🇷🇺 FIFA World Cup 2018 🇷🇺

[Tchuck]

Meh, the goalkeeper made an extremely costly mistake. Up until that point, the game was pretty even and balanced. A goal like that can demolish morale. If he hadn't done that amazing blunder, I guarantee Argentina would have faired better.

 

But what can you say? Sampaoli utterly failed at building a team, a squad.

[Jabalous]

Don't like how Brazil plays compared to their performance in the qualifiers. Neymar is trying, but is clearly targeted, but it also shows how the team largely depends him, or on shots outside the penalty area. It'd be shocking if they don't go past the first round, but would also be not that surprising with this kind of play. Non-star teams, in a historical context, are playing better in this tournament. Mexico and Croatia are two examples when they played against Germany and Argentine, respectively. 

Edited June 22, 2018 by Efreet

[AndyGanteks]

A bit undeserved for Brazil even more so 2:0, it's over for Costa Rica too. First time we see VAR deny a penalty though.

Edited June 22, 2018 by AndyGanteks

[Eutyphro]

Neymar is such an incredible c*nt. He also played a very bad match. Douglas Costa brought some some real danger and was very good.

[Tchuck]

Mannnn when that VAR denied the penalty, I was so damn happy! I hate that little c*nt because he has talent, he has skill, but he's ALWAYS looking to dive and find a foul. Why? That ball he had, any decent striker would go an put it away. What does the little turd do? Dive. Such a horrible, stupid, terrible dive.

 

VAR is now my official new thing that FIFA has ever created. 

 

Costa Rica fought very well, and were unlucky with some of the chances they had (ditto for Brazil). I thought a draw would have been more fair because, despite Brazil creating more, they had also lacked a lot of the quality to put them away.

[scalliano]

I was relieved when the first goal went in because, full disclosure, I have Brazil in my work sweepstake.

[Eutyphro]

Argentina actually still has decent chances to go through now. They just have to give Nigeria a serious beating, which if they are unable to, they are really not worthy of going through. I don't see Iceland beat Croatia.

[AndyGanteks]

It might happen, Croatia is almost surely 1st. Either way D is the most interesting group to watch on match day 3, with B right after. C is almost decided, and in A it's just a battle for 1st place.

[Laker23]

Entertaining game between Serbia and the Swiss. VAR missing possibly the easiest penalty decision of the tournament so far, however. Feeling a little bitter about it.

 

Can't see them taking Brazil. A draw here would have made the last two games a lot more interesting in the group.

[Eutyphro]

I don't really understand why Serbia was taking such risks to win. I also predicted 1-1 in the prediction thread, so it was rather frustrating to see both teams completely go for the win at any cost.

[Jason]

I can forgive refs for not seeing the holding and tackling in the box, but the fact that VAR refs haven't alerted the ref to them on at least 3 occasions in the WC so far is f*cking annoying - and if they do tell the refs about it then they need to take it more seriously. There way they've reffed this World Cup has been brilliant IMO but that's one of those niggly things that's ruining it, it thankfully didn't cost England but it has potentially cost Serbia tonight.

[Crokey]

So if German Suplex's, Side Gut-Wrench Slams and 2 on 1 Bearhug's are now allowed in the penalty box without getting penalties, I can't wait to see Kane do a Tombstone Piledriver on Hazard on the penalty spot... then summon the demons and watch flames come out the corner flags.

 

I mean if we're allowing wrestling moves then may as well go with the gimmick, and let footballers use Tables, Ladders and Chairs

[Jason]

Chokeslam through the VAR monitor on the side of the pitch? I'd pay to watch that.

[stinomontana]

damn lukaku's on his 4th goal already.

 

keep on going belgium!

[Tchuck]

Excellent game between Tunisia and Belgium. Belgium being Belgium, and Tunisia really fighting and not giving in easily. Exciting to watch. Lukaku clinical as ever.

 

Funnily enough, after watching Brazil's game yesterday and watching Belgium's game today, they began despising Neymar. They compared him to Lukaku; Lukaku always on his feet, playing with the team, being humble, not trying to dig anything, the polar opposite of Neymar. And now they understand my frustration with Neymar, because he has more talent and ability than Lukaku, but wastes it away by being a little bitch of a human being. I hope he never wins the golden ball, at least until he stops being such a c*nt.

[Laker23]

Finally another game where it wasn't a 1-0 or other low score. Really entertaining stuff.

 

Belgium look good, but I'll reserve judgement until they get a real test in this tournament.

[Mexicola9302]

Damn germany was so lucky in the end. Im so relieved.

[Eutyphro]

Germany actually played very well this match. I think it was deserved.

[Jason]

Bloody Germans. Typical.

[Laker23]

Man. Such a stupid tackle to fly into at that stage of the game.

 

Kroos a class apart, always driving the team forward.

Edited June 23, 2018 by Laker23

[Tchuck]

Sweden was robbed, though. That was most certainly a penalty there, with the guy blatantly pushing the Swede.

 

So, I think the way they're going about VAR calls is stupid. It's been leading the ref to not make a difficult call and waiting for VAR to call him out on it if necessary.

 

Why don't they implement it like in volleyball or tennis? Give each team 3 VAR challenges. When a ref makes a call, they can burn a challenge if they wish and get the referee to see the video. Done. Manager sees a dubious decision? Call it. Run out of calls? Too bad.

[AndyGanteks]

6 hours ago, Tchuck said:

Why don't they implement it like in volleyball or tennis? Give each team 3 VAR challenges. When a ref makes a call, they can burn a challenge if they wish and get the referee to see the video. Done. Manager sees a dubious decision? Call it. Run out of calls? Too bad. 

While that is better than what we have now for sure, it's still not perfect. In some cases like for penalties, it's not a matter of whether the ball is on the line or out like in tennis/volleyball or in decisions like offside/corners/throw-ins.

As far as fouls and penalties go, even if the referee looks at the video, he can still make a subjective decision, a wrong one too, and then what? The team still concedes a goal/gets penalty/etc and no matter how they complain after the game, the decision is made, the game is over, it can't be changed and we're back to where we were without the VAR.

 

But still, i'd go with var challenges over this system any day.

[Tchuck]

Well, there's England giving Belgium a run for the group lead. Not much to say, 2 penalties, a scorcher by Lingard, could see them scoring even more if they keep the pace up.

 

Maybe time for Neville to put some other players in, give them some playtime, see what they can offer.

 

Setting up a tasty England vs Belgium game, though!

[Eutyphro]

10 hours ago, Tchuck said:

Why don't they implement it like in volleyball or tennis? Give each team 3 VAR challenges. When a ref makes a call, they can burn a challenge if they wish and get the referee to see the video. Done. Manager sees a dubious decision? Call it. Run out of calls? Too bad.

Yeah, I've been thinking exactly this. It's silly to let the VAR be used solely at the discretion of the referee.

I don't think the challenge on the Swedish striker was a penalty though, but I'm probably in a minority in that assessment. I think defenders should be able to instigate physical duels like that. I'm sure that a very strong striker like Ibra, Drogba or Lukaku wouldn't have fallen over like that.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Eutyphro

[Uncle Sikee Atric]

18 minutes ago, Tchuck said:

Well, there's England giving Belgium a run for the group lead. Not much to say, 2 penalties, a scorcher by Lingard, could see them scoring even more if they keep the pace up.

 

Maybe time for Neville to put some other players in, give them some playtime, see what they can offer.

 

Setting up a tasty England vs Belgium game, though!

 

I don't think 'tasty' is the word I'd be using....
 

In all honesty, if Belgium and England are through, the group is done and I can see both teams fielding quite different teams and rotating a lot of players, giving their main players a little break ahead of the knockout stages.

[Tchuck]

3 minutes ago, Uncle Sikee Atric said:

 

I don't think 'tasty' is the word I'd be using....

In theory, right? If both teams were up for an exciting game, we could have one of the best matches in the cup so far.

 

Even with a reserve team, though, I know the reserve team from Belgium is very good, and I know both teams will be wanting to keep their spirits high with another win. 

 

Quote

I don't think the challenge on the Swedish striker was a penalty though, but I'm probably in a minority in that assessment. I think defenders should be able to instigate physical duels like that. I'm sure that a very strong striker like Ibra, Drogba or Lukaku wouldn't have fallen over like that.

I can see that, but the way the defender went, he tripped him and pushed him blatantly with his arm. Perhaps Ibra, Drogba, or Lukaku would have been able to get a shot before being pushed, but in the manner he was pushed, it felt very penalty to me. 

 

At the very least, it should have been a VAR inspection.

[Uncle Sikee Atric]

The problem with Belgium is, yes they have a lot of talent, but the egos of the team can limit their ability to gel.

 

Belgium have the awkward case of 'which team turns up?'  They can be both great and awful in equal levels and I think that team spirit will hurt them by the end of this tournament.

[Tchuck]

Sounds like they have a case of the Dutch

[Laker23]

England on equal goal difference now. Shame about the piss poor defending for the Panama goal.

 

Panama played dirty as hell, especially in the first half. Glad the ref gave 2 penalties for WWE tackles.

[Eutyphro]

54 minutes ago, Tchuck said:

Sounds like they have a case of the Dutch

Keep us out of it!

I wish the Dutch would get a case of the Belgiums though, because golly gee that's a good team. The last time we had a team like that was 1998. I think in this WC Belgium looks like the team that is most dangerous on offence.