Thursday night's world cup action!!

fade2black

Well, today went according to plan and tonight brings two matches that are certainly not as easy to predict.

Croatia V Australia

Both teams have been so-so in the tournament so far. Both sides still have a chance of qualifying so this should be a decent game.

As per my bets today I predict a draw here

Brazil V Japan

Eirebhoy really fancied Japan pre tournament and he's a good judge as we all know. They are a decent side and Brazil are going to rest some players tonight. My verdict:

Brazil to win by 1 or draw so....

Japan +2 in the handicap betting.

eirebhoy

I put a few euro on Japan-Italy double at 25/1. There's a pretty slim chance of Japan winning but it'll certainly keep me a lot more interested. Japan can still qualify while Brazil have very little to play for.

fade2black

My only concern tonight will be Japan having to take it to Brazil...it will leave them vulnerable at the back. However, i've got a sneaky feeling that Japan may neak a goal early against what will probably be a weakened Brazil side. After that who knows what will happen. Hopefully +2 on Japan will be enough.

fade2black

Adriano seems to be the only player rested for Brazil. Schwarzer is dropped for Australia

mike65

Brazil
01 N Dida
03 F Lucio
04 S Juan
13 J Cicinho
16 D Gilberto
08 R Kaka
10 G Ronaldinho
17 G Silva
19 P Juninho
09 L Ronaldo
23 D Robinho

Decent enough starting 11 for a dead rubber.

Mike.

eirebhoy

I know Dermot Gallagher is from Dublin but I was certain he had a Scottish accent.

Vokes

Looking forward to watching Japan an all out attack. I see Juninho is playing. Will be fascinating watching himself and Nakamura taking freekicks.

Will turn over a half time if the match fails to sparkle.

eirebhoy

Pretty attacking team from Brazil. :eek: They have to hold onto the ball tonight or they could be easily caught on the break. Juninho deserves a start though. Good odds for first goal.

Brian017

What channel is The Australia match on?

Vokes

BBC3 i think

fade2black

On UKTV G2

gimmick

^ If Brazil are 'running away' with their game with Japan, RTE will switch over to Croatia V Aussies if there is still to play for.

Looks like Bradys comments paid off, though I cannot understand why they arent showing the latter game as the main one.

eirebhoy

Japan drop their 2 strikers, no suprise there.

Brian017

I think I'll stick with BBC3 rather than UKTVG2.

Vokes

Japan have strikers? *ba dam, tish*

Aquos76

Croatia are already 1 up

eirebhoy

Japan are playing terrible football. :mad: Misplacing passes and falling all over the place.

Pighead

Can't be playing that bad. They're winning 1-0

Pighead

And in the other match Australia equalize from the penalty spot. How exciting!

Gangsta

They're putting together some nice passing, Japan. Although they seem to be unconfident to take players on.

eirebhoy

Pighead wrote:

Can't be playing that bad. They're winning 1-0

1-1 now. They're playing more like Greece than Japan tbh.

mike65

NTL are total fvckwits! BBC3 dissapeared as I watched it! Switched over to UKTVG2, great game by the way.

Mike.

mewso

You beauty. Juninho at 14-1 to score next

mewso

RTE appear to have switched to the Croatralia game now.

fade2black

Haha...never saw that happening before. You feel sorry for the poor brazilian family in Offaly who only have RTE 1, 2 TV3 and TG4

fade2black

The Aussies robbed of a nailed on penalty. The same tool who handled for the first one did it again...more blatantly this time.

fade2black

JUSTICE

2-2

Harry Kewell

Roddy23

Good goal by sicknote. Can still see the aussie keeper fcuking it up though. Looks real dodge.

CiaranC

First time ive ever seen a player get 3 yellows and 2 reds in a match

eirebhoy

Japan decided to start passing at 3-1 down and played very well but Brazil were at their best and you can't do anything about that.

I was actually hoping that Croatia would win their match as I'm worried that Hiddink will find a way of rattling Italy like USA did.

mike65

Fantastic game, high drama and low farce. I can only think that Schawze has a broken leg otherwise Hiddink would have put him on! The Croats are possibly the niggliest team I've ever seen at the world cup and Poll was right to book as many of them as often as possible. Emerton was a total tool though.

Mike.

jArgHA

fade2black wrote:

Haha...never saw that happening before. You feel sorry for the poor brazilian family in Offaly who only have RTE 1, 2 TV3 and TG4

janey yeah, there were many brazilians watching the game on a big screen in Gort, Co. Galway where there is a large brazilian population. they must have gone nuts when RTE switched over!

Pighead

jArgHA wrote:

janey yeah, there were many brazilians watching the game on a big screen in Gort, Co. Galway where there is a large brazilian population. they must have gone nuts when RTE switched over!

Love the pun!

ronbyrne2005

Pighead wrote:

Love the pun!

are you not meant to say "pighead loves the pun" ?

Kingp35

The Brazilian lineup tonight was alot stronger than the lineup in the previous two games. I tought Robinho and Juninho were both excellent and added something to the Brazilian attack that just wasnt there in the first two games.

redspider

This was an interesting game for a number of reasons. For one, it showed that Brazil in a 4-5-1 formation are better than a 4-2-2-2 (4-4-2). With Ronaldinho playing centrally, Kaka and Robinho out wider, and with Gilberto Silva performing the "holding role", both the defensive attributes and the attacking options were better. Juninho Pernumbacano perhaps not getting as much a free role as he would like but that didnt stop him either.

Although Brazil rested several first team players, such as Cafu and Roberto Carlos, other changes werent for resting purposes. Ronaldinho was kept on, and Ronaldo, whom many thought before the match may have been a dead cert for resting, was preferred to Adriano.

Brazil continued to show some fraility at the back, but it has to be said that the Japanese goal was well worked. A Brazillian like goal if ever there was one.

Brazil didnt panic though. They were doing well and creating openings yet not getting clear ones or putting them away. They were showing quick feet though in the final third.

One caveat to this performance was that this is Japan. Their defence (and indeed attack) were at times woeful. This shoed for Brazil's first goal. Ronaldo only had to move 3 steps (and that is all he can move these days) to head the ball home. He still reminds me of an aged player who is playing an exhibition match and showing kis skills of old. Just dont ask him to run, or indeed go past players.

The Juninho goal came out of the blue but it was a fantastic strike and will give the Brazilian management some food for thought. However, with his overall play I dont think he has played himself into the 1st 11. Brazil opened up their game and tempo, and worked another opening to create their third goal.

The 4th was a great move, a surging run from the back, some meat one-two's and Ronaldo still has the quickness of feet and the skill to curl a shot around a defender and goalie to score. He doesnt need to run past people or defend or be industrious or run much. Whether that makes him not a great player is up to the observer to decide!

I think Robinho has to be a starter in their 1st 11, and so does Ronaldo even if he is only walking around the pitch. If they play 4-5-1, then Adriano will lose out.

Still looking like a Brazil v Argentina final for me ......


Croatia 2-2 Australia
This may have been a closer affair with more at stake, but the quality of the football was a lot poorer.


redspider

shatners basoon

redspider wrote:

Croatia 2-2 Australia
This may have been a closer affair with more at stake, but the quality of the football was a lot poorer.


redspider

In depth analysis as always, poor aussies!:p