If asked to be more specific, I'd say that he has a style that doesn't allow him to perform well under any tactic. He's the most comfortable playing a 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 as the left attacking midfielder, or in a 4 - 3 - 3 as the left wing. Playing as a second striker, he looses surprise and space, and playing as a left midfielder, he just lacks the defensive qualities for it (although he does have the stamina to pick up the pace, he just doesn't know where to position himself or how to mark his man when defending).

My statement is not based on the World Cup (I watched him play every week for some time) but I think he is overrated. He makes some good games and he played well this year in Benfica but he looses too much the ball and he is a bad team player. He has that explosion capacity that makes some goals, but not much more.
I think 25 million was a good deal for Benfica.

@Xapi - I am here, just don´t have much to say when discussing Argentina´s players, lol

@Troodonte - How are Ramires playing on Benfica?

I am thinking/hoping that we will have at least 3 South American teams on the semi-finals, with Spain as the odd one.
Brasil will have a hard time against Holland, we don´t have a middfield that matches Holland, but we have a better defense and some good strikers. Wíll be a great match I guess, like Argentina x Germany, that could be the best match of the Cup so far.
The other two games won´t be good ones (another guess), as Paraguay and Ghana will probably play very defensively.

I never knew Real Madrid bought Di Maria (I guess I don't pay attention to transfers in the middle of a tournament) but as a Real Madrid fan, I really don't know why. Ronaldo likes playing on the left and van der Vaart usually does too. Kaka is a playmaker. So where does Di Maria fit? Personally I haven't watched him much, but I really hope he doesn't replace van der Vaart in the squad.

Ramires...amazing! One of the best this year (together with Javi Garcia, David Luiz, Luisão and Fábio Coentrão).
I hope he doesn't leave yet, we still need him next year; and then he can't make a good deal for Benfica.

*can make

Well, I haven't seen Dimaría much besides in the Argentina squad, so you probably know him better than me from Benfica...

Take a look then:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIqAc_DzkcE

I'd like ghana wins uruguay, cos the last game was played horribly by uruguay, and cos ghana won usa, and i enjoyed that.

hehe, nothing to do with your own national pride there then? :P
I'd like to see Uruguay go far - they're a decent team and I like watching them. That said, if one team plays fair whilst the other stretches the rules, I'll immediately support the fairer bunch.

He's an ugly left footed Cristiano Ronaldo.

These two days without matches and the upcoming game against Germany, probably the most important game in the Cup so far, are killing me.

GERMANY WILL WIN FOR SURE

Go Germany
Kill the cocky Argentinian clowns!

As much as I would love to see the Germans wipe the smug grin off Maradona's face I can't see anything but an Argentine victory. If even an off form England can put a couple of goals past them I fear to see what an on form Argentina can do.

@Oct - True enough, but how many can Germany put past Argentina?

Go Brasil!! Holland has no chances!

and I think Germany will beat Argentina...

@ hellalt: Why so much hate?

The defenders in Holland played like a bunch of amateurs in Robinho's goal.

The defending on Robinho's goal was atrocious, and sickening. I do come at this with a bias, as I want this current iteration of Brazil to lose as soon as possible, so they go back to the joga bonito and abandon Dunga's plan to have Brazil play exactly like your stereotypical successful, non-imploding, French team.

Equalizer!

Die Oranje are deadly in set pieces!

HUP HOLLAND HUP!!!!
oranje is a far better colour than yellow

Yes, the Netherlands win again! Against all odds... we're there! Now for the finals: Netherlands-Germany, a classic encounter - and then we'll bust those Germans!

There's a really high chance of a final match being repeated this year:

Uruguay - Argentina 1930
Netherlands - Germany 1974
Netherlands - Argentina 1978

Hm... right now Ghana is leading with 1-0.

I know. I still think it's more likely for Uruguay to reach the final match than Ghana.

God damn it Gyan. If you had scored on the penalty I would have had my fantasy pick exactly correct! Now it's going to shootout.

Hell of a game though. That last sequence of play ending with the handball save was nuts.

Very emotive moments in Ghana - Uruguay.
Penalty missed by ghana in the last moment of extra-time...

Let's see the decision by penalty kicks.

=(