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2014 WORLD CUP THREAD


RIPPA

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During the first couple of days of the tournament, there were some bad officiating decisions. But in the past week, the refereeing hasn't really been a story. This is good to see and I think it's worth mentioning.

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Agreed there, really hope it´s not just a break so the refs can cough up in essential games.

 

I have decided to leave gut feeling and the like out for this post on today´s Germany vs Ghana match and try to be as analytical as possible, without any predictions. Last time I did predict (and relied heavily on gut feeling) I made quite the fool out of myself.

 

The German team:

Hummels doesn´t seem to be fit. Loew allegdly brings in Mustafi, who was subbed on for Hummels against Portugal, to defend on the wing like Hoewedes will do aswell on the left hand side. Boateng will play Center Back, which is his usual position after all. Basically, we have four at the back, all of them CBs, which worked well against Portugal. Lahm will play right in front of the defensive line, Kroos and Khedira will be Center Mids, Oezil, Goetze and Klose will play the kind of hybrid midfield/winger/strikers they tried to play in Germany´s campaign opener. Will be interesting to see if this plays out as good as it did against Portugal.

 

Quick thoguhts about Ghana:

Ghana is a different opponentl, a stronger collective than Portugal, with very fast and very physical players, although none of them of the same quality level as Cristiano Ronaldo. Their playing style is more straightforward than the one of the Portuguese. Turnover like we had in the first ten minutes of the game would be very costly, so just play the ball back instead of throwing yourself on the ground letting your opponent go through on goal (looking at you, Phillip Lahm!).
They will probably play for the win, since a three pointer will keep their hopes well and alive in their own hands while a draw most certainly means they´d have to hope for the other teams in the group helping out. This might lead to same space for our attack, which we didn´t have for the majority of the 2010 group stage encounter and which made Ghana really difficult to break down. It is not clear yet if the manager will play K-P-Boateng, but from what I read it is quite possible Essien is going to start.

 

Expections from the game (as in general thoughts, not withstanding possible early goals an the like):

- lots of one on ones, probably quite a lot of fouls aswell

- Ghana trying to use speed and power to break through, probably crossing a lot and probably putting in quite the offensive effort

- Germany using quick passes up front after slower passing build-ups in midfield , mostly attacking through the middle

 

Special treat of the game: Per Mertesacker, that big old giraffe, makes his 100th cap for the Germans.

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You'd look at their skill sets and think Höwedes would be the better choice to move back inside than Boateng. I really like how aggressive Khedira plays under Löw, Sami's always making long, marauding forward runs as soon as possession is gained. Are you a fan of Lahm as a holding midfielder rather than at fullback, where Germany's wealth of talent seems weakest?

 

Still weird to see brothers play against each other at the World Cup. Why didn't Kevin-Prince start? 

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Still weird to see brothers play against each other at the World Cup. Why didn't Kevin-Prince start? 

 

He didn't start against the US either.  I imagine he's either starting to get old (he's the older brother?), not quite at 100%, and/or they see him as better used like Ivory Coast is using Drogba this time around. 2nd half Sparkplug, etc.

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He was injured before the tournament, but stated himself he was at a hundred percent and had no idea why the coach didn´t start him against USA. Probably the coach wasn´t to happy hearing about that.

 

As for Lahm, my biggest issue with him is that he can´t do no wrong in German sports media, but apart from that he is a great fullback, maybe even among the top five fullbacks in the world. If this "all center back" - backline becomes a permanent thing against fast, counterattacking teams with strong forwards though, there doesn´t seem a spot for him on the FB-positions. The move into CDM seems to be a permanent thing and with Schweinsteiger not being in top form and Gündogan´s and Bender´s injuries I´d guess it´s kind of okay to play him, although he hasn´t convnced me that he is as great as some claim he is on that position. If we go back to fullbacks that are actually fullbacks, it will hopefully be Durm on the left and Lahm on the right which judging from the little testing they had with that could work aswell.

 

Khedira is vital and I´m very happy he already had some tough collisions which didn´t seem to affect him in testing matches and in Germany´s World Cup opener. He is (you can add Mueller to that mix aswell and to a degree guys like Podolski and Klose I´d think) one of those players who scratch and claw their way into a game if necessary. You need someone like that in a collective of guys having great technical abilities and a good eye, but sometimes lacking severely in the "spirit department".

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Guest The Magnificent 7

I've reached my limit with these sports related commercials with the quaint music.  The Gatorade Bippity-boppity with Messi just came on for the 154th time this World Cup, and if I see that Apple I-Phone Chicken Fat commercial one more time I'm bound to snap.  I would so Zidane headbutt whoever directed those commercials. 

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The tv-stations (roughly a German PBS-thing) which has the World Cup games in Germany don´t show commercials after 20.00 h, which is relevant for 2 out 3 games during the group stages. However, the first Germany game had one of the greatest commercials I ever saw, I think even without knowing German you will get the idea, the catchphrase is "everybody´s here!" and it is for a huge grocery store chain.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPaejRmx-EE

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ESPN has shown Diego Maradona in the stadium crowd a couple times...

 

...at least I think it's Maradona.  Looks more like maybe Khaddafi didn't die after all.

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Guest Edwin

Iran played so much better than Argentina. Despite the extra time game winning goal, Messi again has put on another underwhelming NT performance as he did at the last WC and in the CA and he hasn't lived up to the hype as the best player in the world when playing for La Albiceleste.

Same can be said for CR7 too.

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Argentina got bailed out by their MVP.

 

Iran really looked like they could have this one at a couple points:  that one header by Dejagah just missed.

 

And really, even Messi could've/should've had that free kick from close range ten minutes before the goal he actually got.

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ESPN has shown Diego Maradona in the stadium crowd a couple times...

 

...at least I think it's Maradona.  Looks more like maybe Khaddafi didn't die after all.

Fifa and the host broadcaster control the feed.

Espn, bbc/itv, cbc have no say in the shots.

I wonder if that girl is young enough to be granddaughter or just his daughter?

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