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Post by oraclesfriend on Jun 21, 2018 15:46:19 GMT -5
What is the issue with this team? Lack of cohesion? Overconfidence? Poor defending? The best (or second best) player on the planet and several really good players along with him...Di Maria, Higuan, Dybala, Otamendi, Mascherano, Aguero. What the heck?!? Especially strange is that with all of the strong scorers they have managed only one goal. Anybody besides me think it is a deficiency in the midfield that is one of their biggest issues?
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Jun 21, 2018 16:07:50 GMT -5
What is the issue with this team? Lack of cohesion? Overconfidence? Poor defending? The best (or second best) player on the planet and several really good players along with him...Di Maria, Higuan, Dybala, Otamendi, Mascherano, Aguero. What the heck?!? Especially strange is that with all of the strong scorers they have managed only one goal. Anybody besides me think it is a deficiency in the midfield that is one of their biggest issues? oraclesfriend may I add a question, I know it takes 11 players but does it diminish your view of Messi as a player or his legacy when it comes to his/team's performance when it comes to the World Cup or other National Team competitions? This is in light of Ronaldo seemingly putting the team on his back and willing them to win?
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Post by zizou on Jun 21, 2018 16:10:34 GMT -5
This is simple. First, their coach is an idiot. How do you keep Higuain and Dybala on the bench? I am not a huge Di Maria fan but he is better than Meza, and brings enough threat that maybe some more space would be open for Messi. Otamendi is not a center half; he is a fullback. WTF is Sanpaoli playing him in the middle of a back three? Mascherano is and always has been terribly overrated. Where is he now, playing high-quality matches in China? Second, you are correct that their biggest deficiency is in midfield and that especially shows against a team like Croatia who is loaded in midfield. This was no contest in the center of the pitch today. Croatia dominated the midfield. Modric and Rakitic were awesome. Croatia midfield is so deep they have Kovacic coming off the bench. Croatia had three defenders around Messi at all times. Argentina had no other means besides Messi for unlocking the Croatia defense; shut him down and Argentina were done. And Sanpaoli is too much of an idiot to realize this.
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Post by SoccerMom on Jun 21, 2018 18:52:22 GMT -5
Messi has never played with heart for Argentina. He left Argentina at 13 years old. He's only Argentian by birth.
He has been a disappointment both games.
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jun 21, 2018 20:17:36 GMT -5
What is the issue with this team? Lack of cohesion? Overconfidence? Poor defending? The best (or second best) player on the planet and several really good players along with him...Di Maria, Higuan, Dybala, Otamendi, Mascherano, Aguero. What the heck?!? Especially strange is that with all of the strong scorers they have managed only one goal. Anybody besides me think it is a deficiency in the midfield that is one of their biggest issues? oraclesfriend may I add a question, I know it takes 11 players but does it diminish your view of Messi as a player or his legacy when it comes to his/team's performance when it comes to the World Cup or other National Team competitions? This is in light of Ronaldo seemingly putting the team on his back and willing them to win? I don't know. Messi was instrumental in getting them into the competition to begin with. He had a hat trick to get them into it. They could not even win without him there. He played well in the Copa America games and the last World Cup even though the lost all three final games. I am not a Ronaldo hater. I have a ton of respect for his talents and his recent ability to put the team on his back, but the Euros and this world cup (so far) he has been able to but he drew the US in 2014 and failed to advance in that tournament. It is hard for me to say that Ronaldo's achievements in this world cup make me think less of Messi given their reverse situations in 2014. Also Ronaldo's team does not have the pressure upon it that Argentina does. I am a little bewildered by how much the stress shows on Messi's face (see the images of him during the anthem)
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Post by rifle on Jun 21, 2018 20:24:27 GMT -5
I'll be sad when Lionel retires. He is magical. Not unlike LeBron.
Such a shame that CFC couldn't find a manager or scouts who are up to the challenge. Bummer is apt.
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Post by rifle on Jun 21, 2018 20:25:07 GMT -5
Messi has never played with heart for Argentina. He left Argentina at 13 years old. He's only Argentian by birth. He has been a disappointment both games. Should have competed for Spain.
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Post by soccerfan30 on Jun 21, 2018 20:39:51 GMT -5
Messi can't win anything without the Spanish National Team feeding him the ball.
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Post by SoccerMom on Jun 21, 2018 21:03:45 GMT -5
Messi has never played with heart for Argentina. He left Argentina at 13 years old. He's only Argentian by birth. He has been a disappointment both games. Should have competed for Spain. Heck at least act like he wants to be there! He looked bored. And last time Argentina at the Copa America when they lost he said he wasn't going to play with the nat'l team anymore. He has been declining even with Barcelona, maybe its time for a change
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jun 21, 2018 21:06:31 GMT -5
Messi can't win anything without the Spanish National Team feeding him the ball. Iniesta? Maybe more apt would be the Croatian national team...Rakitic But really that is a bit cynical, don't you think? Being in three finals means nothing? As a coach you should know better than that...there are 11 players on the field. AND as a Tophat coach you should appreciate his technical skill, his possession play, and passing accuracy in addition to the fact that he doesn't get by on size and superior athleticism...a criticism you have thrown onto some of the youth clubs in the area. Of ALL of the people on this forum I would have expected YOU to be someone who would see that.
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jun 21, 2018 21:11:59 GMT -5
This is simple. First, their coach is an idiot. How do you keep Higuain and Dybala on the bench? I am not a huge Di Maria fan but he is better than Meza, and brings enough threat that maybe some more space would be open for Messi. Otamendi is not a center half; he is a fullback. WTF is Sanpaoli playing him in the middle of a back three? Mascherano is and always has been terribly overrated. Where is he now, playing high-quality matches in China? Second, you are correct that their biggest deficiency is in midfield and that especially shows against a team like Croatia who is loaded in midfield. This was no contest in the center of the pitch today. Croatia dominated the midfield. Modric and Rakitic were awesome. Croatia midfield is so deep they have Kovacic coming off the bench. Croatia had three defenders around Messi at all times. Argentina had no other means besides Messi for unlocking the Croatia defense; shut him down and Argentina were done. And Sanpaoli is too much of an idiot to realize this. I agree that Mascherano is overrated, but still is better than a lot of countries have available to them. Di Maria is a bit inconsistent, but same thing as Mascherano...
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jun 21, 2018 21:16:17 GMT -5
Should have competed for Spain. Heck at least act like he wants to be there! He looked bored. And last time Argentina at the Copa America when they lost he said he wasn't going to play with the nat'l team anymore. He has been declining even with Barcelona, maybe its time for a change I don't think he is declining at Barca. Had a great year there, but is definitely changing the way he plays...age will do that to people. I don't think he looked bored...just frustrated. I was disappointed to see how stressed out he was beforehand. He is a pro and has been doing this for a long time...hasn't he figured out how to relax or at least fake it? I also was disappointed to see him just walk off the pitch.
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Post by SoccerMom on Jun 21, 2018 21:25:29 GMT -5
Heck at least act like he wants to be there! He looked bored. And last time Argentina at the Copa America when they lost he said he wasn't going to play with the nat'l team anymore. He has been declining even with Barcelona, maybe its time for a change I don't think he is declining at Barca. Had a great year there, but is definitely changing the way he plays...age will do that to people. I don't think he looked bored...just frustrated. I was disappointed to see how stressed out he was beforehand. He is a pro and has been doing this for a long time...hasn't he figured out how to relax or at least fake it? I also was disappointed to see him just walk off the pitch. He's getting paid a lot of $$ to not leave it all on the pitch. Argentina is praying for a miracle tomorrow morning and even if it happens and they manage to go to the next round it wont be too long with the way they play. Too many superstars yet they can't manage to play as a team.
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Post by jash on Jun 22, 2018 14:23:01 GMT -5
Too many superstars yet they can't manage to play as a team. To me that screams coaching problem.
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Post by rifle on Jun 22, 2018 20:14:24 GMT -5
Messi can't win anything without the Spanish National Team feeding him the ball. I'm choosing to read this as sarcasm. His club team isn't all Spanish.
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Post by zizou on Jun 26, 2018 14:15:44 GMT -5
Mascherano is having a nightmare and that stupid penalty added to his misery. Soft but you cannot wrap guys in the box anymore.
But Banega's ball and Messi touch and finish were sublime.
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Post by atlfutboldad on Jun 28, 2018 13:55:02 GMT -5
Hopefully Argentina will have more fire going forward. Mascherano's hold was nothing compared to what Kane was getting that was getting against both Tunisia and Panama. But getting a PK call within minutes of subbing in...ridiculous.
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