WC2010 Group H - Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Chile
Bielsa

Ref should be shot. ruined the match with that ridiculous sending off.

Chile were great. Wonder what their odds v Brazil will be. Think I'll put something on it.

KUYT #6 wrote:

kas wrote:

For example, the glut of central midfielders hints at a short passing style, but the spread-out positioning of the lines, the lack of any pressure on the ball, means that doesn't really work. Then like you mentioned, there's the Torres problem...he just doesn't seem to fit into the team. Sometimes his presence and movement in stretching the defense will result in defining moments (like the 1st goal in this game and the Euro 2008 final) but overall, he just ruins too many attacking moves.

True. The way Spain play is just totally against all of torres' strengths. His excellent movement is irrelevant because Spain don't use a quick ball to the forwards often enough. His weakness in possession is exposed because the midfielders play their way to the box before it gets to the forwards and Torres then has to try and link up with his back to goal which he is shit at. Everything is too slow for him in the buildup and then to quick for him in and around the box. It's basically the complete opposite of how Liverpool play. Still think you should keep playing him though. Anything to get away from this bullshit centre midfield obsessed passing game

Torres is just plain shit. Where did you see any space for them to play him in? He tried dropping out into the wing, for a change, to find some space and still did fuck all.

It'll be a cold day in hell when Spain resorts to playing a long-ball game for Torres to thrive. World-class, my arse.

I guarantee that if DB gives Llorente a go he'll show him up for the pace-merchant he is.

Persistence wrote:

Ref should be shot. ruined the match with that ridiculous sending off.
.

Why

He was actually a very lenient ref. Kept the player on when he should have been sent off earlier for stopping an Iniesta break and spared Chile from a certain red card when Ponce nearly snapped Alonso's ankle when already booked.

Olé wrote:

KUYT #6 wrote:

kas wrote:

For example, the glut of central midfielders hints at a short passing style, but the spread-out positioning of the lines, the lack of any pressure on the ball, means that doesn't really work. Then like you mentioned, there's the Torres problem...he just doesn't seem to fit into the team. Sometimes his presence and movement in stretching the defense will result in defining moments (like the 1st goal in this game and the Euro 2008 final) but overall, he just ruins too many attacking moves.

True. The way Spain play is just totally against all of torres' strengths. His excellent movement is irrelevant because Spain don't use a quick ball to the forwards often enough. His weakness in possession is exposed because the midfielders play their way to the box before it gets to the forwards and Torres then has to try and link up with his back to goal which he is shit at. Everything is too slow for him in the buildup and then to quick for him in and around the box. It's basically the complete opposite of how Liverpool play. Still think you should keep playing him though. Anything to get away from this bullshit centre midfield obsessed passing game

Torres is just plain shit. Where did you see any space for them to play him in? He tried dropping out into the wing, for a change, to find some space and still did fuck all.

It'll be a cold day in hell when Spain resorts to playing a long-ball game for Torres to thrive. World-class, my arse.

I guarantee that if DB gives Llorente a go he'll show him up for the pace-merchant he is.

Well said.

Persistence wrote:Chile
Bielsa

Ref should be shot. ruined the match with that ridiculous sending off.

Chile were great. Wonder what their odds v Brazil will be. Think I'll put something on it.

Very good game indeed. Too bad the ref ruined the game with that accidental trip.

Glad to see that the so called "best midfield in the world" got schooled in midfield by 10 man Chile.

It was so bad for them so called "best midfield in the world" by them euro media c**ts (yes you English know fuck all about football!) that Del Bosque took out a forward to bring in another midfielder...and that was with his team having an extra player on the pitch.

Now you Euros know why España turned down CONMEBOL's invitation to compete in Copa América in 2004 and 2007. Sí Señores!

Olé wrote:

Torres is just plain shit. Where did you see any space for them to play him in? He tried dropping out into the wing, for a change, to find some space and still did fuck all.

It'll be a cold day in hell when Spain resorts to playing a long-ball game for Torres to thrive. World-class, my arse.

I guarantee that if DB gives Llorente a go he'll show him up for the pace-merchant he is.

I watch him every week Ole. It's fairly obvious he isn't 'plain shit'. Most of the goals he scores are incredible and he scores a lot of them.

All it would take is a bit of variation to get more out of him in a spanish shirt, but we both know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, especially with the 5 centre midfielder approach DB is now adopting.

KUYT #6 wrote:

Persistence wrote:

Ref should be shot. ruined the match with that ridiculous sending off.
.

Why

He was actually a very lenient ref. Kept the player on when he should have been sent off earlier for stopping an Iniesta break and spared Chile from a certain red card when Ponce nearly snapped Alonso's ankle when already booked.

IMO Ref had only moments of leniency AFTER he had fucked up the game by being too rigurous with his foul calls...this isn't Futsal man

Torres IS SHITE! just because he scores in the EPL against shitty defenders means jack shite. The same with Thierry Henry, that shite made a career of scoring for fun in such a shite league. What happened to him in Serie A and in La Liga?

Torres couldn't score anything but penalties in La Liga, and he missed half of them too. Torres is shite!

Barrilete wrote:

Super Africa wrote:

Barrilete wrote:

BoBo Vieri 32 wrote:

Barrilete wrote:Well, nice game so far. IMO the ref is a bit too rigorous calling every play with some friction a foul but can't really say he is wrong, just too hasty to call fouls and give cards away.

Too bad for Chile 'cause their style during the first 20 minutes is something that this Spain side isn't accustomed and even made them hoof the ball believe it or not.

Two stupid defensive mistakes by Chile and it's 2-0. That's the way it is against top sides, you can't afford to make mistakes.

Out of interest, do you wish Bielsa had another chance with Argentina at the WC?

not really, but i do like the guy very much.

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Great goal by Chile...man the swiss really don't deserve to go through

Why not then?

I was amongst the few who were backing him after the 2002 fiasco and would have loved for him to be at Germany 2006, but he chose to quit, I respect that but coaching the national side is not a job you can leave for a while and comeback whenever you want to.

He is a great coach(actually underrated IMO), and he is a very smart man, loved his press conferences while he was coaching Argentina, and players' stories about him are just hilarious

What did he do?

Persistence wrote:Chile
Bielsa

Ref should be shot. ruined the match with that ridiculous sending off.

Chile were great. Wonder what their odds v Brazil will be. Think I'll put something on it.

Barrilete wrote:

IMO Ref had only moments of leniency AFTER he had fucked up the game by being too rigurous with his foul calls...this isn't Futsal man

Did you see the first yellow for the guy sent off ? It was a shocking tackle.

The second yellow he should have received was a cynical foul to stop Iniesta breaking onto the Chile defence. The accidental trip was probably the linesman's fault but it's hard to argue they were unlucky when it was obvious to anyone watching they were going to get someone sent off. Aggression is fine but you have to have a few braincells as well.

KUYT #6 wrote:

Olé wrote:

Torres is just plain shit. Where did you see any space for them to play him in? He tried dropping out into the wing, for a change, to find some space and still did fuck all.

It'll be a cold day in hell when Spain resorts to playing a long-ball game for Torres to thrive. World-class, my arse.

I guarantee that if DB gives Llorente a go he'll show him up for the pace-merchant he is.

I watch him every week Ole. It's fairly obvious he isn't 'plain shit'. Most of the goals he scores are incredible and he scores a lot of them.

All it would take is a bit of variation to get more out of him in a spanish shirt, but we both know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, especially with the 5 centre midfielder approach DB is now adopting.

I've already had this conversation with Six but just watch any compilation of his goals and just see how many are from a counter-attack - where he has space to run into. His only way of beating an opponent, other than for pace, is that dribble cum feint he does with the inside of his foot.

Torres has brought Pool a lot of silverware so they're bound to be biased

COTR's favourite past time = whinging about the ref

Barrilete wrote:

KUYT #6 wrote:

Persistence wrote:

Ref should be shot. ruined the match with that ridiculous sending off.
.

Why

He was actually a very lenient ref. Kept the player on when he should have been sent off earlier for stopping an Iniesta break and spared Chile from a certain red card when Ponce nearly snapped Alonso's ankle when already booked.

IMO Ref had only moments of leniency AFTER he had fucked up the game by being too rigurous with his foul calls...this isn't Futsal man

think so too. Hate those refs. Making a mistake is 1 thing, but thereafter trying to right the wrong by making more wrong decisions is far worse. It spiralled out of control for a while because of that crap decisison.

Olé wrote:

I've already had this conversation with Six but just watch any compilation of his goals and just see how many are from a counter-attack - where he has space to run into. His only way of beating an opponent, other than for pace, is that dribble cum feint he does with the inside of his foot.

Not many as we are generally a shit counter attacking team.

His goals come from more often than not Gerrard passing INTO SPACE for him to run onto the ball and then take a defender on at pace.

He simply never gets the chance to do this for Spain because you take half an hour to build play before reaching the opposition box and everything is then into feet and easier for the defender to deal with. The one time he got a chance to do this was against Honduras when he created the chance that he skied into row Z.

It's a clash of styles and isn't going to change, but I would still keep him in there. There is every chance after the last two games though that DB will think differently but imo his presence occupies defenders more than you think, even when playing as badly as he currently is.

L r dd wrote:Spain and Brazil's stock both lost a lot of points today. That aura that can beat teams before they go on the pitch has evaporated entirely. Cant wait to thrash either one of them

omg, I dont know if you make on purpose Lrd, but your posts always make me laugh out loud.

WOW! Obviously nobody was watching the euro shite vs Honduras game. Them Catrachos had a perfectly legal goal disallowed very late in their game. I just saw the highlights.

Fucking Blatter pulling the strings for his euro shite team to advance to KO stage, and manages to lose to Honduras too.

Get them euro shite out of the WC FOR FUCKS SAKE!

Europe only deserves NINE spots, the group winners to go to the WC AT THE VERY MOST. That's it, the rest are utter shite. You all have seen that, but I didn't have to see that. I ALWAYS KNEW THAT! Sí Señores!

They should cut the world cup back to 24 teams, 32 is far too many. That would get rid of the Euro shite, and the African, Asian & American shite.

Murray wrote:They should cut the world cup back to 24 teams, 32 is far too many. That would get rid of the Euro shite, and the African, Asian & American shite.

I was thinking if they should reintroduce the play off for the teams that finish 3rd

Murray wrote:They should cut the world cup back to 24 teams, 32 is far too many. That would get rid of the Euro shite, and the African, Asian & American shite.

Kimbo wrote:

Murray wrote:They should cut the world cup back to 24 teams, 32 is far too many. That would get rid of the Euro shite, and the African, Asian & American shite.

it will never happen. and, with time, new teams are becoming competitive, so the level will raise with time.

Olé wrote:

KUYT #6 wrote:

Olé wrote:

Torres is just plain shit. Where did you see any space for them to play him in? He tried dropping out into the wing, for a change, to find some space and still did fuck all.

It'll be a cold day in hell when Spain resorts to playing a long-ball game for Torres to thrive. World-class, my arse.

I guarantee that if DB gives Llorente a go he'll show him up for the pace-merchant he is.

I watch him every week Ole. It's fairly obvious he isn't 'plain shit'. Most of the goals he scores are incredible and he scores a lot of them.

All it would take is a bit of variation to get more out of him in a spanish shirt, but we both know this isn't going to happen anytime soon, especially with the 5 centre midfielder approach DB is now adopting.

I've already had this conversation with Six but just watch any compilation of his goals and just see how many are from a counter-attack - where he has space to run into. His only way of beating an opponent, other than for pace, is that dribble cum feint he does with the inside of his foot.

He scores a lot with his head as well, but obviously that would mean Spain playing wingers and not 5 central midfielders.

24 teams was crap - you could finish 3rd out of 4 and still qualify for the next round.

Torres:

Physical: yes (tall and quick)

Mental: Yes (petulant but great composure)

Technical: Oh dear

ITV were making so many excuses for one of our stars but he didn't look injured, he was very pacey.

His normal game for Liverpool is:

* receive a long pass from Reina and "trap" it into the stands (followed by round of applause)

* attempt a dribble but get the ball stuck under your feet (followed by round of applause)

* realise that you haven't got enough ability to dribble so try a push and run but overhit the ball into touch (followed by round of applause)

* get a chance, show great composure to finish simply


Good finisher usually but such an average footballer.

Alberto wrote:WOW! Obviously nobody was watching the euro shite vs Honduras game. Them Catrachos had a perfectly legal goal disallowed very late in their game. I just saw the highlights.

Fucking Blatter pulling the strings for his euro shite team to advance to KO stage, and manages to lose to Honduras too.

Get them euro shite out of the WC FOR FUCKS SAKE!

Europe only deserves NINE spots, the group winners to go to the WC AT THE VERY MOST. That's it, the rest are utter shite. You all have seen that, but I didn't have to see that. I ALWAYS KNEW THAT! Sí Señores!

Why should we kick out euroshite after one bad cup when we let the non-Brazil/Argentina SA shite stay in for 30 years of failure?

Murray wrote:They should cut the world cup back to 24 teams, 32 is far too many. That would get rid of the Euro shite, and the African, Asian & American shite.