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He hasn't moved for years though, it's obviously been his choice.

It's neither, he just won't be renewed. It's fair enough I guess, I'm still glad he was able to bring Brazil back on the map until the last two games. I don't think people remember how shit we actually were under Mano. We couldn't beat teams not named China or Iraq. Although I'm not happy with rumours doing the round that we're after a foreigner.

I agree but clustered together? I'm looking forward to it, especially as Brazilians don't need a visa (at least for now). I just mean that all the cities and host sites are in Europe, with none in Asia/Siberia (not logistical genius or anything, just the way of things tbf), so the travel will be relatively comparable to Brazil despite Russia being probably more than twice as large. Aye, I think they'll host a great World Cup, don't think Russia would like to embarrass themselves. I mean if our government managed to hide everything for a month why shouldn't they be able to do an even better job? I think the problem with Russia is that like Qatar they won the bid through bribery. I'm just hoping that the World Cup after these two go to sensible choice. I doubt there's been a single World Cup bid in the past two decades that was won without significant amounts of money changing hands. This

I agree but clustered together? I'm looking forward to it, especially as Brazilians don't need a visa (at least for now). I just mean that all the cities and host sites are in Europe, with none in Asia/Siberia (not logistical genius or anything, just the way of things tbf), so the travel will be relatively comparable to Brazil despite Russia being probably more than twice as large. Aye, I think they'll host a great World Cup, don't think Russia would like to embarrass themselves. I mean if our government managed to hide everything for a month why shouldn't they be able to do an even better job?

Shouldn't have taken his growth hormones. On a serious note though, I do wonder what's wrong, it's not the first time either.

I agree but clustered together? I'm looking forward to it, especially as Brazilians don't need a visa (at least for now).

Boateng probably had the best game I've ever seen him play. But Schweinsteiger, without him in there, despite going hiding a bit in the 2nd still deserves it for running non-stop. Thought Mascherano did well for Argentina once again as well.

Failed on the biggest stage there is. It's easy to perform when you have Xavi and Iniesta and who not passing you the ball.

My updated sig says it all. GTFI Deutschland! And thank you for doing it so late. Even sweeter than I could ever imagine. Argentino, me diz como se sente... / Perder na casa do papai

I really hope you mean literally the mom, because there's no way he's been better than Schweinsteiger this half.

I just absolutely love Schweinsteiger when he plays for Germany. What an absolute monster he is, every ball is his, every attack is begun from him, just everything is about him in games like these. Fantastic player who I thought had an average Bundesliga season for a player of his calibre, really picked himself up for the right moment. Hummels has also shown why I don't think he's the best defender in the world and belongs to the group of 'one of the best', he's just too slow.

Why would you take Enzo Perez out, I watched only bits of the semi-final but at home people were talking about how he was probably their best player, van Gaal subbed Martins out because he was having problem with him and Argentinian media are still questioning the decision to bring him off in the game as he was their biggest threat.

Interview with Beckenbauer where he was asked the question whether Messi would become the best ever if he won the World Cup today. He answered that yes, Messi will become the best that it's possible for him, he'll reach the same level as Maradona, Beckenbauer, Cruyff etc. But there's always going to be one player he'll never eclipse. Beckenbauer knows his stuff

GTFI. Now please let him and Ben Arfa play together.

Which we were, everyone saw that. Scolari made many errors and relied on Fred, Oscar and Hulk waking up when Neymar went down. To be fair to Scolari though, without him we'd probably not even gone through the group stages. The work Mano was doing was the worst job I've witnessed by anyone, even by Pardew. How on earth are you putting Fred and Hulk in the same bracket as Oscar? Oscar is a footballer. The other two might as well be lumberjacks brought in from a ranch. Seriously can't get my head around the selection of those two ahead of Bernard, Moura and Coutinho. Could easily have played Neymar centrally and taken a pick from who to play around him. Fred is the worst striker I have ever seen play for a major footballing nation. Ever. Hulk and Jo are the second and third worst. It's painfully baffling to me. This. If there was any shining light in this world cup for the Brazilians, it came from Oscar after Neymar went out, and I would also say Julio Cesar... not much he could've done about many of the goals, and kept the score down in many other games. Oscar was f***ing mint (not against the Germans, obviously, but what the f*** can you do inside a tornado...) Oscar wasn't fucking mint, Oscar is the biggest disappointment that I've experienced as a brazilian fan in a World Cup. Comparing the expectation off him to what he produced is the biggest gap I've witnessed in my life. For all the shit Hulk and Fred got they are still players capable of scoring goals and were really abysmal compared to what they usually produce, but the gap between what they produced and their level isn't the same as Oscars. Oscar is one of the best #10 in the world. Oscar started the World Cup with 20 horrible minutes, then he grew into the Croatia game and took over. After that game he was gone hiding, don't ask me why or how, but he disappeared from every single footballing pitch until yesterday. Every time the ball came to him his first touch was like the ball was as we say in portuguese a 'hot potato', the ball just wouldn't stick to his foot. He didn't create a single chance in 5 games. He was given the same role in 7 matches, and failed massively in 5 of them. I'll say it again, Oscar is the biggest disappointment I've witnessed in World Cups not because he was shite as there were many like him, but because I know of the football he can produce, because I know how good he can be and because despite all of that he didn't show any of it. Would've definitely been a better party at the very least. Aye fair enough, but he won the CL with Chelsea, so I don't really buy that. Also think that with Neymar and TSilva anything could've happened against Germany. Team was lost as Argentina or Holland or anyone except Germany would be without their two best players. But yeah ultimately you're probably right. I said it all along that we should've gone for a 3-4-3 where I see him thriving more.

FWIW I was at the Costa Rica game and he was a threat consistently. He just didn't make the most of it and the dutch played a bit too negative considering the opposition.

Ronaldo could never play the #10 role and no Ronaldo doesn't have all of that. Ronaldo is an effective machine, one of the best goal scorers I'll ever see, but he's not near the top guys when it comes to technique, intelligent and vision on the pitch. He's got dribbling skills, goal scoring ability and is physically superior to most players nowadays. But he's no Cruyff, Messi, Maradona, or Pele.

You're just forgetting brain, vision, creativeness which made Pele the best. Pele could be the #9 as well as the #10 faultlessly.

to van Gaal for using all 23 players in the WC. First time in history.

Think him, James and Muller should fight it over. But FIFA will give to Messi if they win no matter what. If Germany wins it, then maybe just maybe James or Robben might win it.

I'd love to see Robben in the PL. With Suarez gone this league really needs it's class player to replace him.

Guess that's fair enough, can't argue much against what you posted except that not even the best defender in the world can put in performances like he can and that's why I think PSG is the perfect fit. He needs to learn to maintain concentration levels up and where else can he learn to do that with a team that will run it's league easily and he'll have to play most parts of game up comfortably. We've already seen him in the big games, and I'm honest when I say that except this week I've never seen him have a terrible game in big game situations.

Which we were, everyone saw that. Scolari made many errors and relied on Fred, Oscar and Hulk waking up when Neymar went down. To be fair to Scolari though, without him we'd probably not even gone through the group stages. The work Mano was doing was the worst job I've witnessed by anyone, even by Pardew.

We already have Neymar, and he has everything to become the worlds best someday. He just needs to learn more from Messi and get more effective. I'm not the biggest fan of Cristiano Ronaldo either, but him and Messi differentiate themselves from others because they're so effective in front of goal, they're main objective isn't to make people jump out of their seats, it's to score goals and win games. Sometimes he wants to do the harder things, he just needs to become a machine because if he scored half the chances he got for Barcelona last season he'd be close to 40 goals no doubt. Nah, I mean...who is the best young player still in Brazil right now? I'm hoping we see more of this kid Mosquito. Don't know anything about him, but he's got the name to either be a tricky little player or a massive douchebag. Probably both. From the U17 there is him, Boschilia, Nathan and Auro who were all hyped up. But as always there's a maximum of one of them that will bloom and there will emerge someone random at some point.

TBH Holland didn't exploit anything. It was an early set back which set the game tempo, with a good ref neither of the last two goals would've stood. They deserved the win for the tournament they've done, and for the way they defended. It's a good thing you're not blaming the ref.. The ref was s**** for both teams. You should have had a pen, but we should have had another, Silva should have been off, and Robben should be one on one after that Silva slip that was called a foul by Van Persie. Where did I blame the ref though? I'm just saying you're team didn't exploit anything and yet you deserved to win. Like I said, the ref missed on Silva, should've been a red and a free-kick, but I think he gave a penalty so he didn't have to send Silva off. Also, you should never have had a 2nd penalty, was quite clear a handball by Robben when Fernandinho went onto him. Anyways, not blaming the ref, just saying that the scoreline doesn't really reflect the game in general, still think Netherlands are a much more deserving team to get that bronze than us. We aren't even a top 8 side in this World Cup.