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FIFA World Cup Brasil 2014

Weird sport.
If Silva scores the second Spanish goal, the match was finished.
All credit to Netherlands.
 
I'm not 100% sure this was entirely down to Netherlands performance. Kinda felt like Spain would crumble on that 2nd half with any of the top teams.
 
S-NipE said:
Wow, what a smahing, can't remember that I ever saw such a demolition on a WC stage live (Portugal - North Korea doesn't count for me). Great performance by the Netherlands during the second half and glad that we don't have to discuss about refs again. That's why I like football and the WCs!

Chile-Australia can only be boring now. :D
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2002 Saudi Arabia vs Germany... :D:D:D
Just kidding.
Great performance by holland ;)

gerd said:
Weird sport.
If Silva scores the second Spanish goal, the match was finished.
All credit to Netherlands.
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It is all hypothetic. If brazil would not have given the Penalty, maybe the game would have ended tied... No one knows...

ZeroTheHero said:
@we7god Like I already said; Spain were the better team in the first half and they didn't play tiki-taka but varied football, inkluding small sequences of tiki-taka. But I guess one would have to be unbiased to see it so you're excused.
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Like I said: xavi mentioned on PC that they have only one style of playing succesfully and they are not going to give it up - so it is win or die (lose) with that style.
As i don't like that Tiki-taka nonsense, i am pleased spain lost.
But this not about hate against spain - great and succesful Team, but i don't like that Kind of playing football.
It is a kind of boring handball play on soccer pitch. Not my taste.
 
As Gerd said, if Silva scores his 1 on 1, Spain probably go on to win.

But not sure where their heads were at in the second half. No need to crumble like that. Maybe saving energy.

They lost their first match 4 years ago too. Nothing is decided yet.
 
Crazy stuff happening here at the moment, I live in a completely boring suburb but it's mental here. Fireworks, horns, loads of people out on the street. Insane.

Casillas is finished.
 
we7god said:
Like I said: xavi mentioned on PC that they have only one style of playing succesfully and they are not going to give it up - so it is win or die (lose) with that style.
As i don't like that Tiki-taka nonsense, i am pleased spain lost.
But this not about hate against spain - great and succesful Team, but i don't like that Kind of playing football.
It is a kind of boring handball play on soccer pitch. Not my taste.
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I don't care what he said, I used my eyes and football knowledge and I didn't see what you despice. Spain were quite good for 40 minutes of this match and they were unpredictable.

If your girlfriend tells you that she made you pasta but serve you tomato soup, do you think you're eating pasta just because she said so, or do you trust your own experience?
 
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The style was great when it was balanced, the problem comes with the abuse of the formula. Playing without wingers and 5 midfielders, all of them slow and not any of them offensive i suicide, boring and of bad taste.

But players like xavi, busquets and iniesta have come to a stage in which they will be happy if they have less chances and more possession. If you add to it an abysmal physical condition...

This is just a reflection of Barcelona obsession for nonsense, and I'm glad that such a speculative approach has been severely punished. And happy for Van Gaal, a very underrated coach that taught another lesson.
 
Well I think this isn't the end of Spanish style of football or even tiki-taka. The problem for me was that in the second half the Spanish midfield disappear when they didn't have the ball.

The trademark of their football wasn't only the extended possession but also their high pressure, work rate and stamina in the midfield. Today we saw Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso and Silva looked out of breath long before the game felt out of reach. This combined with the insistence on playing with a high defensive line gave the Dutch loads of room and time to operate. And the Netherlands have always been let lethal on transitional football. The second Robben goal is clear example of that. As soon as the ball is recovered, the passer looks forward and at the exact same moment Robben start looking for the space, without both of them needing to communicate with each other.

Del Bosque needs to either change the players or tweak their style, especially the high line.

Spain is in deep shit with this goal differential deficit. If the Dutch won against Australia and lose against Chile, and Chile won against Australia, even if Spain won the remaining matches they probably go out on goal difference. (The 3 teams would've 6 points each).
 
The all important 3rd goal was a foul on Casillas.

He should be replaced for what followed tho. Mare of a last 30mins or so

Pique and Ramos couldn't handle Robben, who was unplayable in the 2nd half, and that would be a worry against any team with pace up front.

Don't think Xavi can play a full game in this humidity at this level.

JuanFran should start imo. Azpiliaqueta is a defensive RB and forces everything to go via the left or through the middle

Still think Spain will win the WC if they make those 2 changes and use Xavi intelligently.
 
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I agree, van Persie should've been sent off for elbowing Casillas during the third goal.
 
They were countered to death, which is often what happens when good teams adapt "little team" strategies. I love it though.
 
Van Persie's foul on Casillas cancels out the non-existent penalty carved out by Diego Costa.

In the end, Spain had more possession but Holland were much more dangerous. And I must say I prefer the incisive style of football. Fantastic goals by Van Persie and Robben. Top marks for both of them and Blind.

Thoroughly deserved. This makes this group all the more interesting. Spain now has to play out of their skins in the next 2 matches, and the encounter against Chile will be key.

I'm thinking we might see a clash between Spain and Brazil in the last 16! :BOP:
 
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