Village Idiot

IIRC they did the same thing the last time they went up. Kept their core and filled it up with C'ship players. To be honest, transfer fees in the PL are so absurd nowadays that even with PL TV money it's a risk to go all out if there's a big chance you'll get relegated anyway.

Argentina aren't a real team. If Agüero can play and him and Messi have a blinder then yeah, but as a team Netherlands are comfortably superior.

Over/Under on Blitzkrieg and Panzer references in tomorrow's press?

Is Flip dead yet? I like him.

At least this should be the end of that fraud Scolari, having reduced Brazil to a gang of brawlers and yet still getting bummed 5-0.

History in the making here, lads.

First good team Brazil faces = rape. Was bound to happen.

Klose!

Dunno, I thought Krul's trolling of Costa Rica forwards was great and didn't do anything truly non-sporting. But I'm a former keeper so I might be cutting him some slack.

Btw, I live in the neighborhood with the largest Brazilian population in Barcelona, and they are partying in the streets, drums included.

Gotta say, for all the upsets in the group phase, the knockouts so far have been quite predictable.

Se la perdioooooooooooooooo

Jesus Christ, what a goal. Wasn't Dave complaining about bad FKs?

It's not an offside if the defending team touches the ball, right?

What a stupid yellow. Misses the semis too.

FFS Spaniards can't do anything well in this WC.

Foul should have been retaken.

TBF Brazil are playing great right now.

Hulk almost dribbled himself there.

Maicon and Alves... doesn't Brazil have young RBs?

How did Koeman do at Feyenoord? He was an unmitigated disaster at Valencia and AZ.

Thanks fellas, I feel much better now.

I think the 5-0 year (2010-2011) is the most beautiful football I have ever witnessed. I will be always be grateful to tell my offspring that I saw that team live; those times are probably over now, but I will always have them with me. Yeah, it must be so awful for you mate. Watching Messi every week man. We go wild when Ben Arfa receives the ball on the half way line. The idea of having Messi play for you and enjoy it beyond just as a neutral sounds like being on drugs tbh. The 2011 CL final, when Messi scored and kicked a mic during his wild celebration, is possibly my favorite football moment ever.

I think the 5-0 year (2010-2011) is the most beautiful football I have ever witnessed. I will be always be grateful to tell my offspring that I saw that team live; those times are probably over now, but I will always have them with me. 2008-2009 was a more direct team, but in 2010-2011 - with Messi as #9 - had such a flow, and intricacy of play... I would go to the Camp Nou and it was like attending a violin concerto. Calm, beautiful... the goals fell like autumn leaves, teams were disassembled with harmonious elegance... Man, I need to go rewatch some DVDs now

Definitely. I have found that Spain quite boring at times but Barca under Pep was a different animal. VDB has always been more conservative - Spain plays with two holding players (Busquets+Alonso), while Pep only used Busquets. Thus Iniesta goes to the wing and has to track back to help Xavi cover the gap between him and the strikers, and everything becomes slower. Again, this WC notwithstanding, can't argue with the results. The nature of international football means one or two goals conceded and you're out, there's no second leg to make up for a slip. So ultimately VDB chose this approach in order to win trophies.