Interesting article that Biggs, but I don't think tiki-taka is dead so much as that Spanish generation has drawn to a close. If they were still playing at the level they did in 2008 they'd still be doing very, very well.

As you'd say yourself, football is about results not preconceptions about the correct mix of the "cocktail" of physicality and technicality.

The end to end stuff we're seeing in a lot of matches at this WC is great for spectators though.

For all the upsets, pretty much all the contenders have reached the last eight.

This is heading towards a great conclusion.

The only thing this WC is missing is a great team.
Maybe that greatness will emerge from QF onwards.

Watch the final be a boring 1-0. Ha.

5 days later
Nela wrote:

What a World Cup! Incredible!

Location and the atmosphere of the hosts matters even if you're not there. Makes me dread Russia and Quatar.

It also highlights how underwhelming South Africa was. Those fucking vuvuzelas. I'm not a fan of the 'give this country/region the world cup to spread the game' way of thinking. Call me selfish and Eurocentric but the World Cup should be in Europe, North America or South America.

You do know there are about 50 countries in both Asia and Africa, each with a heterogeneous mix of cultures?
Also, as far as i am aware vuvuzelas are South African and South African Zulus in particular so it's a stretch to paint the rest of the 50-odd other countries on the continent with that brush.
It is also one of the least football dominated country in Africa and only won the right to host the event because it's the only country in Africa that was rich enough to provide the infrastructure required as well as being the payback to the bribed African Fifa representatives for supporting Blatter over Johansson.

the games will get boring from here on out because no one wants to make the mistake that sends their country out in the knockout rounds. the matches will be really tactical and cautious.

Le professeur wrote:

Watch the final be a boring 1-0. Ha.

1-0 or even 0-0 doesn't have to be necessarily boring, there might be end to end chances galore.
Just because theres lots of goals doesn't make the football good quality, there might be lots of stupid defensive errors and individual mistakes, if its cheap scoring you want watch basketball or something.

Not sure how I still feel about the world cup now. On one hand I don't want this to end so fast, 4 matches left only 🙁

On the other hand I feel its not as fun anymore and has become a little dull. No more USA fans, no more exciting Chile, no more James Rodriguez, no more Miguel Herrera and the fairytale Costa Rica. All good team which on another day would have gotten through.

Neymar is the worst loss.

Surely the further on in the tournament the fewer "stories" there will be Clrnc, if for no other reason than teams have to be eliminated.

I do agree that there aren't any really compelling plot lines from here on out. Can only think of the "Brazil to win it for (without) Neymar" angle as something dramatic.

Yeah, it shouldn't be thought of as "a city of God" thing where you get progressively near perfection, or as a film or musical piece where you reach a grand finale.
The world cup is a journey where the interesting things happen along the way not just a destination to be reached asap.

Its better that way too - if the final was all that mattered, and all that was compelling, there would be little excitement over the 30+ days of the World Cup.

It's been far from a great World Cup. This reminds me of the Premiership - not at it's high point but tense close end to end games.

There are no great teams, not as many great players, too many dodgy decisions, and a distinct lack of top drawer goals.

Sure every World Cup will be entertaining due to the nature of knockout games between rival countries, but make no mistake this World Cup is so so lacking against the best ones.

I'd have liked to been old enough to experience Spain 82

Biggus wrote:
Le professeur wrote:

Watch the final be a boring 1-0. Ha.

1-0 or even 0-0 doesn't have to be necessarily boring, there might be end to end chances galore.
Just because theres lots of goals doesn't make the football good quality, there might be lots of stupid defensive errors and individual mistakes, if its cheap scoring you want watch basketball or something.

I'm not saying that all 0-0 / 1-0 games are boring. I'm saying that this particular game will be boring and will finish 1-0. I expect a game that's slow, contains very few moments that will excite and has limited chances and is constantly stop-start due to lots of "professional fouls" being committed.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

It's been far from a great World Cup. This reminds me of the Premiership - not at it's high point but tense close end to end games.

There are no great teams, not as many great players, too many dodgy decisions, and a distinct lack of top drawer goals.

Sure every World Cup will be entertaining due to the nature of knockout games between rival countries, but make no mistake this World Cup is so so lacking against the best ones.

I'd have liked to been old enough to experience Spain 82

If you say it 100 more times, maybe you'll finally start convincing people.

Le professeur wrote:

I'm not saying that all 0-0 / 1-0 games are boring. I'm saying that this particular game will be boring and will finish 1-0. I expect a game that's slow, contains very few moments that will excite and has limited chances and is constantly stop-start due to lots of "professional fouls" being committed.

Well that's what the last one was like, but no one knows what will happen.
Generals always prepare for the next war with the lessons from the last one, and they are almost always invariably wrong.

Dules, last great World Cup?

Of course '98 was a great World Cup. We were both about 18-20 for starters ... I remember doing a hell of a lot more drinking during that one.