Who I Like and Why I Like Them
Italy
Italy is the vanilla ice cream of soccer. Italy is the missionary position of soccer. Vanilla ice cream isn't the best flavor, not by a long shot, but it's the base of every other flavor of ice cream that exists. The missionary position is nobody’s favorite, but everybody uses it because it's the most versatile position.
Italy has a reputation, a deserved reputation, for playing defensive soccer. (In the last five or six years that has changed, to an extent. This year Italy is playing with three forwards.) But even when Italy plays defensively, they play very well. The Italian players are always technically excellent. Italian players never dribble the ball out of bounds. They always trap passes perfectly and pass with precision. When Italy is playing you are guaranteed to see an extremely well played game. And I would much rather watch a well played but defensive game than a poorly played game that features one scoring opportunity after another.
This is also why the Italian Serie A is the best league in the world. All of the players play with such precision. There are more long runs, passes, interceptions, and so on in college football – but the NFL has a superior product. Don't confuse “excitement” with quality.
Argentina
A man from Argentina once took a vacation in Italy. When he returned to Argentina, his friends asked him what Italy was like. He told them, “It's a great country. And you wouldn't believe how many of them have Argentine names!”
Argentina is the only Italian colony in the New World. They play a similar style to Italy, but closer together. Argentina plays with the same precision, but with shorter, quicker passes. Watch the way Argentina passes through a defense. They are like a more attack-minded Italy – the same technical excellence with a different (and more attractive) philosophy.
The Netherlands
You have to love a country whose people genuinely demand attacking soccer – winning with an ugly, defensive strategy is not an option for them. They control the ball (60% of the possession is not out of the ordinary for them), they attack, they always play with three forwards. The Netherlands play a beautiful game – fast paced, but based on slick passing, with wingers opening the whole field and stretching defenses. They are playing a more pragmatic style this year, but they are still fun to watch.
Saudi Arabia
No, I'm not joking. I like Saudi Arabia. They are the anti-Italians: Their technique is deplorable. They have no chance of winning. But they never give up. I love that. When Germany beat them 8-0 in 2002 they never stopped attacking. Even though they know they don't have the talent to play with the bigger teams, they never play with seven defenders, they never play to limit the damages. They play to win even when they have no realistic hope. I admire that never say die spirit.
Brazil
The obvious choice. But I live here, so I have an excuse, a good excuse. I'm not going to explain, except to say that Ronaldinho Gaúcho is one of the greatest players of all time and you should take every chance you get to watch him play. He will amaze you on a regular basis.
Ghana
Here we go.
Brazil's coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, said “What makes the difference is not the system but how quickly and effectively you can get seven, eight men into forward positions and then get the same number back to defend. The team which switches best from defense to attack and vice versa will win.”
That's Ghana. From what looks like (and is) an all-out attack quickly becomes a full compliment of defenders back to stop the counterattack. With this kind of speed and stamina Ghana can afford to play a much more open style than most, if not all, of the teams in the tournament. Everyone needs to watch Ghana.
Italy beat them 2-0 in the first game, but I have never seen a team look so good in losing 2-0. Ghana doesn’t have a decent forward, and that will be their undoing this year. Ghana should have beaten Italy, but couldn’t score one. Ghana should have beaten the Czech Republic about 8-0, but could only manage 2.
Ghana is the revelation of this World Cup. Ghana is the most fun to watch of all thirty-two teams in the tournament. Ghana plays an exuberant, joyous ninety minutes every time they set foot on the field. Ghana’s players are so fast (and so well conditioned) that the field looks twice as big whenever they have the ball. Ghana makes me happy, and Ghana will make you happy if you give them the chance. Ghana shows why this sport is called the beautiful game.
Italy is the vanilla ice cream of soccer. Italy is the missionary position of soccer. Vanilla ice cream isn't the best flavor, not by a long shot, but it's the base of every other flavor of ice cream that exists. The missionary position is nobody’s favorite, but everybody uses it because it's the most versatile position.
Italy has a reputation, a deserved reputation, for playing defensive soccer. (In the last five or six years that has changed, to an extent. This year Italy is playing with three forwards.) But even when Italy plays defensively, they play very well. The Italian players are always technically excellent. Italian players never dribble the ball out of bounds. They always trap passes perfectly and pass with precision. When Italy is playing you are guaranteed to see an extremely well played game. And I would much rather watch a well played but defensive game than a poorly played game that features one scoring opportunity after another.
This is also why the Italian Serie A is the best league in the world. All of the players play with such precision. There are more long runs, passes, interceptions, and so on in college football – but the NFL has a superior product. Don't confuse “excitement” with quality.
Argentina
A man from Argentina once took a vacation in Italy. When he returned to Argentina, his friends asked him what Italy was like. He told them, “It's a great country. And you wouldn't believe how many of them have Argentine names!”
Argentina is the only Italian colony in the New World. They play a similar style to Italy, but closer together. Argentina plays with the same precision, but with shorter, quicker passes. Watch the way Argentina passes through a defense. They are like a more attack-minded Italy – the same technical excellence with a different (and more attractive) philosophy.
The Netherlands
You have to love a country whose people genuinely demand attacking soccer – winning with an ugly, defensive strategy is not an option for them. They control the ball (60% of the possession is not out of the ordinary for them), they attack, they always play with three forwards. The Netherlands play a beautiful game – fast paced, but based on slick passing, with wingers opening the whole field and stretching defenses. They are playing a more pragmatic style this year, but they are still fun to watch.
Saudi Arabia
No, I'm not joking. I like Saudi Arabia. They are the anti-Italians: Their technique is deplorable. They have no chance of winning. But they never give up. I love that. When Germany beat them 8-0 in 2002 they never stopped attacking. Even though they know they don't have the talent to play with the bigger teams, they never play with seven defenders, they never play to limit the damages. They play to win even when they have no realistic hope. I admire that never say die spirit.
Brazil
The obvious choice. But I live here, so I have an excuse, a good excuse. I'm not going to explain, except to say that Ronaldinho Gaúcho is one of the greatest players of all time and you should take every chance you get to watch him play. He will amaze you on a regular basis.
Ghana
Here we go.
Brazil's coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, said “What makes the difference is not the system but how quickly and effectively you can get seven, eight men into forward positions and then get the same number back to defend. The team which switches best from defense to attack and vice versa will win.”
That's Ghana. From what looks like (and is) an all-out attack quickly becomes a full compliment of defenders back to stop the counterattack. With this kind of speed and stamina Ghana can afford to play a much more open style than most, if not all, of the teams in the tournament. Everyone needs to watch Ghana.
Italy beat them 2-0 in the first game, but I have never seen a team look so good in losing 2-0. Ghana doesn’t have a decent forward, and that will be their undoing this year. Ghana should have beaten Italy, but couldn’t score one. Ghana should have beaten the Czech Republic about 8-0, but could only manage 2.
Ghana is the revelation of this World Cup. Ghana is the most fun to watch of all thirty-two teams in the tournament. Ghana plays an exuberant, joyous ninety minutes every time they set foot on the field. Ghana’s players are so fast (and so well conditioned) that the field looks twice as big whenever they have the ball. Ghana makes me happy, and Ghana will make you happy if you give them the chance. Ghana shows why this sport is called the beautiful game.
posted by Venha Futuro at 4:33 PM
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