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[Football] WC: Croatia v Nigeria



GT49er

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2009
46,473
Gloucester
I think it is generally accepted that Cameroon were the better team on the night...
No it isn't.

I agree - my point is that Cameroon weren’t that far away from a semi final - nor were Ghana - so an African winner wasn’t hugely far fetched
That's not what you said above. Yes, they were 90 minutes away from a semi-final, but first they had to win the next match (against England). They didn't.
 




Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
61,674
Location Location
Horribly mistimed header from Balogun when Croatia got the pen (not that it was anything to do with that), and he did give it away a bit cheaply a few times. I can't say he's stood out to me yet, and the PL will be the steepest of steep learning curves for him. But I have a lot of faith in our scouting team these days, and CH, so I'm confident he won't be a dud. Might just need to be afforded a period of adjustment, as did most of our foreign signings last season.
 


HastingsSeagull

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2010
9,237
BGC Manila
Balogun looked promising and as someone said didn't seem to have a man to mark. I thought he was out of position a few times but COULD have been with him being the best defender he was tasked with covering /backing up everyone else. A difficult job and an odd one if true.

I wouldn't particularly trust him stepping in tomorrow given the level we now play at (would have in Champ and could be biased by his hybrid RB/CB nature) but he could be the ideal guy to learn for a year now he dare I say it isn't a big fish in a small pond (team wise). I know we're at the bottom of the PL and he was playing lower end of Bundesliga plus for Nigeria, but I'd take Dunk and Duffy plus CH as examples and teachers over previous peers. If he doesn't have to be the main man, it could help him improve or help him fit and grow into a new defensive system.
 


1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Balogun looked promising and as someone said didn't seem to have a man to mark. I thought he was out of position a few times but COULD have been with him being the best defender he was tasked with covering /backing up everyone else. A difficult job and an odd one if true.

I wouldn't particularly trust him stepping in tomorrow given the level we now play at (would have in Champ and could be biased by his hybrid RB/CB nature) but he could be the ideal guy to learn for a year now he dare I say it isn't a big fish in a small pond (team wise). I know we're at the bottom of the PL and he was playing lower end of Bundesliga plus for Nigeria, but I'd take Dunk and Duffy plus CH as examples and teachers over previous peers. If he doesn't have to be the main man, it could help him improve or help him fit and grow into a new defensive system.

You speak like he's a youngster. He's 29.
Connor Goldson on the other hand is 25.
I know which player I'd rather have in our squad.

But hey ho, Goldson wants regular football, and that's totally understandable. And I'm not going to write Balogun off on the strength of seeing him play in one and a half matches.
 








Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
You speak like he's a youngster. He's 29.
Connor Goldson on the other hand is 25.
I know which player I'd rather have in our squad.

But hey ho, Goldson wants regular football, and that's totally understandable. And I'm not going to write Balogun off on the strength of seeing him play in one and a half matches.
I don't think Balogun is the direct replacement for Goldson - so it was never the case of either/or between them in the squad.

Seems more of a utility defender, who covers many defensive positions, and, as such, should be viewed as replacing Rosenior.
 






Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,989
Goldstone
I think it is generally accepted that Cameroon were the better team on the night...
No they weren't. We ended up going behind in the second half, and of course we were worried about being knocked out, but we were the better side, and once we equalised we knew we'd be favourites to go on and win.

I'm not saying it was easy, I remember shitting bricks in that game.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,989
Goldstone
I agree - my point is that Cameroon weren’t that far away from a semi final
Agreed.
nor were Ghana - so an African winner wasn’t hugely far fetched
If Pele had said 'an African winner isn't hugely far fetched', we'd have agreed. He said they'd win it by 2000.

That's naive. It's a really difficult tournament to win, and it also takes a long time to get a country to be good at football. China have more people and resources than anyone else, and they want to do well at football, but they can't even qualify.
 






ManOfSussex

We wunt be druv
Apr 11, 2016
14,730
Rape of Hastings, Sussex
Agreed.
If Pele had said 'an African winner isn't hugely far fetched', we'd have agreed. He said they'd win it by 2000.

That's naive. It's a really difficult tournament to win, and it also takes a long time to get a country to be good at football. China have more people and resources than anyone else, and they want to do well at football, but they can't even qualify.

I agree with you on Cameroon. There was a really good documentary on The History Channel a little while back 'Return to Turin: Italia 90' with Gary Lineker, Terry Butcher and Paul Parker. The Cameroon game was covered at length.

The best African team ever at a world cup was Nigeria in 1994 who should have beaten Italy in the 2nd round.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
49,989
Goldstone
I agree with you on Cameroon. There was a really good documentary on The History Channel a little while back 'Return to Turin: Italia 90' with Gary Lineker, Terry Butcher and Paul Parker. The Cameroon game was covered at length.
What did the documentary say? I haven't seen anything about the game since I watched it. I remember practically dying inside when we were behind with 10-15 minutes to go (ah, the good ol' days when I cared about England results). I remember huge relief when we equalised. I don't remember if Cameroon had many good chances after that, but I thought we were the better side.
 




ManOfSussex

We wunt be druv
Apr 11, 2016
14,730
Rape of Hastings, Sussex
What did the documentary say? I haven't seen anything about the game since I watched it. I remember practically dying inside when we were behind with 10-15 minutes to go. I remember huge relief when we equalised. I don't remember if Cameroon had many good chances after that, but I thought we were the better side.

As you and I remember it mostly. Cameroon did have 4 players out injured or suspended though. The 2 interesting things from it were apparently before the game the Cameroon players were singing in French in the tunnel that they were going to win as they were waiting to go out and Bobby Robson said to the England players 'Come on boys, we're going to win this easy' which was then heard and translated to the Cameroon players who then sang even louder! Butcher said he looked over and was stung at how big and physical they looked.

The other one was the night before the game when Lineker was practising penalties at the stadium Robson approached him and said Cameroon had a spy somewhere in the stands watching him, so he then hit all his practise penalties to the right. When he took that penalty with 7 minutes to go at 2-1 down (and it was a massive pressure kick as we remember) he saw the Cameroon keeper already moving to his left as he ran up and put it the other way to the keepers right. For the second penalty in extra time Platt offered to take it but Lineker said 'no chance' and drilled it down the middle. We deserved to win the game according to them, which was how I remember it as well, but it was a close run thing.
 


1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
I don't think Balogun is the direct replacement for Goldson - so it was never the case of either/or between them in the squad.

Seems more of a utility defender, who covers many defensive positions, and, as such, should be viewed as replacing Rosenior.

Me too, but Balogun was free.

Both very good points.
 




cunning fergus

Well-known member
Jan 18, 2009
4,744
There won't be one in the next 100 years. Unable to get the leadership, physicality and skill blended together. Balogun looks OK though, willing to get involved up front...I like him...

TNBA

TTF


I disagree, i think as the african populations of european counyries increase so will the rate of players going through their european countries national youth team/professional structures. Wifried Zaha is a good example but there are plenty of others. The larger this cohort becomes there will be more african players with sound technical/professional attributes. This cohort will enhance the local african countries player base. African coutries have increasing populations, they have a lot in comon socially and economically with Brazil. It really is only a matter if time.
 





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