Rio de Janiero - 2014 Fifa World Cup Thread

[Nachos Jones]

First topic message reminder :

Pretty much the same as you Nachos but I'll come out of the cellar and pick Belgium over USA.

Belgium have not impressed me at all, lack cohesion. I think that under Klinsmann, the USA are tactically superior and will pick Belgium on a counter attack.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

And that leads them to scoring

[mystiroakey]

Pogba - fair play.

[Duty281]

And there it is!

Pogba with a looping header. #deserved

[westisbest]

fck off

[westisbest]

Booooooooooooooo.

[Duty281]

France with just that little bit more quality in the end.

They'll have to improve to get close to Germany, though...provided, of course, Algeria don't cause an upset tonight!

[whocares]

Job done. QF is probably as far as we will go with those players. Now everything more is a bonus.

[DirectView2]

To be fair Nigeria defense was aweful in the last 10 minutes I saw and surprised France score only 2 goals, just a reminder whoever saw the last goal please understand this is an International event at the highest stage.   

[westisbest]

Fk sake, lets move on from this Suarez bite.

Got his punishment.
Thats the end.
Getting old now.

[Hammersmith harrier]

I have no idea what that comments meant to mean?

[catchweight]

The standard in the match was pretty abysmal. Basics like passing, control, crossing very sub par. The amount of misplaced passes, bad first touches, over hit crosses etc was unbelievable.

[DirectView2]

The standard in the match was pretty abysmal. Basics like passing, control, crossing very sub par. The amount of misplaced passes, bad first touches, over hit crosses etc was unbelievable.

+1

[Duty281]

Germany look a trifle susceptible to the odd error and moment of panic in the defence. Elsewhere, they look comfortable on the ball and fluid in attack.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Germany playing a high line with mertesacker is borderline suicide

[compelling and rich]

Germany playing a high line with mertesacker is borderline suicide

just thought the same thing, look very slow at the back germany

[Stella]

neuer playing sweeper though. still dangerous.

pull it back man!

[Fernando]

The problem seems to be Mustafi & Howedes at the back so far. They leaving gaps for Slimani to get at the CB's who aren't quick. Expecting Feghouli to have a field day.

[Fernando]

Algeria have goal disallowed for offside.

[Stella]

great goal............nearly!

[Duty281]

Sweeper keepers are always fun to watch; they're only one second from having a David James moment.

And that's a good call from the linesman. This is like watching France against Nigeria all over again!

[Breadvan]

Algeria gotta fancy there chances against the German defence. These second round games but into perspective how pish Eng really were...

[GSC]

Algeria have Germany rattled

[Liam]

Germany are getting absolutely dommed here. I'm sorry, but no matter how good your midfield and attack are, it is unbelievably risky to play 4 cb's across your back four. I don't get it, especially when you have the best full back in the world playing cdm when someone like Khedira is sitting on the bench. Hardly short in the midfield department.

[Scrumpy]

C'mon Germany

[Champagne_Socialist]

Germany are getting absolutely dommed here. I'm sorry, but no matter how good your midfield and attack are, it is unbelievably risky to play 4 cb's across your back four. I don't get it, especially when you have the best full back in the world playing cdm when someone like Khedira is sitting on the bench. Hardly short in the midfield department.

Yeh I agree, why not play lahm at full back instead of a cb at full back and then play khediera at cm.

[Stella]

Ozil should have laced that. good game so far. well entertaining rather than great football. Have Algeria had their chance.

[Liam]

dear god just play through balls all day long algeria and you'll get at least one. Way too easy atm.

[Duty281]

Germany are a complete mess at the back. Neuer has no confidence in his defence whatsoever.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Its not even like Lahm is playing well at DM/CM

[Duty281]

Similar pattern to France-Nigeria, really, and Germany were just starting to assert their superiority at the end of that half.

I would still back them to win, but they do need to sort out their mess of a back-line.

[westisbest]

Enjoyable first half.

C'mon Algeria, cause a major upset.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Forgot to say this earlier but Valbuena has got to be in the conversations about best player in this World Cup. Not a winner, maybe, but a mention at least

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Nearly pass of the tournament by Neuer

[Duty281]

Tyldesley really wants Algeria to win!

Think ze Germans should have had a penalty  from the corner,

[Duty281]

German pressure just starting to tell on a tiring Algeria, who have struggled to get out of their own half in the last few minutes.

[Champagne_Socialist]

Forgot to say this earlier but Valbuena has got to be in the conversations about best player in this World Cup. Not a winner, maybe, but a mention at least

Robben is probably going to win it.

[kingraf]

Do you lads watch Khedira? Average doesn't even begin to describe him. Lahm is a better cm/dm than he is, it's really that simple. I still don't know how he got near 50 caps, he must put Makalele to shame in the off-the camera/away from the ball/when nobody is watching arts, because he does fu.ckall with the ball or in the tackle... Ancelotti realised this pretty quickly, and I'm glad Jogi, about five years late, has also noted this.

[GSC]

Neuer wont see the full 90

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I don't understand Khedira on there

Get Draxler on and Ozil in the middle, or Klose on up top, Muller wide and Ozil in the middle

[GSC]

I'll say it, is Schurrle actually that good?

[Duty281]

Two decades of hurt upcoming for Germany if they keep playing like this.

[GSC]

This is the difference between contenders and also rans. if Germany had Algerias chances, you'd imagine they'd be 2 or 3 up

[Duty281]

Seeing some superb saves at this World Cup, there's another one!

[GSC]

Awful header rather than great save

[Lowlandbrit]

Algeria are playing better, but Germany just clearly have better players. Always someone in the right place to clear the danger.

[westisbest]

How cool is the Algerian keeper.

Cmon Algeria, you can do it, keep the faith.

Put one past that muppet Neuer

[NickisBHAFC]

This Algeria keeper is amazing! 

Algeria are a credit to the world cup. Most passionate team i have seen yet. England should take some serious lessons.

[GSC]

Muller permanantly looks like that guy in the kickabout whos never played before

[GSC]

Why ITV persist with Townsend is beyond me

[NickisBHAFC]

Don't forget they also have Chiles hosting and they also decided to have Andros Townsend as a pundit. In short ITV are fu*king awful

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