I'll take Germany in the final game. Although I think it will be close. The blowout may not have been good psychologically for the German team -- they'll need to refocus.
No offense taken. The style of posting can be annoying I know. I try to tone it down. I am in the age group of Messi or maybe Mascherano btw. It is all good. I know Brazilians hate Argentina under normal circumstances. But these are not normal circumstances. I follow Brazil closely. This is a vast country. Germans are favorite so of course everyone would bet on them. But 1:7 and 0:4 are dangerous results when you have problems against Algeria and Ghana. I trust Argentina enough that it won't be a cakewalk. Argentinians have played were solid, not particularly good throughout the tournament but always dangerous. Just enjoy while you are there. Not everyone can afford being in Brazil.
People keep doubting Argentina, yet they keep winning. It's perplexing to me how many of you are ready to hand the trophy to Germany without playing the final. Germany is the favorite but you still have to play the game and anything can happen especially if you have Messi. I'm quite confident this will be a close game. Here's to a great final.
This is true. I am also concerned that this will be an extremely close game. I wanted Argentina rather than Holland, but although it was a relatively unattractive game today, I am quite impressed by how Argentina didn't really allow Holland many good chances. They managed to almost completely take Robben out of the game. And again, Lavezzi impressed me with his skill and speed. This is far from a done deal. The Brazil game doesn't matter. They somehow completely lost it for 10 minutes and that killed them. That will not happen to Argentina. Although I have to say, we know Micho very well and he is not a world-class defender anymore, in my opinion. Nice guy, though.
I know for sure there are Gauchos in Brazil, they displayed it in their opening ceremony. A minority for sure. But how many German fans will fly to Brazil as opposed to Argentinians riding buses to the games? I doubt that all of a sudden Brazilians start wearing Germany jerseys, start chanting in German, singing the National Anthem of "Deutsches Vaterland". That is all. I don't deny that Brazilians share sympathy with Germany. It is all about how many Argentinian fans make it to the stadium and how the atmosphere will be.
Thank you!! Someone with a sense and I know for sure you aren't a bandwagonner. The ironic thing about Argentina is that coming into the WC their defense and GK was thought to be their Achilles heel yet it's proving to be the attack. Di Maria might be back by then as well which would be a huge boost to Argentina as Messi wouldn't have to drop back as much. Btw, Who's Micho?
Yes, sorry. I hope we will have to console him like we had to console our friend Dante after the last match.
Ahhhh thanks.. Don't like him much either as he can lose his head quickly and commit stupid falls which can lead to a red card but is these past 2 games he's been all-right. Much better than Federico Fernandez who was very slooooow and insecure.
I believe that Argentina feels lucky to be in the Finals. They don't have the pressure Brazil has for sure. This has been their best result since Maradona.
Yes I was talking about Austrians in general. Yes I know about the Germany-Austria football relationship.
There's the pragmatic German viewpoint I was waiting to read. A point you didn't mention was how Holland was able to defend Leo and restrict his opportunities to deliver defence splitting passes or even get into the box. I have to imagine Low will be taking some notes from what the Dutch did. I think if anything were to defeat Brazil 7-1 in Brazil to advance to the WC Finals, it happened to the one team in the world that most would put money on to not become overconfident or develop a big head after such a victory. Especially with the players and coaching staff remembering it's been more than 20 years since the last WC victory. I gotta believe your team will have forgotten all about the Brazil match already and chalking that up to Brazil playing like $hit moreso than the Mannschaft purring on all cylinders(even though we know Brazil played like $hit because the Germans made them play like $hit). I just think your team will be so focused and be like an NFL team whereby they get the day after the match to celebrate and then it's back to work and the victory is forgotten.
Perhaps Krul should have just started for Cillesen especially since LVG knew NDJ wasn't 100% fit so it was kind of a Diego Costa in the CL final situation. LVG knew he might need that last sub for Krul...but he chose to start NDJ knowing there's a possiblity he'd need to sub him out later. Why not just go with Krul from the start? Yeah I hear you about the Dutch gaining some control in the 2nd half and trying to attack, but they didn't even do that really. No purposeful passing. No shots on goal in the full 90. Everytime the ball went to Kuyt(bless his heart and his excellent work rate) he just destroyed all sorts of width on the left by constantly showing he has no left foot and cutting inside to hit wayward crosses. I mentioned this to a Dutch friend and wonder if you and arno agree. I feel LVG gave RVP too much of a rope every match. With RVP (unlike some strikers that can be absent for 89 and pop up in the 90th to poach a goal) I feel he shows enough in the first half of a match or maybe first hour to know if he is on and if it will be his night. By the hour mark the coach might know he is not just on and should be replaced. I think maybe LVG should've brought in Hunterlaar a little earlier. Either way not much difference probably, it would have still gone to penalties and players would have still refused to take the first penalty and LVG would have mindblowingly still allowed his excellent CB (who had never ever taken a penalty kick in a match)to take the 1st PK. I mean if two players refuse the first pk, don't you go down the line and keep asking? I'd need to have all 4 other players on the list refuse the 1st pk before I ask Vlaar. Bless him anyway, such a brilliant performance by Vlaar.
Since half or more than half of the population is of Czech descent I would say an estimated 75% or more are soccer fans in general. Nowadays a lot of Turkish immigrants who are also soccer interested. Maybe a 3-8% has a German wife or GF(like a classmate of mine), are of German descent or some are not interested so they can root for whom they want. The younger generation is usually more inclined to interact with Germans in terms of football and perhaps even side with them.
FIFA needs to go ahead and eliminate that 3rd/4th place finish on Saturdays. For these nations, if you are not first, you are last.
Daywalker, there is a huge contigency of German immigrants in Brazil, especially in the southern portion. That's even a city called Novo Hamburgo. It would be easy to fill out the stadium with German fans.
