Re: World Cup 2014
 

It reminds me of the last WC final when several players should have been sent off.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Great finish!

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Wunderbar , Wunderbar.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Deserved Champions. I would like to have seen Messi win a World Cup cup but not Argentina.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA :D

Thanks to Mario Götze and Germany winning the World Cup I've won £44 in the works sweepstake.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Re: World Cup 2014
 

the cheating Argies should have been down to 9 or 10 men, but yet again a ref with no balls

Re: World Cup 2014
 

How has Messi won the golden ball!?! What an absolute joke. He wouldn't even make my team of the tournament!

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Yeah bit weird that. Messi was a contender until the QF stage I think. He faded away a bit later in the tournament. He didn't seem to happy to collect it either, almost mocking him.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

He wasn't even Argentinas best player in the tournament IMO. I'd be surprised if he keeps that trophy haha

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Well he seemed to drag them single handedly though the group stages but yeah faded away. Still I think he probably was their best player. They really were awful for the first four games with Messi bailing them out. It's only later more of their team started to show themselves. I doubt he cares about the trophy, all it does is allow people to rip into him for something he had no control over.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Golden boot award and goal of the tournament goes to James Rodriguez :clap:

---------- Post added at 23:13 ---------- Previous post was at 23:11 ----------

check this out... https://twitter.com/FifNdhs

Re: World Cup 2014
 

It's probably just some idiot that writes a bunch of possible scenarios out and then deletes the ones that didn't happen.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

lol i was just thinking that but he/she must have gone through an incredible amount of possibilities

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Messi is still a world great up there with the best despite not lifting the World Cup in my opinion.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

If they must give an Argentinian player the Golden Ball for whatever reason then at least give it to Mascherano since he ran that team throughout the whole tournament.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

I think the reaction to Messi's performances have been a bit harsh to be fair. A sort of over-correction to the fact didn't deserve to win the Golden Ball.

For a start Messi did carry the team in the earlier stages, scored a great free kick to win against Iran, and did a good job to set up Di Maria to score the only goal against Switzerland. He was Argentina's top scorer and the 4th top scorer in the Tournament. A lot of that team was woeful for the group stages and no one, even yesterday, took advantage of the space created by Messi being marked out the game. He didn't manage to do in the later stages but it's not entirely certain, indeed maybe unlikely, they would have gotten that far without him. Even stats wise (i.e chances created/dribbles created) are pretty good: http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/247...World-Cup-2014. His passing was great for most of the tournament.

The fact that this is seen as a failure is the fact people were expecting so much from him. He only failed by his own standards. He didn't deserve the Golden Ball but he also doesn't deserve the criticism he is now getting because of it. People are acting as he was awful or one of the worst players at the tournament. There is nothing to justify that. Even yesterday he was one of the better players despite three or four German players being on him whenever he had the ball.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

I'm sure I read he didn't even have a shot on target in the entire knock out stage. If that's a case, and you're a forward, you haven't had a good tournament IMO

Re: World Cup 2014
 

I certainly didn't see him as best player of tournament. Not even sure if he would make my top 10

---------- Post added at 15:49 ---------- Previous post was at 15:48 ----------

He never showed it in this tournament. Which is a shame, but that is life

Re: World Cup 2014
 

I won £82 on the final

Re: World Cup 2014
 

More detail. did you bet on 0-0 after 90 minutes? The aquero foul?

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Well done TD.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

This was one of the bets of the season. http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/at...1&d=1405352742

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Depends how you play/your team plays. Messi isn't a conventional forward. He was usually behind whomever was playing in front. He was also doing what he does at Barca which is roam back to collect the ball if he can. If you look at his assist where he threw off a few challenges before passing it to Di Maria (or that pass against Belgium I posted) he is quite deep. Yesterday he twice dribbled from quite far back.

Besides the World Cup is the whole tournament. The group stage counts. Additionally Robben is lauded but he didn't do much in the knockout stages either. The goals dried up for a lot of teams for some reason, other than Germany vs Brazil, in the later stages. Also if you're going to use one statistic then there are plenty of others where Messi came on top. Here is a good article about Messi: http://www.whoscored.com/Articles/ce...the-Tournament

Again he wasn't the best player there and he disappointed by his standards but the way people are slagging him off is ridiculous in my view. Everyone is trying to top each other in describing just how bad he was. Not the best player in the cup, wouldn't make a team of the World Cup, wasn't even one of the best 5 Argentina players. It's not long before people will be suggesting they wouldn't have taken him to the World Cup at all. He is the joint-3rd top scorer in the tournament and had some brilliant bits of play. Hell if that pass against Belgium had fallen to a better striker then he would have been involved in the assist of the tournament. Some perspective is needed.

If people want to criticize a disappointment then look at Ronaldo. He didn't turn up at all.

Re: World Cup 2014
 

No I had £5 ew on Germany at 13/2 Argentina £5 ew at 4/1 Muller golden boot winner £3 ew 9/1 iirc messi golden boot winner £3 ew 8/1 all at the start of the tournament, I think I've forgotten one either that or I can't add up fractions anymore!

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Michel Platini getting Ozils shirt :LOL:

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...7/11.jpg:large
https://twitter.com/twt_arsenalMY/st...292608/photo/1

Re: World Cup 2014
 

Re: World Cup 2014
 

S:Darez :D :D

Re: World Cup 2014
 

:LOL: one for Mark...

http://global3.memecdn.com/world-cup..._o_3482933.jpg