Belgium's surprising performance against Brazil
Led to Scolari subbing Juninho, who'd done absolutely nothing wrong, and deploying Kleberson as a second holding midfielder alongside Gilberto. They never looked back after that - all the guff about Brazil "playing with ten attackers" is and has always been guff - but incomprehensibly, pundits failed to notice their immediate improvement and comfortable 2-0 win, and thought an England side featuring Danny Mills, Trevor Sinclair, Emile Heskey and the admittedly magnificent Nicky Butt would beat them, on another continent, in impossible heat and humidity!
That was the one tournament I had no problem with Eriksson over. Considering he took over when we were in deep s**t, beat Germany and Argentina, and got to the last 8 on another continent after the hardest group stage draw we've ever been faced with, I couldn't believe the stick he got after we were knocked out. Mind you, the 2002 World Cup: ugh. The knockout stages were the worst in history - even worse than Italia 90! - and I was reading a piece earlier by someone convinced that it was the most corrupt tournament ever. Korea-Italy, possible fix; Korea-Spain, definite and shameless fix; Brazil's draw made as comfortable as possible, their great rivals landed in a horrendously difficult group, Italy suffering weird refereeing decisions throughout... it does make you wonder.
I also happened upon a wonderful Argentine website which depicts our win in '66, and specifically, our defeat of them in the quarters, as the 'Robbery of the Century'. Even with my very limited Spanish, I could make out the grounds for such a theory. It was actually that game, much more than the Falklands, that most Argentines saw 1986 as revenge for.
Posted By: thebigfeller on June 17th 2008 at 16:04:19
Message Thread
- One down, five to go... (NCFC) - Dog, Jun 17, 15:35:54
- Belgian team aren't they? (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:38:15
- Apart from, er, 2002 (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jun 17, 15:42:36
- did they? don' t remember that at all (n/m) (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:43:13
- They were in the joke group (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jun 17, 15:46:48
- yeh remember now... (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:48:30
- Belgium's surprising performance against Brazil (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jun 17, 16:04:19
- yeh remember now... (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:48:30
- Yep... (NCFC) - Dog, Jun 17, 15:44:35
- just trying to recall one of their games - did they have Japan or Korea in their group? (n/m) (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:45:42
- They were in the joke group (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jun 17, 15:46:48
- did they? don' t remember that at all (n/m) (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:43:13
- Says he wants to give England a go (n/m) (NCFC) - LincolnshireCanary, Jun 17, 15:40:18
- Just saying what was reported. (NCFC) - Dog, Jun 17, 15:41:23
- He'll have to go a long way to beat the likes of... (NCFC) - sheffieldcanary, Jun 17, 16:58:02
- Just saying what was reported. (NCFC) - Dog, Jun 17, 15:41:23
- Apart from, er, 2002 (NCFC) - thebigfeller, Jun 17, 15:42:36
- Belgian team aren't they? (NCFC) - Brandonio, Jun 17, 15:38:15
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