Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary Cooper
No. Defensive systems have made soccer powerhouses vulnerable to teams that defend most of the game and get lucky on a few counterattacks. Japan and Costa Rica have ZERO talent compared to Spain/Germany, and that's not even getting into the depth of their rosters. It's just the way the game has become. I expected this after the last World Cup.
In the 1970s and 80s, the powerhouse teams would just roll opponents over. Defensive strategies weren't as good as today.
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I don't think any grand strategy is it, just that training(and money) are getting better for all countries. The gap in talent isn't nearly as big as it was in say 1990 between the good and the bad teams. You are seeing this in all big sports like basketball. The US could just send whoever and win the Olympic gold by 45 points a game. Now you can't do that. Upsets happen far more in college football and basketball. As training becomes more even and more money flows in, the talent from the worst teams will get better. That's what's happening in soccer both in the men's game and the women's game, where the US women can't just win every game 10-0 anymore by showing up.