Cybereagles

platinum wrote:

bret- hart wrote:

platinum wrote:

bret- hart wrote:Balkan teams have nerves of butter. Once the going gets tough, they melt and evaporate. Yugoslavia with all that talent would not have won jack. The team that I honestly feel were robbed of a golden generation was Zambia of the early 1990s.

Indeed, that's why Czechoslovakia have only been to two world cup finals.
If I recall, it wasn't too long ago that Spain were the guys with nerves of butter.

Dude, Spain winning a WC was only a matter of time. Infct in not for Korean Ojoro in 2002, and France's ojoro in 2006, they might have won the WC a lot earlier. Yugoslavia with all that talent never came close to winning a World Cup. Rather it was choke job after choke job after choke job. People keep waxing lyrical about their 92 squad but last time I checked, breezing through qualifiers does not mean your team is going to just show up and win. You have to have the temperament to cope as the tournament progresses. something the Slavs will never have.

bret, but I have pointed out that Czechoslovakia made TWO world cup finals and you've ignored that. The fact is a united balkan region would have been enough of a threat.
You're changing the Spanish narrative now....in 02 and 06, the story was about their lack of 'cojones', situations be damned.
Everything you've said above about the Balkans was also said about Spain.
I don't agree with that temperament talk.
Okay, let me ask....do you think the Dutch have the temperament to win the world cup?

I don't consider Checkoslovakia a Balkan team in terms of our convo. I actually like them. When I think Balkan I think Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Bosnia. Those guys made up the former Yugoslavia which I refer too here. Sorry but I think people get caught up in the hype they generated. They never looked like a team that could upstage the likes of Brazil, Italy, Germany, Holland etc for the World Cup to me based on their previous body of work. As for Spain pre Iniesta and Xavi, go back and watch them in 2002. They were robbed vs Korea. They scored 2 legit goals that were disallowed. in 2006, it was Henry's cheating and simulation that cost them that game. Prior to that, they were the tournaments' best team alongside Argentina. Now that was a team of destiny.

bret- hart wrote:

platinum wrote:

bret- hart wrote:

platinum wrote:

bret- hart wrote:Balkan teams have nerves of butter. Once the going gets tough, they melt and evaporate. Yugoslavia with all that talent would not have won jack. The team that I honestly feel were robbed of a golden generation was Zambia of the early 1990s.

Indeed, that's why Czechoslovakia have only been to two world cup finals.
If I recall, it wasn't too long ago that Spain were the guys with nerves of butter.

Dude, Spain winning a WC was only a matter of time. Infct in not for Korean Ojoro in 2002, and France's ojoro in 2006, they might have won the WC a lot earlier. Yugoslavia with all that talent never came close to winning a World Cup. Rather it was choke job after choke job after choke job. People keep waxing lyrical about their 92 squad but last time I checked, breezing through qualifiers does not mean your team is going to just show up and win. You have to have the temperament to cope as the tournament progresses. something the Slavs will never have.

bret, but I have pointed out that Czechoslovakia made TWO world cup finals and you've ignored that. The fact is a united balkan region would have been enough of a threat.
You're changing the Spanish narrative now....in 02 and 06, the story was about their lack of 'cojones', situations be damned.
Everything you've said above about the Balkans was also said about Spain.
I don't agree with that temperament talk.
Okay, let me ask....do you think the Dutch have the temperament to win the world cup?

I don't consider Checkoslovakia a Balkan team in terms of our convo. I actually like them. When I think Balkan I think Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Bosnia. Those guys made up the former Yugoslavia which I refer too here. Sorry but I think people get caught up in the hype they generated. They never looked like a team that could upstage the likes of Brazil, Italy, Germany, Holland etc for the World Cup to me based on their previous body of work. As for Spain pre Iniesta and Xavi, go back and watch them in 2002. They were robbed vs Korea. They scored 2 legit goals that were disallowed. in 2006, it was Henry's cheating and simulation that cost them that game. Prior to that, they were the tournaments' best team alongside Argentina. Now that was a team of destiny.

Fine, let us leave out the Czech side of the equation and go with only Yugoslavija.

What happened with Croatia in 98? The French certainly believed they were the real deal. That's not enough? They were genuine threats while spain were still choking on the 'favorites' tag.

You're talking of previous body of work..okay....two world cup semi finals, two euro finals, numerous olympic medals is not enough?

I asked about Holland, are they chokers too?

I've not said Spain were not robbed, they were....but they were also everything you've said about the balkans. Spain always had quality (far back as 82), it didnt start from the 90s or 00s, they were monumental chokers but it's a matter of time when you have that kind of talent before it all comes together and going by the kind of talent the balkans have now, they'd be a genuine favorite in every tournament if they were under one umbrella.

That's the issue though: we never got to find out just how far that 92 squad could have gone because they never got to play together again. The subsequent success of that team's "fragments" (Croatia) in the 1998 World Cup was a portent of what probably would have happened had they stayed together.

It would have taken Nigerian style shooting themselves in the foot for a national team with Savicevic, Prosinecki, Boban, Mijatovic, Mihajlovic, Jugovic in the same squad not to reach the World Cup final (when a squad with just a few of those players did reach the World Cup semis at the first attempt).

bret- hart wrote: Yugoslavia with all that talent never came close to winning a World Cup. Rather it was choke job after choke job after choke job. People keep waxing lyrical about their 92 squad but last time I checked, breezing through qualifiers does not mean your team is going to just show up and win. You have to have the temperament to cope as the tournament progresses. something the Slavs will never have.

Sir V wrote:Yugoslavia V Nigeria .. 1998 ...
[/video]

you want make I swear for you. how dare you bring back this video. Isn't the game where they turned Mobi Okparakwu into John Deere lawnmower and that overweight goalie perfected his diving-after-the-ball-hit-the-net act.

After this game, Libregts had to go beg Rufai to come back from vacation and banished Mobi.

wiseone wrote:That's the issue though: we never got to find out just how far that 92 squad could have gone because they never got to play together again. The subsequent success of that team's "fragments" (Croatia) in the 1998 World Cup was a portent of what probably would have happened had they stayed together.

It would have taken Nigerian style shooting themselves in the foot for a national team with Savicevic, Prosinecki, Boban, Mijatovic, Mihajlovic, Jugovic in the same squad not to reach the World Cup final (when a squad with just a few of those players did reach the World Cup semis at the first attempt).

bret- hart wrote: Yugoslavia with all that talent never came close to winning a World Cup. Rather it was choke job after choke job after choke job. People keep waxing lyrical about their 92 squad but last time I checked, breezing through qualifiers does not mean your team is going to just show up and win. You have to have the temperament to cope as the tournament progresses. something the Slavs will never have.

I guess we will never know but then, Croatia was a damn good team in the 1990s but that was probably because they did not have to deal with the ethnic divisions that occurred prior to the breakup. That is a factor as well. In the late to early 90s, Yugoslavia was dealing with some ethnic strife that i'm sure would have consumed them had they decided to "stick together" for the 92 EUROs and the 94 world cup.

amafolas wrote:

Sir V wrote:Yugoslavia V Nigeria .. 1998 ...
[/video]

you want make I swear for you. how dare you bring back this video. Isn't the game where they turned Mobi Okparakwu into John Deere lawnmower and that overweight goalie perfected his diving-after-the-ball-hit-the-net act.

After this game, Libregts had to go beg Rufai to come back from vacation and banished Mobi.

Na who dem dribble wey take him yansh wan spoil that beautiful field so?..Na Mobi? That him agaracha overhead kick get as e be sef...I remember watching this match and wondering what was going on ..the ease with which we were dispatched was embarrassing.

oloye wrote:

amafolas wrote:

Sir V wrote:Yugoslavia V Nigeria .. 1998 ...
[/video]

you want make I swear for you. how dare you bring back this video. Isn't the game where they turned Mobi Okparakwu into John Deere lawnmower and that overweight goalie perfected his diving-after-the-ball-hit-the-net act.

After this game, Libregts had to go beg Rufai to come back from vacation and banished Mobi.

Na who dem dribble wey take him yansh wan spoil that beautiful field so?..Na Mobi? That him agaracha overhead kick get as e be sef...I remember watching this match and wondering what was going on ..the ease with which we were dispatched was embarrassing.

Oloye, my dearest in-law, Happy New Year in advance o. Abi make I come worship with on New Year's eve?

Thunder wrote:

oloye wrote:

amafolas wrote:

Sir V wrote:Yugoslavia V Nigeria .. 1998 ...
[/video]

you want make I swear for you. how dare you bring back this video. Isn't the game where they turned Mobi Okparakwu into John Deere lawnmower and that overweight goalie perfected his diving-after-the-ball-hit-the-net act.

After this game, Libregts had to go beg Rufai to come back from vacation and banished Mobi.

Na who dem dribble wey take him yansh wan spoil that beautiful field so?..Na Mobi? That him agaracha overhead kick get as e be sef...I remember watching this match and wondering what was going on ..the ease with which we were dispatched was embarrassing.

Oloye, my dearest in-law, Happy New Year in advance o. Abi make I come worship with on New Year's eve?

Happy new year bros....you can worship anywhere oh...baba God is everywhere...this one wey ou wan come worship with me, na another thing you wan come worship The good book says 'thou shall not bow before another thing...' na my sister wey we don chop her dowry finish na im you still dey dream about

oloye wrote:

Thunder wrote:

oloye wrote:

amafolas wrote:

Sir V wrote:Yugoslavia V Nigeria .. 1998 ...
[/video]

you want make I swear for you. how dare you bring back this video. Isn't the game where they turned Mobi Okparakwu into John Deere lawnmower and that overweight goalie perfected his diving-after-the-ball-hit-the-net act.

After this game, Libregts had to go beg Rufai to come back from vacation and banished Mobi.

Na who dem dribble wey take him yansh wan spoil that beautiful field so?..Na Mobi? That him agaracha overhead kick get as e be sef...I remember watching this match and wondering what was going on ..the ease with which we were dispatched was embarrassing.

Oloye, my dearest in-law, Happy New Year in advance o. Abi make I come worship with on New Year's eve?

Happy new year bros....you can worship anywhere oh...baba God is everywhere...this one wey ou wan come worship with me, na another thing you wan come worship The good book says 'thou shall not bow before another thing...' na my sister wey we don chop her dowry finish na im you still dey dream about

Oloye, see as you strip me naked for public eye. But make I remind you, none as ever failed until they stop trying. I'll keep pushing on.

Watching the latest World Cup qualifiers, I keep thinking what a footballing powerhouse Yugoslavia would be if they still had one team (instead of six different teams!).

Handanovic
Srna-Subotic-Lovren-Kolasinac
Pjanic-Matic-Modric
Perisic-Dzeko-Mandzukic

PLUS: Kolarov, Ivanovic, Kolarov, Rakitic, Ljulic, Begovic

Get it together on or off the field? They were by far scary in 1990 - 92 before the war. They should have won Euro '92 which Denmark won.

YUJAM wrote:They had the same talent back in the day but were simply unable to get it together

Futile thread

amafolas wrote:

Sir V wrote:Yugoslavia V Nigeria .. 1998 ...
[/video]

you want make I swear for you. how dare you bring back this video. Isn't the game where they turned Mobi Okparakwu into John Deere lawnmower and that overweight goalie perfected his diving-after-the-ball-hit-the-net act.

After this game, Libregts had to go beg Rufai to come back from vacation and banished Mobi.

Not Libregts, but Milutinovic, abi? And no, Mobi didn't get banished until Raul abused him at the WC proper.

Yes. It was Yugoslavia's absence that made stars of that Danish team (including Schmeichel). Had they stayed together they may have dominated the 1992-2000 era the same way Spain dominated 2006-2012.

Boban, Prosinecki, Boksic, Savicevic, Mihajlovic, Pancev, Mijatovic, Jugovic, Suker, Jarni, Stojanovic, Stojkovic in the same team. Who on earth (except Brazil) would have been a threat that team in the mid-1990s?

Olayemi14 wrote:Get it together on or off the field? They were by far scary in 1990 - 92 before the war. The should have won Euro '92 which Denmark won.

YUJAM wrote:They had the same talent back in the day but were simply unable to get it together

Just unearthing that thread because a lot of people seem to be under the impression that Croatia are some plucky newcomers that came out of nowhere to reach the WC final.

I'm hoping the legacy runs it course to fulfillment on Sunday!!!



I can't help but be riveted. My work is doesn't matter. My wife and kids are a distraction.

The only thing that matters for now is football...and Croatia lifting that damn WC trophy!!!

Surprised no one has mentioned predrag mijatovitch. One of yugoslavia's baddest. I no go lie, yugoslavia remind me of naija. Maaad potential overcome by crisis. Sports n politics.

I will be supporting Croatia on sunday.Can they do it and pay back France from what happen in 98?

This level of skill isn't shared by the likes of Montenegro and Macedonia though because I think those countries are even much smaller in population than Croatia and Serbia.

cchinukw wrote:This level of skill isn't shared by the likes of Montenegro and Macedonia though because I think those countries are even much smaller in population than Croatia and Serbia.

Those countries have made some noise in qualifying, with some notable victories. Don't forget Bosnia as well.

He scored a winning goal in the Champions League final for Real Madrid.

Another good shout is Zlatko Zahovic (overlooked because he played for a small Balkan nation). The best generation were that early-mid 90s era of Prosinecki, Savicevic, Pancev, Boban, Jugovic, Suker, Stimac, Stanic, Bilic, Drulovic, Zahohic: many of whom incredibly played for the same club side - Red Star Belgrade (1991 European champions).

rudellar wrote:Surprised no one has mentioned predrag mijatovitch. One of yugoslavia's baddest. I no go lie, yugoslavia remind me of naija. Maaad potential overcome by crisis. Sports n politics.

Football is a religion in the Balkans. Every kid plays and aspires. In spite of the rivalries, most root for Croatia and draw inspiration.

Same from the ethic Albanians that play for Switzerland.

Scipio Africanus wrote:

cchinukw wrote:This level of skill isn't shared by the likes of Montenegro and Macedonia though because I think those countries are even much smaller in population than Croatia and Serbia.

Those countries have made some noise in qualifying, with some notable victories. Don't forget Bosnia as well.

Even in those days of Yugoslavia......................Must of their best players came from the Croatia region.

I still remember those players from that 87 U-20 WC team.