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World Cup: Costa Rica-Greece(Arena Pernambucano, Recife)


Omonoia9

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You could see this coming all the way. There is a zero chance of having any offensive impact when you put in Gekas, Mitroglou and Katsouranis!!!

Anemic attacks, no plan of how to get the ball in. Maybe if another couple of Costa Rica players were sent off the Greeks might have had a chance.

Congratulations to all Greek players for giving it their all in this tournament.

Lack of a good coach sealed their fate!

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First of all, congrats to Greece for fighting until the end and getting that tying goal. I respected Costa Rica as they much better defensively than I thought but they started to wimp out too much for my liking and I was glad Greece tied it up.

I then stated that Greece MUST WIN in regulation or extra time and not go to the shootouts. That keeper for CR made three game changing saves today.

Salpi in the 1st half on the great cross by Holebas.

Mitroglou in the last minute of OT time

and then on Gekas in the shootout.

He was the difference in the game.

 

A few other things.

Greece missed Kone's shot out there today

Mitro is hurt but gave an effort. Greece could have used him more if he was healthy. He is a beast to handle.

Samaras was a jack of all trades playing forward and mid and did a good job.

The team has some good young talent but they need a couple solid centre midfielders as Kara and Katsou are done.

Hats off to Kara who lasted the whole game and did an admiral job at 37.

Katsou was man enough to realize that he shouldn't start this game and he even made a good defensive play late in OT.

 

First time ever Greece made it past the group stage. They will need to improve if they ever expect to go much further and become a real threat at the world cup level.

Who they pick as coach will have a huge impact.

 

Overall.....can't be unhappy with how they did even though a win here would have been real nice.

 

Netherlands thanks Greece for wearing out Costa Rica.

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Disappointing way to go out but that's part of the game. CUDOS to the players, I am proud of them because they played beyond their capabilities, they fought hard so that's all anyone of us can ask for, they didn't lay down like dogs. Sad part is CR was so hadable it's not even funny, if only we had real closers but we don't, and what the hell was wrong with Samaris today, and Toro? We also looked kind of dodgy in defense when it counted, Karnezis on the goal was a mere observer!!!

 

Why was Santos sent off and why was he so argumentative with the refs? Does he not get it that he is supposed to be the shining example of the team's demeanor? Unless he was too busy worrying about a contract renewal that he was watching slip through his fingers.

 

Maybe in 4 years we'll have a more complete team  :gr: :gr: :gr: :gr:

Edited by gcp
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the worst defeat i have ever experienced....10 men for over 30 minutes and we could not score...

 

i am shocked...CR is crap...tip my hat to their effort, but they are crap...but they beat us so what does that make us?

 

 

the ref gave us the chance to win on a silver platter..could not score with one man advantage for over 30 minutes....we don't deserve to win if we cant score with that kind of advantage..

 

i am disgusted...this was a gift, and we could not get it done...

 

they gave their all....it wasnt good enough....

 

the worst loss i have ever tasted......

 

i cant believe we lost this game.....i really can't.................

 

im done venting...whoever said "no confidence in their scoring" was 100% dead on...

 

 Attempts On Target  2 vs.  13

 

i mean REALLY?  

Edited by bleedblueandwhite
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Not to beat a dead horse, but I blame Santos for his selectons of players, his system. I don't blame Gekas; the guy can't play any more but he shouldn't have been on this team. I saw him play in the US a couple weeks ago (friendly against Bolivia....a crappy team) and he missed everything, out of position, offside, etc. Today he was totally out of position and constantly offsde. By the way, why did they come to the US? For shopping? They should have gone to Brazil or another tropical country....

 

Santos was embarassed by Lazaros who came in the last 2 games and played very well. But most importantly, this team embarassed Santos; it showed that it can play better than Santos's b.s. system when they absolutely must win a game. OK. Greece is not a great team. Got to the final 16 but realistically they need to shape up and improve lots.  All of us would have been happier to have seen this kind of effort throughout.

But, we could see that the team was not designed to play agressively. Today Greece dominated but couldn't really win, instead wasting their advantage over CR. The announcers kept saying that GR had so many opportunities to score, but in reality, just 3 "classic" ones. Salpi, Lazaros, and Mitro (the last 2 in OT). This is a terrirble output/effectiveness.

 

Finally, I have to acknowledge Karagounaros. I would not have selected him but he gave 100%+. I'm tired of his antics of acting, complaining, etc, but I wish others had his work ethic and output, and, yes, talent. He was everywhere on the field and made many, many defensive plays, It's another topic for discussion, whether he should come back to PAO, but his contributions to all of Greece's national teams are imense. He's been playing from age 15 until today, at 37.

 

I hope the new coach is a wind of fresh air. I was also of the opinion that Santos should have been let go last summer. Any success this team has had was despite of him, not because of him.

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My opinion on the players:

 

Karnezis: D = did nothing in 120', was very poorly positioned when CR scored, did nothing to throw off/psych out the CRs at the penalty shootout.

Torosidis: D+ = his worst game in the WC

Manolas: B-

Papastathopoulos: B+

Holebas: A- = our best player

Samaris: D = shaky, nothing like the IC game

Maniatis: C- = cost us another substitution with his sub-par play

Karagounis: C+ = at 38 played 120'!

Salpingidis: C- = visible only when he lost the big chance in the 1st half.

Samaras: B

Christodoulopoulos: B+ = did anything he wanted to his defender but wasn't so good after he got past him

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gekas: D

Mitroglou: D+

Katsouranis: D

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Santos: D- = he replaces a DM with a... striker? A right wing player with... another striker? What is going on here? Was he desperately homesick?

Admitedly, Samaris had to go but why replace him with Mitroglou? Couldn't he put Karagounis in his place, move Holebas up and bring in Tzavellas?

And why replace Salpi with Gekas??? Who has been playing better? If he wanted to strengthen the right side, couldn't he simply bring in Fetfatzidis for Salpi and leave Samaras at striker as he is much better right now than either Gekas or Mitro?

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I'm surprised only some of you are even mentioning Karnezis? Forget the shootout for a second, how about the fact that Costa Rica pretty much scored on their only chance. He had time to take a step or two to the left, AND make the save. It was a slowly developing play, which led to a soft shot, it's an easy save if you're actually following the play! 

 

I'm glad Santos wants out, because if he didn't, I would want him out.

 

 

I never want to see Katsouranis or Gekas play for the ethniki again, and I'm glad Karagounis chose to internationally retire.

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i was more blown away by CR's first goal....truly a "poulopoulos" moment.....

 

the worst defeat by far - when u consider the strength of the opponent, the stage we were on, the advantage we had, the goal we ate....etc.

 

to be happy we got into the knockout stage ---- like kissing your sister....

 

terrible ---- hate to beat the proverbial dead horse, but kara, kats, gekas,vyntra, moras, maniatis (should never play another game again ------ late to the play on the CR goal ...again consistently one step behind the play) , etc....out everyboday out...

 

fourtounis, siovas, papa (not avraam) ninis, in ----- with fet/kone/taxidis/samaris all playing prominent roles......manolas, holebas, tsiolis, samaras, mitro, salpi, lazaros, toro (where was he yesterday?) stay

Edited by bleedblueandwhite
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Here he is (the a**hole). Didn't even stay an extra night in Brazil to have dinner with his players.

From Reuters:

Santos comments attract criticism back in Greece

...Santos left Brazil early to catch a flight to Portugal, missing the team's farewell dinner.

What a 'quality' coach, huh?

And here's the Greek article on Gazzetta.gr that the previous article is referencing:

http://www.gazzetta.gr/stili/editorial/article/629021/giati-ta-halases-ola-sto-telos-fernanto-santos'>

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if what he says is true, that individual glory overtook the team concept then that is disturbing .......

ok, so he may not be the best tactician or "mr. congeniality" but at some point a coach can only do so much....the player are professionals and should be able to decipher the defense they are trying to penetrate.

 

holland needs two goals --- bang they get them

germany needs a goal ---bang they get it

 

this group of players, though they did try, were simply not good enough...and i really dont understand ----all of us watching were screaming how th top of th box was WIDE open and no greek player attacked that open space....everything was down the side and hail mary into the box....not once did the wing try to get it to the top of the box...thats how CR scored incidentally....the players need to recognize that waek link and adpat to it...but if individual glory was the priority, then well you see what can happen..

 

but LAz was right when he said before the game , that he questioned greece's ability to score...that was 100% good observation....

 

worst loss....period...

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if what he says is true, that individual glory overtook the team concept then that is disturbing

It doesn't much matter if it's true or not. You just don't hang out your players to dry. One can just say 'we weren't lucky enough' or 'things didn't come our way'. But never... NEVER blame the players!!!

Personally, I am from the school that says: "Players win games, coaches loose them, and referees destroy them..."

Plus, we all saw the game, didn't we? We saw who he put in as substitutes and who he took out.

Even going back a couple of weeks, we saw who he took to Brazil and who he left back home. When one makes those kind of calls, then he has to live with them. Not blame others for failing to advance. The players did everything they could. They just weren't good enough. Some players shouldn't have been on the pitch playing in the first place. And who's call was that?

Who do you think he's blaming? Christodoupolos or Torosidis for taking a couple of shots? Some other player making a judgement call on the field? Do you think Argentina blames Messi when he thinks it's a good idea to take a shot instead of pass? How about Brazil and Neymar? But we don't have a Messi or a Neymar (one would say). Of course we don't - I would answer. We don't let them develop. We suppress them (at least up 'til now). Can Fetfa be our Messi? Or Samaris? Why do you think Samaris was our best player (or close to the best) in the previous game against Ivory Coast? Then, his performance dropped. Why?

Anyway. I could go on and on and on....

We're all hurting now. So, let's just mourn. Quietly.

PS. I still have the USA to cheer for...

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