Russia World Cup 2018 Thread

I concede that England's lack of anyone to hold onto the ball and pass it about in midfield may be more costly now that the knock-out games are played with less days between matches. But that may not matter if Croatia are exhausted tomorrow and are easily beaten.
 
Not to mention Croatia have had two very long matches AND two penalty shoot-outs.
If I was England's coach I would plan to move the ball around so much during the first 60 minutes, wear down Croatian player's legs and then to overwhelm them with quick players like Sterling and Lingard in the 30 minutes.
Extra Time would also benefit England, but I would definitely try to avoid Penalties at all costs because Croatia have been there twice and will be able to handle the pressure better than England.
 
WhoAteMeDinner said:
@bsmaff

And as for the best teams winning the big tournaments, I can name three over the last two decades where that certainly did not happen: Brazil at USA '94, Denmark at Euro '92 and Greece at Euro '04.
The Brazil team were better with their studs and elbows than their flicks and tricks and Denmark did not even qualify for the euros and Greece were long ball merchants on steroids.
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IMO opinion no doubt Greece was the biggest shock in an International tournament I have ever witnessed and ever will witness - They were a complete average team, but played the right tactics every game and won the tournament.

Denmark had a pretty good team in '92, and in the final had an incredibly performance from Schmeichel to win it.

Brazil '94 they had a good side and Romario up front. It might have been a different story if Baggio wasn't injured in the final, as for me Baggio in '94 was the best individual performance of anyone in a WC or Euro's which I remember.
Sorry don't remember much of Maradona at '86, I was 5.
 
bsmaff said:
IMO opinion no doubt Greece was the biggest shock in an International tournament I have ever witnessed and ever will witness - They were a complete average team, but played the right tactics every game and won the tournament.

Denmark had a pretty good team in '92, and in the final had an incredibly performance from Schmeichel to win it.

Brazil '94 they had a good side and Romario up front. It might have been a different story if Baggio wasn't injured in the final, as for me Baggio in '94 was the best individual performance of anyone in a WC or Euro's which I remember.
Sorry don't remember much of Maradona at '86, I was 5.
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Dunga and Leonardo and co gave the Divine Pony Tail alot of digs and kicks, not a Brazil team in my view. The last proper Brazil team was 1990, since then thay are just hard men and one or two talented players up front each time.

As for Mexico '86, was a tiny bit older than you and my first World Cup I can remember well. (Waiting six months for an official FIFA World Cup Pack with stamps, posters pens, etc) sticks in the mind. FIFA gangsters as ever.
:R1:R1:R1
 
WhoAteMeDinner said:
Dunga and Leonardo and co gave the Divine Pony Tail alot of digs and kicks, not a Brazil team in my view. The last proper Brazil team was 1990, since then thay are just hard men and one or two talented players up front each time.
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The 2002 Brazil team was great. Obviously there was Ronaldo and Rivaldo upfront which gives any team a chance but also the likes of Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos etc... amazing team and played some of the best World Cup football I've seen.
 
peterc10 said:
The 2002 Brazil team was great. Obviously there was Ronaldo and Rivaldo upfront which gives any team a chance but also the likes of Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos etc... amazing team and played some of the best World Cup football I've seen.
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Cafu yes, Roberto Carlos, no, unless you like chicken legs. As for Rivaldo......

 
Look who awaits England.....Merde.......:SHOCK::SHOCK::SHOCK:

napoleon-bonaparte-AB.jpeg
 
I've been looking forward to the game all week - and whatever happens, I'm proud of the team - but suddenly this morning I'm really nervous.

To be so close to a first final in over 50 years...
 
Not many things feel worse than the empty feeling of watching your team lose in a knockout game. Always feel like I just wanna get hammered. Still, chin up.

It's comin' ome.
 
The good thing about football (I'm not particularly a fan of any other sport) is, besides the fact that when it's played right it is a beautiful game to watch, how emotions get involved.
For example, right now, people from England must feel tickly, anxious, nervous. For many reasons: The match itself, the idea of losing, the idea of getting through to the first final in many many years.
I remember feeling that way before Argentina-Netherlands in Brazil 2014. Then something quiets you down for a few hours - "it's just a fucking football game! - you don't earn any money - what are you so nervous about about?" that does the trick for a while. Then you forget about it and the emotional rollercoaster takes your for another spin.

Then you go through a whole new bunch of emotions during the match. When so many feelings are involved, it's hard to analyse the game itself. And when it's over, you feel like you forgot about many things that went down until someone tells you about them, or you watch them over on Youtube/TV again.

It's amazing. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'd rather go through all those emotions a thousand times, even when the final result is not the best and you're left with a sour taste in your mouth than live without the anxiety and Ups-and-downs feelings you're left with sometimes.
 
Chuny said:
The good thing about football (I'm not particularly a fan of any other sport) is, besides the fact that when it's played right it is a beautiful game to watch, how emotions get involved.
For example, right now, people from England must feel tickly, anxious, nervous. For many reasons [...] Then something quiets you down for a few hours - "it's just a fucking football game! - you don't earn any money - what are you so nervous about about?" that does the trick for a while.
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Funny you make a post like this - I read an article on the BBC this morning that has a very similar tone, and I read it thinking "great article".

BBC SPORT: Maybe, just maybe, this time it will be different

Love one of the first lines - "football is sold as winning". How true that is.
 
Chris Davies said:
Funny you make a post like this - I read an article on the BBC this morning that has a very similar tone, and I read it thinking "great article".

BBC SPORT: Maybe, just maybe, this time it will be different

Love one of the first lines - "football is sold as winning". How true that is.
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I'll give that one a read mate. But, beforehand, I think the one you linked is probably worded 100x times better than my little post. Just had a re-read and it came out a lot worse than I initially thought.
 
France is on another level. Croatia is better team imo but a very tired one, yet England is in great shape but makes amateur mistakes.

Neither team is equal to France so it seems to be a boring final we are heading into.

Hope im wrong.
 
gabe.paul.logan said:
France is on another level. Croatia is better team imo but a very tired one, yet England is in great shape but makes amateur mistakes.

Neither team is equal to France so it seems to be a boring final we are heading into.

Hope im wrong.
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But did you mean "slaughter house" in what sense specifically? I didn't understand it :(
 
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