World Cup - Group A

Referee did his very best to keep the hosts happy, ridiculous penalty decision.

Croatia deserved more from the game, think they'll comfortably get out that group. Modric, Srna and Rakitic are class acts plus they have Mandzukic to come back from suspension.

 

Oscar was pretty fantastic.

 

Brazil weren't great tonight but overall they were the better team, even if they did get a bit of help from the ref. Croatia were stubborn, with a solid defence and using their quick wingers to break on the counter. Still, for the most part they were stuck in their own half bar the odd period here and there.

It should never have been a penalty but I think with the overall theme of the game (Brazil with 63% possession) a goal was going to come sooner or later. Which would have created the same theme of Croatia running after the game and leaving gaps at the back (which Oscar ran beautifully into). Croatia's second goal should have counted as well, but it didn't and Brazil, for all the complaints here, took their chances when they presented themselves.

Brazil won when they weren't at their best which can only be a good thing for them. With the pressure of the opening game gone, Brazil and their players should improve.

Oscar was man of the match. Neymar showed little glimpses of why he is so highly rated. Fred was wasteful, David Luiz was solid and Bernard was an effective sub.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/statszone/4-2013/matches/731767

 

Both teams were rather honking at defending. Better to come from both teams I feel.

 

Crap defending from our team. When the player is far away, then you foul him ASAP. Not in your own box. Lovren is our Ambrose.

 

I thought Croatia were pretty good at defending. It took up much of their game and yet people still feel that they were the better team which tells it's own story. They were very energetic in defence, coming out to press and stop Brazilian movement.

Whenever Neymar looked up he had a few red and white shirts around him.

I think Croatia will get out of this group quite easily.

 

Was that Croatia keeper the guy we had on "trial" a couple of years back? Think we had a lucky escape if it was........l've seen cows go down quicker.

 

I think this game will end up showing how important fixture scheduling is. With it being the opener of the tournament, I felt Brazil were always going to find a way to win, no matter how well Croatia played (and they did play well). Now I can see Mexico getting a draw with Brazil; historically they have done very, very well against them and Brazil won't have quite the same momentum they had tonight because they can afford to draw. It could end up that Mexico make it through because of this without having anywhere near the same quality as Croatia.

 

Huns

On the plus side the protesters made a fair few dents in that window hopefully not long til we see a live lynching of Chiles & Dicko

 

The back 4 were good, I'll give them that, the defending from the middle of midfield was shocking though, you need to defend as a team. Even though Modric and Rakitić got stuck in, their was no defensive cleverness to it. Diving in when Neymar got the first goal, after a few unsuccessful tackles highlights that.

Which is a bit odd because Modric this season has been so much better defensively. Think the next game you'll see Rakitić a bit more forward with another player in next to Modric.

 

I hope Charles Bronson didn't have money on Croatia.

 

Croatia should have got a point out of that, Brazil were very average.

 

it was 11 vs 12 tonight and the Croatians still gave them a good game. The penalty was an absolute joke and I thought Croatia's disallowed goal should have stood, Cesar was barely touched.

Also Croatia need to find a new keeper, Pletikosa should have saved all 3 goals.

 

why can't we have a dramatic national anthem like the Brazilians?

 

:smiley-laughing002:

 

Modrić and Rakitić need a butcher beside them. The first goal we conceded: no determined tackle to take Neymar down. Somehow, he scraped past our midfield, instead of being brought down far away from the goal. Same for the 3. goal. The penalty: We were made aware of the fact that Nishimura likes giving penalties. Lovren once, in the first half, fell down when a Brazilian player pushed into him. And won a foul. Against Fred's pushing back, he should've done the same. Not grab Fred by the shoulder.

We don't know one basic rule of defence: in your own box you MUST NOT foul, while far away from the box- DO foul.

 

The ball should have never got through to Neymar, it was weak as *. It was never a penalty in a million years but I said the same thing, why the * even put your hand on his shoulder in the first place.

 

A lot of managers, even if they used to be defenders/DM-s, now play quite open football, it's like a trend. Sadly, our manager falls in there too. 3 creative players and no butcher. Admirable? Maybe. But it wasn't effective in getting possession or ensuring that attacks can be broken up for good. Ognjen Vukojević is one tough, maybe ugly-looking *. Not great on the ball either. But when he tackles someone, that's in 99% cases a meeting with the grass for the victim. A mere shoulder barge from him would've prevented the first goal. Yet he wasn't on.

Lovren was naive, most definitely. Or he wasn't told by the coach about the necessity of being extra careful in the box. Either way, someone's to blame.

 

First goal, I agree; the second one, he couldn't have done all that much better with the penalty (although I've seen those saved); the third goal was a howler on his part, imo. Euro 2008-era Pletikosa would definitely have saved the third, and possibly the first; but (as you imply) he was up against a first-rate fan atmosphere and one of the most questionable refereeing performances I've ever seen at any major tournament - plus he's just not Euro 2008 Pletikosa any more.

 

I feel he had quite good saves up to the first goal. I can agree that the long-range shots might've been saveable since they weren't cannons. But Stipe at least commanded his penalty box well.