World Cup Russia 2018 Thread

ITVs commentator certainly got on my tits last night. He was constantly reviewing the consequences and permutations of if we won, drew or lost which we all knew anyway. Mark Pugash is annoying too in the studio. I hope the next game is on the BBC.

ChrisR_EPL posted:

Felt sorry for Vardy. He gives Leicester so many options and his pace scares defenders, but in a side set up to play like England do he hardly gets a kick. Sad to say but his international career might be over before it starts after this WC finishes.

G Neville made a good point before I switched it off; facing a path that contains Colombia, Sweden, Switzerland and then potentially Denmark & Croatia has to be more appealing than France, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Portugal & Uruguay, all of whom seem to beat England quite regularly in tourno football.. 

Not quite...Spain are in our half of the draw and quite likely to be our semi-final opponents should we get that far.

Still preferable to having play any of the other lot.

Batshuayi made me laugh. Proving he can’t find the back of the net even when he’s standing inside the goal!

Kinda mirrors many of his Chelsea games.

Though I suspect the clip of the ball bouncing back and smacking him in the face will haunt his career...

JamieWednesday posted:

Batshuayi made me laugh. Proving he can’t find the back of the net even when he’s standing inside the goal!

Kinda mirrors many of his Chelsea games.

Though I suspect the clip of the ball bouncing back and smacking him in the face will haunt his career...

Yes. That was funny and I suspect the clip will be repeated many times. Sky's Soccer AM will surely find a way of exploiting it. 

thebigfredc posted:

ITVs commentator certainly got on my tits last night. He was constantly reviewing the consequences and permutations of if we won, drew or lost which we all knew anyway. Mark Pugash is annoying too in the studio. I hope the next game is on the BBC.

There's always the option of turning the TV sound off and listening on 5 Live.

thebigfredc posted:

Fabio 1

I for one am missing Italy at the World Cup finals.

We happened to be in Viarragio, Italy for the last Euros and it was good fun. Our youngest is an Inter Milan fan and so we usually support Italy once Engerland have been eliminated. I always enjoy Germany losing though and yesterday was particularly ingratiating as Noyeur scrambled around in the wrong half for Korea's second goal.

Ray

Hi Ray,

thanks for your kind words.Italy just deserved the elimination.They just understimated Sweden in the qualify,also we have had a completely unable Federation President and one of the worst trainer Italian football has ever seen.Germany is one of the stronger team of all time and we have had epic "battles" along the decades,always with a strong enthusiasm and developing a very,very good football.IMHO.They just had "their Korea"like us.As for your youngest I would like to wish him good results with Inter Milan,but I just cannot.....I'm on the opposite side of the trench beeing an Milan AC fan.Hope you will understand it !:-))

Regards ciao

Champions league football for Inter next year Fabio and did I read somewhere that AC are in trouble for exceeding the fair play rules wage bill? Maybe they are heading in different directions at the moment. I remember the AC team of the late 80s -terrific.

We love going to the San Siro too - a proper football stadium unlike bloody Wembley. It must be fantastic when the two Milan clubs play each other.

Yes Ray,dura lex sed lex!

Ok all the chores are done and the dog has been walked. Time to strap in for France v Argentina, should be a goodun . 

I'm hoping so, too. Neither team have played to their potential so far. Would be good if they both step-up today.

Settled down for this one, and anticipating a strongly contested game ............... on paper, France have a hugely talented squad, but as MDS says, not really played as a team so far ................. whilst Argentina showed in their last game what they are capable of, as long as Lionel Messi's in the mood.

I reckon Argentina will just take this. 

And there I was wondering why, given his weak showing in Argentina's last game, Di Maria had been selected for this game and now he has provided an emphatic answer. Oh my!

MDS posted:

And there I was wondering why, given his weak showing in Argentina's last game, Di Maria had been selected for this game and now he has provided an emphatic answer. Oh my!

Superb strike..... game on as they say

Argentina a bit fortunate to go in level at the break.  They are struggling to cope with France's forwards, especially Mbappe' pace, and three of the Agentine defenders are on a yellow card.  I'll be surprised if they finish the game with eleven.  Mascherano looks particularly vulnerable to a second yellow. But then Argentina have the capacity for individual brilliance.  Should be a fascinating second half.

MDS posted:

Argentina a bit fortunate to go in level at the break.  They are struggling to cope with France's forwards, especially Mbappe' pace, and three of the Agentine defenders are on a yellow card.  I'll be surprised if they finish the game with eleven.  Mascherano looks particularly vulnerable to a second yellow. But then Argentina have the capacity for individual brilliance.  Should be a fascinating second half.

Yes, three worrying yellows for the Argentine defence, who look panic stricken whenever Mbappe comes charging at them.

Again, Messi not seeing enough of the ball in advanced positions, and surely Aguero will soon come on.

Di Maria? Goal of the tournament so far?

Very impressed with the French.... is their any way back for Argentina??

What a game! 

Well that was a boring game (sic). Phew!

France the better the side but goodness, nearly a twist at the end. 

Wow what a match and France looking so confident.I can see why a lot of pundits are going for them winning the tournament.

I feel I now need to mention my French ancestry.

Sacre Blue, Mange Tout as Del Boy would have what a fantastic match. Shame about Messi but what about Mbappe shades of Thiery Henry I think. I'm really looking forward to Portugal v Uruguay tonight.

Can someone explain what he thinks he’s doing???

wenger2015 posted:

Can someone explain what he thinks he’s doing???

Showing us all what a gorgeous set of pins he has!

What a fantastic one two from Suarez and Cavani for the openong goal.

wenger2015 posted:

Can someone explain what he thinks he’s doing???

Demonstrating a world-class strut