World Cup 2010

[Anpanman]

Yes it is, cracking match, hoping for a draw for Japan's sake but it's been one of the best so far.

[NW2013]

Best game of the tournament so far? Certainly up there with Germany v Australia.

[prinnysquad]

Don't really want Cameroon to go out. They've been good to watch. At the same time Denmark have played well. What a marked contrast to last night's ****fest: some very good technical possession play, loads of chances, entertaining to watch. Many errors, but balanced out by lots of excellent play too. Eto'o playing well, looking to get forward at every opportunity, rather than **** negative backwards football.

[Anpanman]

Yes and add to that, not all shots going skyward, no diving and rolling around on the floor in agony after the slightest touch.

It's a contact sport after all and it's been played in that spirit.

[EJG1980]

Yeah, I've really wanted Cameroon to equalise, them going out is the only downside of this match at the moment. Come on you greens!

[bwi]

It's a contact sport after all and it's been played in that spirit.

not if some managers get their way <cough> Wenger

Best match i've seen so far though cameroon did deserve more out of it.

bri

[fallenangle]

Great shame the Cameroons went out after such an entertaining match.

Some of their gameplay was very skilled but like a strangely large percentage number of 'lesser' teams (apologies that's not mean to be patronising) their strikers were not in the same class.

[Adrock]

I dont think Eto'o can be classed as not being in the same class as his team mates. He is far and above Cameroon's next best player, at least from club career. Not followed his international career mind. Also, I will grant you he has been stuck out wide right. But the fact still stands that given chances he'll score.

Basically, tonight's game was all about the comical defensive mistakes. It was littered throughout. I was surprised only 3 goals were scored. Could have been a cricket score the way both defensive units were giving the ball away.

[saturn-gamer]

Best match so far, better than the first Germany match simply because that was one way traffic.

Football should be like this. Defensive errors usually make for spectacular games. Its the well organized teams that are mostly afwul to watch, such as the other game in this group.

I would rate Denmark as 2nd best in this group, but they were almost out for the count today. I do think they'll be able to beat Japan though.

[Anpanman]

I would rate Denmark as 2nd best in this group, but they were almost out for the count today. I do think they'll be able to beat Japan though.

Yes they can, was pleasantly surprised by the Danes last night.

Japan won't be a pushover though, think the Cameroonian setup suited their play.
Think Japan only need a draw to go through.

The Japanese defence will be better and harder to break down, the Dutch found that out yesterday, they may have been the better team but they only won the game due to a goalkeeping error and the Japanese had a superb chance to equalise late in the game, and whatever you say about the Japan v Cameroon game (Eto'o out of position blah blah) the Japanese were good value for their win.

I said earlier in this thread that I feared for the Blue Samuai's chances, I thought they would get a pasting from all the other teams, but they've done well so far.

[Number45]

Woke up this morning and caught part of an interview with some dude from NOTW suggesting that all of this **** is because of Rooneys ego. Where the **** did that came from? He's one of the few 'star' players in our squad that I wouldn't label an egotist.

And why do we always have to blame one player even when it's blatantly obvious to everyone that there's something seriously wrong with the entire squad.

Doesn't bode well for Wednesday anyway.

Still, at least I'll be able to shave.

[merf]

if the 'blamestorming' is like this now imagine what will happen around 5pm on Weds if things don't go our way

[ShadowDancer]

Has much as I may be anti united, its rather unfair to single out Rooney for being off his game (and the comment aint helped...which is ****ing true ffs)

The team as a whole have hardly performed, worrying times. We need the Euro96 spirt man.

[Matt]

Rooney never comes across as having an ego. There's some **** being thrown around at him, but it's all our doing as we all know he's the only one who could make the "dream" a reality. He is underperforming, but is it really his fault? He doesn't look happy, you suspect he knows there's a lack of other creative players around him, other than Gerrard who gets sent out left. And he knows he'll be coming back to this country to face a **** storm unless he gets a hat-trick every game.

This is a man who's played in Champions League finals and won all the big club trophies. He's not buckling under "stress". There are other factors. And sometimes players just can't get going, it just happens. We still need him on the pitch, I think he and Gerrard are the only two currently playing who could suddenly make something happen.

Everyone in the country knows what we want, but with Cap make the changes? Hopefully. If not he'll be out of a job.

[prinnysquad]

Getting sick of hearing, from some quarters of the media, the same old tired toss about being a 'supporter'. These people seem fixated on a bizarre notion, seeming to imply that it means unquestioning blind loyalty to individuals, irrespective of their effort and determination.

Grow up! Why should anyone blindly, unthinkingly have to support anyone? Why should all critical faculties be null and void when millionaires take to the pitch, who happen to wear the shirt you support?

No, I'm loyal to the shirt, not any rubbish that happens to wear it. If the wearer happens to live up to what wearing the shirt means, then I'll be proud of them too, and support them. But disinterested, sullen faced, inept punks do not represent what the shirt means. A supporter supports through thick and thin. But they should not be expected to hold back their disgust of lazy ****s who don’t deserve that level of commitment.