Round of 16 Matches

[Drico]

I think we can definitively discount the fanciful notion that Spain "allowed" Japan to beat them to eliminate Germany. Obviously, that idea was ludicrous on numerous levels, but plainly today we can see that Spain are, frankly, no great shakes at all.

Whoever wins France-England will be in the final - with only Portugal an outside chance of stopping them.

 

[Wat Tyler]

I think we can definitively discount the fanciful notion that Spain "allowed" Japan to beat them to eliminate Germany. Obviously, that idea was ludicrous on numerous levels, but plainly today we can see that Spain are, frankly, no great shakes at all.

Whoever wins France-England will be in the final - with only Portugal an outside chance of stopping them.

Got a feeling Portugal spawn their way to the title again like Euro 2016.

 

[Drico]

Got a feeling Portugal spawn their way to the title again like Euro 2016.

Well, at least they have an end-product.

Spain are the kind of team that will have 83% of the ball, create a few, miss them all, lose on penalties, and cry that they were superior in defeat and it's all a travesty.

They've been doing this since 2014 and nothing seems to have been learned. In the absence of a cutting edge, it's possession for possession's sake - a triumph of packaging over content. Fetish football.

 

[MikeH72]

12 years on, Spain still bore me stiff.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

12 years on, Spain still bore me stiff.

Spain and Portugal have to be amongst the more dislikeable teams. Oddly I like both countries a lotto visit and even thought about retiring to the spain Portugal border area. Football wise they are loathsome. First day of not watching either game today.

 

[roydo]

12 years on, Spain still bore me stiff.

At least you get stiff. Me? Nada.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Hopefully redemption for #16

 

[LinekersLegs]

Nooooooooooo

 

[MikeH72]

Spain and Portugal have to be amongst the more dislikeable teams. Oddly I like both countries a lotto visit and even thought about retiring to the spain Portugal border area. Football wise they are loathsome. First day of not watching either game today.

I don’t like the way slowing down the tempo to walking pace and deliberately draining the life out of a game of football in order to create a training environment and make the opposition chase shadows has become a legitimate tactic, I honestly blame Pep.

 

[MikeH72]

Nooooooooooo

He’s starting even if both his arms and legs fall off this week.

 

[marsh]

Is that 2 shots all game from Spain right?

 

[Goat]

Julien is chatting wham.

 

[barneygumble]

Watching Spain here, doesn’t half remind me of Everton. Have as much of the ball as you want but passing side to side and afraid to pass forward.

Absolutely poison.

 

[Drico]

Spain play a style of short pass possession football that is designed to minimise risk. Guardiola is all about control. I don't have an issue with that. My criticism is that it is packaged up as "superior" or the "right way" to play. It's nothing of the sort. Without strikers and variety, it's fearful football wrapped up as high-brow aesthetics. Without a risk now and then, it's a tedious, self-indulgent snoozefest.

 

[Bohemian Toffee]

Spain have gone full last season Arsenal here, no movement off the ball just relentless sideways passing.