How come nobody's said a word about the World Cup?

.sasha is entirely correct. Vicente del Bosque, probably the best coach in this World Cup, is striving against beatable rivals to get Torres back into competitive shape. Villa and he are the best offensive talents on this squad and Del Bosque figures he needs them both to try and win the whole shebang. And Paraguay is supposed to be one of the beatable foes.

(BTW - four of the last eight teams speak Spanish. First time this happens in the history of the World Cup.)

Xabi Alonso is indispensable on this Spain team because he is by far its best long-pass specialist. He can move the ball deep and side-to-side quickly and efficiently. Cesc Fbregas is cut more along the lines of a Xavi. But it's quite possible that if Torres doesn't give more signs of life we'll see (as we did several times in the 2008 European Championships) the setup with the four midfielders together (add Andrs Iniesta - another one working his way back from injury.)

The flexibility gained by this Spanish side over the past four years is such that it can play efficiently with all of those different setups. And they have a couple more aces up their sleeves.

Speaking of an eventual Spain-Brazil and contrasting styles: indeed, quite contrasting. The 'jogo bonito'n belongs to Spain now...

And let me give a word of support to Cristiano Ronaldo, much reviled here. He has an obnoxious attitude, much like Kobe Bryant, because he wants to win so badly. And he's deeply frustrated on a team in which ten players are defenders and he is the lone, and totally isolated, attacker. He never got a halfway playable ball, against Spain as against Brazil or the Ivory Coast. Carlos Queiroz, a fearful ultra-conservative, left him out there to wither and die. Maradona may be a dope fiend, but he's not as dumb as that - he would never leave Messi in such dire straits.
 
originally posted by Bruce K:
originally posted by VLM:
Spain is playing Barca football. They constantly press the ball, no matter where.

Portugal needs a striker. Ronaldo is a flat track bully.

The way to beat Spain is to narrow the pitch and hit them on the counter.

The way for Spain to counter this is to drop Torres for Llorente, as they should have done from the start, but they can't because they will get strung from the rafters.

Brazil vs Spain would be the perfect contrast of styles.
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Totally agree. I find Spain the most entertaining team to watch precisely because they are playing Barca football. (And with three of their starting midfielders, both center backs and, now, their top striker, with Barca, it would be a shame if they didn't.)
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Exactly.

Also agree on dropping Torres.

What I don't understand is your lack of outrage at Fabregas' lack of playing time. Why not start him instead of Xabi Alonso? Or try Villa as a sole striker with Xavi, Iniesta and Fabregas pushing forward more?
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Well, now that the USA is gone, I'm pulling for the Dutch.

As an Arsenal fan, I don't want Cesc to play. I want him to sit there and stew and watch Pedro (!) make it into the game before he does. Frankly, Xabi Alonso is better at the Xabi Alonso position than Cesc is, so I wouldn't start him ahead of Alonso, Busquets, or Xavi. His only shot is ousting Ineista, who still looks less than fully fit, or switching to a 4-2-3-1 which I don't think works as well with Villa.

Every game Cesc sits and rots is another season he'll be at Arsenal.
 
originally posted by VLM:
Every game Cesc sits and rots is another season he'll be at Arsenal.
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Wow. I never thought of it that way. Thanks for looking on the bright side!

I guess van Persie's the only Arsenal player left who's starting, huh? Bentner, Song, Sagna, Clichy, Gallas, Diaby, Eboue and Vela are all out. The bright side of that is they get a little more rest, I suppose.
 
originally posted by VS:
.sasha is entirely correct. Vicente del Bosque, probably the best coach in this World Cup, is striving against beatable rivals to get Torres back into competitive shape. Villa and he are the best offensive talents on this squad and Del Bosque figures he needs them both to try and win the whole shebang.
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Well, we'll see whether del Bosque is the best coach. He hasn't had to do anything tactically astute yet, besides the obvious move with Llorente.

Personally, I think that Torres plays better as a lone striker than with Villa most of the time. I have no idea why, maybe because of club experience. The knock on Torres has always been that he needs too many chances which no one will say about Villa. He's a predator and an assassin.

Xabi Alonso is indispensable on this Spain team because he is by far its best long-pass specialist. He can move the ball deep and side-to-side quickly and efficiently. Cesc Fbregas is cut more along the lines of a Xavi. But it's quite possible that if Torres doesn't give more signs of life we'll see (as we did several times in the 2008 European Championships) the setup with the four midfielders together (add Andrs Iniesta - another one working his way back from injury.)
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I agree completely with all of this. Xabi Alonso is a special player and a bit of a throwback. I love watching him.

Cesc is a poor man's Xavi, which is no slight. I've seen some criticism of Xavi's play in this WC which i find stunning. For me, he is the player of the tournament behind Messi with Ozil next.

The flexibility gained by this Spanish side over the past four years is such that it can play efficiently with all of those different setups. And they have a couple more aces up their sleeves.
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I think Spain is flexible in terms of personal, but they are limited in terms of shape. The only plan B is Llorente. That's fine as their plan A is beautiful and likely to win. I'd love to see more width to the play from midfield, but that means putting in Mata or Navas and sacrificing either a striker or a midfielder.

My concerns for Spain are that they can be punished on the flanks. We all know the defensive frailties of Ramos and Capdevila, while more reliable, is hardly Ashley Cole. I'm shocked that Portugal didn't split Simao and Ronaldo wide to create more space. Stupid, if you asked me.

Further, I think that Puyols, for all his heart and hustle can be got out for both pace and power. It is really important that the midfield continues to pressure the ball Barca style, or the defense can get exposed. I think that Pique has been fantastic and looks to be the real deal.

What has been shocking is how human Casillas has looked over the end of the season at Real and in the WC. Victor, is anyone calling for Reina? He's more commanding of the box and powerful. I think he'd add a solidity to the back.

Speaking of an eventual Spain-Brazil and contrasting styles: indeed, quite contrasting. The 'jogo bonito'n belongs to Spain now...
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Without a doubt.

And let me give a word of support to Cristiano Ronaldo, much reviled here. He has an obnoxious attitude, much like Kobe Bryant, because he wants to win so badly. And he's deeply frustrated on a team in which ten players are defenders and he is the lone, and totally isolated, attacker.
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I'm not going to defend Queiroz exactly, but this isn't quite true. I think Ronaldo was clogging the wrong space and not considering ways to make his team win. I like the idea of attacking the Spanish center with a big, strong striker with lots of crosses into the box. Evidently, Ronaldo didn't because he didn't try it once. That seems a fair tactical plan.

As a side note, I was mightily impressed with Contrao. He's a player that I wasn't really aware of until the WC and he looked dangerous in all the Portuguese matches.

Like a young Kobe, Ronaldo is seeking personal glory, which isn't exactly the same as winning.
 
originally posted by VS:
originally posted by VLM:

Every game Cesc sits and rots is another season he'll be at Arsenal.
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Why?
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Why the hell would you go to Barca to ride the bench when you can be the core of the second most exciting team in Europe? And the coolest.

I think the WC is making it plainly clear where he fits into Barca's plans. As insurance.
 
there is always the flip side - perhaps Fabregas is being told to come to Barca and learn the system in midfield, so that he could start for the national side ;-)

To elaborate on my Torres point - when he is in form, he gives Spain an opportunity both to be more direct and to go wider for an occasional cross. At the moment, while they are in full control of the ball, their work to scoring chance ratio is too high.
 
originally posted by .sasha:
there is always the flip side - perhaps Fabregas is being told to come to Barca and learn the system in midfield, so that he could start for the national side ;-)
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Ha.

To elaborate on my Torres point - when he is in form, he gives Spain an opportunity both to be more direct and to go wider for an occasional cross. At the moment, while they are in full control of the ball, their work to scoring chance ratio is too high.
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Exactly. But don't you think Llorente gives them this option and then Villa can take knockdowns or whatever comes his way and score.

I still think Torres operates better solo.
 
Review the 2008 tape, and you'll see how well these two work together when both are in shape. Villa has a great advantage: he can play the wing, leaving Torres space in the middle, and still score. But Torres just isn't in any kind of game shape, and he's forced to wander the far recesses of the penalty area...

Speaking of tactical decisions by Del Bosque: His switch from day one, with no wing play against Switzerland, to the current situation with both Villa and Ramos killing the opposing wing defenders has been a crucial one. Spain is playing much, much wider now. Only a sensational goalie in the Portuguese box kept this impression of chances-to-goals insufficiency alive. And is the Llorente solution the only possible change? There are chances coming up for Mata and Silva, for Albiol at fullback is Puyol falters. Until Casillas makes a big, big blunder, Reina won't get a chance. And he may make a big, big save before that happens.

BTW, it's unfair to say Ramos has only been good in offense. His defense has been unimpeachable. He's in the best shape of his life, and when he's healthy, he rivals his club-teammate-to-be Maicon as a two-way player.

Well, we'll see if any of this does develop.
 
originally posted by VS:
Review the 2008 tape, and you'll see how well these two work together when both are in shape. Villa has a great advantage: he can play the wing, leaving Torres space in the middle, and still score. But Torres just isn't in any kind of game shape, and he's forced to wander the far recesses of the penalty area...
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Oh, I watched all of 2008.

I'm hardly alone in this assessment of Villa/Torres. Villa just seemed possessed when Llorente came on. He's an assassin. I can't remember ever seeing him waste a chance. Truly.

When Torres is on form, he's amazing. The perfect striker, maybe second only to Drogba in terms of being unstoppable. It's just been a good while since we've seen it.

Speaking of tactical decisions by Del Bosque: His switch from day one, with no wing play against Switzerland, to the current situation with both Villa and Ramos killing the opposing wing defenders has been a crucial one. Spain is playing much, much wider now. Only a sensational goalie in the Portuguese box kept this impression of chances-to-goals insufficiency alive. And is the Llorente solution the only possible change? There are chances coming up for Mata and Silva, for Albiol at fullback is Puyol falters. Until Casillas makes a big, big blunder, Reina won't get a chance. And he may make a big, big save before that happens.
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The chances to goals is purely about Torres and was the stick against him at Athletico. He seemed to shed that at Liverpool. He's a big strapping lad, I wonder why he gets injured so much.

I've been surprised to see so little of Silva given how prominent he was in 2008. I really like what Navas brings to the table, maybe even more than Mata. Although he is fragile.

I realize no one is going to replace St. Iker unless something terrible happens, but I was curious if the Spanish were nervous about him, especially since he is a bit small whereas Reina is an excellent shot stopper but also very powerful. Not to mention, that Portuguese keeper wouldn't even make the Spain bench.

One player we haven't mentioned is Busquets who has really impressed me in this tournament. Much more than when I saw him during the club season.

I like Albiol a lot and was hoping he would end up at Arsenal.

It truly is an embarrassment of riches and a beautiful thing to watch. I could watch Xavi play all day in goalless draws and not get bored.

BTW, it's unfair to say Ramos has only been good in offense. His defense has been unimpeachable. He's in the best shape of his life, and when he's healthy, he rivals his club-teammate-to-be Maicon as a two-way player.

Well, we'll see if any of this does develop.
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To be fair, Ramos hasn't had a lot of defending to do and he hasn't made on of those crazy errors he is famous for. Don't get me wrong he's an asset. Not in the same league as Maicon though. There is no shame in that. Maicon is one of the most destructive players in the world right now.
 
originally posted by VLM:
It truly is an embarrassment of riches and a beautiful thing to watch. I could watch Xavi play all day in goalless draws and not get bored.
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Word. And all the more so when he's playing with Iniesta (nice to see him back). That backheel that led to Villa's goal was breathtaking.

I agree with you that he's the player of the tournament so far. Though I've been almost equally impressed with the way that Messi has shown he doesn't have to score goals to be magnificent.
 
Torres creates that most precious of commodities - space. Players like him are a nightmare for defenders because his movement on and off the ball always seems designed to test the spatial awareness of the defenders around him. One way to defend Torres is to give him the space and hope he does not convert chances but that seems less workable as a plan nowadays. I think del Bosque and Villa both appreciate what Torres allows Villa to do when the former is playing well.

VS, the difference is that Ronaldo has never had (and likely never will) a Shaq as a foil on and off the pitch, and more importantly, a Phil Jackson to guide him.
 
Let's consider the most important of possible world cup final scenarios.

Holland-Germany. The game is moved to Alianz Arena in Munich to accommodate players and their families on both sides. The audience gathered at Soccer City in Johannesburg is treated to a performance of John Cage's 4'33'' at halftime. Germany wins 6 to 5. All 11 goals are scored by Robben. Martin Gaston Demichelis has to be escorted from the stadium by security, after trying to get on the pitch.

Uruguay-Germany. Alcides Edgardo Ghiggia comes out of retirement to score a decisive winner against Brasil in the semi-final. Ghiggia becomes the oldest player to score in a world cup by 41 years. Roger Milla announces that he will unretire at the age of 84 to reclaim the record. Unfortuantely, Uruguay forgets to show up for the final, having already defeated Brasil. Germany wins by default.

Uruguay-Argentina. The kick-off is delayed by 2 hours following Argentinian protests over recognition of Uruguay's sovereignty. There is a famous diving incident by an Argentinian diplomat when confronted by his Uruguayan counterpart. Ban Ki-moon dishes out multiple yellows, including one each to Mandela and Clinton for fan interference. After the game is tied following 120 mins of play and 23 penalty kicks, it is decided that Germany wins the world cup. Maradona runs naked through safari, chased by wild animals.

Brasil-Argentina. After a scoreless first half, Argentina trainer drugs the Brasilian squad through the water supply. The players, not in their right mind, forget all about Dunga and start attacking. Robinho does the samba. Every possession for either team results in a goal. With Brasil leading 69 to 68 in the fifth set, Martin Gaston Demichelis performs the first defensive maneuver of his career by inviting the dancing Robinho to tango, allowing Messi to steal the ball and tie the game. Beckenbauer shows up and declares the level of play unsatisfactory, reclaiming the cup for Germany. Maradona, envious of Pele's acting career, escapes through the sewers of Johannesburg and is never seen again.

Holland-Spain. The shit finally hits the fan in the Dutch dressing room 10 minutes before the game, over who should be starting and in what position. The team fires the manager. A compromise is quickly reached by electing representatives of the three factions, who will be responsible for all communications amongst the players on the field. Spain completely ignores the Dutch and tries to set a record for the number of successive passes completed in a game. Unfortunately their first attempt is interrupted by the halftime whistle. At halftime, the Dutch Federation announces that Raymond Domenech has been hired to bring unity to the squad in the second half. After his opening speech to the team, Domenech is stuffed down the toilet head first. Del Bosque declares that only Spanish club players will be allowed to participate. Torres and Fabregas quickly sign in order to play in the second half. Spain continues to ignore all Dutch issues and takes their passing prowess to new heights, imposing a restriction that forward passes can only be completed by club teammates and that any pass between a Barca and a Real player must be lateral or backward. Once again, their first and only possession is interrupted by the final whistle. FIFA declares the new jabulani ball inadequate and overtime
is canceled in favour of Summarising Proust competition, involving all
32 teams. Wayne Rooney brings the cup to England.
 
I've sent this game plan to Villa, .sasha, and he replied (with a rather guttural Asturian accent): "No way. I don't do passes."

BTW, on a collateral issue - Asturian wine is the new fundamentalist frontier for Spanish wines. Forget Ribeira Sacra. Send inquiries to Jos Pastor.
 
originally posted by Larry Stein:
Bartender, I'll have whatever he's drinking!
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come to think of it, Sharon did put something in my drink, and then fled the country within two hours
 
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