World Cup: National Team threads

[YNWA14]

Would have taken one of Kondogbia or N'Zonzi to play alongside Kante and allow Pogba to play the 10. Then load up the wings/striker with guys like Mbappe, Greizmann and Dembele:

Lloris
Sidibe - Varane - Umtiti - Mendy
Kante - N'Zonzi
Pogba
Greizmann - Mbappe - Dembele​

 

[Evilo]

Rabiot and Tolisso deserve their place over Nzonzi IMO. Kondogbia is red hot coming off injury so he had a shot, but Tolisso has been amazing from what I've read (and the few I've seen) and Rabiot is highly underrated here.
I don't like Pogba at #10 frankly. Griez there is nice.

 

[cgf]

*shrug* biscuits is better than Toni, but Mesut is better than Silva & Ilkay is better than Thiago on the rare occasions that both are fit. So man for man it’s a wash, but the support our midfield gets from the guys behind them is much more than what the Spanish midfielders enjoy. Being able to play it back through Boateng, Hummels, Neuer & Kimmich is why our midfielder has a much easier job to do for us to control the midfield battle against them.

 

[cgf]

Rabiot and Tolisso deserve their place over Nzonzi IMO. Kondogbia is red hot coming off injury so he had a shot, but Tolisso has been amazing from what I've read (and the few I've seen) and Rabiot is highly underrated here.
I don't like Pogba at #10 frankly. Griez there is nice.

I would love to see DD leave Rabiot on the bench whenever we run into each other.

Hopefully he doesn’t realize what you could do if you had Rabiot pulling the strings behind Kante & Pogba/Tolisso

 

[Evilo]

Watching Ndombele, you can't help but feel he has the level to play with the NT right now.

 

[YNWA14]

*shrug* biscuits is better than Toni, but Mesut is better than Silva & Ilkay is better than Thiago on the rare occasions that both are fit. So man for man it’s a wash, but the support our midfield gets from the guys behind them is much more than what the Spanish midfielders enjoy. Being able to play it back through Boateng, Hummels, Neuer & Kimmich is why our midfielder has a much easier job to do for us to control the midfield battle against them.

I would take Silva and Thiago over both of Gundogan and Ozil pretty easily. Also between Alba, Carvajal and Pique they've got plenty of support behind and better support up front as well with Isco, Morata and Asensio.

 

[cgf]

I would take Silva and Thiago over both of Gundogan and Ozil pretty easily. Also between Alba, Carvajal and Pique they've got plenty of support behind and better support up front as well with Isco, Morata and Asensio.

Thiago’s beautiful but he’s not Ilkay, Silva used to be Mesut’s peer, but not anymore. That attack provides no more support than Werner, Sane & Muller/Stindl; and their back line + keeper is still a big downgrade from ours

 

[Deficient Mode]

Özil>Silva
Thiago>Ilkay

 

[YNWA14]

Silva over Ozil is probably the most clear upgrade in midfield of the 3 IMO. Especially in his current form.

We'll see. Coaching will have a large effect also, but if I'm taking a midfield to be the best at the tournament it would be Busquets, Silva and Thiago.

 

[cgf]

Özil>Silva
Thiago>Ilkay

So close, the answer we were looking for was "Ozil > Silva and Ilkay > Thiago"

 

[Deficient Mode]

So close, the answer we were looking for was "Ozil > Silva and Ilkay > Thiago"

And Dahoud is better than all of them

 

[Bures Elbow]

Bruma and Marcos Lopes cant even make Portugals call ups..amazing depth for the first time since maybe 2006, probably even better. Gelson Martins, Guedes, Bernardo Silva, Quaresma, Ronaldo,

Nelson Semedo and Danilo coming back from injury will push out Cancelo and Ruben Neves unfortunately, but their time will come after the world Cup.

Some hard choices to be made in centre midfield. Andre Gomes shouldnt be anywhere close to the national team come the world cup due to the emergence of Bruno Fernandes, and Manuel Fernandes is finally getting the recognition of being the most purely skilled portugeuse CM this past generation..its a shame he just decided to chase money in Russia and turkey over the majority of it

Joao Mario, while talented, has had a horrendous season, and Adrien was only able to start playing in January.

William Carvalho
Danilo
Adrien
Joao Moutinho
Manuel Fernandes
Andre Gomes
Bruno Fernandes
Joao Mario

Goncalo Guedes
Gelson Martins
Bruma
C Ronaldo
Quaresma
Rony Lopes
Bernardo Silva
Andre Silva
Nani (thankfully seems to finally be not considered, justified after his shambolic season and the youth coming up like Guedes who has been amazing for Valencia)

Some hard choices will have to be made.

 

[cgf]

And Dahoud is better than all of them

*was

Selling out has spoiled him

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

*was

Selling out has spoiled him

I think he's been doing well lately.

 

[Live in the Now]

Bruma and Marcos Lopes cant even make Portugals call ups..amazing depth for the first time since maybe 2006, probably even better. Gelson Martins, Guedes, Bernardo Silva, Quaresma, Ronaldo,

Nelson Semedo and Danilo coming back from injury will push out Cancelo and Ruben Neves unfortunately, but their time will come after the world Cup.

Some hard choices to be made in centre midfield. Andre Gomes shouldnt be anywhere close to the national team come the world cup due to the emergence of Bruno Fernandes, and Manuel Fernandes is finally getting the recognition of being the most purely skilled portugeuse CM this past generation..its a shame he just decided to chase money in Russia and turkey over the majority of it

Joao Mario, while talented, has had a horrendous season, and Adrien was only able to start playing in January.

It's massively difficult to make a first XI out of that group. Ronaldo, Guedes, Bernardo, and Martins should be the front four, but I'm sure they won't. Carvalho should be certain for the middle, Guerreiro and Semedo for fullbacks I'd say. Rui Patricio in goal. Rest is tough. CB's not good.

 

[les Habs]

So close, the answer we were looking for was "Ozil > Silva and Ilkay > Thiago"

That may be the answer you're looking for, but the right answer is Thiago > than the rest of them.

 

[cgf]

That may be the answer you're looking for, but the right answer is Thiago > than the rest of them.

You have a really weird understanding of the term "right". I use it to mean the word "correct", but I understand if you meant it in some other context.

 

[Corto]

Croatia are playing Peru and Mexico in the international break, expected lineup:

Subasic
Vrsaljko - Lovren/Corluka - Vida - Strinic
Modric - Kovacic - Rakitic
Kramaric - Mandzukic - Perisic

Midfield is top-tier, hopefully Pjaca and Corluka are fully fit come the World Cup.
Our one hole is still LB, and has been since Jarni retired, but at least Strinic is adequate defensively.

 

[Savi]

Belgium play a meaningless friendly against Saudi Arabia and everyone thought (and hoped) Martinez would try out some new guys and give the top players a rest.. instead he only called up 1 new player, left winger Anthony Limbombe from Belgian league leaders Club Brugge.

 

[John Pedro]

Filipe Luis has fractured his fibula, he's out of the season and will miss the WC. This sucks so bad, dude was playing right well and deserved to be in a WC. Alex Sandro will be Marcelo's backup if no more injuries.

 

[Cassano]

No BvB players.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Should have given Philipp Max a chance.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

By the way, Spain actually called up Marcos Alonso, wow.

 

[Cassano]

By the way, Spain actually called up Marcos Alonso, wow.

Don't think they have a great free kick taker.

 

[Deficient Mode]

No BvB players.

Music to my ears