[Trama]

That would be quite a feat. (fucking it up)

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

in cuzco you can hangout an get drunk/ coked up all day if you want, but yeah it would be a waste not to go to machu picchu or the sacred valley, and teh altitude could be a problem if you're not in decent shape (altitude sickness gives you the worst hangovers-- you need a couple of days to acclimate). but the area around the plaza is pretty lively.

lima is great for food lovers, though as a city itself it's not much to write home about (sprawling, chaotic, ugly). but if you focus on the food it's fucking paradise. will cost you money though because the best restaurants are not cheap.

i'd stick to uruguay then. yes it's going to be more "european" and probably more of a pleasant city to hang out. so is lima for that matter-- i mean in lima there will be more brown people but latin america was european colonies and that's what you'll find-- western culture.

the cuzco region on the other hand remains the heart of quechua culture, so there will be plenty of other stuff to see if you feel like an anthropologist. cuzco has a decent little football team too. actually, more than one (this last one is new and at the top of the table, but the other one is over 100 years old)

but for what you want, i think montevideo is the way to go, different without being too unfamiliar, plus it's manageable in just a week. mexico city, on the other hand, is not a city, but a planet.

Ah, the altitude thing might be an issue as I'll only be there a short time. Montevideo looks more and more like the answer, especially if I can get to see a Penarol or Nacional game.

Originally Posted by TheMadcapLaughs

the mighty south american travel thread

Haha. Well I did at least try and tie it in to football.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Trama

That would be quite a feat. (fucking it up)

I don't know. It depends what's meant by fucking it up. I can't see Bayern fighting relegation next season or even struggling to qualify for the Champions League but certainly any internal disruption could affect their chances of replicating last season's success. Failure is obviously gauged according to the expectations of each individual club. Barcelona would've seen losing in the semis as a failure in a way that Malaga probably didn't.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Trama

That would be quite a feat. (fucking it up)

he could get rid of all the tall and strong players and replace them with mini-men who would pass the ball around endlessly.

seriously though, i hope he capitalizes on the characteristics of bayern players instead of giving us just more tikitaka. one of the things i've loved about bayern this past year (more than last year when they didn't defend so well) is their ability to reshape and adapt to their opponent. they can play possession, they can huff it after long balls, they can dominate aerial play-- they can do anything they want really. losing that potentiality would be a major, major fuckup.

then again i think he's probably smarter than osram and he can take the team to new heights (although: which ones? ha!). i'm really hoping he'll surprise us after his sabbatical with something good and new and unexpected.

[demonrail666]

Pep has said he wants to work on what Bayern already are rather than try and turn them into some kind of Bavarian Barcelona.

In terms of new heights, this Bayern team will only join the ranks of the absolute greats if it can maintain its dominance over a period of years. Barcelona dominated Europe for at least 5 years - even without always winning the CL. They remained the team to beat. Bayern's only done that for a year so far, so there's still something for them to prove. Either that or become the pioneers of some innovative new way of playing. Of course truly great teams (for me, anyway) like recent Barcelona or 70s Ajax managed both.

Maybe in that sense (and in a way that contradicts my previous post) Pep could be the perfect appointment. Bayern have won everything so now we want to see if they can innovate, too. And Pep definitely has the right credentials for that. Either way, they'll be the most interesting team to watch next season, for all the reasons/issues mentioned.

[h8kurdt]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Pep has said he wants to work on what Bayern already are rather than try and turn them into some kind of Bavarian Barcelona.

In terms of new heights, this Bayern team will only join the ranks of the absolute greats if it can maintain its dominance over a period of years. Barcelona dominated Europe for at least 5 years - even without always winning the CL. They remained the team to beat. Bayern's only done that for a year so far, so there's still something for them to prove. Either that or become the pioneers of some innovative new way of playing. Of course truly great teams (for me, anyway) like recent Barcelona or 70s Ajax managed both.

Maybe in that sense (and in a way that contradicts my previous post) Pep could be the perfect appointment. Bayern have won everything so now we want to see if they can innovate, too. And Pep definitely has the right credentials for that. Either way, they'll be the most interesting team to watch next season, for all the reasons/issues mentioned.

I disagree. Bayern have been in the champions league final what is it? 3 times in nearly as many years? They haven't got anything to prove. They're easily one of the greatest clubs in football history and recent history (the last ten years) is not doing that comment any disservice.

[demonrail666]

I wasn't talking about Bayern overall, absolutely one of the greats. I'm talking about this particular side. But even there, yeah, you're probably right.

Anyway, 'Pat Nevin's Pre-Game Insights' in the pre-game build up. Should be quick.

[TheMadcapLaughs]

italy is killing me with all these missed chances!

[demonrail666]

Spain don't even look interested. Italy should've buried them ny now.

[demonrail666]

Wow. Great game. Felt really sorry for Italy, though.

[!@#$%!]

fuck, today it was the final. the real one i mean, not the official one. just finished watching. while technically it wasn't a great game (spain wasn't allowed to play, i think), it was a huge heart stopper. unfortunately italy threw away its best chances. what a pity. they really could have won this during the first 3/4 of regulation time. and gilardino got caught offside how many thousand times?? he ran and ran and ran and all for nothing. i wonder if balotelli could have defined this differentlt. oh, fucking spain!

i think fatigue and injuries and all they'll beat up brazil. brazil just isn't up to par, in my opinon. not just the individual talent but the system-- they look undercooked.

plus, neymar is a bitch.

[h8kurdt]

So Man Utd have offered 12m for Baines? Cheeky cunts. If Man City paid 20m for bloody Rodwell they're sure as hell gonna have to pay through the nose for Baines.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by !@#$%!

fuck, today it was the final. the real one i mean, not the official one. just finished watching. while technically it wasn't a great game (spain wasn't allowed to play, i think), it was a huge heart stopper. unfortunately italy threw away its best chances. what a pity. they really could have won this during the first 3/4 of regulation time. and gilardino got caught offside how many thousand times?? he ran and ran and ran and all for nothing. i wonder if balotelli could have defined this differentlt. oh, fucking spain!

i think fatigue and injuries and all they'll beat up brazil. brazil just isn't up to par, in my opinon. not just the individual talent but the system-- they look undercooked.

plus, neymar is a bitch.

Yeah, not the best game in terms of quality but a heart stopper, as you say, and a fascinating chess game of tactics, probably won by Italy. Spain didn't seem to get going until extra time. Before that it seemed like only Pique, Ramos and Iniesta were really up for it. Maybe this Spain side has just reached the point where its won too much and is now struggling to motivate itself.

I agree that they'll still be strong enough to beat Brazil but there's definite signs of decline overall. I think this upcoming WC will be the final hurrah for the spine of this Spain side. After that I think we'll be seeing far more of Mata, Martinez, Silva, Fabregas, Cazorla, etc. So hardly a bad position to be in from a Spanish point of view.

[!@#$%!]

heh! i think silva is shit. his fucking sad face doesn't help.

but yes they are rusty/squeaky. the thing is i don't think it was a lack of "motivation". it was that people have figured them out. italy controlled the game so well, and spain was disoriented. maggio and de rossi pwned alba. prandelli did a great job.

oh, balotelli! if only...!!

anyway, del bosque is smarter than felipao.

[Trama]

They want it. It's all there's left to win for this generation of players, after all. I don't think they're struggling with that, I think they're struggling with fatigue.
There's signs of decline, there's been for awhile, especially in Xavi, but ultimately they're simply worn out. Most of these players have some insane amount of games on their legs. Unthinkable numbers some years ago.

The tropical climate probably doesn't help.


!@#$%!, hombre, Scolari tampoco es tonto, eh?
There's not going to be much tactical play, anyway.

I was going to bring up this whole discussion about the tactical sophistication (or the lack thereof) of international football versus club football, but I have things to do and probably so do you.

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Trama

!@#$%!, hombre, Scolari tampoco es tonto, eh?
There's not going to be much tactical play, anyway.

I was going to bring up this whole discussion about the tactical sophistication (or the lack thereof) of international football versus club football, but I have things to do and probably so do you.

ha ha, true, his anti-football tactics are smart (fouling to stop the counterattacks and give time to reposition).

and you're right of course that international teams don't have the time to develop strong tactical profiles unless maybe they all come from one or two teams and have compatible coaches. which i think is the case with spain/barcelona but it's harder for south american teams.

but you're wrong in this-- i don't have anything to do today except for lying in bed and scratching my armpits. ha! well i have some minor errands but it's friday morning and it's summer and it's going to be a scorching hot day.

okay, maybe i have to go buy beer. duty!!

[Trama]

I hope you get to sleep or to fuck, that's all you should do on a bed.

A tactical change at the break, that's the most you'll get, even from Spain.

And yes it's about time but we could go on about scouting, the evolution of the game and the leagues, the format of the competition...

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Trama

I hope you get to sleep or to fuck, that's all you should do on a bed.

did they teach you that at military service? i get to fuck, sleep, eat, read, watch movies and football and trash tv, play games, talk, stare at the ceiling, listen to music, stretch, drink tea and water and booze, and do absolutely nothing at all., all in bed. i dont have a cot but an awesome monster-sized bed that will not go to waste with government-prescribed activities. it's the most important piece of furniture in a home.

Originally Posted by Trama

A tactical change at the break, that's the most you'll get, even from Spain.

And yes it's about time but we could go on about scouting, the evolution of the game and the leagues, the format of the competition...

alright, when you get time to post something up i'd like to read it.

[demonrail666]

Originally Posted by Trama

They want it. It's all there's left to win for this generation of players, after all. I don't think they're struggling with that, I think they're struggling with fatigue.
There's signs of decline, there's been for awhile, especially in Xavi, but ultimately they're simply worn out. Most of these players have some insane amount of games on their legs. Unthinkable numbers some years ago.

The tropical climate probably doesn't help.

Yeah, Pirlo too has mentioned how hard he's found the heat. Even the commentators have said how stifling it is, and they're just spectators. That on top of a gruelling season means you're probably right: the players are basically knackered. There are too many games now, making big tournaments in the off season like the Euros and the WC more of an endurance test than anything, especially for countries with a high percentage of players involved in the CL or UEFA cups. The only way around it is to restrict the games played in a season or allow bigger squads so managers can rotate players more, but that option would require extra money that some clubs just don't have, and would therefore give an even bigger advantage to the very richest teams.

That only leaves a reduction of games played in the CL by reducing the amount of teams that qualify and by drastically reducing the amount of games in the UEFA cup which is particularly heavy, to the extent that some clubs just don't want to participate in it.

[h8kurdt]

Which won't happen. There's to much money in it. Shame really