Essential The Official Football (Soccer) Thread - The Scriptures Prophesied the Messiah Plays 3-4-3

[TTT]

Except this isn't true. This is the problem. You thinking that this is the problem is the problem. It's why they lost today. Lost in 2010. Lost in 2006, each loss more alarming and damning in the process. Ranging from merely disappointing in 2006, to appalling in 2010, to an outright debacle on this very evening.

You name Ronaldinho as some sort of past solution. Ronaldinho is like a grandmothers herbal remedies. You remember some random leaves poured into boiling curing you of so many ailments but forget to consider that it was something so simple as a days worth of rest and balanced meals that actually did the trick.

Ronaldinho was there in 2006. As was Kaka. Two of the absolute, just, most BRILLIANT players ever. They were there. I know it's hard to remember. A defensive midfielder combined with a metronomic passer (granted, two of the very best at each position) rendered them invisible.

Ronaldinho is the issue. He symbolizes it, epitomizes it. We call Ronaldinho a great many things but have never paused to consider and call him unfortunate?

The game changed. Dramatically, and almost suddenly. I'm not breaking any new ground here. The death of the trequartista has been chronicled endlessly, but it's true, and it's what has spelled doom for Brazil. Because for the rest of the world that position dying meant it was time for something else, for Brazil, it meant their game had died.

Ronaldinho, like Brazil, retreated within himself, held onto his game, whilst on the opposite end of the very same midfield the modern standard began to blossom.

The world, and even worse Brazil, grew to believe there bread and butter wasn't bread and butter at all, but instead some beautiful delicacy worthy of a michelin star.

It wasn't there forwards taking over the game. It was that, before zonal marking and gegenpressing and defending dodecahedrons with angles of varying degrees, Brazil's midfield could take over the game on class alone.

But the definition of class has changed.

This result is every bit as telling, forboding, and apocalyptic as that day in London when Puskas forever placed a hand around the heart of English football. He didn't rip it you. You can never do that. Children will always dream, and eleven of those children grow up to be men who play for their country. He didn't rip the heart out, but his fingers remain clasped around it never allowing it to beat the same way ever again.

You can change a football team. You can change strategy.

You cannot change identity.

At their very core Brazil's footballing ideals are wrong.

Their religion is wrong.

I dont think Brazil are insular about football if anything they are willing to try anything to win trophies, the last 2 teams to win tropies i.e 94 and 02 teams are as different in mentality as Chelsea are from Barcelona. They always had players at the top of their game , you could argue that from Romario through to Ronaldinho they always had one of the top 3 players and more often than not these guys would deliver in the finals and Ronaldinho did so when he had Ronaldo and RIvaldo who bore a greater burden to perform. He wasnt the absolute reason they won but he performed well enough to carry the attacking burden with the other 2. If anything Argentina would probably be the team that have suffered more than Brazil because they relied a lot more on their number 10s to pull the strings and they don't look the same without those guys in their teams.

The Brazilians IMO never had a Xavi type of midfielder the ones who could conceivably played that role ended playing for Portugal and Spain , the template for as long as i have watched them are physical midfielders in the middle of the park complemented by a bunch of forwards. the 2002 team had them so did the 06 , 10 and this side.What has changed is that there just arent that many creative forwards for them ,Oscar and Willian are lauded for their industry much more than their creativity and they are like the typical Brazilian forwards they have been relying on. Dunga in some ways recognized this and set them up to take that into account, he wasnt any different from Van Marjwick only that he had Felipe Melo on his side and the Dutch abandoning their principles took advantage of their mistakes. I doubt they would have been defensively unorganized as this current team. I think what constitutes Brazilian football identity carries a huge Nike influenced joga bonito halo that isn't reflective of what they have produced over the years.

 

[nyknick]

Brazil should just give the job to Bielsa, problem solved.

Spoiler

Or let my man Zdenek Zeman get in there and show them what football is

 

[Max B]

Kroos to real

I'm sick of the disrespect Kroos gets from Bayern bandwagon fans who don't understand just how much vision and patience are valued in playmaking.

I rate kroos higher then ozil and goetze

 

[Roaden Polynice]

@Don Rhymus that's what I came to OFT to read, well said.

Spoiler: branching away from this topic...

I can't even be bothered with the reaction thread posted on here. It was fun trolling the WC thread but I couldn't keep going, or keep reading the monsoon of opinions. Most of which have been bad. I'm all for people getting into the spirit of the game but goddamn, I can only take so much bad commentary. Salute to the soldiers who kept their work going, especially @penfield who seemed to turn heel 37 times in the thread.

Wumming in that thread is a pyrrhic victory if I've ever seen one. Running on fumes myself.

I rate kroos higher then ozil and goetze

And this is good cause for me to not rate your opinion at all

 

[Max B]

Wumming in that thread is a pyrrhic victory if I've ever seen one. Running on fumes myself.



And this is good cause for me to not rate your opinion at all

Ok?? I dont care if you rate my opinion or not you cac

 

[phillycavsfan]

The whole buildup to today for Brazil, starting with the development of Neymar, is gonna be one of the GOAT 30 for 30s one day.

 

[gho3st]

7 goals....Even if you had Germany winning today, you never thought for one second they'd cut through Brazil like they did today. And Scolari practically handcuffed himself with the roster he picked for this world cup. Once Neymar went down....

 

[Scottie Drippin]

Ok?? I dont care if you rate my opinion or not you cac

Just in case you were wondering I don't either now.

Given my taste in Carly Simon tracks, I think you do

 

[yoyoyo1]

finally starting reading it again

@ how this reads like a long soap opera. first there were the brits who really did nothing except get receipts from the early cup games. then come the proper-americans who wanted to grow the game everywhere, they end up fighting and merging. and despite a dedicated pioneer (tom cahill) creating the ASL and advancing the game the in-fighting and disorganization was so vicious the game never solidified itself.

 

[mastermind]

I love it (yes homo ) when you post like this.

I thought I was the only one

 

[mastermind]

Brazil's problem has always been they've had a wack attacking midfield with no passer.

Its been their problem since the 80s. Ganso having no knees hurt this group, and Oscar just being plain shyt has messed it up even more.

When people talk about Brazil only producing athletes, they are talking about the central midfield position. Now they just play goon ball and ask the wingbacks to create.

It has nothing to do with the demise of the trequartista position. Brazil won the 1994 world cup without one after benching Rai.

They have not produced a world class passer in the middle since Falcao. They were able to overcome it by great individual performances by their attackers, but with Neymar out they had no one else.

 

[yoyoyo1]

Brazil should just give the job to Bielsa, problem solved.

Or let my man Zdenek Zeman get in there and show them what football is

Cagliari games are must watch this season

 

[Bboystyle]

Brazil's problem has always been they've had a wack attacking midfield with no passer.

Its been their problem since the 80s. Ganso having no knees hurt this group, and Oscar just being plain shyt has messed it up even more.

When people talk about Brazil only producing athletes, they are talking about the central midfield position. Now they just play goon ball and ask the wingbacks to create.

It has nothing to do with the demise of the trequartista position. Brazil won the 1994 world cup without one after benching Rai.

They have not produced a world class passer in the middle since Falcao. They were able to overcome it by great individual performances by their attackers, but with Neymar out they had no one else.

Oscar looked like a lost puppy out there. I really hope he gets his shyt together before the season starts for Chelsea. I ain't trying to field that type of player. I'm gonna miss lampy

 

[Roaden Polynice]

The Fake Brazilians on here really are a a boring bunch. They've exhausted the book of football cliches to the point of absurdity. I'm not sure how many times we can hear that football is religion in Brazil, or that this will have ramifications, or that there will be riots blah blah blah. It's decidedly American. Reading the British sites, I feel like you rarely get that, it's a given. Only on American sites am I constantly reminded that Brazilians really enjoy football.

Also what holds those fukks back is the buying into the great Brazilian marketing juggernaut. I enjoy witnessing the link between advertising and the forming of an opinion. And not just advertising, but media in general tbf. Has a nation ever had a mystique built upon so much marketing and smoke? Nike been peddling Brazilian stereotypes for years now and people still fall for it hook, line and sinker.

On another note, watching that Vine that Diddly fukkwits posted above I've realized in the years that Vine has been a thing, I think I've laughed at like two, maybe three vines. How can a technology like that be so utterly unfunny? Just stick to goal replays recording your tv and the odd jiggly-ass shots from porn stars on their twitter.

On another nother note, I've realized I can't take anything seriously anymore. I was doing some extra side work for a website, just writing some content and copy, nothing too serious, and found myself constantly being a sarcastic a$$hole and taking the piss when that is definitely not what the website was going for. Just literally making fun of everything they wanted me to write, an insufferable sarcasm automaton with no off-switch. I'm incapable of writing anything that possesses any sort of gravity, I'm always hiding behind sarcasm, always a tongue lolling in one cheek or the other, acutely self-aware. My sarcasm has gotten to that level in real life where people just think I'm a fukking retard, that next level sarcasm that is as arid as Antarctica. I blame the coli.

On another nother nother note, "taking the piss." Can't believe it's gone this long without someone calling me a Fake Englishman.

 

[noodles]

Thank you @mastermind, Ganso was the player I couldn't remember his name...shame on Scolari...imagine a top side taking Fred and Jo as strike partners for Neymar

Brasil is about flair, skill and winning...he relied on his past glories with Ronaldinho, Ronny and Rivaldo...

only so long the defensive bullshyt Mourinho style (2 defensive centre mids) will work...