Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan

[shen]

23 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Netherlands? Not great but good enough. 

They were a bit fortunate really, not just with the late goals but Senegal had the better chances overall.

[theadmans]

 

 

 

 

Ha,ha,ha

Angela Merkel, Joachim Löw, Otto von Bismark, Milli Vanilli, Albert Einstein, Jürgen Klinsmann, Michael Schumacher, Boris Becker, Lothar Matthäus, Boney M, Bernhard Langer, Marlene Dietrich, Joseph Goebbels, David Hasselhoff

 

...Your boys took a hell of a beating!

 

Edited 23 November 2022 by theadmans

[Zear0]

[Bert]

49 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I'd have hit the corner flag with my first touch. 

 

You'd have hit it with your finish. 

 

 

I flipping love you. 

[Finnegan]

Really promising young team on paper Spain. That's fantastic. Hope they deliver. 

 

 

[Balj]

5 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Really promising young team on paper Spain. That's fantastic. Hope they deliver. 

 

 

Started beautifully - just the finishing. Finishing sorted…!

Edited 23 November 2022 by Balj

[Finnegan]

Absolute filth

 

What they did off the ball there is almost as good as what they did with it the movement was incredible.

 

Study that, City. 

Edited 23 November 2022 by Finnegan

[Lionator]

These look good. If they get a second quickly it could be a massacre. 

[Lionator]

Arguable that Spain’s major advantage is that they absolutely have the best manager at the tournament (Herve Renard aside). 

[Finnegan]

Oh god please move the mic from in front of that child. I can't hack that squeaking for 70 more minutes.

[David Hankey]

One-way traffic!!

[trabuch]

That's really good.

[StanSP]

So easy for Spain. Two decent goals. 

[StanSP]

15 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

Really promising young team on paper Spain. That's fantastic. Hope they deliver. 

 

 

Pedri and Gavi the future of their midfield. 

 

The next Xavi and Iniesta... 

[KFS]

Good goal pound shop Perez 

[Muzzy_no7]

There’s something very Ayoze Perez-ish about Asensio but that was a great finish. 

[foxes_rule1978]

They look better than Germany. Yet again the Germans could be in trouble of not getting out the group 

[RowlattsFox]

Spain have gone under the radar a bit. Still a very dangerous side. 

 

Costa Rica are shit though.

[Balj]

They have that smoothness as if they have an extra player - lovely football. 

[foxy boxing]

Spain are usually a heavy possession based team that pass the opposition to death but they are playing some great football with direct passes forward. Looking really good.

[Finnegan]

Just now, RowlattsFox said:

Costa Rica are shit though.

 

They aren't amazing but I think there's a real value here in accepting that sometimes a team can be so good that they make an opposition look poor.

 

A lot of teams in this tournament (Poland, Croatia, Germany amongst them) have turned up and looked poor so far because they've come up against teams that just are well organised, well coached, well drilled and they just haven't had the creativity or movement to break them down.

 

Spain's movement off the ball is absolutely immense. Especially once they get in to the final third and unlike old Del Bosque spain they're making great, quick, vertical passes, speeding up play, it's a joy to watch.

[Muzzy_no7]

Peak Pep’s Barca stuff this.

 

Embarrassing amount of empty seats again though. 

[StanSP]

Penalty Spain. 

[StanSP]

Dixon thinks that's soft? He's kicked the back of foot? 

[Balj]

Keepers seem to be going too early this World Cup - except Bale, all rolled in