World Cup General Discussion Thread - 2030 The Jokes On You

****! Colombia in 2018 was on ITV wasnt it though?

 

Did the job well, didnt have to press too hard in the first half as we knew a point was enough. We knew they would have to come out and play eventually and took full advantage when they did.

Ismaila and co will be an interesting match but they play far too open at the back and I fully expect us to take advantage.

Bellingham is just a kid and owning the World Cup so far, great to see.

 

Thanks!
I admire USA athletes. One of the things I admire the most about Americans is the confidence with which they play in every sport regardless of their opponents. Your teams rarely seem fazed even when you're the underdog, or that's how it seems from the outside at least.
There have been many positive comments in serbian media/social media regarding your team at this World Cup (even people who are pretty anti-american say that the way you played have been pretty impressive). Good luck for the rest of the tournament!

 

We’re still soccer minnows. But I love the game so…

 

Sorry idiot is too a strong word.

Because it was incredibly tedious. Like watching Man City beat league 2 opposition in the FA cup instead of the cup upset. One game is a boring formality, the other everything exciting about football.

 

But you would carry on watching if you were a Citeh supporter…

 

My observations on a routine and expected England win tonight:
Both teams were using (different) awful fonts on the back of their shirts.
The pitch looked ropey, with 80s-style mud patches starting to form in each goalmouth.

 

Hoping the headlines on Monday morning read "Sarr Sinks Sorry Southgate's Saps".

 

@reids would be interested on your take on Rashford’s free kick. Seemed like a little more facilitation was done by Rashford’s teammates than you usually see (Shaw as an alternate taker, Maguire and Stones blocking the keeper’s sight line and Henderson seemingly running across the keeper’s sight line). Is this a trend you’re seeing, I.e. direct free kicks becoming more developed as set plays? It seemed right off the training ground to me.

 

Did you stop watching after we went 2-0 up against the scum?

 

Was that a dead rubber from the first minute?

Were we taking off our best players to give them a rest with half an hour to go v Luton?

Do we feel that Wales are the scum?

Was this game perhaps more important for bragging rights than perhaps the whole competition?

Do we feel any sympathy for Luton when smashing in a 4th?

Did anyone jump around celebrating the goals in anything like the same way?


It's a daft comparison.

 

I think the point is, the idea that any English person would be remotely interested in a game between USA and Iran over a game featuring their own country, no matter the circumstances, is extremely absurd. You seem to be in a minority of one in that respect.

 

I can assure you I am not.

 

You certainly would’ve been in the pub I was in last night, I think you might have been lynched if you suggested putting the USA Vs Iran game on instead.

 

You're correct!
My doubles partner and I played Meredith McGrath ( USA) and Patricia Hy ( Canada) in the final round of Wimbledon qualies.

MM was a teenager,fresh from winning the doubles at Edgbaston with Shriver the week before.

As we walked into court at Roehampton she looked at us, through her Oakleys,as if we were something unpleasant on her sneakers!

PH was charming.

They never lack belief!

 

I certainly turned over to the other game when it was 3-0 to get the excitement and tension of the other game where one goal could have changed everything.

 

Harry Maguire have a very good tournament so far. Has looked really excellent at set pieces and solid at the back.

 

True, I went even more traitorous by watching USA - Iran on a river of the US coverage. Hard to believe that American commentators sound more competent, knowledgable and interesting than our ‘first name terms’ jokers.

Apart from Andros Townsend and that bloke he commentates with. They’ve been an actual revelation. Unlike this weird fake love for Jon Champion and Ally McCoist.

 

Have none of you got picture in picture facilities?

Neanderthals the lot of you.

 

Way before then their were only 16 teams . The holders plus the hosts were automatics that only left 14 spots to qualify for !!

 

I heard that last part too, an absolutely bizarre Americanisation if true.

 

So , as I understand , 16 groups of 3 and the top side to go on to the 16s
If you lose your first match how do you qualify without a dead heat ?

 

The top two from each of the 16 groups got through to a knockout of 32 teams.

 

Don't really think the group stage ever tells you much. You're inevitably paired with sides that pose little threat and it's just a case of getting through them.

9 goals in 3 games barely breaking a sweat bodes well though

 

Looking at the other group that finished yesterday, I didn't think the Netherlands have played particularly well but I still expect them to brush the USA aside with relative ease. In Group A thought Ecuador looked pretty good in their first two games but were very poor yesterday when it mattered and are now going home.

 

Yes the 3 hosts get automatic spots. Apparently the plan is for Day 1 to be all three hosts playing their first games in their respective countries.

I think the thing about penalties in group games was being rumoured a few years back but nothing since.

 

I thought England were decent and controlled the game. Wales looked just about the worst side I've seen at the World Cup. Even Qatar at least had a go vs the Dutch. They offered absolutely nothing

 

Ok . So basically 16 cannon fodder teams then ?

 

It was tough for them TBF as it was highly unlikely that they would qualify even had they won .
I also felt sorry for Page regarding Bale and Ramsey. If Wales had negative results then he was going to get criticism whether he started them or not .

 

England v Senegal on Sunday evening? I hope the BBC aren't going to reschedule Country File and Antiques Roadshow just to show this tripe