Maiika comments

Posted in: France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup title See in context

and such teams equalized and won games after lagging behind in the past at this level.

Not against this France and this Belgium. Be honest. They're arguably the best counter-attack teams in the history of football. I'm more than able to accept your reasoning, but you work against it when you let yourself underestimate the meaning of what it means to pursue an equalizer against counter-attack teams built around players with unbelievable acceleration and finish. Like Messi and Ronaldo, Mbappe will probably be the one to mark the next 10 years of football. Notably, he was the only one who didn't disappear in a game against Croatian defense and ball pressure - like Messi, Eriksen and Kane excruciatingly did. Putting everything else aside, the fact that half-time didn't end 1-1 is what's regrettable. 

On the side note, Denmark's coach said “Croatia are the best team in Europe for counter-attacks.", but Croatia's counter-attack style was visible only because Denmark didn't allow Croatia to play possession game. As a backup plan it's decent, but it's rarely there because they have capability to control the game as their primary style. Of course Croatian offense is not on level of Mbappe or Lukaku - no point to build game around them; and also because strikers spend a lot of stamina putting pressure on keeper for a bad goal kick thus breaking their possession, while wingers do lot of defensive tasks.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Posted in: France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup title See in context

Well, maybe. But then the Germany 2014 win might be remembered as the last title won under the old, not-so-adequate, human-error-prone system.

That's actually ironic since VAR catalyzed the human error in the case of penalty. Netgrump mentioned knowledge of the game, but it seems his intrinsic and situational wisdom conveniently escaped him when it comes to Perisic's handball - the referee call that should not have been made.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Posted in: France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup title See in context

When you've no knowledge of the game you can't see... :)

Sure. Keane, Shearer, Mourinho, Schmeichel etc. and me are completely clueless. Let me rephrase then, I can't FEEL. And it's likely most of the world feels the same. Therefore, the France of 2018 will never be a great win. If anything it will be known as first VAR title. Enjoy.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Posted in: France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup title See in context

I can't see unimpressive and forgettable football of France as more deserving of title than exhausted but tireless Croatia. Considering how France lucked out early, Croatia would've won 5 out of 10 games at the very least. Shame

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Posted in: Belgium beats Japan 3-2 in injury time to reach World Cup quarterfinals See in context

Jalapeno

Winning indeed is my philosophy. Because it means you can go on and play more. It is no coincidence Belgium scored on counter, in fact it's their specialty. The style of play never depends only on your team. It's much easier to play entertaining football against teams like Belgium who play open. You'll never get the chance to do that against defensive teams. Best example is Greece 2004, and most recently Denmark who managed to block most of Croatia players' potential who tend to play attacking football even when they're in lead.

The point is, it is wrong and sad for football that media and public should have any impact on how a match is played. Japan got pressured into one-size-fits-all reckless football which was more than likely to backfire. There are times when optimal football is not the prettiest one to watch, nevertheless if that's what it takes to win, a football team shouldn't be criticized for going down that road. Or are we willing to throw tactics out of window for the sake of moralistic virtue and selfish entertainment agenda?

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Posted in: Belgium beats Japan 3-2 in injury time to reach World Cup quarterfinals See in context

Perhaps now those who were horrified over stalling against Poland will understand what football is. Viewers expects from players same composure and concentration in last minutes as if they were in first minutes of the game. Never taking fatigue into account because they watch the game while sitting comfortably on their sofas.

Players who have been conditioned their whole life with "ganbare" mentality shouldn't have been scolded like children. It was an utterly unnecessary pressure. "Giving it all" at the close of the game means "Risking it all", which is hardly "Doing your best" - and they didn't dare to do otherwise in this game against Belgium.

And because of whom they did not?

This loss is not on players - it's on media and public who pushed the mentality which in the end turned out to be fatal for their own team.

Shame on those who kept projecting their own imaginations of what is "virtue" on the football field, and cared more about appearances than support and understanding. I would add "forgiveness" if I thought there was something to forgive, but there isn't, is it.

-11 ( +12 / -23 )

Posted in: JFA boss praises Japan's 'fair play' in Poland game See in context

I get the impression half of people commenting here don't even understand football.

You can flaunt your feelings all you want, what they did was what needed to be done.

What happened to Serbia when they pressed the attack against Switzerland in last minutes? They conceded a goal and lost the game. That happens more easily than you think when you break your formation - something that players work hard to avoid, but those oblivious to football will never notice.

Who cares if you were not entertained? The result is what goes down in history. Wins get the money to football association which helps finance youth football, not losses.

Poland had a say in the matter too. They could have pressed the attack but they didn't want to risk equalizing goal because they wanted to save the little face they had left, yet they don't suffer any critique. Not that anyone should.

Everyone played by the rules. Senegal had its fate in their own hands, and they failed to grasp it, Japan didn't. That's all there is to it.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Posted in: Smoke haters go after smokers with a vengeance See in context

Everything you consume is foreign body to your own body. Nothing is 'healthy', just necessary to live through the day. Get caught in the endless loop of that thought and die of starvation before you resort to violence, Fascist commentators.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Posted in: Xi says Nanjing Massacre undeniable on 77th anniversary See in context

"In a press release to foreign reporters, Tang Shengzhi announced the city would not surrender and would fight to the death. Tang gathered about 100,000 soldiers, largely untrained, including Chinese troops who had participated in the Battle of Shanghai. To prevent civilians from fleeing the city, he ordered troops to guard the port, as instructed by Chiang Kai-shek. The defense force blocked roads, destroyed boats, and burnt nearby villages, preventing widespread evacuation."

Talk about having the face to hold Nanking as your trump card in contemporary foreign relations when they're just as much to blame.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

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