Deficient Mode
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- Mar 25, 2011
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World Cup: 2018 WC Qualifiers Part II
- Thread starter Bures Elbow
- Start date
Live in the Now
Registered User
It'll still happen sometimes, and there should be more quality countries going forward as the game grows.
If there's anything to be learned from this, it's that when a manager shows bad tactics earlier in qualifying and gets away with it, once they play a game they have to win it won't go so well for them. There were major warning signs this whole time. The 4-2-4 against Spain was the most obvious one, then the Israel and Macedonia games following that.
As for Sweden, I don't think they'll play better with Ibrahimovic and there have been things said that indicate the team feels more pressure to give him the ball when he's there. I think I'd leave him at home.
If there's anything to be learned from this, it's that when a manager shows bad tactics earlier in qualifying and gets away with it, once they play a game they have to win it won't go so well for them. There were major warning signs this whole time. The 4-2-4 against Spain was the most obvious one, then the Israel and Macedonia games following that.
As for Sweden, I don't think they'll play better with Ibrahimovic and there have been things said that indicate the team feels more pressure to give him the ball when he's there. I think I'd leave him at home.
For Sweden now it's super important to get our offense going otherwise World Cup will be a very unpleasent experience. ;-)
Personally I have big hopes in our young huge talent Alexander Isak (Borussia Dortmund). Zackarias Faour (former Manchester City youth academy could be something but a true longshot). Guidetti is a darkhorse as well but he really need to take the next step, breakthrough, he is inconsistent, I prefer him over Berg and Toivonen though. Isaac Kiese-Thelin, I don't know what to say, also a wildcard, he need to gain more experience both in the Belgian league but also for the national team.
Zlatan making a comeback, not likely but of course it would be fun, it would give us a more hmmm flashy and interesting team. It would be nice to have him on the bench like a super substitute, only his presence would provoce and hypnotize some opponents. ;-)
Hmm, and our defenseman Lindelöf he really needs to play more for Manchester United, he also need to get going. I think he proved vs Italy that is he ready for bigger tasks.
Personally I have big hopes in our young huge talent Alexander Isak (Borussia Dortmund). Zackarias Faour (former Manchester City youth academy could be something but a true longshot). Guidetti is a darkhorse as well but he really need to take the next step, breakthrough, he is inconsistent, I prefer him over Berg and Toivonen though. Isaac Kiese-Thelin, I don't know what to say, also a wildcard, he need to gain more experience both in the Belgian league but also for the national team.
Zlatan making a comeback, not likely but of course it would be fun, it would give us a more hmmm flashy and interesting team. It would be nice to have him on the bench like a super substitute, only his presence would provoce and hypnotize some opponents. ;-)
Hmm, and our defenseman Lindelöf he really needs to play more for Manchester United, he also need to get going. I think he proved vs Italy that is he ready for bigger tasks.
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Gratz to Sweden, they fought hard and battled - with a limited set of players, no offense.
I do hope they find some attacking flair for the WC, too many of these "brave but limited" sides isn't really fun to watch.
And I mean that in the nicest way possible, Sweden deserved to get through, for their work in these 2 legs and for their work in their group.
At the same time, Italy's Ante Cacic was just too much. Fortunately, we got rid of our own after some craptastic results (losing to Iceland and Turkey, drawing with Finland and beating Kosovo 1-0 from a set piece), but Italy was stuck with Ventura.
Insigne on the bench just paints the whole picture as far as I'm concerned.
The best Italian team in years in terms of talent and ball-moving, utterly massacred by an inept and unfit manager.
Agreed 100%. They're cohesive and team-first guys (though again, limited in talent) and playing with Zlatan mostly worked in his peak... But killing that team hierarchy and team spirit now to put in an aging Ibrahimovic won't work IMO.
I do hope they find some attacking flair for the WC, too many of these "brave but limited" sides isn't really fun to watch.
And I mean that in the nicest way possible, Sweden deserved to get through, for their work in these 2 legs and for their work in their group.
At the same time, Italy's Ante Cacic was just too much. Fortunately, we got rid of our own after some craptastic results (losing to Iceland and Turkey, drawing with Finland and beating Kosovo 1-0 from a set piece), but Italy was stuck with Ventura.
Insigne on the bench just paints the whole picture as far as I'm concerned.
The best Italian team in years in terms of talent and ball-moving, utterly massacred by an inept and unfit manager.
Agreed 100%. They're cohesive and team-first guys (though again, limited in talent) and playing with Zlatan mostly worked in his peak... But killing that team hierarchy and team spirit now to put in an aging Ibrahimovic won't work IMO.
Henry handballed the ball twice on that play. Once with his forearm, and when that wasn't enough, with his palm.
Again, I've never seen anyone defending this so I don't really know what else to say.
EDIT: Sorry for the late reply.
I guess people whining about Italy being the biggest bunch of divers never saw Spain, Uruguay, Chile or some other random Latin country play football.
Incubajerks
Registered User
hahah, btw i don't understand why they have not resigned yet, and i mean Ventura but especially Tavecchio...incredible! Enter Carletto please (or Allegri and maybe Mancini as darkhorse).
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Zlatan would be an amazingly good substitute to have but I'm not sure he would be willing to take that role. First of all he has to get healthy and play some games for United, extremely difficult to judge right now. I love the idea of having Zlatan ready for the last 20-30 minutes of the game if needed. Also Zlatan could steal some focus before the games which could be good for the rest of the team, Zlatan loves dealing with the press and teasing the opponents.
This is all dreams though, Zlatan playing for the national team again is very unlikely and would be a huge surprise. The Swedish coach has also given some hints that this is a new team, a rebuild.
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QuietContrarian
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- May 28, 2008
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Im going to put down 20dollars on Ireland going thru tonight.
Have very little faith in the Danish team cracking that code, and I dont think Ireland will open up.
Have very little faith in the Danish team cracking that code, and I dont think Ireland will open up.
darko
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- Feb 16, 2009
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darko
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- Feb 16, 2009
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Oh so you really Did say Henry handed it twice on purpose... LoL.
Can't see where I defended it. Merely said refs make mistakes all the time and that it got way too much press because the UK press was concerned.
The same way the UK press was mum when in the same qualifiers Ireland benefited from a total bogus call to score and win in Georgia (even worse from a reffing pov).
Weirdly double standards.
Turkey?
Croatia?
Serbia?
Brazil?
France?
England?
Germany?
Gerrard, Brehme, Alli, and so many others?
I think it's fair to say Italians aren't the sole divers anymore. It's a world wide phenom.
Duchene2MacKinnon
In the hands of Genius
- Aug 8, 2006
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The Henry handball was atrocious,probably the worst call or non call I ever seen. Watching it live on a shitty stream it was obvious both times he handled the ball.
Paulie Gualtieri
R.I.P. Tony Sirico
- May 18, 2016
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About Italy vs Sweden.
First, I am obvously delighted that Sweden now qualified for thw World Cup, over teams like Holland and Italy.
However this last game show two problems with todays football/soccer.
First its too easy to defend with pure effort and stamina. You almost have be lucky to score against a well trained and diciplinef defence, because players these days can cover a lot of space.
I wonder how it would look like 10 players aside, could that open up space, or would we just see less attackers on the field?
Secondly:
While Sweden very seldom was in the Italian penalty area, Italians managed to handball there no less than twice. At least the first situation looked intentional. That should have been at least one penalty kick for Sweden.
But I think refs often dislike to call a handball even though they should, nervous to make a significant impact on the end result. I suggest that intentional handball should be a penalty, and an unintentional perhaps a free kick inside the box. That way all handballs will get called, but with some regard that you might not really always fully fault the guy who happend to get hit on the arm.
First, I am obvously delighted that Sweden now qualified for thw World Cup, over teams like Holland and Italy.
However this last game show two problems with todays football/soccer.
First its too easy to defend with pure effort and stamina. You almost have be lucky to score against a well trained and diciplinef defence, because players these days can cover a lot of space.
I wonder how it would look like 10 players aside, could that open up space, or would we just see less attackers on the field?
Secondly:
While Sweden very seldom was in the Italian penalty area, Italians managed to handball there no less than twice. At least the first situation looked intentional. That should have been at least one penalty kick for Sweden.
But I think refs often dislike to call a handball even though they should, nervous to make a significant impact on the end result. I suggest that intentional handball should be a penalty, and an unintentional perhaps a free kick inside the box. That way all handballs will get called, but with some regard that you might not really always fully fault the guy who happend to get hit on the arm.
Bon Esprit
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- Jan 24, 2004
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cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
They got supremely lucky to beat us in 2016. Play that exact same game with the exact same errors from Jogi, and we win 8 times out of 10.
Great, someone new to football too !
You clearly have seen very few football to think it was the worst
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
We had most of the starters that wouldn't have started under someone else than DD.
It seems you're once again pinning the defeat of bad german coaching, ignoring the bad french coaching.
No, what I said was that even with the bad coaching on both sides germany deserved to win and would have if that match got replayed.
