2018 Football World Cup
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@dogmeat said in 2018 Football World Cup:
@rapido said in 2018 Football World Cup:
Their World Cup history is really, really poor IMO. Way underachieve compared to their peer France for example who have won just as many world cups, but have a record of making finals or semis, knocking out favourites etc. actually I'd say Spain and England are very comparable. 1 good tournament then an entire history of tripping at the first slightly difficult hurdle. Although Spain managed to bookend their World Cup generation with 2 x Euros.
I do actually support England. Despite my contempt for their history and record above..
Oh puh-leeze
This is the France that this millennium has lost to Senegal, Denmark, South Africa and drawn with Switzerland, Ecuador, Denmark and South Korea.
they've had two good era's early 80's and the two final appearances (which bookend 2002 when they finished bottom of their group on one point
I think you misunderstand my point.
I'm not choosing to compare them to France because France is consistently awesome. If I wanted to compare them to an awesome football country of similar size, history and economics I'd have chosen Italy.
France, like England, have their flaws and their fallow periods where they entirely miss qualifying or getting out of the group . But France when they're up are capable of beating other top teams in knockouts, including knocking Brazil out twice, make semis and finals as well as win some Euros.
England have tripped at the first hurdle, always. Whether they have a good bunch that year or a mediocre bunch.
Croatia have good quality evenly spread through their team. So if England get past them I'd count that as getting past a peer or better.
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@victor-meldrew said in 2018 Football World Cup:
Yep. That Donald penalty never really went over the bar....
Your eyes are as bad as your maths.
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@chris-b said in 2018 Football World Cup:
@canefan said in 2018 Football World Cup:
They had an epic SF vs West Germany at Italia 90. One penalty shootout away from a meeting with Brazil
Italia 90 - Best Opening Ceremony ever!
Imagine the twitter brigades and outrage mobs comprising journos and internet feminazis if they did that today
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No dog in tonight's fight but if France win, it will be Belgium's first loss in a meaningful, competitive match in 26 outings, when they lost to Wales in Euro 2016
No small feat for France
From the England & Croatia perspective they'll want the match to go to penalties with plenty of bookings and injuries.
Surprisingly there have been few serious injuries in this WC and most teams have been able to pick from full squads.
Head says France, heart says Belgium.
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Like @MiketheSnow have no dog in the fight at all but in terms of my knowledge of the two teams I have heard of 4 Belgies (de Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku and Kompanie) and only one Frog (Griezmann). That makes 4 Superstars (coz if I am conscious of soccer player they must be a Superstar) to 1. Therefore I expect Belgium to win.
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Absorbing game. Belgium giving away possession too easily at the back.
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Very enjoyable first half.
No clue how this one is going to play out
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France open proceedings early in the second half
France 1 - 0 Belgium
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Mpape is really good
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Feel sorry for the Belgians but France was definitely the better side. No way Croatia would beat them but England could snatch it off a set piece.
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@rocky-rockbottom said in 2018 Football World Cup:
Belgits dopey coach pays the price for pickign too many defenders, iHomo. This ain't some parking the bus job for Wigan Athletic fluffybunny. Dembele finally gets to play and he was shit. There's holding your shape and there's flat out refusing to run into gaping open space. Belgone's 3 (?) defensive midfielders left Hazard and DeGroine getting triple teamed.
Dipshit Fellaini loses a header to a dwarf and that's that. You had one job to do, doofus, ONE fucken job.
Loving how you somehow have an autocorrect entry in your dictionary of "iHomo".
Context? Please? -
@rocky-rockbottom said in 2018 Football World Cup:
the fuck is "autocorrect"?
I did wonder - you actually meant "iHomo", rather than "IMHO"?
In which case - colour me apologising/embarassed, and insert gif of "joke flying way over my head" -
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11 July 2018
Croatia – England
Referee: Cüneyt Cakir (TUR)
Assistant Referee 1: Bahattin Duran (TUR)
Assistant Referee 2: Tarik Ongun (TUR)
Fourth Official: Björn Kuipers (NED)
Reserve AR: Sander van Roekel (NED)I note that Conger is one of the 12 referees retained for the last round of games.
