The 2018 World Cup

[tarcone]

I wonder why the NFL doesnt try and pick up some of these soccer players. I guess not enough money to be a FG kicker. Probably make a lot more playing soccer.

[whomario]

Öl

Originally Posted by tarcone

I wonder why the NFL doesnt try and pick up some of these soccer players. I guess not enough money to be a FG kicker. Probably make a lot more playing soccer.

Also not exactly comparable in terms of 'challenge'/involvement, trotting out for 5 kicks a game and otherwise sitting around is not exactly going to appeal to high level players or even solid first/2nd division guys

The former NFL Europe had a few former soccer players (not World class but f.e 2 former Bundesliga players) in their early 40s as Kickers, so maybe thatd be an approach with some merit.

[kingfc22]

Game over.

[JPhillips]

This game isn't over until Suarez goes mad.

[PilotMan]

Finally too. Uruguay has really been missing Cavani today.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Finally too. Uruguay has really been missing Cavani today.

I haven't missed him at all.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

I haven't missed him at all.

+1

[kingfc22]

I wonder what Neymar has in store today for his master class in acting.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by kingfc22

I wonder what Neymar has in store today for his master class in acting.

Fake blue eye from an Alderweireld shoulder.

[PilotMan]

Brazil has missed 2 solid chances here early at least.

[EagleFan]

Belgium! Tired of the Neymar flops.

[MIJB#19]

That was lucky.

[PilotMan]

Brazil could have 3 goals now. Instead they only have 1.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Brazil could have 3 goals now. Instead they only have 1.

Sounds like way too many of my FM games.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Belgium! Tired of the Neymar flops.

+1.

Brazil haven’t been as bad as the other South American teams, but let’s get the cheats out of the tournament.

[PilotMan]

What a hammer!!!

[JPhillips]

It's amazing that Brazil hasn't gotten a goal yet. If they keep playing this isn't over.

[Abe Sargent]

I am rooting for Belgium to win it all, so yeah, Belgium!

[bhlloy]

Assuming no comeback, France Belgium could either be one of the most thrilling games of counter attacking football ever or a total grind with penalties to decide it.

[Arles]

Belgium is the best I've seen at a jailbreak after an opponent's corner. They killed Japan with it and just got their second against Brazil using that counter attack.

FYI, if you have live betting, Brazil is at about 10:1 to win right now. Not a bad hedge if you have any futures on Belgium (as I do), but it's also a solid bet given the pressure Brazil has been applying.

[HomerSimpson98]

this has been one helluva entertaining first half

[AlexB]

Why hasn’t he booked him then?

[AlexB]

Witzel with perhaps the worst acting so far.

When you want to decry the South Americans, Mbappe and Witsel make it more difficult... no need.

[ISiddiqui]

Game on!

[PilotMan]

If Brazil lose, it's on them. They had all the chances early, the own goal and then some. They have to own this one.

[PilotMan]

Good for Belgium! That's a quality game and a quality result.

[Abe Sargent]

And THERE WE GO!!!

[Buccaneer]

WOOOOOO!!!!!! Brazil is out, South America is out!!

[Arles]

Eden Hazard, Fellaini and Courtois were key in Belgium holding on. Heck of an effort by Brazil, though. Another great game to watch, but I'm glad Belgium won.

[ISiddiqui]

And the World Cup has now become another Euros. Granted, being held in Europe it was bound to go that way, but alas.

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

And the World Cup has now become another Euros. Granted, being held in Europe it was bound to go that way, but alas.

Maybe they’ll concentrate on playing football next time - when they do that, like in the last half hour, they’re pretty good at it.

Time of a Delirium Tremens in Belgium’s honour - it’s a positive it’s all European IMO the way most of the rest of the world has approached the tournament.

[AENeuman]

France and Belgium?! I predict it will end in stalemate despite a fierce battle over the neutral zone

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by AlexB

Maybe they’ll concentrate on playing football next time - when they do that, like in the last half hour, they’re pretty good at it.

I mean when you see Mbappe's dive in today's match (or England's diving against Colombia for that matter), it's hard to necessarily claim they are the only ones who are 'playing football'.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

France and Belgium?! I predict it will end in stalemate despite a fierce battle over the neutral zone

I was thinking it would end in a German victory.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I was thinking it would end in a German victory.

That's what they thought too.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I mean when you see Mbappe's dive in today's match (or England's diving against Colombia for that matter), it's hard to necessarily claim they are the only ones who are 'playing football'.

One dive per game does not equal an entire tournament of histrionics, flopping and melodrama. Not to excuse what Mbappe, Henderson or Maguire did because there's no place for it, but hardly the same frequency.

[miked]

I'm in Ireland for the summer and we were all in this bar in Oughterard, a little town outside of Galway a bit. The place was glued and erupted every time Belgium scored. Not a lot of love there for Brazil. I'm certain if I were there tomorrow for the England game, everyone would be wearing Sweden kits.

Alas, looks like I'll be driving around that time,.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

One dive per game does not equal an entire tournament of histrionics, flopping and melodrama. Not to excuse what Mbappe, Henderson or Maguire did because there's no place for it, but hardly the same frequency.

The whole "one dive per game" is the strange thing here. It's kind of like the "only a few bad apples" of football . England fell quite a bit against Colombia (Southgate likes to actually talk about how England are being more like other teams in that sort of thing). Maguire was the only one focused because generally he doesn't seem the type (that's more Ashley Young's sort of thing among the English defense). And France (esp Pogba and Mbappe) like to go down easy quite a bit. And Lucas Hernandez (of France) even admitted he flopped a few times against Australia to get Matthew Leckie tossed (https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/06/18/...matthew-leckie - that is an Aussie site, but there are some quotes from Hernandez).

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

The whole "one dive per game" is the strange thing here. It's kind of like the "only a few bad apples" of football . England fell quite a bit against Colombia (Southgate likes to actually talk about how England are being more like other teams in that sort of thing). Maguire was the only one focused because generally he doesn't seem the type (that's more Ashley Young's sort of thing among the English defense). And France (esp Pogba and Mbappe) like to go down easy quite a bit. And Lucas Hernandez (of France) even admitted he flopped a few times against Australia to get Matthew Leckie tossed (World Cup 2018: French fullback Lucas Hernandez admits to diving against Socceroos - that is an Aussie site, but there are some quotes from Hernandez).

Although I don't think it should get out of hand, I can understand the strategic value of driving, and yes, everyone does it--this has been going on in soccer for decades.

Where I jump off is in two instances. One, where someone does a particularly terrible acting job. I am 100% for video review and suspension for following matches if the ref doesn't throw him off the pitch right there. And two, the ridiculous writhing pain nonsense like Neymar did. That's just a mockery of anyone who actually does get hurt. I believe anyone who pulls that act should be instantly replaced by the red as "too hurt to continue." That would stop it right there.

[ISiddiqui]

I don't disagree with post match penalties, esp for terrible acting jobs; my point was that Neymar (or Brazil) isn't the only one to do it. This is just one (most egregious) example from today from France:

https://clips.clippit.tv/vxbwra/720.mp4

And it seems a lot are saying I'm glad those divers from Brazil are gone, where France just gets a little chuckle and no one is agitating for them to get beaten.

[ISiddiqui]

An interesting question, how low would the ratings be for a Belgium-Croatia Final?

[AlexB]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

I mean when you see Mbappe's dive in today's match (or England's diving against Colombia for that matter), it's hard to necessarily claim they are the only ones who are 'playing football'.

Agree about Mbappe (referenced it above), the only dive England did was Maguire.

Would much prefer he hadn't, but he immediately waved his finger to say no pen, and compared to how Colombia played the game and dived throughout, it was nothing. Definitely shouldn't have done it, but in the face of the way Colombia approached the game...

[ISiddiqui]

Going down easy then . Henderson while hit with the head acted like a sniper shot him. And Kane tends to go down a bit easy to get the foul and happened a few times against Colombia (he generally is fouled at the time though) - although on the penalty he didn't have to because the Colombian defender mounted him anyways. edit: I forgot about the Trippier one in extra time (Streamja - Simple video sharing). And Ashley Young too (https://twitter.com/L_E_D1980/status...69427826073604)

Though most England fans tended to speak of it as "England wised up to Colombia's tricks" which is a fun way of saying embellishing contact . Not that it's necessarily wrong, but Neymar also tends to embellish contact a good 75% of the time. He just embellishes it a lot.

[AlexB]

Not sure how you interpret “shouldn’t have done it” in that way, although agree about Ashley Young (although he didn’t actually dive against Colombia)

I don’t mind players going down when they’re actually fouled, even if they aren't neccessarily forced to ground, but going to ground under little to no contact (Maguire, Mbappe included) is bang out of order and should be stopped. As should pretending to be injured, trying to get players booked, intimidating the ref, etc.

In both games you’ve referred to, there was one, maybe two instances where England & France were in the wrong, there were dozens on the other side. The ideal is for none at all, but the tone was set by Colombia and Uruguay - highlighting England and France is not incorrect, but not the right focus.

And how Henderson is getting stick I really don’t get. Let me come and do an uppercut on your chin with my head and see if it hurts or not. He was chinned!

[AlexB]

Dola, the fact that Critch, a Scot who has repeatedly said anyone but England, ended up rooting against Colombia (I doubt it actually got to cheering for England!) tells you all you need to know as to who were the offenders in that game

[Critch]

Originally Posted by AlexB

Dola, the fact that Critch, a Scot who has repeatedly said anyone but England, ended up rooting against Colombia (I doubt it actually got to cheering for England!) tells you all you need to know as to who were the offenders in that game

That wasnt me, I was supporting Colombia to the end.

[bhlloy]

I believe that was me, and I’m Welsh rather than a kilt-wearing tight fisted alcoholic, thank you very much

But yeah. One thing does not equal the other. Unfortunately everybody exaggerates contact and looks for fouls in today’s game, and it’s not something to be proud of. But if you think what England and France have done on a few occasions is remotely equal to the embarrassment of Neymar rolling around any times somebody has got near him or what Colombia did in that second round game, I’m really not sure what to tell you. I suspect you are just being obtuse to try and prove a point to be honest.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

But yeah. One thing does not equal the other. Unfortunately everybody exaggerates contact and looks for fouls in today’s game, and it’s not something to be proud of. But if you think what England and France have done on a few occasions is remotely equal to the embarrassment of Neymar rolling around any times somebody has got near him or what Colombia did in that second round game, I’m really not sure what to tell you. I suspect you are just being obtuse to try and prove a point to be honest.

+1
I enjoyed the play of Colombia and Uruguay in recent World Cups, but I ended up cheering against them regardless of opposition, I felt they took it a step too far this tournament. The same with Neymar.
(Re-reading the 2014 world cup thread at FOFC, there wasn't this much complaint about the antics of these teams and players like this tournament.
Edit: Or not. Flopping and dirtiness was a point of discussion for the third group stage matches.)

[Abe Sargent]

Let's go Sweden and Croatia!

[Abe Sargent]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

An interesting question, how low would the ratings be for a Belgium-Croatia Final?

I would love to see that guaranteed to see another club crack into the WC Win. I would force everyone to shut up and watch.