FIFA Club World Cup Thread

[DDA 9,938]

Messi is the 🐐 

 

The best player to have ever graced planet Earth. 

 

There is no question in mu mind even if he doesn't win the WC.

 

 

[robsblubot 3,595]

3 minutes ago, Vesper said:

then it's settled for good between CR7 and him

 

heh never thought it was even close tbh.

Been warning about Argentina for a while here... heh just the way they beat Brazil in Brazilian soil was a big warning flag to me.
Brazil play them again and my money is on them. Brazil was overrated by the media, as usual.

[NikkiCFC 8,318]

8 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

heh never thought it was even close tbh.

Been warning about Argentina for a while here... heh just the way they beat Brazil in Brazilian soil was a big warning flag to me.
Brazil play them again and my money is on them. Brazil was overrated by the media, as usual.

I still think there are 6,7 better teams than Argentina. Just it happened they didn't face any of them to reach the final. 

[robsblubot 3,595]

5 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

I still think there are 6,7 better teams than Argentina. Just it happened they didn't face any of them to reach the final. 

well we will see... I think (very likely) France will have an extremely hard time against Argentina.

I hope you did not include Portugal in there. 😉 

Edited December 13, 2022 by robsblubot

[Vesper 30,169]

Just now, NikkiCFC said:

I still think there are 6,7 better teams than Argentina. Just it happened they didn't face any of them to reach the final. 

name 6, 7 teams better than them

France is the only one you can say for sure (especially when 100% healthy, but even now)

Brazil possibly, but results speak loudly

I wouldn't rate any of the other 6 of the big 7 old Euro powers as better

England (shit CBs did us in, along with fullback injuries, IF we had 2 WC CBs and at least Reece, I might say better, BUT we do not have them)
Italy (that Euro winning side, maybe, but they are no longer at that level)
Spain
Portugal
Germany
Netherlands

and then

Belgium, who are full stop rinsed

[MoroccanBlue 5,381]

Hope Morocco learn from this and don’t crumble like Croatia. 

[Vesper 30,169]

15 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

well we will see... I think (very likely) France will have an extremely hard time against Argentina.

I hope you did not include Portugal in there. 😉 

at most there are 2 or 3, and the second (Brasil) was beaten by them (Copa America) and by Croatia, and the third (England) doesn't have Reece and also we have slabhead as a starting CB

that leaves only one better, IMHO

France

Italy fell apart after winning the Euros, they did not even make the WC finals, lolol

Spain were disappointing, I do not think they can handle the Argies atm

no other team can be said to be better with a straight face

[cosmicway 1,333]

Croatia need four-five halves to score a goal.
They made the mistake Brazil made against them to concede the first. After that it was cat and mouse.

[Vesper 30,169]

6 minutes ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Hope Morocco learn from this and don’t crumble like Croatia. 

Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saiss, the two best centre-backs in the Morocco squad, are fitness doubts, but Noussair Mazraoui could be available after missing the Portugal win.

If both of their starting CBs are out, well, eeeek

[milka 3,394]

That was very boring semi-final .

It will probably be the same tomorrow.

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by milka

[Vesper 30,169]

54 minutes ago, DDA said:

Messi is the 🐐 

 

The best player to have ever graced planet Earth. 

 

There is no question in mu mind even if he doesn't win the WC.

 

 

no WC no goat

sorry

but that's just the way it is

[robsblubot 3,595]

40 minutes ago, Vesper said:

at most there are 2 or 3, and the second (Brasil) was beaten by them (Copa America) and by Croatia, and the third (England) doesn't have Reece and also we have slabhead as a starting CB

that leaves only one better, IMHO

France

Italy fell apart after winning the Euros, they did not even make the WC finals, lolol

Spain were disappointing, I do not think they can handle the Argies atm

no other team can be said to be better with a straight face

Agreed. It's easier to look at the names in a list and say who plays where and who should be the better side -- that's what the media does every time with Brazil. Like I said before, aside from defense (and Reece), England is also missing someone else in midfield for me, perhaps that someone could've been mount if the coach had tried that. 🤷‍♂️ This is the best England team I've seen in many WCs to be honest. I think it's at lot better than the one Brazil beat in 2002.

When we talk about single-elimination WC games--and not long championships--this grit that the Argentines show can go a long way. They are not particularly powerful athletes, so they have to physically compete via aggression. Besides... there is Messi. Messi atm is the hardest player to handle with Mbappe a close second. Mbappe still requires some space to operate, while Messi does not.

Brazil had a real problem high pressing. They could only do that for very short periods of time, which was a big problem against a possession team like Croatia. I think Brazil's inability to high press would've make Spain a nightmare for them. 

Now we only need France to do their job to get the dream final. All fair game to Morocco, they've done a brilliant job, but I know which team the Argentines would much rather face.

Edited December 13, 2022 by robsblubot

[Vesper 30,169]

7 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

Agreed. It's easier to look at the names in a list and say who plays where and who should be the better side -- that's what the media does every time with Brazil. Like I said before, aside from defense (and Reece), England is also missing someone else in midfield for me, perhaps that someone could've been mount if the coach had tried that. 🤷‍♂️ This is the best England team I've seen in many WCs to be honest. I think it's at lot better than the one Brazil beat in 2002.

When we talk about single-elimination WC games--and not long championships--this grit that the Argentines show can go a long way. They are not particularly powerful athletes, so they have to physically compete via aggression. Besides... there is Messi. Messi atm is the hardest player to handle with Mbappe a close second. Mbappe still requires some space to operate, while Messi does not.

Brazil had real problem high pressing. They could only do that for very short periods of time, which was a big problem against a possession team like Croatia. I think Brazil's inability to high press would make Spain a nightmare to them. 

Now we only need France to do their job to get the dream final. All fair game to Morocco, they've done a brilliant job, but I know which team the Argentines would much rather face.

if France had a healthy Kante and Kimpembe, they would be pure locks 

Upamecano is their weak spot

crazy that they do not roll with another CB

real shame (for France and us) that Fofana is not only injured, but also NOT at all fully recovered before that from his leg break

when he was playing like he was pre injury for Leicester (which is the form that enticed us, even post injury, to splash the cash), I thought he would be a starting CB for France in this WC

 

France in general was the most insane amount of CBs (not talking WC)

and remember, Aymeric Laporte could have picked them at any time to play for

in order of T-Markt valuation:

Wesley Fofana injured
Jules Koundé
Lucas Hernández injured
Dayot Upamecano 
William Saliba
Raphaël Varane
Presnel Kimpembe injured
Benoît Badiashile
Robin Le Normand (I think he would have been a great add)
Ibrahima Konaté 
Pierre Kalulu 
Kurt Zouma 
Evan Ndicka  (I think he would have been a great add)
Mohamed Simakan (I think he would have been a great add)
Axel Disasi 
Maxence Lacroix 
Jean-Clair Todibo 
Tanguy Nianzou 
Dan-Axel Zagadou  

[robsblubot 3,595]

6 minutes ago, Vesper said:

if France had a healthy Kante and Kimpembe, they would be pure locks 

Upamecano is their weak spot

crazy that they do not roll with another CB

real shame (for France and us) that Fofana is not only injured, but also NOT at all fully recovered before that from his leg break

when he was playing like he was pre injury for Leicester (which is the form that enticed us, even post injury, to splash the cash), I thought he would be a starting CB for France in this WC

 

France in general was the most insane amount of CBs (not talking WC)

and remember, Aymeric Laporte could have picked them at any time to play for

in order of T-Markt valuation:

Wesley Fofana injured
Jules Koundé
Lucas Hernández injured
Dayot Upamecano 
William Saliba
Raphaël Varane
Presnel Kimpembe injured
Benoît Badiashile
Robin Le Normand (I think he would have been a great add)
Ibrahima Konaté 
Pierre Kalulu 
Kurt Zouma 
Evan Ndicka  (I think he would have been a great add)
Mohamed Simakan (I think he would have been a great add)
Axel Disasi 
Maxence Lacroix 
Jean-Clair Todibo 
Tanguy Nianzou 
Dan-Axel Zagadou  

yeah which kante tho. Still, not sure how much a lock there is in a WC final, but yeah France would be much clearer favorites without the absences -- even if I would still give them the edge against Argentina right now. It's going to be tight though, so any detail would be enough to settle it. 60-40... France? 🤷‍♂️

One thing I've learned from several Brazil WC campaigns is that, depth is nice to have (evidently), but only XI play and it takes a very good coach to fully utilize that extra depth. On the other hand, I'm not seeing the need to rotate players as much as before. Perhaps fitness is so more advanced that players are coping with the accumulation of physical matches better than before.

[Vesper 30,169]

7 minutes ago, robsblubot said:

On the other hand, I'm not seeing the need to rotate players as much as before. Perhaps fitness is so more advanced that players are coping with the accumulation of physical matches better than before.

because it is a midseason WC

[cosmicway 1,333]

Now: Arg 1.83, France 2.25.
But that takes into account the possibility of Morocco taking out France.
As for Morocco the price is 12.00 (low).

I 'm not impressed anymore. I just won 5 euros backing a Portugal league cup match between amateurs.
Could have won 500. The chance of losing was small.

 

 

[NikkiCFC 8,318]

1 hour ago, robsblubot said:

 

I hope you did not include Portugal in there. 😉 

If Portugal and Argentina are one team except Messi which Argentinian player would make starting 11? Maybe GK and one CB to play with Dias. That's it. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by NikkiCFC

[robsblubot 3,595]

1 hour ago, Vesper said:

no WC no goat

sorry

but that's just the way it is

That's a bit harsh... perhaps fair for a team like Argentina, but he never got a good group around him. CR7 has no shot at winning the WC and that does not diminish him as a player, because it's hard to control how good a WC team can be... too many variables.

So, for me a goat he is... best player since Maradona. R9 > CR7 esp before R9's exploding knees. However, for Argentina, yeah Messi won't be as big as Maradona without a WC win.

Pele == Maradona == Messi.

20 minutes ago, Vesper said:

because it is a midseason WC

Ah duh! good point totally forgot that... makes total sense.

Even if fitness is improved players are high pressing and that takes a toll as well.

Edited December 13, 2022 by robsblubot

[robsblubot 3,595]

16 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

If Portugal and Argentina are one team except Messi which Argentinian player would make starting 11? Maybe GK and one CB to play with Dias. That's it. 

I could not disagree more. I think this Portugal team is EXTREMELY overrated. Don't think there is a single Portuguese player who *would significantly improve Argentina* perhaps R. Dias and Bernardo Silva, but latter is a player who may not fit the way Argentina play. They have trouble competing physically as they showed against Morocco. Don't be surprised by a blowout tomorrow, btw.

I honestly believe this Argentina team would beat Portugal 7-9 times out of 10. They just play at a different tempo... it's like one is a team from Brazil and the other is from the PL. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by robsblubot

[cosmicway 1,333]

Argentine is renowned for its pretty girls.
Every city in the world you visit you will see a night club "Argentina".
You will never see a night club called "Belgium" or "Croatia".