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***Official 2014 World Cup Thread*** (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter NewlyRetired
- Start date
El Floppo
Footballguy
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Time for another team preview. This time, I’m going to try to persuade you that France is a better dark horse candidate than hipster favorite Belgium. Now, let’s address the obvious. When France underachieves, it underachieves in catastrophic fashion. And France has just enough veterans of the last two disappointing major tournament teams to completely implode. But France also, in my opinion, has perhaps the deepest and steadiest roster from 1-23 of any team in the tournament. Its substitutes are also (for better or worse) primarily “like for like” subs, which means that France is going to be able to play the same style in the event of the injury. The flip-side to that observation is that France may have fewer “Plan B” options than some other teams. On to the preview.
GK – Hugo Loris i s one of the best pure shot stoppers in the world. He had a very good European Championship in 2012. Loris had a dip in form with Spurs in the middle of the EPL season after a nasty collision (ask Petr Cech, those take a while to come back from right), but he finished the season in strong form. The question with Loris, IMO, is whether France will play the type of aggressively high line that allows Loris to play as a keeper-sweeper. Because in that role, only Victor Valdes is better. The danger in doing so is that any mistake will be used to hang Loris and Didier Deschamps. But keep in mind that if France shuts out Germany in the knock-out rounds, nobody is going to come on your television and explain that Germany was held to only 6 chances because France drew 7 offsides and Loris made 3 clearances (maybe Michael Cox will write about it afterwards). I know that limiting chances is an effective strategy in the long term over the course of a season. But in a short tournament, anything can happen. And Loris’ style means that he may wea r goat’s horns. Backups – Steve Mandana and Mickael Landreau are solid.
CB -- Here is what I mean by “like for like players.” You have two ball-playing CBs in Laurent Koscielny and Raphael Varane. And you have two ball-winning CBs in Mahmadou Sakho and Eliquim Mangala. All but Mangala currently play f or big European teams and Mangala is linked with every big club in England. None of these guys are Thiago Silva, but they’re all quality talents. It’s a solid group.
FB- This is the closest thing that I can find to a “hole” on the France roster. At right back, we have a pair of solid but not spectacular EPL right backs in Mathieu Debuchy and Bacary Sagna. Good players, but Sanga is a bit past his best and Debuchy is a touch below world class. At LB, France is between generations. Patrice Evra graded out pretty well at LB for Man U this year according to WhoScored metrics, but every Man U fan on this board seems to think he was responsible for about 80% of the goals scored against the Red Devils. Lucas Digne could well be considered the best LB in the world by the time we’re playing the next World Cup in Russia, but at 20, is he ready? And even if he is, can you trust that Evra won’t detonate a small nuclear device in camp if he isn’t picked? So there are some questions, but if the worst case scenario is rolling out Sagna and Evra is it really that big of a hole? Lots of teams in the tournament would trot out that pair with no objections.
CM -- France is likely to play a 4-3-3 with the midfielders basically slotting into one of three defined roles. They’ll have a dedicated number 6 an d Blaise Matuidi i s probably the best in the world other than Sergio Busquets in that role. The only reason that you don’t hate Matuidi as much as Busquests is that you don’t know him as well. They’ll have central playmaker, which is likely to be Yohan “Kebab” Cabaye . Is Cabaye a “World Class” player? In my opinion, yes and no. I believe that if you put energetic legs around him, and just let him concentrate on playmaking duties , few are better. I think that once you ask more of him, his standard falls off. So you need the perfect situation, preferably with a dedicated 6 behind him and an insane box-box midfielder beside him. And hey guys, look what I found! It’s Paul Pogba ! I got in my mail when I sent off for my Yaya Toure starter kit! Just add water and you have a guy who is one of the best bets to raise his profile from “star in the making” to “best box-to-box” midfielder in the world. As backups, Clement Grenier is close to a like for like sub for Cabaye, Rio Mavuba is a poor man’s Matuidi and Moussa Cissokho is an impoverished hovel dweller’s Paul Pogba. So dep th is a concern here. Mathieu Valbuena is the only true wide midfielder in the bunch, and will like ly be more likely to play as a right forward, but he could play in Cabaye’s role p ossibly.
Wide Forwards -- I think Pogba is the player most likely to come out of this World Cup a big star, but it’s easy t o forget that Franck Ribery was a finali st for the Balloon D’Or last year. He’s backed up on the left by Antoine Griezmann who was the second best left wing in La Liga this year (a fine achievement considering who was the best). From what I can tell, Loic Remy is likely to st art as a right inside forward. He could move inside as different look central striker. Griezmann could also play on the right and Valbuena could offer a different look there as a playmaker.
Strikers -- I have been accused of having a giant Benzrection, and yes, I’m an admirer of Karim Benzema’s game. But one reason why I think he’s a great value bet for the Golden Boot is simply opportunity. He plays the right position surrounded by players who create chances. And if Benz is spurning chances, Olivier Giroud provides the luxury of a plug and play replacement. Their skillset is nearly identical. Excellent, intelligent hold up play. Good, foxy movement in the box. And they both have the same Achilles heel, which is runs of indifferent finishing. Either of both could flop. Either or both could score enough goals to keep them in underage prostitutes for the foreseeable future.
The bottom-line: In my first attempt at a bracket, France were surprise finalists. That probably won’t happen, but they are one of the 6 or so teams who I think could beat almost anyone without it seeming like a surprise to me. Anything can happen, but I fancy a deep run.
GK – Hugo Loris i s one of the best pure shot stoppers in the world. He had a very good European Championship in 2012. Loris had a dip in form with Spurs in the middle of the EPL season after a nasty collision (ask Petr Cech, those take a while to come back from right), but he finished the season in strong form. The question with Loris, IMO, is whether France will play the type of aggressively high line that allows Loris to play as a keeper-sweeper. Because in that role, only Victor Valdes is better. The danger in doing so is that any mistake will be used to hang Loris and Didier Deschamps. But keep in mind that if France shuts out Germany in the knock-out rounds, nobody is going to come on your television and explain that Germany was held to only 6 chances because France drew 7 offsides and Loris made 3 clearances (maybe Michael Cox will write about it afterwards). I know that limiting chances is an effective strategy in the long term over the course of a season. But in a short tournament, anything can happen. And Loris’ style means that he may wea r goat’s horns. Backups – Steve Mandana and Mickael Landreau are solid.
CB -- Here is what I mean by “like for like players.” You have two ball-playing CBs in Laurent Koscielny and Raphael Varane. And you have two ball-winning CBs in Mahmadou Sakho and Eliquim Mangala. All but Mangala currently play f or big European teams and Mangala is linked with every big club in England. None of these guys are Thiago Silva, but they’re all quality talents. It’s a solid group.
FB- This is the closest thing that I can find to a “hole” on the France roster. At right back, we have a pair of solid but not spectacular EPL right backs in Mathieu Debuchy and Bacary Sagna. Good players, but Sanga is a bit past his best and Debuchy is a touch below world class. At LB, France is between generations. Patrice Evra graded out pretty well at LB for Man U this year according to WhoScored metrics, but every Man U fan on this board seems to think he was responsible for about 80% of the goals scored against the Red Devils. Lucas Digne could well be considered the best LB in the world by the time we’re playing the next World Cup in Russia, but at 20, is he ready? And even if he is, can you trust that Evra won’t detonate a small nuclear device in camp if he isn’t picked? So there are some questions, but if the worst case scenario is rolling out Sagna and Evra is it really that big of a hole? Lots of teams in the tournament would trot out that pair with no objections.
CM -- France is likely to play a 4-3-3 with the midfielders basically slotting into one of three defined roles. They’ll have a dedicated number 6 an d Blaise Matuidi i s probably the best in the world other than Sergio Busquets in that role. The only reason that you don’t hate Matuidi as much as Busquests is that you don’t know him as well. They’ll have central playmaker, which is likely to be Yohan “Kebab” Cabaye . Is Cabaye a “World Class” player? In my opinion, yes and no. I believe that if you put energetic legs around him, and just let him concentrate on playmaking duties , few are better. I think that once you ask more of him, his standard falls off. So you need the perfect situation, preferably with a dedicated 6 behind him and an insane box-box midfielder beside him. And hey guys, look what I found! It’s Paul Pogba ! I got in my mail when I sent off for my Yaya Toure starter kit! Just add water and you have a guy who is one of the best bets to raise his profile from “star in the making” to “best box-to-box” midfielder in the world. As backups, Clement Grenier is close to a like for like sub for Cabaye, Rio Mavuba is a poor man’s Matuidi and Moussa Cissokho is an impoverished hovel dweller’s Paul Pogba. So dep th is a concern here. Mathieu Valbuena is the only true wide midfielder in the bunch, and will like ly be more likely to play as a right forward, but he could play in Cabaye’s role p ossibly.
Wide Forwards -- I think Pogba is the player most likely to come out of this World Cup a big star, but it’s easy t o forget that Franck Ribery was a finali st for the Balloon D’Or last year. He’s backed up on the left by Antoine Griezmann who was the second best left wing in La Liga this year (a fine achievement considering who was the best). From what I can tell, Loic Remy is likely to st art as a right inside forward. He could move inside as different look central striker. Griezmann could also play on the right and Valbuena could offer a different look there as a playmaker.
Strikers -- I have been accused of having a giant Benzrection, and yes, I’m an admirer of Karim Benzema’s game. But one reason why I think he’s a great value bet for the Golden Boot is simply opportunity. He plays the right position surrounded by players who create chances. And if Benz is spurning chances, Olivier Giroud provides the luxury of a plug and play replacement. Their skillset is nearly identical. Excellent, intelligent hold up play. Good, foxy movement in the box. And they both have the same Achilles heel, which is runs of indifferent finishing. Either of both could flop. Either or both could score enough goals to keep them in underage prostitutes for the foreseeable future.
The bottom-line: In my first attempt at a bracket, France were surprise finalists. That probably won’t happen, but they are one of the 6 or so teams who I think could beat almost anyone without it seeming like a surprise to me. Anything can happen, but I fancy a deep run.
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NewlyRetired
Footballguy
The US is not Barca but it is not anemic either.
Since the beginning of 2013, they have scored 59 goals in 28 games for a little over 2 goals per game which is decent at the international level.
roadkill1292
Footballguy
I really like the Griezmann kid. He's got big time scorer at big time club written all over him.
Norman Paperman
Footballguy
Native
Footballguy
The Z Machine
Footballguy
Agreed that France has quality through and through and can make a run in tourney. I rank them ahead of Netherlands, England, and possibly Italy. Easily on par with Belgium IMO, who is bringing a lot of youth... a risky thing in a WCF.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Germany's final 23 is out. Its False Nine-ariffic. Klose is the only pure striker on the team.
The Gator
Footballguy
Native
Footballguy
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Number 12 in the 2012-13 Deloitte money league rankings. Without European football. In the CL, they're a top 7 or so revenue club. They're 3 times closer to Chelsea than Chelsea is to Real in revenue, so unless you draw the line at PSG (funky accounting be damned), I'd characterize that as "big."
.
Native
Footballguy
Im just messing around. Dont want the Liverpool fanboys thinking they can sit at the adult table just because they qualified for something better than Cup Winners Cup.
Jaysus
Good times!
Klose is going to get the record... we know who will be taking their PKs in the group stage.
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
El Floppo
Footballguy
Really glad he's made the team- hope he plays and gets his goals (against everybody but the US).
Native
Footballguy
Spartans Rule
Footballguy
France always looks great on paper. I guess they've underachieved long enough that they aren't regarded as an elite side anymore, but there's no question the talent is there.
Norman Paperman
Footballguy
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
But you called the Mata sale long before I thought it could possibly happen, so I defer ...
Mjolnirs
Footballguy
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Eephus
Footballguy
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
So was Volland dropped or kept? He's in both lists.Mjolnirs said:
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
Awesome analysis of the greatest penalty in World Cup history, simultaneously one of the most embarrassing moments in US Soccer history -- Deconstructing the Diana Ross Penalty
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
We were spared a Brandi Chastain moment, so I'll take it.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Norman Paperman
Footballguy
Sebowski
Footballguy
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
Yeah, really bad.
CletiusMaximus
Footballguy
It looks like Falcao did not make it.
berndog
Footballguy
[SIZE=medium]I’m wondering what people think of Ian Darke? [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]He seems to straddle the line between play by play and color analyst. Too often he is telling a story or asking questions rather than providing play by play. There was several times yesterday where the US had terrible give away’s and the camera was on a wide angle so it was difficult to tell who pissed the ball away. It would be nice if Darke announced the gaffe rather than talking about Altidore’s scoring woes. I wish he would stick more to the play by play and tell me what is happening on the field, who has the ball etc. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]He seems to straddle the line between play by play and color analyst. Too often he is telling a story or asking questions rather than providing play by play. There was several times yesterday where the US had terrible give away’s and the camera was on a wide angle so it was difficult to tell who pissed the ball away. It would be nice if Darke announced the gaffe rather than talking about Altidore’s scoring woes. I wish he would stick more to the play by play and tell me what is happening on the field, who has the ball etc. [/SIZE]
Native
Footballguy
Huge fan. Adds dignity to the broadcast and is far more knowledgeable on the subject of soccer than any of his counterparts. One of the greatest things to happen to us soccer in my opinionCan't stand him
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
I'm somewhere in the middle. I recognize that many of the things that people dislike about Gus Johnson aren't noticed when Darkie does it because he has an English accent. But part of doing a broadcast is building a decent relationship with your color guy. Darkie had a great relationship with Macca, and a decent one with Taylor. I actually prefer that he doesn't describe the action as much, because I know who the guys are.
But he does too much NFL style storyline progression and some of his excited calls are grating (to me).
But he does too much NFL style storyline progression and some of his excited calls are grating (to me).
Good Posting Judge
Footballguy
I prefer an announcer who describes the action instead of just saying the name of each player as they gain possession, which is what Johnson seemingly does way too much.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
Can we all agree that the ESPN's English language El Tri announcers are the worst?
I don't even get it. "I want to listen to the commentary for this Mexican game in English, but I want the announcers to have super thick accents. If you can make their attempts at jocularity excruciating, that's just a bonus."
I don't even get it. "I want to listen to the commentary for this Mexican game in English, but I want the announcers to have super thick accents. If you can make their attempts at jocularity excruciating, that's just a bonus."
Eephus
Footballguy
Unwatchable. I'll switch over to the Spanish language broadcast faster than you can say "Tommy Smyth"
Native
Footballguy
Is that the Irish(?) sounding guy? I loooooove him and his hyper-ventilating goal calls.
Ramsay Hunt Experience
Footballguy
CBusAlex
Footballguy
"Stern John with a layyyyyyyyyyyyyser shot! He gets the ball, he kicks it, he ryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyfles it past the keeper!"Is that the Irish(?) sounding guy? I loooooove him and his hyper-ventilating goal calls.
I love Tommy Smyth too, but it's for pretty much the same reason that I love terrible low-budget sci-fi movies.
Dignity?Huge fan. Adds dignity to the broadcast and is far more knowledgeable on the subject of soccer than any of his counterparts. One of the greatest things to happen to us soccer in my opinionCan't stand him
