World cup in Brasil 2014

[Slayer]

I wonder what you would think if it was Neuer who had done this. I somehow doubt that your opinion would be the same. Check what the BBC analysts say about Krul: http://nos.nl/wk2014/video/671350-i-like-my-keeper-to-do-that.html

We have one position which is way better than Germany: the coach. And then we have Robben, of course. I understand you are afraid of him, since you post that he "takes flight again", while he was done exactly one dive, and he admitted that one, too. I really think that all the attention for the Robben "dives" are out of fear, because otherwise we would have had way more attention for Brazilian dives, Chilean dives, Mexican dives, Argentinian dives, etc, etc, just check the flopping ranking by Wall Street Journal (linked by Zoo a few posts back).

I used to hate the German team, too. They stole our WC in 1974 by making a schwalbe, and some of my best memories in football are from the 1988 semifinals. But since I have seen the German team actually trying to play attractive football (since Klinsmann was coach), my hate has dwindled. I have also grown older and have become wiser. I think rivalry is OK, but when you really start hating, something is really going wrong inside your head.

[MaJ.P.Bouras]

He is German, He only knows of two thinks: Of workings and of Hatings Untermensch .

[Torenico]

They say "Yuo are messi only", ha, they don't know Mascherano...

[Wulfburk]

An average player? Cause that is basically what he is.

[Torenico]

He is no super star, never said he was, neither is "average", he does his job, he is the only one defending in the middle, Di Maria (Now injured..) can't defend very well and Gago sucks at defending, so the job falls on Mascherano alone. He is not only playing very well on this World Cup but also he also has personality, I always see him talking to his teammates ordering them to do things right, even insulting them when needed, if you played football in a organized team I'm sure you had one of those guys.

He has spirit, he is hungry for glory, in contrast to many "Super Stars".

[Surfbird]

...

Come on, don't make up a story out of this. My original comment was certainly a tad over the top, but I don't seriously "hate". It's well measured dislike resulting in me hoping for the opponent teams rather than NL. I have my opinion about certain players and you have yours. No need to insult me because I don't like your favourite football players.

If Neuer would have done that I honestly would not have cared too much although realizing it's still bad sportsmanship. After all the result is what counts, so I see that you don't mind it too much. In the retrospective it's not a fair move anyway, I'll stick to that.

 But other than you think I don't like every single guy from the German team because he is German. Müller, Götze, Draxler or Großkreutz are really not the most likeable players to me. On the other hand I consider the rest of the team as mostly mature and humble players. Good examples are Podolski, Mertesacker, Schweinsteiger, Klose, Kramer or Kroos.

Anyway, at this point I really want this Germany - Netherlands final so I actually hope you advance vs Argentina, who I don't really like either. But I won't cry when you go home either

[Slayer]

No need to insult me because I don't like your favourite football players.

I honestly didn't intend to insult you. The last few lines weren't aimed at you, but more in general. I have posted them before, in another thread which was about football rivalry. It was meant to be more in the line of thought which shows that extremism is more common with youngsters, etc. Sorry that it came across like an insult to you.

It's well measured dislike resulting in me hoping for the opponent teams rather than NL.

Good, I like that

Anyway, at this point I really want this Germany - Netherlands final so I actually hope you advance vs Argentina, who I don't really like either. But I won't cry when you go home either

Of course you won't cry, because it will improve the chances of your team to win this WC See you on Sunday!

[Zoologic]

Actually, if Robben does not dive, he plays great, his feet is so skillful and could create devastating chances inside the penalty box with some little work.

So the best chance for the opponent team is that he does his favourite hobby.

The same goes for Messi. When you see him doing that, you know that there will be goal or just near miss. Javier Mascherano is a superstar alright. He plays for Barca and played with top defenders like Carles Puyol and Shakira's boyfriend.

[Gezoes]

Yeah, Robben is the first to perform a schwalbe during a WC, what a disgrace!

I hope we beat Argentina (probably not though, but who knows), and I really hope Brazil gets kicked out by Germany. However, Germany would do wise to leave remarks about schwalbe's at our adress at home, given their rather stained history on the subject, cough.

Continue.

[Surfbird]

Robben plays for quite some time in Germany now. He's all about winning, and he does what's needed. Don't get why you dutchies are so sensitive about it and why you have to dig out the most irrelevant remark in there. When a dive is needed, he dives. And no, he's not the only one. End of story. Currently he is the best player in the world to me, especially as he actively works - other than Messi or Ronaldo who walk all game until they get the ball. While he was a major factor in losing the CL final vs Chelsea, he improved a lot in terms of being a better teamplayer on the court and in personality over the last two years. He's an ambitious player, Müller is the same type. He also dives when needed, but Robben is better at it

[Slayer]

Don't get why you dutchies are so sensitive about it

I think sensitive is a tad too heavy a word for it, but what I personally can't stand, is that people take over outdated info they heard somewhere and then simply accept it as truth and start spreading it further.

Yes, Robben used to fall on the ground a lot, but that was years ago. In the Dutch national team he has improved a lot on that point (can't be so sure about Bayern, because I don't follow Bundesliga so closely). Still, people complain about Robben diving all the time, while there are entire teams writhing on the ground for minutes and faking injuries like no tomorrow (again, see the ranking linked by Zoo earlier). And since those teams (Chile, Mexico) don't get so much attention when it comes to this, I can only conclude one thing: those teams (Costa Rica's coach did it too a few days before our match against them) need this Robben complaining because they are afraid of him.

Saddest country is Mexico, where everyone is liking some hatesong composed by a 10-year old, and people write "Fue no penal" on voting bills in local elections, while nobody in that country wonders how it could happen that Hector Moreno broke his leg while trying to stop Robben in the first half. That kind of selective judging is what mat makes me "sensitive".

[NTH]

So saying to a player that you know in which corner he is going to shoot is bad sportsmanship.
I'd say it takes balls cause you are the one that looks like a fool when balls flies past you in the goal.

The actual bad sportsmanship is the increasing numbers of faking injury, diving and little kicks when you think the ref isn't watching. It almost makes me not want to watch Football any more, just like the Tour de France has been totally ruined by the constant doping affairs. 

I think final will be Netherlands vs Germany and the Germans do what they always do, win in the last minute 

[Zoologic]

I think final will be Netherlands vs Germany and the Germans do what they always do, win in the last minute 

Not if RVP get back to his form and attacked Lahm & Co. aggressively. Even the mighty Neuer will be defeated if RVP, Robben, Kuyt (Depay), Sneijder attacked relentlessly. The Aachen will be captured! Just like the Germans bypassed Maginot line and let Hummels finish the French.

[Torenico]

We don't have the best defense, nor the best goalkeeper, but we have the best player in the World.

[Slayer]

We don't have the best defense, nor the best goalkeeper, but we have the best player in the World.

He just isn't really in top shape now, is he? Against Belgium he didn't really show what he is capable of. I sincerely hope that he will finally show his best skills next Saturday