2018 Quarter-finals

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, Davrum said:

Hey, it's The Internet and, more specifically, a GoT forum. Describing Vertongen's accidental eye-jab on Neymar as "clawing" was an understatement if anything.

Meanwhile, great result for everyone else - the more dangerous side is out and, as much as I'd love to see a fresh face like Belgium lift the trophy, it's tough to imagine their luck continuing to hold like it has for the last 180 minutes of their tornament.

Wouldn't you call Belgium the best team remaining? Great goalie, strong defense and multiple elite strikers/forwards seems like a strong combination.

1 hour ago, Maithanet der Mannschaft said:

Pretty disappointing to see an all-Europe semifinal.  But nonetheless I'm happy to see Belgium advance.  I'm hoping we see a Belgium vs Croatia final, so we at least get some new blood. 

The bottom half of the bracket is going to give you new blood regardless of who comes out it. Those four countries have combined for two total Finals appearances and the last one was when England won it in '66. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Also, Brasil have a legit claim that they got screwed. The ref should have awarded them a PK in the second half. What's the point of having a review system if you're not going to use it?

[The Marquis de Leech]

2 hours ago, Ancalagon El Pistolero said:

So another one of the 'big' teams is out.Can't believe that Germany,Argentina,Brazil,Spain,Portugal and Uruguay are out before the semi's !!!

And Italy and the Netherlands didn't qualify.

Semis consisting of France, Belgium, Croatia/Russia, and Sweden/England... the mind boggles.

[KingintheNorth4]

Let's rename this World Cup the UEFA Euro 2018.

[Tijgy]

52 minutes ago, chiKanery et al. said:

Also, Brasil have a legit claim that they got screwed. The ref should have awarded them a PK in the second half. What's the point of having a review system if you're not going to use it?

Even the Flemish commentators said that. And it has been three years since Courtois stopped a penalty....

But in Belgian football myth we still believed we were screwed by the referee! So revanche!

More seriously the problem is that Neymar cried too many times wolf. 

 

[The Marquis de Leech]

Curiously, the World Cup alternated between Europe and South America every tournament between 1962 and 2006. Now? It's going to be four in a row for Europe.

[Philokles]

1 minute ago, The Marquis de Leech said:

Curiously, the World Cup alternated between Europe and South America every tournament between 1962 and 2006. Now? It's going to be four in a row for Europe.

Largely because the tournament host alternated between Europe and the Americas in the same period (except for 2002 which was the first held outside the two). Brazil in 1958 and Germany last time are the only teams to win it in the other continent's backyard.

 

There is a very good chance of a surprise winner this year - with only France of the pre-tournament favourites left standing. It is actually pretty unlikely how often the World Cup has been won by the big nations, especially compared to the Euros, which has had one three of the last seven times (Denmark, Greece & Portugal). There have been a couple of surprise winners, but they came from countries that had or would go on to have strong footballing pedigree in West Germany 1954 and Italy 1982 so are not as immediately apparent. If a new nation does come along and win the trophy (especially Croatia) it would make up for the eventual victor being a good deal weaker than they have for the previous few tournaments. This France side triumphing despite Deschamps' mediocre leadership would be a rather hollow ending to what has been a fantastic tournament.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

26 minutes ago, Tijgy said:

Even the Flemish commentators said that. And it has been three years since Courtois stopped a penalty....

But in Belgian football myth we still believed we were screwed by the referee! So revanche!

More seriously the problem is that Neymar cried too many times wolf. 

 

I think I read somewhere that he's the most fouled player and the biggest flopper. Regardless, given how slight he is, I'm not shocked that he does it. What I can't stand is the guys who act like they've just been shot when in reality they were barely touched. 

[Davrum]

1 hour ago, chiKanery et al. said:

Wouldn't you call Belgium the best team remaining? Great goalie, strong defense and multiple elite strikers/forwards seems like a strong combination.

"Best"? The dastardly French unfortunately. "Luckiest"? Going by their 180 minutes of knockout rounds that's Belgium for sure, and in World Cups that's often more important than being the best anyway. I'd be stoked to see Belgium take the whole deal, but so far it still feels like I'm waiting for them to hit full stride.

But the comment you quoted was referring to the remaining sides being thankful Belgium emerged from this QF instead of Brazil, given that over the course of 5 games each, including today's, Brazil have looked the more dangerous of the two sides. 

 

[Tijgy]

7 minutes ago, chiKanery et al. said:

I think I read somewhere that he's the most fouled player and the biggest flopper. Regardless, given how slight he is, I'm not shocked that he does it. What I can't stand is the guys who act like they've just been shot when in reality they were barely touched. 

It is both of course. And the biggest problem is that he annoys the other teams so much that they try to hurt him intentionally. 

When I heard he had a very serious injury during the last WC, I thought he did those things because he was afraid he would hurt again. But then I saw he actually does the diving from the beginning of carrière. 

Anyway I actually think during this game Neymar wasn't that bad. 

[Davrum]

7 minutes ago, chiKanery et al. said:

What I can't stand is the guys who act like they've just been shot when in reality they were barely touched. 

I'm with you.

Even rooting for an English win I was secretly happy Jordan Henderson's penalty was saved given his hilariously dramatic "I've just been cracked across the chops by Anthony Joshua!!!" over-reaction to receiving the barest of taps on the chin from Wilmar Barrios's bonce.

[Corvinus85]

And my earlier prediction of a Belgium-England final is still on track.

Damn, what a game. Brazil stretched Belgium's defense to the limit and nearly broke it, but Courtois was superb.

[Davrum]

The Legendinho Tim Vickery had warned for months this might happen - that the impressiveness of Brazil's return to power in South America under Tite needed to be weighed against the fact that South American football in general was in a fair amount of corruption-driven disarray, and that while the SA qualifying group was, as always, the most dramatic (for a neutral), it had been short on quality.

I'm not sure that meant he expected Brazil to go out while playing better football than a Euro foe, but an all-Euro pair of semis has been on the cards for months according to the (British) South American experts.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

3 hours ago, chiKanery et al. said:

Wouldn't you call Belgium the best team remaining? Great goalie, strong defense and multiple elite strikers/forwards seems like a strong combination.

5 hours ago, Maithanet der Mannschaft said:

Nope, the French are better overall. Goalies are roughly equal, defense is somewhat better on the French team, plus a better defensive midfield (namely Kante), the Belgian offense is arguably a bit better, esp. with Mbappe missing out their encounter with a suspension. I also think France has a deeper squad overall. Anyway, it's a single encounter so everything's possible.

3 hours ago, chiKanery et al. said:

Also, Brasil have a legit claim that they got screwed. The ref should have awarded them a PK in the second half. What's the point of having a review system if you're not going to use it?

Didn't the ref actually blow the whistle and wanted to give a penalty, only to get miscorrected (is that a word?) by the VAR guys? Anyway, yes, Brazil got screwed on that one.

 

39 minutes ago, Corvinus of Teranga said:

And my earlier prediction of a Belgium-England final is still on track.

 

And England will luck out on suspensions (de Bruyne getting another yellow or something like that). Nah, I go with France - England for the Final. And yes, they might actually win again something after 50 years. Although, I am not really engaging in a discussion how England considers itself the home of Football based on what excactly? First to plaly it? Nah. Being super succesful on the international stage? Nah. Being the residence of the world football governing body? nah. It's still funny. 

[Corvinus85]

23 minutes ago, Notone said:

Nope, the French are better overall. Goalies are roughly equal, defense is somewhat better on the French team, plus a better defensive midfield (namely Kante), the Belgian offense is arguably a bit better, esp. with Mbappe missing out their encounter with a suspension. I also think France has a deeper squad overall. Anyway, it's a single encounter so everything's possible.

I don't recall Mbappe being on a yellow prior to the Uruguay match,

[A Horse Named Stranger]

34 minutes ago, Corvinus of Teranga said:

I don't recall Mbappe being on a yellow prior to the Uruguay match,

Oops, you are right. TV commentator said he'd miss the next game, which I took at face value. Now that you mentioned it, I checked it; and you're right. 

[Corvinus85]

57 minutes ago, Notone said:

Oops, you are right. TV commentator said he'd miss the next game, which I took at face value. Now that you mentioned it, I checked it; and you're right. 

If he had, we would have seen Deschamps lose his shit on the sideline.

[Iskaral Pust]

France vs Uruguay had good skill, team play and tactical organization but no actual excitement.  Uruguay posed no threat aside from one set piece, while France were good in possession but didn’t create much in open play.  Uruguay’s odds were low without Cavani.  The only real surprise was Mbappe’s descent into Neymar-level diving.  To give him credit, Pogba looked really assured and good in possession in the second half; nothing amazing or game-changing, but used his technical ability well as they controlled possession.  Griezmann and Giroud both played well without creating a lot of good chances.  

Belgium vs Brazil was a lot of fun.  Martinez finally switched to a back four and a shielding MF, putting KDB where he can be dangerous.  I would have preferred Dembele to Fellaini but the flailing elbows did well in the first half, before being bypassed so many times in the second half.  Hazard was great for them late on despite not making a couple of available passes.  Lukaku was excellent although unable to get a good shot past Miranda in a few attempts.  Brazil were great on the ball but not really sharp with their chances.  Costa and Firmino showed why they should have started.  Neymar really should have been booked for his dive.  Coutinho got a great assist but didn’t score with a couple of good looks. 

That game absolutely could have gone to ET and Belgium would have been in trouble then.  It was a great contest and a narrow decision between two good teams.

[Dolorous Gabe]

8 hours ago, Notone said:

And England will luck out on suspensions (de Bruyne getting another yellow or something like that).

As I understand it, yellow cards are wiped for the semis nowadays so that only red cards in the semi-finals mean suspension from the final.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

24 minutes ago, Dolorous Gabe said:

As I understand it, yellow cards are wiped for the semis nowadays so that only red cards in the semi-finals mean suspension from the final.

Ah, they changed that, too? Back in the old days (as far back as the early 2000s) you could still pick up a suspension for the final by collecting a stupid yellow card.