World Cup - Group C

Who cares. The Termophilae tactics. Wait and when they start to attack, defend and score from the quick attack! :icon_mrgreen:

 

People will say that Greece is boring for sitting back and counter-attacking and then turn around and praise Spain for passing from side to side for 30 minutes. It's all a matter of what's fashionable to debate.

At the end of the day if Greece's defense is better than their opponent's offense, and their offense is better than the opponent's defense, Greece wins and deservedly so.

Still think Ivory Coast is too good though.

 

Columbia

Ivory coast

Greece/japan will be tight both not far behind ivory

 

If Celtic won the Champions League playing the kind of football Greece played when they won the European Championships it would take the shine off it for me. We all slagged the Huns for the way they went about reaching Manchester so I'm not going to be a hypocrite and say I'd be happy for Celtic to play that way if it meant we could win a European trophy.

Sticking 10 men behind the ball and hoping to score from a breakaway or a set piece isn't football as far as I'm concerned.

 

That last bit sounds like our win against Barcelona and I don't think I was the only one who was happy with it.

You can play the game however you want, to call it "not football" is ridiculous and somewhat arrogant. It's like when imperialist countries slag guerilla fighters because it's "not war" - not everyone wants to line up in organized lines and shoot at each other

 

Exactly, everyone makes tactics according to their possibilities.

 

Spain don't pass from side to side for 30 mins. They play attractive incisive football. You must have missed the Euro 2012 final.

And I don't think anybody would blame Greeks for being happy with a boring style if it yielded results like in 2004, but asking neutrals to be pleased to watch it is a bit much IMO.

Columbia
Japan

 

Ok I'll rephrase then.

Sticking 10 men behind the ball and hoping to win 1-0 with a breakaway or a set piece is not the kind of football I enjoy watching and I don't like seeing it being rewarded. It only encourages other teams to do the same if that boring, negative way of approaching the game gets results.

 

:smiley-laughing002::icon_mrgreen:
Keep calm and win
1-0

 

Fair enough, but to me if the attacking team can't win then it just means that they were too one-dimensional or not creative enough. Defense is as much a part of the game as attacking whether it's fun to watch or not, and I think a team with great defending ought to be rewarded equally as much as a team with great attacking flair.

That said, I do believe that defending is easier than attacking, but that applies both ways and if that flair team can't defend against a few counter-attacks and set pieces then that's no better than a defensive team not creating or getting forward enough.

 

Would love to see Japan go through.

 

It wasn't really, we were far more attacking than Chelsea were when they won the year before.

We stuck a striker on in the end (Tony Watt) and were going or the win.

 

Spain making tight passing triangles between half-field and the opponent's box may be skillful but it's not attacking. I find it very boring to watch: pass around, make a pass forward, not find the room they want, pass back, pass around midfield to switch fields, pass forward, pass back, rinse repeat - it causes their opponents to play boring whether they planned to or not.

Ability to possess is obviously always great for the team that can do it, but for entertainment purposes there's a difference between "they can't score if we have the ball" and actually trying to open up a defense. It always seems to me that Spain are playing keep away more than let's score goals (also known as football/soccer)

I prefer Brazil for my ideal type of play. You must have missed the Confed Cup 2013 final, since we're trying to make our point in the douchiest way possible

 

I reckon it will be Colombia and Ivory Coast qualifying but it's quite an open group.

Greece are one of the most efficient teams kicking about so they're definitely in with a chance of qualifying.

I can't really see Japan qualifying as they're not that great defensively, but I certainly like the way they play as it makes for exciting games.

 

What it causes their opponents to do is get agitated and overextend themselves trying to win the ball back. What you see as passing from side to side, I see as a calculated plan to drag the opposition out of position and pounce on the slightest mistake. You can run into a brick wall and try to knock it down, or you can take it apart brick by brick. I find it intriguing to watch the tactical battle and at times the metronomic passing is mesmerising. It's exactly what I want to see from a football team and it's always done in attempt to break the other team down.

When Greece won the euros they sat with 10 men behind the ball, tried to kill the game, and capitalized on set pieces. It was brutal to watch, but apparently you found it admirable, while taking umbrage at Spains style. I find that perplexing to say the least. I can't actually believe I have to defend a Spain team with some of the best players who ever played the game. But anyway it takes all sorts.

Sorry for being a douche, but to be fair you were talking powerful bullshit.

 

My head says:

1. Columbia
2. Ivory Coast
3. Greece
4. Japan

But my heart says:

1. Greece
2. Columbia
3. Japan
4. Ivory Coast

Greece is my favorite team on this WC followed by Columbia and Portugal. This group is great because everybody can go through, I'm really looking forward to this group.

 

My opinion is exactly the same.
Heheheheh, I knew you'd support the Hellenes, just like me. Blood is ticker than water, no doubt.

 

Greece
Columbia
Ivory Coast
Japan


Big sammy's going to tear that group apart.

 

We still had 11 behind the ball most of the time and scored from a set piece and a punt up the park. It doesn't make the win any less special.

 

This group could well be the most interesting. All the teams play a different style of football. The Japanese very offensive but weak at the back, The Greeks very defensive and tactical. Ivory Coast physical, strong and Columbia who are all round. It just sucks the Japan Ivory Coast game is like 2am UK time. I doubt I will stay up for that.