, but we can't just ignore the huge gap in quality between the teams. Belgium are clear favourites for me.

USA have comfortable situation. I think that will be good.   

Natalie Portman wrote:

Gil wrote:Can't think of a single strength US have over Belgium.

Heart and passion for a start.

Freedom.

Gil wrote:Can't think of a single strength US have over Belgium.

before wc:

Can't think of a single strength US have over portugal

Can't think of a single strength costa rica have over uruguay, italy & england

Can't think of a single strength algeria have over russia & korea

Can't think of a single strength greece have over ivory coast & japan

I believe in the US

Gil wrote:That's a very good point. If they get Hazard the ball early and in the right spots he'll destroy their fullbacks. IMO, Wilmots should just give him a free-role like Mourinho did against Man City and limit the amount of defending.

Really hope Belgium go through. I'm desperate for a Hazard v Messi Quarterfinal.

EDIT: Thinking about it now, the only real advantage USA have over Belgium could turn out to be exactly what gets them through (the coach). Wilmots is one of the worst in the World Cup and is relying on his players surprisingly high fitness levels and individual brilliance to bail him out.

They're almost an exact replica of the 2010 Netherlands team. Mistake free, slow paced and defensive team that relies of the individual ability of their star forwards & opposition errors to win games.

Not one winger so far has been able to get the better of Fabian Johnson, Gil. He is currently one of our best players in the tournament and probably one of the best full-backs left in the tournament as well. He's got the pace and the defensive acumen to keep up with Mertens and/or Hazard imo. He did it against Kwadwo Asamoah and he did it against Nani after all. I wouldn't write him off.

McLewis wrote:

Gil wrote:That's a very good point. If they get Hazard the ball early and in the right spots he'll destroy their fullbacks. IMO, Wilmots should just give him a free-role like Mourinho did against Man City and limit the amount of defending.

Really hope Belgium go through. I'm desperate for a Hazard v Messi Quarterfinal.

EDIT: Thinking about it now, the only real advantage USA have over Belgium could turn out to be exactly what gets them through (the coach). Wilmots is one of the worst in the World Cup and is relying on his players surprisingly high fitness levels and individual brilliance to bail him out.

They're almost an exact replica of the 2010 Netherlands team. Mistake free, slow paced and defensive team that relies of the individual ability of their star forwards & opposition errors to win games.

Not one winger so far has been able to get the better of Fabian Johnson, Gil. He is currently one of our best players in the tournament and probably one of the best full-backs left in the tournament as well. He's got the pace and the defensive acumen to keep up with Mertens and/or Hazard imo. He did it against Kwadwo Asamoah and he did it against Nani after all. I wouldn't write him off.

I rate Johnson mate, I think he's been your best player along with Jones. I just think Hazard will skin him alive if he's isolated with him 1v1.

Bedoya will surely start this game and offer protection.

EDIT: When did Johnson join BMG? Could easily have joined a better and bigger club if he waited after the World Cup to sign for a new club.

UH OH - don't let RWO hear that Gil!!

I don't get it. US squeak by in a group that they really should have been out of if not for some pretty lucky circumstances, and now they're some kind of footballing powerhouse? People actually believe they were in a group of death?

Belgium is literally better at every position than the US. If the US win this game it's because Belgium beat themselves.

I think this will one of the even games in R16. many thinks Belgium favouratie on paper but WC performance probably can't separate them. Also USA played some strong teams already, that could be a plus for them....

Lucky

They fully deserved to qualify and it should have been all over by the 2nd game.

Not to mention their group was several levels above Belgium's joke of a group.

And they are not better in every position and the game is not played on paper.

People are obsessed with names, individual talent (which Belgium's is very overrated anyway) and on paper

All of it means f*ck all, forza USA

El Cujo wrote:I don't get it. US squeak by in a group that they really should have been out of if not for some pretty lucky circumstances, and now they're some kind of footballing powerhouse? People actually believe they were in a group of death?

Belgium is literally better at every position than the US. If the US win this game it's because Belgium beat themselves.

Typical. As long as USA weren't fancied to get out the group, it was the Group of Death.

But now that they've gotten out of it, it's no longer the Group of Death.

Belittling a team for actually proving the doubters wrong is very hipster. Come off it and give this side their due. They worked hard for it.

As for Belgium, they have left a lot to be desired and as such I do not fear them. They are obvious more individually talented than our boys, but the same was said about Ghana, Portugal and Germany. We beat one, drew one and narrowly lost to the other. Instead of conceding the golazos, we were the ones scoring them in some of those games.

USA just need to defend with their heads, use the ball well and take their chances. We are more of a threat to Belgium than any of the 3 sides they faced in the group stages. This game will probably be the biggest to date for many of those players at the international level. That can be said on both sides. There will come a time in this match where talent won't be enough. That's where we'll see what these kids are truly made of.

Gil wrote:EDIT: When did Johnson join BMG? Could easily have joined a better and bigger club if he waited after the World Cup to sign for a new club.

In February 2014, he signed a 4 year contract with BMG - on a free transfer even. He'll play with them from this summer on.

Hapless_Hans wrote:UH OH - don't let RWO hear that Gil!!

Too late

They were never in the group of death. American media just called it that to fit into the underdog story they were telling. But anyone objective would have called Group D the group of death - it had THREE former world cup champions for the first time in history.

It probably was the group of death, lets be real.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:They were never in the group of death. American media just called it that to fit into the underdog story they were telling. But anyone objective would have called Group D the group of death - it had THREE former world cup champions for the first time in history.

Where is it written that there can't be 2 groups of death?

Why are people underrating Belgium on here? They've won and breezed through their group despite playing poorly like Argentina and Brazil have done. What happens when it clicks?

Just because they haven't played to their full potential doesn't mean their players are suddenly overrated and overhyped.

No it isnt.

Italy's group was the group of death and it was proven by two very good teams going out.

USA's group is Germany and group of shits.


ANy way Che Guevara's spirit will do the work, the game that has been graced by the likes of Maradona and Bil shankly aint gona be a corporate property all of a sudden.. I believe in communism.

save us ghostaaaard

Gil wrote:Why are people underrating Belgium on here? They've won and breezed through their group despite playing poorly like Argentina and Brazil have done. What happens when it clicks?

Just because they haven't played to their full potential doesn't suddenly mean they're players are overrated and overhyped.

Underrating? All I've seen is people overrate them.

Have they done anything to truly justify being underrated? They didn't exactly set that group on fire.

Because they were lucky in every game in the weakest group of the competition and they are not very good.

Oh and the fact Costa Rica went through the "group of death" unbeaten proves its nothing but overhyped rubbish.

Just like the teams in it, how fitting.

Costa rica is actually a very good team.

Tell me USA is even 1/10 of the team they are...or even Portugal who had the same points as USA. Both of them gets kicked out in Italy's group no doubt about that.

McLewis wrote:

Gil wrote:Why are people underrating Belgium on here? They've won and breezed through their group despite playing poorly like Argentina and Brazil have done. What happens when it clicks?

Just because they haven't played to their full potential doesn't suddenly mean they're players are overrated and overhyped.

Underrating? All I've seen is people overrate them.

Have they done anything to truly justify being underrated? They didn't exactly set that group on fire.

They won all their 3 games despite playing poorly. How many teams did that? Colombia, France, Brazil and Argentina were also in piss easy groups but no one is playing down their prospects like with Belgium.

Ok

everyone said they would be whipping boys, bore off lol.

this thread is cringeworthy

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Ok

everyone said they would be whipping boys, bore off lol.

Every one believed just like Spain and Italy were progressing...well it just turned out that Holland,Chilie,Costa Rica etc have better teams than those mentioned.

When you compare the general play i think even England was better than that horrific Portugal side yet England finished with 1 point and Portugal only went out on Goal difference.

People talk about Belgium being unconvincing in the group stages but when were Spain ever convincing in the 2010 Word Cup? Not a single game.

Belgium have one of the best defenses in the World Cup and star forwards capable of winning games by themselves. Sometimes that's all you need.