FIFA World Cup group stages

[shankycricket]

Holland - Chile should be interesting.

Especially if Mexico top group A!

Don't see that happening. Anyway, I think the Group B concludes first? They've gotta assume Brazil are finishing top of the other group and try and come out on top surely?

[dan08]

I guess the likes of Pique could well recover his form. He is only 27 after all. May not be past his sell by date but still doesn't justify his selection for the Netherlands game in his current form.

His last 2 months of the season was as good as anyone. Usually a bit shaky but can't say he came into the tournament in poor form.

My word, he looked ordinary. Also heard him and Ramos don't get along/work well together?

Don't know if they get along but definitely don't work well together. They haven't really got any other options there though so probably their best pair.

[shankycricket]

Spain's rise and decline goes hand in hand with that of Barca. Not a coincidence.

Reasons for their failure are very similar.

https://twitter.com/piercy360/status/479378098199097344

[shankycricket]

Cameroon vs Croatia should be an interesting game. Yesterday's result has really thrown Group A wide open. Although I'd still be amazed if Brazil don't make it and indeed top it. But all to play for really as far as the second position is concerned. Mexico probably the favourites but its anyone's game.\


Won't be able to see it though. Time for bed. Highlights tomorrow early morning.

[dan08]

Saw this on Twitter >> Spain have already conceded more goals this World Cup than in their last 3 major international tournaments combined.

[The Waugh Twins]

Cameron have got to believe they have 6 or 7 goals in them surely, because Croatia are likely to score twicw that.

Bring on Roger Milla, I can't believe he is on the bench.

[SaintPowelly]

Amazing what you can achieve when you don't have a corrupt referee against you.

[The Waugh Twins]

Amazing what you can achieve when you don't have a corrupt referee against you.

Yes, it's about the only real fault the beautiful game of football has and it starts with MAFIFA and ends with corruption.

I try to ignore it as best as I can as there is an element of corruption in most sports it just seems that in soccer you can more easily affect the outcome with such small margins of error.

I have complete faith that Brazil will be undone with a scoreline of 5-0 at the hands of the USA.

[sussexpob]

I could write a book on the match between Spain v Chile last night, in terms of tactical battles and the development of styles, this was arguably the most interesting and fascinating clash in the history of football.

Journalists who do their writing based on Wikipedia will no doubt equate Spain's "Tiki-Taka" system to a number of Dutch coaches in the late 80's to early 2000's, but that for me is not "tiki-taka", the word associates in a modern sense with Guardiola and Barcelona, and by extension, Spain. Cryuff's possession football was nothing fresh or inventive, in fact, most teams in football at the top were drilled in protection of possession. Its just a convenient distinction to draw a likeness in possession being present in both teams Barcelona had. The modern Spanish game is a possession football game, but that only became successful once Guardiola stole half of Bielsa's philosophy on the pressing game, on the concepts of marking, of midfielders slipping into zones and not fixing to positions.... that is "Tiki-Taka", and that what distinguishes it, Italy have played passing football for years, and would have happily knocked the ball about like Barcelona did for years.

The high pressing game in all areas of the pitch is the main tactical brilliance of Spain. They protect the ball when they don't have it, defend infront of the oppositions goal, and not theirs, and that "shock and awe" tactic has took time for teams to adapt to, but they have.

Now what we are seeing is that "possession" based game is actually a rotten concept once teams have adapted to play against the other areas of the game. In a cruel, ironic, kind of way, all the Spanish contributions to the system of "tiki-taka" have been found out. Teams now play "Catanaccio" to it by setting the double banks of 4 tight to make Spain play, they have also mirrored the high pressing game, and have played counter attacking systems against the weak defensive structure. By not moving the ball quickly, Spain are in essence playing a slow death game, and no longer have the other elements that made this successful as a unique factor to their game.... teams have picked the bones and are starting to interpret this tactic in a much more direct, and much better, style.

Who better to point this out? Chile, the team who is managed by a clone of Bielsa, who hasn't touched or changed Bielsa's legend when in charge, and who still to this day thrive playing his system. The mouthwatering conclusion of this affair is that all of the theories of Bielsa that Guardiola ignored, actually came back to destroy "tiki-taka". The floating defender principle made sure that Spain never worked the space, his pressing system made sure Spain never kept the ball, his stand off distrubition specialist spread the ball on the counter attack...

But the biggest aspect was the transition between attack and defence.... Bielsa believes as soon as a team stops defending, it must develop an attack with no transition. This is becoming the key to the modern game, quick, sharp bursts of acceleration in phases, not letting teams defensively setup. Spain were done by Robben in the first game, a direct and aggressive player on the counter, and done by the same thing against Chile.

What created Spain's dominance???.... " A system stolen from Bielsa"....

What destroyed that system???.... "A system stolen from Bielsa".....

How do they recover????..... "By following a system from Bielsa".....

The worrying thing is, Spanish players are so technically brilliant, if they started playing and moving the ball much quicker, they would probably destroy teams.... an example is Real Madrid, who play a very direct style of play.

End of the day Spain must move the ball quicker. By playing so slowly they place a pressure on themselves to make hugely intricate passing moves that are hard to replicate, and becoming easier to defend against. They lack physicality in the midfield and defence, they disregarded the striker for a false nine, they allow their teams to catch their breath and find shape.

Maybe the biggest lesson from Bielsa that he taught Guardiola was "flexibility", yet this is another lesson Spain have not learnt. They expect to turn up and dictate against all teams, and they are naïve to assume they can. They never change their system.

[Gingerfinch]

England tonight. Not a must won, but a win would be very nice indeed thank you. Same team I expect. Lets hope we play with the same vigour as Saturday.

[Aidan11]

I think we'll lose tonight.


I have no faith in the manager or some of the players. There are some promising lads coming through but probably too early for this tournament.

[Gingerfinch]

I think we'll lose tonight.


I have no faith in the manager or some of the players. There are some promising lads coming through but probably too early for this tournament.

I'm a tad nervous, I must admit. I think we'll score a couple, but at the same time, concede a couple as well.

[Durhamfootman]

I think we'll lose tonight.


I have no faith in the manager or some of the players. There are some promising lads coming through but probably too early for this tournament.

and too early for the next tournament, and maybe even the one after that, but if we keep the manager, and stop these young players from making big money moves to clubs where they'll hardly ever get a game, we could have a squad of players at the absolute peak of their powers in time for the 2020 Euro's and the 2022 World Cup (which won't be in Qatar, hopefully)

The trick will be to stop trying to find a system that suits all our top players, and try to find the right players who can suit the best systems for each tournament.

[budgetmeansbudget]

I think we'll lose tonight.


I have no faith in the manager or some of the players. There are some promising lads coming through but probably too early for this tournament.

I'm a tad nervous, I must admit. I think we'll score a couple, but at the same time, concede a couple as well.

Yes, Uruguay's defence looks a bit weak in view of injuries and suspensions so we might get a few opportunities, just need someone in the right place at the right time to put the chances away.

And our defence is well capable of conceding a few as well, could be Hart's night for a howler.

[sussexpob]

We should beat Uruguay tonight.

Had nothing going forward in midfield, caught out for pace in defence a few times, looked weak at set pieces.