2014 World Cup

[Marcel]

Getting annoyed by the Costa Rican coach. He accuses Robben already of schwalbes before the game even started. Robben is an easy target because he, unlike all other football players, admitted to have done these. We know everybody do these schwalbes to get a free kick. We know Robben does it as well. But he hasn't done any schwalbe yet that won the game for the Dutch. Unlike Hulk yesterday, falling readily and getting the freekick that gave the Brazilians their 2nd goal. But you don't hear anybody about that.
This coach is singeling Robben out because he's afraid. Apart from already creating an excuse for loosing, he's trying to get more room for his defenders to attack Robben hard. He wants the referee to be more suspicious of Robben, so he will allow the defenders to do more harm to Robben. I find this despicable, even more than the occasional schwalbe.

 

[stona]

All players dive, its part of the game. Some games seem to have sniper teams on the roofs of the stands the way players are going down. Robben does nothing that any other players don't do too. The incentive to dive is simple. The referees award free kicks which give a scoring opportunity and more rarely penalties which should equate to a goal. Most matches at this stage of the competition are tight affairs, often decided by a single goal.
The referee in the Brazil-Colombia game went to an opposite extreme. He could and should have yellow carded at least a dozen players and red carded a couple. The Brazilian goal keeper was very lucky to stay on the field. His failure to do so and to impose some discipline, eventually led to a serious injury to one of the tournament's best players. The Colombian striker (Rodriguez) had lumps kicked off him for the entire match and the referee failed to protect him.
Cheers
Steve

 

[fubar57]

In camp for the game today I'll have to find some out of sight parking spot so I can check out the scores on my "alarm clock".

Geo

 

[Marcel]

Costa Rica is a bad team, but keeps the Dutch at a 0. Fearing penalties.

 

[Marcel]

Pff, justice is done. The team playing for penalties lost. Good riddance to Costa Rica. What a ######## team. Hopefully it'll be a good match with Arentina.

 

[stona]

Hopefully it'll be a good match with Arentina.

The Dutch will have to play a lot better than they did against Costa Rica. They were incapable of finding a higher gear and seemed content to play the game at a walking pace. They were equally incapable of breaking down a dogged (and boring) defence.
If Costa Rica had won on penalties the Dutch would only have themselves to blame. They dodged a bullet last night.
Cheers
Steve

 

[The Basket]

Pff, justice is done. The team playing for penalties lost. Good riddance to Costa Rica. What a ######## team. Hopefully it'll be a good match with Arentina.

That is out of line. U gotta show respect to Costa Rica for what they did.
If the dutch cant beat a bad side then thats a dutch problem not costa rica.
Robben does dive. And that in my book is cheating.
He has admitted it and FIFA should do something about it.

 

[pbehn]

There is a Dutch striker with the longest name in football! What parent Christens a child Robin Van Persie Offside Again? Luckily its usually abbreviated. I thought it was a great match Costa Rica nearly stole it.

 

[The Basket]

There is a Dutch striker with the longest name in football! What parent Christens a child Robin Van Persie Offside Again? Luckily its usually abbreviated. I thought it was a great match Costa Rica nearly stole it.

RVP had plenty chance to score. The Costa Ricans played their game and almost won.
And winning is all. They could have got a penalty as well.
Yes Netherlands is a better side and now a good bet to win world cup. Maybe deservedly.
But dont blame the opposition because your star players cant score from a few yards out.

 

[Marcel]

That is out of line. U gotta show respect to Costa Rica for what they did.
If the dutch cant beat a bad side then thats a dutch problem not costa rica.
Robben does dive. And that in my book is cheating.
He has admitted it and FIFA should do something about it.

Respect for a team only playing for penalties? You do the respect then. Show me where Robben did dive in this game! And do you want to punish honesty when Hulk steals the winning goal for Brazil without admitting it? Robben's dives at least did not result in a goal. Common you can do better than that. (And don't start about Mexico as that was a real penalty)
Robben does dive as all of them do. He just the only one to admit it and I think he should be praised for it.

 

[The Basket]

Respect for a team only playing for penalties? You do the respect then. Show me where Robben did dive in this game! And do you want to punish honesty when Hulk steals the winning goal for Brazil without admitting it? Robben's dives at least did not result in a goal. Common you can do better than that. (And don't start about Mexico as that was a real penalty)
Robben does dive as all of them do. He just the only one to admit it and I think he should be praised for it.

I do respect Costa Rica. Big time.
Playing for penalties is perfectly acceptable and Costa Rica achieved their goal.
Again, If costa rica are so bad then why didn't Holland score?

 

[stona]

I don't think Costa Rica were playing for penalties. They played to their limitations and had two or three good chances to steal the game before the shoot out. The first goal keeper played by Holland kept them in the game with minutes to go (and then got substituted). Hats off to van Gaal for his decision to bring on Krul. Not only did he save two penalties but he went the right way for all of them and maybe should have saved the first one too. Having watched Krul at Newcastle I wouldn't have brought him on, but that's what van Gaal gets paid for!

I agree with the post above. It was not Costa Rica's problem that the Dutch side, who undoubtedly have better players, couldn't break them down. That is a 100% Dutch problem. I don't think they have a snowball's chance in hell of winning the world cup playing as they did against Costa Rica, but I also know that they can play better than that.

Cheers

Steve

 

[The Basket]

Interesting if Krul is a genuinely better penalty stopper than Cillesen. I doubt it statistical proven.

However it puts doubt in the penalty takers mind. And doubt is bad.

Also Krul trash talked and show boated his way through the penalties which also has a bearing.

It probably was pure mind games but it worked.

 

[Marcel]

Oh I agree that it's a 100% dutch problem for not scoring. That's not where I have a problem. But I think Costa Rica did play for penalties. And I think they only got one real chance, which was 3 minutes before the end.

I also dislike the hypocracy about Robben. It's getting annoying. It's probably a sise effect for being one of the best players out there I guess.

 

[stona]

I also dislike the hypocracy about Robben.

He's not even the best diver, maybe top five with Ronaldo and a few others. The real problem is that whereas most players dive some do so more dramatically than others.

When the current USA manager Klinsmann played for Spurs in England he enjoyed a reputation as a truly maginificent diver. Opposing fans would turn up waving five pound notes. Rhyming slang for a five pound note or 'fiver' is 'deep sea diver'. Some used to turn up wearing face masks and snorkels to take the piss out of him.

Cheers

Steve

 

[The Basket]

I believe that this world cup is the first where 'minor' sides could genuinely mix it with the big boys.

Diving is wrong and Robben is a very good footballer who dont need to cheat.
the fact he do and dive like a demented Ju 87 does him and Holland no credit.

 

[stona]

Diving is wrong and Robben is a very good footballer who dont need to cheat.
the fact he do and dive like a demented Ju 87 does him and Holland no credit.

I agree, but why is he being singled out? For example in the same match the Costa Rican goal keeper went down twice, once feigning a knee injury and once grasping at his face for no apparent reason, both in an effort to waste time. Is that cheating? The players do not see such antics as cheating.They see it as part of the 'theatre of the beautiful game'. Ronaldo dives, Neymar dives, Aguerra dives, the cannibal dives, France's best diver, Ribery, wasn't there to show us his diving skills They all dive , with the possible exception of Messi (of all people).
English match commentators have even come up with their own phrases to avoid calling a dive a dive. They use phrases like 'going down rather easily' to cover it. It sounds less like cheating.

I was a Rugby player in my younger days. If I'd have tried stunts like that I'd have been told to get up and get on with it...by my own team mates.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Marcel]

I agree, but why is he being singled out? For example in the same match the Costa Rican goal keeper went down twice, once feigning a knee injury and once grasping at his face for no apparent reason, both in an effort to waste time. Is that cheating? The players do not see such antics as cheating.They see it as part of the 'theatre of the beautiful game'. Ronaldo dives, Neymar dives, Aguerra dives, the cannibal dives, France's best diver, Ribery, wasn't there to show us his diving skills They all dive , with the possible exception of Messi (of all people).
English match commentators have even come up with their own phrases to avoid calling a dive a dive. They use phrases like 'going down rather easily' to cover it. It sounds less like cheating.

I was a Rugby player in my younger days. If I'd have tried stunts like that I'd have been told to get up and get on with it...by my own team mates.

Cheers

Steve

Well said and my point exactly

 

[The Basket]

Thats why I dont much care about football generally.
too much nonsense going on.

 

[Torch]

And that there is why soccer/football well never excel in the fans eyes in the US..