2018 FIFA World Cup

[sharkman]

Against Estonia, Cyprus, Gibraltar, etc., running up big scores and Goals Against Differentials. They were running up stats. I didn’t expect them to beat Brazil, which played a sloppy game against them and didn’t start playing with urgency until it was too late. They were probably a top 6 or 7 team in this competition but the fawning over their offensive prowess was absurd. All they needed was to play a couple of top teams to have that exposed. England or Croatia could very well take them in the 3rd place game.

Sorry EB, I made a mistake in my statement....it should have read:

"Belgium was unbeaten in their last 24 games"!......classic example that "past performance is no guarantee of future results"!

 

[A12B]

A12B look at the NFL or NBA. It's 80% afro-american playing. Same thing in France and many European team.

Yes, agree wih you Jalimon. But why can’t we make a Canadian or USA soccer team of 80% Afros that will go and compete with the rest of the world ?

I think like EB and Sam mentioned, it’s a question of the sport’s popularity in each continent perhaps. I also think that motivation of kids growing up to local idols. Those kids want to be NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB star growing up. They don’t look up the Ronaldo’s and Messi’s. They are simply not motivated, nor watch enough games on TV in Canada. Heck, we need TSN or paid RDS chanels to watch games on Saturdays for British Premier League. In Europe, free tv will cast a match !! Bottomline, yes we can make it happen if we clone the same resources that others have.
May be that will never happen ... .

 

[Meta not Meta]

OK, did France win today or the African continent won ? If it is France, then why can’t Canada or USA scout some fine African players and make them Canadian quick ?
Is it because we don’t have good coach ? Or the Africans prefer Europe over North America ? Kinda puzzled ... the Michel Platini, Alain Giresse, Dominique Rocheteau etc years had more ‘français de souche’ or White French. If Canadians (White) are not interested in playing foot, let’s import !!! May be our programs aren’t as deep as europeans or South Americans ?

Why can’t Canada learn from them ? Look at Iceland for fuck sake !!!! They have a team, they have iced winters and less population than Canada !! I just don’t understand ...

I hate to see the thread get hijacked by this kind of crap, but this is utter racist garbage from A12b:

21/23 of the French squad are French-born .... Umtiti raised there from the age of two ... and probably Mandanda, too.

The same for Germany ....

 

[Meta not Meta]

C'mon, tell me these guys aren't French:

https://youtu.be/VlDDexhYHbs

 

[Versaute]

Umtiti is Cameroonian, but Mbappé is legitimately French. In any event Germany has been a much worse offender than France at poaching talented players from other countries. Germany are the masters at doing this, and it’s rather ironic for a country which at one time attempted to foist upon the world the myth of the supremacy of the so called Aryan race.

Well-said Meta... Guys, keep this thread about football/soccer. No racist, political, or war-monging crap here. Start another thread if you want to bring up all this crap.

 

[sharkman]

Agree! There's no place for this!

 

[sharkman]

Results (includes France / Belgium match of today):

Sharkman: 26 pts
Sam21: 20 pts
Jalimon: 20 pts:
Meta: ??? pts...please count your pts
Eager Beaver: ??? pts...please count your pts
Versaute: ??? pts...please count your pts
The Nature Boy: ??? pts...please count your pts
Jonathankeeves2: ??? pts...please count your pts

 

[Meta not Meta]

Updated:

Results (includes France / Belgium match of today):

Sharkman: 26 pts
Sam21: 20 pts
Jalimon: 20 pts:
Meta: 17 pts.
Eager Beaver: ??? pts...please count your pts
Versaute: ??? pts...please count your pts
The Nature Boy: ??? pts...please count your pts
Jonathankeeves2: ??? pts...please count your pts

Heart says, England 2 Croatia 1

 

[Meta not Meta]

I know it's a little dubious, but I think we should count the 3rd-place game on Saturday, yes?

 

[sharkman]

I know it's a little dubious, but I think we should count the 3rd-place game on Saturday, yes?

I would agree...it is a scheduled game, therefore, it should be accounted for.

I did ask the same question in Post #561.

 

[Versaute]

Sharkman,

I didn't start picking teams until the round of 16. So I'm out of the running.

 

[sharkman]

Ok not a problem Versaute....there are just too many posts to sort through to get a running total!

However, I think I have all of participants on the list.

 

[Versaute]

....

I know of one even before my time, he is still held as one of the greatest players that ever played for Barcelona, László Kubala, He played for Chekoslovakia, Hungary, and the Spanish national
teams.
He played 329 games for Barcelona and scored 256 goals between 1951-1961

I know of one who's currently one of the top 5 players in Europe: Kevin De Bruyne. He's got dual citizenship: British and Belgian. His mom is British. He could've opted to play for England but he's Belgian first. Speaks native Flemish Dutch.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The 3 Lions have roared! 1-0 England!!!!

 

[Versaute]

.....

England-Croatia: who's got the edge?
Frontline: England
Midfield: Croatia
Backline: England
GK: Croatia
Result: Croatia 2 England 1

Re: post #587 - Nailed it!!! Croatia is a dangerous and resilient team. They are tough as nails. This is their third straight match that went into overtime.

 

[Meta not Meta]

Nailed it!!! Croatia is a dangerous and resilient team. They are tough as nails. This is their third straight match that went into overtime.

Looks like they weren't that tired after all ....

 

[EagerBeaver]

Croatia managed to fuck up a dream final. They did dominate the game, although I note they committed 23 fouls and picked up 2 yellow cards and treated England somewhat brutishly.

 

[sharkman]

What a choke job by England...they played like a bunch of patsies rather than lions...they tried to protect their 1 goal lead and they got burned big time by Croatia!

Croatia just manhandled them and beat them both tactically and physically. And they got beat by a 32 year old has-been (Mandzukic who plays as a second string forward for Juventus in Italy)!

Imagine if Croatia had not sent back home Kalinic - the team's #2 striker - for insubordination in the first round!...they could have closed several games sooner rather than going to overtime!

 

[EagerBeaver]

I bet Kalinic feels like a real dick for his insubordination now. Maybe it was the best thing that happened to the Croatian team. The manager sent a message that "me first" attitudes are shown the highway and this -team has persevered. 3 straight extra time wins, 2 on PKs. What an amazing run of clutch play.

 

[sharkman]

...indeed...and Kalinic will feel like an even bigger dick if Croatia wins the World Cup!