The Official World Cup 2018 Thread

[brokencrossbar1]

Typical the Liverpool player bottled his peno
Needed the Everton goalie to bail him out

Pretty much confirms the bitters are the number 1 team in Liverpool now

All we need is Richard Keys to tweet it and it's confirmed !!!

[seafoid]

Now that Engerland are in the quarters losing to Belgium looks smart .
The Swedes may be the IKEA furniture of the tournament.

[Walter Cronc]

Anyone else starting to worry??

[Insane Bolt]

Anyone else starting to worry??

No worries, after all ....no way Brexit 😩, no way Trump😩😩.....as Homer Simpson says 'help us Jebus'😜

[Main Street]

All Southgate needs is a measuring tape around his neck and he would fit right into Arnotts' clothing department.
Gutted for the Columbians, character, flair, technique, a carnival of colour  and culture versus monotone, constipation and a suit salesman.
England scrape through.


Heja Sverige

[AQMP]

I thought England just about shaded what was a very poor game.  The incident with Henderson was a red card and penalty all day long though Henderson play acted and some England played were trying to get the Colombian sent off (both of which I thought England didn't do ).  Eng created precious little and bar penalties and the odd corner look to have very little attacking threat.  I think that will catch up with them at some stage.  Of the four teams in the bottom of the draw I'd have Croatia well ahead of the other three who are much of a muchness, who could beat each other on any given day.  I think Croatia will beat Russia if they go back to their attacking game which they didn't seem to do against Denmark.  I fancy Eng Swe to go to pens.  Swe are an "English" type side, strong (mentally as well), well organised but with little cutting edge, though they did hump Mex 3-0.  Eng might get to the semi final but I'd think Croatia at 100% will take them apart, against Russia on the other hand they'd have a good chance.  You need to attack the English centre halves and move the ball quickly to expose Eng's lack of pace.  Also despite their first XI having a good long rest, they looked out on their feet at 75 mins.  I still think the overall winner will come from the other half of the draw but one thing about this World Cup is that it has been unpredictable.

[AQMP]

Sweden sound like they're quaking in their boots:

"We heard from Sweden coach Janne Andersson, but how are his players feeling about the prospect of facing England for a place in the semis? Needless to say, they're confident. Why wouldn't they be?

"Bring them on," said striker Marcus Berg. "Most of them have respect for us and we feel secure regardless of who we meet."

Last night's goalscorer Emil Forsberg said: "We have had nightmare opponents wherever we went, and no matter who we get they'll have to work hard to win. We believe in what we're doing and believe we can do something great, and that we can achieve something fantastic."

And midfielder Gustav Svensson said: "I don't think their players want to meet us. We have shown time and again that we are a team that no-one wants to meet, a team that allows very few goal chances. If you ask their players, I don't think any of them will want to meet us."

[winghalfun]

Stephen Nolan
Stephen Nolan
@StephenNolan
·
10h
Incredible what football and sport does .
I'm proud to be British today .

Well there goes an doubt about journalistic neutrality.

[square_ball]

I thought England just about shaded what was a very poor game.  The incident with Henderson was a red card and penalty all day long though Henderson play acted and some England played were trying to get the Colombian sent off (both of which I thought England didn't do ).  Eng created precious little and bar penalties and the odd corner look to have very little attacking threat.  I think that will catch up with them at some stage.  Of the four teams in the bottom of the draw I'd have Croatia well ahead of the other three who are much of a muchness, who could beat each other on any given day.  I think Croatia will beat Russia if they go back to their attacking game which they didn't seem to do against Denmark.  I fancy Eng Swe to go to pens.  Swe are an "English" type side, strong (mentally as well), well organised but with little cutting edge, though they did hump Mex 3-0.  Eng might get to the semi final but I'd think Croatia at 100% will take them apart, against Russia on the other hand they'd have a good chance.  You need to attack the English centre halves and move the ball quickly to expose Eng's lack of pace.  Also despite their first XI having a good long rest, they looked out on their feet at 75 mins.  I still think the overall winner will come from the other half of the draw but one thing about this World Cup is that it has been unpredictable.

It wasn't a penalty as the ball wasn't in play so it can't be. I think it was a red card though.

[LooseCannon]

Stephen Nolan
Stephen Nolan
@StephenNolan
·
10h
Incredible what football and sport does .
I'm proud to be British today .

Well there goes an doubt about journalistic neutrality.

He's a right oul' bollox, and a lump at that.

[Dougal Maguire]

Anyone else starting to worry??

Yes I'm getting very nervous. It's ruining my enjoyment to be honest because I didn't want to see any more upsets in case it would help them. Having said that they struggled against Tunisia beat a piss poor Panama lost to Belgium, were fortunate to beat Columbia on penos so they are shite and it'll be all the better when they get the chop, hopefully

[longballin]

don't worry they won't let us down... it'll end in England tears and the laughter of our children

[JPGJOHNNYG]

don't worry they won't let us down... it'll end in England tears and the laughter of our children

Will it though QF is mission accomplished for them. Sweden are pretty average. England are a better team than Sweden so SF and maybe beyond in play. England were crap in Italia 90 too yet people remember it as some massive success.

[Keyser soze]

I thought England just about shaded what was a very poor game.  The incident with Henderson was a red card and penalty all day long though Henderson play acted and some England played were trying to get the Colombian sent off (both of which I thought England didn't do ).  Eng created precious little and bar penalties and the odd corner look to have very little attacking threat.  I think that will catch up with them at some stage.  Of the four teams in the bottom of the draw I'd have Croatia well ahead of the other three who are much of a muchness, who could beat each other on any given day.  I think Croatia will beat Russia if they go back to their attacking game which they didn't seem to do against Denmark.  I fancy Eng Swe to go to pens.  Swe are an "English" type side, strong (mentally as well), well organised but with little cutting edge, though they did hump Mex 3-0.  Eng might get to the semi final but I'd think Croatia at 100% will take them apart, against Russia on the other hand they'd have a good chance.  You need to attack the English centre halves and move the ball quickly to expose Eng's lack of pace.  Also despite their first XI having a good long rest, they looked out on their feet at 75 mins.  I still think the overall winner will come from the other half of the draw but one thing about this World Cup is that it has been unpredictable.

It could not be a penalty as the ball was not in play at the time of the incident, dunno how many fools have claimed this should be a penalty. And this is not a matter of opinion or judgement.

As regards a red card I think the ref got it right.

[AQMP]

don't worry they won't let us down... it'll end in England tears and the laughter of our children

Will it though QF is mission accomplished for them. Sweden are pretty average. England are a better team than Sweden so SF and maybe beyond in play. England were crap in Italia 90 too yet people remember it as some massive success.

I remember at the quarter final stage the press and pundits were saying they'd stuff Cameroon.  Took a dive from Lineker to keep them in it when Cameroon were 2-1 up with 7 mins to go.  But yes, echoes of 1990 here when a poor England team got to pens in the semi final.  Mind you, Arg got to the final!  For all the Irish exploits, quality wise it was very poor football.