The 2018 World Cup Superthread

Fromvert

FourFourFM wrote: »

Winner of England and Belgium’s group will play Japan in the next round with the second placed team to play Columbia.

No disrespect to Japan but it should drive both of them to do whatever possible for a win tonight which should be good for the viewers.

The bottom half of the draw is where you want to be. The loser of England/Belgium play Colombia who havn't looked very good and then a quarter final against Sweden or Switzerland. England/Belgium should be trying to kick it into their own net as many times as possible if they want to give themselves the best chance of winning it.

Top half - Portugal/Uruguay - France/Argentina - Brazil/Mexico - Japan/England/Belgium
Bottom half - Spain/Russia - Croatia/Denmark - Sweden/Switzerland - Colombia/England/Belgium

IncognitoMan

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Yeah but if you win the group you will highly likely be playing Brazil as opposed to Sweden or Switzerland in the quarter finals.

Sure but looking one ahead is a dangerous game. Colombia could easily knock either England or Belgium. Whereas Japan should hold no fear for either.

Before when it was Japan going onto Sweden/Switzerland is was a no-brainer but now I'm not so sure.

FourFourRED

Fromvert wrote: »

The bottom half of the draw is where you want to be. The loser of England/Belgium play Colombia who havn't looked very good and then a quarter final against Sweden or Switzerland. England/Belgium should be trying to kick it into their own net as many times as possible if they want to give themselves the best chance of winning it.

Top half - Portugal/Uruguay - France/Argentina - Brazil/Mexico - Japan/England/Belgium
Bottom half - Spain/Russia - Croatia/Denmark - Sweden/Switzerland - Colombia/England/Belgium

There might not be a chance to play Sweden/Switzerland if Columbia knock you out. I don’t think England would be looking further than that fixture if they are being honest with themselves.

eagle eye

It'll be a funny one if suddenly the two first teams are out for Belgium and England.

martingriff

Fromvert wrote: »

The bottom half of the draw is where you want to be. The loser of England/Belgium play Colombia who havn't looked very good and then a quarter final against Sweden or Switzerland. England/Belgium should be trying to kick it into their own net as many times as possible if they want to give themselves the best chance of winning it.

Top half - Portugal/Uruguay - France/Argentina - Brazil/Mexico - Japan/England/Belgium
Bottom half - Spain/Russia - Croatia/Denmark - Sweden/Switzerland - Colombia/England/Belgium

I need England to be in top half as I have bet for them to reach the final but also a beet for Spain to win it all

Fromvert

FourFourFM wrote: »

There might not be a chance to play Sweden/Switzerland if Columbia knock you out. I don’t think England would be looking further than that fixture if they are being honest with themselves.

I believe England and Belgium would look at Colombia and think they can beat them as well as Sweden/Switzerland. When they come up against Brazil, Spain, Croatia, Portugal, France the belief of being able to win will still be there but they'd have a lot more doubt. It's straight knock out from here and you want the easiest path.

Laois_Man

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Sure but looking one ahead is a dangerous game. Colombia could easily knock either England or Belgium. Whereas Japan should hold no fear for either.

Columbia are no better than Japan!
Either could beat England
Either could lose to England
It was a **** group!

Iused2likebusts

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Sure but looking one ahead is a dangerous game. Colombia could easily knock either England or Belgium. Whereas Japan should hold no fear for either.

Before when it was Japan going onto Sweden/Switzerland is was a no-brainer but now I'm not so sure.

This is what I was saying earlier forget about who you might face in the quarters. Sure Brazil could get knocked out by mexico and not be in the quarters anyway. Both teams should play to win to top the group and gather momentum and now with the way results went to avoid Colombia. Give me Japan in the round of 16 and a potential quarter with Brazil over Colombia in the last 16 and a 50/50 chance you won't make the supposed easy sweden/ Switzerland quarter final.

DJIMI TRARORE

Early rumours that England make 8 changes,only Pickford, Stones Lingard remain

Fromvert

martingriff wrote: »

I need England to be in top half as I have bet for them to reach the final but also a beet for Spain to win it all

Had a similar bet, Portugal beating France in the final, Spain equalising in the 91st followed by Portugal conceding in the 93rd minutes and my docket was ripped up.

IncognitoMan

Laois_Man wrote: »

Columbia are no better than Japan!
Either could beat England
Either could lose to England
It was a **** group!

Colombia are definitely better than Japan. Japan would be out if it wasn't for the red card in the first game.

England/Belgium would be big favorites against Japan and probably closer to 50/50 with Colombia.

martingriff

DJIMI TRARORE wrote: »

Early rumours that England make 8 changes,only Pickford, Stones Lingard remain

Really looking to let in goals

The Talking Bread

Laois_Man wrote: »

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Sure but looking one ahead is a dangerous game. Colombia could easily knock either England or Belgium. Whereas Japan should hold no fear for either.

Columbia are no better than Japan!
Either could beat England
Either could lose to England
It was a **** group!

Columbia are better than Japan actually...funnily enough

Morzadec

A Quarter Final finish would be a good result for England and they haven't won a knockout game in years.

I think Southgate will fully want to win this game. Possibly giving his country a quarter final against Brazil at the very least would be seen as a superb tournament and I feel he'll have the one game at a time mentality.

However I agree with the posters pointing out the bottom half of the group is easier, and in particular the quadrant including Sweden, Switzerland and Colombia being a nice run to the semis.

Belgium would fear Columbia less, and would see a 2nd place finish as a possible great chance to make a final, with a dodgy looking Spain side the only traditional big hitter or pre-tournament favourite standing between them and the final.

I don't think Belgium will be going out to purposefully lose tonight at all, but I think they will have a little less hunger to win and Martinez will present it as a "result doesn't matter" game.

Just my feeling on this.

Trying to put myself in the shoes of each set of fans, I think if I were English I would really want to top this group, and if I were Belgian I wouldn't really care / would probably want to finish second.

ERG89

It's going to be awkward if Belgium and England players start trying to be booked as neither look to win the game

The Golden Miller

Everyone ready to get behind the three lions?

sligeach

I want to see England get hammered but then they get a handy draw right to the semi's, possibly even the final. It's bizarre that the losers get a better draw. Very lobsided.

Laois_Man

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Colombia are definitely better than Japan. Japan would be out if it wasn't for the red card in the first game.

England/Belgium would be big favorites against Japan and probably closer to 50/50 with Colombia.

You don't know that. If it wasn't for the red card, it's still a 1-0 lead for Japan!

There's been barely anything impressive about Columbia in this World Cup. And now it looks like their best player, James Rodriguez, is injured again with probably the same injury that put him out of that game against Japan.

The Golden Miller

sligeach wrote: »

I want to see England get hammered but then they get a handy draw right to the semi's, possibly even the final. It's bizarre that the losers get a better draw. Very lobsided.

Yup

Arghus

I'm glad that it was Japan's honest way that they play that helped get them out of the group.

sligeach

0-0 full time. 10-9 on the yellow card count.

GreNoLi

That Just Fontaine will never be broken.

~Rebel~

Looking like 18 changes from the 22 players who played their previous respective games.

:-/

sligeach

Dunphy full of crap again. Saying that he's good and praising him. I remember Eamon absolutely slating him when he signed from Everton to Manchester United and for a long time after. Flip flopper.

dastardly00

sligeach wrote: »

Dunphy full of crap again. Saying that he's good and praising him. I remember Eamon absolutely slating him when he signed from Everton to Manchester United and for a long time after. Flip flopper.

It's classic Dunphy just trolling everyone!

An Ciarraioch

Belgium selecting Januzaj, in particular, suggests they're settling for second.

~Rebel~

Vardy looks like he's out there to play at least anyway.

Dick phelan

I'd much rather play Japan then Colombia, really surprised Belgium haven't decided at least go for it a bit, settling for 2nd it seems.

ERG89

An Ciarraioch wrote:

Belgium selecting Januzaj, in particular, suggests they're settling for second.

It'd look more suspicious had they selected Mignolet

The Talking Bread

sligeach wrote: »

Dunphy full of crap again. Saying that he's good and praising him. I remember Eamon absolutely slating him when he signed from Everton to Manchester United and for a long time after. Flip flopper.

In fairness Dunphy was open about this "flip flopping"

Entitled to change his mind.

sligeach

Belguim, what are you thinking? You don't want to win.

It would be funny if they took the lead and then scored a deliberate own goal with the last kick of the game. Disguise it though somehow.

HalloweenJack

Odds on a 0-0 with England picking up a ridiculous amount of yellows?

marklazarcovic

Much better than.i was expecting

ElTel

How many group winners will be able to stay at their base camp an extra week?

sligeach

Yes, a yellow card for Belguim.

IncognitoMan

Rose really should be starting over Young

The Talking Bread

IncognitoMan wrote: »

Rose really should be starting over Young

he is.............

IncognitoMan

The Talking Bread wrote: »

he is.............

Yes in this B team game. When they get to the knockout game he should keep his position............ Better? :pac:

An Ciarraioch

Dendoncker taking one for the team.

ERG89

The English Glenn Whelan is something I never thought I'd hear.

davycc

ERG89 wrote: »

The English Glenn Whelan is something I never thought I'd hear.

The most apt description of Eric Dier I've ever heard.
Stealing a living imho

FourFourRED

Great goal from Januzaj! 0-0 my a**e

sligeach

Ah Belguim, we know you're the better team but you don't have to prove it.

Dick phelan

Cracking goal not been a bad game given it's mostly their B teams.

ERG89

Ronnie Whelan enjoying the sad English fans a bit too much.

sligeach

Don't worry England, hopefully Belguim will let you score near the end. They're just teasing.

sligeach

sligeach wrote: »

Don't worry England, hopefully Belguim will let you score near the end. They're just teasing.

Don't think they are reading this

Utopia Parkway

Eric Dire.

jbt123

The intermittent chorus of 'god save the queen' always dampens my good wishes for the 3 lions.

She's probably watching Eastenders..

CantGetNoSleep

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

Belgium selecting Januzaj, in particular, suggests they're settling for second.

Does it yeah?