Any Football Fans Here?, Thread for discussion about world cup Options

[Ashraf]

Yes.Finally those days are about to start.If I say frankly world cup days are few days which I just forget all other things and enjoy myself.Being a person coming from football crazy Kerala I am waiting anxiously for June 9.

Let us discuss about it.Tell about your favourite tams and players(if any body is interested in football).

My favourite team is Brazil(as always)

My favourite players are Kaka and Adriano(Brazil).

After Brazil my support goes to Holland.

only team which I dislike is France.

I feel missing my home now .it would have been great If was there with so many friends and football fans .

[Ashraf]

Prince Ali bhai

I also agreed that France was better team against Brazil.Why I told France is lucky team.In Euro 2000 France has got a lot of decisions going their way .

Let me give few example

1. the wrong Penalty they got against Portugal in semifinal extra time(golden goal)

2. Equalising goal against Portugal in same match which was a clear offside.

3.Injury time (93rd minut) equaliser against Italy in the final.

4.This worldcup quarter against Spain wrong free kick given and goal beside Span dominated the entire match.

Their african born defenders were using their body against the stylish players and Refrees were blind.Any way Zidane is a class player and what ever France is achieved is due to him.Once he and his senior collegues retire after the world cup we can see the fate of France where Brazil will remain in the top for years to come.I consider the teams like Holland which was(and still is) among the top teams always and still did nt win a cup(missed out in 74 and 78).Same applies for Spain also.

I say that rather than France's victory it was defeat of Brazil.Brazil coach is to be blamed for their defencive tactics.Brazil was playing like they have some divine right to reach in the final.Same Brazil without Ronaldo,Carlos and Cafu won the Confederation cup.This time the veteren horses and the coach cost heavily for Brazil.Don't doubt attacking calibre of Brazil.They have many many youngers coming up and even in the defeat that is something to cheer about.



Now hoping on our little brothers Portugal.Your argument about that match(Port-Eng) is biased one..Portugal had a ball possession of 62% and 20 shots on goal.From this itself one can estimate who played better.

Finally the teams which attracted me in this world cup(though I could nt see many matches) Ivory cost,Ghana and Portugal just because of their stylish and attacking football.

[princeali]

Prince Ali bhai

I also agreed that France was better team against Brazil.Why I told France is lucky team.In Euro 2000 France has got a lot of decisions going their way .

Let me give few example

1. the wrong Penalty they got against Portugal in semifinal extra time(golden goal)

2. Equalising goal against Portugal in same match which was a clear offside.

3.Injury time (93rd minut) equaliser against Italy in the final.

4.This worldcup quarter against Spain wrong free kick given and goal beside Span dominated the entire match.

Their african born defenders were using their body against the stylish players and Refrees were blind.Any way Zidane is a class player and what ever France is achieved is due to him.Once he and his senior collegues retire after the world cup we can see the fate of France where Brazil will remain in the top for years to come.I consider the teams like Holland which was(and still is) among the top teams always and still did nt win a cup(missed out in 74 and 78).Same applies for Spain also.

I say that rather than France's victory it was defeat of Brazil.Brazil coach is to be blamed for their defencive tactics.Brazil was playing like they have some divine right to reach in the final.Same Brazil without Ronaldo,Carlos and Cafu won the Confederation cup.This time the veteren horses and the coach cost heavily for Brazil.Don't doubt attacking calibre of Brazil.They have many many youngers coming up and even in the defeat that is something to cheer about.



Now hoping on our little brothers Portugal.Your argument about that match(Port-Eng) is biased one..Portugal had a ball possession of 62% and 20 shots on goal.From this itself one can estimate who played better.

Finally the teams which attracted me in this world cup(though I could nt see many matches) Ivory cost,Ghana and Portugal just because of their stylish and attacking football.

Ashraf bhai,

I understand what you're saying.....however I was focusing on the current WC and not past tourney's but I get what you're saying about previous tourney's and France. I was so upset when France won Euro 2000 against Italy, and Del Piero missed those two chances, now if they meet up in the Final, it will be Italy's turn to set the record straight.

Yup Zidane is the center of the French team, and it will be interesting to see how they cope without him, in fact he came out of retirement to lead this French team in the WC and now they are in the semi's, something no one would have predicted this time around.

I never doubted Brazil's attacking calibre, in fact if I was the coach, I wouldn't have played the team they played through the whole match, I would have put in some more effective youngsters who could have given the team a boost in the second half instead of relying on the same group. I was just pointing out that they had not been tested throughout the tourney, and France was their first test, and in the end it showed.

I know Ronaldo scored three goals (mostly set-up) but he was slowing down the team, I don't think he should have been the number 1 striker. From the time he played in the Champions League with Real Madrid, he was not fully fit and def. not the same player he was in 02, there were other better options as well as players such as Fabiano or Oliviera waiting in the wings who were not chosen in the squad. However Parriera chose to stick with him and he should have stuck to playing him one half and seeing how he progressed.

Brazil scored against weaker oppositions, and against France they were truly tested. It's interesting that France has gotten the better of Brazil on most encounters after the 98 Final. Parriera was the same Brazilian coach that led the team to a victory in 94, and this time he had arguably a much better team, but when the test came they could not gel together. France were solid in defence and didn't allow too many opportunities for Brazil which is why subs should have been made. Anyways, it will be interesting to see who the next coach of Brazil is since in the past, Brazil has had a habit of changing their coaches after each WC.

IMO Ball Possession doesn't matter in some of the matches for ex. that Italy played, they had less ball possession but it was the chances they created, the opportunities of scoring that they had, how they controlled the flanks and their midfield that mattered in the end, and ofcourse the scoreline. Portugal was clearly troubled by England in the match and England had chances to take the game away, and Ericksson would finally win against Scolari, something he hasn't been able to do in previous years, but it was not to be. Ofcourse everyone has their own views, and these are mine based on the match.

Yes Holland is a class team, wish they had gone further in this tourney, Ghana played well, probably would have gone further if they didn't face Brazil in the second round, Spain was expected to go further but as always they choked in the next round after playing well in the group stages, they have a good group of youngsters for the future.

Forza Italia !!!!!

Regards

Ali