World Cup: QF: Uruguay vs. France, 7/6/2018

[Spring in Fialta]

Good but unspectacular game by France. They didn't do more than they had to.

I thought they suffocated Uruguay, personally.

 

[Eisen]

...which is literally the point of this midfield. Do you want Kanté to dribble around 9 opponents and score?

To be fair. It does payoff to have at least one guy who can generate from the central position.

 

[Suiteness]

...which is literally the point of this midfield. Do you want Kanté to dribble around 9 opponents and score? He dominated winning balls, Pogba dominated with it as his feet.

LOL. Do you understand why guys like Xavi, Pirlo or Iniesta were/are great midfielders? Hint, it's not for their ball winning abilities.

 

[Havre]

I understand that second goal was a punch in the gut, but aside from their outbreak of spite following the Mbappe incident they were sadly toothless.

Yeah.

I don’t mind the smaller nations playing defensively. But at least it feels like Sweden want to attack when they win the ball - as an example.

I do understand France are good, but that was disappointing from Uruguay (even worse than Inell expected).

 

[Eisen]

I thought they suffocated Uruguay, personally.

They didn't need to. The Urus didn't create anything but high balls.

 

[le_sean]

LOL. Do you understand why guys like Xavi, Pirlo or Iniesta were/are great midfielders? Hint, it's not for their ball winning abilities.

Okay? I don’t understand your point. My point is this midfield is doing great work and France is making it look easy. The creativity belongs with the three forwards. Is it that difficult to understand the system?

 

[koyvoo]

Uruguay tapped out with 25 mins left, but the French forced them into submission. It was probably France’s best performance so far, and a good time to be peaking. Obviously, Cavani out is about as big a loss as any team could’ve taken, and Uruguay’s counterattacking strategy was going to limp without him.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Marcel Desailly on French TV. Legend.

 

[N o o d l e s]

As opposed to what? Talking to a psychic reader yesterday to prove that I was right?

So if Uruguay had a good game in the midfield, you would have never responded?

 

[cgf]

and it translated on the pitch. The game was open and Uruguay was showing some attitude in them. Then a fluke happens and they're deflated. They just subbed as well, which is always a bad time to get scored on.

One of the subs being a dumb sub that took some competency out of their play with the ball couldn't have helped either. Rodriguez just provides nothing but sporadic decent crosses. Sacrificing their talent in the midfield that was letting them flow forward with some cogency in that period of the match, to bring on a possession-killer with such a deflating goal was just a recipe for disaster.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Unlike many I actually see the unspectacular way France dispatches its opponent these days as one of their strengths. I know that people will moan about how they're not playing beautifully and too defensive, but the most attractive side almost never wins a tournament. Organization always beats creativity in this sport.

 

[cgf]

Yeah that's a surprise usually they are like the Prussians.

Hey! We have emotions...well we've heard of them...ok we've heard of anger, but that's an emotion...right?

 

[Evilo]

You will play Belgium, not Bazil.

I don't see it. Belgium has struggled to beat Japan. Brazil is getting better.

 

[Hadoop]

Sad to see Uruguay eliminated as they have that whatever it takes mentality that you love to see from an underdog nation, but France are the better team and fully deserved to move on.

Can make a case now that the 3 best teams are all on this side or the bracket now.

 

[JayKing]

I thought they suffocated Uruguay, personally.

exposed Uruguay as a one dimensonal team without Cavani.

 

[Evilo]

Good, mature win from France. They played a complete game against a mostly-defensive team who had trouble keeping the ball and were a lot less effective without Cavani on the counter. I think Argentina was the 'statement' game against a 'big' team. This one was the composed, effective performance that France is actually designed to play. Kante was once again phenomenal. He won't win it, but for me he's been the best player in this WC so far.

Agreed on all accounts.

 

[le_sean]

So if Uruguay had a good game in the midfield, you would have never responded?

I made my point with the original post. Why would I have to add to it? We could counter argue back and forth for days without convincing each other. So I waited for 100% confirmation that Uruguay has an average midfield that contributed absolutely nothing today. Is it that difficult to say “you were right”?

This is on par with me saying The Godfather won Best Picture in 1972, you saying it didn’t, me looking it up to prove it and you saying “well why would you do that?”

 

[Eisen]

One of the subs being a dumb sub that took some competency out of their play with the ball couldn't have helped either. Rodriguez just provides nothing but sporadic decent crosses. Sacrificing their talent in the midfield that was letting them flow forward with some cogency in that period of the match, to bring on a possession-killer with such a deflating goal was just a recipe for disaster.

Bentancur looked good, I didn't get that either. Did he want to protect him from the second yellow? He needs to score a goal first.

 

[Suiteness]

Okay? I don’t understand your point. My point is this midfield is doing great work and France is making it look easy. The creativity belongs with the three forwards. Is it that difficult to understand the system?

They're doing a good job, absolutely, but Pogba/Kanté/Matuidi/Tolisso is not a great midifield. Platini/Tigana/Giresse was a great midfield.

 

[cgf]

What was that? Oh that’s right, like I said, average midfield completely exposed by great midfield. This match was far easier than the Argentina one.

huh? I missed much of the first half visiting my folks, but the Uruguayan midfield didn't look outclassed at all in the second half...especially with the way they started to come out of their shell before that deflating 2nd goal & bad substitution.

If Tabarez had trusted those kids more & let them play with some courage from the start of the tourney...so that they had real confidence in one another by this point...this could've been a very different match. But Tabarez "played it safe" and played himself at this tourney.

As opposed to what? Talking to a psychic reader yesterday to prove that I was right?

As opposed to referencing more than a single match to judge those young Uruguayan midfielders?

 

[philip]

Uruguay missed Cavani big time. There was just no outlet for them. I was impressed with France there tbh, if they've got a couple more gears than that we should all be concerned.

 

[koyvoo]

I don't see it. Belgium has struggled to beat Japan. Brazil is getting better.

It Belgium goes with a back four they have a chance, if Martinez sets up similarly to how they faced Japan, Neymar might have his easiest game of the tournament.

 

[N o o d l e s]

I made my point with the original post. Why would I have to add to it? We could counter argue back and forth for days without convincing each other. So I waited for 100% confirmation that Uruguay has an average midfield that contributed absolutely nothing today. Is it that difficult to say “you were right”?

This is on par with me saying The Godfather won Best Picture in 1972, you saying it didn’t, me looking it up to prove it and you saying “well why would you do that?”

I don’t care that much. I was rooting for France. But congrats on your “ha, told you” moment from a post I made days ago.

 

[NyQuil]

They're doing a good job, absolutely, but Pogba/Kanté/Matuidi/Tolisso is not a great midifield. Platini/Tigana/Giresse was a great midfield.

You forgot Luis Fernandez!

 

[le_sean]

They're doing a good job, absolutely, but Pogba/Kanté/Matuidi/Tolisso is not a great midifield. Platini/Tigana/Giresse was a great midfield.

Okay, I guess Giroud/Griezmann/Mbappe suck because it’s not Pele/Garrincha/Pepe?