GWT: World Cup - Quarterfinals - Brazil v. Croatia

[CapitalsCupReality]

Tears never tasted so good as Neymar’s….stole his moment to pass Pele AT the WC.

 

[Karterthadon]

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.

Unfortunately, Brazil were also the worst coached team left in the tournament which handicaps their talent.

 

[NyQuil]

It's the mild British accented translator dude who en-un-ci-at-es every single syllable for every non-English interview.

"I..want...to win ....the World Cup....it has been...a dream..."

 

[Venkman]

Not a great decision to bring Fred on instead of Guimaraes or Fabinho.

 

[MarkStone]

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.

It would be like calling Oregon a blue blood of college football, it doesn't work like that. Generations of consistent success is needed and these superpowers have been pretty much established since post-WW2 if not longer in a couple cases.

 

[Karterthadon]

Not a great decision to bring Fred on instead of Guimaraes or Fabinho.

Even worst was subbing off Miliatao

 

[Corto]

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.

Lol what?

We have a midfield trio to control any game and no strikers. We are the slowest team in the tournament.
WTF do you want, to go end-to-end with Vini and Neymar?

This is how we play, because it's the only way we can play. We beat France and Denmark in the NL playing the same game.

There's a difference in playing "defensive football" and trying to control the game while having the ball.
We had more possession and more passes than Brazil - we just don't really have an Mbappe to break through.


It's like how France play with a low block with no offensive game and then catapult Mbappe out to score 2 goals and win games - it works.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

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, 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.

For sure.

Brazil football, in general, plays and acts in ways that is going to gather a lot of strong emotions on all sides. They're a hero to some and a villian to others. I wouldn't fault anyone either way.

I personally...frigging hate them. Does it make me a hypocrite when the side I cheer for is known for histrionics of their own? Maybe a little bit.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

For sure.

Brazil football, in general, plays and acts in ways that is going to gather a lot of strong emotions on all sides. They're a hero to some and a villian to others. I wouldn't fault anyone either way.

I personally...frigging hate them. Does it make me a hypocrite when the side I cheer for is known for histrionics of their own? Maybe a little bit.

Honestly its overstated most teams have notorious divers... cant blame people for having fun with celebrating.

Has anyone checked on my dear friend @John Pedro ?

 

[Drivesaitl]

Agreed.

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

Croatia have creativity and flair in their lineup that make any Poland comparisons unreasonable. As posters have mentioned a good pragmatic match from Croatia. Taking their chances when they come but not overcommitting and leaving the back wide open. Croatia had several chances in the match.

 

[Evilo]

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.

Strong mental, no doubt.
But a deflection goal isn't a testimony of nice football either.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

I just had a laugh at SIlva back away like a frightened QB. LOL

 

[Evilo]

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.

You confuse me for @cgf .
I totally respect DD even if I don't share ma'y of his decisions. His leadership and winning mentality are unmatched in international football. Guy's a born winner.
But to compare that french and its scoring with how Croatia approached then and now is weird to me.

I love underdogs and again, Croatia showed a lot of mental strength. And it is good news for other favourites.
But football lost a little tonight.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Honestly its overstated most teams have notorious divers... cant blame people for having fun with celebrating.

Has anyone checked on my dear friend @John Pedro ?

I agree, but even as a fan of a European side I kind of do feel like some fans will criticize a non-Euro side for diving more than a Euro side for the same dive, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

 

[member 305909]

It would be like calling Oregon a blue blood of college football, it doesn't work like that. Generations of consistent success is needed and these superpowers have been pretty much established since post-WW2 if not longer in a couple cases.

OH gosh how serious you people are and take everything so literally!

A small country, smaller than Scotland, yet again at this stage.

Of course every time it happens is a surprise and every time it doesn't happen for Germany or Brazil is a surprise too.

 

[Evilo]

Lol what?

We have a midfield trio to control any game and no strikers. We are the slowest team in the tournament.
WTF do you want, to go end-to-end with Vini and Neymar?

This is how we play, because it's the only way we can play. We beat France and Denmark in the NL playing the same game.

There's a difference in playing "defensive football" and trying to control the game while having the ball.
We had more possession and more passes than Brazil - we just don't really have an Mbappe to break through.


It's like how France play with a low block with no offensive game and then catapult Mbappe out to score 2 goals and win games - it works.

I could take you seriously but some things that you wrote are so off-base...
France started 4 offensive players + Theo.
So yeah... Launch Mbappe and defend. Good job.

 

[Peen]

France playing with AG as an 8 and Theo (albeit seemingly forced because they went with Lucas before injury) is not defensive lol

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

For sure.

Brazil football, in general, plays and acts in ways that is going to gather a lot of strong emotions on all sides. They're a hero to some and a villian to others. I wouldn't fault anyone either way.

I personally...frigging hate them. Does it make me a hypocrite when the side I cheer for is known for histrionics of their own? Maybe a little bit.

I think it just reflects the different cultures. In Northern Europe, we're raised to not be demonstrative. If I won 5 million dollars in the lottery my mother would calmly, with a hint of pleasure, say "that's pretty good, but how much are you going to be taxed on it?". From working in multi-national settings with people from all over the world, you get a sense that the norms for what is the standard, acceptable response to social situations varies a great deal.

I believe the Brazilians when they say they dance after a goal, that it's just their expression of joy and not meant as a sign of disrespect to the opponents. But in (Northern) European cultures it's typically considered a major faux pas to express excessive happiness in the presence of someone else who is very unhappy. There's less exuberance in general, but in particular if there's contrasting emotions in a group. If Joe gets fired, and Mike gets promoted as a result..Mike celebrating wildly in the presence of Joe would be majorly frowned upon even if Mike and Joe didn't even know each other.

 

[cgf]

I could take you seriously but some things that you wrote are so off-base...
France started 4 offensive players + Theo.
So yeah... Launch Mbappe and defend. Good job.

That you're pointing to DD playing with 4 attackers & one attacking FB, as a sign of aggressiveness kinda says it all...nevermind that DD most certainly didn't play with 4 attackers and an attacking FB in 2018.

That is the norm for us and I think we should increase that to playing with 5 attackers moving forward...whether in a 4-1-4-1 or a 3-2-5...the way Spain and Brazil did.

Not saying it hasn't been effective...especially with your defensive talent + counter-attacking threat...but DD most certainly has you playing much more defensively than Germany, Spain, Brazil, etc.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

I think it just reflects the different cultures. In Northern Europe, we're raised to not be demonstrative. If I won 5 million dollars in the lottery my mother would calmly, with a hint of pleasure, say "that's pretty good, but how much are you going to be taxed on it?". From working in multi-national settings with people from all over the world, you get a sense that the norms for what is the standard, acceptable response to social situations varies a great deal.

I believe the Brazilians when they say they dance after a goal, that it's just their expression of joy and not meant as a sign of disrespect to the opponents. But in (Northern) European cultures it's typically considered a major faux pas to express excessive happiness in the presence of someone else who is very unhappy. There's less exuberance in general, but in particular if there's contrasting emotions in a group. If Joe gets fired, and Mike gets promoted as a result..Mike celebrating wildly in the presence of Joe would be majorly frowned upon even if Mike and Joe didn't even know each other.

Therein lies the difference between Northern and Southern Europe; Italians can go from zero to drama queen in less than a tenth of a second.

 

[cgf]

I agree, but even as a fan of a European side I kind of do feel like some fans will criticize a non-Euro side for diving more than a Euro side for the same dive, but maybe I'm wrong about that.

Nope. And it's not just non-European sides, Southern-european sides get that same double standard...even though opa Müller works the refs harder than any other footballer.

 

[gary69]

Who in their right mind would play Brazil openly? We bosses the midfield the entire game. Absolute masterclass from Luka, Mateo and Marcelo.

Croatia did in the extra time, after going down. Hoping they play a bit more entertaining game after now they will have an easier opponent than Brazil in the SF.

 

[Drivesaitl]

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

Croatia had exposed Brazil defence a few times just in first half. I knew they could pick some locks. Whether the finish would be there was the question.

But aside from that Croatia have several players on pitch that have known their WC success and believe. i think Brazil lost theirs in 2014 and have not gotten it back. Brazil now have not won since 2002.

 

[kovacro]

Doesn’t matter what anyone says, the results speak for themselves. Back to back trips to the WC semis. Amazing accomplishment.

It’s a day for Croatians around the globe to enjoy. The drinks will flow into the evening here!

Budi Ponosan

 

[Savant]