The 2018 World Cup Superthread

sligeach

Have to agree, it was a penalty all day long. The lads in the VAR studio must spin a roulette wheel as to whether they'll intervene or not.

Loafing Oaf

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Nigeria winning is a double-edged sword for Argentina. Now Nigeria have something to play for and the pressure will be on Argentina again. Would a draw be enough for Nigeria to go through?

Provided Iceland don't win.

These teams are so evenly matched. Play 20 times it'd be ten draws and five wins each...

Deeper Blue

Switzerland look a decent side to me

FourFourRED

Shakira, Shakira!

The Swiss have won it!

AidoEirE

One of the goals of the tournament there. Brilliant pass, excellent finish

retalivity

Lovely... Brazil vs Serbia will be a cracker now

The Talking Bread

Did he get a yellow card for that?

Not that I think he deserved one

CSF

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Did he get a yellow card for that?

Doesn’t appear so. Weird.

FourFourRED

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Did he get a yellow card for that?

Not that I think he deserved one

Yep

marklazarcovic

Very enjoyable match that

sligeach

"Shaqiri! Shaqiri, isn't that great? I mean, isn't that just kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?"

Serbia will feel so aggrieved over that penalty not given.

Deeper Blue

marklazarcovic wrote: »

Very enjoyable match that

Best I've seen so far!

* didn't see portugal - spain

sligeach wrote: »

Serbia will feel so aggrieved over that penalty not given.

Stonewaller, sums up the problem with VAR

ERG89

In hindsight Brazil winning was a big result for them today.

CSF

sligeach wrote: »

"Shaqiri! Shaqiri, isn't that great? I mean, isn't that just kick- you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck fantastic?"

Serbia will feel so aggrieved over that penalty not given.

So much more than in a pre-VAR situation. They had the option to review and had people actively watching the footage and chose not to.

Shambolic stuff, and you’d have to question the process.

Corholio

Swiss the much better team overall, fully deserved.

eagle eye

That was a great game of football and to think I looked at the fixture and thought bore 0-0 draw and almost gave it a miss.

Drumpot

ERG89 wrote: »

In hindsight Brazil winning was a big result for them today.

Yeh but the pressure on them will be immense against Serbia until they score. They’ve been less then convincing and I wouldn’t bet on them beating Serbia.

CSF

Drumpot wrote: »

Yeh but the pressure on them will be immense against Serbia until they score. They’ve been less then convincing and I wouldn’t bet on them beating Serbia.

Well they don’t strictly need to. A draw puts them through.

The Talking Bread

applehunter

Why do we need a different presenter for every match with a different panel?

FourFourRED

applehunter wrote: »

Why do we need a different presenter for every match with a different panel?

Agreed. I think they are switching it up way too much.

I’m enjoying ITV a lot more. I tend to switch to them for the punditry and RTE for the actual football. The RTE discussions tend to be a bit boring with a lot of stating the obvious. BBC & ITV do a much better job on creating interesting discussion.

NIMAN

You might have noticed an increasing number of media pieces about the possibility of the Russian team doping.

I have seen pieces in the Irish Times and The Indo over the last 2 days, and I don't do social media but I would guess its rife there too.
https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/world-cup-2018/ewan-mackenna-russians-running-opponents-into-the-ground-at-the-world-cup-and-the-whispers-are-growing-louder-37036671.html

Thing is, I'm starting to wonder if some journo's are launching a witchhunt cos Russia aren't lying down and being stuffed as was expected of them?

OK, so I know the history of doping in Russian sport. They are masters of it. But let's be honest, most nations are at it to some degree nowadays.

As evidence, they say the Russians have been too good, better than they had ever expected in their first 2 games. They've played Saudi Arabia and Egypt ffs, not Spain and Germany! They are the host nation and the crowd are behind them, the players must be buzzing (ok I see the chance of a pun here) and are busting a gut to play well for their country. The Russians are a very proud people.

This IT piece
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/only-fifa-can-say-whether-russia-s-form-is-too-good-to-be-true-1.3540714
basically states the fact that 3 of the top 10 distances covered by players so far are Russian......ok so doesn't that mean that 7 of them aren't Russian? Are those 7 doping too then by their logic?

They also state that Russia as a team have covered the most km of any team. I refer to my earlier point about pride maybe playing a part here, they are busting a gut. Wouldn't you if you were playing a WC in your own country? They kind of roll back a bit themselves here, saying "These stats certainly aren’t abnormal, especially not for a host team cranked up on the national fervour".

OK so maybe the Russians are juiced. They would certainly have balls of steel to be doing it as much as some media are suggesting, considering the eyes of the world are on Russian sportspeople of late. There's other players at WC2018 I would have my doubts about too, but no mention of them in any of these pieces.

irishman86

I dont think ive disliked a player that i really enjoyed like Neymar
He is the biggest dick in football right now

NIMAN

By a country mile.
Absolute tosser.

RicketyCricket

irishman86 wrote: »

I dont think ive disliked a player that i really enjoyed like Neymar
He is the biggest dick in football right now

Why was he crying at the final whistle? They won, he scored. All was good. Unless I'm missing something that meant an awful lot to him. My first thought was that it was all for the cameras.

NIMAN

RicketyCricket wrote: »

Why was he crying at the final whistle? They won, he scored. All was good. Unless I'm missing something that meant an awful lot to him. My first thought was that it was all for the cameras.

To try to take attention away from the fact that he's been awful for 2 full games now, and that he tried to cheat his way to a penalty with one of the worst dives in recent times.

Maybe?

Stephen15

irishman86 wrote: »

He is the biggest dick in football right now

I think Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Diego Costa might have habe something to say say about that

RicketyCricket

NIMAN wrote: »

To try to take attention away from the fact that he's been awful for 2 full games now, and that he tried to cheat his way to a penalty with one of the worst dives in recent times.

Maybe?

I'd say you are spot on sir. Was just wondering if there was something I missed.

Iused2likebusts

He may have been crying because when he got injured with PSG his world cup participation was in doubt and probably had to put in a lot of hard work to make it. Or the fact that the hopes of a football mad nation are on his shoulders and he is feeling the pressure. I can't imagine he is crying for the cameras. Players regularly cry during the national anthem . I don't remember people saying those Ireland rugby players that cried during the national anthem were doing it for the cameras. Playing for your country seems to be a lot more pressure for sportsmen as opposed to playing for your club.

StringerBell

Stephen15 wrote: »

I think Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Diego Costa might have habe something to say say about that

Ramos ain't a dick, people and Costa are worse than him but in terms of sheer petulance, childishness and bitchfittery Neymar is in a league of his own for a long time now.

eagle eye

RicketyCricket wrote:

I'd say you are spot on sir. Was just wondering if there was something I missed.

How about it's because of all the pressure he is under to deliver for Brazil and bury the memories of the 2014 Germany game?

The Talking Bread

RicketyCricket wrote: »

irishman86 wrote: »

I dont think ive disliked a player that i really enjoyed like Neymar
He is the biggest dick in football right now

Why was he crying at the final whistle? They won, he scored. All was good. Unless I'm missing something that meant an awful lot to him. My first thought was that it was all for the cameras.

Of course it was for the cameras and he clearly wasn't crying.

Have few Serbian friends on facebook. Not happy with the German ref, given the persecution they faced at the hands of the Nazis and the Ustase. Or the Kosovar/Albanian links and celebrations of the Swiss players. And then you have the Swiss and German connections.

I guess if Wales beat us 20 years ago, with Loyalist emigrants scoring and celebrating with sash and flute references, and an English ref screwing us, it would test our tolerance.

Stephen15

Stephen15 wrote: »

I think Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Diego Costa might have habe something to say say about that

Legend

Deeper Blue

Was impressed with Belgium going forward earlier, they easily could've scored 10

They don't look the most assured at the back though which makes me think the semis are the best they can hope for

irishman86

Stephen15 wrote: »

I think Pepe, Sergio Ramos and Diego Costa might have habe something to say say about that

Pepe isnt a dick, hes crazy there is a difference and the other two its not even close
I'd go as far as saying Neymar has left Busquets in his wake thats how much a dick he is

ERG89

NDWC wrote:

Was impressed with Belgium going forward earlier, they easily could've scored 10

Unfortunately for Brazil in 2014 they weren't playing Belgium instead of Germany.
Batshuayi (or as my autocorrect calls him Gatsby) could have easily had a hattrick. Despite the clear difference in quality between Tunisia & Belgium I thought Boyata looked poor.
Glad Tunisia are gone unlike a Australia, Peru or Costa Rica Who have struggled they look completely out of their depth.

fyfe79

irishman86 wrote: »

I dont think ive disliked a player that i really enjoyed like Neymar
He is the biggest dick in football right now

Absolutely. Pretending to cry after the Costa Rica game was pure advertising the 'Neymar brand' - fully intent on taking the spotlight away from the other lads who actually won them the game, and bringing the focus back on him.

Minderbinder

Korea are filth.

CantGetNoSleep

Poor Son has the face of someone who knows he is off for two years of military service after this

Corholio

That tackle before the 2nd Mexican goal looked dodgy. Mexico did well but I wouldn't be too big on them, especially in defence and full backs. Lozano was having to do an awful lot coming back at times.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Have few Serbian friends on facebook. Not happy with the German ref, given the persecution they faced at the hands of the Nazis and the Ustase. Or the Kosovar/Albanian links and celebrations of the Swiss players. And then you have the Swiss and German connections.

I guess if Wales beat us 20 years ago, with Loyalist emigrants scoring and celebrating with sash and flute references, and an English ref screwing us, it would test our tolerance.

Nah you got in the wrong way around.

Gbear

That Germany side looks so much more young and dynamic than the the one from last Sunday.

Draxler, Mueller, Reus, Werner is as good a front 4 as you'll see at the tournament.

gormdubhgorm

Gbear wrote: »

That Germany side looks so much more young and dynamic than the the one from last Sunday.

Draxler, Mueller, Reus, Werner is as good a front 4 as you'll see at the tournament.

I am looking forward to this one.
Should be a decent game?

Hard to believe Sweden knocked Italy out in the play off.

dr.kenneth noisewater

CantGetNoSleep wrote:

Poor Son has the face of someone who knows he is off for two years of military service after this

What happens if he refuses? Barred from the country?

eagle eye

Gbear wrote:

Draxler, Mueller, Reus, Werner is as good a front 4 as you'll see at the tournament.

It's really good but I think I'd take Neymar, Douglas Costa, Coutinho and Jesus over them.

I think we'll see a different Germany tonight but the tika taka is susceptible to the counter attack as evidenced by what Mexico did.

ERG89

Rudiger like his partner tonight would not fill you with confidence.

marklazarcovic

That's a pen not given to sweeden

razorblunt

Definite penalty for Sweden in my opinion.

CSF

Another case of selective use of VAR. I mean it’s not as if the people in Moscow can’t see that numerous times and establish that it’s a penalty.