Comments on: PWC 14: Group B Match 2 (Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Spain) https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain Lollards in the high church of low culture Mon, 03 Mar 2014 18:28:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 By: lartsaegis https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1299813 Mon, 03 Mar 2014 18:28:05 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1299813 So my prediction has confirmation! Hats off to Spain for making this group even more interesting. Next round is going to be a rumble.

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By: Tom https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1299689 Mon, 03 Mar 2014 13:39:22 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1299689 Good grief! So that’s

Australia – 4
Spain – 3
Netherlands – 3
Chile – 2

After 2 games. Squeaky bum time!

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By: jeff w https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1298548 Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:08:53 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1298548 The Spanish track was one of my favourites of last year. I’d go as far as to say as the LP version is pretty damn perfect. The ‘club revision’ hasn’t messed things up much, so that’s an easy vote from me. Besides, I want to hear more from Spain in this tournament.

Same goes for the Dutch, a much underrated pop nation IMHO, that can be relied on to produce a fresh perspective on most styles. Bleepy hip hop is sounding good to me right now.

The other two tracks are also very good though.

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By: Erithian https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1297097 Thu, 27 Feb 2014 00:11:59 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1297097 Much easier one to judge. Holland are still niggly, so full of ankle-taps and off the ball fouls that you wonder who buys a season ticket for this stuff. Capable of so much better I’m sure.

Spain are all tiki-taka, spending the first half passing it around the back four to a bafflingly appreciative crowd, and by the time the final whistle blows you’ve started to snooze in your seat and have to be woken up by the caretaker.

Australia don’t keep up the standard of the first match, some good ideas but overall a bit short of flair. Upper mid table nonetheless.

Chile meanwhile start with their own version of tiki-taka but gradually they’re putting moves together that are very easy on the eye, and even though they have the Wenger trait of wanting to walk it into the net, they get there and produce another stylish performance earning top votes again from me.

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By: lartsaegis https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296473 Tue, 25 Feb 2014 19:49:58 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296473 Yeah, really, this one’s pretty much up in the air — although I have Australia picking up the three here, if the reception in the box is any suggestion — even I have to admit it. One commented said last match that they were playing the game as we knew it in 1985 or so, I’d say something similar, excepting that the retro-present stylings on display here are galvanized to win the hearts of fans out here.

Which makes Spain’s bid for vengeance a cagey affair between his track and mine when I try to gauge which track the audience will be into the most. Talabot is a fresh face and a star on the rise out here compared to our Aguayo, a tested and tempered veteran whose songwriting has only gotten better with age and travel. I’m obviously a bit biased but, even so, Spain’s play out here is a complete one-eighty made gracefully and I’m standing just out of the player’s pit loosening my collar, wondering whether or not our cumbia-tinged step can break through it. Even so, I’ve heard deeper, more active tunes that are far less standard issue than this, but doing respect to the classics well enough, this one might just win out. And if my second most optimistic projection for us are correct, the next round is going to be a fucking free for all with the exception of Australia.

Netherlands seems to have taken their foot off the gas with this one, swerving into donuts on the pitch when their last song had more confidence. While Thunder seemed to have had the crowd out on their side in droves, it was way more formidable, disciplined, and appealing on its own than this offering.

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By: thefatgit https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296457 Tue, 25 Feb 2014 18:57:35 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296457 Everybody has upped their game here.

Holland’s players have to tread carefully after their last outing. That might affect their competitive edge, but there’s still plenty to like here. The 16 bit bleeps suggest old skool gameplay, and that’s no bad thing.

Australia push my long-dormant pleasure buttons with their homage to Fleetwood Mac. But it’s how they play their game with an out and out striker and a versatile attacking midfielder pushing up to provide opportunities to score.

There’s plenty to admire from Chile as well, but their approach to this round is undoubtedly surpassed by Spain, who also find their way to another long-dormant pleasure centre with effective overlapping runs from deep.

Close one this, with lots of tight play from all concerned. Not sure how this group will finish.

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By: Matt DC https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296327 Tue, 25 Feb 2014 13:48:00 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296327 Holland may find themselves experiencing some kind of karmic payback for their first game here, because I can’t see them picking up many votes playing like this. Excellent bleepy noises, but Dutch is… perhaps not the greatest language for rapping in. #schwag.

This is fine play from Chile though, I found their first effort a little *too* patient but the work of Matias Aguayo has been a constant joy to me for years and this is a fine effort, excellent squelchy noises and a bounding vocalist upfront make for a combination that is impossible not to admire.

It’s between Spain and Australia for that final vote. The Aussies have hit on a sun-soaked indie pop sound that works for them, and there are hints of Fleetwood Mac’s great early 80s sound here. Respect to Spain for taking the patient route here (especially when there’s a much shorter album version out there) and this is still a gorgeous track, so it’s a tough call that could go either way.

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By: Garry https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296305 Tue, 25 Feb 2014 12:33:17 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296305 I’m so glad my country persons are playing to their strengths ie the guitar. It’s our pop instrument of choice. We’ve had a few keyboards plinkers and knob twiddlers over the years but we’ve never really been good at it. In the 80s our best stuff had guitars even if they just added colour rather than power. Gangajang and INXS and so on. Thus it was into the 90s and 00s.

So I’m glad of this decision to play to our strengths. And I’m glad of the Spanish choice as well. They gave refocused their play into a coherent formation.

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By: Tom https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296274 Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:00:08 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296274 Holland’s route one tactics stunned their opponents in the first game, but this time they’re easier to counter. Direct Eurorap play makes sense in the less tactically astute local leagues but I wonder if that early win was a fluke: you can’t fault the Hydroboyz for effort but they’re having trouble finding the net.

Some of the other managers – I’m thinking Italy and Germany in particular – will be looking on the Aussie gaffer with ill-disguised envy. For a second game running, he’s playing a traditional indie game with real aplomb. This is hard to fault – especially when the side come out for the second half fresher than ever – and it’ll be fascinating to see if he can take this tactic into the head-to-heads of the group stage and win with it. Lovely stuff.

Chile are sticking to their tactics too, and after the side seemed to be playing for a draw last time, here the manager’s thinking is a bit clearer. Good unhurried play, all about setting up a few chances and making the most of them.

Spain are playing a similar game – the most versatile side in the group on this showing, even if there are rumours of disharmony in the training camp. The opportunity is there against a weaker Dutch side, but it’ll need a play or two more before I decide whether this or Chile gets the second vote.

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By: Chelovek na lune https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296035 Mon, 24 Feb 2014 21:30:26 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296035 Netherlands – not unpromising, urban, flowing, but against tough competition this isn’t quite enough to score. At times we think we’ve seen this game before, and on occasion macho posturing takes the place of real confidence and skill.

Chile – starts off WARPishly “Straight outta Sheffield! With a crazy Yorkshireman like LFO!” before getting a bit more evidently transAndean. Nice bouncy rhythm, good overhead passing, some nice long shots up the pitch. And quite a few shots in the right direction. But over the finishing line? Nearly.

Spain – if Chile were taking us to 1990 Sheffield, their one-time colonial masters are taking us to the slightly later early 90s land of deep house. A good place to be. A real Positiva vibe, indeed. Even before listening to the lyrics and getting the scene that is being set. Takes me back to being a 1st year undergraduate in a cold room besides the North Sea, furiously burning incense and learning Slavonic verb conjugations. And a team whose performance just gets better the longer they’re on the pitch: a lengthy show, but not a second too long. One can only wonder how they would wow the crowd in a venue with the finest woofers and tweeters. A stunning performance. A sure-fire winner. Only bettered by…

Australian – the classic Ozzie gift for fluent, sophisticated pop, brilliant and a bit out of time, (Hummingbirds, first incarnation of the Go-Betweens) which rears its head every so often, and goes all too unappreciated by too much of the world (and, indeed, much of Oz), gets a full “back of the net” result here. Truly contributing to the Beautiful Game. Delightful to watch. Perhaps the most assured performance of the competition so far.

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By: CarsmileSteve https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296020 Mon, 24 Feb 2014 20:56:30 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296020 But LOOOOK at the green vinyl!!! :)

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By: lonepilgrim https://freakytrigger.co.uk/pop-world-cup-2014/2014/02/pwc-14-group-b-match-2-netherlands-australia-chile-spain/comment-page-1#comment-1296000 Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:45:36 +0000 https://freakytrigger.co.uk/?p=26301#comment-1296000 The Netherlands want to win ugly but their questionable victory last round makes this ref want to pick up on every tackle and any offside decisions will not be going their way.
Australia adopt a more elegant approach and gel well as a team, their front man a worthy winner.
I’ve grown to enjoy Chile’s patient build up play. Their limited success last round sees them being more assertive when goal scoring opportunities present themselves.
The Spanish manager’s indecision seems to have transferred to the team. They have adopted similar tactics to Chile but without the flair. There are a few nice touches but they rarely break out of their own half.

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