2018 FIFA World Cup

[jalimon]

By the way, Spain today became the first team to complete over 1,000 passes in a World Cup game since at least 1966 when such records began being kept. A remarkable accomplishment in their losing effort.

haha you said it correctly. It's the way to go. You want to have the ball in football. But at some point you need to push your luck a little more. As crazy as it sounds, and pretty sure many agrees, Spain deserved the loss today because they needed to attack much more.

Russia wont be able to pull this kind of game twice unfortunately. So they will need to bring back their number striker in the line up and open up.

Hope tomorrow's game will be more exciting, like France-Argentina yesterday!

Cheers,

 

[EagerBeaver]

I watched the Croatia-Denmark PKs after I got back from the pool and I did not like the last two kicks by Denmark. The next to the last kick by Denmark, the kicker telegraphed that he was going to the left side of the goal all the way and the Croatian goalie read it and made the save. The last guy kicking for Denmark did a stutter step, and ended up faking himself out more than the goalie. That last Denmark kicker looked like he did not know what he wanted to do, or else changed his mind after the stutterstep, based on the goalie's reaction. Anyway it looked like he tried to do too much and it was really a weak ending to PKs for Denmark.

 

[sharkman]

Was nice to see the great Edinson Cavani - probably the most underrated active player - pull in the performance he did for Uruguay against Portugal! Cavani can teach a few things about courage and coming through in the clutch to Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L7uvRI9dnM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqQhllIMRCw

The two goals he scored were simply masterpieces. No surprise to me...he scored many incredible goals in the Italian league for Napoli during his memorable 3 year stay there. In addition he is one of only a handful of strikers I know that plays a two-way game retreating to play defense. Incredible stamina even at his age!

He will always be in my book the best active South American player bar none!

However, it is more than likely that Uruguay is finished in WC 2018, since Cavani's late game leg injury will very likely keep him out of the France vs Uruguay match.

 

[Titilleur]

Cavani is surely underestimated....

But it helps a lot to have Suarez on the other side of the field... Those two together make a one-two punch rather deadly... Something that Argentina and Portugal don't have.

 

[sharkman]

...and that's why I picked Uruguay to upset Portugal coupled with its staunch defense!

 

[The Nature Boy]

Totally forgot!

brasil vs Mexico—> 2-1
belgium vs Japan—> 2-0

 

[Titilleur]

What is happening to Les Diables Rouges???

Japan's defense is suffocating and their counter-attack is quick...

Rank #61 in the World is shocking the #3...

 

[Titilleur]

It's not over 'till it really is...

Les Diables Rouges aerial game saved them from humiliation.

 

[gaby]

Wow wow wow...quel revirement et match spectaculaire....3 buts consécutifs et rapides...bang bang bang....et victoire de 3-2 des Diables Rouges.....première fois depuis 1966 qu'une équipe vient de l'arrière de 2 buts en temps régulier.... le meilleur match que j'ai vu de cette Coupe....:clap2:

 

[jalimon]

have you seen the last goal by belgium!!! look at Lokaku who simply let the ball go trought his legs to his partner on the left... wow!

What a great second half, super game.

 

[sharkman]

Great comeback by Belgium...if there is a team that had the fire power to comeback from a 2-0 deficit in the second half it was Belgium.

Hats off to the Courtois (the Belgian goalkeeper) that started the play that led to the winning goal catching four japanese players trapped in the back...
If I can use the analogy, Belgium basically ran the "Laker fastbreak" of the 80s...it was showtime all over again, football style!...Love World Cup soccer...terrific composure by Belgium!.......Running with the devils!!!...à la Van Halen!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5txwFv-zYM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJeJuc27ggE

...and I sincerely hope Belgium beats he shit of that pussy Brazilian team after what that piece of crap Neymar pulled today against Mexico!

 

[EagerBeaver]

You guys are clearly a "to the victor goes the spoils" kind of crowd............that's not feeling too much love or sympathy for Japan. The Japanese players will be having nightmares about that final goal for a long, long time. The first Belgium goal was kind of fluky, a header that found net, whereas the second header that tied the game was a bigger Belgium dude outjumping shorter Japanese dudes as Sam21 mentioned. Then that last goal which was an all out fast break. The Japanese players will be seeing that one for a long time in their sleep.

All 5 goals can be seen here:

https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/video/1268601923839

 

[sharkman]

Not in my case EB... I have mentioned in previous posts the fire power that Belgium has and their ability to go all the way in WC 2018...so I don't have that follow the "sheep herd mentality" by picking teams like Spain (against Russia) or Portugal (against Uruguay) just because those team are the "flavour of the tournament" teams...

Belgium is loaded!...and to be honest even though Japan has a very agile quick paced style of play and they got into the round of 16 on a stupid technicality (rule/criteria that will certainly be changed by the next WC) over Senegal...On the play that led to the goal in the 94th minute, Japan got caught by their own kamikaze style of play...what comes around goes around!...

I guess for JAPAN it was their PEARL HARBOR...end of story!

 

[sharkman]

...and btw here is everybody's favorite flavour of the tournament superstar..."Nomar"... A LOT OF FAIR PLAY IN THIS!!!

...AND THE OSCAR GOES TO NOMAR:
http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/socc...ing-against-mexico/1kyqit1ux2ubm174hm1105e3j1

http://www.sportingnews.com/ca/socc...ms-neymar-theatrics/umnyybbl7g4o1dh1h2xz3d7ct

No wonder PSG is trying to unload this piece of crap in the worst way possible...Nomar is simply a cancer on the PSG team...and no wonder Cavani will leave PSG for the team he once played for and should have never left!

I sincerely hope PUTIN puts Brazil out of its misery!

 

[EagerBeaver]

I wouldn’t be so dismissive of Brazil, it’s 50/50 they will beat Belgium. They had an easy win today over a Mexico team that roughhoused them BIG TIME (like Russia v. Spain). Don’t put any money on Belgium to win that game, could be their toughest test the rest of the way.

It’s a good sign when you beat a roughhouse team easy in the knockout stage.

 

[sharkman]

I have nothing against Brazil and not dismissive of them either...However, they are better off without that piece of shit Nomar!...Nothing new here on my part..I have expressed my impressions on Nomar for years now!

This incident is an embarrassment to Brazil, FIFA and all young aspiring football players across the world! He's a repent offender for crying out loud! It's been years that FIFA has been trying to end this shit singling out other countries for these antics and it keeps occurring on and on with NOMAR. But FIFA are pussies just like NOMAR and will not act on it!

 

[Titilleur]

There should be a "Neymar" rule....

The play won't stop unless you are bleeding to death or you stop breathing for more than 60 seconds...

If you don't fit into those criteria, move yourself out of the play, to the sideline, and comeback when you are man enough to play...

 

[EagerBeaver]

Sharky I have done you a favor and tried to protect your wallet, even while you do not. NEVER let personal dislike of a player cause you to bet money against him performing in big games. A lot of people hated Reggie Jackson and bet against him in 1977 thinking he was a selfish cancer and represented the embodiment of the spoiled, pampered, overpaid superstar. Those people not only lost their money but did so very dramatically while watching 4 consecutive HRs on 4 consecutive pitches against 4 different pitchers over the last two games. It’s never been done before or since. Remember what happened to those who bet against Reggie.

 

[sharkman]

...EB by now you should now that I am all about "risk management" and that I hedge by bets...

However as a MERB member, I will come out now, well ahead of time and pick Belgium to beat Brazil!

Unfortunately, the semi-final match will most likely be the WC final...France vs Belgium!

....and by the way, Reggie Jackson was never a selfish cancer on the Yankees in my book! Reggie will always be Reggie!..he's not a cancer or piece of shit like NOMAR is and he's 100X times the man that Nomar will ever be. A real champion does not cry tears like NOMAR did in 2014 in the WC final thrashing Brazil and NOMAR suffered against Germany in the 2014 WC...let's face it NOMAR is a pussy even if Brazil wins the WC in 2018...As a so called "superstar" NOMAR's real test was winning the WC in 2014 in hosted by his home country Brazil...and he did not do it for Brazil!...So he took the easy way "cried like a baby"...I never saw Reggie cry for NOBODY!

...and if NOMAR ever comes to Montreal to hobby...any SP will quickly realize that NOMAR has no balls!

 

[Titilleur]

Sharky I have done you a favor and tried to protect your wallet, even while you do not. NEVER let personal dislike of a player cause you to bet money against him performing in big games. A lot of people hated Reggie Jackson and bet against him in 1977 thinking he was a selfish cancer and represented the embodiment of the spoiled, pampered, overpaid superstar. Those people not only lost their money but did so very dramatically while watching 4 consecutive HRs on 4 consecutive pitches against 4 different pitchers over the last two games. It’s never been done before or since. Remember what happened to those who bet against Reggie.

I have to make a correction.... It was 3 HRs on 3 throws by 3 different pitchers.... It was the last game of the WS.

So, I checked on the first game of the following season to see #4... Jackson got hit by a Jon Matlack's pitch on his first at bat of that first game of the 1978 season.