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Group B Discussion - Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal

James

Cricket Web Owner
9 June 2012
Netherlands v Denmark
Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv

9 June 2012
Germany v Portugal
Arena Lviv, Lviv

13 June 2012
Denmark v Portugal
Arena Lviv, Lviv

13 June 2012
Netherlands v Germany
Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv

17 June 2012
Portugal v Netherlands
Metalist Stadium, Kharkiv

17 June 2012
Denmark v Germany
Arena Lviv, Lviv
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
Netherlands are capable of giving some good matches, tbf.

Probably the toughest group in terms of quality.
 

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Is a strange world when Germany are the bastion of good football out of these sides.

Have decided (out of hope) that this tournament is going to be a lot more attacking than the World Cup was. It normaly takes a couple of years for international football to catch up and club football been pretty attacking at the top level for a while now.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Can't wait for this group, just a shame that it involves the team I'm backing for this tournament along with the 2 countries I always support (Netherlands and Denmark.)
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Van Persie bound to be affected by the "best domestic player having a crap international tournament" rule as well.
 

Cevno

Hall of Fame Member
You did watch the World Cup final?

Van Bommel and de Jong in midfield...*shudder*
They had to do that against Spain, tbf and it nearly worked too. Germany were foolish to play open and less physical in the Semi's actually.

They have opened up their style in general more since then too, and comfortably had the best goal difference + most number of goals of all the groups in qualifying IIRC. May not be a traditional dutch team, but certainly not in the Portugal/Denmark category.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
They had to do that against Spain, tbf and it nearly worked too. Germany were foolish to play open and less physical in the Semi's actually.

They have opened up their style in general more since then too, and comfortably had the best goal difference + most number of goals of all the groups in qualifying IIRC. May not be a traditional dutch team, but certainly not in the Portugal/Denmark category.
It nearly worked because Howard Webb completely abdicated his responsibilities.
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Might not go down that route tbf. Still early enough in the tournament for them to try and play properly, provided they win their first game anyway.
 

Uppercut

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Is a strange world when Germany are the bastion of good football out of these sides.

Have decided (out of hope) that this tournament is going to be a lot more attacking than the World Cup was. It normaly takes a couple of years for international football to catch up and club football been pretty attacking at the top level for a while now.
Hmm, I think the opposite. There's developing a bit of a consensus that the way to win international tournaments is to be functional, with Uruguay taking the Copa America and Zambia taking the ACON. At club level the Mourinho-era blanket defences are struggling to deal with fluid modern attacks but international teams can't develop the kind of understanding that club teams can. Especially since the overwhelming public pressure is usually to pick the best player in each "position" with no real consideration of how they'll combine.

Only really Germany have managed to get past that and get a core group of players playing together for a decent length of time at international level- an English manager could never get away with consistently leaving out Mario Gomez, for instance. Spain have benefited from a lot of their players playing together at club level, but even their attack is so, so much worse than it is on paper. Everyone else just throws their four or five best attacking players at the opposition and hopes for the best. It's so easy for teams to just sit back and pick them off.
 

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hmm, I think the opposite. There's developing a bit of a consensus that the way to win international tournaments is to be functional, with Uruguay taking the Copa America and Zambia taking the ACON. At club level the Mourinho-era blanket defences are struggling to deal with fluid modern attacks but international teams can't develop the kind of understanding that club teams can. Especially since the overwhelming public pressure is usually to pick the best player in each "position" with no real consideration of how they'll combine.
Yeah I would not disagree with any of this and as I say it is in hope rather than expectation but hope I will continue to do until it is dashed.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Holland's build up play has been decent so far, final ball is lacking though IMO.
 

cpr

International Coach
van Persie calling for anything, theres gonna be a stonewall pen they don't get due to his cry wolf tactics.

Fact is whenever they get it out wide, there is no-one in the box
 

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