2022 WCQ: Sweden - Greece (12 Oct. 2021, 21:45 EEST - Friends Arena, Solna)

[jason]

That's the difference when  you have quality up front game would be over after 45 min... horrible tackle by mavropanos that was the game...again tsimikas and androutsos didnt spread field and cant fully blame them as we dont have any wingers on this team..

[J1078]

Bottom line guys we all knew deep down that after we dropped points to Kosovo and Georgia we weren’t finishing 2nd, Sweden and Spain got max points from those teams. I am encouraged of our first half performance and if it wasn’t for a brain dead move to give the penalty the momentum wouldn’t have switched as that goal went right to the Swedes legs and the crowd got into it. Tonight we were the better team, we couldn’t  Capitalize on any of our chances early on and that’s the way it goes. If we end this campaign with one lose it was successful, let’s go out on a high and try to get a win or the very least a draw against a Spain team that will be desperate to win. I think we are headed in the right direction let’s hope this is our last tournament we miss as there is no excuse to miss the next euros now. Our players will have gained more national team experience by then and with a few of our players back like Fortounis we should be okay. I would still love to see Manolas on this team but that’s not happening. On to the euro nations league unless a miracle happens and Spain lose there next two games and we win.

[Omonoia9]

Look fellas, if you told me coming in when we saw this group that we would beat Sweden at home, lose in Sweden AND get at least one point against Spain, I would take it, as would most of you I suspect. Georgia and Kosovo, though, gotta be 4 wins there. Bottom line. We put ourselves in a tough position for no reason. 

[PAOKARA]

A game of two halves really, fantastic in the first half, and no where near that level in the second. 

Our centre backs are now C grade

[Dean97]

What really needs to happen is for the coach to go. He hasn’t learned anything and continues to give this team no plan or strategy on how to break down teams. This LBs at CB have to stop and so does Bakasetas and a few others have to leave the team. The only way this could happen is if the coach leaves. This is what happens when you don’t play your best players.

[PaokCT]

10 minutes ago, Omonoia9 said:

Dominating without scoring is not orgasmic.

Nah but people complain when we play bad and win…

[Blackhawk]

Sweden with 1.5 chances wins the game 2:0. Two silly defensive mistakes decided the winner of the game. In the end it will be the two best teams that will finish top 2 in this group. Our national team still needs a lot of improvement in order to be competitive on that level. 

[Omonoia9]

Just now, PaokCT said:

Nah but people complain when we play bad and win…

Fair point. I personally am not like that. We played well today, didn't get the bounces, and Sweden punished our mistakes. And losing in Sweden is a reasonable outcome. Wouldn't be as painful if not for screwing up against Kosovo and Georgia.

[jason]

Looking back I miss manolas and socratis.. 

[Omonoia9]

3 minutes ago, Dean97 said:

What really needs to happen is for the coach to go. He hasn’t learned anything and continues to give this team no plan or strategy on how to break down teams. This LBs at CB have to stop and so does Bakasetas and a few others have to leave the team. The only way this could happen is if the coach leaves. This is what happens when you don’t play your best players.

And who per chance are those best players who didn't play?

[Ellada2004]

3 minutes ago, Blackhawk said:

Sweden with 1.5 chances wins the game 2:0. Two silly defensive mistakes decided the winner of the game. In the end it will be the two best teams that will finish top 2 in this group. Our national team still needs a lot of improvement in order to be competitive on that level. 

Sweden at home were under duress they could not even string a few passes together in our half. There first chance came in the 57th minute. Greece gave the game away after the best half we played in 7 years. Mavropanos had no reason to make that challenge on Isak and the second goal was an absolute gift too. It sucks that we did not dispatch of Kosovo last month but we deserved much better in this match. Again Sweden did not impress but they took advantage of our mistakes.

[kbxk508]

Tough loss. Really gutted for the team, players and coach. Players put in 100% but 2 errors cost us. Dropping 4 points to Georgia Kosovo cost us. Chances are now slim, as we will have to beat Spain and Kosovo and hope that other results go our way. 

[nick]

Everyone can talk up bakasetas and pavlidis but if we want to be in these tournaments players like them can’t be starting.  Fortounis is 10X tye player bakasetas and pavlidis offers nothing. He needs 3 big scoring chances to score 1 goal, misses breakaways, can’t hold the ball up. Shambles

[trotsk13]

23 minutes ago, Dean97 said:

What really needs to happen is for the coach to go. He hasn’t learned anything and continues to give this team no plan or strategy on how to break down teams. This LBs at CB have to stop and so does Bakasetas and a few others have to leave the team. The only way this could happen is if the coach leaves. This is what happens when you don’t play your best players.

Last thing we need is ANOTHER freaking coaching change 

[J1078]

Guys this was the best f***ing first half of soccer we’ve have played in years and we have all been advocating for a change in style of our traditional sitting back and forcing a counter and getting one or two chances a game. Like this is something we can build on, Sweden looked like a minnow in that first half and I truly believe if that penalty never occurred we win this game, we were shredding the Swedes they were hanging on and couldn’t even string two passes together as we were all over them. I criticized JVS  after the Georgia and Kosovo games but man i’m giving him full marks tonight and I don’t care if thats an unpopular opinion in this forum. We keep saying myself included he’s fielding the wrong line up but honestly we don’t have a superstar scorer anywhere so he’s getting the guys to play as a team with speed and high pressure. I’ve been so negative about this team since after 2014 World Cup but this to me is a step in the right direction. We split with Sweden and we already took a point in Spain. I will tell you guys straight I would rather lose games playing like the way we did today than sitting back and watching the most boring lackadaisical soccer waiting for an opening to make a mistake so we can get one or two chances in the entire  game. Also a healthy Fortounis will help us Immensely.

Edited October 12, 2021 by J1078

[Dean97]

16 minutes ago, Omonoia9 said:

And who per chance are those best players who didn't play?

Fortounis in his natural position, Manolas, Sokratis, Siovas, Fetfa, Ninis, Gianniotas, Fountas, Goutas, Kitsiou, Giannis Masouras and Kotsiras. Also Tzolis should be playing more instead of 5-10 minutes. Where’s Vasiliadis?? Tried so hard to get him. Alexandropoulos is our best CM in my opinion and doesn’t play. These are the players that should’ve been given first priority instead of Bakasetas, Tzavellas, Stafylidis, Poungouras, Bakakis and so on. 

[Dean97]

I’m just saying currently, a few players shouldn’t be there from the beginning like Bakasetas and Tzavellas and a few shouldn’t be starting like Bouchalakis and Giannoulis. The players I mentioned have had better from than others and most if not all are more talented footballers. Don’t get me wrong he has put in some good young players in but when you have a few obvious players that shouldn’t be there it handicaps the team from being at its best. 

Edited October 12, 2021 by Dean97

[Brklyngrk]

33 minutes ago, Ellada2004 said:

Sweden at home were under duress they could not even string a few passes together in our half. There first chance came in the 57th minute. Greece gave the game away after the best half we played in 7 years. Mavropanos had no reason to make that challenge on Isak and the second goal was an absolute gift too. It sucks that we did not dispatch of Kosovo last month but we deserved much better in this match. Again Sweden did not impress but they took advantage of our mistakes.

That's how we used to play, win off one mistake...

[Ellada2004]

5 minutes ago, J1078 said:

Guys this was the best f***ing first half of soccer we’ve have played in years and we have all been advocating for a change in style of our traditional sitting back and forcing a counter and getting one or two chances a game. Like this is something we can build on, Sweden looked like a minnow in that first half and I truly believe if that penalty never occurred we win this game, we were shredding the Swedes they were hanging on and couldn’t even string two passes together as we were all over them. I criticized JVS  after the Georgia and Kosovo games but man i’m giving him full marks tonight and I don’t care if thats an unpopular opinion in this forum. We keep saying myself included he’s fielding the wrong line up but honestly we don’t have a superstar scorer anywhere so he’s getting the guys to play as a team with speed and high pressure. I’ve been so negative about this team since after 2014 World Cup but this to me is a step in the right direction. We split with Sweden and we already took a point in Spain. I will tell you guys straight I would rather lose games playing like the way we did today than sitting back and watching the most boring lackadaisical soccer waiting for an opening to make a mistake so we can get one or two chances in the entire  game. Also a healthy Fortounis will help us Immensely.

Today that first half was just incredible so unlucky we did not score and we could have finished the Swedes off early. My ? is why we don't play like this all the time I can understand sitting back vs Spain on the road but the game at home vs Georgia if we came out like this we win by 3 goals ez.  If I look at JVS job in its totality he came in during the 2020 Euro qualifying and things were looking up with the way we played even the game we lost in Italy we looked sharp like today. Then the NL was a failure as we failed to top Slovenia a team we should beat and that cost us a possibility at a playoff spot. Now with this wcup qualification we have had some positives like getting a result in Spain and beating Sweden, even today the way we played was encouraging. On the flip side we had the huge disappointment of drawing Georgia & Kosovo by allowing a needless late goal.

If JVS would have approached those games differently we most likely would be sitting on 13 points even after todays game (worst case 11 points) JVS should have brought Manolas into the fold he would have made a huge difference. Also missing Fortounis for most these matches cost us too if we have him in these games we win he is that gifted a footballer one we cant afford not to have at our disposal.

Will see how we finish up with Spain and Kosovo and then what will happen with JVS. I would keep him on if he gets over this silly feud he has fueled with the key players he has left of the squad and he has to stop the silly comments he makes about Fortounis not getting in the starting 11 because he was not at OLY but then he calls up and plays guys like Mavrias and Staf ( and makes him captain) that crap needs to STOP!

Anyways I am proud of the team today with their play and utter domination of the Swedes in the first half but I am sooooooo gutted we will be missing yet another tournament.

[Jimmyp]

54 minutes ago, kbxk508 said:

Tough loss. Really gutted for the team, players and coach. Players put in 100% but 2 errors cost us. Dropping 4 points to Georgia Kosovo cost us. Chances are now slim, as we will have to beat Spain and Kosovo and hope that other results go our way. 

The problem is if we beat Spain, we need Sweden to lose or tie against whoever they play. If they win, we’re screwed because they won’t play anyone vs Spain. 

[Jimmyp]

I’m not saying Bakasetas should or shouldn’t be on the team, but guys are calling for in form players to play. He’s probably the best player or close to it in the Turkish league this year. So either you want to play in form players and then yell and s ram when they don’t play good, or you put players not in form and yell and scream about putting in form players on the pitch when they don’t play well.  You can’t have it both ways. Pick one and stick with it. 

[HellasLEAF]

It's a real shame to see Sweden will go through and in my opinion inferior team to Greece at the moment.  Greece really showed something today.  

I know there are positives to take away but will still sting to be out of another major tournament.  They must ensure qualification for the next Euro all efforts should be put towards that.  

[Alphonse]

Half time was our biggest enemy today but also not converting our chances in the first half, you could see in the second half we dropped a gear and Sweden got a little more into the game but geezzz, what a brain explosion by Mavropanos to literally give Sweden a goal like that at such a stage... We were shell shocked after that and have them another stupid/easy second goal, we were completely lost after that.. its devastating 

 

[Greek Style]

48 minutes ago, Jimmyp said:

I’m not saying Bakasetas should or shouldn’t be on the team, but guys are calling for in form players to play. He’s probably the best player or close to it in the Turkish league this year. So either you want to play in form players and then yell and s ram when they don’t play good, or you put players not in form and yell and scream about putting in form players on the pitch when they don’t play well.  You can’t have it both ways. Pick one and stick with it. 

 

Bakasetas is fine he's done well.

 

Ninis and Fetfatzidis please. We've been there done that. Both aren't up to it. Ninis was great until he got his injury vs Israel. Those two are definitely not the answer.

[Ellada2004]

38 minutes ago, Alphonse said:

Half time was our biggest enemy today but also not converting our chances in the first half, you could see in the second half we dropped a gear and Sweden got a little more into the game but geezzz, what a brain explosion by Mavropanos to literally give Sweden a goal like that at such a stage... We were shell shocked after that and have them another stupid/easy second goal, we were completely lost after that.. its devastating 

 

For sure that was a moment of madness Isac momentum was taking him over the goalie so no reason to foul him over there. You could see how devastated Mavropanos was after the game I feel for him but that can’t happen. Sweden scored of two errors off 2 long balls. Toughest loss since Croatia wcup playoff.