GWT: World Cup - Quarterfinals - Brazil v. Croatia

[NyQuil]

Showboating to that extent is considered bad sportsmanship in Europe too.

I don't care if they showboat but there's a certain satisfaction when I see them lose later on.

I won't take offence to the dancing if they don't take offence to the poetic justice that I express later.

 

[Evilo]

@Savant was one of the posters. I called out the ridiculous comments.

Maybe we'll see a redaction. Amazing how little respect Croatia gets from some posters.

Great for Croatia to dig deep once again with all they got to scratch this out get extra time equalizer with minutes left and send them off to penalties where they expectedly prevail.

Congrats to Croatia, they're hard to beat.
But you can't love football and lose this team except I'd you're a croatian supporter. Boring defensive football, trying to reach PKs.

They should probably hire a European coach tbh. But I also think their squad is a bit overrated.

Neymar Jr is not at his peak anymore. Obviously they have a lot of depth and moreson than the past 8 years and I'd say Martinelli is maybe underrated but do you see the same World Class players as they had in 1998 - 2006 in attack? I see those WC players in the CB positions and Casemeiro but as for the rest, I dunno the attackers are a bit overrated.

Neymar has arguably been the best player in the world this year.

 

[Karterthadon]

Neymar shoots 5th just like CR7 shoots fifth, it's no big deal

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Congrats to Croatia, they're hard to beat.
But you can't love football and lose this team except I'd you're a croatian supporter. Boring defensive football, trying to reach PKs.

If they tried to go back and forth with Brazil the whole game they'd have no chance though.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Congrats to Croatia, they're hard to beat.
But you can't love football and lose this team except I'd you're a croatian supporter. Boring defensive football, trying to reach PKs.

I think it's a different situation vs Brazil. I don't think Croatia have been nearly as negative as say Poland in comparable matches. I would describe Croatia's style as pragmatic. When they needed a goal to come back late in ET, they got it. Most truly destructive sides can't manage that.

 

[Evilo]

If they tried to go back and forth with Brazil the whole game they'd have no chance though.

Probably but they scored on one shot, deflected unto the net.
And it's not like they played offensive football against less talented teams.

I think it's a different situation vs Brazil. I don't think Croatia have been nearly as negative as say Poland in comparable matches. I would describe Croatia's style as pragmatic. When they needed a goal to come back late in ET, they got it. Most truly destructive sides can't manage that.

Japan is Brazil too?

 

[cgf]

@Savant was one of the posters. I called out the ridiculous comments.

Maybe we'll see a redaction. Amazing how little respect Croatia gets from some posters.

Great for Croatia to dig deep once again with all they got to scratch this out get extra time equalizer with minutes left and send them off to penalties where they expectedly prevail.

Fair enough. Savant is a regular...though I wouldn't call him one of the reasonable ones

 

[Savant]

I'd been asked to recall the posters so just figured I would. Good for you to acknowledge.

In knockout stage among competitive sides anybody can prevail. Its why you play the game they say.

Theres a mental aspect to Croatia that is rarely beaten. That becomes a real thing on the pitch.

It’s all good. Enjoy the W.

That’s why we play the games.

 

[Islesfan22]

You can never ever count out Croatia!

 

[Savant]

Fair enough. Savant is a regular...though I wouldn't call him one of the reasonable ones

Reasonable can be subjective

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

Probably but they scored on one shot, deflected unto the net.
And it's not like they played offensive football against less talented teams.


Japan is Brazil too?

Well Japan did just beat Spain and Germany and was likely going to favor an attacking, open exchange. Tournament football isn't about pleasing the pundits. Every tournament we see a team playing this kind of football and go pretty far. I mean it's not like France played joga bonito in 2018 either.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I think it's a different situation vs Brazil. I don't think Croatia have been nearly as negative as say Poland in comparable matches. I would describe Croatia's style as pragmatic. When they needed a goal to come back late in ET, they got it. Most truly destructive sides can't manage that.

Agreed.

Croatia was realistic about their chances and picked the smartest game plan. Poland, at times, was anticompetitive.

 

[member 305909]

Can Croatia be officially elevated to the status of football superpower? If the number of such countries is fixed perhaps Germany can be relegated to a second tier-status.

 

[Drivesaitl]

Congrats to Croatia, they're hard to beat.
But you can't love football and lose this team except I'd you're a croatian supporter. Boring defensive football, trying to reach PKs.


Neymar has arguably been the best player in the world this year.

Canadian fan with Germany ethnicity here with a constant respect of Croatian football and one that has been well deserved. Croatia are an opponent to fear in the Modric era. Yes I can cheer for such a football player and cohesive integrated team.

Patently unfair to say Croatia were only looking to reach PK's when they had the better chances in first half of game. Croatia were the more fatigued side and well they should be having played extra time in prior match.

 

[Incubajerks]

Can Croatia be officially elevated to the status of football superpower? If the number of such countries is fixed perhaps Germany can be relegated to a second tier-status.

I don't understand the meaning, data in hand Croatia is a power, Germany will always be regardless of the results.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Can Croatia be officially elevated to the status of football superpower? If the number of such countries is fixed perhaps Germany can be relegated to a second tier-status.

well, now you're off cgf's holiday card list.

 

[NyQuil]

Can Croatia be officially elevated to the status of football superpower? If the number of such countries is fixed perhaps Germany can be relegated to a second tier-status.

We’ll see when Modric retires.

A superpower is one that maintains its competitiveness across generations.

A criticism of the team before the tournament was that they are old.

 

[Incubajerks]

Canadian fan with Germany ethnicity here with a constant respect of Croatian football and one that has been well deserved. Croatia are an opponent to fear in the Modric era. Yes I can cheer for such a football player and cohesive integrated team.

Patently unfair to say Croatia were only looking to reach PK's when they had the better chances in first half of game. Croatia were the more fatigued side and well they should be having played extra time in prior match.

Croatia's midfield made the difference, Brazil gave me the feeling of being rather fragile in their most important men, I mean mentally.

 

[Evilo]

Well Japan did just beat Spain and Germany and was likely going to favor an attacking, open exchange. Tournament football isn't about pleasing the pundits. Every tournament we see a team playing this kind of football and go pretty far. I mean it's not like France played joga bonito in 2018 either.

France tied the record for most goals in a WC. So lol. 11 goals in the KO stage (4 games).
Croatia, however, didn't register a single win after 90 minutes in that 2018 KO game. They scored 5 goals in 4 games in regular time (including 2 in the final).
So far they're at 0 in 2 games this year. Let's not pretend Croatia always faced stronger teams and that they were forced to regroup.
That's how they play and it's effective because they play it well. Well done.

But even as a french fan who obviously benefits from Brazil losing, football fans outside Croatia should feel sorry to see a brazilian team with tons of offensive talent lose to a team that tries to win on PK by keeping clean sheets.

 

[cgf]

well, now you're off cgf's holiday card list.

Nah, it'll be more fun when we surprise people in 2024

We’ll see when Modric retires.

A superpower is one that maintains its competitiveness across generations.

A criticism of the team before the tournament was that they are old.

That was a lazy criticism though. Modric is old, but Croatia has plenty of young and prime aged talent...and their best player (Gvardiol) is still very young.

 

[NyQuil]

But even as a french fan who obviously benefits from Brazil losing, football fans outside Croatia should feel sorry to see a brazilian team with tons of offensive talent lose to a team that tries to win on PK by keeping clean sheets.

I'd be more critical if Croatia had parked the bus the entire match and won in PKs after 0-0 in extra time.

But coming back to score after conceding one moderates that opinion.

Brazil had the game in hand and couldn't finish it out.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

France tied the record for most goals in a WC. So lol. 11 goals in the KO stage (4 games).
Croatia, however, didn't register a single win after 90 minutes in that 2018 KO game. They scored 5 goals in 4 games in regular time.
So far they're at 0 in 2 games this year. Let's not pretend Croatia always faced stronger teams and that they were forced to regroup.
That's how they play and it's effective because they play it well. Well done.

But even as a french fan who obviously benefits from Brazil losing, football fans outside Croatia should feel sorry to see a brazilian team with tons of offensive talent lose to a team that tries to win on PK by keeping clean sheets.

France still didn't approach any of the games with the same "we'll blow you away" approach that Germany and Spain ineffectively pursue in all their matches. France can score goals in bunches even from a fairly defensive orientation because you have the complete package striker in Mbappe who poses an unsolvable challenge for most opponents. And of course it's not like the team around him is bad. What I'm saying is France played a pragmatic game centered around their strengths. I tipped them to win in 2018, and I think with Brazil out they've got a very good shot to repeat now. I know you shit on Deschamps on a lot, but I think he's actually done a pretty great job overall.

Now whether I prefer Croatia or Brazil to advance, it's not really a major issue for me. I think Brazil obviously are the more talented side who play a much more attractive style. But I do appreciate a plucky underdog making its way through a tournament as well.

 

[Peen]

I took brazil, argentina, or england over the field so if Argentina lose here, I am cooked

 

[MarkStone]

I wish we would stop being so sensitive. Thrashings in soccer are normal in Europe and South America especially in the lower levels. It's not considered "rubbing it in", it's celebrating your own play.

If you don't like thrashings and people celebrating their good game, play better. It's super simple.

I find it highly ironic that terms like "running up the score" or "act like you have been there" are so prevalent in the US in an attempt to tell people it's bad form to play to your full ability while at the same time trash talking seems to be a cultural rite of passage.

America, the land of the mercy rule and trash talking. Apparently those things aren't mutually exclusive.

Agreed plus it should be remembered that despite even the best outcome of team building, these aren't two robotic monoliths playing against each other.

Sure if you compare on paper, Brazil vs South Korea is hella lopsided, but it's not like a single Brazil player scored all 4 goals and was whooping it up further and further each time (even in that scenario, scoring 4 goals as a single player in a world cup match would be insane, and deserve ecstatic celebration), these players scored a goal for their country on the biggest stage that they've been dreaming about since they were kids.

I think some nuance and this context is ignored sometimes to conveniently create villains, and I get it, its sports, they are games at the end of the day and the theatre, drama, and characters are part of why we love it.

 

[NyQuil]

I took brazil, argentina, or england over the field so if Argentina lose here, I am cooked