The Semi-Finals: Argentina and France through

[toon25]

3 minutes ago, rgk_lfc said:

 

That's a fucking great view of that goal. Wow

 

As mentioned, I think Alvarez has been exceptional this tournament. Argentina have been questionable without him and with Martinez up top. Whilst Messi will get the headlines, Alvarez has been the difference for me

 

[rgk_lfc]

19 minutes ago, toon25 said:

That's a fucking great view of that goal. Wow

 

As mentioned, I think Alvarez has been exceptional this tournament. Argentina have been questionable without him and with Martinez up top. Whilst Messi will get the headlines, Alvarez has been the difference for me

 

 

Argentina always had great strikers but Alvarez complements Messi much better than Crespo, Tevez, Higuain, or Aguero. Credit to Scaloni for putting this system together. 

[Jaqen]

There's always one fucker in a 5 aside league who's getting on but is still technically so much better than anyone else that even barely running they will ridicule you. Messi is doing that at the World Cup against some of the best players in the world 

[Vinny Green Balls]

1 hour ago, rgk_lfc said:

 

Argentina always had great strikers but Alvarez complements Messi much better than Crespo, Tevez, Higuain, or Aguero. Credit to Scaloni for putting this system together. 

9 goals between them is hard to argue against 

[Shadow Puppets]

Watching Messi play is a real treat like. I think I’m going to go out of my way to take a trip to Paris to watch him before he retires. He’s my favourite ever player, for sure. Even as an older player, he’s one move ahead of everyone on the pitch. Loving the little bursts of god mode, followed by a minute or two of strolling around waiting for his moment. Love him!

[Kanji]

5 hours ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

Aye they need to carry on and drop back as he slows to nullify the burst, but I imagine thinking that and then executing it in the moment is canny hard  

 

Oh 100%!  was just being unnecessarily critical for laughs. 

[Thorpinho]

6 hours ago, Flip said:

Thought it was until 21 years of age in which case I’d give it to Gvardiol I think. Bellingham there as well. 

Ahh my bad. He looks younger so just assumed he was still eligible. I would have said gvardiol until he got annihilated by argentina. 

[Village Idiot]

9 hours ago, Flip said:

 

Jokes aside, I think he’d have been this good no matter what. He has a new found love for Argentina in the past three years.

 

Tbf he's always given it all for Argentina, dude is a total diehard. It's just never quite worked out until these past few years.

[Village Idiot]

7 hours ago, Shadow Puppets said:

Watching Messi play is a real treat like. I think I’m going to go out of my way to take a trip to Paris to watch him before he retires. He’s my favourite ever player, for sure. Even as an older player, he’s one move ahead of everyone on the pitch. Loving the little bursts of god mode, followed by a minute or two of strolling around waiting for his moment. Love him!

 

It still stings that he's not here. I want him to win, but finally getting a WC while not playing for Barça would be slightly bittersweet.

[Flip]

1 hour ago, Village Idiot said:

 

Tbf he's always given it all for Argentina, dude is a total diehard. It's just never quite worked out until these past few years.

Of course, but he has turned more Argentinian in the past two years. Good guy Messi isn’t the good guy Messi anymore. He’s become a nastier player. At this World Cup I’ve seen him argue with referees and opposition, I’ve seen him roll on  the floor on minimal contact and I’ve seen him dive. Messi 3 years ago wouldn’t do as much of this. And guess what, since he became a nastier plyer they’ve won the Copa America and they’re now in the WC finals. As a Brazilian it’s going to be bittersweet if he wins, because I love Messi and this world cup more than ever he deserves it, and I can even respect Scaloni, but his teammates are for most parts the worst human beings in football for me  Especially Otamendi (guy is prime Pepe on crack), but also Paredes, De Paul, Romero 

[ponsaelius]

Prefer nasty Messi than the one that used to just look sad and scratch his beard when things weren't working.

[Flip]

2 minutes ago, ponsaelius said:

Prefer nasty Messi than the one that used to just look sad and scratch his beard when things weren't working.

100% He’s embracing being an Argentinian. Afraid of what will happen Sunday if they lose...

[ponsaelius]

I'm not a real acolyte for it as a metric, particularly in tournament football, but Argentina have had the better xG than their opponents in all 6 of their matches. Compared to France who only have 3/5 for example.

 

I think they've been underrated throughout the tournament because they can be a bit scrappy in possession, break in moments and do adapt their tactics slightly depending on opponents (even mid game) rather than sticking to a unabashed philosophy. But other than the second half against Saudi and first half against Mexico I think they've  generally been really controlled and impressive throughout the tournament.

 

I was also personally very glad they were able to dispatch Croatia yesterday comfortably - because I'm bored of people misinterpreting possession used as a defensive tool as being dominance in football terms. 

[Flip]

Football is details though, not xG, which makes it magic and tragic. Evident by Brazil having the highest xG for and lowest xG against in the tournament and still bowed out to fucking Croatia.  Similar in 2018 as well I think, as well as Germany having a higher xG difference than all except Brazil despite only winning 4 points at the WC.
 

Also, not sure about how xG is calculated, but four penalties (two non-existent, one dubious and one clear) must have an effect on Argentina’s as well right? For me Messi is carrying this side, myth that he did in 2014 when he was quite poor in the knockouts, but this time it’s his show. Question remains though, will he join the table of the greats of international football and crown his career with the biggest achievement?  

[Kid Icarus]

If Higuan wasn't terrible, Messi's knockout performances would have been just as productive and they'd probably have won it.

 

Remarkable considering Messi was really out of form by his standards around that time.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Kid Icarus

[Kid Icarus]

Out of form 

 

No idea why it keeps reverting back to out of shape after I've edited.

[Kid Icarus]

What the fuck. form. FORM

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Kid Icarus

[Wullie]

1 hour ago, ponsaelius said:

I'm not a real acolyte for it as a metric, particularly in tournament football, but Argentina have had the better xG than their opponents in all 6 of their matches. Compared to France who only have 3/5 for example.

 

I think they've been underrated throughout the tournament because they can be a bit scrappy in possession, break in moments and do adapt their tactics slightly depending on opponents (even mid game) rather than sticking to a unabashed philosophy. But other than the second half against Saudi and first half against Mexico I think they've  generally been really controlled and impressive throughout the tournament.

 

I was also personally very glad they were able to dispatch Croatia yesterday comfortably - because I'm bored of people misinterpreting possession used as a defensive tool as being dominance in football terms. 

 

I think Argentina's main problem is a tendency to panic like fuck when they concede a goal. Happened against Saudi leading to another within minutes, same vs Netherlands and Kuol could easily have taken Australia to extra time.

[The College Dropout]

Apart from France.. all of the teams have been like that

[tgarve]

Would love a Morocco win tonight 

[Flip]

23 minutes ago, tgarve said:

Would love a Morocco win tonight 

We all would. If Morocco wins the whole thing it will be the greatest sporting achievement ever. International football nowadays makes this a serious possibility.

[Kid Icarus]

Still Leicester. But in tournament football it would be up there with Greece '04.

[Rich]

Morocco for me like.

[Kid Icarus]

Nearly getting relegated to winning the league over the course of 38 games the following season will always be a greater achievement than anything in tournament football for me like. You can't fine margin, luck of the draw, or outright luck your way to winning a league. 

[Yorkie]

With a total population of nearly four times times that of Greece, a Moroccan victory would barely come close to 2004 in terms of sporting shocks. It also has far fewer islands and more gazelles, which is surely a factor.