• The KillerFrogs

2023-2024 European Football Thread

Purp

Active Member
question for those who have played and i know this isn't a case of it is nearly as simple to do as it is to type the question, but........

the german attacker at the end who never took the shot. needs to do better with that chance with what was at stake and time in the match?
I didn't get to watch that one so can't really help much here. The way you framed the question, however, I'd say it sounds like how the USMNT piddles around in the box. If you don't have a clear-cut pass to anyone and you're in front of goal put the ball on frame at the back post. The save going away from the keeper is toughest for him to control and tends to generate juicy rebounds into open nets on the back side if anyone is crashing. Key is to keep it low and hard at the back post. In my head that's what he should have done the way you described it.
 

Purp

Active Member
As a very casual fan of the game, the most annoying aspect is the walk-walk-walk behavior on throw-ins. Do you ever see the ref reverse possession due to excessive movement up the line? Is that the penalty for doing so?
Possession doesn't get reversed, but I've seen several refs move players back closer to the spot more in this tournament than ever before. It drives me insane too. I've also seen a guy get a yellow card for moving too far away from the spot 3 times on the same throw. After the 3rd time the ref had to move him back he got the card.

When I play I'm an outside midfielder so I always mark the spot where it goes out of bounds and show the ref where it was. If I find myself more than 5 yards away from that spot defending the throw in I let him know. Most times he'll move them back, but every once in a while you just get refs who don't care and want the ball back in play as quickly as possible from wherever it can be put back in most expeditiously.
 

Purp

Active Member
Yup. Canada couldn't pay off their total dominance vs Belgium or their early control vs Croatia. A good side on their way home, but that's how World Cup go.

BTW... how old is Modric? If you told me 24, I'd say yup, that makes sense. *Checks notes. Spits out coffee* He's 37? Thirty. scheissing. Seven?!. Dude is still bossing MF in high-level matches for Madrid and Croatia. Insane.

Looks like we'll have plenty of groups with multiple teams' advancement riding on the final round.


Dis Gon B Good GIF
Anticipation Popcorn GIF
Yeah, Modric is a mini Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Dude is a machine and looks like he could play forever.

With Zlatan out of this tournament with the Swiss not qualifying it got me thinking about Haaland not playing. Wouldn't it be one of the greatest tragedies in the sport if he never played in a World Cup? I think he should be fast tracked for American citizenship and put in for a one-time switch.
 
If some of you guys would educate yourself on the Word Cup format and the sport of soccer, then it would be better understood and maybe intriguing for those of you knocking the sport. Group stage is set up in groups of 4 teams. Each team plays each other in a round robin format I.E. Big 12. Understood?? (sarcasm). In the Group stage each win is 3 points, a draw 1 point each team and a loss is 0. After the group play is complete the two teams with the most points advance in the knockout stage. The field is reduced from 32 to 16 and then you see a winner in each game. There are tiebreakers for advancing in the group stage if needed. I will not go into that at this point. I never played soccer, but this is the only time I ever watch it. Each country pours their soul into this tournament, and I truly enjoy watching most of the games.

NSS
 

dawg

Active Member
Yeah, Modric is a mini Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Dude is a machine and looks like he could play forever.

With Zlatan out of this tournament with the Swiss not qualifying it got me thinking about Haaland not playing. Wouldn't it be one of the greatest tragedies in the sport if he never played in a World Cup? I think he should be fast tracked for American citizenship and put in for a one-time switch.
Yeah, I mean, that would be cool.
 

JogginFrog

Active Member
So, Japan defeats Germany, then makes 5 lineup changes for the next match, and loses to Costa Rica. What would have been the thinking there?

Only one (back) was due to injury; the other four included a pair of midfielders and a pair of forwards. Japan only had 26% possession against the Germans (57% vs. Ticos), so maybe changing out counter-attackers for possession players? A platoon concept for center vs. wing attacks? Getting everyone playing time in the group stage?
 

Eight

Member
I didn't get to watch that one so can't really help much here. The way you framed the question, however, I'd say it sounds like how the USMNT piddles around in the box. If you don't have a clear-cut pass to anyone and you're in front of goal put the ball on frame at the back post. The save going away from the keeper is toughest for him to control and tends to generate juicy rebounds into open nets on the back side if anyone is crashing. Key is to keep it low and hard at the back post. In my head that's what he should have done the way you described it.

thanks, the moment was very close to time and a pass through was played to a german attacker who was moving to the left edge of the spanish goal.

had a defender trailing and the spanish keeper came out on a line that forced the german player out further to the left wo the keeper really having to fully commit and allowed them to stay on their feet

german bench and crowd reacted like the goal was a sure thing, but the attacker never got off a real shot
 

Purp

Active Member
Yeah, I mean, that would be cool.
I don't remember if I've ever seen Norway in a WC before. At least not a men's WC. Their women are great for a pretty long period of time, but the dudes are afterthoughts in international football. It'd be a darning tragedy for one of the greatest strikers ever (I'm clearly projecting here, but his pace is darning remarkable already) to never get to play in the biggest stage of his sport b/c his country sucks at the sport. I think the world would benefit from seeing him play in the tournament. Maybe Norway should get the 2030 WC. Short of that I think he should switch to our side.
 

Purp

Active Member
So, Japan defeats Germany, then makes 5 lineup changes for the next match, and loses to Costa Rica. What would have been the thinking there?

Only one (back) was due to injury; the other four included a pair of midfielders and a pair of forwards. Japan only had 26% possession against the Germans (57% vs. Ticos), so maybe changing out counter-attackers for possession players? A platoon concept for center vs. wing attacks? Getting everyone playing time in the group stage?
Sounds like Berhalter is their manager too.
 

Purp

Active Member
thanks, the moment was very close to time and a pass through was played to a german attacker who was moving to the left edge of the spanish goal.

had a defender trailing and the spanish keeper came out on a line that forced the german player out further to the left wo the keeper really having to fully commit and allowed them to stay on their feet

german bench and crowd reacted like the goal was a sure thing, but the attacker never got off a real shot
Sounds like he had an open goal on the near post and was so committed to passing he never noticed the option to shoot. Definitely sounds like a blown chance there.
 

dawg

Active Member
I don't remember if I've ever seen Norway in a WC before. At least not a men's WC. Their women are great for a pretty long period of time, but the dudes are afterthoughts in international football. It'd be a darning tragedy for one of the greatest strikers ever (I'm clearly projecting here, but his pace is darning remarkable already) to never get to play in the biggest stage of his sport b/c his country sucks at the sport. I think the world would benefit from seeing him play in the tournament. Maybe Norway should get the 2030 WC. Short of that I think he should switch to our side.
Sort of like George Best in the 60s; Wales made never qualified for the WC.

Norway have two great players in Odegaard and Haaland, and Haaland would walk into just about every national and club side in the world. Just not enough around them to endure the brutality that is Euro WC qualifying. Their group this cycle had a Netherlands side that's among the favorites and an always salty Turkey. Tough to finish second let alone first.
 

Purp

Active Member
Sort of like George Best in the 60s; Wales made never qualified for the WC.

Norway have two great players in Odegaard and Haaland, and Haaland would walk into just about every national and club side in the world. Just not enough around them to endure the brutality that is Euro WC qualifying. Their group this cycle had a Netherlands side that's among the favorites and an always salty Turkey. Tough to finish second let alone first.
That's my point. I went back and checked and Norway have qualified only 3 times in history. They qualified twice in 94 and 98, but never since. Haaland is dominating the best athletes this sport has ever seen and he's been doing it for what seems like half a decade and he's only 22 years old. Just since he came up with Salzburg in 2019 he's scored almost 100 career club goals. He was better than a goal a game at Salzburg, a few goals shy of a goal a game at Dortmund, and has 18 goals in 13 appearances at City in the toughest and deepest league in the world. He's only getting better and stronger and he nears his prime. Again, he's 20 darning 2 years old and still a few years from his prime. So damned scary.

He's never going to be as silky on the ball as Messi and Ronaldo, but I think he'll end up being far more lethal than them. Those guys have averaged about 24-25 club goals per year over their careers. Haaland is well over 30 goals per year in his club career at age 22 with 95 goals scored. At his current pace he would have over 500 goals at Messi's current age of 35 and that doesn't account for the likely coming swell of goals in his bell curve as he hits his prime. For context, Messi is at 487 and Ronaldo is at 498. With Haaland's body type you'd expect him to hold up pretty well physically and play for at least as long with just as much efficacy as Messi and Ronaldo too.

And we'll likely never get to watch him in a World Cup. So darning sad.
 

dawg

Active Member
That's my point. I went back and checked and Norway have qualified only 3 times in history. They qualified twice in 94 and 98, but never since. Haaland is dominating the best athletes this sport has ever seen and he's been doing it for what seems like half a decade and he's only 22 years old. Just since he came up with Salzburg in 2019 he's scored almost 100 career club goals. He was better than a goal a game at Salzburg, a few goals shy of a goal a game at Dortmund, and has 18 goals in 13 appearances at City in the toughest and deepest league in the world. He's only getting better and stronger and he nears his prime. Again, he's 20 darning 2 years old and still a few years from his prime. So damned scary.

He's never going to be as silky on the ball as Messi and Ronaldo, but I think he'll end up being far more lethal than them. Those guys have averaged about 24-25 club goals per year over their careers. Haaland is well over 30 goals per year in his club career at age 22 with 95 goals scored. At his current pace he would have over 500 goals at Messi's current age of 35 and that doesn't account for the likely coming swell of goals in his bell curve as he hits his prime. For context, Messi is at 487 and Ronaldo is at 498. With Haaland's body type you'd expect him to hold up pretty well physically and play for at least as long with just as much efficacy as Messi and Ronaldo too.

And we'll likely never get to watch him in a World Cup. So darning sad.
Crazy to think he's only 22.
 

Purp

Active Member
Uruguay - Portugal heating up... Uruguay creating some good chances since falling behind.
That one looks all but over. Going to be a spectacular final round of group play matches. Of the 16 knockout round spots available only 3 are accounted for assuming Portugal close out.
 

dawg

Active Member
That one looks all but over. Going to be a spectacular final round of group play matches. Of the 16 knockout round spots available only 3 are accounted for assuming Portugal close out.
Yup... IIRC 29 of the 32 sides enter the final group round with a chance to advance. Seems way more than most WCs.
 

Purp

Active Member
Yup... IIRC 29 of the 32 sides enter the final group round with a chance to advance. Seems way more than most WCs.
I think it's less than that. There are 3 who have already qualified and at least 2 (Canadia and Qatar) mathematically eliminated. I'm not sure if anyone else is eliminated yet. That's 5 of 32 with nothing to play for in the last round of group games, but still will make for some thoroughly entertaining and hotly contested football over the next 4 days.
 
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