Saturday 7 April 2012

Last Night's Games

Nigeria 4 - Hungary 3
No one saw this one coming. Hungary showed up to play and they deserve credit here. I would like to say it was a certain strategy but they really just played a solid game. Nigeria may not be as good as they have shown but they managed to get the job done. A positive sign for them.

Poland 3 - Germany 2
This was a foregone conclusion but Poland set about it in unorthodox fashion. They played possum allowing Germany to control the game and buried their chances. I have a few beefs with this game that I'll air now. 1. Has Germany never had to defend a set piece. All 3 goals came off set pieces. Got to be a lot better than that.  2. Why was David Patterson not on at the end of the game when Germany needed a goal? No DPat but you have your back up keeper on? Get him out there. 3. Aleks. Wow. He could have been sent off 3-4 times. Bad tackles, swearing, encroachment, kicking the ball away and that's all while on a yellow. Get it done ref. 4. You know in football when that offensive lineman scores a touchdown and over celebrates it like crazy. That's Poland. If you do get to the "endzone" act like you've been there before.

Jamaica 1 - Canada 0
Consider this my formal retraction of my previous prediction. Jamaica came out and Canada'd Canada. They sat back and made Canada carry the game which is something they are apparently unable to do. Jamaica, inspired by my lack of belief in them, finally showed up looking like the Jamaica we have all been expecting them to be. Hustled, moved the ball well and looked the better team. If they continue to play like that they will go far.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

dear michael collins. we know you dont have any fans and therefore dont understand what atmosphere does to a team/game, but be more subtle about your envy towards poland.

Mike Collins said...

Who needs fans? I have trophies.

Anonymous said...

A quote from the fast and the furious:

Brian: [points to Vince] So check it out, it's like this: If I lose, winner takes my car clean and clear. But if I win, I take the cash, and I take the respect!

Dom: [laughing] Respect?

Brian: To some people, that's more important

Anonymous said...

Poland's response was less than comfortable. They did not look sharp. If not for Bart's lucky goal they could have been in big trouble. Alex is a few french fries short of a happy meal. He lacks discipline/skill/fitness and tries to make these deficiencies with all of his stupid tactics. He will bring the team down but pops continues to think that his kid can play. Guess what Marek--he can't and your boy is THE weak link. The combination of Alex and their long bench will a major part of Poland's demise. Tomchuk can't do it alone either. He is a great player but is phenomenal when playing with another competent forward. Levis and Tomchuk combo would have been very strong.
Good luck.

Anonymous said...

Anon 15:00

Im sure poland and alex appreciate all your heartfelt good wishes but they dont appear to need them.

They just beat the team many thought had a lock on this pool and did that without justin p and brett.

Like it or not, Alex was the guy who got it going for poland yesterday, and the disturber role he played was little different than what guys like reis have done for norway in the past.

Anonymous said...

did someone actually just quote "fast and the furious" trying to make some sort of point?

Mike Collins said...

Yep. That's a real post haha

Anonymous said...

well, it was atleast wise of him not to attach a name to that post...

Anonymous said...

the poland germany game was so boring. Easily the best game of the night, maybe even the tournament so far was the Hungary Nigeria game. Very entertaining give both teams credit i honestly think nigeria is lucky to come away with the win. a lack of experience is all thats gonna kill Hungary they've got so much heart and determination my hats off the them.

The Joker said...

Ya I give out those kind of speeches before games,

Anonymous said...

A quote from Transformers

Sam Witwicky: He wants us to get in the car.

Mikaela: [laughing] And go where?

Sam Witwicky: Fifty years from now, when you’re looking back at your life, don’t you want to be able to say you had the guts to get in the car?

Anonymous said...

Norway is going to win this years tournament. I love Braden and all the hard work he has done with the team.

Riggs

Anonymous said...

Let's be real. No one has a chance against Poland. They are the Barcelona of the tournament. All the other teams will eventually bow down to the dominant Poles, as they steamroll the competition, leaving a path of destruction behind them. I can only hope that we get a chance to be their doormat, which would be an honour in itself (ROI player)

Nate

Anonymous said...

Soccer and goal celebrations go hand in hand. Its a chance to share it with your fans.

Anonymous said...

where the hell is my mchappy toy??

aleks

The Joker said...

May the force be with you Poland slay all in your path, defeat the dark side of ROI

Anonymous said...

ROI is in a class of their own. Watching them destroy Serbia was not fun to watch. There are a few weaknesses on ROI!! The defender with the gashed eye has made some costly turn overs and the two Irish lads don't pass the ball enough.

Anonymous said...

It is surprising to see the scores and the play of the Poland team this year after their tournament performance last year. I for one, thought as many of you, did they would walk through this pool and right to the final. It is interesting to see them play this poorly after adding some key players to their roster.

I wonder if they will find a way to play better before it is too late especially when they have stated that anything less they Gold is a disappointment.

Anonymous said...

Poland added one player. They did what they needed to last year, won a bunch of one goal games and got through their pool. They appear to be making it through again this year.

Whats the surprising part to you, that they are not as good as the large hype shtick mike has been laying on to add pressure to poland and take it off of roi?

Teams favored when you honestly look at the assembled talent include roi, afg, france, laos, sudan.

Anyone else will be a surprise.

Anonymous said...

Poland need to get that whiney slow Alex or whatever his name is, always whining, fouling ppl, yapping at refs, so disgusted and that's why his team is not doing well

Anonymous said...

To all the refs out there. Give that Alex guy a red card for his big mouth. Simple solution. Send him off. He'll soon learn to shut up. Have some control.

The Joker said...

No don't give him a red if u do that he will steal it from the refs hand and run around with it screaming Polska