This World Cup has been amazing. One of the most entertaining tournaments I can remember. Except when Greece is playing.
Spain Out
The biggest story so far is that after 1 week, Spain has been eliminated. The cup holders and winners of the past 2 European Championships got outscored 7-1 in their first two matches against Holland adn Chile.
The Spanish players looked old, tired, and complacent. Diego Costa looked unfit and clueless and the rest of the team looked like they had no idea how to play with him. Xabi Alonso and Sergi Busquets were awful as the shield in front of a defense that suddenly looks very average without Puyol. Sergio Ramos lost his concentration frequently, Jordi Alba was awful, and Iker Casillas faces competition from the Russian Igor Akinfeev (Fabio Capello's Robert Green 2.0) for worst goalkeeper in the tournament. Spain was dreadful.
Perhaps some of that had to do with tactics. Spain played two different teams who play with 3 center backs. Mexico, Chile, Holland, Costa Rica, and Argentina all deploy 3. Their record in the tournament so far? 7 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses.
Think back to the FA Cup Final against Hull. Olivier Giroud struggled mightily in the first half as the lone striker against Hull's 3 central defenders. Arsenal brought Sanogo on to be a second striker and finally took control of the game.
The 4-2-3-1 Spain has made famous for 6 years might have finally been found out.
England Nearly Out as Well
What formation did England play?
Two 2-1 losses means England is hanging on to the tournament by a thread. If Costa Rica can get something against Italy tomorrow, the Three Lions will be eliminated.
I don't get how this is a surprise to anyone. After not even qualifying for Euro 2008, England was extremely average in a very favorable group in 2010, only beating Slovenia, and not much better in Euro 2012.
England's best player has been Leighton Baines. That says it all really.
The team was built around 5 Liverpool players, the most ever by any one club for England at a World Cup. This was understandable, as the 5 combined to lose 0 European matches all season.
Gerrard and Henderson, the "shield" protecting Liverpool's defense all season, were asked to do the same job for England. Which made sense because Liverpool conceded 50 goals in the league this year. The 8th best defensive record in the league. Top half!
Gerrard, the captain, has been England's worst player. He's useless. He can't run, tackle, win the ball in the air, or even pass the ball well anymore. He can always find Suarez in dangerous positions, though.
I can't help but think the team missed Theo Walcott. Danny Welbeck is not a winger. Walcott (or even Oxlade-Chamberlain) would have improved this team immensely. Someone who knew how to keep spacing and make intelligent runs off the ball.
Wayne Rooney has been poor yet again. He hasn't played well for 3 years. He's the most overrated player in the world. I don't expect him to play much for Louis Van Gaal.
Rooney can't play as a lone striker or as a winger, and when in his favored #10 role he struggles to finish or create chances for his teammates like he did when he was 20. England was better against Italy, with Sterling in the middle and Rooney on the left wing, than they were today--but even in the Italy match Italy exploited England's left hand side ruthlessly because Rooney was taken to school by Torino right back Marco Darmian earning just his second cap.
Daniel Sturridge scored a lot of goals this year, goals set up by Luis Suarez. England needed Rooney to play like Suarez, too. But Rooney plays like a Greek.
Waynios Hairplugopolous.
In my opinion, England's best formation would have been a 4-3-1-2 (which Liverpool used frequently this year with great success) adding a third cental midfielder (Wilshere or Barkley) to make up for Gerrard's lack of mobility, playing Sterling in the free role behind Welbeck and Sturridge, and benching Mr. Hairplugopolous.
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