Plain ol' Spain vs Paraguay, Saturday 3rd July, 7:30pm (RTE & BBC HD)

titan18

Really wish Paraguay won that game, they worked so hard.Also, on the encroachment thing,why doesn't the ref have the other penalties retaken?

MementoMori

noodler wrote: »

RTE loving Iker's save from Roque but completely forgetting that it was him who spilled the ball in the first time.

Stop using logic

noodler

noodler wrote: »

RTE loving Iker's save from Roque but completely forgetting that it was him who spilled the ball in the first time.

"In the first time?"

What an idiot.

Pro. F

That encroachment argument on RTE was pure genius. It was like being down the pub!

CR 7

noodler wrote: »

"In the first time?"

What an idiot.

:eek:

Personal abuse!!!

Reported.

noodler

Outstanding Apres match there.

Just dubbed over the boys.

dfx-

Another little victory over a team effort. Paraguay's performance was befitting of a team no further than the Quarter-finals...very little ambition.

Thankfully, barring Uruguay that approach has failed beyond the Quarters..

So go Netherlands:cool:

Nuri Sahin

I love Villa and Casillas.

That is all.

steelcityblues

dfx- wrote: »

Another little victory over a team effort. Paraguay's performance was befitting of a team no further than the Quarter-finals...very little ambition.

Thankfully, barring Uruguay that approach has failed beyond the Quarters..

So go Netherlands:cool:

If you don't think Uruguay have been a step ahead of Paraguay throughout the tournament, then you haven't been watching closely.

dfx-

I've seen the France, S Korea and Ghana games and have seen nothing too much different.

steelcityblues

dfx- wrote: »

I've seen the France, S Korea and Ghana games and have seen nothing too much different.

They have firepower up front, and two players with six goals between them.

Paraguay failed to score in 3 of their 5 matches. Big difference!

namloc1980

dfx- wrote: »

I've seen the France, S Korea and Ghana games and have seen nothing too much different.

Are you serious???? Forlan and Suarez have 3 goals each in the tournament. The entire Paraguay team barely mustered 3 goals in 5 games.

cooker3

rarnes1 wrote: »

The RTE commentators said Spain have neer been to a WC semi.

I stand corrected

They are right. In the 1950 world cup, the final 4 teams played in a final group stage and Spain finished last, the so called final was actually the final group game where luckily the top 2 teams happened to be playing.

dfx-

steelcityblues wrote: »

They have firepower up front, and two players with six goals between them.

A goal a game South Africa match aside, so they haven't exactly been banging them in. And they have been unadventurous too, particularly against S Korea when 1-0 up.

Admittedly not 'as bad' in approach as Paraguay, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland and Japan but still.

steelcityblues

dfx- wrote: »

A goal a game South Africa match aside, so they haven't exactly been banging them in. And they have been unadventurous too, particularly against S Korea when 1-0 up.

Admittedly not 'as bad' in approach as Paraguay, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Switzerland and Japan but still.

Fair enough, but Holland did not exactly win games in style earlier on either, so it makes for an evenly matched semi-final!

JerryHandbag

Wow that clown of a ref did his very best to deny Spain victory....making Alonso retake that pen when 99 out of 100 referees wouldnt be so anal and try to nitpick. How did he not see Fabregas being tripped for a 3rd peno? What a bottler! Some of the decisions in this World Cup have been hilariously bad. I'm just glad it didnt cost Spain and we now have a semi that I'm drooling about

flahavaj

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Wow that clown of a ref did his very best to deny Spain victory....making Alonso retake that pen when 99 out of 100 referees wouldnt be so anal and try to nitpick. How did he not see Fabregas being tripped for a 3rd peno? What a bottler! Some of the decisions in this World Cup have been hilariously bad. I'm just glad it didnt cost Spain and we now have a semi that I'm drooling about

I think his view was blocked for the Fabregas incident. But the linesman should've seen it, he had a clear view of it.

eagle eye

steelcityblues wrote: »

If you don't think Uruguay have been a step ahead of Paraguay throughout the tournament, then you haven't been watching closely.

Redic comment. Paraguay have been brilliant in this tournament.

You are the type of guy who is all to common these days, if you don't see a star attacker then you don't rate a team. Its all about goals for you. So sad.

Shanotheslayer

eagle eye wrote: »

Redic comment. Paraguay have been brilliant in this tournament.

Its all about goals for you. So sad.

Goals win matches. You can be solid at the back and great on the counter, thats impressive. But unless your scoring those counter attacks, its phail.

MisterAnarchy

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

If the Germans beat Spain I will be a believer. I think we can all agree though Spain are the biggest test the Germans will have faced in the competition.

Should be a fascinating game.

Unfortunately for Spain ,they are tailor made for the German counter attack.
Spain will attack ,have most of the possession ,probably huff and puff and get caught on the break .
That Spanish defence was shocking tonight .Paraguay didnt have much ambition going forward but everytime they did venture forward Spain looked shaky and likely to concede.
I fear Germany will cut that defence to shreds .

eagle eye

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Unfortunately for Spain ,they are tailor made for the German counter attack.
Spain will attack ,have most of the possession ,probably huff and puff and get caught on the break .
That Spanish defence was shocking tonight .Paraguay didnt have much ambition going forward but everytime they did venture forward Spain looked shaky and likely to concede.
I fear Germany will cut that defence to shreds .

The Spanish defense has looked dodgy in the air particularly with a high ball. The Germans play the ball on the carpet and nothing has been getting through that Spanish rearguard on the floor.

redout

I cant get over the amount of people criticising Spain.

Get this through your heads - they are facing teams with everyone behind the ball when they go forward!

Teams that are pressing high up the field.

A task which makes it immensely difficult for a team to score or create space.

Teams defending with two banks of four leave next to no space.

Did anyone notice Villa and Xavi tonight - everytime they got the ball they were surrounded by 2/3 players.

It is actually a credit that Spain are in the semi-finals having to overcome such negative tactics.

MisterAnarchy

eagle eye wrote: »

The Spanish defense has looked dodgy in the air particularly with a high ball. The Germans play the ball on the carpet and nothing has been getting through that Spanish rearguard on the floor.

They looked pretty suspect for through balls tonight .
Ramos is a disaster waiting to happen at right back,Germany will exploit his ineptitude ,they always seem to exploit weaknesses.
I'd love to see Spain go through but that defence is dodgy.

I cant get over the amount of people criticising Spain.

Get this through your heads - they are facing teams with everyone behind the ball when they go forward!

Teams that are pressing high up the field

There are too many cooks in that Spanish midfield.
Xabi Alonso should be dropped ,I cant see what he is contributing,Xavi and Iniesta are better players and would work better in the centre.
Torres should be dropped too ,the team are carrying him.
Spain need some width and a few dribblers to run at teams that park the bus .

titan18

redout wrote: »

I cant get over the amount of people criticising Spain.

Get this through your heads - they are facing teams with everyone behind the ball when they go forward!

Teams that are pressing high up the field.

A task which makes it immensely difficult for a team to score or create space.

Teams defending with two banks of four leave next to no space.

Did anyone notice Villa and Xavi tonight - everytime they got the ball they were surrounded by 2/3 players.

It is actually a credit that Spain are in the semi-finals having to overcome such negative tactics.

They haven't looked great in any game in this tournament so far.

They are very narrow in their play, with Xavi,Iniesta,Busquets and Alonso in the middle, there is very little width.Pretty sure at one point tonight they had no one upfront as Villa was out on the left and Torres was on the right. Torres has been terrible and he's really being carried in the team.They haven't looked great defensively either.They're not above criticism and considering that their performances in the Euros is still in most people's heads, they've been poor by their own standards.

Also, they played Chile who didn't sit back behind the ball, Honduras,who are a poor team, and were beaten by the Swiss.

redout

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

There are too many cooks in that Spanish midfield.
Xabi Alonso should be dropped ,I cant see what he is contributing,Xavi and Iniesta are better players and would work better in the centre.
Torres should be dropped too ,the team are carrying him.
Spain need some width and a few dribblers to run at teams that park the bus .

+1

Bring back Silva and drop Alonso.

redout

titan18 wrote: »

They haven't looked great in any game in this tournament so far.

They are very narrow in their play, with Xavi,Iniesta,Busquets and Alonso in the middle, there is very little width.Pretty sure at one point tonight they had no one upfront as Villa was out on the left and Torres was on the right. Torres has been terrible and he's really being carried in the team.They haven't looked great defensively either.They're not above criticism and considering that their performances in the Euros is still in most people's heads, they've been poor by their own standards.

Also, they played Chile who didn't sit back behind the ball, Honduras,who are a poor team, and were beaten by the Swiss.

I have answered peoples criticisms on this in past Spain match threads.

I really cant be bothered to keep writing it over and over.

I think I have a piece in the Portugal thread if people wanna read it.

flahavaj

redout wrote: »

+1

Bring back Silva and drop Alonso.

I'd consider dropping Torres too tbh, he's not getting any better as they bo doubt hoped. Either Llorente or a right winger couldn't play any worse tbh.

cooker3

eagle eye wrote: »

Redic comment. Paraguay have been brilliant in this tournament.

You are the type of guy who is all to common these days, if you don't see a star attacker then you don't rate a team. Its all about goals for you. So sad.

Brilliant, give me a break. They couldn't beat Japan or New Zealand. 3 goals in 5 games, 0 goals in last 3 games. It's 1 thing to win 1-0 but to keep drawing 0-0 and hope for penalties does not make a 'brilliant' team.

steelcityblues

eagle eye wrote: »

Redic comment. Paraguay have been brilliant in this tournament.

You are the type of guy who is all to common these days, if you don't see a star attacker then you don't rate a team. Its all about goals for you. So sad.

More to the point, why did they not at least play more positively against a team like Japan, who offer little going forward themselves?

They actually played better against Spain tonight, but there are times when you have to gamble a bit, and it is sad that a lot of coaches don't get this!

redout

flahavaj wrote: »

I'd consider dropping Torres too tbh, he's not getting any better as they bo doubt hoped. Either Llorente or a right winger couldn't play any worse tbh.

I think Llorente should be given an opportunity.

Very disappointed to not see Pedro been given a bigger chance at this tournament.

Llorente is a marvellous assest for knocking balls into the box - big, strong as an ox and can really give defenders problems.

UnknownSpecies

I had Spain, Uruguay, Holland and Germaby to get to the semi finals I am extremely drunnk right now celebrating hahahah best day EVER !!!!! I always wondered whart kind of people go onto boards.ie drunk, but now I realise

Just to get something constructive in, I thought Spain wasted the ball too much tonight. They were only just good enough to win! I was extremely surprised with Xavi, more loose than I've seen him in ages! I hope Spain beat Germany but to be honest I think Germany will win! Big game from Klose to come I feel!