I mean you can't deny his contribution, he is dangerous as feck 1 on 1, but yeah, not impressed with his all around game at all.Same, thought he was a monster 1st half, but then had a really quiet 2nd half. Opposite of Caju on the left wing.
Dead Drafters Society
- Thread starter Šjor Bepo
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I mean you can't deny his contribution, he is dangerous as feck 1 on 1, but yeah, not impressed with his all around game at all.Same, thought he was a monster 1st half, but then had a really quiet 2nd half. Opposite of Caju on the left wing.
great game R!
Screwed myself with the drinking though, started pretty quickly so i decided to take a half a shot for a lost possession as i didnt wanted to finish the game under the desk but after eating like a pig whole day, it wasnt enough even though the GOAT tried and went just over 15
Thought england were the better team but they lacked dribblers, Charlton while playing a good game lost a bit of power naturally given he was 32 at the time and while Ball is capable of dribbling, he is more like a tippy tappy player, great teammate to have but he wont make a difference on his own. Also had a decent game, very good all-around but poor finishing. It was certainly a game which showcased how important is dribbling and why manager pay the big bucks for the best dribblers, they can ruin the entire team shape in one move so when you dont have it you will be "easy" to contain. Was hilarious when Ramsey had enough and went full Big Sam even though they were the better team at the time
Brazil was poor, probably the worst game on the tournament but one moment of brilliance by Tostao was enough - lovely assist from Pele and a great finish by the goat.
Also, Pele had a shocker. Awful until the assist, nice assist then and slightly upped his game towards the end but this is easily the worst i saw him play though i didnt watch much of him and most was on this tournament where he was just different class to anyone else.
Player of the week: Bobby Moore
Just immense, closely followed by Banks and Tostao. Tostao wasnt that good overall but if he didnt produce that moment of magic they could still be playing and not being closer to a goal.
Wanker of the week: feck it, its the GOAT - Jairzinho.
Probably the best game i watched from him and it was a big meh as usual. Great finish on the goal though but gets the award purely for that bump into Tostao.
Id disagree with 1v1 but yeah, obviously has his uses i just cant stand that type of players. Will get you goals but overall ability is shocking considering the reputation. Reminds me of Sterling, gets you elite numbers but you can clearly see he is nowhere near.
Screwed myself with the drinking though, started pretty quickly so i decided to take a half a shot for a lost possession as i didnt wanted to finish the game under the desk but after eating like a pig whole day, it wasnt enough even though the GOAT tried and went just over 15
Thought england were the better team but they lacked dribblers, Charlton while playing a good game lost a bit of power naturally given he was 32 at the time and while Ball is capable of dribbling, he is more like a tippy tappy player, great teammate to have but he wont make a difference on his own. Also had a decent game, very good all-around but poor finishing. It was certainly a game which showcased how important is dribbling and why manager pay the big bucks for the best dribblers, they can ruin the entire team shape in one move so when you dont have it you will be "easy" to contain. Was hilarious when Ramsey had enough and went full Big Sam even though they were the better team at the time
Brazil was poor, probably the worst game on the tournament but one moment of brilliance by Tostao was enough - lovely assist from Pele and a great finish by the goat.
Also, Pele had a shocker. Awful until the assist, nice assist then and slightly upped his game towards the end but this is easily the worst i saw him play though i didnt watch much of him and most was on this tournament where he was just different class to anyone else.
Player of the week: Bobby Moore
Just immense, closely followed by Banks and Tostao. Tostao wasnt that good overall but if he didnt produce that moment of magic they could still be playing and not being closer to a goal.
Wanker of the week: feck it, its the GOAT - Jairzinho.
Probably the best game i watched from him and it was a big meh as usual. Great finish on the goal though but gets the award purely for that bump into Tostao.
Id disagree with 1v1 but yeah, obviously has his uses i just cant stand that type of players. Will get you goals but overall ability is shocking considering the reputation. Reminds me of Sterling, gets you elite numbers but you can clearly see he is nowhere near.
- An even game which should have been a draw. England created some good chances but lacked the finishing composure and quality of the Brazilians (Astle, Hurst and Peters simply were not as ruthless as Jairzinho, Pele, Tostao and Rivelino). Same pattern as most encounters between England and Brazil in the World Cup when the Brazilians have that extra attacking gear they can rely upon even when they aren't playing that well.
- Thought Brazil were pretty flat once they reached the attacking third. A lot of credit to England's defensive organisation and the compactness in the central space between defence and midfieldwas impressive for the time. I think Brazil missed some of Gerson's measured control in midfield, as quite often they squandered possession playing passes across the midfield (Rivelino and Jairzinho the biggest culprits). Pele lacked that gear change he had earlier in his career and it was more Jairzinho who provided the thrust going forward and made light work of Cooper a few times.
- Absolute masterclass from Moore. The best player on the park by a mile.
- Otherwise impressed by Mullery, who did a solid job on Pele, and agree with Jim's shout on Paulo Cesar. Carlos Alberto was very solid up against a bright Cooper and his ball down the line for Jairzinho is just orgasmic. Inside him Brito had some proactive interventions. Brazil's offside trap was quite decent as well for a defence that was certainly the weakest part of the team. Charlton, like Pele, wasn't as awesome as earlier in his career, but it was a joy to watch the way he could take the ball on either side and, without missing a beat, stroke the ball away to team-mates off either foot.
- Classic English commentary defending Lee's karate kick on Felix's face, then castigating Pele for diving (looked like a penalty to me).
Good read @Gio
Great choice, was cool to finally watch this classic. I deliberately avoided to read the other posts, so it will be interesting to see what others have made out of this game. My take:
------------------------------
Brazil was pretty reactive for much of the first half, defending deep & disciplined with 10-11 players; only Tostao was parked up high occasionally, but still contributed. Their attackers were often isolated initially, their dribblings and combinations intercepted by the English, with Moore standing out. Still, Pele's header was only kept out by Banks' Save of the Century. Gerson may have given them more control in possession, Rivellino didn't seem to be a proper 1:1 replacement.
England was the better team initially, quicker and more precise in transition, and better at getting their players into attacking positions in numbers. (Charlton and Moore being instrumental here in my eyes, but still good collective play.) They created chances chances all game, often through wing play.
Later in the first half, and throughout the second, Brazil's attacks started to come off better, and Banks was forced to make numerous saves and a sweeping clearance. The game became really good for a while. England remained dangerous until the end, and was unlucky to lose this match, imo.
Like in other games of that WC, the heat & altitude seemed to take their toll on the players.
------------------------------
Notes on individual players
------------------------------
Brazil was pretty reactive for much of the first half, defending deep & disciplined with 10-11 players; only Tostao was parked up high occasionally, but still contributed. Their attackers were often isolated initially, their dribblings and combinations intercepted by the English, with Moore standing out. Still, Pele's header was only kept out by Banks' Save of the Century. Gerson may have given them more control in possession, Rivellino didn't seem to be a proper 1:1 replacement.
England was the better team initially, quicker and more precise in transition, and better at getting their players into attacking positions in numbers. (Charlton and Moore being instrumental here in my eyes, but still good collective play.) They created chances chances all game, often through wing play.
Later in the first half, and throughout the second, Brazil's attacks started to come off better, and Banks was forced to make numerous saves and a sweeping clearance. The game became really good for a while. England remained dangerous until the end, and was unlucky to lose this match, imo.
Like in other games of that WC, the heat & altitude seemed to take their toll on the players.
------------------------------
Notes on individual players
Bobby Moore
MOTM for me. Won the ball again and again with great anticipation and precise, forceful tackles. Unable to stop Tostao for Brazil's goal, but such things happen. On the ball, he had a nice rhythm between simple short passes and more ambitious long balls. One thing I noticed was that several times he made himself immediately available for a super-quick transition move, which was so ahead of its time that his teammates just ignored him.
Bobby Charlton
Played like Kroos with the occasional attacking move. Recycled possession and brought the ball forward with ease, great distribution with both feet, plus a few attacking plays. The commentator mentioned him being frequently criticized for supposed passiveness at that time (and I remember similar statements from a 1969 game). So maybe the English public simply expected an omnipresent attacking player when they had a proper midfield organizer, and Charlton was getting the „Querpass-Toni“ treatment?
Pele
First of all: he defended dedicatedly in midfield throughout the game, noted for future drafts. He wasn't dominant (and even a tad sloppy with some passes in buildup), but his ability flared up several times near the England goal. Whether it was his enormous aerial threat, an irresistable dribbling run, his clever assist for Jairzinho's goal, or a cheeky lob that nearly beat Banks towards the end.
Banks
The second-best player on the pitch for me.
Carlos Alberto
Reinforced my impression that he was more of a defender/buildup playmaker than an attacking fullback. Still made a classic overlapping run & cross early into the game, and while I don't see him in a wingback role, I'd totally buy him in a modern balanced one in draft games.
Tostao
Very false-nine-y, and instrumental as the link-up station in Brazil's transitions, even if Brazil's attacking attempts were laboured and sketchy at first. Great dribbling and pre-assist before the goal.
Jairzinho
Hit & miss, but more misses. However, the hits were dangerous (like the cross for Pele's header), and the goal was well taken in terms of positioning and finish. Not a player who sticks to the sideline, seeking out central positions in the final third as well.
Clodoaldo could seriously play, if he chose to turn it on.
Most annoying part of the game was the overly patriotic commentator.
MOTM for me. Won the ball again and again with great anticipation and precise, forceful tackles. Unable to stop Tostao for Brazil's goal, but such things happen. On the ball, he had a nice rhythm between simple short passes and more ambitious long balls. One thing I noticed was that several times he made himself immediately available for a super-quick transition move, which was so ahead of its time that his teammates just ignored him.
Bobby Charlton
Played like Kroos with the occasional attacking move. Recycled possession and brought the ball forward with ease, great distribution with both feet, plus a few attacking plays. The commentator mentioned him being frequently criticized for supposed passiveness at that time (and I remember similar statements from a 1969 game). So maybe the English public simply expected an omnipresent attacking player when they had a proper midfield organizer, and Charlton was getting the „Querpass-Toni“ treatment?
Pele
First of all: he defended dedicatedly in midfield throughout the game, noted for future drafts. He wasn't dominant (and even a tad sloppy with some passes in buildup), but his ability flared up several times near the England goal. Whether it was his enormous aerial threat, an irresistable dribbling run, his clever assist for Jairzinho's goal, or a cheeky lob that nearly beat Banks towards the end.
Banks
The second-best player on the pitch for me.
Carlos Alberto
Reinforced my impression that he was more of a defender/buildup playmaker than an attacking fullback. Still made a classic overlapping run & cross early into the game, and while I don't see him in a wingback role, I'd totally buy him in a modern balanced one in draft games.
Tostao
Very false-nine-y, and instrumental as the link-up station in Brazil's transitions, even if Brazil's attacking attempts were laboured and sketchy at first. Great dribbling and pre-assist before the goal.
Jairzinho
Hit & miss, but more misses. However, the hits were dangerous (like the cross for Pele's header), and the goal was well taken in terms of positioning and finish. Not a player who sticks to the sideline, seeking out central positions in the final third as well.
Clodoaldo could seriously play, if he chose to turn it on.
Most annoying part of the game was the overly patriotic commentator.
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Good read @Synco
One of the players you mentioned is shockingly not yet picked in the Christmas draft
One of the players you mentioned is shockingly not yet picked in the Christmas draft
UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
SATURDAY 23 JUNE 1984
SEMI-FINAL
V
STADE VELODROME, MARSEILLE
WEATHER: 24C, SUNNY, BREEZY
ROUTE TO THE SEMI-FINAL
SATURDAY 23 JUNE 1984
SEMI-FINAL
STADE VELODROME, MARSEILLE
WEATHER: 24C, SUNNY, BREEZY
ROUTE TO THE SEMI-FINAL
| France | Portugal |
| 1-0 v Denmark (Platini) | 0-0 v West Germany |
| 5-0 v Belgium (Platini 3, Giresse, Fernandez) | 1-1 v Spain (Sousa) |
| 3-2 v Yugoslavia (Platini 3) | 1-0 v Romania (Nene) |
LINE-UPS
| France | Portugal |
| 1. Joel Bats [AJ Auxerre] 5. Patrick Battiston [Girondins de Bordeaux] 4. Maxime Bossis [FC Nantes] 15. Yvon Le Roux [AS Monaco] 3. Jean-Francois Domergue [Toulouse FC] 6. Luis Fernandez [Paris St Germain] 14. Jean Tigana [Girondins de Bordeaux] 12. Alain Giresse [Girondins de Bordeaux] 10. Michel Platini [c] [Juventus-ITA] 17. Bernard Lacombe [Girondins de Bordeux] >66' 7. Jean-Marc Ferreri [AJ Auxerre] 13. Didier Six [FC Mulhouse 93] >101' 11. Bruno Bellone [AS Monaco] | 1. Manuel Bento [SL Benfica] 9. Joao Pinto [FC Porto] 10. Antonio Lima Pereira [FC Porto] 11. Eurico Gomes [FC Porto] 17. Alvaro de Magalhaes [SL Benfica] 14. Antonio Frasco [FC Porto] 15. Jaime Pacheco [FC Porto] 13. Antonio de Sousa [FC Porto] >62' Nené [SL Benfica] 4. Fernando Chalana [SL Benfica] 3. Rui Jordao [Sporting Lisbon] 19. Diamantino [SL Benfica] >46' 6. Fernando Gomes [FC Porto] |
https://footballia.net/matches/france-portugal-euro
Oh yeah, didn't mean he looked like some midfield maestro or something. But he could play a pass, and I was impressed by his attacking runs late in the game when England was camped around Brazil's box, like when he dribbled through England's counterpressing at 1:26:10.
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Oh, what a game by Tigana
reckon will watch it tonight, anyone joining?
I think I'll do, but only a bit later. When do you want to go?reckon will watch it tonight, anyone joining?
fine whenever
Alright, I'll tag you when I'm back home.
reckon will watch it tonight, anyone joining?
Might watch it in the middle of the night if I'm sober enough. Ripping the arse out of New Year celebrations before belatedly hopping on the dry January wagon.
never really thought about it until now but its amazing how similar Bruno and Platini are in the way they play......
First half was a bit rubbish but after that it was a pretty great game. Funnily enough france played poorly in first half and won it, very good in second half and lost it. End to end, both teams pretty fluid in attack with nice little players, both defences piss poor but in the end the quality of french midfield was too much for portugal to handle.
Miguel Bento
Portuguese keeper, if they got anything from the game he would be MOTM
Giresse
Poor first half, picked up in the second half and the difference was massive immediately, flow of the ball was much more fluid so they were almost impossible to defend. Got lost again in the extra time.
Tigana
Fantastic defensive wise, hit and miss offensive wise but great assist for the winner. One of the standouts.
Battiston
Worst french player, comfortably. Awful on the ball and yet took more shoots then anyone bar maybe Platini. Poor defensive wise, his side was leaking all the time and also made a dumbass penalty which thankfully for him ref didnt see.
Bossis
Thought he was poor, suspect positioning, rash in defensive decision....okay on the ball but all together a big meh.
Wanker of the week: Platini
You can be wanker on the pitch but class off it, dont think it works the other way.....gets of some duel with defender, thinks he will get a foul so picks up a ball with his hands, ref gives a ball to portugal for handball
As for the performance, was a typical Bruno one. You can see he is the best player, grafts like a bastard, leads his time like a proper leader and even though he can be a bit frustrating as he was today he wins you the game - this game with a winning goal and assist.
Player of the week: Luis Fernandez
Insane performance, played like prime Roy Keane on the day. Gets least the credit and attention out of all 4 magic square midfielders but what a player, maybe we should pay more attention.....
Miguel Bento
Portuguese keeper, if they got anything from the game he would be MOTM
Giresse
Poor first half, picked up in the second half and the difference was massive immediately, flow of the ball was much more fluid so they were almost impossible to defend. Got lost again in the extra time.
Tigana
Fantastic defensive wise, hit and miss offensive wise but great assist for the winner. One of the standouts.
Battiston
Worst french player, comfortably. Awful on the ball and yet took more shoots then anyone bar maybe Platini. Poor defensive wise, his side was leaking all the time and also made a dumbass penalty which thankfully for him ref didnt see.
Bossis
Thought he was poor, suspect positioning, rash in defensive decision....okay on the ball but all together a big meh.
Wanker of the week: Platini
You can be wanker on the pitch but class off it, dont think it works the other way.....gets of some duel with defender, thinks he will get a foul so picks up a ball with his hands, ref gives a ball to portugal for handball
As for the performance, was a typical Bruno one. You can see he is the best player, grafts like a bastard, leads his time like a proper leader and even though he can be a bit frustrating as he was today he wins you the game - this game with a winning goal and assist.
Player of the week: Luis Fernandez
Insane performance, played like prime Roy Keane on the day. Gets least the credit and attention out of all 4 magic square midfielders but what a player, maybe we should pay more attention.....
The game started slowly, but developed into a fascinating match in the second half & OT.
In the first half, both teams looked good and fluid on the ball, but rarely did something work out in the final third. Which was also down to to alert and physical defending on both sides, including Platini. So most attacking attempts were suffocated at some point, and it was apt that the goal came from a free kick.
The French setup was weird in a great way, and the constant interchanges in midfield were delightfully confusing. Here's my best worst effort to pin them down ( ):
In the second half things started to click, especially for the French, but also in parts for Portugal. The French team was simply sensational as the game opened up a bit - easy to see why it is regarded as one of the greatest sides ever. Their ability to aggressively win balls early into Portugal's possession was also crucial. Still, Portugal held their own, scored, and forced the match into overtime.
In overtime, the game was initially more laboured again, probably due to exhaustion and pressure, but went on to develop a great dramaturgy. Portugal was still dangerous, scored again and, if not for a vital Bats intervention, might have even finished off the game with a third goal. But this way, France could pin them back in the final minutes, score the equalizer and finally the winning goal, literally in the last minute. Really exciting match.
------------------------------------------------
Players:
Bento (my MOTM) kept Portugal in the game time and time again. Fantastic performance. Bats with several crucial saves as well.
Fernandez was the revelation of this game for me. He did everything well, from covering and physical defending, to dribblings and combinations, to a fantastic box-to-box game, coming close to scoring several times. Bit of a Materazzi-like knobishness to him, though. If this performance was halfways representative of his peak level, he deserves a more prominent (and expansive) role in drafts.
Platini with a mixed performance, imo - by his lofty standards that is, and his immense quality was visible often enough. He operated in all thirds of the pitch - extremely deep in buildup, all over the middle third, and as a second striker, switching roles seamlessly. The super-flexible French setup provided the perfect environment for this kind of game. He was a grafter both with and against the ball, and it's in no way surprising that it was him scoring the winning goal after 119 exhausting minutes.
I don't think Jordao had an exceptional game over 120 minutes, but he scored two goals (the second one lucky, but still kind of cool) and showed some neat ball handling on top of it.
Tigana didn't seem to have a great game (on the ball) for the most part; then again, he's the kind of little-things player whose performance may have to be watched for a second time. Great assist for Platini's winner.
Domergue was decisive as an offensive-minded LB. He was a threat from set pieces and had a good nose for attacking moves in open game situations - and he scored in both ways. Seemed to love the outside of his foot.
On the other side, Chalana looked really good as a creative attacking FB. He somehow seemed to manage playing LB and RB simultaneously for stretches, providing fine assists for both Portugal goals.
Boss skill of the day: the linesman at 7:20 in overtime.
Also an interesting hot mic sequence after the end of broadcasting.
In the first half, both teams looked good and fluid on the ball, but rarely did something work out in the final third. Which was also down to to alert and physical defending on both sides, including Platini. So most attacking attempts were suffocated at some point, and it was apt that the goal came from a free kick.
The French setup was weird in a great way, and the constant interchanges in midfield were delightfully confusing. Here's my best worst effort to pin them down (
):
In the second half things started to click, especially for the French, but also in parts for Portugal. The French team was simply sensational as the game opened up a bit - easy to see why it is regarded as one of the greatest sides ever. Their ability to aggressively win balls early into Portugal's possession was also crucial. Still, Portugal held their own, scored, and forced the match into overtime.
In overtime, the game was initially more laboured again, probably due to exhaustion and pressure, but went on to develop a great dramaturgy. Portugal was still dangerous, scored again and, if not for a vital Bats intervention, might have even finished off the game with a third goal. But this way, France could pin them back in the final minutes, score the equalizer and finally the winning goal, literally in the last minute. Really exciting match.
------------------------------------------------
Players:
Bento (my MOTM) kept Portugal in the game time and time again. Fantastic performance. Bats with several crucial saves as well.
Fernandez was the revelation of this game for me. He did everything well, from covering and physical defending, to dribblings and combinations, to a fantastic box-to-box game, coming close to scoring several times. Bit of a Materazzi-like knobishness to him, though. If this performance was halfways representative of his peak level, he deserves a more prominent (and expansive) role in drafts.
Platini with a mixed performance, imo - by his lofty standards that is, and his immense quality was visible often enough. He operated in all thirds of the pitch - extremely deep in buildup, all over the middle third, and as a second striker, switching roles seamlessly. The super-flexible French setup provided the perfect environment for this kind of game. He was a grafter both with and against the ball, and it's in no way surprising that it was him scoring the winning goal after 119 exhausting minutes.
I don't think Jordao had an exceptional game over 120 minutes, but he scored two goals (the second one lucky, but still kind of cool) and showed some neat ball handling on top of it.
Tigana didn't seem to have a great game (on the ball) for the most part; then again, he's the kind of little-things player whose performance may have to be watched for a second time. Great assist for Platini's winner.
Domergue was decisive as an offensive-minded LB. He was a threat from set pieces and had a good nose for attacking moves in open game situations - and he scored in both ways. Seemed to love the outside of his foot.
On the other side, Chalana looked really good as a creative attacking FB. He somehow seemed to manage playing LB and RB simultaneously for stretches, providing fine assists for both Portugal goals.
Boss skill of the day: the linesman at 7:20 in overtime.
Also an interesting hot mic sequence after the end of broadcasting.
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@Fortitude your turn
Barely have internet and definitely have no time (work) so please skip me.
Ok I'll pick then.
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach full match
European Cup 1976-1977
Semi Final 1st leg
https://footballia.net/matches/dynamo-kyiv-borussia-monchengladbach
Not a GOAT fest but reckon Lobanovskiy's Dynamo could do with some love here. Two exciting sides with an open attacking approach, although Gladbach played on the counter with the 1st leg held away.
A great showing from Dynamo though, and a great battle between Vogts & Blokhin but also keep your eyes on Konkov, Muntyan and Simonsen.
Dynamo Kyiv vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach full match
European Cup 1976-1977
Semi Final 1st leg
https://footballia.net/matches/dynamo-kyiv-borussia-monchengladbach
Not a GOAT fest but reckon Lobanovskiy's Dynamo could do with some love here. Two exciting sides with an open attacking approach, although Gladbach played on the counter with the 1st leg held away.
A great showing from Dynamo though, and a great battle between Vogts & Blokhin but also keep your eyes on Konkov, Muntyan and Simonsen.
lovely
Only watched the first time so far, so here's some of my preliminary thoughts:
- I didn't remember the game to be this one-sided, Dynamo had outplayed Borussia completely. I often think while watching that side how great they could've been if only they've had an instinctive and ruthless finisher that was able to play within Lobanovsky's system (like Seeler/Müller/Sheva). They really missed that — overall and in the first time of this game as well, someone to score a scrappy goal from a rebound
- Kon'kov was the main reason behind their dominant performance. That Dynamo's side is usually overlooked in terms of their individual performances (Blokhin aside), and Kon'kov was usually underappreciated compared to the likes of Kolotov (with his lung-bursting box-to-box runs and numerous goals) and Muntyan (a refined 60's playmaker with an additional work-rate and mentality leaned under Lobanovsky)... but he was absolutely bossing it. You can see where Lobanovsky's Beckenbauer comparison was coming from — in an absence of Kolotov, Kon'kov expanded his area of influence even further forward and was always in the right place to receive/make a pass or to make yet another interception. Nice disallowed goal as well
- While Mönchengladbach was basically toothless up front (which is surprising, considering their line up), some credit should go to Simonsen, who was the only one providing any sort of a threat to Dynamo's backline
Good summary. The first point is rather pertinent too, Dynamo really lacked the predatory goalscorer to truly transform them. They could have banged in 3 goals, if only they had a prolific goalscorer up front, capable of truly capitalizing on Dynamo's dominance in possession.
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a bit disappointed with individual performances tbh, lovely game though and Kiev looks like a great team to watch though based purely on first half they remind a bit of late Wenger teams
AFTV crew got to himWenger is dead?
Good watch, though only one team was responsible for it so kudos to Kiev who completely outplayed Gladbach to the point where you'd think they played some scrubs. Not sure why but i expected Kiev to be a bit better in the press, it was a bit too wild for my taste and at times Gladbach were just playing through them but afterwards lacked quality if the ball didnt went to Simonsen who can only hold his head high alongside Vogts who did a fine job on Blokhin who then did a fine job on Gladbach, though only in first half.
To continue on that note, that first half of Blokhin is pretty much the reason why i decided to completly dismiss Eden Hazard as a historically great player even though i love the guy, now even more after he turned into Puskas at Madrid. We all know Hazard struggles against a top man marking job where he turns into a static figure as he doesnt know how to affect the game without the ball - here you could see a player that knows. Dragged Vogts all over the pitch which caused havoc in Gladbach defence as they were not in sync as the national team for exemple where those defensive switches were going smoothly. Sadly Blokhin teammates lacked a bit of quality to exploit this. For the better part of second half he became less fluid and it affected his game on the ball as well where he was trying too much and kept losing the ball though in the end he did create few decent situations.
Number 2 was good but tbf Gladbach let him play as for the big majority of the game he was under no pressure at all which tells you everything you need to know about performances of Wimmer and Bonhof.
Player of the week - Lobanovsky
Well, its not a player as nobody really stood out that much and the only thing that stood out was Lobanovsky's system and the only reason this game was enjoyable.
Wanker of the week - Buryak
Tbf until the last minutes it was @Joga Bonito as he picked a game without morons, without crybabies, no handbags at all in the game so i was glad when Buryak started bitching around at Blokhin for not passing him the ball even though he created a good chance for the other teammate, not to mention Buryak was wank for the whole game apart from one nice tactical foul in the first half(at least i think that was him).
To continue on that note, that first half of Blokhin is pretty much the reason why i decided to completly dismiss Eden Hazard as a historically great player even though i love the guy, now even more after he turned into Puskas at Madrid. We all know Hazard struggles against a top man marking job where he turns into a static figure as he doesnt know how to affect the game without the ball - here you could see a player that knows. Dragged Vogts all over the pitch which caused havoc in Gladbach defence as they were not in sync as the national team for exemple where those defensive switches were going smoothly. Sadly Blokhin teammates lacked a bit of quality to exploit this. For the better part of second half he became less fluid and it affected his game on the ball as well where he was trying too much and kept losing the ball though in the end he did create few decent situations.
Number 2 was good but tbf Gladbach let him play as for the big majority of the game he was under no pressure at all which tells you everything you need to know about performances of Wimmer and Bonhof.
Player of the week - Lobanovsky
Well, its not a player as nobody really stood out that much and the only thing that stood out was Lobanovsky's system and the only reason this game was enjoyable.
Wanker of the week - Buryak
Tbf until the last minutes it was @Joga Bonito as he picked a game without morons, without crybabies, no handbags at all in the game so i was glad when Buryak started bitching around at Blokhin for not passing him the ball even though he created a good chance for the other teammate, not to mention Buryak was wank for the whole game apart from one nice tactical foul in the first half(at least i think that was him).
I always thought moments of early season sloppy play were a big part of Kyiv's semi-final failures (though Rudakov blunders for both of Gladbach's goals in the return arguably had more to do with him just being past his best). This game was in the first week of the season, so they did well to control it as much as they did. To be fair to Gladbach, they were maybe getting tired by then in a very close Bundesliga season.
Won't manage to watch this game tomorrow. But since it's only up since a couple of days, I'd prefer if we waited with the next game until Wednesday. Otherwise go on & I'll post some time later.
Is it too late to join in?
Don't see why. You could pick a game when our first round is done (so after EAP & possibly Fortitude).
A few brief thoughts:
- Love the overloads on the ball and the energy off it from Kyiv. We hear a lot of bollocks that such drilled collective play and stamina that has only appeared in the last few years, but Lobanovskiy was doing it all almost half a century ago.
- Quite a strung out game at times, going against the grain of much of European football in the 1970s and 1980s, reflecting points already made about its timing within the season and the attacking nature of both teams
- Agree with the point about a goalscorer. In a team full of universalists, a specialist goalsmith would have been less involved in the flow of the game and more concerned about getting on the end of things. A couple of times someone to spin off the shoulder of the last Monchengladbach defender would have yielded 1v1 chances.
- Loved Konkov - cracking range of tools to call upon. Looked like he could do almost anything.
- As for individual moments: gorgeous control in the box by Simonsen (think Joga picked up on this in his compilation), tidy close control and nutmeg from Blokhin (on Vogts I think), and a cracking effort on the left peg from Muntyan
- Like Sjor I was a little underwhelmed by the Monchengladbach midfield with Bonhof and Wimmer not really impressing themselves on the game. Slight caveat in that home and away ties were approached much differently before everything became standardised and globalised in the last couple of decades.
Watched part of the match only. Will post my comments tomorrow.
@Edgar Allan Pillow your turn for the game
Thought it was Fortitude. Will post the game in a couple of hours.
Not so an obscure match, but a good one nevertheless.
https://footballia.net/matches/romania-argentina
ROMANIA vs ARGENTINA
1994 WC 2nd Round
https://footballia.net/matches/romania-argentina
ROMANIA vs ARGENTINA
1994 WC 2nd Round