No doubt for my money.
Rafael da Silva | 2010-14 Performances
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No doubt for my money.
It's a fine line between 'He switched off' and 'He did all he could, unlucky'.
That's just garbage Pete, you anticipate in certain situations only. In other situations you have to assess what is happening first. Rafael can't just start sprinting back to his goal before Higuain has even stolen a yard or before Ronaldo makes his run, if he does that he ends up horribly out of position if Higuain just decides to stand one up. Rafael does what all good fullbacks should in that situation, he has a perfect position and reacts the split second he sees what is happening, he's just beaten by a perfect ball.
Bloody hell, it's like "Football for Dummies" in here with posts like yours above.
He can't predict the future. Only when Higuain was past Vidic did it become apparent that the ball may end up at the far post, beating both the keeper and Rio on the way. Only then could 'anticipation' kick in for Rafael, and it did. Asking him to anticipate it any earlier is just silly.
I do tend to agree with you that Rafael is far from a perfect defender at this moment in time, and I was particularly infuriated/worried by those dribbles in his own half when he lost the ball, but you're clutching at straws trying to blame him for that goal.
I suppose, I just don't think that when Modric lines up the first shot (which he dummies) it looked like enough danger for a last ditch tackle like Carricks, maybe he could've got just stood up and got in Modrics line of vision and put him off.
All in retrospect, but that's the only slight criticism I'd have of the goals we conceded.
You keep avoiding the defending questions - those of us who've done it know exactly why. feck off up the field and occupy a defender of theirs don't piss about in our box.
On the contrary, I'm pretty certain I've debated it to death. And at the risk of boring everyone to death and falling into my own stupid trap and debating the same point till I'm blue in the face, I'll leave it at that.
Peter Storey, Sunday League footballer... you tell me how it is to be a defender Pete, I mean, you really have "done it" as you say. (slaps forehead, shakes head)
Sorry lads, couldn't resist one last dig at storey when he's on a wum, he deserves it.
Piss off up to halfway mate, you're no use back here
Rafael was partly at fault for the goal are we really debating this? He switched off lets move on. He has been a revelation this season the second best right back in the league this season behind Zabaleta. That's some improvement in this kid and the sky is the limit but yep he was partly to blame for Ronaldos goal (a big part too)
Really can't see how people are saying he switched off. Ronaldo who is faster than him had to put in a slide to reach the ball. Very little chance of him reaching it. Only way would be if he slid in but he probably didn't want to risk an OG. Looks like De Gea had no hope of getting out to it. The only defender who had a chance to positively affect that ball was Vidic. Let's just call it what it is, a really good goal that once it got by Vidic we had little chance of winning and our best hope was that Ronaldo couldn't reach it.
My thoughts exactly. Rafael basically had two choices lung for it and most likley put it into our net himself, or let it go and hope that the striker wouldn't reach it as well
It was a brilliant goal. Dont.think anyone switched off really. Not much you can do as a defender
We are still debating this issue because people like you keep saying it was his fault and he switched off. He never had a chance to begin with. That was how good Higuain's cross was and thats how good Ronaldo is to reach it.
Still nitpicking on Rafael. People are too bored it seems. 
There are some goals that cant be stopped. It was a brilliant ball in. Half a foot to either side and it wouldnt have been a goal. Credit where its due lads rather than nitpicking who's fault it was.
You can either blame Vidic, Rio, De Gea and Rafael equally for all for being "slow to react", or just accept that it was a World Class piece of skill, following by an inch perfect cross, followed by a good finish. If you are blaming someone for this goal then every game would either be 0-0 or have a scapegoat.
Whilst we are at it are we blaming Carrick for "losing" Modric for the first?
Whilst we are at it are we blaming Carrick for "losing" Modric for the first?
My finger is still firmly pointed at the Referee.
The only other possibility was an own goal.
I can understand Pete, as he is a blatant WUM, but can't believe our fans trying to pin the goal on Rafael.
I can understand Pete, as he is a blatant WUM, but can't believe our fans trying to pin the goal on Rafael.
It's basically a shot dragged wide of the goal, he doesn't stand a chance.
Absolutely!
Nothing to discuss.
Thats what Wenger told his back four to do against Spurs?
It's basically a shot dragged wide of the goal, he doesn't stand a chance.
He doesn't stand a chance because he loses him for that split-second. The moment Higuain gets in behind Vidic Ronaldo's making a dart to the far post, Rafael then quickly glances over his shoulder and reacts that split-second later. If he'd anticipated the cross/shot as Ronaldo did then he would've stood a chance. Still might not have kept it out because it was fizzed across and he had Ronaldo on his back but I don't agree it was impossible to defend. Vidic is the one who gave the chance to them though. Nice bit of skill from Ozil but that shouldn't be enough to let Higuain lose Vidic so easily.
Brwned, think this through pal. Ronaldo has to attack a space of his choice, Rafael must wait to see where Ronaldo is headed, he has to. The split-second Ronaldo makes his choice Rafael goes with him.
Boss' legacy lives on.
I understand the attacker has the advantage there, I don't think the only option is to react to the attacker. If you do that with so little time to react then you're always in a losing position. At some point you have to anticipate and read the play instead of trying to read your man. Rafael taking a couple of steps towards the goal just a second or two earlier wouldn't have handicapped him - he'd still have time to react to Ronaldo's next move, it just gives him a little more control over how to deal with it. Just my opinion though, I'm not arsed either way.
I admit, I did let out a little giggle as I typed it. #attackthespace
That's what reading the game is all about. Very few young defenders are great at it. Rafael, at this level, isn't. He's emerging into a top right-back and, one day, may be best in the world material, but he has to take some responsibility for that goal.
It's an excellent ball from Higuain, but that's the only area Ronaldo can conceivably score from as it comes into the Argentine's path. He was flat-footed as Cling said earlier and that gave Ronaldo the momentum.
Ronaldo could have easily stepped back and waited for the header, the only moment when it was apparent that this wouldn't happen was after Vidic got turned, and that's exactly when Rafael reacted.
No RB in the world would've stopped that goal IMO.
No RB in the world would've stopped that goal IMO.
It was a cracking cross. agree with others who think it's silly attributing blame for every minute error. If there were no defensive mistakes every game would be 0-0.
The only chance Rafael would have had to prevent that goal was to slide after the ball had passed him and hope to block Ronaldo's shot. But at the speed the ball was travelling and how close Ronaldo was to him, he had no chance of doing that either.
So basically, there's nothing Rafael could have really done as any lunge to stop the ball would have inevitably lead to an own goal.
So basically, there's nothing Rafael could have really done as any lunge to stop the ball would have inevitably lead to an own goal.
No it isn't, certainly not in this situation. Ronaldo could just as easily dart inside there and Higuain could stand the ball up, you can't blame Rafael for not being a mind reader. He reacted just as you'd hope he would, this wasn't a situation for guessing, he had to hold his line and wait for Ronaldo to make his move. The ONLY way to have prevented that goal was to start running back a second earlier than Ronaldo, which would be retarded defending.
Exactly you think 'what's going to happen next' and position yourself to deal with it. Not stand there and go 'oh feck that's a dangerous cross'. Bang!
This.
Is bloody obvious to me. Rafael can't just run back before Ronaldo makes his move cause that would just be the worst defending I could ever imagine.
That's how stupid fullbacks like yourself play people yards onside.
Yeah as Rafael did - but I put the ball into row Z not stand flatfooted and open-mouthed as Ronaldo zips in to score.
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