Impressions so far??

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sutts07
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by sutts07 »

sutts07 wrote:I know that judging the teams over just 90 minutes is harsh but if I had to call the final four as it stands it would be Brazil, Holland, Germany and Argentina. From that point any of them could go on and win it. Not exactly sticking my neck out I know but here you go.
Nailed on wasn't it really. They have been the four teams who have looked the most comfortable on this stage.
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Lee_WHU
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by Lee_WHU »

Well lads, another one done and dusted and I'd just like to say it was a lot of fun discussing it with you fine people at all hours, cheers.

There were some quality games, quality goals, props for emerging new stars, well deserved accolades for stars at their last tournaments, some great goalkeeping with Neuer, Navas, Ochoa and Howard to name a few, an annihilation of a once powerhouse nation, plenty of buxom babes in the crowd and a Chiellini sandwich to top it off. Oh, and England were there for a bit too.

Best World Cup of my lifetime so far, shame it's over.

Now, bring on the ****ing Ipswich!!! :scarfer:
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e17
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by e17 »

Lee_WHU wrote:Best World Cup of my lifetime so far, shame it's over.
Agreed! Tops Mexico 86 in my list
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by fjthegrey »

Nah. You boys have jumped the gun there.

It got progressively worse and in the end can be described as little more than a slightly above average tournament.

There hasn't been a really great game since USA - Belgium. The dullest team in the entire tournament got to the final and refereeing was a massive issue at some very crucial moments and did the tournament a disservice. We were robbed of Neymar in the semis because of **** refereeing. Mexico are a great team to watch and were robbed. Colombia deserved so much more against Brazil.

It could have been so much more in general.
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by Morocco Mole »

fjthegrey wrote:Nah. You boys have jumped the gun there.

It got progressively worse and in the end can be described as little more than a slightly above average tournament.

There hasn't been a really great game since USA - Belgium. The dullest team in the entire tournament got to the final and refereeing was a massive issue at some very crucial moments and did the tournament a disservice. We were robbed of Neymar in the semis because of **** refereeing. Mexico are a great team to watch and were robbed. Colombia deserved so much more against Brazil.

It could have been so much more in general.
Word bro. :clap:

The excitement and unpredictability of the group games is clouding people's judgement. One or two exceptions aside (USA Belgium for example) the knockouts were quite dull and predictable in my opinion.

Funnily enough I quite enjoyed the final and thought it was one of the better games....
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by fjthegrey »

The favourites won every knockout stage game. Bar none.
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Lee_WHU
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by Lee_WHU »

Nah fellas, just for me. It was the one I enjoyed the most out of the ones I've seen which admittedly only started at Italia '90 as a 7-year-old :D
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Westbourne Bill
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by Westbourne Bill »

My impressions? The sooner Danny Murphy replaces Lawro the better and by far the most interesting and enlightening pundit was the excellent Tim Vickery. He is a Spurs fan though.
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richneal
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by richneal »

Group stages were the bees knees. Amazing stuff.

Some good games - and a handful of great ones - since then but that's it. Knockout stages just couldn't deliver on the promise shown during the groups . . . Honourable mentions to Colombia, Mexico and the US - all seemed to punch well above their weight.

Arg vs Holland was brutal - about as much fun as watching paint dry.

Best team by far won it - always interesting to watch them play - great entertainment, which is what it's all about for me.

But the biggest impression by far that this world cup will leave on me is the morally bankrupt and corrupt position of FIFA on just about everything to do with finances. I really don't know who's worse - FIFA or the IOC. Transparency please.
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swash
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by swash »

It had its moments, but to me the World Cup will never get the magic back that it had in my youth, not just because of my youthful enthusiasm for it, but to me the reason it no loner seems so special, is due to the blanket coverage of football these days, we are just watching the same players in different shirts.

Back in 1978 and subsequent tournaments, you used to switch on and see the mythical players that only existed in your sticker album, in the flesh for the first time, and therein lay the magic.
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by Morocco Mole »

swash wrote:It had its moments, but to me the World Cup will never get the magic back that it had in my youth, not just because of my youthful enthusiasm for it, but to me the reason it no loner seems so special, is due to the blanket coverage of football these days, we are just watching the same players in different shirts.

Back in 1978 and subsequent tournaments, you used to switch on and see the mythical players that only existed in your sticker album, in the flesh for the first time, and therein lay the magic.
Yup, definately something in that..... :thup:
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by SirStoneyOfBow »

Like it's been said before - the group stages were as exciting as I can remember in this set format, but the knockout stages ultimately became too cagey and delicately trodden for me to really enjoy.
The best team won, mind.
Though for the first two weeks we probably witnessed near perfection in terms of drama it sadly filtered out by the semis.
You could still argue it was the best World Cup seeing as I only have memories from 1990 onwards, but I'm gutted after how dour it went after the round of 16.
But that's how it goes.
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by pablo jaye »

swash wrote: but to me the reason it no loner seems so special, is due to the blanket coverage of football these days, we are just watching the same players in different shirts.
That's exactly what I thought when tournament started. I had no real intention of watching as much as I did, given the amount of football that is on nowadays. But, something did grip me ....not quite worked out what it is yet, but part of it was watching football played by countries from far afield ... I don't watch much South American football but it was great to watch Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico - maybe the pure fact that because I don't watch much of them, that I enjoyed it so much. Also, I would never normally watch a friendly between Bosnia and Nigeria ....but because it is the World Cup, I did.

Yes, the post group stages weren't as entertaining but were more cat and mouse, or like games of chess. Games smouldered slowly and built up to quite gripping matches - eg Costa Rica v Greece and even the final last night.

A great tournament for me ... up there with 78 (my first) and 90 (England).
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Re: Impressions so far??

Post by Junco Partner »

Few little things got on my nerves - the one colour kit rule, the whole Suarez hoo-ha dominating everything, Messi getting the golden ball, Dutch diving their way past Mexico and Brazil trying to win-ugly.

After the last 16 it did dip a bit with teams reverting to defensive caution. Netherlands V Argentina was awful, Brazil V Columbia sank to anti-football, only the 7-1 demolition will live long in the memory from the latter stages.

On the positive, I loved the Latin Americans: Chile, Columbia, Costa- Rica and even Mexico - all great fans and great players who played with a special verve. Rodriguez exploding onto the scene and not just his flashy volley but that jink & dink vs Japan was drool inducing, Cahill's volley, the Yankee's spirit and 18 minutes of German joy in the semi.

Best World Cup in a while, enjoyed it thoroughly…roll on the next :thup:
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