World Cup 2014 Thread

Discussion in 'General Football & Other Sport' started by nornironhorn, Oct 16, 2013.

Page 4 of 11
  1. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

    Terrible draw for England. Probably the hardest group they could have picked. France......wow.....how lucky are they??

    I hope Ruddy is not in goal when England play Uruguay, or else Suarez will win the golden boot in just one match!!
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2013
    hornetboy1, Dec 6, 2013
    #106
  2. lm_wfc

    lm_wfc First Team

    Lots of travelling - but unless the other teams are based elsewhere it will be the same for everyone in the group?

    Oh well, if we want to win we'd have to beat everyone anyway.
     
    lm_wfc, Dec 6, 2013
    #107
  3. JH93

    JH93 Squad Player

    We're lucky the 2am game in the Amazon is against another European nation. They're not going to be in a much better situation than we are.
     
    JH93, Dec 6, 2013
    #108
  4. Malteser

    Malteser Squad Player

    We've played Italy and Uruguay 5 times in the World Cup/Euros..and never beaten either!

    Looking forward to the first match though..despite the terrible time it's on. Malta divides 50-50 between Italian and English supporters during a tournament, and it was a great atmosphere on the island when we played them in the last Euros.

    Initial thoughts..a tough draw, but at least we play Italy first..chances are it'll finish like the Euros..ie, as a stalemate.

    Uruguay will be easy..they've nobody decent up front have they?!

    as HB1 says..lucky France. You'd almost suspect they have a high ranking official in FIFA!
     
    Malteser, Dec 6, 2013
    #109
  5. Knight GT

    Knight GT Predictor extraordinaire 2013/14

     
    Knight GT, Dec 6, 2013
    #110
  6. wfc4ever

    wfc4ever Administrator Staff Member

    Maybe with no pressure or expectations we'll see a team playing with more freedom?

    Could have done without the first game location but same for Italy....

    Of the favourites Spain and Germany have tricky groups I feel.

    Easy for France on paper but just never know which French team are going to turn up!

    Brazil v Spain/Netherlands/Chile is a tasty 2nd round game.
     
    wfc4ever, Dec 6, 2013
    #111
  7. fan

    fan slow toaster

    Great result. A nice little holiday to manaus, a game against another south american side in my own backyard and a trip to the beautiful belo horizonte for the only winnable game.

    I just wish i didnt know so many french people. Their group is so easy.
     
    fan, Dec 6, 2013
    #112
  8. Malteser

    Malteser Squad Player

     
    Malteser, Dec 6, 2013
    #113
  9. hornetboy1

    hornetboy1 First Team Captain

     
    hornetboy1, Dec 6, 2013
    #114
  10. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    France and Switzerland may think they have a relatively easy group but hopefully Ecuador can beat both and they have the tools to do so. One might suspect Pratini and Bloater somehow contrived the draw. Brazil also managed to get themselves a relatively easy group although they may end up facing Chile/Holland or Spain in the next round.

    Group E and H are the weakest on paper. Australia and the USA will have an extraordinarily tough time getting out of their respective groups. Argentina have an excellent draw with all three matches in the south of Brazil close to the expected army of fans that will cross the border.

    I don't think the locals in Manaus will be getting behind Woy given his comments about the city although he is right no one wants to play in such humidity which will have an effect later on.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...d-told-they-are-not-wanted-in-the-Amazon.html
     
    Smudger, Dec 6, 2013
    #115
  11. Optimistichornet

    Optimistichornet Penguin Assassin

    well we are stuffed. its all right uruguay will only play two of forlan, suarez and cavani. italy are less threatening up front, but they will still absolutely crush us.
     
    Optimistichornet, Dec 6, 2013
    #116
  12. J.B

    J.B First Team

    The reaction to England's group has been way over the top.

    Uruguay are a side in decline and only just scraped into the World Cup, finishing 5th or 6th in a South American qualifying process which didn't even include Brazil. Forlan, Cavani and Suarez also struggle to play up front together and often fail to replicate their domestic form for the national team.

    Uruguay are still a decent team with a few great individual players and it is undoubtedly a tough group but realistically we should be able to finish 2nd at least.
     
    J.B, Dec 6, 2013
    #117
  13. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Uruguay's defence is suspect though although they have other options upfront aside those you mentioned Opti and plenty of alternatives in midfield. They will rely on their midfield to shield their suspect centre of whom only Godin is any good in a defensive sense.
     
    Smudger, Dec 6, 2013
    #118
  14. UHORNS

    UHORNS V-Bookie

    Wanted a toughish group and that's what we got, the first game does involve a bit of traveling but the other two games are not too far at all. Being in a group like this means we have to be on top of our game in every match, remember the 2010 world cup, three poor teams who's standard we dropped to. Been a while since I was seen staggering out of a pub at 4am, bring on June 14th.
     
    UHORNS, Dec 6, 2013
    #119
  15. La_tempesta_cielo_68

    La_tempesta_cielo_68 First Team

    So, after we crash and burn who is going to be the next England manager?
     
    La_tempesta_cielo_68, Dec 6, 2013
    #120
  16. HELGO

    HELGO Reservist

    Might not be too bad, Italy don't score many so should be a draw. Costa Rica and Uruguay are winnable matches. Manaus will be the same for both teams on the first game. Can't remember Italy having a jungle environment last time I was there.

    Who knows, Italy may have a tactically poor manager who doesn't change their system until there too far down the table !

    We will respect C.rica or come a cropper like Scotland did.

    Confident it will be ITALY and England going through.
     
    HELGO, Dec 6, 2013
    #121
  17. nornironhorn

    nornironhorn Administrator Staff Member

    My facebook is filled with excuses already

    Fair enough its a tough group but as J.B said I think the reaction is over the top.

    Your group doesn't have any 'top' team (i.e Brazil, Spain Germany and Argentina) so thats lucky..

    If I was an England fan I'd be disappointed not to go through from that group

    EDIT: Just seen the times for the matches over here, start my placement year on 16th June so presumed I'd miss it all as I'm working 9-5 everyday but after seeing the times it works out perfectly
     
    nornironhorn, Dec 6, 2013
    #122
  18. nascot

    nascot First Team

    Seen 'group of death' mentioned by the media. No way is it that bad. Tough game against Italy but good to have it first, toughish game against Uruguay and a very much should win last game. The 2nd round shouldn't be too bad either. Certainly it could be much worse.
     
    nascot, Dec 6, 2013
    #123
  19. nornironhorn

    nornironhorn Administrator Staff Member

    2nd round looks good although Japan are playing well at the minute

    Don't think Italy are as good as people think, reckon it will be between you and Italy for 2nd spot
     
    nornironhorn, Dec 6, 2013
    #124
  20. nascot

    nascot First Team

    Japan and Colombia will be the two from group C and while both are good teams they are beatable.
     
    nascot, Dec 6, 2013
    #125
  21. nornironhorn

    nornironhorn Administrator Staff Member

    Although after going through my predictor (I had you 2nd) it meant the winner of Brazil v Spain/Netherlands/Chile
     
    nornironhorn, Dec 6, 2013
    #126
  22. WatfordTalk

    WatfordTalk First Team

    Germany-Portugal-Ghana-USA is more of a 'group of death', surely?
     
    WatfordTalk, Dec 6, 2013
    #127
  23. nornironhorn

    nornironhorn Administrator Staff Member

    I think its tough, but realistically only 2 teams will go through

    Ghana arent as good as they were in 2010 and USA are nothing special
     
    nornironhorn, Dec 7, 2013
    #128
  24. nascot

    nascot First Team

    USA are decent enough and Portugal didn't have a great qualifying campaign.
     
    nascot, Dec 7, 2013
    #129
  25. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Ghana are a bit too youthful at present but are still a stiff test for anyone. The USA will struggle. However I see that other sides are being labelled as beatable. Colombia and Japan for example have far better players technically and they are extremely cohesive as a unit. A side that beats Belgium in Belgium when Belgium are being trumpeted as dark horses, demolish Ghana brick by brick and indeed Colombia who beat Belgium and held Holland away from home managed by an excellent manager in Pekerman with someone like James Rodriguez or MacInelly Torres pulling the strings are no pushovers.

    I'd rate Japan and Colombia well ahead of England. In Brazil the locals will get behind Uruguay, Costa Rica and Italy as well. There is precious little love for England as a football team there.
     
    Smudger, Dec 7, 2013
    #130
  26. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    Uruguay are not a side in decline. It's just that the manager has been reluctant to bring younger players into the side. They have talent aplenty coming through given the performances of their youth sides and people who decry CONMEBOL qualification well plenty of the UEFA qualification games are mediocre.

    Uruguay may have finished sixth but that is just reflective of the strength of CONMEBOL at present. Playing in South America for European sides is no easy matter either even with acclimatization and Tabarez has instilled a fierce sense of pride into the team the former garra and grittiness that supplemented their silky football.

    Given the technical ability England has and was so badly exposed by Italy in Euro 2012 I wouldn't hope for too much.
     
    Smudger, Dec 7, 2013
    #131
  27. Legskeattch

    Legskeattch Squad Player

    If you look at the group stages we have had previously, they have been extremely kind to us.

    2010 - South Africa

    USA
    Algeria
    Slovenia

    We scraped through it!

    2006 - Germany

    Sweden
    Paraguay
    Trinidad and Tobago

    Again, you can hardly say it was a tough draw, but we still didn't set the world alight!


    I see this draw being a blessing in disguise. I think if we can get through this group, we will be on top of our form going into the next round - then anything can happen. If we get through, am I right in saying we will face Colombia, Greece, Japan or Ivory Coast? That's easier than our group games, bar Costa Rica. Then after that we play the winner of Brazil/Spain/Netherlands/Chile.
     
    Legskeattch, Dec 7, 2013
    #132
  28. lm_wfc

    lm_wfc First Team

    KO vs Italy moved forward 3 hours, 1pm here, 6pm local time. BEtter for TV, however the temperature will be hotter. Lucky we aren't playing Uruguay there!
     
    lm_wfc, Dec 7, 2013
    #133
  29. J.B

    J.B First Team

    Shame, I was quite looking forward to the 2am Saturday night kick off.
     
    J.B, Dec 7, 2013
    #134
  30. ForzaWatford

    ForzaWatford Squad Player

    Me too, it would of been quite fun I think. (Can't tell if you're joking or not)
     
    ForzaWatford, Dec 7, 2013
    #135
  31. Smudger

    Smudger Messi's Mad Coach Staff Member

    The power utilities will be gnashing their teeth.... The old man at the draw was Alcides Ghiggia. Considering his age they should have at least have had a seat for him. Perhaps the Brazilians still remember what he did to them in 1950 infront of 200,000 at the Maracana. It was called a Maracanazo and the result prompted several people to commit suicide.

    [video=youtube;P0WUXJfILRA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0WUXJfILRA[/video]

    The keeper in question Barbosa was never forgiven until his dying day.
     
    Smudger, Dec 8, 2013
    #136
  32. Legskeattch

    Legskeattch Squad Player

    I have found a great website of stats from the World Cup Qualifiers:

    http://matchstory.co.uk/wc_qualifying/

    From these stats, England need to:

    - Stop crosses from our on left flank (50% of our goals conceded, compared to 0% from the right flank)
    - Attack Uruguay down the centre (64% of their goals conceded)
    - Attack Italy down their right flank (44% of their goals conceded)
    - Attack Costa Rica from all angles (c. 33% of goals conceded from both flanks and centre)
    - Bombard Uruguay in the first 15 minutes (conceded 20% of their goals in this period, England conceded 0% in this time)
    - Defend much better from set-pieces (50% of goals conceded)
    - Get crosses in against Italy and shoot from distance (Conceded 33% of goals from headers and 33% from shots outside the area)
    - Close down better outside the box (Conceded 19% of goals from long shots)
    - Step up the defensive line vs. Costa Rica (33% of goals are scored in the 6 yard box)
    - Stop Italy and Costa Rica's crosses (42% and 33% respectively scored from headers)
    - Dont give away cheap free kicks against Uruguay (33% of goals from Set Pieces)
    - Defend strongly for first 15 minutes against Italy and Costa Rica (16% and 22% respectively scored in first 15 minutes)

    Other notable stats:

    - Spain are the only team that didn't score from outside the box
    - Germany are the only team that didn't score a header
    - Nigeria are the only team that didn't score in the first 15 minutes
    - Spain are the only team that didn't concede from the Left AND right flank
    - Holland, Croatia and Greece did not concede in the last 15 minutes
    - Spain or Holland didn't concede from a set piece
    - Spain, Iran, Greece and Russia didn't concede from outside the box
    - Spain, Holland, Belgium and Nigeria didn't concede in the 6 yard box
     
    Legskeattch, Feb 10, 2014
    #137
  33. nascot

    nascot First Team

    So in summary it's difficult to score against Spain, unless you're around the penalty spot area.
     
    nascot, Feb 10, 2014
    #138
  34. Legskeattch

    Legskeattch Squad Player

    Or you shoot from the half way line....
     
    Legskeattch, Feb 10, 2014
    #139
  35. nornironhorn

    nornironhorn Administrator Staff Member

    "Spain didn't conceade from outside the box"
     
    nornironhorn, Feb 12, 2014
    #140
Page 4 of 11

Share This Page