2015/16 Football/Soccer thread

[X5Dragon]

Because there are only 4 third placed teams, and there are 6 group winners. It would better if the Round of 16 was randomized, but it still makes for an unfair, and not very exciting Group Stage. The Eurocup Group Stage has usually been highly entertaining because it was ''stacked'' and good teams were eliminated, as only 50% of the teams could advance. However, the 24-team format means that 75% percent of the teams qualify, so the group stage is very dull, as the stakes are very low.

The ''best thirds'' rule also means that the best strategy for most teams is just to draw all their matches or to win one and then try to ''not lose by much'':

Also read:

http://www.espnfc.com/european-cham...make-euro-2016-group-stage-a-defensive-battle

I would preferred if the Round of 16 had the top four winners were rewarded with the 4 best 3rd placed teams and the rest randomized, but since the argument is about entertainment the article states that you need at least 3 points to advance to knock out stages, and seeing how achieving 3 points from draw is unrealistic and how closely fought the matches were (I wouldn't call Romania vs. France or Swedish vs. Ireland, Albania vs. Swiss, etc. boring) I don't think that group stages would necessarily be dull.

Also lol Belgium, way to offset England's last minute fall.

 

[destinyunknown]

http://www.gazzettaworld.com/euro-2016-news/belgium/belgium-coachdefensive-italy/

This man is a joke.

 

[Random Passerby]

Belgium actually reminds me of England in the early 2000s. So much quality on paper only to be wasted by a tactically astute manager. Even the current England squad will suffer the same fate.

Wilmot is incompetent though. Starting 4 CBs including Vermaelean who barely played, starts Fellaini over Dembele and complains that Benteke is like a tree but starts Lukaku. He only claims he didn't like to employ tactics because he wants his players to express themselves. Yeah, this disjoint performance can be seen from a mile away.

 

[g]

It's not Lukaku's fault if he doesn't receive a single pass... As I read on twitter throughout the game: ''Is this Belgium team possibly an intricate torture chamber created by hyperintelligent aliens who hate Romelu Lukaku for some reason?''

Couldn't be more accurate. If we analyze Belgium's passing plot for the game we can see that their only 'gameplan' (if it can be called that) was giving the ball to the fullbacks, and, as the truly excellent and best coach of the tournament Marc Wilmots usually says ''Let the players express themselves''. Well guess what, this is 2016 and there are tactically impressive sides like Italy, Germany and even Wales (which Belgium was unable to beat in qualifiers), and furthermore, your fullbacks are actually centerbacks out of position!

Passing plot:

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So maybe, and just maybe, having 2 center-backs forced to be 'playmaking fullbacks' and 'expressing themselves' is not a sustainable strategy against good teams, who would have thought.

There are many issues with the way Belgium is structured (or not structured, as you prefer) but honestly no point in listing them anymore, Marc Wilmots has had since 2012 to improve the team and he has shown a clear lack of talent as a coach.

Also see the space left between centerbacks and midfielders when building up play:

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Can't remember the last time I saw such a huge gap in the buildup of a (supposedly) top tier team, Belgium basically had no midfield, as neither the centerbacks tried to push forward, nor the midfielders tried to drop deep to get the ball from the back. This is what made Belgium resort to just giving the ball to the fullbacks, as there was no other option available.




Honestly, I don't think the teams are similar at all, and this Italy team has a shortage of attacking and creative talent... However, it is true that both teams are extremely good tactically and have very intelligent managers, which is why Germany and Italy look like real teams and not just good players running around aimlessly. Italy's defenders are great though, not denying that.

Yeah, you said it much better than i could, would you think Belgium would have done better with a player like Tielemans as a playmaker instead of giving the ball to Ciman or Hazard and hoping for the best?
Wilmots bringing 8 offensive players and like 3 midfielders was quite dumb in my opinion since sheer talent doesn't always cut it sigh

 

[manodelrey]

http://www.gazzettaworld.com/euro-2016-news/belgium/belgium-coachdefensive-italy/

This man is a joke.

why did i just read that? He literally criticized someone for beating them

 

[manodelrey]

I bet russia won't win euro 2016. Anyone want to call me on that?

 

[destinyunknown]

Yeah, you said it much better than i could, would you think Belgium would have done better with a player like Tielemans as a playmaker instead of giving the ball to Ciman or Hazard and hoping for the best?
Wilmots bringing 8 offensive players and like 3 midfielders was quite dumb in my opinion since sheer talent doesn't always cut it sigh

I'm not sure if the main problem is the lineup or the starting players, but more how the players are instructed, or rather, the lack of instruction, as various sources, and ultimately Wilmots himself, have referred to the lack of discipline in Wilmots way of coaching, as he lets too much up to 'player improvisation' which is what leads to the lack of solid attacking/build-up patterns.

This is a good analysis for example:
https://twitter.com/szteveo/status/742647883011350528

So on Tielemans, he's a great prospect but probably not top class yet, and Witsel / Nainggolan and even Dembelé are more than capable midfielders, so just changing one of the two for Tielemans wouldn't solve much in my opinion.

 

[Rowan]

tbh this thing with fans is really shitty, even more so with Russia set to host the 2018 world cup, and MPs encouraging the hooliganism saying they "defended the honour of their country." They should get stripped of the world cup, who's going to want to travel to Russia when they have this culture with politicians and people high up in the Russian football union encouraging it?

 

[shade]

i'm not usually arsed about people scrapping over football because, these days at least, it is usually between two groups of fans who have organised a scrap and want to fight. this incident is different - charging a stand and attacking everyone and attacking fans having a drink in bars is fucking scum behaviour.

imagine going to russia 2018 now lol, fuck that

 

[phalanx]

Russians do that with each other, anywhere.

 

[shade]

these hungary fans look fucking insane too, bet the russians don't try scrap them

 

[X5Dragon]

Oh wow is Hungary beating Austria now? ROFL

 

[destinyunknown]

Austria collapsed, wow...

 

[phalanx]

Austria making Belgium not look so bad

 

[manodelrey]

So Austria aren't dark horses anymore

 

[Drift Wizard]

tbh this thing with fans is really shitty, even more so with Russia set to host the 2018 world cup, and MPs encouraging the hooliganism saying they "defended the honour of their country." They should get stripped of the world cup, who's going to want to travel to Russia when they have this culture with politicians and people high up in the Russian football union encouraging it?

Been thinking this ever since they got the rights to host.

 

[manodelrey]

Wow I dont know if Iceland should be extremely proud or if Portugal should be extremely disappointed. Probably somewhere in between

 

[HanPyol]

Yet another team working their asses off as a unit, with Iceland managing to grab a point. Props to them and the 8% of their population that attended the game.

Ronaldo was pretty poor, lmao.

Every single "underdog" has been playing so well in this tournament. Every match has been enjoyable to watch and it's making me very happy.

 

[gvmgvm40]

Wow I dont know if Iceland should be extremely proud or if Portugal should be extremely disappointed. Probably somewhere in between

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_qualifying_Group_A

Iceland was actually quite solid in the qualifiers. They were leading the group 6-0-1, only an away loss vs Czech Republic, but choked in the last 3 matches with draws against Latvia and Kazakhstan and a 1-0 home loss vs Turkey (and that goal came at 89' lol). They still finished 2nd, above Turkey and Holland. I was expecting this.

 

[Rowan]

the year of the underdogs who work as a unit beating teams who have better players but don't play well together. everyone's thinking leicester won the epl, so why can't some mad shit happen like iceland winning the euros?

on another note, my fantasy team did absolutely shocking

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no goals and 1 assist between them, and only 1 defending player got a clean sheet, i didn't even think my team was that bad :S

 

[Frozocrone]

My fantasy team did alright. Certain people failed to shine including Muller and Martial so going to transfer them as soon as possible. Will try and add a picture.

Solid performers for me were Boateng, Payet, Lichsteiner, Kante and Barzagli/Chiellini as a defensive pairing. Will be swapping Lichsteiner for Bonucci though. I rate Lich, but I think everyone will have the Italian back three in their fantasy teams after that match (possibly the best of the first group games).

 

[manodelrey]

Th

the year of the underdogs who work as a unit beating teams who have better players but don't play well together. everyone's thinking leicester won the epl, so why can't some mad shit happen like iceland winning the euros?

on another note, my fantasy team did absolutely shocking

Hide

no goals and 1 assist between them, and only 1 defending player got a clean sheet, i didn't even think my team was that bad :S

This isn't a world cup, so Muller is a bad choice. You think England will somehow do amazing to the point that Kane will score goals either? Drop them, get the forward from an underdog team (The hungary center forward might do nicely) and pick up iniesta over fabregas. Plus Pique should get you plenty of points early

 

[manodelrey]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Euro_2016_qualifying_Group_A

Iceland was actually quite solid in the qualifiers. They were leading the group 6-0-1, only an away loss vs Czech Republic, but choked in the last 3 matches with draws against Latvia and Kazakhstan and a 1-0 home loss vs Turkey (and that goal came at 89' lol). They still finished 2nd, above Turkey and Holland. I was expecting this.

I forgot that Iceland was the team that knocked out Holland and forced Turkey into the playoffs

 

[phalanx]

Portugal are so over rated.

 

[destinyunknown]

Honestly, I thought that both Iceland and Portugal were awful, especially their defending was bottom-4 so far in the Eurocup. It made for a fun game though, but I don't think either side will have a deep run in the tournament. Iceland's goalkeeper was the man of the match by quite some distance btw.