Dugout Discussion

World Cup 2014 – Dugout Discussion – Matchday 5, Day 1

After a couple of days’ break, Brazil 2014 gets underway this evening as the World Cup reaches the quarter-final stages. First up, we’ve an all-European encounter between Group E winners France and Group G winners Germany before hosts Brazil take to the pitch against a Colombia side that has scored at least twice in every match and boasts the tournament’s leading scorer, James Rodriguez:

France: Lloris; Debuchy, Varane, Sakho, Evra; Cabaye, Matuidi, Pogba; Valbuena, Benzema, Griezmann

Germany: Neuer; Lahm, Hummels, Boateng Howedes; Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Muller, Klose, Ozil

Didier Deschamps makes two changes from the side that started against Nigeria last time around. At the back, fit-again Mamadou Sakho takes the place of Laurent Koscielny in central defence, whilst further up the field, Olivier Giroud is replaced by Antoine Griezmann in a switch that will allow Karim Benzema the chance to return to a central role up front. Having served up back-to-back blanks, the Real Madrid man will be desperate for a return to the form that saw him serve up three goals and a pair of assists in his first couple of appearances, whilst Mathieu Valbuena and Paul Pogba are looking to add to their goal and assist tallies so far.

Joachim Low makes a trio alterations to his flu-hit starting XI for the early kick-off. Mats Hummels recovers from illness to take his place in the heart of defence alongside Jerome Boateng, with Per Mertesacker dropping out. Philipp Lahm looks set to start in defence for the first time in the tournament – he gets the nod ahead of Shkodran Mustafi at right-back. Sami Khedira and Miroslav Klose are also drafted in by the Germany manager; the latter is likely to lead the line, with Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil handed the roles out wide in the front three. As the only player to have a hand in more than one of his side’s nine goals, Muller carries the hopes of many Fantasy managers heading into this one, whilst Klose will be looking to break the World Cup scoring record after netting the fifteenth of his career earlier in the tournament.

In the 9pm kick-off, Phil Scolari’s side will be seeking an improvement after an unimpressive win over Mexico last time around. The hosts required penalties to dispose of Miguel Herrera’s men after Neymar served up a second blank in three appearances – having bagged a brace in his first and third matches, Brazil will be hoping he maintains that pattern and gets amongst the goals in their fifth match of the tournament. Elsewhere for Scolari’s men, Oscar, Fred and Hulk need to step up if they are to progress – the Chelsea man has picked up just an assist over the last three, whilst the latter two have failed to impress, with Fred’s goal against Cameroon the only time either has found the net.

As mentioned, Colombia have the form player of the tournament in James Rodriguez. With five goals and two assists already to his name, he’s the only player to have scored in all four Matchdays and poses a major threat to the hosts chances of progressing. Fellow midfielder Juan Cuadrado has served Fantasy managers very well thus far, too, with a goal and four assists over his four starts, whilst Jackson Martinez brace against Japan underlined his capabilities in and around the box.

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1,029 Comments Post a Comment
  1. yash
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Hummels 🙁

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  2. Chu Young Ping Pong
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Hummels is class.

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  3. crystalpalaceRus
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    At least Muller & Benzema blank. Makes me happy seeing Neymar, Messi & Robben still to go 😀

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    1. The EJJ
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Nice ain't it? 🙂

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  4. Holy See
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Hummels related post

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    1. 4vets
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      +1

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  5. Lawrø
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    I don't know whether to be happy that I own Hummels or gutted because I captained Sakho(6) instead of him! :/

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    1. 4vets
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Lawro, you can't be happy. Accept it.

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      1. Lawrø
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        You make a valid point 😉

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    2. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      I think you need shooting. Maybe. 😉

      Mind you, I captained Klose ... 😀

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      1. Lawrø
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        😯

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    3. MaRooney 5
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      happy, worst if you didnt own him

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  6. VougieDipond
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Varane 10 points 😀 delighted with that

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    1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      So would he be. He was crap.

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      1. VougieDipond
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        allowing hummels to score was a masterstroke

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        1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 8 months ago

          😆

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      2. nc3
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        i think he must have had him as his captain too

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  7. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    So. I am not always wrong, then. 😉

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    1. Alan The Llama
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Even a stopped clock....

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      1. Holy See
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        Feck!

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    2. 4vets
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Well, Lahm was shite 🙂

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      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        Is that actually your opinion? 😯

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      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        High 5, brother. 🙂

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    3. Holy See
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      The words twice, clock, a day, broken, come to mind 😛

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    4. Blue Lion
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      We called it..A German goal.

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      1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        Domination, I call it.

        The French were woeful.

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  8. Sheep
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Rio Ferdinand drinking game:

    Take a shot everytime he mentions experience or rubs his nose.

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  9. Kroos Kontrol
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Captaining JRod or Poster Boy?

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  10. Blue Lion
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Lol at Sakho owners.

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    1. 4vets
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      🙄

      Try a bit a bit of sporting behaviour. It's so much better for you and everyone else.

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      1. Blue Lion
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        He was to be subbed off before 90..I raised the question many times.. nobody replied. 🙁

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        1. Sandstorm
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 8 months ago

          You are so fecking smart.

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  11. Saniul
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Pogba 3 points, Muller 3 points.
    I'm so happy. 😀

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  12. pundit of punts
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    42 points for hummels(c). 😎 😀

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    1. Kroos Kontrol
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      With CS or without CS pts?

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      1. pundit of punts
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        With CS.

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    2. Pork Pie Sausage Roll
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      😯

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    3. De_Roiste
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Snap! That's the captaincy sorted. Can sit back and enjoy the rest.

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  13. Jimmers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Hummels (c) - stick or twist 😉

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    1. bazrah99
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      LOL

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  14. Zasa
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    21 points, oh behaaave

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    1. Holy See
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Filthy.

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  15. GunsnRoses
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Valbuena up to 5 points.

    My bench mark for a defender was 9 and for a midfielder was 7.

    Sakho and Valbuena wasted 😛

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  16. Dr Dream
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    MoM ?

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    1. Pork Pie Sausage Roll
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Griezman

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      1. Dr Dream
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        yeah, course he was.

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    2. bazrah99
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Sakho

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    3. Beavis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Has to be Hummels.

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  17. Heydudes13
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Hummels and Varane nice start. 🙂

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    1. Root
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Boateng and Sakho

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  18. Count of Monte Hristo
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Phone upgrade next week and not sure what to get....

    a) Sony Xperia Z2

    b) HTC One M8

    c) iphone 5S

    d) Galaxy S5

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    1. Pork Pie Sausage Roll
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      iPhone

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      1. bazrah99
        • 14 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        Wait for iPhone 6

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    2. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      iPhone. Accept no imitations.

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    3. Heydudes13
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Cancel your contract and get an iPhone 6.

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      1. Count of Monte Hristo
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        I don't want to pay a high phone bill just to have the latest model though? Is the 5 good enough?

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        1. Heydudes13
          • 12 Years
          9 years, 8 months ago

          Haha it's fine.

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        2. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          9 years, 8 months ago

          The 4S is bloody good. 🙂

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    4. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      e) Bat

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  19. BellsOfFreedom
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Captain JRod or Neymar?

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  20. bazrah99
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Klose had a ball recovery added lol

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    1. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Wey-hey!!! 😆

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  21. VougieDipond
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    71 points not bad I suppose could of been better

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    1. Root
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      have

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      1. Holy See
        • 13 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        Yes, could certainly do better with his prepositions.

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  22. Saniul
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Neuer, Hummels, Howedes, Kroos.

    OR 14 on Fox 😎

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    1. Blue Lion
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Wow! Way to go..
      Hummels warming my bench.:(

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      1. Saniul
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        Won't last.
        My 5th player and biggest punt Griezmann failed badly. 🙁

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    2. Count of Monte Hristo
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Nicely done. My German defence x4 never worked in the last 16, should have stuck with them.

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    3. Tommytour
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Shouldn't have transferred out German defence 🙁

      Well done

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      1. Saniul
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 8 months ago

        No Muller in the knockouts has worked pretty well for me so far. 🙂

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  23. Reed_Rothchild
    • 14 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    The dominant race in Europe advances.

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    1. Werkself
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      WTF?

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  24. PKB
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    So.. now, Aguilar/Cuadrado/Zapata Captain?

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    1. Root
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Yepes!

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    2. Root
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Aguilar might not start.

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    3. Heydudes13
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Zapata!

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  25. Sif
    • 10 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Hummels robbed of a few points 😉

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    1. pundit of punts
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      Why?

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  26. GunsnRoses
    • 12 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Link for QF spreadsheet ?

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  27. Lord Dragon
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Captained varane over hummels, wrong decision!

    Least I had hummels I suppose.

    Well done to everyone who made the right choice.

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  28. Dr Dream
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Back to 13 OR in Fox..won't last.

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  29. It’s A Joke
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    I'm on 13 cack points from 3 players. Poo. At least I can bring Neymar, Messi and Robben in.

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    1. Root
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      They aren't defenders.

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  30. Tommytour
    • 13 Years
    9 years, 8 months ago

    Nearly made a schoolboy in Fox

    Didn't do sub order so Hummels 2nd sub if RVP doesn't make it

    Luckily Duarte first sub 🙂

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    1. Saniul
      • 11 Years
      9 years, 8 months ago

      RVP will make it.

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