World cup matches

Some world cup stats

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The stats there showing the best passing team and most ruthless attacking team won the world cup.

 

I thought that Germany were comfortably the best team at the tournament and that they knocked out the next best team in the QFs, France.
Argentina were very good defensively, but their attack was less than the sum of it's parts, for some reason.

 

Marquez and Kroos only just narrowly missed out for me, they had great tournaments.

van Persie scored some good goals but I felt his all round play wasn't exactly eye catching.

 

Agree, i had france to beat germany in my predictor

 

I think Germany has a record second to none because they fully understand that football is first and foremost a team game. They always have a team ethic first and all of their players look to play their part rather than putting their own personal playing agenda first.

If you look at the really outstanding teams historically Brazil, Holland, Italy, Germany & Argentina I think only Argentina have produced their best results with the outstanding Maradona the rest have been about the whole teams. Yes there have been outstanding players in their sides but still very much dedicated to the team thing.

Surprise, surprise football is a team game.

I am suggesting that England as a Country has a culture that is much more individualistic. the team ethic is not so natural to us.

 

I agree, Spurf. That and having enough coaches in the country, having a sensible approach to bringing youngsters through and practicing penalties.
ETA: Just read this again and realised how snarky it sounds. I actually do agree, but it doesn't sound like it!

The England team need a manager that's willing to piss off the stars, if it's necessary. Reading about Gerrard choosing not to play in a specific role is bewildering to me.
Don't want to do the job that the coach is asking you to do? Ok, f** off then.
It should be a privilege to represent your country. If you're not willing to make sacrifices to do so, then you shouldn't be there.
Didn't hear Dirk Kuyt moaning about playing a totally unfamiliar role for the Netherlands.

 

Germany is just Teutonic efficiency.
Never the outstanding team of the tournament, but never dull to watch.
And very rarely so poor that they don't reach the QF/SF stage at the minimum.

 

Howard (Neuer honorable mention); Lahm, Vlaar, Medel, Rojo; Mascherano, Schweinsteiger; Neymar, Rodriguez, Messi; Muller

 

If all your players have the same high skills and good work ethic coached into them then you get a good team. We usually have to choose between good players and hard working ones eg Hoddle v Wilkins so get a poorer team.

 

Nicola Rizzoli, the referee for the World Cup Final, has revealed that Christoph Kramer was so out of it following his head injury that he didn't know which game he was in.
He actually asked him if it was the final, which prompted the official to get Germany to sub him off.

The Germans have obviously been panned across the board following their delayed decision to remove a player that suffered an clear, nasty head injury.
Oh, wait, that's just us, isn't it?

 

Not the first time a German has been KO'd in a World Cup match - Martin Wagner got knocked out against Bulgaria in '94. When he came to in the dressing room and was informed the result was 2-1, his response was "So who scored our second?"

 

I've seen so many people go down like Kramer did, all of them boxers till now: impact on the ide of the jaw, head jerks sideways, slamming the brain against the inside of the skull, one staggering step, then down. It's interesting that no one seems to know a concussion when they see one--and that only Spurs seem to get any blame for it.

 

we were criticised cos our then manager lied through his teeth blaming everyone from the player, the coaching staff and the medical staff but not himself

 

Only another 3 years 11 months to keep this thread going until the next WC!

Germany will still have most of the players from this one in their team.

 

Steven Gerrard retires from International football

 

Thank **** for that. Now to get rid of the last remains of the "Golden Generation" and sack Hodgson for a manager prepared to learn from the mistakes that England managers made in that period to make us so unsuccessful.

 

I think he did that in order to silence the howls of derision and outcry that would undoubtedly have followed him, had he had the bare-arsed cheek to attempt to pull on the England jersey one last time.

Let's hope Rooney comes to the same conclusion.

 

Has he backdated it to before the World Cup?
I'm trying to remember him actually playing well for England at any point. At least this should spell the end of the Gerrard v Lampard debates, I guess.

 

Paddy Power's response:

Paddy Power ✔ @paddypower
Let's have a look back on Steven Gerrard's highlights as England captain

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Germany 1 England 5 - the one and only game.