Group E Matchday 2 - 22 June - Brazil 2-0 Costa Rica, Serbia 1-2 Switzerland

[Eco]

Just now, Toinho said:

I know it's early, and I agree with you in terms of teams getting better as the tournament goes on, but that could be said Russia and Croatia get better and better and if they do who knows what'll happen?! Perhaps I'm a dreamer but would love an underdog story haha 

Ha, I would love one as well, but this tournament in my lifetime has never produced a winner that wasn't at least expected in some way. We've had two new Champions in my lifetime with Spain and France, and both were known to be elite teams in the past. 

I think if Iceland were to win that would be one of the greatest stories ever. 

[Toinho]

Just now, Eco said:

Ha, I would love one as well, but this tournament in my lifetime has never produced a winner that wasn't at least expected in some way. We've had two new Champions in my lifetime with Spain and France, and both were known to be elite teams in the past. 

I think if Iceland were to win that would be one of the greatest stories ever. 

Yeah can only think of Greece in the Euros. 

Big fan of Iceland. I'm team Iceland if we don't make it through! (Well, I will follow England too). 

[Eco]

1 minute ago, Toinho said:

Yeah can only think of Greece in the Euros. 

Big fan of Iceland. I'm team Iceland if we don't make it through! (Well, I will follow England too). 

Figured you'd be all over Team Japan with your Anime Porn collection as intense as it is. 

I don't understand how anyone can go against Iceland, unless your country are actually playing them. 

[El Profesor]

So relieved. That was close. 

Terrible first 25 minutes, then we started to impose our superiority but with many of our players having bad individual performances it was really tough to break Costa Rica´s defence. 

Physically, Neymar seems to be way off and yet he kept trying to overcomplicate things. Another bad individual performance by him, despite the goal. Gabriel Jesus had another bad match as well, and the Firmino´s shadow is getting bigger and bigger. Firmino can´t be on the bench much longer.

Brazil still has the same midfield problems. Paulinho is non-existent, he offers nothing in creation. The midfield setup is very unbalanced,  it´s hard to believe this hasn´t been detected. Fred should be the starter in central midfield, we need his passing skills. In the 2nd half, he used Firmino as an attacking midfielder, like Bobby used to play at Hoffenheim, and it was a good solution. Brazil had much more offensive volume with Firmino. This is an interesting option for desperate moments when we need to be ultra-offensive. 

Also, Douglas Costa was much more effective on the right, I think he basically guaranteed his place in the starting XI against Serbia.  

[Toinho]

1 minute ago, Eco said:

Figured you'd be all over Team Japan with your Anime Porn collection as intense as it is. 

I don't understand how anyone can go against Iceland, unless your country are actually playing them. 

Haha. Got rid of that collection.... 

My support for Japan ends at the group stage. I just want to see Asian sides progress (except Iran and the Saudis..). If they progress good on them but from that stage onwards it has to go to blood connections (Oz or unfortunately England).

[Toinho]

1 minute ago, El Profesor said:

So relieved. That was close. 

Terrible first 25 minutes, then we started to impose our superiority but with many of our players having bad individual performances it was really tough to break Costa Rica´s defence. 

Physically, Neymar seems to be way off and yet he kept trying to overcomplicate things. Another bad individual performance by him, despite the goal. Gabriel Jesus had another bad match as well, and the Firmino´s shadow is getting bigger and bigger. Firmino can´t be on the bench much longer.

Brazil still has the same midfield problems. Paulinho is non-existent, he offers nothing in creation. The midfield setup is very unbalanced,  it´s hard to believe this hasn´t been detected. Fred should be the starter in central midfield, we need his passing skills. In the 2nd half, he used Firmino as an attacking midfielder, like Bobby used to play at Hoffenheim, and it was a good solution. Brazil had much more offensive volume with Firmino. This is an interesting option for desperate moments when we need to be ultra-offensive. 

Also, Douglas Costa was much more effective on the right, I think he basically guaranteed his place in the starting XI against Serbia.  

I agree with a lot of that. I thought Casemiro(spelling?) was the worst player on the park. Douglas Costa to his credit kept trying to do something but I thought he was very poor but probably still better than Willian! 

[Honey Honey]

Neymar should have been sent off, how he hasn't got 2 yellow cards in that game I don't know. 

[El Profesor]

Just now, Toinho said:

I agree with a lot of that. I thought Casemiro(spelling?) was the worst player on the park. Douglas Costa to his credit kept trying to do something but I thought he was very poor but probably still better than Willian! 

Yes, Casemiro. I agree, he was really bad today,  misplacing so many simple passes. 

In the comparison between Brazil and Croatia, the difference is that Croatia has a great midfield. Meanwhile, our midfield is terrible. Totally sterile. 

I can definitely see Brazil losing to Serbia and being eliminated. The serbians will have 5 men in their midfield and they´ll impose their physical superiority against us. It´ll be a very difficult game and I´m not that confident because the midfield struggles doesn´t seem to have been detected by Tite and his coaching staff.

[Rick]

1 hour ago, Harvsky said:

Neymar should have been sent off, how he hasn't got 2 yellow cards in that game I don't know. 

See the little fat shouting "don't touch!" In the refs face when the referee put his hand on his chest for z brief second. That was after his first yellow. If it was a Costa Rica player he would have walked. The ref did great for the most part but letting Neymar finish the game was his major failing. 

[Machado]

Switzerland: Sommer; Lichtsteiner, Schär, Akanji, Rodríguez; Behrami, Xhaka; Shaqiri, Dzemaili, Zuber; Seferovic

Serbia:  Stojkovic; Ivanovic, Milenkovic, Tosic, Kolarov; Matic, Milivojevic; Tadic, Milinkovic-Savic, Kostic; Mitrovic.

[Cicero]

Really like this Swiss team. 

[nudge+]

Hopp Schwiiz!

A must win today, hope for a good match and 3 points for the Swiss.

[Stan]

3 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Really like this Swiss team. 

Prefer the Serbian team. More quality around the pitch and will be physically too strong for the Swiss. 

[Cicero]

Just now, Stan said:

Prefer the Serbian team. More quality around the pitch and will be physically too strong for the Swiss. 

Yeah. SMS probably the next big thing. Briliant player. 

[Stan]

3 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Yeah. SMS probably the next big thing. Briliant player. 

had a quality game against Costa Rica. Love watching the lad.

As well as him, just think their experience will show; Kolarov, Ivanovic, Matic are 3 big-game players. 

[El Profesor]

Hoping for a Serbia win here. That would leave the swiss with only 1 point and also would mean the serbs could rest some players against us (SMS being rested against us would be ideal ). 

Brazil is so bad right now, I want every possible break. 

 

[Bluewolf]

Respect to Matic there for putting something back into football.. 

[Stan]

Yes Serbia!!!!!

Aleksandar Mitrovic fires Serbia ahead! 

[Machado]

What a beast.

[Dan+]

This is nailed on for a red card. It's got a bad tempered game written all over it with the fact it's probably the biggest game in the group in terms of progression as well as half of Switzerland's team having links to Albania and Kosovo.

[Eco]

Damn - Walk away for 30 minutes to get lunch and I miss the goal. 

[Machado]

Brazil won't have it easy against Serbia. Very physical and experienced team. Talented as well.

[God is Haaland]

Serbia running down the clock in the 17th minute.

[Eco]

I love when a defender tackles, holds, hugs, cleats the attacker and then complains about the foul being called. 

[Asura]

Brasil were so wasteful in the final third and parituclarly Neymar sucked ass... he should have scored atleast two more and I love Douglas Costa..