2018 World Cup

[Who]

They are trying to walk with the ball into the net... Like the are afraid the shoot the ball!

The problem for me is Koke = too many of their attacks are being slowed down by his negative passing. He is the creative midfielder there alongside Busquets. Koke needs to be the one to bring the ball forward as a dribbler or as a forward passer. He is not doing either of those things. He keeps passing it laterally & handing off responsibility to Pique + Ramos.

It has been a terrible performance from Koke. And he is still on the pitch. Unbelievable.


Edit: You see Pique now ignoring him on a couple of occasions. Just bringing the ball forward himself because he knows Koke is not doing it.

Edit: There isn't enough space higher up the pitch for Isco and Co. The deeper creative midfielder (Koke) is the one in space. He needs to be the one to bring the ball forward, draw defenders and then make a forward pass to someone who now has more space because of the aggressive play from the deep midfielder (Koke). Koke is not doing that and that is allowing Russia to stay deep and smother the attacking midfielders.

Spain need Thiago.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Wow! Shouldn't that be a penalty on Russia?

The defender's arms completely had Gerard Pique around him. How is that not a penalty?

[Who]

Spain should put Pique up front and lob high passes into him. Try for knock downs.

They are taking too long to get the ball into the box. Wasting time.

[ederson]

Spain should put Pique up front and lob high passes into him. Try for knock downs.

They are taking too long to get the ball into the box. Wasting time.

It's the barcelona effect... But Barcelona has Messi and spain aspas. Against a parked bus you need many big bodies in the box. Spain wanted pass all the way to the goal line....

Usually the most active keeper during the game performs better in the penalties

My bet was on Spain, they were awful  so let's go Russia!!

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Who, Koke might have actually lost the game for Spain!

[ederson]

Bye
Adios
Tchsuss

 

[kraidstar]

Wow! Shouldn't that be a penalty on Russia?

The defender's arms completely had Gerard Pique around him. How is that not a penalty?

If that's not a penalty then I don't know what is.

Then again, FIFA is the most corrupt organization in the world playing a tournament in one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

[TheisTheisBaby]

The top 2 teams and the top 2 players are out.  The happiest people in the world right now aren't the Russians, they're the Brazilians.

[Moranis]

Wow! Shouldn't that be a penalty on Russia?

The defender's arms completely had Gerard Pique around him. How is that not a penalty?

If that's not a penalty then I don't know what is.

Then again, FIFA is the most corrupt organization in the world playing a tournament in one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

I was rooting for Spain but I was fine with a no call there. Both sides were playing handsy and while there was contact I think he flopped and tries to oversell the contact.

[ederson]

Wow! Shouldn't that be a penalty on Russia?

The defender's arms completely had Gerard Pique around him. How is that not a penalty?

If that's not a penalty then I don't know what is.

Then again, FIFA is the most corrupt organization in the world playing a tournament in one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

Fifa is corrupt but that was not a penalty any way you look at it.

Nice defending by Croatia! 

[Phantom255x]

Within 4 minutes, Denmark and Croatia each scored LOL. WOW. 

[Yoki_IsTheName]

WHAT A SAVE BY KASPER SCHMEICHEL!

My God!

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Both Goalkeepers are putting on a master show. It sucks that one of them will have to move on and one of them will have to go home.

What a performance by Schmeichel, and Daniel Subasic.

[Ogaju]

amazing to see how horrible world class players are in penalty kicks. Do they not practice?

Penalty kicks should never be kicked to the middle of the goal. You also have much better odds if your kicks are grounders. Lift the ball off the turf and you give the goalkeeper a better chance. Lift it high enough and  you risk kicking the ball over the bar. Keep the ball on the ground and keeper has much more difficult time getting there.

[makaveli]

amazing to see how horrible world class players are in penalty kicks. Do they not practice?

Penalty kicks should never be kicked to the middle of the goal. You also have much better odds if your kicks are grounders. Lift the ball off the turf and you give the goalkeeper a better chance. Lift it high enough and  you risk kicking the ball over the bar. Keep the ball on the ground and keeper has much more difficult time getting there.

You are oversimplfy things here. Scoring a penalty is not that hard in  a practise mode. But against a cat reflex goalie, 60 thousands in the stands, after playing 2 hours and the whole nation breathing down your neck...