[WC] World Cup 2014 - General Talk Thread (43 Viewers)

[Rufio]

But weather is not an issue they say. Rather ridiculous that the games are played at noon.

The discussion from the butthurt parade was that it constituted an advantage.

TBH I don't see any advantages if all play under the same conditions and most (if not all) players in WC, are living/working/training in Europe/Northern Hemisphere countries an avg of 320 out of 365 days a year.

 

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[Alen]

A little late, but

Varane hospitalised for dehydration

It’s reported Raphael Varane spent the night in hospital for dehydration after France’s game with Nigeria.

The Real Madrid defender suffered the heat more than most in Brasilia during the 2-0 victory for Les Bleus.

According to Spanish site Sport, Varane spent the night in a Brasilia hospital as a precaution due to acute dehydration.

It has been said players lose at least two litres of water during a game in the intense Brazilian heat.

He is expected to be fit and ready for the quarter-final against Germany on Friday.

http://football-italia.net/51446/varane-hospitalised-dehydration

Awfully translated from Spanish by Football Italia. In the original article it says that he refused to stay in the igloo with the other French players, and he spent the night in sauna, desperately looking for heat in the cold Brazilian winter.

 

[ALC]

I thought you said by now that the players were acclimated to the weather...

 

[Alen]

I thought you said by now that the players were acclimated to the weather...

To the point where it's not a big advantage for the SA and CA teams anymore, after the initial shock for the non-American teams. The 1PM matches are a pain in the ass for everyone, now that the legs are more tired. We saw it on Brazil-Chile.
My remark was about the people claiming how it's not that bad in Brazil, since it's winter. Or those who claimed that it's worse playing in Italy right now than in Brazil.

 

[Zacheryah]

It was strange to see Costa Rica not beeing remotely impressive against Greece, when the weather conditions were less extreme.

But thats probably a total coincidence

 

[Vlad]

The discussion from the butthurt parade was that it constituted an advantage.

TBH I don't see any advantages if all play under the same conditions and most (if not all) players in WC, are living/working/training in Europe/Northern Hemisphere countries an avg of 320 out of 365 days a year.

At the start of the tournament you could have seen how most European teams were struggling physically, while most of their players have been playing for arguably the best clubs in the world and training regime of these should get you into optimal form to bear the ultimate physical challenges on the pitch. it is irrelevant that some SA players have been playing abroad for a while, as it will be always easier for them to bear extreme heat and humidity. They are simply more accustomed to. Fifa should have never scheduled games in the mid of the day, but money for these folks is more important than health of the footballers.

 

[JCK]

At the start of the tournament you could have seen how most European teams were struggling physically, while most of their players have been playing for arguably the best clubs in the world and training regime of these should get you into optimal form to bear the ultimate physical challenges on the pitch. it is irrelevant that some SA players have been playing abroad for a while, as it will be always easier for them to bear extreme heat and humidity. They are simply more accustomed to. Fifa should have never scheduled games in the mid of the day, but money for these folks is more important than health of the footballers.

Yet half the teams in the quarter finals are European, or did you want them all to be from Europe in order to be fair?

 

[Zacheryah]

To the point where it's not a big advantage for the SA and CA teams anymore, after the initial shock for the non-American teams. The 1PM matches are a pain in the ass for everyone, now that the legs are more tired. We saw it on Brazil-Chile.
My remark was about the people claiming how it's not that bad in Brazil, since it's winter. Or those who claimed that it's worse playing in Italy right now than in Brazil.

Them claims are funny. Let me give you a comparison.

It was around 30°C in Belgium today. I had to train at 7pm when it was still that hot. Inside the gym, there was an electrical malfunction with the motors of the AC and the airflow in the shower (you know, those things that suck the wet air out, modern appartments have that aswel)
Yet people were still taking showers, and then left the door open so the moist air could move to the gym. Thing is, the powerrack is next to this door.
As a result, i had to train in a room that was ~32-34°C hot, and had a humidity of 93%

I barely managed 6 timed sets of 6*160kg squats, a pathetic weight, and had to quit leg/back work alltogheter to avoid trowing up.

Imagine having to run and sprint 90 minutes in that. Sounds like a fantastic plan

 

[Vlad]

To the point where it's not a big advantage for the SA and CA teams anymore, after the initial shock for the non-American teams. The 1PM matches are a pain in the ass for everyone, now that the legs are more tired. We saw it on Brazil-Chile.
My remark was about the people claiming how it's not that bad in Brazil, since it's winter. Or those who claimed that it's worse playing in Italy right now than in Brazil.

Of course, but games wouldn't be played at noon, when the heat is unbearable in most parts. They wanted to accommodate European viewers and it backfired.

 

[ALC]

To the point where it's not a big advantage for the SA and CA teams anymore, after the initial shock for the non-American teams. The 1PM matches are a pain in the ass for everyone, now that the legs are more tired. We saw it on Brazil-Chile.
My remark was about the people claiming how it's not that bad in Brazil, since it's winter. Or those who claimed that it's worse playing in Italy right now than in Brazil.

I disagree about it being an advantage. The teams that went out simply weren't good enough.

At the start of the tournament you could have seen how most European teams were struggling physically, while most of their players have been playing for arguably the best clubs in the world and training regime of these should get you into optimal form to bear the ultimate physical challenges on the pitch. it is irrelevant that some SA players have been playing abroad for a while, as it will be always easier for them to bear extreme heat and humidity. They are simply more accustomed to. Fifa should have never scheduled games in the mid of the day, but money for these folks is more important than health of the footballers.

Bro, you know the only reason the games are at noon is so Europeans can watch them, right?

- - - Updated - - -

Edit: apparently you do.

 

[Zacheryah]

Yet half the teams in the quarter finals are European, or did you want them all to be from Europe in order to be fair?

South american teams have very poor generations. The best two teams are Chile and Colombia. Brazil and Argentina have been extremely lucky so far.

If it was played in a normal climate, and the roster would allow it, an all european semi final would be perfectly normal

- - - Updated - - -

I disagree about it being an advantage. The teams that went out simply weren't good enough.

Spain was in a group with two teams who directly counter their playstyle, and Italy showed class versus england and then sorta died

apart from that, the rest that went out was bad indeed

 

[Alen]

A perfect world cup, from every point of view, can take place only in Germany and Britain. Nowhere else. You'll get perfect organization, top stadiums, excellent weather in June, small enough countries for travelling from one place to another, no drastic differences in climate. Time zone that suits most of the football following world.
But no, give it to Qatar, FIFA.

 

[PedroFlu]

playing at 1pm is really an absurd for both teams at any match.

 

[GrecoJuve]

South american teams have very poor generations. The best two teams are Chile and Colombia. Brazil and Argentina have been extremely lucky so far.

If it was played in a normal climate, and the roster would allow it, an all european semi final would be perfectly normal

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Spain was in a group with two teams who directly counter their playstyle, and Italy showed class versus england and then sorta died

apart from that, the rest that went out was bad indeed

I'm not sure about this. As you can see, few European teams has really the quality to go in front. If that WC took place in Europe, nothing would be changed dramatically. Spain, Italy and Portugal was truly bad. Portugal was against non-South American teams. Spain was bad for many reasons and perhamps Italy can talk about the climate and the South American leadership.

Colombia is a quality team. Argentina with this squad would be again in Q-Finals, same with Brazil. They are not bad, they are nervous.
The only European teams, who could be the winner is France and Holland.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

I wish France-Germany was the final.

 

[swag]

A perfect world cup, from every point of view, can take place only in Germany and Britain. Nowhere else. You'll get perfect organization, top stadiums, excellent weather in June, small enough countries for travelling from one place to another, no drastic differences in climate. Time zone that suits most of the football following world.
But no, give it to Qatar, FIFA.

2006 wasn't that long ago.

Yes, and let's hold the Winter Olympics every time in Innsbruck, Austria. And the Summer Olympics every time in Greece. umpkin:

Hey, but what would you know. I never see your baseball teams in the World Series.

 

[ALC]

I wish France-Germany was the final.

I wouldn't mind if France won it all. Pogba and Deschamps ftw. Or Netherlands. Just because.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

Yeah, Pogs and DD on hand, big fuckin cash in with Germany on the other

 

[ALC]

lol good luck.

 

[Rufio]

I think its wrong to presume that WC level has decreased just because we don't see the same old familiar faces trashing through the stages.

We are passing the era of classic football, if this last 3 years have shown something is that strategy/tactics and physical play are becoming more and more fundamental not only in creating play but also to counter/eliminate plays from opposition. (LvG changed the formation 3 times in the match vs Mexico, Kyut was a turbo puppet.)

Forget the "ok guys, do what you do" chitchat, oldschool cats can't survive in this. A context of high demand for physician/coaching staff tends to create efficient players that suit a particular gameplay. Sometimes these players are no technical beasts but horses of secondary skills like workrate/pressing/defending. Put it like this: The sport is creating more athletes and less geniuses, therefore creating more solid teams in the physical aspect. This makes creative football a.k.a possession/tikiflop/whatever less of a rule, and teams tend to balance or incline to certain style depending on what they have available.

Forget your romantic views of football, your favorite oldschool players could not adapt to this kind of physical demand along with the calendar. That's why the likes of Xavi & Pirlo are dinosaurs today, because aside their magnificent talent they fail to the question: Ok, but can you run?

Now you have teams like Switzerland, Costa Rica, Greece, Algeria, Nigeria and US going to round of 16. Not all of them play the same, but what is the common denominator?