Yuh remember a few WCS ago, Valderrama, Asprilla, Rincon and El Loco de Scopion King was gallerying all over de place...pretty, pretty football. And den Romania drop about 4 in dey arse. Romania did not dominate possession or look pretty but goals win matches. As pretty as Colombia looked, it did not match with their results. Dat day ah saw some very pretty football get destroyed on de Score Sheet.
i get the point yuh trying to make..you are too right. GOALS win matches. fact. but boss dat is a terrible analogy yuh give dey
Colombia played pathetic football that day with useless possession and few clear goalscoring chances. Romania was stronger in defence and more fluid and effective in attack. Hagi outshone Valderrama in every aspect of the game. Valderamma and the Colombian forwards looked to pass when they should shoot, and Radicioiu and Dumitrescu destroyed the Colombian defense. That was attractive football. Pretty football did not lose at all and that Romanian side had generals all over the pitch...
Be careful how you define pretty football...slick passing that creates few goalscoring opportunities ain't pretty...it's just ornate and useless. And playing 'ugly' ain't the same as playing poorly. The teams that play ugly and win actually are very technically skilled teams with deadly attacking ability and strong tactical discipline. They will also play sweet attacking ball if need be. But more often than not...attractive football wins out
WC 1986 Final - Argentina v Germany : the more attcaking creative team won
WC 1990 Final - Germany v Argentina : this time the Germans had all the attcking intent and turned the tables on a stubbornly defensive Argentina
WC 1994 - Brazil v Italy : Described as the most pragmatic Brazil ever, they still outplayed and outpassed every team they played and were unlucky not to finish off an even more boring Italy in regular time
WC 1998 - France v Brazil: France played some 'ugly' ball, but once they got to the final it was the Zidane show. Even defensive midfielder Petit joined in on the fun as France put down an attacking masterclass on the lethargic Brazilians
WC 2002 - Brazil v Germany: Brazil attacked from game 1 and played more freely then we have seen them since 1986
WC 2006 - Italy v France: Two fairly pragmatic teams in the final, and the more 'defensive' team won
Look at the Champion's league final last year - Barca v Arsenal ; 2 teams reknowned for attacking ball. Look how much Real Madrid has won over the last 10 years, Lyon in France, AC Milan in the 90s....it goes on. When a top teams with relatively equal talent, tactical discipline, but different philosophies meet - Arsenal v Juventus for example - anything can happen - but throughout history, fortune seems to favor the brave more often than not
