FIFA World Cup Football 2014 Official Thread

[ToshiZO]

Its surprising but not as surprising as some are making it to be. I obviously expected them to win but they werent even looking like they were top form entering the tournament.

 

[fiend]

Buffon is out injured, just saying and yes, Rooney better perform or else ill never forgive him -.-

My mistake, just saw it now buffing twisted his ankle.

This english team might wipe the title of Perennial underachievers, they are looking dangerous.

 

[fiend]

Beautiful just beautiful goal from italy, what a dummy by pirlo, just master-class giving space to marchiso
Beauty from strurridge, on an awesome cross from sterling, which started from a pass from rooney
2 Classic goals

 

[narutokage99]

1-1 nice reaction.

 

[keepitonehunned]

1-1 lets goo England !!

 

[Never]

2 beautiful goals there, game is so intense for me T_T

 

[fiend]

What a thrilling and a beautiful 1st half high on action, intense attacking gameplay from both teams
England save a goal almost at the end of first half

 

[Luther]

I have this horrible feeling England might win this

 

[kmrasengan]

Let's go England!!! Such a good 1st half, there was a a part where it got a little boring where Italy was just passing the ball without making any attacks, but then it picked up. Two really good goals, Pirlo, what a sir, and Italy almost scoring at the end, and also Super Mario with almost a beautiful goal.

 

[Never]

I have this horrible feeling England might win this

That's a good feeling bro

Let's go England!!! Such a good 1st half, there was a a part where it got a little boring where Italy was just passing the ball without making any attacks, but then it picked up. Two really good goals, Pirlo, what a sir, and Italy almost scoring at the end, and also Super Mario with almost a beautiful goal.

T____T Good save by Jagielka and There were some close calls for us too

 

[kmrasengan]

That's a good feeling bro



T____T Good save by Jagielka and There were some close calls for us too

Yeah, I know, but if Balo scored my god, it would be beautiful, Sterling is really good, I never saw him play before, but he has talent. Was Lampard even called for the WC or is he in the bench?

edit: Super Mario just scored.

 

[fiend]

Both teams are on fire, while English are employing a brutal attacking game with 'shoot on site' approach, the azzurri are playing 'beautiful' passing attacking game with moments of genius.
Could have been 2-2 if rooney didn't miss, but that's the nature of the game.

 

[Totsuka No Tsurugi]

Forza italy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Never]

knew we'd lose T____T

 

[Luther]

Super Mario to the rescue!

 

[fiend]

Italy won 2-1, both teams played well, inspiring stuff from the english, they can rejoice in the fact even though they lost they held their own, and had more shots on targets and corners, for them whole team acted as a well gelled unit, performance if sturridge, sterling, even of baines, berkeley were great morale boosters.
As for azzurri, pirlo was a genius, his dummy pass which led to the goal, role in midfield were awesome
They played a beautiful passing game with lot of overlaps which gave english problems.
Balotelli looked like a man who wants to prove himself and was playing good
Candreva on the wings provided with quality passes and was very dangerous.


Even though Uruguay lost their match it will be naive to write them off, the surely will bounce back
Group D is blown wide open and will go till the end for qualification, truly group of death
This world cup is producing match after match of wholesome entertainment.


Next match is between Japan and Ivory coast, I have heard a lot about the Japanese, they are a dark horse to enter semi-finals according to many pundits, eating for the match eagerly.

 

[Never]

Super Mario to the rescue!

Nah Nh, twas all Pirlo, Wario just there for the finish U_U

 

[Totsuka No Tsurugi]

Pirlo is very good. England can't get near him. His free kick from far is so awesome that Hart even went to wrong direction. Meanwhile Xavi has fallen like garbage.

 

[Gatsndshanks]

Despite the loss, we actually played rather good. Much better than the pre-WC friendlies against Honduras and Ecuador. To point out a few good points: Sterling was by far our best player. His direct runs through the defence of Italy provided us with most of our chances and looked dangerous every time he was on the ball. We looked good as a team and actually managed to play consistently well for the full 90 minutes as it was a worry that the heat would get to us and we'd tire out at the latter stages of the game. In general, we played fluently and well at times but defensively, we are a bit frail. With Baines and Johnson more preferable for going down the wing to attack, we're exposed at the back at times and Italy made us pay by constantly hitting us on the right flank which ended up as one of their goals, though both goals were defensive frailties; especially the first as it coasted past four of our players and all it took was one person to just get a touch.

The lack of penetration in the final third is our most worrying aspect. Our build-up play is good but getting it into the box is where we lack except for times on the counter. Rooney played poorly in the second half, squandering our best chances of the game and it's just generally disappointing. He's been so ineffectual in the last few games that I think it should considered to drop him especially if Hodgson is adamant in playing Welbeck in the team. Having Lallana-Sterling-Welbeck as the three attacking midfielders seems a good aspect. Rooney playing in an unnatural position is just hopeless.

Italy didn't have the best of games, I don't believe, apart from Pirlo but that's just Pirlo. Sirigu never held the ball and if we played two up front (maybe Sturridge-Rooney), those could have been costly. Their defence was pretty solid but nothing special, we got through a number of times but was unable to finish or deliver anything decent and the attack never posed that much of a threat. Most crosses were dealt with appropriately. Italy just played a controlling style of play and just their two best chances count and it resulted in our loss.

 

[fiend]

This was england's best performance since euro 2004, a lot of hope for their future, I see this team being very dangerous in france 2016

As for ivory coast vs japan, I hope japanese live up to their name, match is going to be an interesting one