This match was played only 24 hours after the match against FC Sion. The players for Benfica were clearly exhausted and several of the World Cup players are still not in top shape as they joined training late.
Noteworthy was Talisca - his worst game so far. His passing was off and he made several dangerous turnovers. Its common for Brazilian players to make such mistakes when they come to europe. Bilbao has been training for a month already and played typical european football of pressing deep in the zone of construction. Brazilian players aren't used to such advanced levels of strategic play so this should have been a good learning experience for him.
Bernardo Silva once again showed his total lack of quality. Cesar played poorly as well. Its hard to take conclusions from a team who played 24 hours ago. But not a good game, and also not disastrous. Bilbao took advantage of their opportunities and didn't make a sub until well after the 70th minute.
The next match will be more revealing as it is against top competition and will feature the likely starters minus those who are still injured. Lets bear in mind that Benfca has played the entire preseason without their two starting central defenders and their starting defensive midfielder Fejsa.
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Thursday, 31 July 2014
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
Post game analysis: after Sion
Todays victory showed Benfica continue to progress. The players are learning the defensive and attacking processes very well and this is promising. It was nice to see Maxi get into such good form so quickly.
Defense: Eliseu played much better than he did against Ajax. It is looking like he should start at left defence but Benito will be a solid backup. The central defenders performed amply but it was against fragile opponent and thus not a real test. In any event, its unlikely Sidnei will remain on the team anyways and Cesar will be a backup to Luisao and Lisandro. On the right side Benfica had solid play from both Maxi and Joao Cancelo - who switched to the left side late in the game.
Defence is shaping up to look like this: Maxi, Luisao, Lisandro, Eliseu. Backups - Cancelo, Benito, Jardel, Cesar.
Midfield: Excellent play there again today. Another underpeformance from Salvio, but a marked improvement for Bebe who showed good speed, presence and playmaking ability. I wonder if JJ may consider playing him upfront beside Lima given the underperformance of Lima and the uselessness of Cardozo. Joao Teixeira continues to show maturity above his years. He continues to struggle with his finishing despite the goal that he required to tries at to score. Andre Almeida and Ruben Amorim showed the quality we are used to despite still finding their physical form. Ola John again played well but could have played better. His decision making needs to improve or the risks he takes could backfire against better opposition. Talisca continues to progress and will be a viable alternative to Enzo. Midfield should look like this:
Salvio, Andre Almeida, Enzo Perez, Gaitan. Backups: Bebe, Ola John, Joao Teixeira, Ruben Amorim, Talisca, Pizzi.
Attack: Though he has not yet scored, Lima is still in form and will start. Derley, while showing flashes of raw skill is not looking like a clear choice to play alongside him yet. He missed two glaring header opportunities today. And they were situations where a forward must finish. Nothing to do with fitness, knowing the system, etc. Clear scoring opportunities. Missed. Nelson Oliveira is showing why he failed to impress and earn playing time at: Benfica, Deportivo (Spain), Rennes (France) and now back on Benfica again. He just isn't good enough. He reminds me of Miguel Rosa and Bernardo Silva - two players which Benfica fans hype up without merit just because they are portuguese and formed in Benfica's youth squads. Sure Miguel Rosa looked decent playing for the B team in the second division. But if you listened to the Benfica fans that blindly cheer for any young portuguese player, you would think he was the next Figo. He isn't. He is rotting away fighting for playing time at terrible Belenenses. He will never be a big player and never play on a big team. My position is that Bernardo Silva is the exact same. And its looking more and more like Nelson Oliveira belongs in that category also. He showed nothing against this weak Sion side. How many more opportunities must he have? He needs to be cut.. That leaves a problem because Cardozo is increasingly revealing how useless he has become. Derley is failing to live up to his promise thus far, though his speed and good passing will still make him very useful upfront alongside Lima even if his finishing remains weak. Jara may be in the hunt for a spot but Jara starting is not how you attack a Championship Title. This is why I earlier suggested JJ may want to try playing Bebe upfront alongside with Lima to see what results
The starters at this point look like: Lima and Derley. Backups should be: Cardozo, Victor Andrade, *Bebe. Though I think Cardozo should be sold and with that money a forward should be acquired to replace him.
Tomorrow's game will be against Bilbao but due to the sequence of games yesterday and today as well as on Aug 2 and 3rd, players will play based more on saving the better players for the tournament in England. So it will be less introspective than todays match. That said, the team is showing a marked improvement and with Enzo added this week should be firing on all cylinders for the Supercup.
Defense: Eliseu played much better than he did against Ajax. It is looking like he should start at left defence but Benito will be a solid backup. The central defenders performed amply but it was against fragile opponent and thus not a real test. In any event, its unlikely Sidnei will remain on the team anyways and Cesar will be a backup to Luisao and Lisandro. On the right side Benfica had solid play from both Maxi and Joao Cancelo - who switched to the left side late in the game.
Defence is shaping up to look like this: Maxi, Luisao, Lisandro, Eliseu. Backups - Cancelo, Benito, Jardel, Cesar.
Midfield: Excellent play there again today. Another underpeformance from Salvio, but a marked improvement for Bebe who showed good speed, presence and playmaking ability. I wonder if JJ may consider playing him upfront beside Lima given the underperformance of Lima and the uselessness of Cardozo. Joao Teixeira continues to show maturity above his years. He continues to struggle with his finishing despite the goal that he required to tries at to score. Andre Almeida and Ruben Amorim showed the quality we are used to despite still finding their physical form. Ola John again played well but could have played better. His decision making needs to improve or the risks he takes could backfire against better opposition. Talisca continues to progress and will be a viable alternative to Enzo. Midfield should look like this:
Salvio, Andre Almeida, Enzo Perez, Gaitan. Backups: Bebe, Ola John, Joao Teixeira, Ruben Amorim, Talisca, Pizzi.
Attack: Though he has not yet scored, Lima is still in form and will start. Derley, while showing flashes of raw skill is not looking like a clear choice to play alongside him yet. He missed two glaring header opportunities today. And they were situations where a forward must finish. Nothing to do with fitness, knowing the system, etc. Clear scoring opportunities. Missed. Nelson Oliveira is showing why he failed to impress and earn playing time at: Benfica, Deportivo (Spain), Rennes (France) and now back on Benfica again. He just isn't good enough. He reminds me of Miguel Rosa and Bernardo Silva - two players which Benfica fans hype up without merit just because they are portuguese and formed in Benfica's youth squads. Sure Miguel Rosa looked decent playing for the B team in the second division. But if you listened to the Benfica fans that blindly cheer for any young portuguese player, you would think he was the next Figo. He isn't. He is rotting away fighting for playing time at terrible Belenenses. He will never be a big player and never play on a big team. My position is that Bernardo Silva is the exact same. And its looking more and more like Nelson Oliveira belongs in that category also. He showed nothing against this weak Sion side. How many more opportunities must he have? He needs to be cut.. That leaves a problem because Cardozo is increasingly revealing how useless he has become. Derley is failing to live up to his promise thus far, though his speed and good passing will still make him very useful upfront alongside Lima even if his finishing remains weak. Jara may be in the hunt for a spot but Jara starting is not how you attack a Championship Title. This is why I earlier suggested JJ may want to try playing Bebe upfront alongside with Lima to see what results
The starters at this point look like: Lima and Derley. Backups should be: Cardozo, Victor Andrade, *Bebe. Though I think Cardozo should be sold and with that money a forward should be acquired to replace him.
Tomorrow's game will be against Bilbao but due to the sequence of games yesterday and today as well as on Aug 2 and 3rd, players will play based more on saving the better players for the tournament in England. So it will be less introspective than todays match. That said, the team is showing a marked improvement and with Enzo added this week should be firing on all cylinders for the Supercup.
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Impressions from the Eusebio Cup
Today I attended at Estadio da Luz to watch Benfica do battle with Ajax. As such, having attended all their preseason matches I will provide an updated progress report here on the preseason.
From the outset I will deal with the two signings this week Bebe and Eliseu. To call the "reforcos" may be a bit of a stretch. Having seen them play last season I don't know that they are any better than the option we already have at those respective positions. Bebe may have potential to improve while Eliseu is a veteran and maybe has one good year left in him. The timing may have been good for Eliseu as Benito had his worst preseason match this far. That said, Eliseu did not look good at all. Neither did Bebe. But it is too early to pass judgement as they have only trained with the squad for two days. Even the next game they play won't be enough to pass a definitive judgement on them . By the end of the tournament in England in the next few days we should have a better idea.
Now as for the rest of the players:
Salvio - struggled some, should have performed better with Maxi as those two have played together on the same wing for years.
Derley - he shows flashes of natural talent but he still hasn't learned the system and the movements to perfection. I think he can perform better with more time under JJ's tutelage.
Cesar - his worst game so far.
Sidnei - played better than last game..
Joao Cancelo - its becoming clear that he should be the backup to Maxi and stay on the "A" squad.
Andre Almeida - had some good plays and some mess-ups. Just got back this week. We know his quality and multi-positional utility.
Ruben Amorim - solid.
Talisca - this kid can play. Again showing he is a workhorse, showed some great technical ability on a few plays. Continues to learn the system more and more. An excellent signing.
Ola John - played well again. He will likely be the third selection for wing but is definitely working hard to become one of the starting two.
Jara - definitely played hard. Miserable penalty attempt. Today he played better than Derley but I'm still doubtful he will remain on the squad though JJ is giving him opportunities.
Overall, the team played well. Had some sloppy breakdowns but these will be corrected with more training and correction from the coach. The new talent has brought some very good quality in Talisca, Cancelo, Benito, and Joao Texeira. I think these 4 will stay. The return of Ola John is very positive. We get Enzo back this week and what I expect to be the two starting defenders : Luisao and Lisandro Lopez have not yet touched the field in a game. I still question the utility of signing Bebe and Eliseu not because of their weak performances today, but because they don't really enhance the quality of the team at any position. Would the money spent on them not have been better spent retaining Siqueira ? Investing it in Guilavogui ? These are questions that remained unanswered for now. Given the quality we know Djavan has was it really wise to sign Eliseu, an older player we will never be able to sell and recover the investment on ? The answer will depend on how he performs.
As an assessment of the continued progress of the new players I think we can be happy Cesar and Benito though they need more improvement; Cancelo and Teixeira as well I think will be good additions. Talisca was an excellent signing. The return of Ola John is also positive.
As for the remaining players, our midfield is essentially the same as last year with Ruben, Enzo, Gaitan, Salvio, Almeida and now with Talisca added. Very strong. Fejsa returns in january to make it even stronger and Teixeira is a good addition of young blood to that group.
The defence will be as strong. Lisandro Lopez played as well last season in Spain as Garay did for us. Still have Luisao and Maxi. Benito/Eliseu and possibly Silvio leaves our defence strong as well.
And for the attack we still have many dangerous players like Lima, Derley, maybe Oliveira, and the prodigy child who will only grow and grow, Victor Andrade.
And of course there are many other names that could reinforce this list too but thats the basic quick summary
CARREGA BENFICA !
From the outset I will deal with the two signings this week Bebe and Eliseu. To call the "reforcos" may be a bit of a stretch. Having seen them play last season I don't know that they are any better than the option we already have at those respective positions. Bebe may have potential to improve while Eliseu is a veteran and maybe has one good year left in him. The timing may have been good for Eliseu as Benito had his worst preseason match this far. That said, Eliseu did not look good at all. Neither did Bebe. But it is too early to pass judgement as they have only trained with the squad for two days. Even the next game they play won't be enough to pass a definitive judgement on them . By the end of the tournament in England in the next few days we should have a better idea.
Now as for the rest of the players:
Salvio - struggled some, should have performed better with Maxi as those two have played together on the same wing for years.
Derley - he shows flashes of natural talent but he still hasn't learned the system and the movements to perfection. I think he can perform better with more time under JJ's tutelage.
Cesar - his worst game so far.
Sidnei - played better than last game..
Joao Cancelo - its becoming clear that he should be the backup to Maxi and stay on the "A" squad.
Andre Almeida - had some good plays and some mess-ups. Just got back this week. We know his quality and multi-positional utility.
Ruben Amorim - solid.
Talisca - this kid can play. Again showing he is a workhorse, showed some great technical ability on a few plays. Continues to learn the system more and more. An excellent signing.
Ola John - played well again. He will likely be the third selection for wing but is definitely working hard to become one of the starting two.
Jara - definitely played hard. Miserable penalty attempt. Today he played better than Derley but I'm still doubtful he will remain on the squad though JJ is giving him opportunities.
Overall, the team played well. Had some sloppy breakdowns but these will be corrected with more training and correction from the coach. The new talent has brought some very good quality in Talisca, Cancelo, Benito, and Joao Texeira. I think these 4 will stay. The return of Ola John is very positive. We get Enzo back this week and what I expect to be the two starting defenders : Luisao and Lisandro Lopez have not yet touched the field in a game. I still question the utility of signing Bebe and Eliseu not because of their weak performances today, but because they don't really enhance the quality of the team at any position. Would the money spent on them not have been better spent retaining Siqueira ? Investing it in Guilavogui ? These are questions that remained unanswered for now. Given the quality we know Djavan has was it really wise to sign Eliseu, an older player we will never be able to sell and recover the investment on ? The answer will depend on how he performs.
As an assessment of the continued progress of the new players I think we can be happy Cesar and Benito though they need more improvement; Cancelo and Teixeira as well I think will be good additions. Talisca was an excellent signing. The return of Ola John is also positive.
As for the remaining players, our midfield is essentially the same as last year with Ruben, Enzo, Gaitan, Salvio, Almeida and now with Talisca added. Very strong. Fejsa returns in january to make it even stronger and Teixeira is a good addition of young blood to that group.
The defence will be as strong. Lisandro Lopez played as well last season in Spain as Garay did for us. Still have Luisao and Maxi. Benito/Eliseu and possibly Silvio leaves our defence strong as well.
And for the attack we still have many dangerous players like Lima, Derley, maybe Oliveira, and the prodigy child who will only grow and grow, Victor Andrade.
And of course there are many other names that could reinforce this list too but thats the basic quick summary
CARREGA BENFICA !
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
What we learned from the Marseille game
After watching this game, I am excited as Benfica supporter for several reasons. First, a quick glance of some key points I took from this game:
1. The new players are learning the system, routines and methods the coach wants them to.
2. Joao Cancelo and Joao Teixeira should stay on the "A" team.
3. Artur is not even good enough to be the backup for this team.
4. Cesar, Benito and Talisca were very smart signings.
Starting from Goal, Artur is just awful. He is way overpaid at 700k euros and is a liability all the time. I would rather see him leave the team than stay in a backup role. He is terrible. It looks certain that Argentine starting keeper Romero will join the club this week.
In defence. Sidnei reinforced how awful he is. He needs to leave town. Cesar once again impressed. Very solid signing. I think JJ needs to let him and Lisandro Lopez rotate in a 3 some with Luisao all season to prevent the fatigue we saw at the end of last season. At right back, Joao Cancelo again showed his natural talent. He still has a lot to learn tactically and mature in his decision making. But the kid belongs on the "A" team and should be the backup to Maxi along with Andre Almeida. At left back, Benito had another solid showing. He too will improve with the pre-season and he will gain the little bit more tactical discipline he needs. He will compete with Eliseu for starting job but is a very capable backup in the worst of scenarios.
In midfield, Rubem Amorim helped reinforce my urging of other benfiquistas to have calm because we still have much talent and he is one of them. After just two days of training after vacation he showed quality, maturity and vision as he always does. Joao Teixeira showed quality once again. I think he should stay on the "A" team at least until Fejsa gets back. He is too goof to go back to the B team. This kid is the real deal. Talisca once again showed technical quality and his decision making was again noteworthy. Solid performance. Gaitan is, well Gaitan. Enough said. As for Ola John, he still has issues with positioning sometimes but I think JJ will work that out of him. He will probably be the number three winger behind Gaitan and Salvio but if he needs to start he can. Jara showed some decent plays in the brief time on the wing that he played. Candeias is a player we know has quality from watching him at Nacional, but he is showing poor form. At this stage he may need to step up or risk being loaned this season. Pizzi and Sulejmani are both hurt and both better than him. The winder position will crowd him out of any playing time unless he improves dramatically. My contacts with lawyer David Dasilva indicate that more big signings may be forthcoming .
At Forward, Derley and Lima will definitely be the starters. I don't think we lose quality substituting Rodrigo with Derley. Yes Rodrigo scored a great goal against Porto last year but lets be realistic he only scored 10 goals all year for the starting forward of Benfica. Derley scored on Maritimo. Derley is just as fast, quick footed, and possessing the killer instinct. We will be fine with him and Lima upfront. Cardozo once again was totally useless. I hope the club can sell him and get something for him. Nelso Oliveira showed one good play but he had the misfortune of having to ajust position after Jara's red card.
As for Victor Andrade and his debut, you can see as soon as he touches the ball that he is a natural with very high quality. Of course he comes from Brazil where the tactical quality and positioning is the worst in the world so he will need to learn how tight marking and fast closing spaces are to be approached in europe. He needs to stay on the team and be worked every day by JJ. He is gonna be a gem !
Bernardo Silva - as I keep stating, he does not have the quality to play on the "A" team. Just like everyone rooted for Miguel Rosa when he was on the B team, this guy is not the real deal. Benfica fans get over sentimental sometimes and see things with their heart rather than their eyes. This guy has no place on the A team. He is very small. When players are that small they must compensate for that with EXCEPTIONAL talent. He is a good talent, but far from exceptional. I think Benfica should stop wasting time with this player and loan him out to Belenenses or something.
FC Porto: big signings for big holes
There has been much ado about the big name signings FC Porto has made this offseason. And without a doubt they are quality players. But lets not forget, theirs is a team that had a very big lack of talent. And with the departures of Fernando and Mangala that made the hole even bigger. Those were two of the 3 quality players on the team ( Quaresma being the third). So yes Martins Indi is good and so is Brahimi but are they as good as the players they replace ? I think not. At best they are as good. Then they signed Adrian but lets be realistic, they will lose Jackson before the transfer window closes.
Overall they will be a stronger side than last year. They got some good new blood, a new coach, new system, Herrera is probably invigorated with his excellent World Cup performance. At the end of the day they had a terrible season last year and probably did a bit worse than they should have. I don't think that the changes they made thus far will be enough to make up the sizeable point difference between them and Benfica. I think Porto will probably make it out of their group in the Champions League and finish second in the league based on the transfer moves thus far.
Overall they will be a stronger side than last year. They got some good new blood, a new coach, new system, Herrera is probably invigorated with his excellent World Cup performance. At the end of the day they had a terrible season last year and probably did a bit worse than they should have. I don't think that the changes they made thus far will be enough to make up the sizeable point difference between them and Benfica. I think Porto will probably make it out of their group in the Champions League and finish second in the league based on the transfer moves thus far.
Benfica made the necessary signings
Well today we got news that Eliseu has been signed to be the starting LB. In addition it appears the deal is done for Argentin'as starting Keeper Romero. Further, Guilavogui is set to be confirmed as well. With these signings Benfica can have a starting 11 that is as strong as last seasons whether or not Enzo and Gaitan leave. If Enzo and Gaitan leave then they will still have a strong starting 11 but a bench that is a step down from last year. Lets look at the positions:
GK:
ROMERO
Artur
Paulo Lopes
LD:
ELISEU
Benito
(Andre Almeida)
CD:
LUISAO
LISANDRO LOPEZ
Cesar
Jardel
Steven Vitoria *
RD:
MAXI
Andre Almeida
Joao Cancelo
CM:
GUILAVOGUI
ENZO PEREZ
Ruben Amorim
Talisca
Andre Almeida
Joao Teixeira
Fejsa (out until January)
WINGERS:
GAITAN
SALVIO
Ola John
Sulejmani
Pizzi
Candeias
(Nelson Oliveira can play winger if needed)
(Victor Andrade)
FORWARDS:
LIMA
DERLEY
Nelson Oliveira
Cardozo
I expect Luis Felipe and Djavan to be loaned out. Ivan Cavaleiro will also probably be loaned out. Farina is uncertain. The "B" team players Bernardo Sousa, Ruben Pinto, etc simply do not have the quality to be on the "A" team. I don't think Franco Jara will make the cut. I expect the team to add one more forward before the offseason is wrapped up. As such the starting 11 will look like this:
ROMERO;
Maxi, Lisandro Lopez, Luisao, Eliseu;
Guilavogui, Enzo/Ruben Amorim/Talisca;
Gaitan/Ola John, Salvio;
Lima, Derley
That is a powerhouse team that still has a lot of talent on the bench. In January the team gets an immediate boost with the return of Fejsa. If there are any weaknesses on the team between now and then that become evident, the club will sign someone to fix that problem. My contacts with lawyer David Dasilva indicate there may be big signings coming. This is a very strong lineup that can withstand an injury or two and a suspension or two and still be strong enough to do battle with anyone.
GK:
ROMERO
Artur
Paulo Lopes
LD:
ELISEU
Benito
(Andre Almeida)
CD:
LUISAO
LISANDRO LOPEZ
Cesar
Jardel
Steven Vitoria *
RD:
MAXI
Andre Almeida
Joao Cancelo
CM:
GUILAVOGUI
ENZO PEREZ
Ruben Amorim
Talisca
Andre Almeida
Joao Teixeira
Fejsa (out until January)
WINGERS:
GAITAN
SALVIO
Ola John
Sulejmani
Pizzi
Candeias
(Nelson Oliveira can play winger if needed)
(Victor Andrade)
FORWARDS:
LIMA
DERLEY
Nelson Oliveira
Cardozo
I expect Luis Felipe and Djavan to be loaned out. Ivan Cavaleiro will also probably be loaned out. Farina is uncertain. The "B" team players Bernardo Sousa, Ruben Pinto, etc simply do not have the quality to be on the "A" team. I don't think Franco Jara will make the cut. I expect the team to add one more forward before the offseason is wrapped up. As such the starting 11 will look like this:
ROMERO;
Maxi, Lisandro Lopez, Luisao, Eliseu;
Guilavogui, Enzo/Ruben Amorim/Talisca;
Gaitan/Ola John, Salvio;
Lima, Derley
That is a powerhouse team that still has a lot of talent on the bench. In January the team gets an immediate boost with the return of Fejsa. If there are any weaknesses on the team between now and then that become evident, the club will sign someone to fix that problem. My contacts with lawyer David Dasilva indicate there may be big signings coming. This is a very strong lineup that can withstand an injury or two and a suspension or two and still be strong enough to do battle with anyone.
Friday, 18 July 2014
Benfica possible lineups
While pre season moves in and out may not yet be finished and world cup players still aren't back I am looking forward to the possible starting 11 for Benfica with the players we have now.
Standard:
KEEPER (new signing); Maxi, Cesar, Luisao, Andre Almeida; Ruben Amorim, Enzo Perez; Salvio, Gaitan; Lima e Derley.
Alternatively:
KEEPER (new signing); Maxi, Cesar, Luisao, Benito/Djavan; Andre Almeida, Enzo Perez; Salvio, Talisca, Gaitan; Lima.
If Enzo is sold:
KEEPER (new signing); Maxi, Cesar, Luisao, Benito/Djavan; Andre Almeida, Ruben Amorim; Salvio, Gaitan; Derley e Lima.
If Gaitan is sold as well then change him for Ola John.
Those lineups are solid and with the tuff pre season matches coming up should get finely tuned by the season kickoff.
They definitely need a keeper. From what I saw of Benito today and of Djavan last season for Academica, I don't think left defence will be the problem it once was before Siqueira. We know for certain that Andre Almeida can play the position well. If Gaitan or Enzo are sold we can be certain that top quality additions will be added immediately to help offset their loss. Upfront I don't think Derley represents any loss of quality vis-a-vis Rodrigo. Rodrigo plays for Spain's U-23 and is very young so that is why he is rated so well. But in reality is is not better than Derley. And Derley scored 8 more goals than him in the league last season. The attack is fine, the defence is fine. Goalie is a huge problem right now. If any of the top midfielders leave, excellent replacements will be brought in. In any event the midfield will still have many excellent players even if Gaitan and Enzo leave. In that scenario we would have at least: Salvio and Ola John to start; backups including: Sulejmani, Cavaleiro, Talisca, Candeias, Ruben Amorim and Andre Almeida. and possibly Nelson Oliveira and Bernardo Silva if they are kept around and not loaned out. Also Farina. Lets not forget about him as he is excellent.
Given the abundance of midfield talent I think Benfica should capitalize and sell one of Gaitan or Enzo. But not both as we need to have some continuity in midfield
Standard:
KEEPER (new signing); Maxi, Cesar, Luisao, Andre Almeida; Ruben Amorim, Enzo Perez; Salvio, Gaitan; Lima e Derley.
Alternatively:
KEEPER (new signing); Maxi, Cesar, Luisao, Benito/Djavan; Andre Almeida, Enzo Perez; Salvio, Talisca, Gaitan; Lima.
If Enzo is sold:
KEEPER (new signing); Maxi, Cesar, Luisao, Benito/Djavan; Andre Almeida, Ruben Amorim; Salvio, Gaitan; Derley e Lima.
If Gaitan is sold as well then change him for Ola John.
Those lineups are solid and with the tuff pre season matches coming up should get finely tuned by the season kickoff.
They definitely need a keeper. From what I saw of Benito today and of Djavan last season for Academica, I don't think left defence will be the problem it once was before Siqueira. We know for certain that Andre Almeida can play the position well. If Gaitan or Enzo are sold we can be certain that top quality additions will be added immediately to help offset their loss. Upfront I don't think Derley represents any loss of quality vis-a-vis Rodrigo. Rodrigo plays for Spain's U-23 and is very young so that is why he is rated so well. But in reality is is not better than Derley. And Derley scored 8 more goals than him in the league last season. The attack is fine, the defence is fine. Goalie is a huge problem right now. If any of the top midfielders leave, excellent replacements will be brought in. In any event the midfield will still have many excellent players even if Gaitan and Enzo leave. In that scenario we would have at least: Salvio and Ola John to start; backups including: Sulejmani, Cavaleiro, Talisca, Candeias, Ruben Amorim and Andre Almeida. and possibly Nelson Oliveira and Bernardo Silva if they are kept around and not loaned out. Also Farina. Lets not forget about him as he is excellent.
Given the abundance of midfield talent I think Benfica should capitalize and sell one of Gaitan or Enzo. But not both as we need to have some continuity in midfield
BENFICA first pre-season match. Analysis and Review.
Today the Estadio do Restelo hosted the first two games for the tournament for the Taca de Honra. Naturally I attended to watch my beloved Benfica and assess the new talent.
Here are my thoughts:
Artur - quite shaky. Benfica can definitely NOT have him as their starting keeper this season. They must sign a better alternative. Not only will Artur not "steal" ant points for the team all season, he is sure to personally cost the team several points. Decent backup, definitely NOT starter material.
Central Defence: Jardel played average. Didn't compromise the team at all but was unsteady at times and took some risks that didn't go as well as they would have if it were Luisao who had played. As for the new signing Cesar, he was solid. No mistakes. Showed some bursts of speed and was good in the air. Showed good awareness and chemistry with his new teammates.
Right Defence - Luis Miguel, the new signing had a good performance. He doesn't look good enough to bench Maxi. Joao Cancelo, from the B team looked very good. He combined solidly with Salvio. After a few jitters when he first came in, he shook that off and played solidly. I would say at this point he looks to be a better backup for Maxi than Luis Miguel.
Left Defence - Benito the new Swiss signing played well. Didn't compromise. Made the cross that led to the goal and combined well with Ola John.
Wings - Ola John had a very strong game. He still shows flashes of immaturity in some of his decisions but his cuts and ability to make diagonal runs as well as his solid dribble would have him at #3 choice for wingers behind Salvio and Gaitan at this point.
Centre of MF - Joao Teixeira from the B team played ok. He certainly doesn't seem to possess the quality needed to stay on the "A" team. Nor does Bernardo Silva. Benfica fans sometimes get too sentimental about players that develop through the club's youth system. Silva is wayy to small and would have trouble in European matches. He has quality, but needs to show much more quality than he did today to compensate for his lack of size and inability to win balls in the air. Teixeira should go back to the B team and Silva may benefit from being loaned to another Portuguese club to get playing time.
Ruben Pinto played. Not poorly, not great. Now the new signing Anderson Talisca had a very good debut. Aside from the goal, he should excellent presence and awareness of the way the coach wants them to play. He showed good vision, and passing and won many balls in the air. Talisca will definitely contribute on this team. If Enzo leaves, he will have big showed to fill but thus far has shown he has potential to do so. He is better attacking than Enzo. How he defends against top teams remains to be seen.
Forwards - Cardozo has got to go. His slowness and overall uselessness on the pitch hurts the team much more than his now rare goals help the team. Lima played excellent as always. Derley looks good. He is a workhorse and very physical with defenders. He tried to do too much on a good rush where he could have scored. A combination of Lima and Derley upfront gives good mobility to the attack and will be a nightmare for opposing defences. As for Franco Jara, he was awful and showed yet again that he has no place on this team. He will surely be sold or loaned once again.
Here are my thoughts:
Artur - quite shaky. Benfica can definitely NOT have him as their starting keeper this season. They must sign a better alternative. Not only will Artur not "steal" ant points for the team all season, he is sure to personally cost the team several points. Decent backup, definitely NOT starter material.
Central Defence: Jardel played average. Didn't compromise the team at all but was unsteady at times and took some risks that didn't go as well as they would have if it were Luisao who had played. As for the new signing Cesar, he was solid. No mistakes. Showed some bursts of speed and was good in the air. Showed good awareness and chemistry with his new teammates.
Right Defence - Luis Miguel, the new signing had a good performance. He doesn't look good enough to bench Maxi. Joao Cancelo, from the B team looked very good. He combined solidly with Salvio. After a few jitters when he first came in, he shook that off and played solidly. I would say at this point he looks to be a better backup for Maxi than Luis Miguel.
Left Defence - Benito the new Swiss signing played well. Didn't compromise. Made the cross that led to the goal and combined well with Ola John.
Wings - Ola John had a very strong game. He still shows flashes of immaturity in some of his decisions but his cuts and ability to make diagonal runs as well as his solid dribble would have him at #3 choice for wingers behind Salvio and Gaitan at this point.
Centre of MF - Joao Teixeira from the B team played ok. He certainly doesn't seem to possess the quality needed to stay on the "A" team. Nor does Bernardo Silva. Benfica fans sometimes get too sentimental about players that develop through the club's youth system. Silva is wayy to small and would have trouble in European matches. He has quality, but needs to show much more quality than he did today to compensate for his lack of size and inability to win balls in the air. Teixeira should go back to the B team and Silva may benefit from being loaned to another Portuguese club to get playing time.
Ruben Pinto played. Not poorly, not great. Now the new signing Anderson Talisca had a very good debut. Aside from the goal, he should excellent presence and awareness of the way the coach wants them to play. He showed good vision, and passing and won many balls in the air. Talisca will definitely contribute on this team. If Enzo leaves, he will have big showed to fill but thus far has shown he has potential to do so. He is better attacking than Enzo. How he defends against top teams remains to be seen.
Forwards - Cardozo has got to go. His slowness and overall uselessness on the pitch hurts the team much more than his now rare goals help the team. Lima played excellent as always. Derley looks good. He is a workhorse and very physical with defenders. He tried to do too much on a good rush where he could have scored. A combination of Lima and Derley upfront gives good mobility to the attack and will be a nightmare for opposing defences. As for Franco Jara, he was awful and showed yet again that he has no place on this team. He will surely be sold or loaned once again.
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Coaching will put Holland in Final
Holland is the clear favorite here and should be able to take this game in regular time. If they do falter however, and end up playing Brazil in the 3rd place game, expect to see another run up of the score against a Brazil side that is clueless against the intelligence and efficiency of European football.
In this Holland vs Argentina match we need to look at several slices of this clash of two strong teams. First, we look at the group. The group of 23 players that each team coach has at it's disposal. On the whole, Holland has a stronger group of 23 players. But Argentina can present a slightly stronger starting 11 if we assess it on the basis of units of individual talent alone. With the absence of DiMaria however, that changes the equation. DiMaria is essentially the offensive motor of this team. Messi, despite all the undeserved hype around him, essentially does absolutely nothing all game. He walks, I repeat WALKS around the final third of the pitch, doesn't run, doesn't defend, doesn't pressure the opponents. He simply cherry picks and gets about 40 balls a game - which he promptly turns over to the opponent.
Argentina being a highly defensive team already, will be more so with the absence of DiMaria. This could change if Holland gets an early goal and forces them to open up.
Tactically, it's as big a mismatch as we saw yesterday. Holland having an absolute coaching mastermind who has succeeded at the highest levels of European football. He coaches at the cutting edge of excellence. On the other side, Sabella is a typically incompetent South American coach. One who has no success at the European club level and in many ways is stuck in the past thinking that previous South American success can somehow overcome the huge gap in quality between the European game and the weak South American game.
One strength the coach has though is his ability to keep Argentina tactically disciplined. He knows that having a one man attack (DiMaria) is not a recipe for success so he orients them into a very defensive posture with three central defenders and a cluttered midfield. It will be difficult for Holland to maintain consistent attacking under these circumstances. Again, an early goal could change that dynamic though. When it has the ball, argentina normally keeps 5 men at or behind the ball. Bery defensive, very conservative, inoffensive football is its status quo.
In terms of individual talent, Robben is heralded along with Messi as the star of their respective teams, Robben deserves the accolades. Messi does not. Robben is excellent and causes havoc with every touch of the ball. Messi gets the ball passed to him many times and quickly turns it over to the Defence. Van Gaal knows he has better offensive weapons and needs to tell his team to be patient with the argentine defensive wall. Enzo Perez and Mascherano are very dirty players and will offer many dirty fouls. Holland has to keep their cool and hold the ball, circulate, make Argentina chase it and eventually their offensive stars like Robben and Van Persie will make the difference as they always do. Argentina also has a very poor Keeper but he plays behind some stellar defenders. Rojo and Garay are as good as it gets and Holland must not lose confidence after being stopped time after time by Argentina's stellar Defence.
If the game stays tied at half, the coaching will make a difference as Van Gaal will be able to make better adjustments than Sabella. Both because he has a better bench and because he is smarter and knows the game at its highest level - the European level.
All said, I can't conceive of a way Argentina can win this game. The question is by how many will they lose. If Holland scores early, it could be a 2 or 3 goal difference by the time all is said and done. If Argentina can hold on until half time and keep it scoreless, then Holland may get more cautious and orient the team to more of a counter mode hoping for a simple 1-0 victory which capitalizes on Argentinian errors (of which they make very few). If it goes to extra time or shootout, again holland has the advantage as they simply have better and more offensive talents which could make the difference at any moment. My final prognosis is that Holland wins this game by 2 goals or more in regular time.
Then Argentina will go on to humiliate Brazil.
In this Holland vs Argentina match we need to look at several slices of this clash of two strong teams. First, we look at the group. The group of 23 players that each team coach has at it's disposal. On the whole, Holland has a stronger group of 23 players. But Argentina can present a slightly stronger starting 11 if we assess it on the basis of units of individual talent alone. With the absence of DiMaria however, that changes the equation. DiMaria is essentially the offensive motor of this team. Messi, despite all the undeserved hype around him, essentially does absolutely nothing all game. He walks, I repeat WALKS around the final third of the pitch, doesn't run, doesn't defend, doesn't pressure the opponents. He simply cherry picks and gets about 40 balls a game - which he promptly turns over to the opponent.
Argentina being a highly defensive team already, will be more so with the absence of DiMaria. This could change if Holland gets an early goal and forces them to open up.
Tactically, it's as big a mismatch as we saw yesterday. Holland having an absolute coaching mastermind who has succeeded at the highest levels of European football. He coaches at the cutting edge of excellence. On the other side, Sabella is a typically incompetent South American coach. One who has no success at the European club level and in many ways is stuck in the past thinking that previous South American success can somehow overcome the huge gap in quality between the European game and the weak South American game.
One strength the coach has though is his ability to keep Argentina tactically disciplined. He knows that having a one man attack (DiMaria) is not a recipe for success so he orients them into a very defensive posture with three central defenders and a cluttered midfield. It will be difficult for Holland to maintain consistent attacking under these circumstances. Again, an early goal could change that dynamic though. When it has the ball, argentina normally keeps 5 men at or behind the ball. Bery defensive, very conservative, inoffensive football is its status quo.
In terms of individual talent, Robben is heralded along with Messi as the star of their respective teams, Robben deserves the accolades. Messi does not. Robben is excellent and causes havoc with every touch of the ball. Messi gets the ball passed to him many times and quickly turns it over to the Defence. Van Gaal knows he has better offensive weapons and needs to tell his team to be patient with the argentine defensive wall. Enzo Perez and Mascherano are very dirty players and will offer many dirty fouls. Holland has to keep their cool and hold the ball, circulate, make Argentina chase it and eventually their offensive stars like Robben and Van Persie will make the difference as they always do. Argentina also has a very poor Keeper but he plays behind some stellar defenders. Rojo and Garay are as good as it gets and Holland must not lose confidence after being stopped time after time by Argentina's stellar Defence.
If the game stays tied at half, the coaching will make a difference as Van Gaal will be able to make better adjustments than Sabella. Both because he has a better bench and because he is smarter and knows the game at its highest level - the European level.
All said, I can't conceive of a way Argentina can win this game. The question is by how many will they lose. If Holland scores early, it could be a 2 or 3 goal difference by the time all is said and done. If Argentina can hold on until half time and keep it scoreless, then Holland may get more cautious and orient the team to more of a counter mode hoping for a simple 1-0 victory which capitalizes on Argentinian errors (of which they make very few). If it goes to extra time or shootout, again holland has the advantage as they simply have better and more offensive talents which could make the difference at any moment. My final prognosis is that Holland wins this game by 2 goals or more in regular time.
Then Argentina will go on to humiliate Brazil.
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
Brazilian Nationalism to blame for massacre
Brazil's humiliation today was always predicted in my previous blog posts. Anyone who knows the game and studies the game as I do saw how fragile and inept this Brazil squad. In one of my previous posts I indicated how Brazil would likely not even have qualified if they were not the host. They were certainly FIFA's favorite and blatant cheating by the referees got them out of the first round with highway robbery against Croatia, offside goals and an unbelievable tolerance for inexcusable violent play against all their opponents. This loss isn't about Neymar or Thiago Silva. Brazil would have been battered with them in the lineup. This loss is about Brazilian nationalism. That's why they have been outplayed in all games but the. Cameroon match. That's why they got humiliated today.
Brazil is a country. I love and visit often. But it's cancer is a nationalism so severe and so Intense that it would make Nazi Germany's third reich seem tame. Their flag worship is a cult of personality and they have a total inability to engage in thorough self criticism if it entails saying anything "bad" about Brazil.
Despite Germany having better talent at every position on the pitch, this game was the massacre that it was because of an incompetent coach. That said, he is the best coach Brazil has. Their football is stuck in the 1970's. The game has changed. But even in the Brazilian league which I watch often, they refuse to accept that the football played in continental Europe is far superior. Their sickening nationalism prevents them from admitting this. They can't admit that the best football is played in continental Europe. That would imply that Brazil doesnt play the best football. This is something they cannot admit.
In 1996 the English team embraced this reality. That English style football was a failure. It had some success in the past but the meticulous technical and tactical and strategic approaches to the game in continental Europe had far eclipsed it. England began to import coaches all through their league and national team. Foreign players flooded into England too. They learned the better way. They learned to evolve and their national league is now one of the best in the world. Their national team also has a bright future. They were able to admit their way was no longer the best. They adapted.
Brazilians cannot do this. They can't admit that Europe is the best. They can't see themselves having European coaches flood into their league and national team to improve their football. The nationalism is so entrenched and profound that it's their biggest enemy. Brazilian football has no strategy, no tactical logic. They don't know how to occupy space, how to play without the ball, it remains individual focused rather than engaged on whole unit concepts, they don't pressure in the opposing zone of construction, they leave wide spaces open for exploitation. Tactically and strategically, they would lose every match they played if they were competing in any European first division.
Coaches like Arrigo Sacchi and Sven Goran Eriksson changed the game in Europe decades ago. South American coaches can't ever succeed at the top flite European club level with few exceptions. And those who get it remain coaching there and don't return to South America. But Brazil has not one coach coaching at a top level in Europe. Their nationalism keeps them mired in their failed ways. Brazil will remain stuck in the past until they swallow their revolting nationalism and let Europeans come and teach them how to play the game. It will take a long time.
For now, they will continue to play far below their potential in the hands of incompetent Brazilian coaches. Amazingly Brazil doesn't even require training or certification of their coaches at any level. All they rely on is a Brazil flag waving smooth talker. That just won't cut it anymore. For Brazils sake, they need to eat some humble pie and learn from the Europeans. The great masters of the game.
I note that Argentina, while having a far more tactically disciplined team also has an incompetent South American coach who could never succeed in Europe. He will get taken to school by Van Gaal's genius and mastery.
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
The Greatness of the Game
The Algerian team was eliminated in the round of 16 by Germany. They waged a brave campaign and definitely did not lay down to their difficult opposition. Reading a portuguese football newspaper I came across this story which provides photos and videos of the reception they received back in Algeria. A heroes parade, streets lined with adoring fans, horns, police escorts, fireworks, the whole nine yards.
This is the greatness of the game. This is the global penetration and significance of the World Cup. A team exits in the final 16 and its a national historic event, The national warriors are lauded as heroes and the mood festive. Such is the grandeur, scale and scope of the event. By comparison, a little known sport called ice hockey is played at another little know event called the winter olympics. Team Canada (may be the only country on earth who claims the sport of ice hockey as its favourite sport despite its abysmal television ratings even in that country) won the gold medal and the extent of the celebration was 500 fans in a downtown square waving a few flags for a couple of hours.
Anyways here is the link:
http://www.abola.pt/nnh/ver.aspx?id=487055
This is the greatness of the game. This is the global penetration and significance of the World Cup. A team exits in the final 16 and its a national historic event, The national warriors are lauded as heroes and the mood festive. Such is the grandeur, scale and scope of the event. By comparison, a little known sport called ice hockey is played at another little know event called the winter olympics. Team Canada (may be the only country on earth who claims the sport of ice hockey as its favourite sport despite its abysmal television ratings even in that country) won the gold medal and the extent of the celebration was 500 fans in a downtown square waving a few flags for a couple of hours.
Anyways here is the link:
http://www.abola.pt/nnh/ver.aspx?id=487055
No Games - ohhh how it hurts !
What a World Cup we have had so far. The group stage and round of 16 provided lots of excitement, heroics and demonstrations of human courage and suffering. Such is the beauty of this game. Now this brief pause before the quarter finals will hurt. I'm already feeing the absence of a game to look forward to in a could of hours.
We do however have a great lineup of matches coming up. I will give you my picks below and tomorrow will do a more in depth analysis of each game:
1. BRAZIL vs COLUMBIA - winner : columbia
2. HOLLAND vs COSTA RICA - winner: holland
3. ARGENTINA vs BELGIUM - winner: belgium
4. GERMANY vs FRANCE - winner: germany
If there is one game I am on the fence about its game 4. I think France could take it just as easily as Germany could. However, despite both teams missing their best players (france missing Ribery and germany missing Reus) I think the Germans will have the upper hand in imposing their game on the french then vice versa. And in the moments where it can't, it has the edge at Keeper with Neuer who can keep them in the game when the going gets tough.
That will set up semi finals as such:
GERMANY vs COLOMBIA
BELGIUM vs HOLLAND
We have to see what injuries and card situations present themselves but at this point I would be inclined to say that will set up a Germany vs Holland final with Germany taking it.
We do however have a great lineup of matches coming up. I will give you my picks below and tomorrow will do a more in depth analysis of each game:
1. BRAZIL vs COLUMBIA - winner : columbia
2. HOLLAND vs COSTA RICA - winner: holland
3. ARGENTINA vs BELGIUM - winner: belgium
4. GERMANY vs FRANCE - winner: germany
If there is one game I am on the fence about its game 4. I think France could take it just as easily as Germany could. However, despite both teams missing their best players (france missing Ribery and germany missing Reus) I think the Germans will have the upper hand in imposing their game on the french then vice versa. And in the moments where it can't, it has the edge at Keeper with Neuer who can keep them in the game when the going gets tough.
That will set up semi finals as such:
GERMANY vs COLOMBIA
BELGIUM vs HOLLAND
We have to see what injuries and card situations present themselves but at this point I would be inclined to say that will set up a Germany vs Holland final with Germany taking it.
Tuesday, 1 July 2014
Matchday: July 1
Today we have some very interesting match ups. It should come as no surprise that right off the bat we see some FIFA controlled advantage built in for Argentina (the favourite team of FIFA President Sepp Blatter) as they get to play in Sao Paulo where its not hot or humid. Argentina being a cold weather country will love this. It won't be to the disadvantage of the Swiss weather wise. But Sao Paulo is also much closer to Argentina than most of the stadia are and thus it will be easier to pack it with Argentinian fans. In the Belgium vs USA match, the game will be played in Salvador where it will be hot and muggy. These are conditions the USA are used to and that should help them some.
In Argentina vs Switzerland we see two pretty even teams. Argentina has a strong lineup and lots of talent on the bench. It features an overrated Lionel Messi. If you watch him you will realize that this man loses countless balls in midfield and the final third of the pitch. He does almost no running and never helps his team defend. For him to get a goal he needs about 40 passes to him in attacking situations before he gets one. He essentially walks around the final third of the pitch, cherry picking waiting for a pass. Out of 40 passes that he gets in the attacking part of the pitch he may score one. As such he is very inefficient. He is though, surrounded by a very talented supporting cast and players which are much better than him, like Di Maria. Di Maria, runs, defends, rarely loses the ball, crosses a lot and creates a lot of havoc for the opponents. Argentina's main weakness is a very poor coaching staff. Strategically, Sabella reveals in every game why he is not a good enough coach to succeed in the european leagues. He just doesn't understand how to use his players to the maximum benefit of the team. He has so much talent on the team that he has been able to win a couple of games by chance. That is, Argentina won despite him being the coach, not because of him.
The Swiss, by contrast have an exceptionally wise and excellent coach. Expect him to present a masterminded game plan and give Argentina many problems. The Swiss win because of their coach. They don't have anywhere near the same quality in the group of 23 players as Argentina does. But they can present a starting 11 that is pretty close. They have some speed up front which will disrupt Argentina regularly. Their defence can play compact and effectively. Their result against a powerful France was poor. But they were demoralized and mentally out of the game after the second goal and thats why the score was run up. They are not as bad the 5-0 result would suggest.
So while Argentina is the favourite and should win here I would be surprised if the Swiss pull an upset. Argentina will have favourable cool, dry weather, a virtual home game with all the fans making the drive to Sao Paulo and momentum from a good bunch of results in the first round. The Swiss will be better than anyone they faced in the first round. Argentina will also realize how Messi has difficulty handling the pressure of big decisive games. If the Swiss bring their lines up and pressure the defensive midfield of Argentina in the zone of construction ( defensive third of the pitch) expect Argentina to have many problems. This Argentina is good but with a well executed game plan they can be beat by the Swiss side which is definitely no pushover.
USA vs Belgium - While Belgium is a very strong team on paper, they haven't yet shown their full potential this tournament. Their lineup is star studded. They have some of the bet players from all european clubs in their lineup. They seem to have a tendency to lay down to their opponents and don't decide on imposing their game consistently. The USA has the following advantages to combat Belgiums superiority: better coach, perhaps the best athletes in the Cup (bigger, stronger, faster), weather, fan support at the stadium, a notable strength of their group of players. While on paper Belgium's starting 11 is capable of beating the best of teams on a good day, they should not take a lackadaisical attitude against this US team. My feeling though is that they will. And that may cost them the game. If I had to pick an upset I would say this will be it and that the USA can and will pull it off. It will be a great day for the continued growth of the sport in America if this upset occurs. But I think there is a constellation of factors today that makes an American upset possible and likely. That said, bear in mind Belgium is one of the best teams in football and I warned all readers to watch for them to do serious damage so if they pass the USA they WILL eliminate argentina
In Argentina vs Switzerland we see two pretty even teams. Argentina has a strong lineup and lots of talent on the bench. It features an overrated Lionel Messi. If you watch him you will realize that this man loses countless balls in midfield and the final third of the pitch. He does almost no running and never helps his team defend. For him to get a goal he needs about 40 passes to him in attacking situations before he gets one. He essentially walks around the final third of the pitch, cherry picking waiting for a pass. Out of 40 passes that he gets in the attacking part of the pitch he may score one. As such he is very inefficient. He is though, surrounded by a very talented supporting cast and players which are much better than him, like Di Maria. Di Maria, runs, defends, rarely loses the ball, crosses a lot and creates a lot of havoc for the opponents. Argentina's main weakness is a very poor coaching staff. Strategically, Sabella reveals in every game why he is not a good enough coach to succeed in the european leagues. He just doesn't understand how to use his players to the maximum benefit of the team. He has so much talent on the team that he has been able to win a couple of games by chance. That is, Argentina won despite him being the coach, not because of him.
The Swiss, by contrast have an exceptionally wise and excellent coach. Expect him to present a masterminded game plan and give Argentina many problems. The Swiss win because of their coach. They don't have anywhere near the same quality in the group of 23 players as Argentina does. But they can present a starting 11 that is pretty close. They have some speed up front which will disrupt Argentina regularly. Their defence can play compact and effectively. Their result against a powerful France was poor. But they were demoralized and mentally out of the game after the second goal and thats why the score was run up. They are not as bad the 5-0 result would suggest.
So while Argentina is the favourite and should win here I would be surprised if the Swiss pull an upset. Argentina will have favourable cool, dry weather, a virtual home game with all the fans making the drive to Sao Paulo and momentum from a good bunch of results in the first round. The Swiss will be better than anyone they faced in the first round. Argentina will also realize how Messi has difficulty handling the pressure of big decisive games. If the Swiss bring their lines up and pressure the defensive midfield of Argentina in the zone of construction ( defensive third of the pitch) expect Argentina to have many problems. This Argentina is good but with a well executed game plan they can be beat by the Swiss side which is definitely no pushover.
USA vs Belgium - While Belgium is a very strong team on paper, they haven't yet shown their full potential this tournament. Their lineup is star studded. They have some of the bet players from all european clubs in their lineup. They seem to have a tendency to lay down to their opponents and don't decide on imposing their game consistently. The USA has the following advantages to combat Belgiums superiority: better coach, perhaps the best athletes in the Cup (bigger, stronger, faster), weather, fan support at the stadium, a notable strength of their group of players. While on paper Belgium's starting 11 is capable of beating the best of teams on a good day, they should not take a lackadaisical attitude against this US team. My feeling though is that they will. And that may cost them the game. If I had to pick an upset I would say this will be it and that the USA can and will pull it off. It will be a great day for the continued growth of the sport in America if this upset occurs. But I think there is a constellation of factors today that makes an American upset possible and likely. That said, bear in mind Belgium is one of the best teams in football and I warned all readers to watch for them to do serious damage so if they pass the USA they WILL eliminate argentina
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