I bet the 'under' last night, so I hope you're wrong. I think it's going to be tense, tight game with very little space in the final third; as such, I think three goals would be a big ask.
The biggest embarrassment in the history of soccer has just taken place. Brazil loses 10-1 in two consecutive world cup football matches at home. This collapse can not even be likened to the Yankees losing four straight playoff games to the Red Sox.
Couldn't believe they got 3 more goals against, but it's going to take Brazil a good bit to bounce back.
Argentina is going to have to score first, maybe a couple times to rattle Germany if they're going to have a chance. Got my Ozil jersey and team shoes on, Go Germany!
What this WC has taught me is how similar soccer is currently being played like the last 6 or so years of the top teams in hockey. Previously it was Spain/Barcelona controlling the possession game and (seemingly) everyone subsequently aped that style. Now Germany/Bayern Munich are taking that approach but pumping possession with amphetamines gunning up the pitch 2009-present Blackhawks/2014 LA Kings style with movement and home-run passing instead of hoofing it forward mixing in short passes building speed though the middle but still geared to score off of the rush. I know the two sports have always had elements of the same ethos - the search for space to create a goal, carving apart and beating defenses to give yourself shooting opportunities and all, but it's nearly exactly the same at present. Don't quite think percentage goal-tending has quite reached soccer yet as Neuer and Howard flashed instincts and athleticism over mechanics and physics just as often, or more times than not, but it will probably get there at some point.
I wish hockey ice surfaces were larger though. It would give the skill players more of an opportunity to wow the crowds. With the way guys can skate today, it would actually be better if they played 4 on 4, but I really don't want that, because it would take the physical aspect of the game away, which fans really enjoy about hockey.
Bayern Munich actually did much better under their German coach two years ago, when they played "less possession", and more attack. Pep has asked for more "Barcelona like" style, and it has actually hurt them a bit. With Bayern having Thomas Mueller and Lewandowski now in on the front line, along with Ribery and Robben, I would like to see much more attacking with many crosses into the box, instead of just passing it around and looking for that perfect opening in the defense.
I wish hockey ice surfaces were larger though. It would give the skill players more of an opportunity to wow the crowds. With the way guys can skate today, it would actually be better if they played 4 on 4, but I really don't want that, because it would take the physical aspect of the game away, which fans really enjoy about hockey.
That's the common belief, but as one could see from Sochi, the larger surface only means there is more room to work along the boards. All it does is make defenseman and the centerman stay back and play in between the circles giving up the outside in the same manner in which the Devils/Bruins/Preds/Coyotes and their current style that they stole from college hockey run on the standard surface. It makes for better passing opportunities and more speed through the middle, and the game would suit Jagr and some other European players who like to east/west their movement weaving through the middle and up through the bluelines better, but the play is largely the same when the puck is pushed into the offensive zone (unless there is an odd man rush or something). The only way around that is to actually call obstruction and they won't do that because the calls are too subjective and more importantly, the NHL wants 2.5 hour games, and penalties allot too much extra time.
That's the common belief, but as one could see from Sochi, the larger surface only means there is more room to work along the boards. . >>
I'd like to think that the Patrick Kane's of the world would enjoy the larger surfaces going against inexperienced NHL defensemen. Sochi only allowed us to see the best of the best go against the best of the best. You get skilled guys like Kane going against some of the weaker D-men on a larger ice surface, and I think you'll see Patty skate around the entire offensive zone on some nights without anyone touching him.
I remember Blake Wheeler do something like that at Sochi. He entered the offensive zone and skated all around it holding onto the puck because of the extra space. I would like to see more of that in the NHL the way Gilbert Perrault and Bobby Orr did when guys couldn't skate as well as they can now. Even Gretzky had this luxury because he was so good on his edges when other guys hadn't learned that skating style yet. Now all kids are taught edge work when they turn 6 years old, so every NHLer has very good edge control now. The skating has become so good in the NHL that it has become much more difficult for skill guys to find space.
The larger surface would certainly improve, or make it easier for puck cycling, but it's one of those things that wouldn't necessarily translate to more scoring or better shot qualities. Kane, Wheeler, or the Sedins could circle/cycle the O-Zone for 20 minutes a night, but the purpose of cycling aside from possession is to get the defense to run around and get themselves out of position like in basketball. But with the manner in which defenses have been (over)coached in this current era, the coaches will just have everyone clog up the middle, run their obstruction and mildly subtle interference, and the end result will be exactly what the set offenses currently are. Cycle a bit around the half walls and get the puck up to the point and bombs away with hope for a redirect, tip, deflection, rebound slop goal.
This is why you're now seeing everyone, well aside from those teams who have no chance to assemble a roster of players who can play that style, nick the Hawks/2014 Kings. You're seeing Minny dump their former glut of 6'5 road grater defensemen like Falk and Stoner and you saw with the Kings when noted glacier Robyn Regehr went down with injury early in the playoffs, he never got back into the lineup because the Kings went attack mode with Alec Martinez (who spent a good chunk of the season being rotated/healthy scratched and if I recall correctly, Willie Mitchell was being scratched late in the playoff run, and now he's gone off to collect Dale Tallon's money). It used to be, even recently, when the Pens won the cup, you'd construct your defense with one offensive minded d-man and pair him with a stay at home slug like a Rob Scuderi/Orpik type. That style isn't going to go away for all teams and it's useful to have at least one of those guys on the PK, but now you're seeing teams with 4-5 plus skaters from the back-end and they're pushing the pace. One of the more unheralded parts of the Hawks' blueline is even though at this point in their careers, Seabrook and Roszival aren't very good skaters, but all 6 starting defensemen are all good to very good to great passers so the forwards aren't having to cycle back to grab the puck from them. They rely on the homerun pass a bit too often at times, and the end result is a lot of icing calls, but it's worked well for them quite a bit in recent vintage.
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I bet the 'under' last night, so I hope you're wrong. I think it's going to be tense, tight game with very little space in the final third; as such, I think three goals would be a big ask.
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Argentina is going to have to score first, maybe a couple times to rattle Germany if they're going to have a chance. Got my Ozil jersey and team shoes on, Go Germany!
I wish hockey ice surfaces were larger though. It would give the skill players more of an opportunity to wow the crowds. With the way guys can skate today, it would actually be better if they played 4 on 4, but I really don't want that, because it would take the physical aspect of the game away, which fans really enjoy about hockey.
Bayern Munich actually did much better under their German coach two years ago, when they played "less possession", and more attack.
Pep has asked for more "Barcelona like" style, and it has actually hurt them a bit.
With Bayern having Thomas Mueller and Lewandowski now in on the front line, along with Ribery and Robben, I would like to see much
more attacking with many crosses into the box, instead of just passing it around and looking for that perfect opening in the defense.
That's the common belief, but as one could see from Sochi, the larger surface only means there is more room to work along the boards. All it does is make defenseman and the centerman stay back and play in between the circles giving up the outside in the same manner in which the Devils/Bruins/Preds/Coyotes and their current style that they stole from college hockey run on the standard surface. It makes for better passing opportunities and more speed through the middle, and the game would suit Jagr and some other European players who like to east/west their movement weaving through the middle and up through the bluelines better, but the play is largely the same when the puck is pushed into the offensive zone (unless there is an odd man rush or something). The only way around that is to actually call obstruction and they won't do that because the calls are too subjective and more importantly, the NHL wants 2.5 hour games, and penalties allot too much extra time.
<< <i>
That's the common belief, but as one could see from Sochi, the larger surface only means there is more room to work along the boards. . >>
I'd like to think that the Patrick Kane's of the world would enjoy the larger surfaces going against inexperienced NHL defensemen.
Sochi only allowed us to see the best of the best go against the best of the best. You get skilled guys like Kane going against some
of the weaker D-men on a larger ice surface, and I think you'll see Patty skate around the entire offensive zone on some nights without anyone
touching him.
I remember Blake Wheeler do something like that at Sochi. He entered the offensive zone and skated all around it holding onto the puck because of the extra space. I would like to see more of that in the NHL the way Gilbert Perrault and Bobby Orr did when guys couldn't skate as well as they can now. Even Gretzky had this luxury because he was so good on his edges when other guys hadn't learned that skating style yet. Now all kids are taught edge work when they turn 6 years old, so every NHLer has very good edge control now. The skating has become so good in the NHL that it has become much more difficult for skill guys to find space.
This is why you're now seeing everyone, well aside from those teams who have no chance to assemble a roster of players who can play that style, nick the Hawks/2014 Kings. You're seeing Minny dump their former glut of 6'5 road grater defensemen like Falk and Stoner and you saw with the Kings when noted glacier Robyn Regehr went down with injury early in the playoffs, he never got back into the lineup because the Kings went attack mode with Alec Martinez (who spent a good chunk of the season being rotated/healthy scratched and if I recall correctly, Willie Mitchell was being scratched late in the playoff run, and now he's gone off to collect Dale Tallon's money). It used to be, even recently, when the Pens won the cup, you'd construct your defense with one offensive minded d-man and pair him with a stay at home slug like a Rob Scuderi/Orpik type. That style isn't going to go away for all teams and it's useful to have at least one of those guys on the PK, but now you're seeing teams with 4-5 plus skaters from the back-end and they're pushing the pace. One of the more unheralded parts of the Hawks' blueline is even though at this point in their careers, Seabrook and Roszival aren't very good skaters, but all 6 starting defensemen are all good to very good to great passers so the forwards aren't having to cycle back to grab the puck from them. They rely on the homerun pass a bit too often at times, and the end result is a lot of icing calls, but it's worked well for them quite a bit in recent vintage.