World Cup Quarter Finals: Netherlands vs Costa Rica (July 5)

[cgf]

Yeah, but van Persie isn't out of yours. So that balances out di Maria being out of argentinas.

Lol. Kicking myself for being unable to come up with a clever Ozil comeback.

Gotze would be the easier target, he's been beyond useless since the portugal game. Ozil is at least still leading the tourney in chance creation and chipping in his customary 2-3 golden opportunities a game, even if schurrle has been finding more and more creative ways to squander them.

[cgf]

Is it really them being unlucky when van Persie always sucks for the NT, or where they lucky against spain that RvP forgot to suck?

In WCs only really. Especially 2010. Other than that he is all-time topscorer of the national team. Against Costa Rica the worst were his multiple offside runs imo. That chance on the vibe I think he was slighlty impeded from behind. Still though, I trust him to finish a chance to score way more than Thomas Mueller. Problem is getting those chances though, Mueller is much better in creating good chances to score for himself, his off the ball qualities in particular are much better imo. Van Persie is probably the best starting striker of all the teams left still. Germany is not playing one partly because they don't really have one, right? like Barcelona, and Bayern sometimes now Guardiola is there I guess. maybe not anymore with Lewandowski idk. Is Mario Gomez even on the German WC squad btw? Always thought he's pretty good

I should've said for the NT in important games cause his goal scoring record for country is like Ozils, very impressive on the whole, far less impressive when you see that almost all of his goals have come in qualifying. The hunter actually scares me more as a goal threat for you guys now that the games really matter.

As for us we sort of are, most games Mueller has started as the striker, although we are at our best playing two wide-strikers like chile did, with Mueller and Schurrle both running the channels, but this jogi has only stumble into rarely.

And gomez is thankfully not even in the squad, he was like a less talented Huntelaar, utterly useless in the box, and he wasn't as lethal as the hunter as he needed to miss a few sitters before he'd get his tap in.

[pass first]

I should've said for the NT in important games cause his goal scoring record for country is like Ozils, very impressive on the whole, far less impressive when you see that almost all of his goals have come in qualifying. The hunter actually scares me more as a goal threat for you guys now that the games really matter.

As for us we sort of are, most games Mueller has started as the striker, although we are at our best playing two wide-strikers like chile did, with Mueller and Schurrle both running the channels, but this jogi has only stumble into rarely.

And gomez is thankfully not even in the squad, he was like a less talented Huntelaar, utterly useless in the box, and he wasn't as lethal as the hunter as he needed to miss a few sitters before he'd get his tap in.

Not that fond of Huntelaar as a player. I thought he was great in 2006, but then he didn't get the call up and we played an over the hill RVN and Kuyt as his replacement.

He proved his value though for sure this tournament, even in very little playing time. That header was key, even more so than the penalty.

One game Klose started right? Did Muller play on the right that game?

[pass first]

Yeah, but van Persie isn't out of yours. So that balances out di Maria being out of argentinas.

Lol. Kicking myself for being unable to come up with a clever Ozil comeback.

Gotze would be the easier target, he's been beyond useless since the portugal game. Ozil is at least still leading the tourney in chance creation and chipping in his customary 2-3 golden opportunities a game, even if schurrle has been finding more and more creative ways to squander them.

I don't really have high expectations of Gotze. And also it was about lefties.

[Doormatt]

feel the 3-4-3 didnt quite suit the dutch today. they needed another player playing centrally to link wijnldum and sneijder with van persie. Normally one of depay or robben should drop into that role with the wide midfielder maintaining width but depay was probably a bit too inexperinced to play it properly. probably held his width a bit too often. it also requires a defensive minded midfielder which wijnaldum is not.

They needed Strootman. Honestly think if he was there they'd have a legit chance to win it all. They still do without him but there chances would be much better.