I agree although the women's game is light years ahead of it's first World Cup in 1991.
The South American matches are really competitive and skilled. But by the 2nd half, the antics get pretty crazy.
I just find the women's game incredibly poor and slow.
The South American game can sometimes be amazing, but you're right the antics can get out of hand, but you can say the same about almost any conference. I mean, in the Euro you have to deal with the diving of the Italians and Portuguese and the paint drying boredom of the Spanish.
I think this will be a good tournament.
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Argentina horrendous and were fortunate to draw 1-1 against Bolivia in the opening match.
I watched it and while they were bad, Bolivia had to hang on as well. They got some great play from their captain and while Argentina had chances they just couldn't finish.
Brazil-Venezuela, pretty boring so far. 2nd half about to start.
I commend Sharman for doing the play by play, but you can tell it's not his thing. I'd honestly probably prefer to watch this with Spanish announcers that are actually at the game. You can totally tell that Sharman and KJ are in a secluded studio in Toronto. I want the ambience, and I'm not getting that from the crowd levels the Score has been feeding.
Brazil-Venezuela, pretty boring so far. 2nd half about to start.
I commend Sharman for doing the play by play, but you can tell it's not his thing. I'd honestly probably prefer to watch this with Spanish announcers that are actually at the game. You can totally tell that Sharman and KJ are in a secluded studio in Toronto. I want the ambience, and I'm not getting that from the crowd levels the Score has been feeding.
all the games are on TLNE, much better than the two guys on the score pbp, its 699 on bell I dono other providers
Oh yeah, and Ronaldo without Real has been......one goal victories over Norway and Denmark and a draw against Cyprus......
Argentina can do better, they just have a franchise policy of hiring idiots.
Portugal beat Denmark by 2 in Euro 2012 qualifying in a game where Ronaldo and Nani owned. Ronaldo and Nani with 2 were the goal scorers. The draw against Cyprus was an embarassment and was the beginning of the end of Queiroz. Not to metion Ronaldo didn't play in that Cyprus match. It's no surprise to me that under the Queiroz regime, Portugal had a bad home draw to Cyprus and a loss to Norway. Under Bento, Portugal have won 3 in a row and have put themselves in a tie for first place in their group. Queiroz was a cancer.
But if diane is arguing that Messi has been bad for Argentina, but is using Ronaldo as the next best, he might need to check Ronaldo out while representing Portugal. He hasn't been great, not by any stretch. Not for awhile at least.
Anything positive I say about Ronaldo will be seen as me wearing rose colored glasses and me being a blatant homer, so I'll stay out of this discussion as much as I can.
Last edited by VANFLAMESFAN; 07-07-2011 at 01:00 AM.
I think neither idiot coaches let Ronaldo or Messi shine. Or international football is so structured and defensive due to all idiot coaches now that no stars anywhere can shine. Can we think of any stars that excel at international level at the moment? Club football is not miles ahead.
That day that Brazil cannot breakdown Venezuela! is the day there is a fundamental problem with the way the sport is being played in this decade.
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not saying Ronaldo has been great for Portugal, he hasn't
but Ronaldo has been good at multiple places, with lesser players around him than Messi has
Messi has done it in one place, with the best spanish midfielder ever and possibly one of the best midfields of all time
and Argentina has more talent than Portugal do as well
I agree with you here.
It is indeniable that Messi is one of the best players in the world and is a star but I am hesitant to put him up there with the best ever until he proves that he can be successful away from Barca. To me the comparisions to Pele, Maradona, hell even Zidane are premature.
With Xavi, Iniesta, and the rest of Barca's midfield feeding Messi the ball, Messi has not yet had to be the lone focal point of the team. To me it is very telling that many people state that Xavi is the key to Barca's success and it is him you have to stop to defeat Barca.
To me if it is debatable that you are not even the most important player on your team I cannot rate you among the best players ever.
Internationally it is not like Messi is playing on one of the lesser football nations and has to carry his team by himself. He has Tevez, Aguero, Di Maria, Pastore, Mascherano, Gago, etc. to help him out. However he is missing the Xavi like midfield orchestrator on the National team and that appears to have hurt his effectiveness.
Messi: 119 goals in 177 appearance for Barca ( 0.66 goals/appearance)
17 goals in 57 games for Argentina (0.30 goals/appearance)
I know goals are harder to come by in International football, and it is not the best way to judge a players effectiveness but a 0.36 goal/appearance drop off is pretty dramatic.
Just to compare, and it is a neat statistic, when David Villa is the main strike target for Xavi and Iniesta on the Spanish National team his goal per appearance ratio is 0.63 goals/appearance which is very similar to the ratio that Messi puts up for Barca.
I want to clarify that I think Messi is a great talent and one of the best in the world but I think that he gets too much credit for Barca's success (Xavi and Iniesta are the real orchestrator and conductor of that team) and should not yet be compared to Maradona, Zidane, Pele, etc as the best ever.
I've said this so many times - why do the best players in the world consistently shoot the ball over the (huge) net, during the game and in penalties? Take something off of it if you have to, but hit the net!
I've said this so many times - why do the best players in the world consistently shoot the ball over the (huge) net, during the game and in penalties? Take something off of it if you have to, but hit the net!
It is crazy how important it is for the first shooter on your team to score in the PKs. Once the first American missed yesterday I knew that it was over. If the first player misses the pressure doubles on all the players that follow you and you can see the confidence of the whole team just disappear.
You could see on the American players faces that their confidence was shattered, while the Japanese ladies were just stone faced as they walked up to take the penalties.
Also I am not sure why goalies still guess so much on PKs, nothing bothers me more then seeing a goalie dive to the side when the shot is whiffed right down the middle.
I can't remember who it was but on the 2006 WC recap DVD there was a goalie who said make the shooter hit the perfect shot into the corner to beat you and use your reactions to save the ones close to you that the shooter flubs up.
He figured that he had the reaction time to save anything within 3-4 feet on either side of him and that he was more successful to make sure he saves the ones that the player screwed up, then to guess and try and save the ones placed in the corners by guessing.
It looked to me yesterday that Hope Solo tries to do this as well as she stays on her feet and tries to react to the shot as opposed to guessing.
I've said this so many times - why do the best players in the world consistently shoot the ball over the (huge) net, during the game and in penalties? Take something off of it if you have to, but hit the net!
The keepers (in the men's game anyways) are really good and you have to pick corners with power to beat them. Take something off to hit the target will give the keeper time to react.
My favourite goals are those that are screamers into the top corner where the keeper doesn't even move.
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