The Official World Cup 2018 Thread

[Syferus]

Doesn't bode well for the quaility of the SA teams when two of the big three laboured so heavily against a Salah-less Eygpt and Iceland.

There needs to be more European sides in the expanded WC.

[shark]

Doesn't bode well for the quaility of the SA teams when two of the big three laboured so heavily against a Salah-less Eygpt and Iceland.

There needs to be more European sides in the expanded WC.

Snap. It's a joke. 2026 group stages will be a borefest.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Half the teams should be from Europe and even then that is low compared to the rankings but as stated only 16 out of 42 will be from UEFA in 2026. The euros is a far superior tournament even when it has been expanded ( which it shouldnt have). World qualifying is the simple answer to get the best teams.

[Syferus]

Half the teams should be from Europe and even then that is low compared to the rankings but as stated only 16 out of 42 will be from UEFA in 2026. The euros is a far superior tournament even when it has been expanded ( which it shouldnt have). World qualifying is the simple answer to get the best teams.

They were totally right to expand the Euros. They could still add more and the quaility of it would be higher than the current WC.

[shark]

Half the teams should be from Europe and even then that is low compared to the rankings but as stated only 16 out of 42 will be from UEFA in 2026. The euros is a far superior tournament even when it has been expanded ( which it shouldnt have). World qualifying is the simple answer to get the best teams.

16 out of 48. Worse again!

[Capt Pat]

Dybala didn't get on for Argentina and Higuain only got 10 minutes or so. I would have started both including Messi and Aguero.

[Milltown Row2]

Remember Argentina just about qualified! So no real surprise

[laoislad]

Peru's jersey is class.

[seafoid]

Doesn't bode well for the quaility of the SA teams when two of the big three laboured so heavily against a Salah-less Eygpt and Iceland.

There needs to be more European sides in the expanded WC.

It is easy to put an excessive weight on the first round. Spain lost to Switzerland in 2010 in the first round.

It was a bit like Ros beating Galway in 2001.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Half the teams should be from Europe and even then that is low compared to the rankings but as stated only 16 out of 42 will be from UEFA in 2026. The euros is a far superior tournament even when it has been expanded ( which it shouldnt have). World qualifying is the simple answer to get the best teams.

16 out of 48. Worse again!

Ha jeez disaster. Like i say 24 should be to europe then and thats not to make it easier for Ireland i just want to see the best teams and not a lot of crap.
Peru playing well so far

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Ok game but may have to go back to the rugby and watch the fights

[From the Bunker]

Peru's jersey is class.

It's class alright! That's the style of Jersey they always wear. Except when they played Argentina in 1978!

There was a reason they did not play in their Jersey that time!

[weareros]

I assume you mean because their government ordered them to lose by more than 4.

[seafoid]

I think both the Euros and the World Cup sacrificed quality/integrity for money in their recent expansions. There are not 24 decent teams in Europe at any one time and there are a lot of crap teams at this tournament. 
Expanding the Euros let the BIG in twice during their ongoing decades long crisis and they really shouldn't have been allowed play.

[From the Bunker]

I assume you mean because their government ordered them to lose by more than 4.

There must have been some really pissed off Brazilians after that world Cup. Knocked out of a competition on goal difference in the semi-final groups! Gas thing in those days was the final group games were at different times.

Remember Austria/Germany doing the dirt in 1982 to stop Algeria getting out of the group!