The Football Thread

[noodles_leone]

Probably off topic, but it was nice to do: Live reactions of my family (actually mainly my grand father and the sister of my grand mother) during France-Mexico (0-2) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217114&id=550031773&l=9fc5f31e14

[Banjo]

Probably off topic, but it was nice to do: Live reactions of my family (actually mainly my grand father and the sister of my grand mother) during France-Mexico (0-2) http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=217114&id=550031773&l=9fc5f31e14

Thanks Noodles_Leone!   It's a shame that the photo's weren't taken in slightly happier circumstances this evening.

[Banjo]

Result: France 0 Mexico 2

Another massive shock! I was at a folk club tonight so i need to watch the highlights of this.

Titoli 4
Banjo 2

[Banjo]

Now he would never have been sent off in those circumstances!

[Banjo]

England 2 Algeria 1

Slovenia 0 USA 1

Germany 3 Serbia 0

[Banjo]

Result:Germany 0 Serbia 1

A missed German penalty!

Titoli 4
Banjo 2

[Banjo]

Result:Slovenia 2 USA 2

The USA were absolutely robbed of a late winner.

Titoli 4
Banjo 2

[titoli]

Result: England 0 Algeria 0


You know Banjo, if you're not kicked out in this first round you could really get on to win the title. You can only play better, in fact.

I wonder if the problem is with physical condition. The different sectors of the team are playing divided, midfielders rarely, if ever, sustain the strikers (and Heskey and Rooney had to go to get really backwards to get a ball: not a good sign). You weren't able to make your play faster, only in some parts of the second half: and then it was when Algeria immediately started to suffer. I would pay gold to hear what Capello said in the locker room, though. A happy note: the new gk looks like is up to task.

[titoli]

Holland - Japan  3 -1

Ghana - Australia 2 - 0

Cameroon - Denmark 1 -1

[Banjo]

Result: England 0 Algeria 0


You know Banjo, if you're not kicked out in this first round you could really get on to win the title. You can only play better, in fact.

I wonder if the problem is with physical condition. The different sectors of the team are playing divided, midfielders rarely, if ever, sustain the strikers (and Heskey and Rooney had to go to get really backwards to get a ball: not a good sign). You weren't able to make your play faster, only in some parts of the second half: and then it was when Algeria immediately started to suffer. I would pay gold to hear what Capello said in the locker room, though. A happy note: the new gk looks like is up to task.

Result:England 0 Algeria 0

I'm really dowm about the way we played tonight.In fact it's the worst England performance i've seen in the WC finals since Mexico 1986 when we drew 0-0 with Morroco in a very dire game infamous for Ray Wilkin's controversial sending off for hurling  the ball towards(but not at) the referee in frustration.The only positive i can draw from this is that we'd  lost 1-0 to Portugal in the first game but Lineker came alive in the third game scoring a hatrick against Portugal starting a decent run which was  eventually criminally halted by the "Hand of God" in the quarter finals.

I don't think the problem is fitness especially with our key MU and Chelsea players not having to go all the way in this years CL.I have no explanation for why  our passing was so dreadful and that we seemed to be devoid of any passion,imagination or confidence to overcome the Algerian defence though it's fair to say they defended very well.We are looking a million miles away from being world beaters and our fate now rests on a knife edge with a game against Slovenia in which our opponents can play for a draw.Our defence looks ok but  sadly our strikers seem to be a major weakness.Other than Rooney (who's having a very mediocre tournament so far) we don't have anyone anywhere near the class of Michael Owen.It's crazy to keep playing Emile Heskey who can't even score for Aston Villa let alone his country.And both Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe can only score against ordinary oppostion.

[titoli]

I really don't know what else to think. The side had two moments (at the start and about midtime) of clear supremacy in the second half and those were the moments where all the players gave the impression of having physical supremacy, stealing balls from the defense, making the ball roll faster, supporting the action with movements without possession of the ball. Why this kind of playing wasn't kept up for more than a total of 10 minutes?
of course I could be wrong about it. How things really stand probably only Capello knows. At least I hope he does and can patch it up.

[Banjo]

  Well i'm sorry to say that over here in some quarters it's already turning into something of a witchunt for Capello with claims that his defence based system is stifling  the players but obviously we never had a problem with this during qualification.  Clearly Capello cannot be blamed for Englands inability to perform the basic fundamentals of the game and disturbingly a few of the players including Rooney looked like they didn't care.

Holland 2 Japan 1
Ghana 2 Australia 1
Cameroon 0 Denmark 1

[Banjo]

Result:Holland 1 Japan 0

Titoli 4
Banjo 2

[Banjo]

Result:Ghana 1 Australia 1

Titoli 4
Banjo 2

[Banjo]

Result:Cameroon 1 Denmark 2

Titoli 4
Banjo 2