Good shout with all of those.
Marquez (Mexico) possibly as a centre half, Kroos was perpetual motion in midfield and RvP in spells impressed
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.


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.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.
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?
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?
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.
W H Auden said:Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come
Steven Gerrard retires from International football

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.