World Cup: R16: Uruguay vs. Portugal, 6/30/2018

[koyvoo]

Sometimes fans admire a staunch, determined defensively consciously minded game as a masterclass in tactics and a resolute will to win, other times the same fans blast the very same tactics as purely negative, the easy way out and a crime to the game.

 

[Live in the Now]

Sometimes fans admire a staunch, determined defensively consciously minded game as a masterclass in tactics and a resolute will to win, other times the same fans blast the very same tactics as purely negative, the easy way out and a crime to the game.

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Yes, exactly. They supposedly have a better team on paper and played anti-football, yet are being praised for winning anyway. Which is absolutely incredible, because they simply don't have a better team on paper. They also don't have the best player on either team. They played anti-football because they needed to (because their team isn't as talented in midfield or out wide at both fullback and wing positions) and still won. Credit to them.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Carvalho is better than Torreira.

On paper, Portugal is better, but the games aren't played there.

I don't agree about Carvalho at all.

And on paper isn't what I meant, either. Maybe Portugal have more depth, but Uruguay have a very strong group of central players - stronger than Portugal's.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Yes, exactly. They supposedly have a better team on paper and played anti-football, yet are being praised for winning anyway. Which is absolutely incredible, because they simply don't have a better team on paper. They also don't have the best player on either team. They played anti-football because they needed to (because their team isn't as talented in midfield or out wide at both fullback and wing positions) and still won. Credit to them.

Portugal's central players weren't and aren't good enough to crack the Uruguay defense. Silva was mostly involved on the right side and Carvalho isn't a creative player at all. If you congest the center of the field and don't give those wide players space to pick passes after they beat you with a dribble, Portugal were largely toothless. A ton of chances but none of good quality.

And again, it's not my contention that Uruguay are better on paper. It's that they were better on the field and didn't just win because Cavani and Suarez had their moments and Cristiano didn't or whatever. You don't have to like that they play like Atletico Madrid but they were the better team on the field.

 

[koyvoo]

If you look at the goals, the stats posted above, it’s clear Tabarez prepared for this type of game, has the personnel to make it work, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Its probably brilliant. It’s just funny that the same people will admire one team doing it, will admonish another.

William has always been polarizing in opinions. I’ve never seen a player who so often could be viewed by 10 spectators viewing the same performance, and 5 seeing him as the worst player in a game, and the other 5 seeing him as the best.

 

[Blender]

Sometimes fans admire a staunch, determined defensively consciously minded game as a masterclass in tactics and a resolute will to win, other times the same fans blast the very same tactics as purely negative, the easy way out and a crime to the game.

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The stats pretty much support what I saw during the game, that Uruguay was happy to let Portugal pass the ball around all game in the middle of the field as long as they kept them out of prime scoring locations, and Uruguay made them pay on the counter. I only have a problem with this strategy when the team defending is playing for a draw and has little interest in scoring. If they are being opportunistic, as Uruguay was, go for it if it works.

 

[Luigi Habs]

Portugal’s young players have been really disappointing this WC. Mainly Guedes and Bernardo Silva.

 

[koyvoo]

The stats pretty much support what I saw during the game, that Uruguay was happy to let Portugal pass the ball around all game in the middle of the field as long as they kept them out of prime scoring locations, and Uruguay made them pay on the counter. I only have a problem with this strategy when the team defending is playing for a draw and has little interest in scoring. If they are being opportunistic, as Uruguay was, go for it if it works.

One could say without the top quality strike duo that is Cavani and Saurez, those goals don’t come off and it would be 2 misses on 2 chances rather than 2 goals on 2 chances, but rather the 2 quality chances they had, they took.


Believe me, I’m not going to be the one who tries to take anything away from them for advancing. Just pointing out different perspectives for different agendas on different days from some people.

 

[Moncherry]

Portugal’s young players have been really disappointing this WC. Mainly Guedes and Bernardo Silva.

Damn near everyone flopped for Portugal. I don't think a single one of them played well during all four games.

 

[koyvoo]

Damn near everyone flopped for Portugal. I don't think a single one of them played well during all four games.

I personally do think William Carvalho was mostly very good, and surprisingly the heart of the defence was not the biggest issue for them. BSilva was good today only, but the offensive midfield and wide players were all deer in headlights aside from that. Keeper was fine too.

 

[Deficient Mode]

If you look at the goals, the stats posted above, it’s clear Tabarez prepared for this type of game, has the personnel to make it work, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Its probably brilliant. It’s just funny that the same people will admire one team doing it, will admonish another.

It's definitely a good strategy in this competition. Only a couple of teams have strong attacking talent at all positions to crack a well parked bus, and even if they do, there are plenty of question marks about their familiarity with each other to string together 2 or 3 incisive passes to score a goal on a good defense - in contrast to the best club squads. Their 2 central defenders know exactly how to play like this too. France aren't an overwhelming favorite to beat Uruguay to me. They won't score nearly as easily.

 

[Moncherry]

I personally do think William Carvalho was mostly very good, and surprisingly the heart of the defence was not the biggest issue for them. BSilva was good today only, but the offensive midfield and wide players were all deer in headlights aside from that. Keeper was fine too.

I think Carvalho was mostly good as well, but I don't recall him doing much to stop Spain in the first game, could be wrong.

The CBs were tidy against Morocco and Iran but faltered against superior opposition. The fullbacks were atrocious.

The midfield offered no creativity whatsoever. Joao Mario in particular I thought was a calamity, but it didn't help that as usual Santos played him as a winger, and he isn't a winger.

The attack as a whole other than Ronaldo bagging some goals early on was thoroughly unspectacular. Guedes might have been one of the worst players in the tournament. Using him as a false 9/CF or whatever the hell he was supposed to be doing was a complete failure.

A forgettable tournament for Portugal.

 

[Eki]

Stats tell nothing about the game. We had possession and pressured for a long time, but there were not enough chances created. Stupid crosses from Guerreiro and Ricardo Pereira, Ronaldo moving from the middle to the left everytime (leaving us without a striker) and Guedes/Silva not being good enough... mainly Guedes. They had to step up their game (Ronaldo can't carry us every time), and they didn't.

And please, don't tell Carvalho was good. Short passing to whoever is behind or next to you is not enough. Plus, he's heavily criticized in Portugal for 1) not running; 2) making an impact... and it's 100% true.

I was expecting we'd reach semis, at least. Heartbroken.

 

[Deficient Mode]

I was expecting we'd reach semis, at least. Heartbroken.

You expected Portugal would beat France?

 

[Eisen]

It's an odd thing to say given they won the Euro and thus fulfilled a destiny that previous Portuguese teams always fell short of..but it is a bit unlucky for Portugal that the peak of their greatest ever player has not coincided with the peak years of any of their other great players. Imagine how they would play if there were a peak Figo and Rui Costa to play alongside a peak Cristiano Ronaldo. Would actually be a good side to watch rather than the one-dimensional bores they've been the last couple of years.

Eusebio is still at least close, though.

 

[Eisen]

Wish they would allow post match video reviews for embellishment discipline

I wish reporters would blatantly ask the player in the post game interview about the diving.

 

[Eisen]

Did you know that someone once said of Gerd Muller, 'All he does is hang about the penalty area and score goals?'

Not that Cavani doesn't do a lot more than that anyway, but his ability to get on the end of other people's passes is proving, ahem, a bit important.

And I cursed Portugal. Sorry.

Many people said that about Gerd Müller.

 

[Evilo]

Portugal’s young players have been really disappointing this WC. Mainly Guedes and Bernardo Silva.

Silva was good against Uruguay.

 

[Eki]

You expected Portugal would beat France?

We beat them 2 years ago in Paris, why not? Almost every portuguese was truly believing we'd go far, so yeah, bigger disappointment. Oh well.

 

[GunkWinger]

We played the way we always play. Score goal, defend lead. Thank god for Cavani. Suarez is not the player he used to be. He'll score the occasional goal or make a great pass here or there. Too slow to make plays and too many disgraceful dives. Still love what he's done/is doing for us but he looks to be declining rapidly.

Loved the effort and Torreira in particular. The infusion of youth has really helped the team (Nandez, Laxalt, Bentacur, Vecino, etc.) Hope they keep it up.

France is gonna be tough. I'm WAY more scared of them than I was of Portugal.