Cybereagles

Just rewatched the first half.

1. Nigeria dominated that half but Iceland looked more direct.
2. We had some few times we look a bit open but generally, we kept the game compact.
3. Within the first 10mins of the ga,e commentator said "Nigeria is looking nice and compact. We should expect a good game here today".
4. We whipped in crosses although they didn't connect because iceland always packed their box, hence our no shot at goal stat.
Players played with high energy level
5. first 20mins possession stat was 59% Nigeria Vs 41% Iceland
6. At a point in the first half, the commentator said "I like the look of this omeruo. Hes attacking everything!"
7. 29mins, commentator said "Icelandic fans are quiet bcos they are worried for their team. They must be saying we were not expecting to see this earlier on".
8. Etebo was MASSIVE in that half. Anytime he had the ball first instinct was to face their post but if not keep possession. He was everywhere man, tackling, stealing the ball, and dribbling. Ndidi and Omeruo where also massive. Musa had loads of energy to burn. Every time he had the ball, it was just to go at them.
9. Last 2mins (added on time), SE lost concentration.
10. Uzoho looks like the guy that wakes everyone up in the team with this massive yells and loud thunder claps.
11. We had 3 Leicester players starting today.
12. Nigeria started this game with 6 tall men. Ebuehi made it 7 in the second half.

Anytime we moved towards Iceland goal, they had 7 men in defence, i counted this so many times, they lose the ball, suddenly look at their back line, 7 men defending, so all the crosses were in vain, Nigeria scored from counter attack also when Iceland became confident and forgot to stick to their game plan, 2nd goal was a repeat but Iceland had to come out to play

depends what you mean by good.

I do not think we played to the World Cup's standard in the 1st half.

We did not put in a single good delivery that I recall. Crosses from the wing overhit, longballs overhit, corners wasted. Everybody knew it, the commentators asked for quality.

I think there are some cheerleaders on CE who believe that supporting the team, means changing the facts. Look we all love our country, but we played poorly in the 1st half.

I think Rohr knew that and that is what he would have told them at half time. In the 2nd half they came out much better, the deliveries were good, the accuracy of the passing was better.

The 1st half might be okay for some tournaments but definitely not the World Cup. Part of becoming a truly great footballing nation is calling things as they are. We Nigerians are all too fond of, well...deluding ourselves. 2nd Half was magnificent.

Tbite wrote:depends what you mean by good.

I do not think we played to the World Cup's standard in the 1st half.

We did not put in a single good delivery that I recall. Crosses from the wing overhit, longballs overhit, corners wasted. Everybody knew it, the commentators asked for quality.

I think there are some cheerleaders on CE who believe that supporting the team, means changing the facts. Look we all love our country, but we played poorly in the 1st half.

I think Rohr knew that and that is what he would have told them at half time. In the 2nd half they came out much better, the deliveries were good, the accuracy of the passing was better.

The 1st half might be okay for some tournaments but definitely not the World Cup. Part of becoming a truly great footballing nation is calling things as they are. We Nigerians are all too fond of, well...deluding ourselves. 2nd Half was magnificent.

Please watch that half again. it was a compact one with some few slips here and there tho. Also, the arrangement in the midifeld was a more conscious one. Etebo and Ndidi lined up as Central midfielders with Mikel the DM. But in the 2nd half, Etebo was on the tip of the Midfield as AM/CM with Ndidi and mikel Sitting behind as CMs with MIkel been more defensive than Ndidi.

We woudl need to go into the Argentina match with the first half midfield arrangement (with a lilttle tweak) and approach to keep it compact, stifle out messi and hit Argies on the break.

Tbite shut up, you are clueless

In the first half we were playing passively just as we did against Croatia. We have not been poor at this World Cup. Just passive and passive isn't going to get it done. Look, we are not Europeans and as much as I applaud Gernot Rohr for the tactical discipline that I see in the team; us simply sitting around and waiting for the other team to make a mistake doesn't cut it.

In fact, it's un-Nigerian. Nigerians are not passive people and that style doesn't suit us. We have to be tactically sound but aggressive enough to force the other team into mistakes - which is what we began to see in the 2nd half.

Apart from coming out more aggressively in the 2nd half, that first goal was very important as it gave us the shot of confidence needed for us to begin to play our game. Hopefully we can carry that confidence into the Argentina game and not have to endure another slow start.

mystic wrote:In the first half we were playing passively just as we did against Croatia. We have not been poor at this World Cup. Just passive and passive isn't going to get it done. Look, we are not Europeans and as much as I applaud Gernot Rohr for the tactical discipline that I see in the team; us simply sitting around and waiting for the other team to make a mistake doesn't cut it.

In fact, it's un-Nigerian. Nigerians are not passive people and that style doesn't suit us. We have to be tactically sound but aggressive enough to force the other team into mistakes - which is what we began to see in the 2nd half.

Apart from coming out more aggressively in the 2nd half, that first goal was very important as it gave us the shot of confidence needed for us to begin to play our game. Hopefully we can carry that confidence into the Argentina game and not have to endure another slow start.

Well said. We tried that ish with England and the game was over in 35 minutes. If we do that against a fired up Messi and Argentina then it will be curtains.

Ebuehi made a huge difference. All of a sudden, we posed a threat down the left too. Why it took Rohr this long to find out that neither Echeijile or Idowu are good enough is beyond me. We could have told him this two months ago!

Bigpokey24 wrote:Tbite shut up, you are clueless

Clueless about what exactly?

Obviously Iceland opened up in the 2nd half which played into our hands, one might also say we played passively (or patiently as Leon Balogun) terms it, but our inefficiency going forward in the 1st half had nothing to do with the opposition, but our mental fortitude.

We did not play well in the 1st half, period. We have had a issue of late, where it takes us a very long time to get settled into the game, this is noticeable, and this issue is not contingent on the tactical changes of the Nordic folk.

We played well in the 2nd half, we did not play well in the 1st half. Revisionists are mind boggling.

But I think some of our forumers here have their standards tailored for the AFCON. For the AFCON maybe it was a good 1st half, but if you play like that in the World Cup, you won't get far. We won the match by playing more purposefully and with less unforced errors, which I will not chalk up entirely to the fact that Iceland opened up.

We are behaving like English fans, deluded. Let us point out what we did well and point out what we didn't do so well. Deluded nations never achieve much, we know that much, just ask the English.

Nigeria did not play well in the 1st half, it did not help that Iceland put several men in defence so there were no clear openings, always Nigeria were wasteful with set pieces, 2nd half, Iceland got over confident, sure their coach told them to attack and that was their undoing

Sorry no amount of sugar coating can can stray away fron the truth, we were poor in the 1st half

I don't understand them Marko lol.

They use the lens of the 2nd half to filter the 1st half.

It is NOT GOOD for our team to think this way. We want them to recognize how they need to improve, even as we encourage them for their good work. They need to improve in how they begin the game.

They are what they call 'Yes men'. People who surround themselves with yes men stagnate. Did you hear about Eminem's latest album? Dude surrounded himself with Yes men lol, only Joe Budden called it as it is.

Bigpokey24 wrote:Tbite shut up, you are clueless

Best post ever from you

wale1974 wrote:

Bigpokey24 wrote:Tbite shut up, you are clueless

Best post ever from you

England are a nation of yes men and see what they have achieved.

Oh do tell us how you have revised the 1st half.

Even Musa in the 1st half could control the ball, it was not pleasing on the eye, i was glad when the ref blew the whistle for half time

Something Rohr said and the Iceland coach did the trick, Iceland funny enough came out to attack and the rest is history, if they had kept their defensive shape, they would have got a draw, ypu dont play attacking football without the players to do so

Ayo Akinfe wrote:Ebuehi made a huge difference. All of a sudden, we posed a threat down the left too. Why it took Rohr this long to find out that neither Echeijile or Idowu are good enough is beyond me. We could have told him this two months ago!

Maybe its because Rohr knows from training that Ebuehi is still prone to defensive mistakes sometimes (like the one that gifted Iceland a penalty).
It is clear that he is the 2nd best wing back in the team after Victor, so he must have good reasons not to start him yet.

marko wrote:Even Musa in the 1st half could control the ball, it was not pleasing on the eye, i was glad when the ref blew the whistle for half time

Something Rohr said and the Iceland coach did the trick, Iceland funny enough came out to attack and the rest is history, if they had kept their defensive shape, they would have got a draw, ypu dont play attacking football without the players to do so

Let us stop arguing with revisionists. They are beyond saving.

Tbite wrote:depends what you mean by good.

I do not think we played to the World Cup's standard in the 1st half.

We did not put in a single good delivery that I recall. Crosses from the wing overhit, longballs overhit, corners wasted. Everybody knew it, the commentators asked for quality.

I think there are some cheerleaders on CE who believe that supporting the team, means changing the facts. Look we all love our country, but we played poorly in the 1st half.

I think Rohr knew that and that is what he would have told them at half time. In the 2nd half they came out much better, the deliveries were good, the accuracy of the passing was better.

The 1st half might be okay for some tournaments but definitely not the World Cup. Part of becoming a truly great footballing nation is calling things as they are. We Nigerians are all too fond of, well...deluding ourselves. 2nd Half was magnificent.

World cup's standard as defined by whom? You?

marko wrote:Even Musa in the 1st half could control the ball, it was not pleasing on the eye, i was glad when the ref blew the whistle for half time

Something Rohr said and the Iceland coach did the trick, Iceland funny enough came out to attack and the rest is history, if they had kept their defensive shape, they would have got a draw, ypu dont play attacking football without the players to do so

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