Hands up if

you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

You are going to need it because if you meet Paraguay it will be a very tough match and I don't expect Holland to continue to grind out wins.

Congrats though

LOL

have my doubts it will so easy click in the later games to become a good footballing side

germany look far better in all areas, at least we can dominate teams

you hoofed to your victorys

Well done

Europe 1 SA 0

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

Where is the typical dutch football we all love holland for? The team seems like it can surprise people cos no matter how crap it looks it wins.

Özil wrote:LOL

have my doubts it will so easy click in the later games to become a good footballing side

germany look far better in all areas, at least we can dominate teams

you hoofed to your victorys

Super Africa wrote:

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

You are going to need it because if you meet Paraguay it will be a very tough match and I don't expect Holland to continue to grind out wins.

Congrats though

I'm hoping Paraguay win the group. I rather play Italy.

On the grinding out, just explained we took it easy so far. We'll play our A-line-up (incl.Robben) and play our A-game during the KO-stages. Now we'll turn to the trashing like early on during Euro2008.

Persistence wrote:

Super Africa wrote:

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

You are going to need it because if you meet Paraguay it will be a very tough match and I don't expect Holland to continue to grind out wins.

Congrats though

I'm hoping Paraguay win the group. I rather play Italy.

On the grinding out, just explained we took it easy so far. We'll play our A-line-up (incl.Robben) and play our A-game during the KO-stages. Now we'll turn to the trashing like early on during Euro2008.

Perhaps so but I doubt it. Im just waiting for somebody to expose your defence and if you meet Paraguay it would be yet another team that won't allow you to play at all. The reason Holland was good in 08 was because of their great counter attacking but if teams won't allow you to do that.

I agree that Italy would be better for you allthough with Italy you never know if they will come to life suddenly as they have done before.

Funny thing that my favorite team is the first one to qualify, but because of the way Holland did it, they're not my favorites anymore.

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

Paraguay were so awesome against Italy weren't they

the Japan game is Holland's first game where I fell asleep before the game is over

Lusitan wrote:Funny thing that my favorite team is the first one to qualify, but because of the way Holland did it, they're not my favorites anymore.

Thank god I don't give a crap about football at the moment, otherwise I'd be massively frustrated too

Alberto wrote:I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

Would that be the same Brazil who struggled to beat North Korea?

Don't Panic wrote:

Alberto wrote:I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

Would that be the same Brazil who struggled to beat North Korea?

Yes. This Brazil have a playing style that's much better suited to beating a footballing side like the Netherlands who like to keep possession but are suspect at the back, than a park-the-bus Korean team where Brazil are the ones who have to take the initiative and create a chance.

Those North Koreans were inscrutable

Alberto wrote:

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

We'll see who'll expose whose flaws.

21 matches unbeaten & counting....

Not like the other nations have no flaws either. Every country has flaws. Brazil have a vulnerable defence too.

Persistence wrote:

Alberto wrote:

Persistence wrote:you've qualified for the KO-stages.

EASY EASY

we're holding back our team this WC, saving energy for when it matters. Going to turn it up a few notches in the KO-stages. Only 4 matches to go.

I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

We'll see who'll expose whose flaws.

21 matches unbeaten & counting....

Not like the other nations have no flaws either. Every country has flaws. Brazil have a vulnerable defence too.

You need to get at Brazil's left flank, so Robben should play there and not Kuyt. Plus Sneijder will have to be smart with his movement, because Brazil have 2 DMs who will track him all day long.

kas wrote:

Don't Panic wrote:

Alberto wrote:I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

Would that be the same Brazil who struggled to beat North Korea?

Yes. This Brazil have a playing style that's much better suited to beating a footballing side like the Netherlands who like to keep possession but are suspect at the back, than a park-the-bus Korean team where Brazil are the ones who have to take the initiative and create a chance.

Curious how those North Koreans were able to create chances earlier in the game than Brazil despite parking the bus.

Did you even watch that game?

Don't Panic wrote:

kas wrote:

Don't Panic wrote:

Alberto wrote:I don't like how you're matching up against either Paraguay or Italia. EVEN IF you manage to scrape past either one, Brasil awaits in quarterfinal ready to expose every flaw in this Dutchie team. If Paraguay don't get to do that first. FUCK!

Would that be the same Brazil who struggled to beat North Korea?

Yes. This Brazil have a playing style that's much better suited to beating a footballing side like the Netherlands who like to keep possession but are suspect at the back, than a park-the-bus Korean team where Brazil are the ones who have to take the initiative and create a chance.

Curious how those North Koreans were able to create chances earlier in the game than Brazil despite parking the bus.

Did you even watch that game?

Yes I did watch the game and yes they did create chances, how does that change my point? A team that parks the bus doesn't exclude itself from counter-attacking. And as I said, this Brazil team is uncomfortable when it has to take the initiative and play...this happened in their qualifying campaign too. Also, it may only be North Korea, but it's not unusual for a big team to start off with an average performance before hitting their stride. All these factors explain the narrow margin of victory, but IMO it doesn't mean I wouldn't heavily favour Brazil to beat the Netherlands.

kas wrote:Yes I did watch the game and yes they did create chances, how does that change my point?

You said all Korea did was park the bus. This isn't true.

A team that parks the bus doesn't exclude itself from counter-attacking. And as I said, this Brazil team is uncomfortable when it has to take the initiative and play...this happened in their qualifying campaign too.

If they are uncomfortable taking the initiative against a poor side then what makes you think they'll take the initiative against a strong side like Holland?

Also, it may only be North Korea, but it's not unusual for a big team to start off with an average performance before hitting their stride. All these factors explain the narrow margin of victory, but IMO it doesn't mean I wouldn't heavily favour Brazil to beat the Netherlands.

Brazil struggled to score against a poor defence, and conceded to a poor attack. Make all the excuses you want, on that performance there's no reason to believe they'll comfortably beat Holland.

kas wrote:
You need to get at Brazil's left flank, so Robben should play there and not Kuyt. Plus Sneijder will have to be smart with his movement, because Brazil have 2 DMs who will track him all day long.

That would be great. Kas, as a Bracelona man, you must have noticed that our team is tactically very mature. Our positional game is bettere than Brazil's (they are better at other things). 2 DMFs tracking midget evrywhere means we'll have a spare player elsewhere on the pitch. Like Barcelona, we'll exploit this.

@saints: You are not understanding my point. I'm not talking about strong vs. poor, but about playing styles, formations, tactics. Holland, unlike N. Korea, will look to keep possession of the ball and build their attacking moves. Against them, Brazil can sit back, win the ball, then counter at speed. That's when they are most lethal. Now if Holland give Brazil the ball, and sit back and defend, then try to counter, it would be a different game altogether. But although they are good at counter attacking, Holland would not use this tactic because their defense probably can't handle consistent pressure, and it's not in their culture to play without the ball.



@Persistence: What I meant was one of the two will track him, depending on what position he picks up. As you point out, it would be quite silly to double mark someone. But speaking of the spare man raises an interesting point, if one of your DMs (presumably Van Bommel) can step up to join in your attacks, then that will create a spare man for you when you have the ball.

It's always funny when Saints attempts to talk football

This failure to understand Kas' point and how Brazil have been playing under Dunga being another example.

kas, that's exactly what von Bommel has to do. Creating a spare man on the pitch so you can dominate is a key facet of the Dutch posession based positional game. Barcelona are good at it 2. Playing no center forward v the Mancs, leaving Rio marking Vidic & Barcelona dominating midfield, is exactly what Holland did at the 1974 World Cup. I fancy Holland's chances, because we have a very mature team when it comes to tactics. They don't even need their manager to change things during the match.


We haven't played well yet, we need far more off the ball movement, we need to play at a higher pace, more width etc. But we can & will improve, certainly with Robben in the team. he's so dangerous the opposition has to sacrifice more than 1 players to cope with him. I mean Robben's danger will create space elsewhere.

Yeah, higher pace is the key. It's been lacking in your first 2 games...I don't know what the weather is like during the day (night games are freezing cold) but I wonder if it's hot and your players don't have the energy for this. Also would like to see the one-touch passing that is a hallmark of Dutch football.

KUYT #6 wrote:It's always funny when Saints attempts to talk football

It's always sad that you feel the need to carry arguments and personal vendettas from thread to thread just because you have fuck all to contribute to any conversation about anything.

Persistence has a good point. Despite playing poorly, this Dutch team play their positions well, and don't appear to get caught short unnecessarily I reckon they'd be able to nullify Brazil to a large extent, although that's not to say they'd beat them.

Holland has been an absolute disgrace during this WC, this game is suppose to entertain people not make them fall asleep. Holland has been as bad as England difference is they have 2 points and Holland 6 and Holland played fairly well before the WC. So where it has all gone wrong I dunno. Rather have something like Holland during Euro2008 then a Germany in 2006.