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We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

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    We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

    Never thought I'd see the day when Brazil lost to Germany by five more goals than we did in the same tournament.

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      We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

      It really is incredible. I watched some of the replay last night, and even the Germans look like they can't believe what's happening at times.

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        We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

        I think the point about telepathy in garcia's piece, although of course intended in a lighthearted way, is interesting. What struck me was not the sense of interchanging German players being aware of where to run and pass, but that they seemed to know as a group that, within a fairly brief window of opportunity, Brazil were vulnerable to an absolute pounding. How else can you explain the simply ridiculous directness of the fourth and fifth goals? I don't think under the normal circumstances of a normal, competitive match Germany would have considered attempting moves like those. But they seemed to sense that, for those few minutes, Brazil were so fragile that normal rules did not apply.

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          We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

          Watching the replay, one of the more hilarious moments was when Kroos hit a shot that looked like it hit off an arm of a Braz Defender. Germany went crazy arguing for a pk to make it 6-0, when Kroos was half laughing and looking over his shoulder nervously while making a "shhhhh" finger to his mouth because he kind of (a) knew it went off the ribs and (b) shut the fuck up before we get chased to the buses.

          Beautiful little story about the old man with the trophy.

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            We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

            Much fun wading through this thread.

            Just back home after spending a few days in the small Colorado mountain town of Nederland (unfortunately there were not loads of folks dressed in orange shirts). I found a pleasant café/bar where I could watch the semis. I got there right before kick-off and of the 10 or so inside, there were four of us intently watching the game.

            There is, understandably, zero atmosphere in this place. I’m hoping that of the four of us that there is at least one person who is half as interested in the match as I am. Will I raise my voice in the calmness of this café if a goal is scored or if the ref makes a shit decision? Will one of the others?

            Did not take long to find out as in the 11th minute the four us shouted “yes!” or some other positive shout to celebrate Muller’s goal.

            The next 18 minutes were a blur. So damned fast and all the while the soundtrack is that of the barista’s playlist (I recall Ray Charles, White Stripes, Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, and Radiohead) – the tv commentary was mute the entire match.

            Thinking of Mat Js prediction. Only 5 more in the next 71 minutes. The guy next to me asks if this is a record score. I reply that surely Brazil has never lost this badly at home. I then tell him of the murdering of El Salvador by Hungary, but this is a freaking Semi-Final!

            Second half starts, a couple others have a seat to watch and are surprised by the score. Wishing to hell I could be in a livelier place, but the town of Nederland is a pretty damned cool place.

            Like many of you I was thinking the second half would be a kick fest to maim some of the Germans out of the final. Glad Luiz did not succeed and the rest of the team did not do what many of us expected.

            Pietro Paolo Virdis wrote: We have witnessed history.

            This is among the most strange and fantastic things I have seen during all the years I've watched and followed football. As someone else said upthread. It is surreal. In a semi-final. In Brazil. Against Brazil. You don't know how to take it in. The pub I was at, some people even thought it was set up for a betting syndicate. That's how surreal this is.
            Surreal is the right word isn’t it? The Brazil lack of effort in the first half is still damned suspicious. Leaving the café/bar was odd in that I wanted to talk to people on the street, but literally not a single soul would have had any idea what the hell I was talking about. In fact, while at the same café for the 2nd semi, a young guy came in and asked “who won the game yesterday?” I about came unglued and said, “you seriously don’t know?” He said he didn’t and I told him. He did not give me the reaction I thought was merited. Oh well.

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              We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

              I've been to Nederland, CO.

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                We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                In today's Sunday Independent, we're introduced to the wonderful German word, Fremdschämen, as we're informed some German fans felt external shame for the Brazilians by the seventh goal.

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                  We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                  Reportedly the German players decided at half time not to push hard so as to avoid scoring too many goals. And I think they struck a fine balance between letting up while not being condescending.

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                    We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                    This is Fred's heat map against Germany. Of 20 touches, nearly half were taking the kick-off.

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                      We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                      Last time I saw similar was big Will Grigg for NI in Amsterdam (Euro 2012 warm up,we lost 6-0).

                      (Quick question- is it Fred pronounced 'Fridge')?

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                        We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                        Speaking of Norn Iron . . .

                        "Fred, there's no bread"

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                          We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                          Scolari's been fired, according to the Brazilian press.

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                            We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                            He really should have resigned right after the Holland loss (which it turns out is what he actually did...)

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                              We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                              As should have the senior leadership of the CBF.

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                                We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                                linus wrote: He really should have resigned right after the Holland loss.
                                If he had resigned, he would have forfeited his right to any compo.

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                                  We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                                  Vicarious Thrillseeker wrote: This is Fred's heat map against Germany. Of 20 touches, nearly half were taking the kick-off.

                                  That is the most brilliant heat map I have ever seen.

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                                    We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                                    You should see SAW's Brazil v Germany heat map.

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                                      We're not Brazil, we're Northern Ireland

                                      Reportedly the German players decided at half time not to push hard so as to avoid scoring too many goals. And I think they struck a fine balance between letting up while not being condescending.
                                      this was a fine an example of media "twirl" whereby you take some not-especially-interesting quotes and turn them into a more interesting but totally dishonest story. it was based on quotes from hummels and the headline had him revealing the german players' half time pledge not to humiliate sad brazil any further. in fact what hummels said was that the germans reminded each other of the need not to start taking the piss out of brazil because it was already 5-0 - not to succumb to self-indulgence and over-elaboration, because brazil were a dangerous side and you never know, if germany gave them a chink they might just come back. far from "let's go easy on these sad bastards, they have suffered enough" it was "no fucking around, we have to take this second half every bit as seriously as the first". so hummels was actually saying the exact opposite of what they made him out to have said.

                                      i noticed, not sure on which thread, bryan mentioning the media agenda coming up in the case of van gaal, who was reported to have said "i taught romero how to save penalties", but specifically said it was a joke. that was a weird one and it wasn't an example of the sort of thing you saw with hummels (or earlier in the tournament with rooney, over the "i'm concerned for my place" story).

                                      van gaal said "i taught romero how to save penalties, so that hurts", and it sounded as though he meant it. it's possible that it could have been something he really meant, of course. it was only a few answers later that he said, in an equally deadpan tone, that of course it was a joke, with the implication that only an idiot could have failed to recognise that in the first place. i can see his dry sense of humour causing some HILARIOUS misunderstandings next season.

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                                        Originally posted by Sean of the Shed View Post
                                        This is fantastic. It's like watching the Harlem Globetrotters taking on the cast of Time Bandits.
                                        Damn fine analogy...

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