World Cup match chat

[Foley]

Great result for us. Brazil were much better than Belgium.

Really? I think that Belgium have much better players and are a far better team than the over hyped Brazilians

 

[brassmonkey]

Great result for us. Brazil were much better than Belgium.

Really? I think that Belgium have much better players and are a far better team than the over hyped Brazilians

Really? The game I saw brazil had 3 or guilt edge chances. Probably should have had a penalty or 2. Had most of the posession.
Belgium had a couple of half chances and a lucky goal plus one great finish. Belgium are a v good side but brazil were better.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

A very enjoyable match. Brazil had enough chances to win it, but (as Monsieur Cliche would have said) goals win games.

If I comes down to it (and personally I think that's a pretty large 'if') I'd rather face Belgium than Brazil, although I thought the Belgians got their tactics right tonight.

 

[Gary Baldi]

The Ref tonight did a good job on Neymar. Why does such a talented footballer stoop to such a low level to win games? He's one of the most talented footballers in the world with a self entitlement that Donald Trump would be jealous off. Bye bye Neymar, go and orchestrate your move to Real Madrid. And pay your taxes

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Neymar got his comeuppance tonight. I really despise all his histrionics and play acting. Regardless of how talented he is as a player, his attitude and willingness to decieve, contrive and outright cheat epitomises everything that is wring with football at the highest level.

Rant over...as you were

 

[tonyw]

If I comes down to it (and personally I think that's a pretty large 'if') I'd rather face Belgium than Brazil, although I thought the Belgians got their tactics right tonight.

Tend to agree that it's a pretty large 'if'. Reckon France will be clear favorites going into that one. Yes, Hazard & De Bruyne were magnificent today, but they're going to find it much harder when they've got Kante snapping at their heels all game, and I think Umtiti & Varane are better equipped to deal with Lukaku (i.e. they're not going to get destroyed for pace like the Brazilians were). Fellaini will also find it harder to physically overpower Pogba than it was Fernandinho/Paulinho.
Meanwhile Griezman & Mbappe are going to have some fun against that Belgian back line.

You never know in a single knockout game of football - but my money's on the French.

 

[tonyw]

So Croatia it is.....

Think I marginally prefer that - they're a much more talented side than Russia (or Colombia, or Sweden) but the Russians had that host nation headwind going which can be hard to stop. Croatians also looked a little banged up as well (apart from Modric, who was the Energizer Bunny out there).

Going to be epic!!

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I really couldn't make my mind up who I preferred to go through to play England in the semi. Croatia the team with the better players, but looked a bit disorganised at times (esp at corners). Russia would have had the crowd behind them, more of a team ethic and more difficult to score against - but less threatening.

 

[Gary Baldi]

I can't think the locals will be backing Croatia after losing like that. Fascinating game coming on Wednesday.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Less chance of the England team being poisoned or their families being held hostage now I would think....

 

[brassmonkey]

Got a sneaky feeling it will go to pens. With us victorious.

 

[Gary Baldi]

Less chance of the England team being poisoned or their families being held hostage now I would think....

I think anyone would be scared of Rebekah Vardy on the warpath. Even Putin

 

[tonyw]

Here's another random thought about this world cup......the number of red cards per tournament, since they expanded to 32 teams, has gone:

1998: 22
2002: 17
2006: 28
2010: 17
2014: 10

But so far in 2018, with only four matches to go, we've had a grand total of four sendings off....and I don't think any of them has been controversial.

Now I know the refs have been decidedly lenient in handing out the cards this year, and we've complained at times about some of that (Hi again, Colombia!). But maybe this has actually been a reason why this has been such a good tournament? Refs haven't been deciding the games, and fewer teams have been compelled by numbers to go into bus parking mode?

I've always thought that I'd rather have a ref that's swallowed his whistle than one who loves to be the centre of attention. This World Cup has perhaps benefitted from a lot of that?

 

[Foley]

Really? The game I saw brazil had 3 or guilt edge chances. Probably should have had a penalty or 2. Had most of the posession.
Belgium had a couple of half chances and a lucky goal plus one great finish. Belgium are a v good side but brazil were better.

One penalty and the rest were dives.
In the first half Belgium were by far the best team.
In the second Brazil played well but they were two down by then. Ultimately Brazil couldn't shoot straight. Brazil ould have got back in the game and played well but if you any shoot straight you deserve nothing.
Incidentally player by player I reckon Belgium are better than Brazil who during the tournament were average.

 

[holdsteady]

France get the big first goal, yet another goal from the tournament that has seen the return of the set piece, a definite effect of VAR making cheating harder when defending them.

 

[tonyw]

Yeah, as expected the French were, unlike Brazil, more than a match for the Belgians. If Giroud hadn't played like a complete moron, they'd have won that one comfortably.

After mailing in the group stage, in which they did the bare minimum to win the group, they've been comfortably the best side in the competition since the knockouts started.

Course that doesn't mean they can't be beaten in a one off game!

 

[Oldham]

Yeah, as expected the French were, unlike Brazil, more than a match for the Belgians. If Giroud hadn't played like a complete moron, they'd have won that one comfortably.

After mailing in the group stage, in which they did the bare minimum to win the group, they've been comfortably the best side in the competition since the knockouts started.

Course that doesn't mean they can't be beaten in a one off game!

I’m so pleased you typed those last two lines..?

 

[Sarge]

watching France was like watching boring Arsenal of a few years back..... nicked a goal and basically parked two f*****g buses

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I didn't think France were brilliant, I just think Belgium had an off day.

I am glad France won, if we get to the final I think they have less individual talent than Belgium - although I will admit they are not easy to score against.

 

[BristolOx]

Really enjoyed this: Croatia v England: 'Maybe, just maybe, this time it will be different' http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44785165