Football (Soccer) Thread

[The Larch]

Who complains about '82?  Besides old farts, that is.

[Threviel]

Brazil-lovers? I've only ever heard complaints and that Brazil should have won.

[Josephus]

The only thing that remains consistent is that England will always suck.

[mongers]

The only thing that remains consistent is that England will always suck.

[Threviel]

I believe that this game https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy_v_Brazil_(1982_FIFA_World_Cup) is seen as a kind of watershed moment. It presumably led to a more boring destructive style of football that dominated the 80'ies rather than the flairful brazilian style that had dominated brazilian football until then.

I actually don't know much about the details, I've just always heard about how Italy destroyed Brazil and with that destroyed the beautiful game.

Reading that article it seems that the brazilian style was a precursor to tiki-taka, so perhaps we should give the Italians a medal for saving us from that crap for 30 years.

[Duque de Bragança]

Who complains about '82?  Besides old farts, that is.

Old French fans, cf. Sevilla '82 vs West Germany and the brutal goalkeeping by Schumacher. Joined by Algerian fans for the arranged game between Austria and Germany.
Italy got to a slow start, with only ties, this reminds of me some other team. 

Refereeing was beyond crappy in that WC though.

Brazilian dominance ended earlier actually with previous winners being West Germany and Argentina.

[Threviel]

Yes, but that brazilian team was one of the best they ever sent to the WC, having it (as I've heard it told) be brutally stopped by a game-destroying Italy was hard on them.

[The Larch]

Yes, but that brazilian team was one of the best they ever sent to the WC, having it (as I've heard it told) be brutally stopped by a game-destroying Italy was hard on them.

It was definitely one of the best teams that didn't win the WC, like the Netherlands in 1974 or Hungary in 1954.

Their failure in the '82 WC made their football philosophy swing completely on the opposite direction and created a generation of Brazilian football that was based on being physical, cynical and defensive, rather than technical, free-flowing and attacking. Sadly this less flashy mentality was rewarded with the '94 WC, which made them double down on it.

[Duque de Bragança]

Telê Santana of "football died today" fame following the game vs Italy in 1982,  had another round though in '86. I'd say the change was after '86.

[The Larch]

Telê Santana of "football died today" fame following the game vs Italy in 1982,  had another round though in '86. I'd say the change was after '86.

But the '86 team was patently inferior. In '82 all their stars (Socrates, Zico, Falcao...) were in their prime. By '86 only Socrates was still a starter.

[Duque de Bragança]

Telê Santana of "football died today" fame following the game vs Italy in 1982,  had another round though in '86. I'd say the change was after '86.

But the '86 team was patently inferior. In '82 all their stars (Socrates, Zico, Falcao...) were in their prime. By '86 only Socrates was still a starter.

Same play style though which was my point. Zico played but had not recovered fully from an injury. Falcão still played in '86 and some new talents were showing up such as Branco, Júlio César and Müller.
Plus, Careca who was injured in '82 played this time. No, the big purge was Italy '90, as most teams in that tournament, truth be said.

[Josephus]

So Spain needed to win, and score a lot of goals. AGainst Germany. Wouldn't happen, right?

[Duque de Bragança]

So Spain needed to win, and score a lot of goals. AGainst Germany. Wouldn't happen, right?

This beats scoring a dozen goals against Malta (hello Josephus!) to eliminate the Netherlands.  (Insert Batavian conspiration theories here).
6-0 vs Germany. I can't remember the time Germany, even West Germany, took such a beating. 3-0 losses vs Croatia or Portugal when the squad was old and declining yes ('98 and '2000).
I guess some countries take the League of Nations more seriously than others. 

Other game results were anecdotal, with France winning 4-2 against Sweden despite Sweden scoring first, and Portugal getting a difficult win against Croatia 3-2 in a crappy field, with false rebounds, non intentional handballs and flukes. If it were France that would be la ™Chatte à Dédé™. 

As of now, France is a favorite for both tournaments (League of Nations and Euro) and Germany lost its favorite status. First time ever, at least as far as I can remember. Others are outsiders, though Netherlands, Portugal and Spain if they can clean their act should give trouble to les Bleus.

[Josephus]

I remember that Spain v Malta game. I think it came out years later that the Maltese players profited from that game.

[celedhring]

Actually Luís Enrique is on record saying repeatedly that he doesn't care about the League of Nations and that he'd use the games to try new players/tactics with a view on next year's Euro.

I guess the Germans cared even less.