FIFA World Cup 2014

[Who]

Awful news -- Neymar has a broken back from that challenge in the match today where he took a knee to his lower back. A broken vertebra. Apparently it's a benign fracture and Neymar will not need surgery but it will need time and other treatment to heal.

So Neymar will not be able to play for rest of this World Cup.

[KGs Knee]

Yikes!

That is a terrible break for Brazil. No Silva, and now no Neymar, for the match against Germany. Not good.

Wish Kaka was still around, Scolari never should have left him off the team. Brazil sure could use his play making.

[Redz]

I watched the game (in Spanish) at a party with a house full of Colombians.  I wish there was more to cheer about but it was still fun to share the occasion with them.  The atmosphere at the stadium in Brazil was pretty incredible.

[Who]

I think if Belgium commit to a counter-attacking style as constituted they have the players that can cause Argentina a lot of problems.

Lukaku great physical speedy counter attacking striker. Wide players in Hazard and either Mertens or Miralles who cause problems on the break. Physical well rounded central midfielders in Fellaini, Witsel and either Dembele or De Bruyne. Can pack the middle. Four CBs defensive. Top class keeper. Best defensive record in WC so far I believe. Perfect team for counter attacking football.

Argentina not so good. Vulnerable. Belgium can take advantage.

[Who]

Ugh oh. Belgium in trouble.

Another early goal. A bit of luck involved. A deflected pass goes right to Higuain and he smashes it in from edge of penalty area. 1st goal in tournament for Higuain who has played badly in World Cup so far.

Belgium have to chase the game now. At least Argentina look shaky at the back and incapable of sitting back and defending a lead. So there is some chance to score goals. But Argentina are lethal in counter attack themselves. So much pace and skill in Di Maria, Messi, Lavezzi and Higuain. Going to be very hard for Belgium to push forward without gifting Argentina with multiple opportunities to hit them on the break. Gotta fancy Argentina now.

All three quarter finals with an early goal now. I think they hurt the last two as contests. I hope that doesn't happen here again today but I fear it will. Belgium lost their advantage (to frustrate Argentina, counter attack). Now Argentina holds all the cards.

[Who]

Di Maria off injured. Blow for Argentina.

Enzo Perez on. I know very little about him. Seems like more of a central midfielder than attacking midfield player like Di Maria. Maybe Argentina content to sit back and protect lead. Switch to 4-3-1-2. Three central midfielders protecting backline. Messi in free role as #10 with two forwards ahead of him. Lavezzi playing a bit off to left as second forward.

[KGs Knee]

Ugh oh. Belgium in trouble.

Belgium have to chase the game now.

I don't think I entirely agree with this.  Belgium is more than talented enough to maintain their structure and stick to their game plan, and still create scoring opportunities.  Belgium, I think, would be best served to stick to the plan for now.  Belgium is quite competent on the ball, and well capable of maintaining possession in the midfield.

Too often I think teams panic when conceding an early goal, change their style, and end up hurting themselves more than anything.  Changing a game plan too early can cause you to lose the game entirely.  Stick with what works.

Argentina doesn't seem like a team well suited to sit back and defend a lead for 80+ minutes.  Nor do I think they will attempt to.  So far it doesn't seem to be the case.

[Who]

Ugh oh. Belgium in trouble.

Belgium have to chase the game now.

I don't think I entirely agree with this.  Belgium is more than talented enough to maintain their structure and stick to their game plan, and still create scoring opportunities.  Belgium, I think, would be best served to stick to the plan for now.  Belgium is quite competent on the ball, and well capable of maintaining possession in the midfield.

Too often I think teams panic when conceding an early goal, change their style, and end up hurting themselves more than anything.  Changing a game plan too early can cause you to lose the game entirely.  Stick with what works.

Argentina doesn't seem like a team well suited to sit back and defend a lead for 80+ minutes.  Nor do I think they will attempt to.  So far it doesn't seem to be the case.

I don't think as highly of Belgium's possession based attack.

I think they lack creative passers (and hence why I wanted them to play counter-attack football) and that is why I think they have struggled to score goals in previous games (possession without incision) and were forced to rely on late goals and substitutes to change game -- because initial game plan, possession based attack, does not work well enough.

[KGs Knee]

Belgium certainly isn't elite in that regard, but they do seem to do well in the build-up.  Where they seem to struggle is the final pass that leads to quality scoring chances.

I just think if Belgium opens themselves up too early they put themselves at risk of conceding a 2nd goal.  I don't think Belgium should chase the game too soon.  Trailing 1-0 at the half isn't the worst thing in the world.

But yeah, sooner or later they'll have to open things up push forward with a bit more urgency.  I just think it would be better to wait until maybe around the 70 minute mark or so.  Bring in those subs that have served them so well, and then attack.

[KGs Knee]

And I do get what you're saying, Who, but to me, changing "what works" too soon is a dangerous gambit.

[Who]

I saw a stat earlier in this World Cup - I think it was late on in the group stages - and they were measuring how often the ball was in play versus out of play. I think most leagues usually have it around 60-64 minutes. In this World Cup, due to the heat and time wasting (players slow to put ball back in play when it goes out), the ball was only in play for 52 or 54 minutes a game.

Because of this, I think teams need to be wary of waiting too late to make changes.

I think 70 minutes in is too late in this tournament. I think those changes need to happen by 60 minute mark at latest. I've seen too many teams wait too long to make changes in this tournament and then not see their subs have enough time to have an impact in games due to the time wasting going on. So if no halftime changes, that is the longest (60 minute mark) I would make to change things around.

[KGs Knee]

That is an interesting 'stat', and certainly is a considerable amout less time of 'game action'.  Hadn't really thought about that.

Definitely worth considering.

[Who]

Old article -- sort of what I am talking about -- top European league stats for ball in play -- http://www.soccerbythenumbers.com/2011/05/how-much-football-is-there-in-match.html

The Guardian's statistical review of the Premier League's season (courtesy of Opta data). I thought one of the more interesting tidbits was that, on average, "the ball was in play for 62.39 minutes this season ? more than in the much-vaunted Spanish and German top flights (61.48 minutes and 61.22 minutes respectively), but significantly less than in Serie A (65.15 minutes)."

According to The Guardian, "the average amount of time that the ball was in play for Stoke games this season was 58.52 minutes. Manchester United offered the most action, 66.58 minutes on average." From what I know, there are matches that come close to only 45 minutes of play.

* Stoke being a long ball team that smacks the ball out of play a lot. Man Utd possession play.

I think this is what is happening at World Cup because of the Heat.

Players happy to take their time putting the ball back in whenever ball goes out of play. Just too hot. Happy to take a break. Teams also intentionally time wasting quite often when they have a lead.

So with the ball in play less often in this World Cup, I think teams need to be more proactive and make changes earlier than normal.

[Who]

Perez has been fairly defensive minded since coming on. Not adding much to attack. Clearly not a like for like sub with Di Maria. More to protect the lead than to add a 2nd goal.

Last few minutes, it has looked like Argentina have folded back into two lines of 4 defensively. Looking happy to defend their lead. Lavezzi has been dropping deeper from forward position back into midfield. Almost standing next to left back when Belgium in possession.

Argentina look like a defensive 4-4-1-1 now. 9 players behind the ball whenever Belgium have ball. Two lines of 4 ahead of keeper. Very little space for Belgium.

[Casperian]

The Guardian's statistical review of the Premier League's season (courtesy of Opta data). I thought one of the more interesting tidbits was that, on average, "the ball was in play for 62.39 minutes this season - more than in the much-vaunted Spanish and German top flights (61.48 minutes and 61.22 minutes respectively), but significantly less than in Serie A (65.15 minutes)."

What an odd choice of words, huh?

...and such an irrelevant statistic in the grand scheme of things