[Football] FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa

I'm friends with some people, and I was in South Africa.

 

I disagree. Maicon was a rock at right back. He didn't make one mistake the entire World Cup and did a great job of getting involved in the attack as well. The fact that Brazil lost in the quarterfinals was definitely not his fault. He did all he could. In general, most objective observers would take Maicon anyday over Lahm.

Anyways, this was a great World Cup. The best name of the World Cup has to be Tshabalala. I won't forget the first game when South Africa played Mexico and the announcers on the Spanish channel would yell out 'whoooooooo' after they said Tshabalala's name every time. I wanted to give him the best goal of the World Cup too, but Gio's goal from over 40 yards out that went into the right upper 90 against Uruguay has to be it:

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Best celebration has to go to Ghana:

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Agree to disagree, Maicon is a great player, no doubt, but:

Don't try to validate your own subjective opinion by claiming something that you cannot prove.

 

Nice except I'd replace Eduardo for Casillas (only because Casillas didn't have a great 1st round) Xavi for Robben and Muller for Villa.

But it's a toss up on all of those.

Coentrao is a monster. Better player than Maicon right now? No. Better defender in the WC? Yes.

 

Bayern tried to get Coentrao, but they weren't willing to pay the price. I think they should have. He seems to be really, really fast.

 

Hmmmm let's see two of the world's best clubs have wanted and/or acquired Maicon's services. Inter-Milan, his current club and the best team in Europe, and Real Madrid, another elite team, last month offered 25 million Euros for Maicon, but Inter wanted 35 million:

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3276...-waiting-for-inter-to-agree-transfer-fee-with

The only info I could find about other clubs being interested in Lahm is an offer of 12 million pounds by Manchester City (hardly an elite team) late last year:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-Philipp-Lahm-in-January-transfer-window.html

12 million pounds comes out to roughly a little over 14 million Euros. Lets say Maicon's true value is between what Inter wanted and what Real Madrid was willing to pay, which comes out to 30 million Euros. Thus, people who know a lot more about soccer than you have attached more than twice as much value to Maicon as opposed to Lahm. That's all the evidence we need.

 

You tried really hard on that one, but it just exposed how clueless you are. Both Barca and Man U tried really hard to sign him during the very short timeframe he was actually on the market.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...udge-aside-United-race-sign-Bayerns-Lahm.html

 

I didn't try hard at all. All I did was a simple google news search. There's no dollar sign or transfer free associated with the article you provided. I provided the most recent news on the value that others have placed on Lahm. The article I provided was from Dec. last year. The one you provided was from over two years ago. You're the one that seems to be clueless. Therefore let me repeat myself:

People who know a lot more about soccer than you have attached more than twice as much value to Maicon as opposed to Lahm. That's all the evidence we need.

 

Lahm is under contract with Bayern and they have made it clear that they are not willing to sell him under any circumstances. The only time that was different was two years ago when they briefly withdrew a contract offer to him. At that time, several of the other top European teams tried to see what it would take to get him. Bayern acted relatively quickly, though, and gave him another contract until 2012. That is why you will not see definite dollar amounts floating around - he has not been on the market.

Trust me, not only do I know a lot more about football than you, I am also an insider when it comes to Bayern and to European football in general. Most of the offers that are made to Bayern for their players never reach the press, and certainly not with precise Euro amounts, unless Bayern actually puts a player on the market. There is a reason why they have not put Lahm on the market.

 

Now you're just being silly. I gave you evidence that Manchester City was ready to offer 14 million Euros for Lahm late last year. You gave us an article that was over two years old. I also provided you with proof that demonstrates that Maicon's value ranges from 25 to 35 million Euros.

30 million Euros is more than twice as much as 14 million Euros.

 

I cannot even take you seriously as I have inside information whereas you try to argue based on some random newspaper articles you found.

It's like some random guy arguing player trades based on some RealGM info he found with someone who has direct access to Daryl Morey's office.

The only reason I even gave you the article was to show you that there was interest by top teams.

I am laughing at you while I type.

The other aspect is that whatever is offered or even actually paid for a player does not necessarily reflect that player's actual skill or real value. Case in point that I am very familiar with, Bayern paid a lot more for Gomez than for either Ribery or Robben. There are plenty of other examples for that.

To recap, this discussion started because I did put Lahm on my World Cup team, which prompted you saying that Maicon had a better world cup. This is your opinion, which is fine. Then you said that objectively, anyone would place a higher value on Maicon than on Lahm. This is where you lost it.

I'm not necessarily saying that I would prefer Lahm over Maicon. I think they are close in value - Maicon is more than two years older, similar experience, both are very strong players.

What is silly is you acting like you actually have a clue about their respective market values and basing this on some random articles about supposed offers you found. You seem to be unfamiliar with European sports papers and magazines. There are rumors about almost every player, with random numbers being thrown around, all the time.

Inter needs to make some money, badly. This is why they are offering some of their players around. Same with Sneijder who is coveted by Man U.

Bayern is in a much, much, much more solid financial position than Inter.

And this is coming from someone who has had business dealings with both these teams in the last year and knows the people who work there personally.

 

I guess you have nothing else to say, which is why you have fallen back on claiming that you know more than all of us and have also resorted to personalizing this debate. The articles provided facts, evidence, and proof, which is what you asked for. You've given us nothing but speculation and conjecture.

Last month Real Madrid was willing to pay 25 million Euros for Maicon, but Inter wanted 35 million. In Dec. of last year Man City was willing to pay 14 million Euros for Lahm. Again, 30 million Euros is more than twice as much as 14 million Euros. If all this doesn't clearly tell you who the better player is then nothing will.

 

Maicon is going to Liverpool. I think Lahm has interest as well.

 

Goodness, you are so silly. If you really insist on getting articles to shut you up:

http://www.realmadridzone.com/real-madrid-offer-bayern-munich-30-million-euros-philip-lahm/1597

After backing out from negotiations with Inter Milan for Brazilian right back Douglas Maicon and Lazio for Aleksandar Kolarov, Real Madrid are still believed to be in the market for other full back options.

Les Transferts report today that the Spanish giants have set their sights on Bayern Munich’s 26 year old full back Philip Lahm.

The French new agency goes on to say that Real Madrid have offered Bayern a cash + player deal consisting of 30 million euros + Royston Drenthe.

It should be noted that Lahm is a fullback capable of occupying defensive duties on both the left and right flanks.

This article is from last week - and says Real backed out of negotiations for Maicon, and instead turned their attention to Lahm. According to your stupid "logic", this "clearly" shows Lahm is the better player .

(Note that this is not what I am advocating, I am merely pointing out how silly your "logic" is.)

 

Hey, at least you provided some evidence this time instead of just rambling, but your post is still filled with inflammatory rhetoric. Looks like Lahm was Real's 2nd or 3rd choice to shore up their defense after Maicon and David Luiz according to the website that you posted the link from. That's another method for discerning who's better. Real preferred Maicon as their first choice, but Lahm was their 2nd or 3rd pick after the deal for the Brazilian fell through. Don't get me wrong, Lahm is a very good player, but Maicon is the best in the world at his position, and since you don't believe that the value attached to a player is a proper method for determining who's better, a club's hierarchy of preferences is another objective indicator.

Although this is unrelated, do you have anger management issues? Your posts seem to be unnecessarily aggressive. You mad?

 

LOL. Many words to admit that you totally self-owned yourself. First you claim that Maicon is worth twice as much as Lahm based on some random articles, then, when an article claims that Real offered 5 million more plus another player for Lahm than they offered for Maicon, which, by your logic, would mean that he is "clearly the better player", you start rambling about the order in which they supposedly made the offers.

And no, I am not angry, I just laugh at you. The combination of stupidity with pretentiousness when you clearly know nothing is funny.

 

I envy you so much right now.. As a barca fan I love Iniesta. Where you in South Africa for the world cup?

 

:grin:

 

nice too bad el nino torres wasnt in form..