QF | Spain vs Germany | Portugal vs France

Every miserable minute of non-football from France is a minute closer to their trophy. 3 DMs and a second striker, rather than Zidane-type playmaker. Just dire.
 
This is gonna be another 1-0 for France. Probably a dumb own goal.
 
France are even more negative than England, as if that were even possible.

Kante, Camavinga and Tchouemeni, with no offensive fullbacks, a Number 10 leading the line with two wide forwards... :boring:
 
Pitches are real crap. Didn't expect that from Germany.
It's been raining cats and dogs in North-Western Europe for weeks. Probably has to do with that. New pitches after long seasons, no time to grow.
 
It's been raining cats and dogs in North-Western Europe for weeks. Probably has to do with that. New pitches after long seasons, no time to grow.
Makes sense. We are under a heatwave. They could spare some.
 
Klose scored two goals at the WC, one against Ghana one against fecking Brazil...

Schweinsteiger (quasi) retiring has been the far bigger problem. There has been no balance in midfield, no proper DM, ever since. The team only had the opportunity to blame the strikers, because Nagelsmann found this volatile equilibrium in playing two extremes in CM with Kroos and Andrich/Can and Gündogan + Musiala in front of them.

Yea but then he effected other matches with his playmaking ability, Havertz does have that but ofcourse completely lacks the finishing. Take out 2014, in 2006 and 2010 we faced better opposition and Klose was great in this tournaments. If those squads faced the same level of opposition we faced in 2014 we'd have 2 more world cups.

You can't seriously look at WC 22 and these Euros and think the biggest flaw in our team has been a clinical striker. Schweinsteiger's absence was felt in earlier competitions (18 and 21) but I'm those tournament we had much better balance in midfield. We were better than Spain today and the only thing that separated us from a win was a striker who could finish.

Havertz is still 'young' so one can hope he can improve that aspect because he did well other than that. Don't see any young players coming up who can be our young teen striker.
 
This is what would happen if Simeone's Atletico Madrid played the 90's AC Milan team.
 
I hope Portugal gets a hat-trick of penalties, and Ronaldo misses all of them.

Then he comes on for penalties after extra time, and misses that one, too.
:lol:

I dunno. I know it's different for Man United fans after what happened and I've never really been a fan of his but I would like to see one more Ronaldo goal in a proper game.
 
Hope neither of these two or England win it all. Tired of cowardly, mediocre managers being rewarded at international level by playing it safe and relying on individuals.
 
Kounde looking uncomfortable against Leao
 
Why is France playing like Portugal under Santos?
 
Leao is the only exciting player on the pitch.
 
France are even more negative than England, as if that were even possible.

Kante, Camavinga and Tchouemeni, with no offensive fullbacks, a Number 10 leading the line with two wide forwards... :boring:

Theo Hernandez is a very attacking full back but clearly instructed to play with break on.

Cente back playing on the right Kounde was more attacking than him last game