Flip

Exactly, only Neymar has the capabilities to play that way. What the pundits are expecting of them they are not actually capable of. Everyone wants us to play with four #10s so when we lose we're naive and idiots. Also Fernandinho has given this team so much inte knockouts. Been so impressed with his ability on the ball. He brings aggressiveness and roughness defensively and calmness and class offensively. Say what you want about being lucky with the yellow cards, but he's class and comparing him Van Bommel is an insult. (Whoever did that)

Fair enough. I didn't realise he'd actually fractured his spine. Neymar dives and all, but players will keep doing it while they 1. Can gain advantage from it as the ref are incompetent as fuck. 2. They don't get any protection from the ref. That really doesn't warrant a fractured vertebra and removal from the biggest two games that will happen in his life.. What Zuniga did yesterday was criminal, it wasn't a normal play, his only goal was to hurt Neymar with that challenge. He's never getting the ball. There's a huge problem in consistency of punishment. Sakho and Song have escaped further punishment for horrible things this WC and Zuniga will as well, while Suarez will get 4 months (although they've now removed the 'can't train with team' that I was so against).

Hulk has had two decent games lately, just the finishing that is lacking. Feel sorry for him as he has been working hard, but he just doesn't seem able to beat the goalie. Hope he gets one of those long shots to go in at the Mineirao.

I just can't see them beating Germany without Neymar and Silva. Would it be viewed as a massive failure in Brazil if they got knocked out in the semis? The expectation for them to win it on home turf can't be played down but it will be a massive ask for them to get the final without both of their talismans. The likes of Oscar, Paulinho, Willian and Fred really have to step up in a big way. Expectations are down, we're underdogs now and throughout the last two games whoever we play. I think pressure will be off and that with this injury the team will actually get better. It's Oscars time to shine just like he did in the U20s when Coutinho disappointed and he took over and scored a hattrick in the final. He has the talent to be the star of this team, and it's time he steps up in the absence of Neymar. As for Thiago Silva, it's never good to lose your captain and leader on the pitch who also happens to be the best central defender in the world. But if I could pick anyone to step up in his place it's Dante, he knows the German side and he knows how to handle pressure.

You know what my problem is with all this, it's that when we play the beautiful game and don't win people call Brazil out for not being intelligent. When we then do it the other way, criticism changes because we don't win it our way. We're not playing well no one is even questioning that, but football has changed and we don't have a #9. Now we don't even have our two best players possibly for the semi and despite that I'm more confident than I've been all tournament.

:lol: No s*** sherlock. 31 fouls commited by Brazil, 24 by Colombia. James didn't get any dangerous challenges all day, hard but not 'dangerous'. I've seen players be treated 10x worse than that in less important games. I understand the love for James, but come on. Didn't say they were dangerous but they were definitely targeted. I'm not saying the ref favoured you but you can't complain when it happens to Neymar then defend it when it happens to James Defend? I'm not, I'm saying it's the same treatment top players who likes to have the ball at their feet get every week. He'll see plenty more of these days. Ref allowed it to happen, it was obviously the game plan, we're a dirty, disrupting team that will defend and hope to score enough to grab a win.

:lol: No shit sherlock. 31 fouls commited by Brazil, 24 by Colombia. James didn't get any dangerous challenges all day, hard but not 'dangerous'. I've seen players be treated 10x worse than that in less important games. I understand the love for James, but come on.

We win games because while we are horrible offensively we have the best centerback pairing in the world and fantastic defensive midfielders. We don't concede many, we're solid and don't let other teams. I've read all about Chile and Colombia but we sent both out.

Yup, doctors came out of the hospital, unless they're lying. Fractured vertebra, some months and missing possibly the two biggest games of anyones life. Time for Oscar to show up and Hulk to actually score on his million chances. Step forward Willian. Sorry Flip - about Neymar's injury. Massive blow to the team, to the nation, to him, and of course to you, my friend. Hope you guys prosper and fight on with the same passion you had tonight. I think we'll be fine. Neymar is the star, but now, pressure is off. Everyone thinks we're down, we're going to prevail as underdogs.

It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm not going to deny the fact that there were plenty of decisions going Brazils way, but jesus f***ing christ some on here completely forgetting plenty of occasions. No wonder why someone calm like Kanji got p*ssed at some of you lot. I'm just going to laugh as I'm going to be in Belo Horizonte watching Brazil v the most likeable German side I can remember. Svein Oddvar Moen was the ref. He absolutely loves favourites. Loves them. He's got years of priors. s*** ref. Yeah, he loves them, just like Howard Webb loves us as well and almost sent us out. Moen must've missed the foul on Maicon prior to the penalty. Get over, ref was terrible, both ways just like it's been for almost every game this World Cup. Also, Zuniga escapes a yellow card and fractures Neymars back. Funny how everyone thought James was getting kicked around. That's because James was getting kicked around. And the challenge Neymar got injured in didn't deserve a yellow card I'm sorry, but what James got today is what players like Messi, Neymar and many others get every single game every single f***ing week. Now that he has shown what he's capable off, he can expect as much as them. Also, not a yellow? So a f***ing knee to the spine off someone who is chesting down a ball and you have zero chances of getting first to it ain't a yellow? I'm happy you have your specs on. Not surprised. I must apologise for the bit on Neymar. I thought at the time it wasn't a yellow but I looked it up on Youtube now and it was a bad challenge. There should really have been about 10 yellow cards in the game though

Yup, doctors came out of the hospital, unless they're lying. Fractured vertebra, some months and missing possibly the two biggest games of anyones life. Time for Oscar to show up and Hulk to actually score on his million chances.

It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm not going to deny the fact that there were plenty of decisions going Brazils way, but jesus f***ing christ some on here completely forgetting plenty of occasions. No wonder why someone calm like Kanji got p*ssed at some of you lot. I'm just going to laugh as I'm going to be in Belo Horizonte watching Brazil v the most likeable German side I can remember. Svein Oddvar Moen was the ref. He absolutely loves favourites. Loves them. He's got years of priors. s*** ref. Yeah, he loves them, just like Howard Webb loves us as well and almost sent us out. Moen must've missed the foul on Maicon prior to the penalty. Get over, ref was terrible, both ways just like it's been for almost every game this World Cup. Also, Zuniga escapes a yellow card and fractures Neymars back. Funny how everyone thought James was getting kicked around. That's because James was getting kicked around. And the challenge Neymar got injured in didn't deserve a yellow card I'm sorry, but what James got today is what players like Messi, Neymar and many others get every single game every single fucking week. Now that he has shown what he's capable off, he can expect as much as them. Also, not a yellow? So a fucking knee to the spine off someone who is chesting down a ball and you have zero chances of getting first to it ain't a yellow? I'm happy you have your specs on. Not surprised.

It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm not going to deny the fact that there were plenty of decisions going Brazils way, but jesus f***ing christ some on here completely forgetting plenty of occasions. No wonder why someone calm like Kanji got p*ssed at some of you lot. I'm just going to laugh as I'm going to be in Belo Horizonte watching Brazil v the most likeable German side I can remember. Svein Oddvar Moen was the ref. He absolutely loves favourites. Loves them. He's got years of priors. s*** ref. Yeah, he loves them, just like Howard Webb loves us as well and almost sent us out. Moen must've missed the foul on Maicon prior to the penalty. Get over, ref was terrible, both ways just like it's been for almost every game this World Cup. Also, Zuniga escapes a yellow card and fractures Neymars back. Funny how everyone thought James was getting kicked around.

It's absolutely ridiculous. I'm not going to deny the fact that there were plenty of decisions going Brazils way, but jesus fucking christ some on here completely forgetting plenty of occasions. No wonder why someone calm like Kanji got pissed at some of you lot. I'm just going to laugh as I'm going to be in Belo Horizonte watching Brazil v the most likeable German side I can remember.

The pressure is on Paulinho and Fernandinho. If they can dominate the midfield as I've seen them do before than there's nothing for Colombia. Excellent news with Maicon! Less nervous now, but my pulse is already at pretty much max anyways.

Fred has been abysmal in the World Cup, but this team has played this tactic the last 18months and Fred has a 0.5 goal ratio per game for the national side, higher than most players in the world. Helps when you're playing Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada etc Huh? Scored 2x England, 3x Italy, 1x Argentina, 2x Spain, 1x Uruguay. Half his goals has come against those big teams. Some against the okish teams. He's been terrible in this World Cup and I hope he doesn't start, but don't post that shit TDick.

Fred has been abysmal in the World Cup, but this team has played this tactic the last 18months and Fred has a 0.5 goal ratio per game for the national side, higher than most players in the world. The reason to him being benched is that (if it now really happens) he hasn't helped out in the pressing game. We've lacked pressing and he's a reason to it as he's the leader of it. Scolari is looking to play like at the Confed today hopefully and with the amount of speed in that defensive midfield Ramires or Fernandinho could nullify Rodriguez. I'm not sure we'll see Fred benched, but if he is I'll be much more confident. Also, the tactic was tried 15minutes in training and that was enough for Scolari to decide that it was the best system according to rumours. in the games i've seen pressing really didn't appear to be the problem to me That's been our biggest problem this far tbh We're not a good team in slow tempo so when we don't win the ball back fast we're not creating.

Fred has been abysmal in the World Cup, but this team has played this tactic the last 18months and Fred has a 0.5 goal ratio per game for the national side, higher than most players in the world. The reason to him being benched is that (if it now really happens) he hasn't helped out in the pressing game. We've lacked pressing and he's a reason to it as he's the leader of it. Scolari is looking to play like at the Confed today hopefully and with the amount of speed in that defensive midfield Ramires or Fernandinho could nullify Rodriguez. I'm not sure we'll see Fred benched, but if he is I'll be much more confident. Also, the tactic was tried 15minutes in training and that was enough for Scolari to decide that it was the best system according to rumours.

What? pretty clear, he's alright but not top class Agreed that he's not top class (but there's also very few of them), but he's still a very good footballer who gets into positions very well and wins tons of header. Rumours doing the round that Fred will be benched and Brazil will line up: Cesar Dani Silva Luiz Marcelo Ramires Fernandinho Paulinho Hulk Neymar Oscar

What?

Kaka in Orlando

I think it's quite normal. I think Brazil and Germany have only played once against each other in the World Cup and it was a final. The most common matchup in World Cup is Brazil v Sweden which has happened 7 times.

That hope must've died before today or you've missed that they're playing on different sides of the bracket. http://i.imgur.com/5C4EoDf.gif Tyra