Fußball wrote:

Zealous wrote:

Fußball wrote:Z, on a scale from 1 to DNMAD, how much will you rage if Argentina win their next 3 matches which will guarantee Messi his 5th Ballon d'Or?

Luckily I won't have to commit to any comments just yet.

Hopefully Hazard has the game of his life and leads Belgium to the win. Messi will be labeled a flop because he couldn't get things done despite playing for the mighty Argentina

2 games. Is that sweat I'm seeing on your forehead?

No but I'm clinching my butthole pretty tightly atm.

Hala Holland

Hala Costa Rica

why are you guys even bothering with this shit ?

brazil will win the world cup .

and just to let you know, my post quarter final prediction of who's going to win the WC is 100 % accurate since 1994.

Insoucious wrote:

Gil wrote:This is what happens when you don't call up Nasri. Only player that can emulate what he does was injured.

Griezmann, Pogba, Matuidi and Benzema have been exposed in this World Cup. Pogba still has time on his side though of course.

Anyway, France went out a round too late. Easily the worst game of the tournament, Nigeria would have been a better opponent for the Germans.

"Anyway, Belgium went out a round too late. Easily the worst game of the tournament, USA would have been a better opponent for the Argentinians"

Well, it seems to work with that as well.

What?! Am I missing some sarcasm? USA looked awful and would of allowed like 450 shots against Argentina lol

Argentina really looked good today. Very organized. Easily their best game of the tournament and it's a performance they can build on going forward.

lol at windkick from sherdog

Both teams were shit tbh.

Enzo Perez filled in really nicely for Di Maria. Obviously he's NOT Angel but he is really solid. Haven't watched him much in the Portuguese league though

Argentina just cruised.. What a game from Higuain. Like that lady in that tale everything he touched turned into gold.Didnt knew he had it in him

I think Argentina can be alot more confident going into semi final after this display. They won with out sweating much, given Belgium were really underwhelming at winning the ball back but that was because of the skills of Argentine players.

It's been a great World Cup, but it's falling flat on its face now. This game was even worse than Germany v France. Ugh.

Belgium should fire their manager. No way you should be that awful in attack with those players.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Belgium are shit, they been lucky all tournament and first elite team they face handles them with relative ease.

Before anyone says "only 1-0 doe" Romero basically had nothing to do all game.

Anyway why are Belgium so hyped to begin with? Witsel, De Bruyne, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Fellaini, Mertens and Lukaku are EL standard players.

The way people talk about them you would think they all going to latter stages of CL every year, yet they only have 3 players who belong in that class.

Come one mole...this is no where near the level Belgium should be playing with those players.

^^ and what has Belgium players done to prove they should be playing at a way higher level? hype train logic is so funny...

What did Mexican players do? Chilie? Colombia? before playing well in World cup? chilie played with relegation players in defense.

Belgium is equally talented team as those countries...they should be playing much better.

based on what? witsel,fellaini,kdb,chadli,lukaku,origi, vert, merten and hazard etc.. what did they do at club level that was so impressive? you guys pay too much attention to pace and dribbling, then turn a blind eye to all their faults and blame the coaches instead

those teams did better cause they were tactically better and disciplined, while belgium got lucky fluking wins and playing like garbage all tournament but they were so hyped, something must have went wrong with coaching than a lot of players being actually average .

again just goes to show the double standards on this forum

Did you just they they were tactically better ? oh yeah there is the answer.. because they were better coached, not because of the players.

Or do you mean Chilie with the most relegated players in world cup has better players?

dont bother blabbing back.

if mou was their manager i could see them winning the world cup with ease. Def fault of the manager.

and then the random mourintard strikes from out of nowhere

Good picture:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t1.0-9/10451798_10152564242272594_81502791216684639_n.jpg

http://www.ole.com.ar/mundial/argentina/Mascherano-loco-felicidad_OLEIMA20140705_0177_14.jpg

Adit wrote:Did you just they they were tactically better ? oh yeah there is the answer.. because they were better coached, not because of the players.

Or do you mean Chilie with the most relegated players in world cup has better players?

dont bother blabbing back.

yawn no amount of coaching gonna make fellaini and witsel decent or make hazard track back, etc.... that the point noob, so keep blaming the coach for average players being average

love how you dodge the question about belgium players at club level, you didn't even know who origi was until a couple of day ago , pace and dribbling that the only thing that registers right .

messixaviesta wrote:

VivaStPauli wrote:Most knockout games are pretty dry affairs, as far as I can remember.

I don't need three goals per game but what I want to see in knock out matches is a CONTEST. Two sides both showing that they are capable of going through. Some twists and turns. Audience on tenterhooks till the end as to who would go through. In these three matches we knew the winner after 15 minutes. International football is probably at it's lowest ever point.

could not have said it any better....

rwo power wrote:

farfan wrote:what a garbage team. ( belgium that is )

You know what I thought? Why can't those two go out together and instead both Germany and France  proceed XD

your arrogance knows no bound...  Can you tell me the difference between Argentina and Germany in terms of their respective quarter final performance. .... ....Without Neuer you are already out, however we have reduced our dependency on Messi since the group stage games....

Robespierre wrote:Basically it was the replay of Germany-France

for Belgium  same thing said for France : the overall result is good because it is quarter final against a team most rated, but anyway I waited something of better, a different attitude because there are ways and ways to lose. No a real reaction after that goal.

It was really the replay

on the other hand I think Wilmots manages the Belgium just because he was a great Belgium player ( I can remind him , lost a Uefa Cup for his goal) in 90's. Nothing more. Not so adapted to manage a team with quality players.

Completely agree... For me its a whole rematch in terms of performance of all 4 teams....

I really don't know where all the hate for Belgium is coming from in this thread?  They advanced to the point that was expected, they were always 2-4 years too early in this tournament and everyone with a brain in there head knew that.

I mean there performance is pretty much on par with all of the teams in the last 8 bar Brazil/Colombia in that awesome Rugby match.

Can any of you really sit here and say they played a lot worse than the Dutch, France, Germany, Costa Rica or Argentina?

All of them were poor finishing chances, all of them were very solid defensively with great performances from there keepers and at the end of the day the better teams won in each game through know how and veteran leadership.

I know a lot of you are young on this board but this is generally how the World Cup works with a few exceptions here and there.  

The teams that have been there and done it and have great veteran players in key positions generally advance after the group stages in the knockout rounds.

The youngsters and up and comers who look amazing in the group stages have a lot of trouble dealing with the pressure the further the tournament goes on (as you should be able to tell in any of the PK shootouts, they are basically shaking and almost in tears before they step up to the spot and the great veteran players (RVP, Kuyt, Robben, Sneijder etc step up and bury there PK's very smoothly))

After Higgy scored that early goal yesterday, they were cooked mentally and tactically.  Finally what Sabella has been setting this team up (to many fans dismay and frustration) to play like came to fruition. 

Not to mention how about giving Argentina some credit for a change?  There defensive game plan was spot on and there back 4-6 put in a masterclass on how to defend as a unit.  If this were Italy playing like this everyone would be wanking over how great there defense is and how Pirlo owned the midfield like Messi did yesterday and how great Balotelli is for burying that one timer like Higgy did.  But instead we get Belgium suck, there coach sucks, Argentina sucks etc etc

Argentina has looked vulnerable in this WC when they break out of the very defensive lineup Sabella starts them out in but in this game you can see why Sabella has been starting games in that formation even when people though it was not needed against weaker teams.  Everyone wants to see Argentina go out and score 2-3 goals and win 3-2 or 3-1 etc.

Sabella has known from day 1 that they can't just go get in a shoot out every game like last world cup because when it's time to face a Germany or Holland etc they will get there doors blown off again like last World Cup, that knockout game was over in 30 minutes.  They don't have the defenders in this team to leave them exposed to 1 vs 1 situations, they get skinned alive.

Sabella's plan all along which actually worked perfectly yesterday was to put 6-7 men behind the ball and protect there box use Messi as the link to attack and hope one of there great attacking players in Di Maria, Higgy, Messi, Lavezzi etc can produce a moment of magic which happened early yesterday.

That way they don't have to expose themselves and when the other team chases the game hit them on the counter with two of the best counter attacking / fastest players in the world in Di Maria and Higuain and let Messi orchestrate the counter and getting them the ball.

This worked to perfection and had Higuain or Messi scored there 1 on 1 opportunities this game would/should have been 2 or 3 to zero.  

Then it would have turned into how great Argentina was and Belgium just ran into a better team (which is still the case) but got about as far as they could and have a great foundation to build on to seriously compete to win the Euro's in 2 years and be flying by the time then next world cup comes along in 4 years.

I just don't understand the total negativity towards both teams.

neuro11 wrote:

messixaviesta wrote:

VivaStPauli wrote:Most knockout games are pretty dry affairs, as far as I can remember.

I don't need three goals per game but what I want to see in knock out matches is a CONTEST. Two sides both showing that they are capable of going through. Some twists and turns. Audience on tenterhooks till the end as to who would go through. In these three matches we knew the winner after 15 minutes. International football is probably at it's lowest ever point.

could not have said it any better....

Thanks

Michael Cox: Messi is now controlling tempo and has become a typical Argentine #10.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/jul/05/argentina-belgium-leo-messi-world-cup

Belgium have done very well in this WC I think, rarely do u have a young team who is first time in a big tournament together and can really step up to he level required to win it or whatever. This is a very young team together in the big stage first time pretty much, I think they proved and showed they play very well. Vs the oldest team I heard is Argentina not surprised they are knocked out by just a nice finish by Higuain really, not too muich difference in the 2 sides. There is more than pure ability and skill to win in these tournaments.