World Cup Thread.

Until that happens though. ...

CR7>Messi!!

I know he might be a priss, but he's ours. Take all his faults away, and just concentrate on his skill, he's also one of the most complete players to ever play. His speed, dribbling, ability to score with both feet, and his aerial game. Name me another player that has those tools?

AzorianPats said:

Ivan, I actually agree. No team as stood out this WC, but the games have been fascinating!

Apart of me thinks Germany as been at the door step of every major tournament since 06, that sooner or later it's gotta be their time. The flip side of that is Messi. The greatest players win WC. And this might be Messi last chance at doing that. I can see him having a Maradona like finish to this tournament and carrying Argentina to the cup.

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I agree but I see Messi playing two more WC's after this, and while they won't be on the continent, which makes it easier even if it is in Brazil, he will have his chances and it will depend upon the growth and quality of the player's who surround him. If he can close out this tournament and bring Argentina a title it will be an incredible achievement because the side around him has been unimpressive at best imo.

And while I am not a fan of Brazil or Germany the only disappointment for me would be the dutch winning the tournament. The idea of Robben holding a World Cup Trophy makes me nauseaus, he embodies everything that is wrong with the game imo, he's the most selfish player I have every watched and he dives more in one game than most teams do in an entire tournament, I can't stand him

AzorianPats said:

Until that happens though. ...

CR7>Messi!!

I know he might be a priss, but he's ours. Take all his faults away, and just concentrate on his skill, he's also one of the most complete players to ever play. His speed, dribbling, ability to score with both feet, and his aerial game. Name me another player that has those tools?

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Azorian, we will never agree on this, Ronaldo isn't anywhere near the player Messi is and the idea that Messi has to win the cup to be better when Ronaldo couldn't even get Portugal out of their group makes no sen se at all. Messi has been the better player throughout his career and i am pretty sure everyone other than Portugal fans see it that way.

Ivan said:

Messi and good draws have carried Argentina this far and while they obviously have a chance because they are in the semis I have seen nothing from them in this tournament that looks a like a World Cup Champion, other than Messi, of course, and that's coming from someone who wants Argentina to win because i want Messi to get the credit he deserves as the greatest player of his generation and one of the greatest of all time. It's odd because i am one of many who think this is one of the greatest World Cup's of all time yet none of the final four have really played the kind of soccer that sets them apart as one of the great world cup team's, hopefully we will see some greatness in the last 3 games because otherwise we will be left with a great World Cup with only an average championship team, at least imo.

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Argentina will be without Di Maria now and Aguero is still injured. Messi won't be able to do it alone against a good team like the Netherlands unless they park the bus and play the counter. Once Di Maria went out of that Belgium game, you could see they had no one else to break defenses down besides Messi and he had minimum 3 defenders around him everytime he touched the ball. They can still win but they're gonna have to do it off their back foot.

condon84 said:

Argentina will be without Di Maria now and Aguero is still injured. Messi won't be able to do it alone against a good team like the Netherlands unless they park the bus and play the counter. Once Di Maria went out of that Belgium game, you could see they had no one else to break defenses down besides Messi and he had minimum 3 defenders around him everytime he touched the ball. They can still win but they're gonna have to do it off their back foot.

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I agree, much as it pains me to see the dutch come out of this game I think it's the most likely scenario. I actually like and respect guys like Sneijder, who is a great player imo, but they can be a filthy team and my feelings about Robben in particular really color my view of that team. That said they have probably been the most dangerous team i have seen over the past two weeks as they pounded on both Mexico and Costa Rico while the others have really been unspectacular imo. Of the four remaining teams Argentina is the one i am rooting for and the one with the least chance of winning it, at least from where i sit.

This has been a great world cup to watch and hopefully it has turned the heads of many american fans and the game will continue to get traction in this country and support for it and the MLS will continue to grow. I have also been really impressed with the commentary in this thread on the whole, the pool pissers aside there are many really knowledgeable soccer fans in this Patriot fanbase and I have learned a great deal about their teams and the way they see the game and the players over the course of the past month, and i really appreciate their commentaries whether I agree or not, and I give shmessy a ton of credit for keeping this thread on track and to Ian and Patsfans for allowing us to have an ongoing soccer dedicated discussion in a patriots/football dedicated forum. Thanks to all for that, it's been fun even though I know it isn't done yet.

AzorianPats said:

I didn't enjoy the Brazil/Columbia game because of all the fouls and lack of cards shown. Ref had no control of that game. That ruined the game for me.

Game didn't lack goals. There was 3. I found Holland - Costa Rica and even Brazil - Mexico much more entertaining. And neither game had goals.

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Contrast him with the Azerbaijani guy who did the Holland-Costa Rica game. He wasn't afraid to use yellow cards to send a message and, though he might well have sent a couple of guys off for second yellows, he gave them the benefit. (And I think he was right not to give the penalty.) Result: a flowing game.

This Spanish guy also did the England-Uruguay game. He let the Uruguayan thugs get away with ... well, not murder, but certainly assault. I didn't make too big a thing of it -- I mean, teams that lose always blame the ref -- but seeing what became of the next game, I'm sure that he is incompetent if not corrupt. If soccer wants to survive and thrive they can't let the kind of fouling that was going on in that game (or that ruined the UEFA cup final) destroy the game in that way.

Ivan said:

Azorian, we will never agree on this, Ronaldo isn't anywhere near the player Messi is and the idea that Messi has to win the cup to be better when Ronaldo couldn't even get Portugal out of their group makes no sen se at all. Messi has been the better player throughout his career and i am pretty sure everyone other than Portugal fans see it that way.

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That's just my opinion. We'll forever agree to disagree on this. Messi vs Ronaldo is the soccer version of Brady vs Manning..

.But in my eyes the greatest win World cups. That's what sets apart the Pele's, Maradona's Zidane's and Beckenbauers of the world from the Cryuff's, Platini's Eusebio's and Maldini's.

Ivan said:

I agree, much as it pains me to see the dutch come out of this game I think it's the most likely scenario. I actually like and respect guys like Sneijder, who is a great player imo, but they can be a filthy team and my feelings about Robben in particular really color my view of that team. That said they have probably been the most dangerous team i have seen over the past two weeks as they pounded on both Mexico and Costa Rico while the others have really been unspectacular imo. Of the four remaining teams Argentina is the one i am rooting for and the one with the least chance of winning it, at least from where i sit.

This has been a great world cup to watch and hopefully it has turned the heads of many american fans and the game will continue to get traction in this country and support for it and the MLS will continue to grow. I have also been really impressed with the commentary in this thread on the whole, the pool pissers aside there are many really knowledgeable soccer fans in this Patriot fanbase and I have learned a great deal about their teams and the way they see the game and the players over the course of the past month, and i really appreciate their commentaries whether I agree or not, and I give shmessy a ton of credit for keeping this thread on track and to Ian and Patsfans for allowing us to have an ongoing soccer dedicated discussion in a patriots/football dedicated forum. Thanks to all for that, it's been fun even though I know it isn't done yet.

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Perfect last paragraph Ivan. Shmessy did an amazing job as always does around here. Great cup, with great debates and disagreements from knowledgeable fans and from those wanting to learn more about the game.

I think we can also all agree it's been a great time filler from the painfully long Pats Off-season also!

TC is a lil more than 2 weeks away! !!

AzorianPats said:

Until that happens though. ...

CR7>Messi!!

I know he might be a priss, but he's ours. Take all his faults away, and just concentrate on his skill, he's also one of the most complete players to ever play. His speed, dribbling, ability to score with both feet, and his aerial game. Name me another player that has those tools?

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Cristiano's skill has to be the most overrated part of his game. Dude's a world class athlete bar none. He could be an NFL WR if he wanted, but he's got nothing on the technicians of the game. In fact, he became World Class when SAF took him off the wing and made him a second striker type, where he was just outrunning, outjumping CB's who can't hang with his athleticism (that was hard enough for fullbacks to manage).

I do think people would be more indifferent or in between on the Messi-Ronaldo debate if Cristiano was more likeable. But for me, Messi has done everything Ronaldo has done, and Messi is a bonafied big game player. Ronaldo is not.

SeymourTrophies said:

Cristiano's skill has to be the most overrated part of his game. Dude's a world class athlete bar none. He could be an NFL WR if he wanted, but he's got nothing on the technicians of the game. In fact, he became World Class when SAF took him off the wing and made him a second striker type, where he was just outrunning, outjumping CB's who can't hang with his athleticism (that was hard enough for fullbacks to manage).

I do think people would be more indifferent or in between on the Messi-Ronaldo debate if Cristiano was more likeable. But for me, Messi has done everything Ronaldo has done, and Messi is a bonafied big game player. Ronaldo is not.

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Not trying to put any words in your mouth, but I don't think Ronaldo athleticism should be used against him in this debate. The guy is super talented. Athletically and skill. He's beasted both the EPL and LA liga, and he's been doing it for years already.

Ronaldo shed that not being a big game player label years ago. I think Ibrahimovich is the face of that now.

Ivan said:

And while I am not a fan of Brazil or Germany the only disappointment for me would be the dutch winning the tournament. The idea of Robben holding a World Cup Trophy makes me nauseaus, he embodies everything that is wrong with the game imo, he's the most selfish player I have every watched and he dives more in one game than most teams do in an entire tournament, I can't stand him

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Lol Ivan! Your Robben hate is pretty funny. Don't worry buddy, Holland are the biggest chokers ever. Their chokes rivals Manning's chokes. Then again maybe They get their "06 win"?

Germany not wasting any time.

BLOWOUT! Worse than the Super Bowl!!!

Holy crap.. Brazil isn't being taken behind the wood shed, they're being taken to the slaughterhouse.

hahahahahaa

Wheelman said:

Lol Ivan! Your Robben hate is pretty funny. Don't worry buddy, Holland are the biggest chokers ever. Their chokes rivals Manning's chokes. Then again maybe They get their "06 win"?

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Can't deny that, I really can't stand Robben.


That said the US team is looking a hell of a lot better right now, and Scolari is looking one hell of a lot worse.

OMG OMG OMG! That's incredible, hilarious and embarrassing at the same time!

HUMILIATION OF A NATION!!!!
HUMILIATION OF A NATION!!!!
HUMILIATION OF A NATION!!!!
HUMILIATION OF A NATION!!!!

Wow, I never saw this coming in my wildest imagination, Brazil is playing like a High school team.

Well, this is what we call an epic ****ting of the bed.