World Cup: Group A: Russia vs. Saudi Arabia, 6/14/2018

[Evilo]

Yes. They sold all their top players and not s very strong side now.

Sure

 

[cgf]

With Madrid doing their best to help Messi make it back to the finals... I don't think so. Quarters is as far as Uruguay will go anything further would be highly impressive and bruise the egos of Euro snobs so, hopefully they can do it.

I think the biggest question with Uruguay's tourney is France. Does France click & hit their top form, in which case I agree with a QF end to their run, or does France implodes (or even just muddle their way through)?

 

[Evilo]

French League is not much stronger. It’s a bit better because of the powerhouse PSG.

France is 5 and Russia is 6 in uefa ranking.

Russian teams defeated French teams Nice and Lyon this euro season.

Great.
And Marseille was in the EL final.
L1 is a much better league, and Monaco is a financial powerhouse whose model means they'll be competitive, at least as much as any russian team, while having much better peaks, like the CL semis last year.

 

[cgf]

I guess I haven't seen them of late. I usually watch them in AFC competition, and (like pretty much all ME sides) they tend to play 10 man defense, waste as much time as possible, and hope for a 0-0 draw against bigger teams.

I've never seen them come out to play like the did today. It's admirable, but only going to last so long at the WC, their players are very obviously technically deficient.

That's what everyone has said about their quali, but they changed coaches after qualifying and I like what I've seen from them under this new guy.

 

[Suiteness]

I still remember that goalie wearing pants

Mohamed Al-Deayea , he actually was a pretty decent keeper.

 

[cgf]

@cgf i never argued RPL > Ligue 1, I said I don’t agree the French League is “much stronger”.

Fair enough, didn't mean to put words in your mouth, but I must still disagree aggressively. Monaco would have been a big step for Golovin...and one that I think would've been better for him than Juve.

Getting trashed 5-0 is interesting maybe you should try basketball if score is only interesting thing about the sport.

lol, nah. Football will always be my favorite sport, nothing else will ever even come close to jumping around & singing my heart out with 28K other eiserne fans on a dreary early december day!

But I actually love the sport, not just the big names. So I don't mind having to watch less "prestigious" teams if they play with courage & ambition, like the Saudi's did today.

 

[Luigi Habs]

I think many asian countries just lack athleticism to cover for their technical deficiencies to have strong football teams. African players may not be the most skillful, but they compensate by their speed and strength and can still have a decent showing against stronger teams.

 

[robertmac43]

Also with African nations there is a certain emotional dedication they have to their teams. When I have watched Ghana, the Ivory Coast, South Africa, Nigeria, etc in the past, it is easy to tell that these guys want nothing more than to win for their football obsessed nations. I don't get that same belief from countries such as Saudi Arabia.

 

[robertmac43]

Not that Asian countries do not care, they obviously do, but I think the belief and intensity towards football is deeper in African countries and more of the population is encapsulated by the sport as well

 

[KJS14]

And any instance in which Elneny is needed to build hype, one should question it

You were saying...??

 

[NJDevs26]

I still think we suck, but there have been so many cases, when teams that sucked all of a sudden won it all. Italy looked terrible at WC 1982 start, and then they beat a legendary Brazilian team and won the tournament. And don't forget about Denmark at Euro 1992...

Italy's version of being terrible was three opening-round draws, not 0-5. I can't think of anyone that lost their first game by that much that went on to do anything in the tournament. West Germany in 1954 is the only WC winner I can think of that was blown out at any point during the tournament.

 

[Alex Jones]

I think many asian countries just lack athleticism to cover for their technical deficiencies to have strong football teams. African players may not be the most skillful, but they compensate by their speed and strength and can still have a decent showing against stronger teams.

For African countries they typically get the best athletes, plus they usually have okay technical development. Middle Eastern teams aren't really very good at either of those things. Unlike East Asian countries that have brought in a lot of European/SA technical staff to help them improve development, for the Arab nations it's largely in house as they can struggle to bring in foreign talent. Arab coaches are not good. There is also little emphasis on the sport (or sports in general) in these countries so it's hard for teams to find and identify young talent. Footballing infrastructure is not good in countries like KSA.

 

[robertmac43]

You were saying...??

Unreal goal, did nothing for us in that game other than give me false hope

 

[cgf]

Italy's version of being terrible was three opening-round draws, not 0-5. I can't think of anyone that lost their first game by that much that went on to do anything in the tournament. West Germany in 1954 is the only WC winner I can think of that was blown out at any point during the tournament.

He's russian

 

[robertmac43]

All the articles I have been seeing are extremely surprised by the result today. I just can't see why everyone is writing Russia off so darn much! Its a solid team and they are hosting

 

[ViD]

All the articles I have been seeing are extremely surprised by the result today. I just can't see why everyone is writing Russia off so darn much! Its a solid team and they are hosting

Because of the way they performed in their recent games

 

[robertmac43]

Because of the way they performed in their recent games

Bad form recently sure. But you got to think the host nation will be up and ready for the tournament opener. It should throw form out the window!

 

[Suntouchable13]

For African countries they typically get the best athletes, plus they usually have okay technical development. Middle Eastern teams aren't really very good at either of those things. Unlike East Asian countries that have brought in a lot of European/SA technical staff to help them improve development, for the Arab nations it's largely in house as they can struggle to bring in foreign talent. Arab coaches are not good. There is also little emphasis on the sport (or sports in general) in these countries so it's hard for teams to find and identify young talent. Footballing infrastructure is not good in countries like KSA.

But if they are so weak and get blown out by Russia, then how do they even get through Asia and qualify for the tourny?

 

[Eye of Ra]

i am the only one who was suprised how technial and good passing the saudis had ?

 

[cgf]

Bad form recently sure. But you got to think the host nation will be up and ready for the tournament opener. It should throw form out the window!

The russian NT also has a nasty habit of buying into their own hype when they have played well. I'll never forget the way they handed Greece their spot in the knockouts because of just how cocky they had gotten in 2012. Or their inexplicable arrogance in 2014 only two years remove from that embarrassment against the greeks.

I know that they've started bringing in the next generation, but some of the vets are still there, and we haven't seen if the years have humbled any of them...though I am optimistic on Golovin's mentality, since he seems to have learned from the mistake Alan Dzagoev made with his career.

 

[Moncherry]

But if they are so weak and get blown out by Russia, then how do they even get through Asia and qualify for the tourny?

Because Asia sucks.

 

[cgf]

i am the only one who was suprised how technial and good passing the saudis had ?

They showed a bit of that in the germany friendly, but they certainly surprised with their technical ability. I hope that doesn't disappear entirely if they try to limit the damage in their next matches :-/

 

[Alex Jones]

But if they are so weak and get blown out by Russia, then how do they even get through Asia and qualify for the tourny?

There are only two or three decent Asian teams. Japan/Korea/Iran/Australia are all okay teams, although only Japan/Korea/Australia have been consistently putting players in top five European leagues. Not even sure if Australia counts in this capacity anymore. Outside of those teams Asia is the worst continent.

There is no meaningful infrastructure in SE Asia/Indian subcontinent right now. Teams like Vietnam and Laos have dreams of getting players to J-League/K-League level. China spends a ton of money on foreign players, but their infrastructure and talent level is horrible. The ME teams are a little better, but have such poor infrastructure that they can never progress past doormat status on the world stage. I do think that China will improve, but for the forseeable future Japan/Korea/Australia are the only relevant teams on the continent.

 

[cgf]

There are only two or three decent Asian teams. Japan/Korea/Iran/Australia are all okay teams, although only Japan/Korea/Australia have been consistently putting players in top five European leagues. Not even sure if Australia counts in this capacity anymore. Outside of those teams Asia is the worst continent.

There is no meaningful infrastructure in SE Asia/Indian subcontinent right now. Teams like Vietnam and Laos have dreams of getting players to J-League/K-League level. China spends a ton of money on foreign players, but their infrastructure and talent level is horrible. The ME teams are a little better, but have such poor infrastructure that they can never progress past doormat status on the world stage. I do think that China will improve, but for the forseeable future Japan/Korea/Australia are the only relevant teams on the continent.

What about this Iranian generation? There's a lot of young players in that NT squad...Jahanbakhsh, Azmoun, Ezatolahi, & Hosseini...including their best players. And their youth NTs have been doing very well, haven't they?

 

[KJS14]

Unreal goal, did nothing for us in that game other than give me false hope

Oh I know. That was honestly the only good moment that comes to mind when I think of Elneny. Not that he's a bad player, he's just average and very safe generally.