World Cup - Do You Want To Talk About It?

Russia are sooooooooo lucky they didn't give Spain a penalty. Imagine if the dude who scored an own goal also gave Spain a winning penalty with that blatant holding. I'm shocked VAR didn't give them the pen.

I am going to experience more incidents of microsleep during these two games than total goals scored.

Holy shit that penalty kick and save

Croatia was robbed of a goal. I can't believe that foul is no longer a red card!

Croatia deserves to win

Nvm, all is right with the world.

What a World Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Internet cut out; I missed every damn penalty. Just caught the Croatian manager losing his mind. Well done!

https://youtu.be/henbQjQqVdY

Everyone here went super saiyan after that last block. That took years off my life.

..Based on what exactly? I hate these statements, It's like they exist to provoke emotional people like myself lol.

I can't fucking believe we let a guy who haven't scored in forever in Nicolai Jørgensen, who is really not that good and has zero confidence take our last penalty. I knew it right as he stepped up, that was it. Game over man, game over. I also can't believe we kept a talent like Kasper Dolberg on the bench pretty much the entire tournament while our forwards didn't come close to being threatening, EVER! but whatever, I'm not a god damn national coach. Good night.

Both teams showed tonnes of heart and the will to win. It was pretty even in my view; no one stood out to me as more deserving, but someone has to come out on top. Could've been anyone, really, same with Spain/Russia.

I was rooting for the Danes having been bombarded by the legendary name 'Schmeichel' in my school years. That would've been a cool turnout.

Consolations to you guys o7.

@tothenines: Croatia looked way better to me.

Up until that yellow card, i honestly dont think i could have said croatia deserved that win. Denmark was outplaying them in almost every way. And can we just acknowledge how superhuman Schmeichel is in the goal? Goalkeeping was outrageous.

I don't buy into the 'X' deserved to win but Croatia were well on top throughout the game and it was probably their worst performance of the tournament, Denmark rarely tested Croatia's keeper, whereas Schmeichel was the much busier of the two.

The problem with Denmark is they had no end product. Croatia looked dangerous on the break but rarely got going. Croatia strengthened after the penalty miss but Denmark's shape was real good.

Spain were awful. They built their reputation on possession and movement but now the movement's no longer there. Lateral, plodding wank.

Some trainers are really possessed with ball position serves them right losing from Russia.I feel football should use stat but use them in a good way don't just go for ball possession, it's like going zerg rush every star craft match ...

Football could even use playbooks like u see in American football i always wonder why they never switch up tack ticks during a match?

Nobody uses ball possession as a serious stat for anything anymore outside of tv pundits. Statistics are still in their infancy in this sport, the various xG models are something of a base but we are still far away from a proper model, because there are fewer "events" to group for data analysis in comparison to many other popular sports.

I don't understand your second comment, tactics are constantly switched during the majority of football games.

Look, that cleat to Neymar was dirty as shit, but if he ends up back on the field running around like he's a-okay, someone should kick him in the nuts. I swear, as someone that has been full on stomped on by a running player, and not that more dickish move, I know it can hurt a lot. But the amount of writhing about that dude did looked like he might never play again.

It's fucking pathetic. Suarez did it in the Argentina match. What a bunch of drama queens. I'm hoping the more VAR is embraced and fouls are not necessary to overstate by players (because people are watching and analyzing and assisting the referees at all times), it'll naturally fade. Not with those two players, though, it's built-in behaviour.

Good match though. Plenty of energy!

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Mexico tried pretty hard, but Brazil's quality got the best of them as we suspected it would. I think Salcedo let them down a lot, personally. I saw him lose possession at least a dozen times, and a few iffy challenges. I don't think they came across well at all at times -- I lost my reverence for them a bit, but no matter.

2-0 is about what I expected.

RIP Mexico

God I hate Neymar. I hate Neymar so, so much.

If soccer wants to get rid of all this diving crap, the change is actually really simple. Stop giving yellow cards for simulation and instead make a rule that says if you need to stop the game so the treatment team to come on the field, you are clearly too hurt to continue and need to be subbed off. No coming back into the game after 10 seconds. None of that Senegal-Poland garbage with a ref waiving a player back onto the field in the run of play. You're just done. That'll end the problem right quick. (FYI I'd be fine saying a player can leave for treatment and come back as long as they make to the touchline under their own power and the game doesn't need to stop).

Might be referring to set pieces, which to be fair, is a major inefficiency in teams preparation currently since it's the one time you can actually diagram and practice a set play that can be run on command. That's why I've kind of taken to Gareth Southgate. He's made no secret about watching the NFL and NBA to see how they run set plays. I don't think England has the talent to win, but at least they're trying to make the most of what they have.

@soulcake said:

I am not familiar with American football, but the biggest reason why soccer does not have such elaborate plays is because there is no timeout. The two halves are played (almost) uninterrupted for about 45', so the coach can't think or prepare the team in terms of play-by-play tactics but as entire match strategies. The closest they can get is to use substitutions and the mid term to rely messages to the team and trust the captain to adapt during the game.

Here here. I've felt like this for a while. It's particularly irritating as hell when you see the shit Neymar does and THEN watch him out sprint everyone to help score a goal. He's just the worst. I mean, the behavior is always the worst, but I feel like every time I watch him play there is AT LEAST one incident that leaves me just furious at him.

Layun would've been sent off if it wasn't for Neymar acting like his achilles had been murdered.

I am in the US and I have watched some of the games, when I can. However, most of the games are on while I am at work.

We are routing for Japan. Although, I do not think they will advance past Belgium today. If the US was in the Cup, we would probably be routing for them, except my wife, who is from Japan.

@therealturk: if he's referring to (indirect, as in not directly shooting at the goal) set pieces there is plenty, plenty of tactics, I know of people in teams' staff who are there just for those (Pino Irrera is/was a famous one in Italy). They are not ineffective because of lack of studying and preparing them, they are ineffective because you're usually crossing (which is statistically one of the worst plays to lead to scoring) in a small area packed with players plus a gk.

I love watching Nagatomo. He's so aware of the ball, his team, and the opposition at all times. Great defender IMO. My favourite of the Japanese, but Inui is very good too. Quick and clever.

Very enjoyable first half. They're holding their own and preventing Belgium from dominating; they seem totally thrown.

This is too stressful. I'm dreading watching this.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????

Oh shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Nani!? Holy Shit Japan!

nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Fucking hell

This is ridiculous! Inuiiii, the man.

I can see into the future and this game is going to give me a coronary.

Yeeeesss let's fucking go Belgium!!

That was probably the best match of the tournament so far! Well done to both teams.

Fuuuuuccccckkkk

I need a Xanax or something. Also, I wish I could give every player on the Japanese team a hug after that ridiculous counterattack in the last minute. Just insane and they all looked like they just wanted to die when time expired. What a game.

That 2nd half was a fucking movie.

Last-second goals are the hardest to stomach. Poor Japan; that sucks like nothing else.

Can't take anything from Belgium, they just nabbed it there. It should've been 3-2 way earlier with that Lukaku sitter he missed, so take some solace in that if possible. Daaamn.

Aw, love the Belgian manager, he's heaping praise on Japan. Classy winner.

Congrats to Belgium, their good team spirit and belief showed true in this game. Sensational comeback when many other arrogant teams probably would have crumbled and begun to infight.

I think using carrasco on that left wingback is much too risky, they looked way better when he was subbed out.

Dammit. Now I need to watch the replay after work tonight. And here I was hoping for maximum chaos in the bracket. Way to break my heart, Belgium*.

*The worst part is Belgium is so inherently likable and unassuming I really can't even get that mad. It's basically the Minnesota of Europe. So . . . curse you! You . . . you . . . you chocolate making not-Frenchmen!

@therealturk: Ha, same. I also had moments where despite rooting for Japan (and most of the underdogs) from the beginning of the tournament I kind of feel like only Belgium had a chance against Brazil, and I think Brazil losing might be higher on my personal wish list than anything right this minute.

Belgian here, totally psyched!! Too close for comfort though. Next up Brazil! If we have the sort of enthusiasm we showed when we were 2-0 behind, we might actually have a chance!

Last minute goals, man...every time. You have to be aware of the time and respond appropriately. Should've focused on defending and gone into extra time. Japan you break my heart. Though I guess not as badly as your own.

Which team will show Neymar what a real foul is? That's who I support!

Honestly, this was the best possible thing that could happen to Belgium. They needed a wake-up call. They needed to play a good team after cruising past Panama and Tunisia and playing their B team against England's B team. The Japanese really went at them in that match, never let them be comfortable on the ball, and scored two cracking goals. And that put Belgium in a situation where a) they needed to show some heart and some spirit to get back into the game, b) they needed to find their way past a Japan defence that could sit back, and c) Martinez needed to make the right substitutions. On point one, they really elevated their game and were willing to attack Japan after the second goal, and if not for some good saves they could've put the game away before stoppage time. On point three, especially, Belgium really exceeded my expectations. Going into this tournament, I felt it was ludicrous that Roberto Martinez was being trusted with this golden generation of talent, but his subs changed the game and scored the key goals. Fellaini coming on in particular seemed to embolden de Bruyne to play further forward and be more involved, and the team move and passing for the final goal was superb. It's a credit to Belgium and the sheer talent that they've accrued over the years that they can make those key changes, that they have game-changers on the bench.

Heartbreaking for Japan, because they had a perfect game-plan that they executed on really well, but they were beaten by a side with more talent and more players with experience of big top-level matches in Europe. I think Belgium started a bit naive, not taking Japan seriously - Japan made Belgium take them seriously, but cruelly, this was also their undoing.

Belgium against Brazil is going to be an absolute blinder.