World Cup 2018

[Boone]

I have been let down by England so many times in the past.

Me too. The whole taxation without representation thing was a real bummer. Never really gotten over it.

On a more serious note, I'm rooting for my cousins across the pond. Go England!

 

[Knightingale]

Me too. The whole taxation without representation thing was a real bummer. Never really gotten over it.

On a more serious note, I'm rooting for my cousins across the pond. Go England!

Bloody Colonists!!! Always complaining

I'm not really a soccer person, never seen the point in the domestic game. It's a weird thing that I've always been far more drawn to the U.S. Sports that the U.K. ones. Wife says I should have been born over there rather than here. LOL However Internationals are where I start to get interested from a purely patriotic point of view.

We've been so bad for so long (story of my sporting life!) that just like with the Skins most England fans refuse to get hopes up too high.

Feels a little different this year. Not saying we'll win the cup, but we feel more like a team this year. Most years we've been a collection of very talented players (Beckham, Rooney etc) but never felt like a TEAM. This year we feel like a team, which is refreshing.

It's also a really odd World Cup this year, kinda reminds me of last years NFL playoffs in that way. All the big names are dropping like flies. Kind feels a little like the weirdness of the QB situation in the playoffs last year. It feels like a year when something weird is going to happen.

 

[Elephant]

Yup, I'm with Neo on this...Croatia and England, although Croatia looked a little pedestrian yesterday.

 

[Neophyte]

Yup, I'm with Neo on this...Croatia and England, although Croatia looked a little pedestrian yesterday.

I think they had help though, El. That Danish team is better than it's given credit for, IMHO. Hell, before yesterday they were undefeated in 18 straight matches and they had to qualify in Europe, the toughest FA in the world advance out of.

If England can get by Columbia tomorrow, I think they have a real shot at making the Semi's or even the Final. Not sure they can win it with France and Brazil still alive in the other bracket though, and that is without mentioning both Belgium and Uruguay. The next two weeks are going to be really interesting for sure.

 

[Elephant]

I think they had help though, El. That Danish team is better than it's given credit for, IMHO. Hell, before yesterday they were undefeated in 18 straight matches and they had to qualify in Europe, the toughest FA in the world advance out of.

If England can get by Columbia tomorrow, I think they have a real shot at making the Semi's or even the Final. Not sure they can win it with France and Brazil still alive in the other bracket though, and that is without mentioning both Belgium and Uruguay. The next two weeks are going to be really interesting for sure.

Yeah, as I watched some of the play, I thought that this is a Dane team that did make the finals just 2 cups ago. I know it can be an eternity, just remembering they've fielded a world class team for a decade.

It will be interesting to see who makes it out of the Brazil v ???? and Uruguay v France bracket. Any one of those 4 can win it all, assuming the Belgians get past Japan.

 

[Neophyte]

Dear god, England. My heart can't take that.

 

[Elephant]

Dear god, England. My heart can't take that.

I have never seen a team go up 3 to 2 with 2 shots left miss both to lose. many times it will end in a tie, most times it means a win, but that was crazy!

 

[Elephant]

Did I over estimate the Croats, or is Russia a good team?

 

[Boone]

Russian coach is such an ass - can't wait until he sucks defeat

 

[Burgundy Burner]

All Europe final four. No Asia. No South America. No Africa. That seems very odd, but kudos to Croatia.

 

[Neophyte]

Did I over estimate the Croats, or is Russia a good team?

I think it's possible they peaked too early and played their best footie in the group stage.

All Europe final four. No Asia. No South America. No Africa. That seems very odd, but kudos to Croatia.

No South America is a bit odd, sure, although not unheard of. Anyone from Asia or Africa getting to the Final Four would be news though. 2006 was the last time we had an all Europe Final Four and 2002 was the last time we saw a side from anywhere other than Europe and South America make the Final Four. It was South Korea and they were hosting the tournament so had a home field advantage.

 

[Elephant]

Having lost interest in soccer, mostly because of the play from players like Neymar...great player but takes a dive and acts like a little girl too often, I just don't watch as much as I once did.

This World Cup?

Easily one of the better in memory. I have seen such great soccer, especially in the elimination round, and have found myself much more interested than in year's past.

 

[Chris]

Agree on Neymar. Wish the divas were reserved for NFL receivers.

I watched parts of every game in Europe. They were broadcast there without announcers...what a treat.

 

[Neophyte]

I read an article about Neymar and the diving. Apparently a big part of that is the way the Brazilian FA now has officials calling matches there.

Contact = foul. Period.

Totally different from how the game is called anywhere else in the world and totally different to how those same officials will call international matches. Even though Neymar has now played for years in Spain and France, this is how he was trained growing up. He is also unlike many of his fellow countrymen in that he did not grow up playing street futbol where there is a lot of contact. He has been in organized, club soccer since an early age so there have always been officials there to call the match and they called it very tight.

Not that I am defending him. His antics bother me too. Just found the explanation of how he got to be like this interesting.

 

[Knightingale]

I have never seen a team go up 3 to 2 with 2 shots left miss both to lose. many times it will end in a tie, most times it means a win, but that was crazy!

That was a genuine heartstopper.

It honestly looked for a moment like the England penalty curse had struck again.

Then we had a genuinely good showing against Sweden the other night which has folks here so optimistic. #Itscominghome has been trending like crazy over here.

(If you don't know the reference for the hashtag.... Lightning Seeds)

I'm still way too pessimistic to hope quite yet. I think we stand a good chance against Croatia, but France would be really tough if we made it that far.

Still there is a spark of hope in there somewhere....

 

[Boone]

I see that the World Cup Final begins at 11 a.m. EST on Sunday. Do you guys know, will the match actually start at that time, or is kickoff delayed some? I have a family event scheduled for 1:30 p.m. that day and I'm trying to figure out if the game (assuming it's won in regulation) will be over by then?

 

[Neophyte]

I see that the World Cup Final begins at 11 a.m. EST on Sunday. Do you guys know, will the match actually start at that time, or is kickoff delayed some? I have a family event scheduled for 1:30 p.m. that day and I'm trying to figure out if the game (assuming it's won in regulation) will be over by then?

Pretty sure that is actual kick-off, Boone. If won in regulation it should be well done by your family event.

 

[Elephant]

I read an article about Neymar and the diving. Apparently a big part of that is the way the Brazilian FA now has officials calling matches there.

Contact = foul. Period.

Totally different from how the game is called anywhere else in the world and totally different to how those same officials will call international matches. Even though Neymar has now played for years in Spain and France, this is how he was trained growing up. He is also unlike many of his fellow countrymen in that he did not grow up playing street futbol where there is a lot of contact. He has been in organized, club soccer since an early age so there have always been officials there to call the match and they called it very tight.

Not that I am defending him. His antics bother me too. Just found the explanation of how he got to be like this interesting.

It sounds like a journalist just trying to minimize his antics. There is no excuse for lying on the ground faking agony when you were barely touched and FIFA needs to enforce the penalty they created for this now that they're using VAR. If he grew up where any contact is a foul, then he learned to use deviousness to initiate the call from the referee, dishonesty then...just as now.

 

[Chris]

Paul Pierce would be proud of Neymar.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

I see that the World Cup Final begins at 11 a.m. EST on Sunday. Do you guys know, will the match actually start at that time, or is kickoff delayed some? I have a family event scheduled for 1:30 p.m. that day and I'm trying to figure out if the game (assuming it's won in regulation) will be over by then?

11am EDT. Otherwise you will miss the first hour.