Quarter Finals

[GIMH]

Awful game. Would take it if ours was that bad tomorrow though, if it means we win.

 

[sledger]

What a bore. Neither team looked like they could be arsed. Thought France would at least have a go late on, but they were totally insipid.

 

[wpdavid]

George Gently looking good, ATM.

There's some good stuff on BBC4 about Bowie from last night.

 

[Cevno]

Boring game, as usual involving Spain.

Can't see Portugal vs Spain being much better either. Germans by far the most entertaining team left and that's a historical oddity.

 

[grecian]

There's some good stuff on BBC4 about Bowie from last night.

I seriously considered Spiral at 9 TBF, something decent from France.

 

[Furball]

It's been grim in the extreme. Some of us are old enough to remember how much flack Italy used to take when they were the kings of defensiveness, but reckon this lot are just as unwatchable. How many one-nils in knock-out games would it have been without that irrelevant last minute penalty?

Apart from that Ribery must be the most over-rated played in world football, bar none.

And htf did France rack up 21 games unbeaten leading up to these finals?

Ribery is a shocking player.

 

[Neil Pickup]

It's been grim in the extreme. Some of us are old enough to remember how much flack Italy used to take when they were the kings of defensiveness, but reckon this lot are just as unwatchable. How many one-nils in knock-out games would it have been without that irrelevant last minute penalty?

Apart from that Ribery must be the most over-rated played in world football, bar none.

And htf did France rack up 21 games unbeaten leading up to these finals?

Ukraine 2-0
England 1-1
Estonia 4-0
Serbia 2-0
Iceland 3-2
Germany 2-1
Belgium 0-0
USA 1-0
Bosnia 1-1
Albania 3-0
Romania 0-0
Albania 2-1
Chile 1-1
Poland 1-0
Ukraine 4-1
Belarus 1-1
Croatia 0-0
Luxembourg 2-0
Brazil 1-0
England 2-1
Luxembourg 2-0
Romania 2-0
Bosnia 2-0

Distinct lack of quality opposition in that list. I wonder how strong the Brazil and Germany sides were?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Boring game, as usual involving Spain.

Can't see Portugal vs Spain being much better either. Germans by far the most entertaining team left and that's a historical oddity.

Yea. Fully expecting Portugal to do their usual 6-3-1 formation, with the 3 being a defensive midfield.

 

[sledger]

I seriously considered Spiral at 9 TBF, something decent from France.

Finally! Someone else who watches it!

It's great isn't it?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Germany: Wiese - Boateng, Hummels, Badstuber (Howedes), Aogo - Khedira, Kroos, Schurrle (Muller), Ozil - Reus (Cacau), Klose (Gomez)

Brazil: Julio Cesar - Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luis, Lucas - Andre Santos, Robinho (Sandro), Elias (André), Pato (Hulk) - Renato (Jadson), Hernanes

 

[BoyBrumby]

Martinez letting the neutral mask slip a bit. Spanish games are good to watch because "you want to watch winners", not if the games are as ball-crushingly tedious as that we don't, Bob.

 

[grecian]

Finally! Someone else who watches it!

It's great isn't it?

Yeah, only just got into it on the latest BBC4 showing, they put the first series on about 6 months ago, now doing the second. I'm a big fan of Eouropean Crime fiction in books and TV, so it's right up my street.

 

[sledger]

Tbf to Spain, it's not like they totally shut up shop. It struck me that they realised France were just so totally pedestrian that once they scored their goal they didn't need to get out of first gear to see them off. All they had to do was go through the motions and wait for the clock to run out. They didn't park the bus, France were just rubbish.

 

[sledger]

Yeah, only just got into it on the latest BBC4 showing, they put the first series on about 6 months ago, now doing the second. I'm a big fan of Eouropean Crime fiction in books and TV, so it's right up my street.

Yeah, really top stuff. Just gets better as it goes on as well.

Much better (and apparently more realistic) than Judge John Deed, or whatever the British equivalent is. Though, that's obviously not saying much.

If you get FX, then you should also check out Braquo. Bit more seedy and dark, but similar fare.

 

[Uppercut]

Ribery is a shocking player.

I actually can't think of anyone more overrated.

Yea. Fully expecting Portugal to do their usual 6-3-1 formation, with the 3 being a defensive midfield.

At least they'll attack with a bit of tempo though, plus they have a player worth watching. It can't possibly be as bad as this match was, I was starting to yearn for a bit of deep-lying hoofball by the end.

 

[Cevno]

Tbf to Spain, it's not like they totally shut up shop. It struck me that they realised France were just so totally pedestrian that once they scored their goal they didn't need to get out of first gear to see them off. All they had to do was go through the motions and wait for the clock to run out. They didn't park the bus, France were just rubbish.

Spain rarely park the bus in the traditional sense. They have just perfected the art of keeping posession without trying to do anything substantial with it for large periods.

Often comparison is made with Barca in this regard, but the Spanish team just takes it to a different level without any direct players.

 

[Cevno]

Btw, i am a bit surprised no team so far has tried to do what the Dutch did to Spain in the WC final with relative success. I.e Roughen them up and get at them physically besides playing on the counter.

 

[sledger]

Spain rarely park the bus in the traditional sense. They have just perfected the art of keeping posession without trying to do anything substantial with it for large periods.

Often comparison is made with Barca in this regard, but the Spanish team just takes it to a different level without any direct players.

Thank you for sharing your insight with us fountain of knowledge.

 

[sledger]

Btw, i am a bit surprised no team so far has tried to do what the Dutch did to Spain in the WC final with relative success. I.e Roughen them up and get at them physically besides playing on the counter.

Because with a half-decent ref any team taking that approach would quickly find themselves down to 10, 9 or 8 men.

 

[Ikki]

That was ****ing dire.