[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by h8kurdt

I dunno. A shit game is a shit game. No matter how you look at it.

i enjoyed the drama (and some comedy)

Originally Posted by SuchFriendsAreDangerous

You can break down this game, dissect all the formations and tactical adjustments, but it will all come down to the same thing....

There was an endless parade of flops, gaffes, and half-assed plays. There were way too many whistles which seemed to almost completely thwart Italy's offensive chemistry. By the final 1/3 of the match, it became clear that both teams understood the ref was whistle crazy and increased the flopping. I bet if we go back and count, like 15% of the 97 minutes of this match involved people standing around looking at a dude flopping on the ground.

Anyway, I know you like Italy, sorry for your loss, boring or not.

ha ha-- i'm happy a south american is going through! i didn't want either team to lose but i'm very happy for uruguay. except they probably just lost suarez.

so so here's how i saw that game

italy qualifies with a tie. uruguay needs to win.

both teams have a strong defense. both teams are very strong on the counter. both teams have game-changing strikers (balotelli, suarez). both teams are sneaky and play dirty.

uruguay has an incentive to win but can't throw themselves up front with everything because one good italian counter can erase their chances.

italy needs to watch their goal but they need to slow uruguay more than anything.

therefore, both teams attack cautiously during the first half. they want to score but neither can overcommit. camoranesi call the game "tibio" (warm, or lukewarm-- i.e. not hot). however, tactically, this made sense for reasons explained above.

at the same time, there's a lot of dramatics trying to game the ref. chiellini throws himself on the ground grabbing his face when he wasn't hit in the face. he does that several times. two or three, can't recall.

then balotelli starts acting erractic and practicing kung-fu. gets carded. that was the beginning of italy's destruction.

 

at the halftime, balotelli is no more. this is a terrible loss for italy because they lose their unpredictable danger upfront.


parolo comes in, verrati goes on the attack. both teams start pushing a little more, but not too much. fouls continue, cards, etc.

then marchisio gets thrown out on a vicious foul. maybe not so deadly but lots of ill intent and right in front of the ref's eyes. univision calls it a good call, espn calls it over the top. lol!

so tabárez sees the opening-- takes pereira and puts in an attacker.

[eta: this didn't work as planned. instead it allowed italy to go on the counter.]

then immobile goes out and cassano comes in and i know italy is fucked. immobile is tired, but cassano is a useless degenerate. italy has no options up front.

now comes suarez with a dangerous shot on the ground and buffon makes a tremendous save

then chiellini and suarez start fighting and looked like both should ahve thrown out. on later review (on univison at least) we find out about the biting.

uruguay scores.

italy goes on the attack but leaves themselves open to counters.

suarez now looks tired.

in the end, buffon in the area trying for a goal.

and now after uruguay finally triumphs, all we're talking about is suarez biting people.

the agony and the ecstasy and then the agony again.

i enjoyed the game-- not for what was evident on the movement of the ball, but for the enormous tension & trench warfare.

and i was ready to be happy for uruguay but now what happens to suarez?