I've actually been of this opinion in every World Cup for as long as I can remember. Its because of the way it seems like the world and his wife cream their pants at the mere sight of the Brazil shirt. I'm too young to remember the team of 1970, so I've never seen a Brazil side that can justify that sort of adulation. And when they get the luck and the decisions throughout the tournament despite being, at best, ordinary, it just makes it worse. I'm sick of it, they're just not that good.
Since England went out, I've been rooting for "Any European Team", but failing that, anyone at all other than Brazil.
I said something like that about Brazil before the tournament except for the 82 side which played the best football I have ever seen.
I was going to mention the 82 side, because I have a vague memory of Zico et al being very good, but I can't really remember.
This World Cup started so great but after the last round and todays games, it is really petering out for me.
Just seems to be the stronger nations with individual more talented players sneaking past the spirited teams.
Really hoping Costa Rica can beat Robben..............oops meant Netherlands tomorrow.
I would say most world cups are won by individuals, the top class players make the difference...such as Neymar. But Brazil have been poor and Fred is worse than Church. They have had a lot of help from officials in this tournament but its not mentioned for some reason
True the big players normally make the difference, i just have really enjoyed watching the spirited teams like Colombia, Chile, USA & Mexico to name some, so to see them all crash out, has put a dampener on the World Cup for me before we even get to he Semi Finals.
Hopefully Costa Rica will pull off a miracle tomorrow.
I know what ya mean Chile and Columbia especially for mean have excellent. I just want a European team to win now and that means I want Holland to beat Costa Rica LOL id love Belgium to beat Argentina but cant see it happening
Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Lucio, Rivaldo, Cesar Sampao, Dida, Roberto Carlos, Taffarel, Denilson...all much more likeable and skilled than this current crop.
Never known a Brazil team to be so reliant on set pieces.
I for one will be supporting Germany against Brazil next week. Brazil kicked Rodriguez off the park and were cynical throughout. No way should they win the World Cup, hopefully the germans will stop them.
Incredible. I didn't want to believe Croatia was fixed, and now I'm watching this
Really?
Ref was poor for both sides.
well you are the first person I have met in real life or online who thinks that. I actually thought he did well for the first 20 minutes, which makes what followed even more suspicious.
Do you really not believe that if it had been a Croatian player rather than Neymar who committed his first half foul, that the Croatian player would not have seen red?
Incredible. I didn't want to believe Croatia was fixed, and now I'm watching this
Really?
Ref was poor for both sides.
well you are the first person I have met in real life or online who thinks that. I actually thought he did well for the first 20 minutes, which makes what followed even more suspicious.
Do you really not believe that if it had been a Croatian player rather than Neymar who committed his first half foul, that the Croatian player would not have seen red?
I actually don't think the Neymar "elbow" was a sending off, although if i watched it again i may change my mind.
Croatia got screwed by the blatant dive from Fred that was almost as obvious as the Robben match winning dive against Mexico.
Try to see it again, including the close up where you see that Neymar has a good look at the guy before thrusting out his elbow. That was the incriminating bit. And ironically it was Shearer who commented that point, to much ribaldry in the studio. Elbows are usually reds or nothing. Nothing, in the case that the ref assumes it was a natural reflex action when climbing to head the ball. In Neymar's case the evidence was shockingly clear.
Neymar is obviously not a dirty player and is more sinned against that sinning, but he was obviously over hyped by the occasion. Refs are not supposed to make allowances for such hype.
watched it in the pub. Heart said Colombia, head said Brazil. Mate said 14 against 11, bound to be Brazil (he included the linos). I though Brazil edged the play but were gifted a lot of decisions. That said both sides were fouling (and falling) all over the park.
I don't get teh Brazil love-in either. It'ssomething I've encountered a lot in the past with middle class English fans who are uncomfortable with supporting England and come out with bollocks about the "beautiful Brazilian game". Well it wasn't there tonight! Luiz's goal was fabulous. But really, this wasn't a great team and the ref ignored what they were doing to Rodriguez.
As my support seems to be the curse of death, I shall support Brazil against Germany, though I doubt it will matter if I don't really mean it.
Reported that Neymar has broken a bone in his back.
In which case Brazil will really need the ref's help against Germany.
One then has to hope Belgium turn in three stellar performances and Roland, deliriously happy, goes on a spending spree to fill the ranks of CAFC with talent.
Ref's handling of Rodriguez was absolutely shocking - the kid got kicked from pillar to post with no cards and then got booked for an innocuous tackle.
Reported that Neymar has broken a bone in his back.
And out of WC
I thought for someone with a back injury the medical care for Neymar was awful, the stretcher bearers were running to get him off the pitch while he just bounced around on the hard plastic stretcher. No reason to run the upmost care should of been taken.The injury was probably made much worse and the pain must of been excruciating.
Incredible. I didn't want to believe Croatia was fixed, and now I'm watching this
Really?
Ref was poor for both sides.
well you are the first person I have met in real life or online who thinks that. I actually thought he did well for the first 20 minutes, which makes what followed even more suspicious.
Do you really not believe that if it had been a Croatian player rather than Neymar who committed his first half foul, that the Croatian player would not have seen red?
Was referring to ref in last nights game. Although did not think neymar was a sending off v Croatia.
What a shame that Neymar is out, such a lovely bloke too - they deserve that for kicking the shit out of Rodriguez and getting away with it for 90 minutes.
I don't buy into the 'conspiracy' stuff but the referees here are giving the most outrageous 'homer' decisions I can remember at a World Cup, although having said that the Koreans got plenty of help in 2002 to reach the Semi-Finals.
Luiz's free kick brightened up a pretty bitty and bad tempered game.
Not sure the ref really knew what to do - guess he didn't want to ruin the game by getting cards out early but players certainly took advantage of his display.
Such a shame for Neymar - and must really damage Brazil as an attacking force given the performances of their other strikers.
I am not sure lifting him up and throwing Neymar onto the stretcher was a great idea given the injury suffered!
Luiz's free kick brightened up a pretty bitty and bad tempered game.
Not sure the ref really knew what to do - guess he didn't want to ruin the game by getting cards out early but players certainly took advantage of his display.
Such a shame for Neymar - and must really damage Brazil as an attacking force given the performances of their other strikers.
I am not sure lifting him up and throwing Neymar onto the stretcher was a great idea given the injury suffered!
I can't stand Luiz either, but it was a bloody good free-kick.
watched it in the pub. Heart said Colombia, head said Brazil. Mate said 14 against 11, bound to be Brazil (he included the linos). I though Brazil edged the play but were gifted a lot of decisions. That said both sides were fouling (and falling) all over the park.
I don't get teh Brazil love-in either. It'ssomething I've encountered a lot in the past with middle class English fans who are uncomfortable with supporting England and come out with bollocks about the "beautiful Brazilian game". Well it wasn't there tonight! Luiz's goal was fabulous. But really, this wasn't a great team and the ref ignored what they were doing to Rodriguez.
As my support seems to be the curse of death, I shall support Brazil against Germany, though I doubt it will matter if I don't really mean it.
The love in goes back to 1970 when their team were a cut above. A bit like the Liverpool thing nowadays that goes back to the eighties, and the image of teddy boys as hooligans because they razored a few cinema seats in 1954... ;-)
I'm in Brazil at the moment so seem to be the one person on here who hopes they win it!
Agree that the team hasn't exactly set the tournament alight, but having seen the pressure and expectation they are playing under here - the media attention is really something else and the country pretty much stops when they are playing - then it is perhaps not surprising.
They certainly don't match up to some of their teams of the past, but the celebrations will be off the scale if they can beat Germany, although I think there is a sense of realism about that and that was even before Neymar was ruled out.
It's been a long time since Brazil have really dazzled on the football pitch, but then their current team is pretty ordinary. Indeed, you wonder if there is a slight crisis in their development of young players bearing in mind the size of the population and complete devotion to one sport
This bellowing out an extra verse of the anthem thing, after the music's finished, and the swooning over it by the BBC and ITV commentators afterwards is really nauseating. Totally orchestrated and fake "passion" designed purely to rev up nationalism in the population and defuse the protests. At the very least, it's disrespectful to the opposition IMHO. If I were Lahm in the semi final, I'd started walking down the line offering the handshake as soon as the Brazilian anthem's music's finished. He won't, of course. So long as they stuff 'em that'll do.
This bellowing out an extra verse of the anthem thing, after the music's finished, and the swooning over it by the BBC and ITV commentators afterwards is really nauseating. Totally orchestrated and fake "passion" designed purely to rev up nationalism in the population and defuse the protests. At the very least, it's disrespectful to the opposition IMHO. If I were Lahm in the semi final, I'd started walking down the line offering the handshake as soon as the Brazilian anthem's music's finished. He won't, of course. So long as they stuff 'em that'll do.
Interesting idea, though I'm not sure I agree that it would be right to do that. I've said on here before about how I find the contrived nature of extending the anthems to be tiresome, but an anthem is an anthem, so if the team are still singing their national tune, as disrespectful as that may be, it would be more disrespectful to interrupt it in my view. Apart from anything else, doing that would probably stir the place up into even more of a cauldron and that would only help Brazil.
This bellowing out an extra verse of the anthem thing, after the music's finished, and the swooning over it by the BBC and ITV commentators afterwards is really nauseating. Totally orchestrated and fake "passion" designed purely to rev up nationalism in the population and defuse the protests. At the very least, it's disrespectful to the opposition IMHO. If I were Lahm in the semi final, I'd started walking down the line offering the handshake as soon as the Brazilian anthem's music's finished. He won't, of course. So long as they stuff 'em that'll do.
Interesting idea, though I'm not sure I agree that it would be right to do that. I've said on here before about how I find the contrived nature of extending the anthems to be tiresome, but an anthem is an anthem, so if the team are still singing their national tune, as disrespectful as that may be, it would be more disrespectful to interrupt it in my view. Apart from anything else, doing that would probably stir the place up into even more of a cauldron and that would only help Brazil.
Can't disagree Chief, it was a slightly fanciful notion and no doubt I wouldn't have the balls to do it myself. BUT, as you say "an anthem is an anthem". So either add another verse of music or stop singing it when the official anthem finishes. Adding another (unofficial) verse is all contrived bollox.....as you've alluded to previously.
Speaking of stirring up the cauldron, Neymar's injury will increase the Brazilians' sense of entitlement to win the thing. When they lose to the Germans they will of course argue that it was only because Neymar was injured; they and Blatter will brush aside all criticisms of the refereeing by noting that the ref didn't punish the injury too.
Not good news this, and while I don't want Brazil to win, I want to see all the teams with their best players on show.
Comments
Whether that's due to the crowd effect or FIFA selecting inexperienced refs is anyone's guess.
Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Lucio, Rivaldo, Cesar Sampao, Dida, Roberto Carlos, Taffarel, Denilson...all much more likeable and skilled than this current crop.
Never known a Brazil team to be so reliant on set pieces.
Do you really not believe that if it had been a Croatian player rather than Neymar who committed his first half foul, that the Croatian player would not have seen red?
Croatia got screwed by the blatant dive from Fred that was almost as obvious as the Robben match winning dive against Mexico.
Followed by their wrongly disallowed second goal.
And to be fair, the Hurst second goal in 66...
Try to see it again, including the close up where you see that Neymar has a good look at the guy before thrusting out his elbow. That was the incriminating bit. And ironically it was Shearer who commented that point, to much ribaldry in the studio. Elbows are usually reds or nothing. Nothing, in the case that the ref assumes it was a natural reflex action when climbing to head the ball. In Neymar's case the evidence was shockingly clear.
Neymar is obviously not a dirty player and is more sinned against that sinning, but he was obviously over hyped by the occasion. Refs are not supposed to make allowances for such hype.
I don't get teh Brazil love-in either. It'ssomething I've encountered a lot in the past with middle class English fans who are uncomfortable with supporting England and come out with bollocks about the "beautiful Brazilian game". Well it wasn't there tonight! Luiz's goal was fabulous. But really, this wasn't a great team and the ref ignored what they were doing to Rodriguez.
As my support seems to be the curse of death, I shall support Brazil against Germany, though I doubt it will matter if I don't really mean it.
One then has to hope Belgium turn in three stellar performances and Roland, deliriously happy, goes on a spending spree to fill the ranks of CAFC with talent.
I don't buy into the 'conspiracy' stuff but the referees here are giving the most outrageous 'homer' decisions I can remember at a World Cup, although having said that the Koreans got plenty of help in 2002 to reach the Semi-Finals.
Can't stand the little gobshite.
Not sure the ref really knew what to do - guess he didn't want to ruin the game by getting cards out early but players certainly took advantage of his display.
Such a shame for Neymar - and must really damage Brazil as an attacking force given the performances of their other strikers.
I am not sure lifting him up and throwing Neymar onto the stretcher was a great idea given the injury suffered!
Agree that the team hasn't exactly set the tournament alight, but having seen the pressure and expectation they are playing under here - the media attention is really something else and the country pretty much stops when they are playing - then it is perhaps not surprising.
They certainly don't match up to some of their teams of the past, but the celebrations will be off the scale if they can beat Germany, although I think there is a sense of realism about that and that was even before Neymar was ruled out.
At the very least, it's disrespectful to the opposition IMHO. If I were Lahm in the semi final, I'd started walking down the line offering the handshake as soon as the Brazilian anthem's music's finished. He won't, of course. So long as they stuff 'em that'll do.
Apart from anything else, doing that would probably stir the place up into even more of a cauldron and that would only help Brazil.
BUT, as you say "an anthem is an anthem". So either add another verse of music or stop singing it when the official anthem finishes. Adding another (unofficial) verse is all contrived bollox.....as you've alluded to previously.
Not good news this, and while I don't want Brazil to win, I want to see all the teams with their best players on show.