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2014 FIFA World Cup |OT5| Que Jara, Jara. Whatever Will Be, Will Be.

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E

Envelope

sealed with a kiss
FuturusX said:
They can play anyway they want. But there's a big difference between winning the World Cup and qualifying. If they are going to beat teams they'll have to play better football. But I suspect that the plan is to go keep this thing going. Which means 'Defend - Defend - Defend'.

Good luck to them. But Greece won't win anything but admiration for their 'plucky' resistance in the face of insurmountable odds.
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that's what people said in 2004 too
 
B

bjaelke

Member
Divius said:
Any matches today with a lot riding on them? ie a team has to win to progress
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Iran has to beat Bosnia while Nigeria has to lose to Argentina in order for them to advance.

Ecuador and Switzerland are tied for 2nd, but the Swiss have a better goal difference.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Envelope said:
it's going to be glorious when Greece troll everyone right up to the final
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Eh, I doubt it, even as a supporter. Looking at the likely bracket, Costa Rica would probably be the easiest match they would get from here on out, and even they have been playing incredibly good football.

If they survive them, then it's likely the Netherlands. And after a huge upset there, it would continue to be a who's-who of god-tier footballing national teams. It just isn't likely. But, neither was 2004. And like I said, though it may have been only European teams, Greece still found a way to tie Spain, beat Portugal twice, and also eliminate France and a then-amazing Czech team. So nothing is impossible.

And in that unlikely scenario of Greece making it all the way to the final....my god.....these gaf threads would become amazing. Oh the bitching and moaning that would be angrily typed about Greece being "boring" or "not playing proper football". If only....
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Charles Foster Kane said:
How good is the Greek goalie? Because if it got to penalties, I have faith in Keilor Navas.
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Depends which one. Our starter took an injury today, not sure how serious it is.

But I highly doubt it would go to penalties. I predict either Costa Rica will light them up, or Greece will win 1-0, 2-0, or 2-1.

Greece's defensive strategy only works until they start losing. Then, they have to open themselves up and try to even the score, meaning they usually just lose by more. This is basically what happened in the 3-0 loss to Colombia.

So if the Greek defense holds, they will almost assuredly eventually get a good counterattack going and score. If they go down 1-0, they are in trouble and will lose by more than just 1-0.
 
K

krishian

Member
FuturusX said:
2 flukes? Never again.
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ibxHKjLGN9VOct.gif
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
FuturusX said:
Which only makes it even more unlikely. 2 flukes? Never again. Greece won't see another Golden Dawn....

Get it? Golden Dawn....

I'll grab me coat.
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A fluke was them beating Portugal 2-1 in the opening game of Euro 2004's group stage. Everyone was impressed, but ya, they wrote it off as a fluke. Then they tied Spain and got to 4 points. In typical Greek fashion, they were finally favored to win a match vs Russia and so they lost 2-1. Fortunately, their 4 points were enough to see them through.

A longshot team beating a big team once is a fluke. Beating them twice, tying Spain, beating France, beating the Czech Republic, that's not a fluke. That's a European Championship ;-)
 
W

Wazzy

Banned
Prediction time! I think I forgot to make one for today's games but oh well.

3-1 France

2-0 Argentina

2-0 Switzerland

Iran/Bosnia 1-1 tie
 
F

FuturusX

Member
Saying Greece can win it isn't really saying anything at all. Anybody that's 'in it' can win it.

This doesn't really tell us something that we don't already know. Yes - They can theoretically win the tournament. But then so can Iran who are still alive or the USA or Costa Rica.

Can it happen is not the same as is it likely.

If it were to happen. It would be miracle given who they'll have to play.

Greece have given me no tangible overwhelming reason to place my stock in their efforts over any other team.
 
S

spekkeh

Banned
meanspartan said:
Eh, I doubt it, even as a supporter. Looking at the likely bracket, Costa Rica would probably be the easiest match they would get from here on out, and even they have been playing incredibly good football.

If they survive them, then it's likely the Netherlands. And after a huge upset there, it would continue to be a who's-who of god-tier footballing national teams. It just isn't likely. But, neither was 2004. And like I said, though it may have been only European teams, Greece still found a way to tie Spain, beat Portugal twice, and also eliminate France and a then-amazing Czech team. So nothing is impossible.

And in that unlikely scenario of Greece making it all the way to the final....my god.....these gaf threads would become amazing. Oh the bitching and moaning that would be angrily typed about Greece being "boring" or "not playing proper football". If only....
Click to expand...

There's the thing though, Greece can win from god-tier nations, because those will be losing their shit when it's still 0-0 against measly Greece after 75 minutes. They have to fear the 'lesser' nations that stay focused throughout.
 
A

Agalloch

Member
Fortunately, I was eating outdoors in the middle of the Tuscan rolling hills and I got drunk with a good Italian wine during Italy-Uruguay, I already knew that this italian team could be crap.The few things I remember are that Italy played very bad, and Uruguay not much better, and a strange red card.In the end it's right that we lost,you can't play like that with 4 stars in ur shirt,with fear and no motivation.
 
C

Charles Foster Kane

Rosebud
meanspartan said:
Depends which one. Our starter took an injury today, not sure how serious it is.

But I highly doubt it would go to penalties. I predict either Costa Rica will light them up, or Greece will win 1-0, 2-0, or 2-1.

Greece's defensive strategy only works until they start losing. Then, they have to open themselves up and try to even the score, meaning they usually just lose by more. This is basically what happened in the 3-0 loss to Colombia.

So if the Greek defense holds, they will almost assuredly eventually get a good counterattack going and score. If they go down 1-0, they are in trouble and will lose by more than just 1-0.
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I haven't followed Greece or seen many of their game, but is their defense really that strong? I find this Greece likes to park the bus hard thing hilarious.
 
The Chosen One

The Chosen One

Member
meanspartan said:
favorites or the most talented, but those who count us out do so at their own risk.

And you are fucking lucky you didn't lose 4-1. A couple shots not hitting posts, and that woulda been the score.
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4-1???

Hahah...

We all know if Greece had a 2-1 lead they would have shutdown shop even further, let's be honest. Just because they hit the post a couple of times when the game was tight doesn't mean they would have played the same way once they had a comfortable lead. This is Greece we're talking about, not Columbia, Mexico, France or Brazil.

Though I do give credit to Greece for every 10-15 minutes or so sending a couple of lone forwards on a counter-attack. I just don't think they earned their trip to the 2nd round. They didn't score in their first two games and never scored a real goal in the run of play. Ivory Coast basically fucked up and Greece were the beneficiaries.

And yes I'm a sore loser. Normally I would be more gracious in defeat but ever since I was a young boy seeing Cameroon making the quarterfinals in Italia '90 I've been waiting for a west African nation to break-through to the semi-finals. They've come agonizingly close several times, but there always seems to be some random bullshit that keeps them from getting over the hump. Last WC it was Suarez's handball, these unfortunate events just never end it seems. Ivory Coast could have advanced 2nd in the group, they would have had a decent path to the quarters. But now these generation of IC players have cemented themselves as chokers on the big stage.

Nigeria might be lucky to advance tomorrow, but they've looked tepid so far. Algeria will go no further than the 2nd round if that manage to get a result against Russia. And the best African nation this WC Ghana is stuck in the group of death and likely won't advance.

Which means I'll have to endure another 4 year cycle having to hear the stereotypes of African soccer. Success in the WC involves talent, discipline, teamwork, and a good amount of luck. It just feels like even when some of the African countries get all the major elements right, they always fall short on luck. So they just get lumped in with all the other "undisciplined" African nations as reasons for their failure... [/rant]
 
K

kamorra

Fuck Cancer
Agalloch said:
Fortunately, I was eating outdoors in the middle of the Tuscan rolling hills and I got drunk with a good Italian wine during Italy-Uruguay, I already knew that this italian team could be crap.The few things I remember are that Italy played very bad, and Uruguay not much better, and a strange red card.In the end it's right that we lost,you can't play like that with 4 stars in ur shirt,with fear and no motivation.
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This is all you remember? Go home you're drunk.
 
R

ramparter

Banned
Mr Lakitu said:
Greece will beat costa Rica

then its only 3 games to win it

Spartaaaaaaa
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2, it's 2 games after CRC. Anyway if Mexico beats Nederlands I think we have more chances to go to the final. As for the cup, I'm not that certain, realistically speaking we have ~70% to win the tournament.
 
X

Xater

Member
Greece plays the kind of football that gives the sport a bad rep. It's so so boring to watch. I hope they get eliminated asap.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
spekkeh said:
There's the thing though, Greece can win from god-tier nations, because those will be losing their shit when it's still 0-0 against measly Greece after 75 minutes. They have to fear the 'lesser' nations that stay focused throughout.
Click to expand...

Oh absolutely, like they did ten years ago.

It is a slim chance if we are being honest, but it is their only one. And for the record though it is a longshot, it isn't quite as long a shot as some on here think it is. Ya the Colombia match was bad, but Greece managed to hold Japan scoreless despite being down a man for the entire second half and almost managed to do the same today.

Also, I was taken aback by how fucking fast some of these new kids on the team are- they were even outrunning the Ivory Coast defense at times (which going in I thought would be Greece's biggest disadvantage). Perfect for a defensive team that lives and dies by the quick counterattack.

Costa Rica is gonna be tough, and then it only gets tougher. But, Greece wasn't supposed to win today, they were not supposed to make it to the round of 16. This is why we play the matches instead of simply going by the FIFA rankings to crown a winner lol.
 
Z

ZanzibarBreeze

Member
meanspartan said:
Also, I was taken aback by how fucking fast some of these new kids on the team are- they were even outrunning the Ivory Coast defense at times (which going in I thought would be Greece's biggest disadvantage). Perfect for a defensive team that lives and dies by the quick counterattack.
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Dat Cholevas run. He was lining through them like a tracer at points.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
The Chosen One said:
4-1???

Hahah...

We all know if Greece had a 2-1 lead they would have shutdown shop even further, let's be honest. Just because they hit the post a couple of times when the game was tight doesn't mean they would have played the same way once they had a comfortable lead. This is Greece we're talking about, not Columbia, Mexico, France or Brazil.

Though I do give credit to Greece for every 10-15 minutes or so sending a couple of lone forwards on a counter-attack. I just don't think they earned their trip to the 2nd round. They didn't score in their first two games and never scored a real goal in the run of play. Ivory Coast basically fucked up and Greece were the beneficiaries.

And yes I'm a sore loser. Normally I would be more gracious in defeat but ever since I was a young boy seeing Cameroon making the quarterfinals in Italia '90 I've been waiting for a west African nation to break-through to the semi-finals. They've come agonizingly close several times, but there always seems to be some random bullshit that keeps them from getting over the hump. Last WC it was Suarez's handball, these unfortunate events just never end it seems. Ivory Coast could have advanced 2nd in the group, they would have had a decent path to the quarters. But now these generation of IC players have cemented themselves as chokers on the big stage.

Nigeria might be lucky to advance tomorrow, but they've looked tepid so far. Algeria will go no further than the 2nd round if that manage to get a result against Russia. And the best African nation this WC Ghana is stuck in the group of death and likely won't advance.

Which means I'll have to endure another 4 year cycle having to hear the stereotypes of African soccer. Success in the WC involves talent, discipline, teamwork, and a good amount of luck. It just feels like even when some of the African countries get all the major elements right, they always fall short on luck. So they just get lumped in with all the other "undisciplined" African nations as reasons for their failure... [/rant]
Click to expand...

I have to apologize for jumping down your throat a bit, I know how it feels to be on the other end of this. My "Team lineup" outside of the Greek national team is: Sacramento Kings (NBA), San Diego Padres (MLB), San Diego Chargers (NFL). Not sure if you know American sports at all, but that is a fucking cursed trio, I am a glutton for sports misery.

Funny you bring up Africa's poor record as Greece has had only two ever match wins in the World Cup, both against African teams. IC today, and four years ago they finally ended their win-less and score-less World Cup record with a 2-1 victory over Nigeria.

"They didn't score in their first two games and never scored a real goal in the run of play. Ivory Coast basically fucked up and Greece were the beneficiaries."

This is where I think you are being unduly sour. Greece won fair and square. That they did it on only two goals is somewhat hilarious, but I'll take it. And to be honest, if we look at shots on goal, Greece clearly outplayed Ivory Coast today. Sorry, but it's true.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
FuturusX said:
Seems like that last minute win...has some folks riding a wave of euphoria. As the wise Yosp says.."Let them Dream"
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I know what the odds are. But the country has been through such a miserable few years, let them have this moment lol. There will be plenty of time for you to say "I told you so" come Sunday.
 
meanspartan

meanspartan

Member
Charles Foster Kane said:
I haven't followed Greece or seen many of their game, but is their defense really that strong? I find this Greece likes to park the bus hard thing hilarious.
Click to expand...

It is inconsistent. They are not unbeatable or anything, but they do occasionally have a knack for frustrating offenses. Just rewatch some of the match highlights today and look at how multiple players collapse on any Ivory Coast player even thinking about approaching the goal.

In 2004, they strung together a series of such stubborn defense to win a series of upsets and shock the world by taking Euro 2004. Since then, it's been of mixed effectiveness. But, it has made them consistent qualifiers in the Euro and World Cups. Which is more than they can say for everything pre-2004.
 
V

Vitten

Member
earvcunanan said:
She's very pretty.
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I doubt she lives in Iran though. That shit doesn't fly over there.

Stupid Greece trolling the tournament again.. pff, was gutted they got that last second penalty. NOT looking forward to seeing teams trying to break down the Greek wall for 90 minutes and then losing on penalties or against that one lucky Greek goal on a corner. Only a Greek could support for Greece, rest of world just wants them gone.
 
O

oti

Banned
I don't think some people here get why Greeks are so euphoric about this. We know Greece is nowhere near as good as the favourites such as Germany. We know the chances of winning this tournament may be non-existent. But it's not about that. It's about feeling good about yourself, which is something Greeks didn't have the reason to do for a long time. It's about the small country of Greece "beating" juggernauts like Italy, England and Spain.
 
E

Envelope

sealed with a kiss
Vitten said:
I doubt she lives in Iran though. That shit doesn't fly over there.

Stupid Greece trolling the tournament again.. pff, was gutted they got that last second penalty. NOT looking forward to seeing teams trying to break down the Greek wall for 90 minutes and then losing on penalties or against that one lucky Greek goal on a corner. Only a Greek could support for Greece, rest of world just wants them gone.
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please don't speak for the rest of us~
 
C

Charles Foster Kane

Rosebud
oti xero said:
I don't think some people here get why Greeks are so euphoric about this. We know Greece is nowhere near as good as the favourites such as Germany. We know the chances of winning this tournament may be non-existent. But it's not about that. It's about feeling good about yourself, which is something Greeks didn't have the reason to do for a long time. It's about the small country of Greece "beating" juggernauts like Italy, England and Spain.
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I get it. This is how Costa Rica celebrated the classification to the next round. It's like we won the fucking World Cup.
 
A

Afrikan

Member
oh man I'm watching the ESPN replay of the Suarez game....and the English Commentators are cracking me up.

"Oh dear... oh dear, dear, dear, dear"

"Seems Suarez has taken another bite"

"Surely not again.....Surely not again.......Surely...... Surely"
 
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