Russia 2018 World Cup

I think that this is the change in the game today ... some of the "lower" teams in the world have gotten better, but the media in Europe will not accept it, and still think that all teams must be honored by one player only, and they can not compete.

Messi, deserves a lot more than he has gotten from Argentina, but their Federation is not about the best players and the best coaches ... it's about their collective ego and rich-ness, and their "control" of their servants, instead of realizing that they need to come together and make the team work well along with the coaching staff.

What was clear, is that the coach in this game was not in touch with the players, and able to adjust quickly to the stonewalling that Croatia was doing, in preventing Messi from getting the ball. And the coaching staff should have been prepared for that ... but no ... it takes Aguero out instead, a proven scorer.

Nigeria will be a good test ... Croatia stonewalled. Nigeria is going to run the 100 yd dashes around Argentina, and we hope their old men can stop the flying feet from getting to the ball and probably scoring since Argentina does not have a reliable/dependable keeper, it looks like ... but I do believe that a lot of his problems are communication with his back line ... which failed during the Croatia game.

One man teams are doomed, and I think that Brazil is next.

Hi,

My contention is that they had studied Barcelona, and Argentina thoroughly in the film and knew the tendencies of how to get the ball to Messi ... and they found out real quick that the midfield of Argentina was a high school equivalent compared to Barcelona, and from that point on the game was just ... easy for Croatia, specially after they got the first goal, on a defensive mistake. The Argentine midfield could not find, or locate an option to change the game ... and they did not look for Aguero, and neither did they threaten with long shots to open up the defense some. 

The game, for the Argentine staff, was one that was very badly looked at and they did not study the elements that took place in the first half, which the TV set glaringly showed and the announcers were openly discussing!

My bet, is that the same thing is going to happen to Brazil, that does not exactly have a flexible staff, and a strong enough technical one.

The Germany loss, for me, is one of what appeared to be a miscalculation of the game design and propensities. The Germans did not study the USA games (for example) where Costa Rica, Mexico and others ran right past the players at such speed that they just stood there and watched. The Germans, for my liking, appeared to be a step slow compared to Mexico, a team that was pretty sure they could catch the Germans on their back feet more than once, and they did ... and pulled off the upset. Even the German aerial attack failed, and that is something that tells you that the wide defenders prevented the crosses ... or cut them down to a small number by comparison ... and that Germany, still believed they could air raid Mexico ... and they didn't!

There are always, in every WC ... some surprises. Personally, I'm glad to see these big teams take a dump and give a different country a chance. I do not dislike the big teams and countries, but I am sick and tired of their media and their opinions that they own the world and that they will get all the trophies and I want to see the David's pull games out a lot more in the WC ... sick and tired of the Goliah's.

Two from three is kind of weird, and could have collusion, if 1 beats 2, & 2 draws 3, then a draw between 1 & 3 eliminates 2.

Brazil 2 v 0 Costa Rica

If Neymar was booked in the 81st minute for dissent (after arguing his penalty award being overturned by VAR) why didn't this tally to a second yellow and a dismissal? Can someone tell me why he wasn't booked initially for simulating being fouled? (the video footage confirmed he fell backwards after the lightest touch of an opponents hand brushing his chest) It also begs the speculation: if he should have been red carded he wouldn't have been on the field to score his team's first goal. No-one can deny his talent but the media are fast turning the Seleção into Team NEYMAR Pty Ltd. Brazil were wretched throughout and had Costa Rica shown just a bit more ambition in getting forward more often....who knows?

Croatia 3 v 0 Argentina

Like any 58 year old man's tattoos, Sampaoli's birds of prey and ferocious predators are mutating daily into corpulent penguins and bloated lap-cats. From the federation down, Argentina are an omni-shambles and things behind the scenes must be that bad to make a team with this much individual talent perform with so little evident passion or desire. Messi without the ball is just one kit less that needs washing.

Go Panama!