The 2018 World Cup Superthread

Commentators are doing my head in with the VAR stuff. Saying that Ramos was being fouled when he was holding as much as the Russian lad was.

The Talking Bread

Good stuff. If this game, was to be decided by a 117 th minute penalty after a borderline foul on Ramos, of all people, I would be sickened.

Not that I am cheering either of them on

Loafing Oaf

Who's the guy who looks like Nigel Farage who's always beside Infantino? Think he might be Russian PM...

marklazarcovic

Sooner they start booking players for playing for pens on the var reviews the better

Gbear

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Who's the guy who looks like Nigel Farage who's always beside Infantino? Think he might be Russian PM...

Dmitry Medvedev, isn't it? Himself and Putin swap roles every so often so they can pretend he's not a dictator.

Will I Am Not

It would be cruel to have the excitement of penalties snatched away now after watching that.

The Talking Bread

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Who's the guy who looks like Nigel Farage who's always beside Infantino? Think he might be Russian PM...

Dmitry Medvedev. Doesn't look like Farage though tbh, more George Osborne if e are talking UK politicians!

Loafing Oaf

ERG89 wrote: »

To say Spain aren't what they were is an understatement. I think they hoped to get through the game without Iniesta but couldn't even manage to do that.

Thing is, they weren't a million miles from this in their 'glory years.' Won every knockout match 1-0 in 2010. Had any of those teams got lucky with a penalty equaliser those matches could gave ended up like this.

chopperbyrne

Hamilton with a beauty: "Spain have no cutting edge, like airport cutlery, plastic, not incisive. Like plastic, not Toledo steel."

Iused2likebusts

Ddg the best keeper in the world but what is his record like saving penos. I can't recall him saving too many.

FixdePitchmark

Spain are very ordinary - no pace to anything they do.

This slow build up play - doesn't seem to work in modern Football

charolais0153

Alinfeev isnt a bad keeper. Ddg is doubtful

FixdePitchmark

charolais0153 wrote: »

Alinfeev isnt a bad keeper. Ddg is doubtful

YOu can't use your feet on penos

So ddg - fecked

FixdePitchmark

lucky

Loafing Oaf

A right Koke-up there.:P

FixdePitchmark

DGD should have got to that

charolais0153

Ddg has to save one???
Aspas???

charolais0153

Aspas...typical

The Talking Bread

Jesus.........

England have every chance no of getting to the WC final! Crazy!

raiders11

England cockiness gonna get worse now

Sprinter Sacre

F*ck sake

charolais0153

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

YOu can't use your feet on penos

So ddg - fecked

Ehhhhhh..you can!:)

Will I Am Not

Glad to see the back of them. That was boring af.

eagle eye

And Spain are out and deservedly so, they were pathetic for most of that game. They had the talent to have this over early but did nothing.

Deeper Blue

I was reading last week that Aspas had the best penalty record of any player at the tournament, was sure he'd score!!

ERG89

Loafing Oaf wrote:

Thing is, they weren't a million miles from this in their 'glory years.' Won every knockout match 1-0 in 2010. Had any of those teams got lucky with a penalty equaliser those matches could gave ended up like this.

They had Alonso, Xavi & Iniesta in midfield now they are relying on players a level below that. Some of them are older too the likes of Busquets, Silva & Iniesta were still key.
Seems fitting that set piece maestro Aspas missed the last penalty.

raiders11

Croatia, real live contenders now....

jbt123

NDWC wrote: »

I was reading last week that Aspas had the best penalty record of any player at the tournament, was sure he'd score!!

Thought he was going to break into a Zaza run ar one stage in the run up.. he looked terrified taking it.

eagle eye

raiders11 wrote:

Croatia, real live contenders now....

Croatia need to win tonight which won't be easy for them.

The Talking Bread

Nice to see the Spaniards losing a penalty shootout all the same

Ultimate Seduction

The most boring world cup winners in history knocked out delighted for Russia.

NIMAN

What odds are England?

adox

Worst game I’ve seen in the tournament so far.
Spain trying to sleep walk their way to the quarters. You can’t really blame the Russians for being so negative.

Spain didn’t really deserve anything. They didn’t try enough to win it. Went out with a whimper to a hugely inferior team.

The Talking Bread

Who do Russia play next? Denmark/Croatia winners?

StringerBell

Have you heard yet?

It's coming "home"

Nah still expect them to bottle it as soon as that weight of expectation sets in

martyos121

NIMAN wrote: »

What odds are England?

6/1, favourites in their half of the draw. I’d fancy Croatia over them but I’m not betting on anything now. Most open World Cup in this millennium.

Benimar

Think I better start getting my head around the idea that England might win this.

blueser

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

DGD should have got to that

I thought he was poor in the shootout. He could (should?) have got to a couple of those penalties.

fyfe79

raiders11 wrote: »

Croatia, real live contenders now....

They're the best team in that side of the draw - should make the final.

Panthro

No morata no point

Loafing Oaf

adox wrote: »

Worst game I’ve seen in the tournament so far.
Spain trying to sleep walk their way to the quarters..

blueser

Benimar wrote: »

Think I better start getting my head around the idea that England might win this.

We won't. We haven't got the bottle to go all the way. If we can get past Colombia (not a given by any means), we might get to the semi final.

eagle eye

They were fantastic to watch in 2010, the skill on display is probably unmatched in World Cup history. Xavier, Iniesta, Villa, the master that was Puyol at the back. They had a magnificent full back who went on to become a great centre back who goes by the name Sergio Ramos.
If you call that team boring then I'd hate to see what you call exciting because it certainly would t be up to that standard.

brianregan09

https://soundcloud.com/brian-oregan-932825069/bp-zone-episode-30

Here's our World Cup podcast lads have a listen

martyos121

Suddenly I’m a lot happier that I drew Croatia in the sweeps.

An Ciarraioch

The Talking Bread wrote: »

Who do Russia play next? Denmark/Croatia winners?

Yes, with that quarter-final on the same side on the draw as England/Colombia/Sweden/Switzerland.

The Talking Bread

Camera shot taken of the VAR studio as deliberations continued regarding whether or not that was a penalty at the end of ET for Spain

corny

adox wrote: »

Worst game I’ve seen in the tournament so far.
Spain trying to sleep walk their way to the quarters. You can’t really blame the Russians for being so negative.

Spain didn’t really deserve anything. They didn’t try enough to win it. Went out with a whimper to a hugely inferior team.

Although you don't hear it in the the media the Spanish way of playing kind of forces the opposition into that shape. I mean what are you going to do when they're knocking the ball about for 10 minutes, go up and stand in the opposition box? No. You're going to get goal side and defend as you should. Their play is so slow that you don't even have to work hard to get into defensive positions.

The Spaniards are overtly negative. They pass the ball for its own sake not to create chances or score goals. Any incisive pass forward is shunned in favour of knocking it square to hold the ball. Its risk averse and its horrible to watch.

I swear Koke is an absolute waste of space btw. He passed the ball probably 100 times in that game. 50 were to Pique to his left and 50 were to Nacho/Carvahal to his right. I could do that.

eagle eye

People here seem to be ruling out Denmark already.
Denmark kept France scoreless in their group. They didn't look bad against them either. They didn't set the world alight but they are well set up and with Eriksen they always have a real chance.

IncognitoMan

No harm to see the back of Spain. Their football can be unbelievably boring to watch as a neutral