Neymar's Mundial ends in despair, but Brazil continue on

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Yup, me back with another article as I try and put together a portfolio. Should you read it, I hope you enjoy it. Should you not read it, I don't blame you




Brazil defeated Colombia 2-1 in a pulsating World Cup Quarter Final on the 4th of July, but in doing so their talisman Neymar was taken off the pitch on a stretcher and will now miss the rest of the tournament due to a broken vertebra.

This really couldn’t have come at a worse time for Brazil, especially as their performance against Colombia had been an overall decent one and they will now have to face the calm and clinical Germans in the Semi Finals.

Juan Zuniga drove a Yoshihiro Takayama like knee into young Neymar’s spine in the second half of the contest and the Brazilian starlet was soon rushed off the pitch and to a medical facility. I must confess that at first I thought Neymar might be making a meal of the foul, due in part to his prior histrionics in other matches. However, on this occasion the cries of agony from the young Superstar were all very much on the level.

So what of Brazil’s chances now? I honestly cannot say. Not only will they be missing Neymar but their captain Thiago Silva will also miss the contest due to a suspension for a second yellow card. Missing their x-factor and also their captain may just prove to be too much of an obstacle for them to overcome, especially in light of who their opponents are.

Germany dispatched France with the cool precision of a highly trained sniper. Their solitary winning goal, scored by Matt Hummels, was the result of a sinisterly effective free kick from just outside the box. In general, The Germans never really looked like losing.

France had their chances to equalise but you always felt that even if they did, it would only prolong the battle to lottery of penalties. France just didn’t seem to have the necessary bite to win the contest outright within 90 or 120 minutes. Benzema, after good performances earlier in the tournament, found it much harder going against a superior side than the ones already engaged.

Manuel Neuer once again made some good saves but he wasn’t called upon as much as he was against Algeria. France benefitted in this tournament from a relatively weak Group E and were troubled quite often in their previous match with Nigeria. There are a lot of positives to take from this World Cup for the French though. Finishing second to Spain in qualifying attached no shame to them and to valiantly come back from a 2-0 deficit in a playoff against Ukraine accredited them greatly.

France will host Euro 2016 at home and will also play a full qualifying campaign, thus ensuring they are battle tested when it comes to starting the tournament proper. I think they will do well in that tournament after seeing them in this World Cup. Whether they will win it or not I cannot say, but there are a positives to take from this campaign.

Unless Arsene Wenger should suddenly become available, I feel that Didier Deschamps will still be manager when the tournament in 2016 begins. I can’t see any reason to sack him based on this tournament. France can go home perhaps a little disappointed with their performance on the day but they can take more positives than negatives from this tournament in my own personal opinion.

As for Colombia, they have been an entertaining side and it was a shame that they had to bow out. However, maybe it’s better for the good of the tournament that the hosts advanced? Colombia are probably a more entertaining side to watch, but the end to the circus that has been Brazil’s campaign would have been a bit of shame really.

I don’t really expect Germany Vs Brazil to be a classic contest, but I do expect it to be a tense and intriguing one. The German’s must surely now be thinking that they can get to the Final, but will they have the steel they showed yesterday when they face the host nation?

This World Cup, it just won’t let up will it? What a tournament!

 

[Moomin]

First

 

[dholliday]

First

damn you! too slow again.

Germany dispatched France with the cool precision of a highly trained sniper. Their solitary winning goal, scored by Matt Hummels, was the result of a sinisterly effective free kick from just outside the box.

The German’s must surely now be thinking that they can get to the Final.

Yay, German football written about in a war and robotic-efficiency context! And Germany always think they will get to the final.


You're the Master of the Obvious, Mikey. Please forgive me, but a writer invites critical appraisal on the chin (ye gods i know i have). If you're building a portfolio, may I humbly suggest you look for unique angles when describing the events you're following? I've seen you do it in normal commenting-mode, but when you write these long pieces it seems your default is describing the things everyone already knows.

I know you read The Guardian's football pieces. Check out how Rob Smythe, Honigstein & Scott Murray find the angles in their analysis of things.

Good luck with your portfolio, mate!

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Yay, German football written about in a war and robotic-efficiency context! And Germany always think they will get to the final.


You're the Master of the Obvious, Mikey. Please forgive me, but a writer invites critical appraisal on the chin (ye gods i know i have). If you're building a portfolio, may I humbly suggest you look for unique angles when describing the events you're following? I've seen you do it in normal commenting-mode, but when you write these long pieces it seems your default is describing the things everyone already knows.

Fair points mate, but there's being different for an actual reason and being different for the sake of being different.

It's one thing for me to say certain things on an internet forum, but if I actually want to make a fist of doing this as a proper career then I need what I write to have a certain legitmacy to it. The Germans DID dispatch France in a calm and almost robotic way. It would have been remiss of me not to say so.

That being said, I would say you have a point. Perhaps I was too close to the official party line in this instance. Rest assured, your feedback has been stored. Thanks for reading

 

[ijjysmith]

I actually read this one Mikey - it's great.

 

[Bungle]

First

 

[dholliday]

The Germans DID dispatch France in a calm and almost robotic way. It would have been remiss of me not to say so.

It really wasn't robotic, Mikey. That's the power of the stereotype. But imagine England had beaten France in that way. Your words would be full of "passion", "hard work", "battle", "gave it their all, and then some", "were totally knackered and rode their luck at times", "a proud, strong, heartfelt performance".

No efficient robotics here. Think England vs Argentina in 2002. Or that England 0-0 with Italy that secured qualification way back when. We didn't call those performances robotic because that's not the stereotype.


If you want to focus on the controlled aspect of the performance, I'd push so far as to use something like "Germany confronted France with a relatively controlled system which stifled their opponent's creativity. Even when the ever-dangerous Benzema could get his shot away, the defence more often than not pushed him wide, leaving Neuer with less angle to worry about. Post-match, Neuer himself said that had one of Benzema's shots gone in, it would have been his error, such was the dedicated positioning of his back-line."

This gives the reader a perhaps fresh angle to think about, using language which is fair to what happened on the pitch. Using words we know from well-worn stereotypes is outdated now. Unless used with a knowing wink (or used by a German, which is allowed). The main reason why this is so is because this particularly stereotype, as well as being tired and oft-used, is generally used in a derogatory sense. i.e. those unfeeling Germans who gassed all those people in the war showing us they're barely human again.

I know for a fact this never crossed your mind. But this is the origin of this particular stereotype: just following orders = like an efficient robot.


If you have time, re-watch the Germany vs France game and try to imagine Germany being England (not easy, I know!).


Thanks for taking my critique in good faith! I'm not necessarily correct, it's just my opinion

 

[Bungle]

It really wasn't robotic, Mikey. That's the power of the stereotype. But imagine England had beaten France in that way. Your words would be full of "passion", "hard work", "battle", "gave it their all, and then some", "were totally knackered and rode their luck at times", "a proud, strong, heartfelt performance".

No efficient robotics here. Think England vs Argentina in 2002. Or that England 0-0 with Italy that secured qualification way back when. We didn't call those performances robotic because that's not the stereotype.


If you want to focus on the controlled aspect of the performance, I'd push so far as to use something like "Germany confronted France with a relatively controlled system which stifled their opponent's creativity. Even when the ever-dangerous Benzema could get his shot away, the defence more often than not pushed him wide, leaving Neuer with less angle to worry about. Post-match, Neuer himself said that had one of Benzema's shots gone in, it would have been his error, such was the dedicated positioning of his back-line."

This gives the reader a perhaps fresh angle to think about, using language which is fair to what happened on the pitch. Using words we know from well-worn stereotypes is outdated now. Unless used with a knowing wink (or used by a German, which is allowed). The main reason why this is so is because this particularly stereotype, as well as being tired and oft-used, is generally used in a derogatory sense. i.e. those unfeeling Germans who gassed all those people in the war showing us they're barely human again.

I know for a fact this never crossed your mind. But this is the origin of this particular stereotype: just following orders = like an efficient robot.


If you have time, re-watch the Germany vs France game and try to imagine Germany being England (not easy, I know!).


Thanks for taking my critique in good faith! I'm not necessarily correct, it's just my opinion

Is it just coincidence that you have re-appeared as your lot have made the latter stages of the World Cup? You massive glory hunter.

 

[dholliday]

Is it just coincidence that you have re-appeared as your lot have made the latter stages of the World Cup? You massive glory hunter.

indeed! it's also why I support Man City now.

 

[Bungle]

indeed! it's also why I support Man City now.

City are so last season, you've jumped ship at the wrong time, just as our period of dominance is about to begin. You will not be welcomed back.

 

[dholliday]

You will not be welcomed back.

i know, mate...i know...

 

[dholliday]

Sorry to butt in again, but something that might be useful research is taking the match reports from the other nation's most respected football magazines, and putting it through ye ole google translate to get the gist of how they saw the match.

For example if you read Kicker's report of the game, they write about France's dangerous attacks, spearheaded by Benzema. That Germany betrayed lethargy at times and weren't using the open spaces in the final third effectively. What won the game wasn't supreme German Efficiency, it was the manager realising his team were gradually losing energy and momentum, so he brought on Schürrle who with his energetic and dangerous running into those previously-vacant open spaces suddenly gave France something to worry about, so the French lost focus of their own attacks. Müller also got a second-wind from somewhere, which helped a lot. The over-riding theme of the Kicker report is that Germany rode their luck a bit, but just shaded it due to that one great header, more effective subs and a commanding goalkeep.


Hope you didn't mind my little invasion! I'm off now to get tipsy in the Ale House

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

I don't mind the invasion mate

At the end of the day, these articles are written based just on what I'm thinking. The only outside influence I'll use is a match report, and that's only for the fcats (i.e. goal times, subs, cards, shots on goal etc)

I didn't read anyone elses opinion piece before writing my own. What I did was take my opinion and try to adapt it in a journalistic fashion while also trying to correctly use the stats in correlation to my exisiting hpothesis

Descriptive words can be subjective but the actual facts, Germany beating France 1-0, Neymar's injury etc, were all accurate

I don't write what I write in an effort to get people to agree with my view but rather to stimulate debate and do so hopefully in a well worded and entertaining manner. I usually fail, but hey ho

The fact you disagree with my overall points doesn't bother me in the slightest. Your posting in here has in turn led to others posting. It's all good in the hood, as the cool kids say

 

[Bungle]

I don't mind the invasion mate

At the end of the day, these articles are written based just on what I'm thinking. The only outside influence I'll use is a match report, and that's only for the fcats (i.e. goal times, subs, cards, shots on goal etc)

I didn't read anyone elses opinion piece before writing my own. What I did was take my opinion and try to adapt it in a journalistic fashion while also trying to correctly use the stats in correlation to my exisiting hpothesis

Descriptive words can be subjective but the actual facts, Germany beating France 1-0, Neymar's injury etc, were all accurate

I don't write what I write in an effort to get people to agree with my view but rather to stimulate debate and do so hopefully in a well worded and entertaining manner. I usually fail, but hey ho

The fact you disagree with my overall points doesn't bother me in the slightest. Your posting in here has in turn led to others posting. It's all good in the hood, as the cool kids say

A German invasion, who'd have thought.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

A German invasion, who'd have thought.

Sssssshhhhhhhhh

Don't mention the war!

I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it