The 2018 World Cup Superthread

Will I Am Not

Pathetic stuff from Panama.

ctrl-alt-delete

Great to see penalties being given for this carry on.

castletownman

Aside from Lingard's great strike, all England's other goals from open play have been either headers or tap-ins direct from set-pieces.

Somewhere, presumably in Magaluf, Big Sam is drunk on his fourth pint of wine, shouting "THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ME, GOD DAMMIT"

Blazer

Corholio wrote: »

Well he should know considering he already had a photo taken with him a few weeks ago and apologised for it, now he's accepting this medal from him. I very much like Salah, but if it was flavour of the month villain Neymar or Ronaldo, people would be enraged.

that's fair enough. But like someone said its very easy to sit behind a keyboard or a phone and refuse a lunatic like this guy, not so easy face to face.
And hell...even our politicians have met and greeted a lot of unsavoury people.
Its part of politics..todays enemies are tomorrows friends and viva versa. Or he's a lunatic but at least he's our lunatic ie Saddam etc.

Christ...Panama are one dirty shower of feckers.

The Talking Bread

Trippier has been very impressive at the dead balls over the last two games,

FourFourRED

adox wrote: »

Sterling can’t finish his dinner for England.

Rashford should get decent minutes in the second half. The team sheet during the week suggested he’d be starting ahead of him.

razorblunt

Why doesn't Godoy get a yellow? How can you give away a penalty for holding and not get carded.

The Talking Bread

double figures..............., surely they will get at least someone sent off as things heat up further

marklazarcovic

Those Panamanians won't finish with ten, could be 9

blueser

Panama are clueless. It's braindead stuff they're playing.

adox

Panama are embarrassing and I’m not even talking about the score line or their ability.

Red cards soon. Or should be.

razorblunt

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Trippier has been very impressive at the dead balls over the last two games,

Trippier has been impressive all his career for that kind of thing.

ctrl-alt-delete

Baddiel and Skinner rolling in royalties here.

blueser

Panama rapidly losing what appeal they might have had. Rough house tactics being deployed now.

The Talking Bread

razorblunt wrote: »

Trippier has been impressive all his career for that kind of thing.

I wasn't disputing this.

RikkFlair

Hungary 10-1 El Salvador is the record for a finals game.

Corholio

Blazer wrote: »

that's fair enough. But like someone said its very easy to sit behind a keyboard or a phone and refuse a lunatic like this guy, not so easy face to face.
And hell...even our politicians have met and greeted a lot of unsavoury people.
Its part of politics..todays enemies are tomorrows friends and viva versa. Or he's a lunatic but at least he's our lunatic ie Saddam etc.

Christ...Panama are one dirty shower of feckers.

Those politicians were hammered for it as well and so should the Egyptian team and Salah. It's also very easy to sit behind a computer and type pro-LGBT stuff or whatever cause they feel they should be in line with for their image etc, actions are a lot harder to do. Being naive once was understandable, twice is just stupid.

Loafing Oaf

For once, I think we can predict the contents of the 'Panama Papers.'

Berserker

Delighted with the score and the performance but we need to take the opposition into account. Are Panama the worst team ever in a WC? How did they manage to qualify? Can't think of a load of teams that didn't qualify who'd be a better opponent.

Gbear

I suppose the problem with England is they've had little trouble qualifying of late and have qualified for a few tournaments with near enough perfect records, but they can't step it up and beat the better teams when they get to the tournament.

They lost narrowly to both Italy and Uruguay last time around. A stubborn Iceland team held them at bay as well in the Euros.
They've a fairly decent draw for the round of 16, and you'd fancy them against Japan easily. Even so, any of the others could well be very tight contests.

Then they're probably on to one of Mexico, Germany, Switzerland or Brazil. Again, it'd probably be tight against Mexico or Swtitzerland. Can't see them beating Germany or Brazil, even with the problems they've had.

They've been the sort of team that when a game becomes a coin toss it keeps landing tails for them.

Corholio

Finishing 2nd in the group is probably better for England draw wise. It'll be interesting to see the lineups for the last game against Belgium.

Arghus

All aboard the hype train. England to go all the way.

I think there's nothing really to be learned about England's quality from this game; Panama are utterly atrocious.

The Talking Bread

Gbear wrote: »

I suppose the problem with England is they've had little trouble qualifying of late and have qualified for a few tournaments with near enough perfect records, but they can't step it up and beat the better teams when they get to the tournament.

They lost narrowly to both Italy and Uruguay last time around. A stubborn Iceland team held them at bay as well in the Euros.
.

You can't compare this England team with the team 2 years ago, never mind 4 years ago!.

blueser

Arghus wrote: »

All aboard the hype train. England to go all the way.

I think there's nothing really to be learned about England's quality from this game; Panama are utterly atrocious.

Not a cat in hell's. And I say that as an England fan.

Gbear

The Talking Bread wrote: »

You can't compare this England team with the team 2 years ago, never mind 4 years ago!.

The point is, we've seen England teams stroll it against ****e teams for years.

They've yet to prove they can cut the mustard in serious games in knockout competition and nobody should be particularly surprised if they come unstuck.

Berserker

Arghus wrote: »

All aboard the hype train. England to go all the way.

Who said that? Nobody with a clue about football would say that based on this game. Belgium will tell us a hell of a lot more than this game.

Arghus wrote: »

I think there's nothing really to be learned about England's quality from this game; Panama are utterly atrocious.

Agree with you but we've played well so far and well deserve our lead. I'm more worried about somebody picking up a serious injury as a result of foul play than scoring more goals at this point. This lot are hatchet men.

The Talking Bread

Arghus wrote: »

All aboard the hype train. England to go all the way.

I think there's nothing really to be learned about England's quality from this game; Panama are utterly atrocious.

Ah, come on, they are playing some very good technical fluid football, amidst a barrage of indiscipline and bullish tactics. They definitely look and arguably at times looked against Tunisia (another poor enough team albeit) like a team with the capability of progressing far

The Talking Bread

Gbear wrote: »

The point is, we've seen England teams stroll it against ****e teams for years.

They've yet to prove they can cut the mustard in serious games in knockout competition and nobody should be particularly surprised if they come unstuck.

The point is you are generalising this team based on the fact they bare the same 7 letter name as other tournament English teams in the past. I think the set up and team, albeit a few of the same players remaining (mainly players who have progressed a lot) has changed a lot since two years ago

Gbear

The Talking Bread wrote: »

The point is you are generalising this team based on the fact they bare the same 7 letter name as other tournament English teams in the past.

I don't think it's blind chance that has led generations of German teams to keep eking out results, and I don't think England opposite tendencies are a coincidence either.

A culture of winning vs one of bottling it. We'll have to wait and see if that's still the case.

Berserker

Stones is on a hat-trick. What were the odds on that before the game?

The Talking Bread

Gbear wrote: »

I don't think it's blind chance that has led generations of German teams to keep eking out results, and I don't think England opposite tendencies are a coincidence either.

A culture of winning vs one of bottling it. We'll have to wait and see if that's still the case.

I don't buy into those sentiments at all these days. Not when it comes to top class athletes.

CSF

You’d swear they had VAR to see that’s offside.

FourFourRED

Quality finish from Kane there!

blueser

CSF wrote: »

You’d swear they had VAR to see that’s offside.

Only it wasn't. Defender's heel played Harry onside.

CSF

blueser wrote: »

Only it wasn't. Defender's heel played Harry onside.

Eh are you sure? Definitely looked off on any replays I’ve seen.

blueser

CSF wrote: »

Eh are you sure? Definitely looked off on any replays I’ve seen.

90%!

StringerBell

Looked off on any replay, benefit of the doubt going to the attacker maybe?

blueser

Berserker wrote: »

Stones is on a hat-trick. What were the odds on that before the game?

I've read somewhere that he now has more WC finals goals than Rooney; that can't be right, can it?

Trigger

blueser wrote: »

I've read somewhere that he now has more WC finals goals than Rooney; that can't be right, can it?

Rooney only has 2 WC goals I think..

The Talking Bread

blueser wrote: »

I've read somewhere that he now has more WC finals goals than Rooney; that can't be right, can it?

2 beats 1 all day

The Talking Bread

astradave wrote: »

Rooney only has 2 WC goals I think..

1. Against Uruguay

blueser

The Talking Bread wrote: »

1. Against Uruguay

I'm amazed at that. I thought it must have been wrong when I saw the stat.

namloc1980

With 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup, it's going to be full of rubbish teams like Panama.

blueser

CSF wrote: »

You’d swear they had VAR to see that’s offside.

https://twitter.com/paddypower/status/1010876763466092544

blueser

The comeback is on!

ERG89

I haven't seen a moment of this but felt bad seeing the Panama fans celebrate a goal.
How in the name of God did the US fail to qualify ahead of these, a seismic achievement in itself

blueser

ERG89 wrote: »

I haven't seen a moment of this but felt bad seeing the Panama fans celebrate a goal.
How in the name of God did the US fail to qualify ahead of these, a seismic achievement in itself

Fair play to them, they celebrated it like it was the winner in the final. Also, good to see their team calmed down in the second half re. the niggly stuff.

Arghus

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Ah, come on, they are playing some very good technical fluid football, amidst a barrage of indiscipline and bullish tactics. They definitely look and arguably at times looked against Tunisia (another poor enough team albeit) like a team with the capability of progressing far

Ah, that was a tounge in cheek remark: I know no-one, well no rational person anyway, is tipping England "to go all the way. " But watch the hype begin to grow if they get a positive result against Belgium: that's when it'll really start, guaranteed.
It could be hype almost pretending to be humility - "we just want to get out there and play without fear" - but it'll be hype all the same.

The BBC coverage at half time gave England nothing but praise. England did play very well but you have to look at the quality of the opposition; Panama were absolutely shocking. That to me is equally as important when you look at not just the result but the manner of the result.

Deeper Blue

The BBC analysis is absolutely nauseating, you'd swear they'd just beaten Brazil a la Germany 2014

I look forward to seeing them crash back to earth when they inevitably go out to Japan/Senegal

blueser

CSF wrote: »

Eh are you sure? Definitely looked off on any replays I’ve seen.

Just seen the freeze frame on RTE; Kane was onside by a country mile!