:::[Official]World Cup South Africa 2010 Thread:::

[kidoopz]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

messi could score no goals and still be the best player in the whole tourney. let's be real.

WoW ..

 

[mez 0ne]

Bye Bye Mexico.

Messi just keeps setting up his team mates, I know Carlos Tevez (on NT) is happy.

Tevez's strike was just awesome.

 

[outbackbob24]

Originally Posted by EZLN1

 It's always a penalty call that didnt go their way, an offside goal, bad refs, the crowd, the airflight, the wind, the heat, etc

USA, Ireland , England  and Mexico all have a right to complain

No they don't the only team that really has a right to complain is Ireland. they Got royally screwed but karma is a $%%!% and look at france now.

The USA, England and Mexico have no right to complain.

Refs making bad calls is part of the game, sometimes goals that shouldn't be allowed are allowed and sometimes goals that should stand are disallowed. It's how you bounce back that shows what kind of team you are.

The US. showed allot of tenacity during there group games

but vs Ghana, it was a different story
Same with England. Germany made them look like a bunch of old fat men playing soccer.
same with mexico there was so much time to come back but ya didn't so....

 

[america bambaataa]

Originally Posted by EZLN1

Originally Posted by ShaunHillFTW49

Originally Posted by EZLN1

 It's always a penalty call that didnt go their way, an offside goal, bad refs, the crowd, the airflight, the wind, the heat, etc

USA, Ireland , England  and Mexico all have a right to complain

naw man, I aint even talking about today. I'm talking about the games throughout the decades that they have lost against CONCACAF teams. It's always something

It's probably best to move on with your life and not dwell on it so much. Mexico is the economic capital of Latin America, so the media bias will not change. Did you watch any of the USA matches in Univision? They are pretty bias toward them as well and rightfully so ($$$$$$). Other than Mexico/US, how many CONCACAF teams have made it past the group stage in a World Cup? I think Costa Rica might have once.
So obviously if Mexico loses to a CONCACAF team (*gasp*) it's hurting you more than it's hurting them.

 

[shaunhillftw49]

^I think Brasil is the (future) economic capital

Originally Posted by outbackbob24


The US. showed allot of tenacity during there group games

but vs Ghana, it was a different story

True. Meh, there are building blocks there. We'll  be back

Hope Ghana wins a few  more  to make the  loss less  painful
2011  u-17  WC  coming soon

 

[jehul]

Clear reason why the shot did not count:

 

[Trey Bantz]

Stop complaining about that first goal that was offsides, it's not like it was our only goal without it we still would've won the match. The only reason Mexico dominated the second half was because we went up by three goals and we took our foot off the accelerator and pulled the team back, there was no need to keep attacking all Argentina had to do was park the bus and make sure we get to the quarterfinal match healthy. I still think of all the matches we played this World Cup this was Argentina's worst by far, but hey we played like complete ++!* and still scored three goals, that speaks volumes.

 

[bangdak]

^Homerism to its finest.



Yes, you played better in the 2nd half, no ones denying it, but have you ever thought of what a momentum killer that can be?



Everythings completely different when you're down 1-3, and not 2-3. BIG DIFFERENCE. Either way you guys played better, props, but dont try to play off that goal.

 

[laker4lifeman]

Originally Posted by SUCKAFREE85

Originally Posted by marionthebarberian

mexico fans can come back to earth now.

they never will.

 

[joe camel smooth]

Originally Posted by kidoopz

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

messi could score no goals and still be the best player in the whole tourney. let's be real.

WoW ..

really though?

it's definitely possible that teams concentrate on completely shutting him down and he basically serves as a decoy and sets his teammates up. he's still a playmaker first, scorer second, and he makes a huge impact even without a goal.

 

[clevelandsprince23]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

Originally Posted by kidoopz

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

messi could score no goals and still be the best player in the whole tourney. let's be real.

WoW ..

really though?

it's definitely possible that teams concentrate on completely shutting him down and he basically serves as a decoy and sets his teammates up. he's still a playmaker first, scorer second, and he makes a huge impact even without a goal.

Messi is due to strike.  
I agree though.  Maybe not the best player in the WC so far, but it is obvious that teams are TERRIFIED of him and will do whatever they can to contain him.  That being said he is still making his mark by assists and setting his teammates up.

It's gonna be interesting to see what the Germans do.  Messi is gonna score sooner or later best believe that.  

 

[marionthebarberian]

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

Originally Posted by kidoopz

Originally Posted by JOE CAMEL SMOOTH

messi could score no goals and still be the best player in the whole tourney. let's be real.

WoW ..

really though?

it's definitely possible that teams concentrate on completely shutting him down

like today, as soon as he got the ball he had 3 mexican players rushing towards him with the 4th lurking behind.

 

[Trey Bantz]

If it isn't Messi then who has been the best player in the Cup thus far? I'm trying to be as unbiased as possible here but I simply cannot think of anyone else who has played better, even though he hasn't scored yet what Messi has brought to Argentina as a play maker has been unparalleled. Not to mention that no other player in the tournament has been as heavily covered by opposing defenses as him yet he still finds ways to deliver and create goal scoring opportunities.

 

[persiafly]

Originally Posted by trey ohh five

If it isn't Messi then who has been the best player in the Cup thus far? I'm trying to be as unbiased as possible here but I simply cannot think of anyone else who has played better, even though he hasn't scored yet what Messi has brought to Argentina as a play maker has been unparalleled. Not to mention that no other player in the tournament has been as heavily covered by opposing defenses as him yet he still finds ways to deliver and create goal scoring opportunities.

I think you could make an argument for Forlan, David Villa and even Mesut Ozil. Not endorsing any one in particular, but there are definitely other options out there. 

 

[ezln1]

trey, you're right...I've watched the bulk of the games from those still alive in the tournament, and not by a bit, but BY FAR, Messi has shined brightest.
Goal scoring aside, he has had a hand in most of the argentina goals, Even with players swarming him, he is able to dribble his way out of tough positions to find his teammates, has been a LEGIT and CONSTANT threat in the final third, and is constantly tracking down defenders and stripping the ball away from them. Only some great goalkeeping has kept him from scoring, but there's never been any doubt about his presence in all of the 4 games played.
The ONLY other player that can claim to have any argument so far, IMO, is his teammate, El Apache Tevez

Anyone else who says different is fooling themselves...y'all really pressing to bring down Messi...until further notice, he's been the star of the tournament so far

 

[carlos tevez]

Messi probably had his worst match of the tournament today but he was still a menace to the Mexican defence and assisted Tevez's first (offside) goal. He's now assisted/contributed to 6 of Argentina's 10 goals in this tournament and he has played every single minute for them. He has been Argentina's best player and among the best players in the tournament so far along with Forlan and Villa. Today he forced his game a bit too much though. Just as I was praising him yesterday for being less selfish than Ronaldo he has one of the more selfish matches of his career today. He would've been better off passing the ball off a few times today but opted to over dribble and either get fouled or lose possession.

Tevez was great today, his 2nd goal will be among the goals of the tournament. Although Aguero and Milito may be better than him, he provides an element of hustle and intensity that is of great use to this Argentine squad. This has been Di Maria's 4th match of the tournament and he's still failed to justify his presence in the starting line-up. He tracked back a bit more today but he did not have much impact offensively and I really think Maradona should consider replacing him with a more central player. I loved Maradona's decision to replace the out of form Veron and replacing Gutierrez with an actual defender.

As for England, 1966 finally came back to haunt them. They obviously got screwed but you cant complain much when you not only concede 4 goals but also concede so many scoring chances to their opponents today. This happening to England of all nations may be a blessing in disguise. This sport desperately needs video technology and you know the English will not let go of this. Hopefully they b.itch and complain to FIFA and Blatter finally comes to his senses and introduces goal line video replay.

 

[carlos tevez]

double

 

[flight23air]

Germany vs. Argentina will be great to watch. 

  for some reason i like watching the Germans play.  But watching Argentina vs. Brazil would be amazing if that happens of course.  lots of football left. 

 

[carlos tevez]

Originally Posted by Xtapolapacetl

Originally Posted by SIRIUS LEE HANDSOME

Originally Posted by Keepie Uppie

marionthebarberian wrote:

---

Lionel Messi will prove to the world why undoubtedly hes going to become the best player ever.

not today man...and still without his first WC goal...

Messi's been creating most of the goal opportunities & important plays for his team, but if you think he needs to score a goal for any validation then that says more about how you view the game than anything.

Wow, some people on this forum are truly all over Messi's nuts. I love Messi, but when I mentioned that he will never truly be considered as the GOAT unless he wins a World Cup, people said that it doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Now you're saying that he doesn't even need to score goals in the World Cup either? Come on man, give me a friggin break. What's next? That he won't even need to play in the World Cup to be considered as the GOAT? Messi's reputation isn't like Zidane's. His reputation is to be the next Maradona or better than Maradona. He needs to score goals. He had some good highlights today, but today's game was the most important game for Argentina so far this World Cup and at the same time Messi's worst game of the World Cup so far. He needs to change this against Germany.
While I agree that we shouldnt be crowning Messi just yet (or ever), I strongly disagree that he needs to score goals to enhance his reputation. Yes, Messi is a prolific goal scorer but he is much more than that as well. Argentina do not need Messi to score goals since they have other options capable of bagging goals for them. Messi right now is more of a facilitator/playmaker for Argentina although he has been a bit selfish a few times in this tournament. However, he has been extremely effective so far in his role as a facilitator and as I pointed out earlier, he's accounted for 60% of Argentina's goals so far. Yes, he needs to play better against Germany than he did today but no, he does not need to score against Germany to be effective.

It would've been great if he had 5-goals right now but he's played well enough that people do not seem to care that much about him being scoreless after 4 matches. If Argentina win the WC then I dont think anyone will care/remember that Messi did not finish with too many goals. Anyways, Messi is such a gifted player that he could break out on Saturday and finish the tournament as one of the leading scorers. Right now I dont think it's a big deal but if Argentina are eliminated in a match where Messi is contained then he will probably be one of the first guys to get blamed.

Anyways, for some strange reason I am very confident about Argentina's chances against Germany. Back in 06 I expected Argentina to lose on German soil but this time around I think Argentina will get past their European rivals. These two teams met in a friendly in Germany back in March and Argentina beat a strong German team 1-0. The Germans are probably better now than they were in March and they are probably full of confidence after dominating England but I think the same can be said about Argentina. I'm not saying it's going to be easy but I think Argentina will prevail on Saturday. One thing is for sure though, Argentina's midfield and defence will really have to step it up if they want to win. Argentina's 3 man midfield will be in tough against Germany's 5-man midfield. Further more, Argentina's defence has looked vulnerable to counter-attacks and I dont think any team has countered better in this tournament than Germany. On the flip side, Germany's defence will face its toughest challenge since Euro 08 (against Spain) when they go up against Messi, Tevez, Higuain and co.

 

[wawaweewa]

How have the Dutch been playing?
I'm always rooting for the Dutch at th world cup. Prob because when I was younger my father always talked about how it was so fun to watch the Dutch play Total Football.

It seems that the Dutch are always overlooked at the World Cup.
Edgar Davids is still my favorite footballer. Dude was the definition of a total footballer.

 

[laced up jordans]

I am crossing my fingers on an EPIC Argentina vs. Brazil final

 

[shaunhillftw49]

If someone scores 2x, yell Double dutch

 

[carlos tevez]

 

[carlos tevez]

Originally Posted by wawaweewa

How have the Dutch been playing?
I'm always rooting for the Dutch at th world cup. Prob because when I was younger my father always talked about how it was so fun to watch the Dutch play Total Football.

It seems that the Dutch are always overlooked at the World Cup.
Edgar Davids is still my favorite footballer. Dude was the definition of a total footballer.

They're often overlooked for a reason. Supremely talented but they havent done much of note at the WC since 1974 and 78. Their current team is very good as usual but their WC run will likely end at the hands of Brazil in the QFs. I'd love to see them overcome their demons and make the finals but its hard to put much faith in them when they've made a habit of disappointing people for 30+ years now.

 

[wawaweewa]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Originally Posted by wawaweewa

How have the Dutch been playing?
I'm always rooting for the Dutch at th world cup. Prob because when I was younger my father always talked about how it was so fun to watch the Dutch play Total Football.

It seems that the Dutch are always overlooked at the World Cup.
Edgar Davids is still my favorite footballer. Dude was the definition of a total footballer.

They're often overlooked for a reason. Supremely talented but they havent done much of note at the WC since 1974 and 78. Their current team is very good as usual but their WC run will likely end at the hands of Brazil in the QFs. I'd love to see them overcome their demons and make the finals but its hard to put much faith in them when they've made a habit of disappointing people for 30+ years now.

Yeh, that is why they';re overlooked but Spain and Portugal don't show up in big games as well. Yet, they still get the hype. Especially Portugal.

Idk, maybe it's a geographic thing.