FIFA World Cup 2010

[Allamagan]

^ it will be a good and entertaining match. Both team got quality players. Germans good on counter attacks where as Argentina good on set pieces and can create problems for the German defenses.

 

Of course, Deutschland nach hause gehen. 3:2 to Argentina.

[NGONGE]

Is anyone still betting against Spain winning this world cup? Defence, attack, middle and Villa were all on top form in that second half. And, yet, there is still much more to come in the later stages.

 

Bob, who will they meet in the semis? Ghana? Dee naga daa ninyaho.

[N.O.R.F]

Hope A&T saw the game last night. He will probably still tell you Spain are no match for Brazil even though they dominated a team that dominated them.

[NGONGE]

^^ He'll use the excuse of it being the final game in the group and that Brazil did not need to try.

 

Brazil is solid but they don't have the flair of Spain. You've seen their two holding players; would you choose the cumbersome Brazilian two over the skilful Spaniards? Would you choose Kaka instead of Ineista or Xavi? Would you choose Fabiano in place of Torres (ok, maybe on goals scored so far)? Would you have Robinho in place of Villa? On last night's performance, would you choose Maicon over Sergio Ramos? Wouldn't you say the majestic Pique combines the toughness of Lucio and the speed of Juan? That leaves us with the man who performs the best last ditch tackles in the business, a certain Puyol. He looks like the weak link but is always there to see off the danger. The Brazilian keeper is better but not by much (and Pepe Reina is better that both anyway).

 

But the thing that singles Spain (and Argentina) out is the bench. They can replace quality with quality, unlike Brazil.

[N.O.R.F]

Sounds like a fair comparison of the two but will madax adayg agree?

[Abtigiis]

Adeer Norf, anigu ma madax adki. In fact, I am very flexible.

 

Of all the things I said here before and during the world cup, tell me which one's didn't happen and I still defended.

 

-I said Brazil are a solid team, and they are

-I said England is not a good side, and we saw that

- I said Argentina and Spain will not win this world cup, and we are yet to see it (but I will take back my words and apologise if they do)

-I said Ivory Coast will not scare Brazil, and we saw it

 

Spain played very well last night. Portugal has good defence but the attack have struggled to score. I think Portugal played the perfect tactics against Spain until the goal arrived. They actually had very good chances to score too. But they failed in having a Plan-B when chasing a game.

 

Last night, Fabio Conterao played well, but he was on the losing side.

 

Spain once more struggled to do anything before they scored. And they brought Lorente to play high balls because they were giving up on the meaningless tick-tack football, which helps you protect a lead but not good enough to breakdown dogged defences.

 

I think Spain can beat Argentina and Germany (I said that two days ago)but will struggle against teams like Holland and Portugal. They struggled last night. I believe Brazil will beat them. And I am praying for a Brazil-Spain Final.

 

Finally, Norf, one mistake you should never make is to use the RULE OF TRANSTIVITY to football. Yes, Brazil struggled against Portugal and Spain beat Brazil. But Chile gave Spain a scare, et succumed to Brazil with ease. You can never use such logic to predict what will happen in football.

 

Spain are very much beatable and suspect. Portugal should have killed the game in the first half.

 

Ngonge,

A week from now, aan soo wada xidhiidhno insha-allah. By the way, the commentator was starting to say "what is the imposter wearing Xavi's name" in the first half. He was that poor. Only after they scored, did Spain looked like a good side.

[N.O.R.F]

What game were you watching saxib

 

Portugal keeper made 3 very good saves in the first 5 mins as well as at least another 3 during the rest of the game.

[Abtigiis]

It is to be expected that Spain will attack and Porugal will defend. But the best chances fell for Portugal before the Spain goal came.

 

Rewatch your highlights saaxiib, Or let Ngonge come in!

[N.O.R.F]

I watched the game with Ngonge and Thierry

 

ps didn't Portugal have the best chances in the Brazil game?

[Abtigiis]

They didn't! they got only three chances, one close.

[NGONGE]

A&T, how many saves did each keeper make in the entire game? Portugal had some decent attacks that eventually got nowhere. Lakin adigu mala the increasing sounds of the Vuvuzelas as the attacks were developing made you think that they were good chances. Waa sheeko African, saaxib.

 

P.S.

Brazil will do real well to make to the final. Their two next games will not be easy at all. One can say they will be playing against proper teams now.

[Abtigiis]

Of all the teams in the competition, they are the one's who played with the toughest teams yet.

 

Brazil didn't create many chances too, but they didn't need to. I am sure if they were in the position Spain was last night, they will have created more chances. I am not saying they would have won. Anything can happen in Footabll, but the game would not have been played in the manner it was played.

 

Anyway, the teams I fear are the teams that are strong defensively. I like teams who attack, for Dunga's strength is in dealing with these kinds of teams. I feel more confident when Brazil plays Argentina, Spain, than when they play Ghana or Uruguay. Anything can happen again. I am not oblivious to that fact. But Brazil have a good chance of Argentina more than beating Ghana. I have been watching this team to undertand that.

 

Norf started watching Brazil from the freindlies that preceded the world cup when they were playing minnows and thinks they can not raise the speed of the game if they so wish.

[nuune]

Spain are very much beatable and suspect. Portugal should have killed the game in the first half.

I will highlight that indeed for AT&T!

[Abtigiis]

You will start talking about the same issue (suspect defence) once the media start the post-mortem after they fail. Just be man enough to give credit to those who had the foresight when it happens.

 

If it doesn't happen, anigaa xaal iyo xurmayn bixin.

[NGONGE]

^^ Every team has a suspect defence. Brazil conceded a goal to North Korea, saaxib.

 

I think Brazil is a good team but not great. They rely on Robinho to bring the flair, Maicon to attack from the wings and Kaka to run down the middle. A proper team can actually blunt their attacking instincts whilst giving problems to their two graceless holding midfielders. In fact, I reckon Spain's style of play will cancel those two and their attackers will penetrate that defence more than once.