Spain vs Portugal - Semi Final 1

On June 29 2012 05:55 sc4k wrote:

On June 29 2012 02:08 askTeivospy wrote:

On June 28 2012 23:48 sc4k wrote:

On June 28 2012 19:10 Manit0u wrote:

On June 28 2012 18:16 [X]Ken_D wrote:
One of the most disappointing Eurocup games

Even fewer scoring opportunities than many of the previous games.

Spain's strategy against Portugal: Foul Ronaldo when he has the ball, then foul Ronaldo when he doesn't have the ball lol.

Anyways, congratulation to Spain for getting to the finals.

Really? Perhaps we were watching a different game. For the most part it looked like they didn't care much for Ronaldo becaue they knew he's pretty much impotent as a striker in this tournament. He wastes so many good opportunities it's unbelievable. His dribbling and passing is top notch (still not close to Zinedine Zidane, but he's getting there), I'll give him that, but I would never put him in advanced forward position because he seems to have 0 finesse when striking. All he seems to be doing is shoot at the goal as strong as he can and pray for the best. Incidentally Benzema was clearly experiencing the same problem as Ronaldo in France, there was no one he could play dinky balls with or intricate passes, so he tried to go it alone and was forced to play one dimensionally. When you watch Ozil, Benzema and Ronaldo link up in RM then you will realise what Ronaldo is missing in Portugal!!!

One of the most overrated players in my opinion, at least as a striker. He should play in the midfield, where his skills could be put to more use. Sure, he would get less chances to score but I believe that overall team performance would improve.

If you need examples just look at Roberto Carlos, who scored more goals than many strikers (in a striker-heavy teams no less) and he was playing on the defence. You don't really need a very good dribbler as your advanced forward, who you need there is a guy who knows the right place to be at the right time and can put the ball in the goal regardless of position, facing, number of defenders etc. (vide: Henrik Larsson).

Long story short: Dribbling and passing are skills best used in the midfield. Advanced forward usually only needs to touch the ball once, he just needs to make sure this one touch counts (and CR seems incapable of doing that).
Conclusion: CR is playing on wrong position and is a showman with delusions of grandeur which doesn't even match his performance.

Ronaldo easily equals Zidane in his usefulness to RM, and they are on the same level in terms of what they can offer to their team at national level, it's just that in the France teams Zidane played with, the level was INSANELY higher than Portugal.

Theres no point in arguing with people over soccer, let alone on the internet, because no one changes their minds about it.

That said the one single paragraph made me laugh the hardest. Zidane and ronaldo have nothing in common, Zidane is dominant species to ronaldo and a ton of other mediocre overhyped soccer players. There is no comparison between the two as Zidane carried teams and did EVERYTHING you would want a playmaker to do and more, cronaldo can't support his own weight over half the time and falls over. he needs a playmaker to work for him in order to get goal O_O

The fact zidane smokes makes it even more impressive in a black kind of way

Are you French or something? CR7 is not the same position player as Zidane, but they are extremely similar in terms of how useful they are/were. The effect they can/could have on games is pretty much the same, when they are/were in good form. I think Zidane was the best in the world in his day but I'd happily compare Ronaldo or Messi to him. Ronaldo is basically a perfect winger - fast, ball skills, great touch, amazing crossing, both-footed, unbelievable distance shooter, calm finisher, great acceleration, great football brain, amazing free kicks, amazing penalties, strength, great headers and jumping, insane stamina. He can be accused of not tracking back enough but that's not imo too bad from an attacking winger.

Zidane was the perfect playmaking attacking midfielder - great skills, great touch, perfect passing, great finishing, etc, but if you think the overall quality of the Portugal team during CR7's era was even remotely equal to the French team in 1998 etc, you are just plain wrong.

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On June 29 2012 01:35 Aeroplaneoverthesea wrote:

On June 29 2012 01:08 sc4k wrote:

On June 29 2012 00:18 Aeroplaneoverthesea wrote:

On June 27 2012 17:51 Pandemona wrote:

On June 27 2012 17:22 keioh wrote:
Oh and for a prediction : Ronaldo will play like a moron because it's Spain so he'll touch 2 balls in 75 min and thus Portugal will look like "Chelsea". 1-0 for Spain after another boring match.

PLEASE MAKE ME WRONG PORTUGAL

All Ronaldo will need is 2 touches if he gets one on one with Arbeloa dude xD I mean, that is the miss match of the century! And we know the wingers for Spain will be no where to be seen tracking back, so an isolated Arbeloa vs Ronaldo is going to be a joy to watch for Portugal fans and the neutrals lol.

On June 27 2012 18:43 Pandemona wrote:

On June 27 2012 17:55 Aeroplaneoverthesea wrote:

On June 27 2012 17:51 Pandemona wrote:

Why the hell would you think a team as defensive as Spain is ever going to let Ronaldo be 1 vs 1 with anybody?

Ronaldo rarely goes past players anymore anyway, he just scores goals and lots of them. He's gone from the next Garrincha from his Sporting/early United days to the next Van Basten. Ronaldo also tends to be a huge big game bottler especially with Portugal so I expect him to do little.

Hmm? Did you not see him vs Barcelona this season? Was awesome in that game. And did you also not hear Alonso in press conference? He said they are not even making any special plans for Ronaldo, they will study his play but not do anything special marking wise. So to me that says, they are just going to make sure Portugal don't get the football. But they will, and Ronaldo will be 1 on 1 with Arbeloa quite easily. Only reason Barca do well vs him is because Alves' pace matches Ronaldo's

On June 27 2012 19:40 Pandemona wrote:

On June 27 2012 18:54 Aeroplaneoverthesea wrote:

On June 27 2012 18:43 Pandemona wrote:

On June 27 2012 17:55 Aeroplaneoverthesea wrote:

On June 27 2012 17:51 Pandemona wrote:

I cannot for the life of me understand why on earth you would equate a very offensive team like Barcelona with the way this Spanish team play, have you actually watched Spain and Barcelona play? Not to mention that even by this mindless logic Ronaldo has about a 10% rate of playing well vs Barcelona, he is usually awful vs Barcelona.

You are also taking the words of managers pre match on face value. I really do wonder if this is the first tournament you've ever watched football.

I pretty much can't remember a single occasion this entire tournament or in the World Cup 2010 where any player for any team got themselves in a 1 vs 1 situation with a Spanish defender, and you honestly believe that the one guy they will give that space to is Cristiano Ronaldo? Absolute madness.

Balotelli 1v1 Ramos, skinned him alive....missed a 1on1 from it, probably miss of tournament....theres one.
I have watched to much football, i have watched every international tournament since 98 world cup, when i was 8.
You just have your vision of what is what and don't allow for anyone elses' opinion that is fine, i understand where your logic is coming from but you clearly didnt watch a galatico this season if you think Ronaldo "didn't do anything" in those matches. he won the copa del rey final vs them in 2010 and in 2011-12 season when they finally beat them in the league for the first time in like 2/3 seasons it was Ronaldo who rounded valdes with a stunning finish.
Barcelona are Spain minus Spain doesn't have the Messi, if they had a Messi they would walk every competition they play, but they don't hense the teams like Switzerland Portugal England have all beaten them in the past 2 years.
Lets just see what happens before you respond and criticise everything i have just wrote please! After the game, if it goes the way your expecting it too and Ronaldo does nothing feel free to quote me as much as you like

Oh Pandemona parhaps now you'll learn that football isn't played by reading names from a computer screen. Just like I predicted Portugal were completely toothless and didn't even manage a shot on target all game.

Another great defensive display for Spain, Del Bosque should have gone with Llorente instead of Negredo who was awful.

He was absolutely right and Ronaldo bossed that game just as much as any of the quality Spanish players. CR7 was just unfortunate in the finish. Xavi was finding little success and Iniesta was thwarted just as much as CR7 was. The Spanish attacks in the end were substantial but Portugal deserved to be 1-0 before extra time.

I didn't make a single prediction about Spain being amazing going forward and creating countless chances.

I purely said Portugal would not be able to score past this Spain team which they weren't.

Yeah but the only reason Spain didn't concede was pure luck, pure luck that Ronaldo wasn't having a good day. They deserved to concede and they were beaten a few times.

Meh I'd hardly call not conceding from those chances luck. Those were low percentage chances mostly. Better than he had all evening but nothing painfully clearcut where one could say "oh well even I could put that in.."

Ane yeah Ronaldo would walk into any team. I dont even get why thats a discussion. And he will also be important in any team he plays. Doesnt matter where. He might be less effective nationally then he is at club level but he is just as important. Always. All this he doesnt have a strikers touch and such is nonsense. If you can score more than a goal a game, hell if you can score a goal every 2 games, you know how to find the back of the net.

As for whether he plays on the left or right of a front 3 or in midfield. Putting him any behind a front 3 means A) hes playing out of his favoured position. B) well then who the fuck is supposed to play where he plays?

He plays well where he wants to play.

Spain vs Portugal - Semi Final 1 - Page 47

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