World Cup

[Octavious]

So little respect for the African teams. They're not at the level of Europe or South America, but they're not too far off.

[yavuzovic]

Croatia, oh yeah!
Hahahahah

[Octavious]

I think the happiest people after watching the Croatia Denmark game will be the Russians.

[ksako8]

I think the happiest people after watching the Croatia Denmark game will be the Russians.

Agreed

[ksako8]

Not too many people happy after watching that game though. Very little entertainment

[Kingdroid]

Idk schmeichel was very entertaining to watch

[rdrivera2005]

Comparing Saturday's games with today's games shows how really unbalanced are the draws.

[Octavious]

You think so? I think it just confirms how open the tournament is this year. After the first round of the group stage it would be hard to argue against anyone saying Portugal and Spain were favourites to make the final. Now they're out, with their places taken by what was described as the worst Russian side in a generation, and a pretty ordinary Uruguay. I wouldn't bet my house on any of the games coming up, or on any team to win the tournament.

Except for Belgium beating Japan, of course.

[Kingdroid]

You think so? I think it just confirms how open the tournament is this year. After the first round of the group stage it would be hard to argue against anyone saying Portugal and Spain were favourites to make the final. Now they're out, with their places taken by what was described as the worst Russian side in a generation, and a pretty ordinary Uruguay. I wouldn't bet my house on any of the games coming up, or on any team to win the tournament.

Except for Belgium beating Japan, of course.

I gotta be honest, I never thought Portugal or Spain were going to the final. Even in their 3-3 draw with each other it was basically Ronaldo hard carrying portugal and creating goals out of thin air, and then Spain looked pretty mediocre in the other 2 group stage games as well. Russia beating Spain so handily was still a shock, as Russia was lucky to make it out of groups, but i think you might be underselling uruguay.

[TrPrado]

I’m no longer shocked by Russia’s performance. We mustn’t forget. It’s FIFA in Russia.

[RoganJosh]

I don't think it was Russia's performance that was shocking this time, I think it was Spain's.

[Kingdroid]

Honestly I feel so bad for Japan. They played really well, really efficiently. Put up way more of a challenge than they had any right to. Their defense was incredible as well.

On the note of Belgium: They played really well in the first half, obviously struggled in the start of the second. Chadli was incredible as soon as he came on, and of course the Fellaini goal was a huge impact as well. The subs were what saved this game. Lukaku, though, needs to figure out what he was doing. He was absolutely abysmal. The best thing he did all game was *not* touch the ball to give Belgium the win.

Japan almost made this forum look silly lmfao

[Octavious]

Japan almost made this forum look silly lmfao

Pah. The Japanese angered whatever spirits look upon the game when they played to lose in their last group game. They are by far and a way the worst team in the world cup, and it's only fitting that they get booted back home despite playing their best game after limping out of the groups playing their worst.

[Jamiet99uk]

Nonsense. The Japanese did not play to lose in that game - they played to avoid the possibility of getting booked, due to the possibility of qualifying via the "fair play" rule. Entirely sensible in the circumstances. If the object of the game was to be entertaining above all else, you'd have a panel of judges at pitch-side, awarding scores like they do in figure skating or on Strictly Come Dancing.

[rdrivera2005]

Nonsense. The Japanese did not play to lose in that game - they played to avoid the possibility of getting booked, due to the possibility of qualifying via the "fair play" rule. Entirely sensible in the circumstances. If the object of the game was to be entertaining above all else, you'd have a panel of judges at pitch-side, awarding scores like they do in figure skating or on Strictly Come Dancing.

I have to agree with Jamiet on this one. They played by the book when they were already losing the game and still qualifyng. You can argue if this rule makes sense, but they played accordingly.

I think England has the best chance to reach a final in decades. On the other side there is France, Uruguay, Brasil and Belgium. Any of them can reach the final.

[Octavious]

Firstly professional football is an entertainment industry.

More to the point, they spent over half an hour playing to lose 1-0. Not only was this an insult to the spirit of the game, not only was it sticking two fingers up to any fans unfortunate enough to travel to Russia to support them, but it was shamefully cowardly play in which they gambled their entire future on Senegal not scoring. It was pathetic.

[Octavious]

Seriously, jamie, rdrivera, how is leaving your fate in another teams hands when you still have the ability to control your own fate good play? You are making a bet that only makes any sense if you believe that you're shit.

[RoganJosh]

If they thought that when going all attack, the probability of scoring a late equalizer was less than the probability of allowing 0-2, then their decision makes perfect sense. Man, a Polish counterattack to 0-2 would really have made them look stupid.

[Octavious]

Not half as stupid as doing nothing would have made them look if Senegal had got a goal. If your strategy is to not attack the bottom team in your group because you're scared they are better than you then you don't deserve to be there. How pathetic non entities like them are allowed to play when nations like Italy, the Ivory Coast, and the US struggle to qualify in more competitive regions is a stain on the tournament.

[Kingdroid]

Not half as stupid as doing nothing would have made them look if Senegal had got a goal. If your strategy is to not attack the bottom team in your group because you're scared they are better than you then you don't deserve to be there. How pathetic non entities like them are allowed to play when nations like Italy, the Ivory Coast, and the US struggle to qualify in more competitive regions is a stain on the tournament.

I agree in some respects. I think Japan is much better than other teams that were at the tournament as well, such as Panama. Teams like Panama qualify purely from the truly terrible officiating that exists in concacaf.