World cup games thread

[nottsblue]

Anyone else concerned they might put a half fit Aguero in?

[Plain Speaking]

It looked to me like Holland's Krul may have had gained information about Costa Rica's penalty practice?...

Krul boasted to the Costa Rica players he knew which way they were going and dived the correct way for all five penalties.

Would this be surprising? VDG seems a control freak leaving as little to chance as possible. He brought Krul in to specialise 100% on the penalties.

[mr_nool]

It looked to me like Holland's Krul may have had gained information about Costa Rica's penalty practice?...

Krul boasted to the Costa Rica players he knew which way they were going and dived the correct way for all five penalties.

Would this be surprising? VDG seems a control freak leaving as little to chance as possible. He brought Krul in to specialise 100% on the penalties.

Costa Rica won on penalties in the previous round. I'm sure Krul has studied those quite thoroughly and that there's nothing more sinister to it.

[DoomMerchant]

It looked to me like Holland's Krul may have had gained information about Costa Rica's penalty practice?...

Krul boasted to the Costa Rica players he knew which way they were going and dived the correct way for all five penalties.

Would this be surprising? VDG seems a control freak leaving as little to chance as possible. He brought Krul in to specialise 100% on the penalties.

Costa Rica won on penalties in the previous round. I'm sure Krul has studied those quite thoroughly and that there's nothing more sinister to it.

Right. What could be sinister about preparation for the opponent?

[mr_nool]

The way the post I replied to was worded, it sounded like the Dutch had spied on CR's trainings or something.

But yeah. Not preparing for a penalty shoot out would just be plain stupid.

[phips]

Anyone else concerned they might put a half fit Aguero in?

yup. i feel they might just, especially with Di Maria out and Lavezzi doing nothing so far.
and it could be disastrous for City if they play him.

[DoomMerchant]

Anyone else concerned they might put a half fit Aguero in?

yup. i feel they might just, especially with Di Maria out and Lavezzi doing nothing so far.
and it could be disastrous for City is they play him.

Same as always then. The fucker is always half fit. So who cares? If he thinks he can go then he goes. No biggie.

[Plain Speaking]

The way the post I replied to was worded, it sounded like the Dutch had spied on CR's trainings or something.

But yeah. Not preparing for a penalty shoot out would just be plain stupid.

When WC success is at stake I would not be surprised if Holland had spied on CR's training. There have been plenty of occasions in high level international sport when under hand tactics have been used to gain an advantage. Pure speculation of course. Are you Dutch?

[Chopper]

It looked to me like Holland's Krul may have had gained information about Costa Rica's penalty practice?...

Krul boasted to the Costa Rica players he knew which way they were going and dived the correct way for all five penalties.

Would this be surprising? VDG seems a control freak leaving as little to chance as possible. He brought Krul in to specialise 100% on the penalties.

What concerns me more is that we are going to have sit through at least a couple of seasons of Beavis Van Gaals tactics. Really hope Agrentina send them home. Perfect fit for the swamp. He will quit in a strop in a couple of years mark my words.

[phips]

i don't think spying on CR's training was necessary. they set up for penalties from the start.

[mr_nool]

The way the post I replied to was worded, it sounded like the Dutch had spied on CR's trainings or something.

But yeah. Not preparing for a penalty shoot out would just be plain stupid.

When WC success is at stake I would not be surprised if Holland had spied on CR's training. There have been plenty of occasions in high level international sport when under hand tactics have been used to gain an advantage. Pure speculation of course. Are you Dutch?

Nope, but my missus is. And I live in Holland.

You may of course very will be right, but it was there for every one to see in the previous round, so why bother spying?
Krul also went up to the penalty shooters and said something along the lines of "I watched you take the penalty in the last round - I know exactly where you are gonna hit it".

[Plain Speaking]

The way the post I replied to was worded, it sounded like the Dutch had spied on CR's trainings or something.

But yeah. Not preparing for a penalty shoot out would just be plain stupid.

When WC success is at stake I would not be surprised if Holland had spied on CR's training. There have been plenty of occasions in high level international sport when under hand tactics have been used to gain an advantage. Pure speculation of course. Are you Dutch?

Nope, but my missus is. And I live in Holland.

You may of course very will be right, but it was there for every one to see in the previous round, so why bother spying?
Krul also went up to the penalty shooters and said something along the lines of "I watched you take the penalty in the last round - I know exactly where you are gonna hit it".

Costa Rica would have been well aware their previous penalty shoot out would have been publically available. You would have expected some of there players to vary there positions in training? The quote I read from Krul made no reference to "the previous round". I have not got both penalty shootouts recorded but I would find it very suprising if every penalty taker repeated the position from the earlier round, I would even expect them to change sides?
I dont remember seeing another shootout where the keeper "guessed" right for every penalty.
I feel Robben conned the ref to get the winning penalty against Mexico, like many nations the Dutch will do whatever it takes, fair or not, to win.

[mr_nool]

Robben is indeed a dirty fucking diver, and the Dutch are no saints.

[Cocacolajojo1]

If the Dutch spied on Costa Rica, they would have caught them exercising for a shoot out against the first goalie, not Krul. Any advantage they could have had from spying would then have vanquished if they, Holland, switched goal keeper, because then the Costa Ricans would've become confused and not finished their penalties like they practice. After all, if they had a set schedule for how they were going to shoot penalties such a schedule was probably based on statistics on the Dutch first goalie, not Krul.

I don't see how spying on Costa Rica would've provided any benefit with Krul between the posts.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Also, I don't see why Costa Rica would decide, as a team, where to place their penalties and in which order? That just seems stupid.

[PrezIke]

so aguero is "fit" to play already?

wonder how city feels about this.

[MilnersJaw]

it is a hard one who do you want to win?

not Brazil because they are dirty cunts and have somehow got through with an average team, average group and favourable draws.

not Holland because of both van cunts and that bald headed potato that keeps diving.

hard to root for Argentina simply because the entire country are bitter cunts over the Falklands still, but then again zab plays for them.

Germany?

[Plain Speaking]

If the Dutch spied on Costa Rica, they would have caught them exercising for a shoot out against the first goalie, not Krul. Any advantage they could have had from spying would then have vanquished if they, Holland, switched goal keeper, because then the Costa Ricans would've become confused and not finished their penalties like they practice. After all, if they had a set schedule for how they were going to shoot penalties such a schedule was probably based on statistics on the Dutch first goalie, not Krul.

I don't see how spying on Costa Rica would've provided any benefit with Krul between the posts.

I don't believe you practice penalties against a particular keeper.
However if Holland could record CR players practising their penalties you could know the preference and likelihood of them putting it say top right or bottom left for each of the players.
Krul said he knew which way the players were going to go and correctly went the right way five times in a row.

I find it suspicious, particularly in light of the switch in goalkeepers, you may not.

[Cocacolajojo1]

I don't believe you practice penalties against a particular keeper.

Sorry mate but that's just not true. I don't know how the Costa Ricans practiced but I do know that for example, Chelsea were provided with stats on Van der Saar before the shoot out in the 2008 CL final for example. I don't remember exactly how it went but something along the lines of that Van der Saar statistically went to the right corner if the shooter was right footed, etc.

However if Holland could record CR players practising their penalties you could know the preference and likelihood of them putting it say top right or bottom left for each of the players.

Which is why I think that if Holland wanted to know how the Costa Ricans would shoot their penalties they would just hire someone to do some quick research on the internet or just watch the videos from the last shoot out. Much simpler and probably more effective than actually sneaking inside Costa Rica's training ground.

Krul said he knew which way the players were going to go and correctly went the right way five times in a row.

If you watch teh shoot out mentioned above between United and Chelsea, before CHelsea miss their second (I also think, don't know, a long time since I watched the video), you will see that Van der Saar eventually points to his left corner (I think) because all of the previous shooters have put the ball there, because they were right footers and shot to the left based on the research they'd been provided on Van der Saar's penalty habits. Van Der Saar subsequently saved the penalty because he fucked with the penalty taker's decision, I.E. He know's I'm gonna put it there, but what if he knows I'm gonna switch corner, etc. (everything I've written here you'll be able to find in the book "Why England lose"). Kruul did the same thing when he told the Costa Ricans he knew where they were gonna put their penalties. Plus, the two saves he did makej were on poor penalties. You don't have to do any research to save penalties that goes medium high, near the goalkeeper.

I find it suspicious, particularly in light of the switch in goalkeepers, you may not.

Of course, but we're on the forum to debate no? Keep your opinion mate, but I do think you can relax. Holland won fair and square, or rather, they won through Kruul.

[Ted Hughes]

Holland are fucking dull.