The Russia 2018 World Cup Thread

no !
disaster
2-1

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

WTF CROATIA SLIP THROUGH

a reply to: Cassi3l


I want a france england final so badly

But Crotia are playing so well

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight


Me too !


Amazed
England go home


Stunnin

a reply to: InhaleExhale

The best team won , enjoy the final mate.
Hope Croatia go on to lift the World Cup.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Oh dear
....tge curse on England has come back

Our first tough game. Going home.
Utterly useless tonight.
Dont know why commentators are eulogising England. They were an embarrassment tonight.

Croatia were good again. Different class to England.

a reply to: gortex

Agreed the better team won.the Croats revived their spirit and wore down England . Good luck to them

England is coming home, be happy friends

Wow... anybody see a France vs Croatia final at the start of the tournament... yea me neither.

Very very impressed with Croatia, not sure they got enough to beat france but god I hope so.

Sigh! But it was fun while it lasted. Gareth and the boys went further than anyone expected. We'll probably see two second teams play in the 3rd place play-off again now.

Congratulations to Croatia of course.

While I feel that there will be a new name on that World Cup. France look clear favourites.

Extraordinary !
2 semi's that should go down in Big Cup Footy lore
and a final, that ...ahem .. on paper looks tilted for France

I've retired from the match predicting business

a reply to: Irishhaf
i just clicked on the obvious winners in each group
just like, i picked to lose against belgium

Evidemment :
France/England

England/Belgium
Little Wee Footy Cup

Better than Nothing to come home with

a reply to: mirageman

Roy Keane has it right. The England players simply are not good enough. This particular group never will be. Talent wise it's the worst team England have ever had, but they work hard. It's a shame teams of the past lacked the work ethic.

I hope Croatia go on and beat France. Then winning would be a little too annoying.

Wednesday July 11th Results

Semi-Final : Croatia 2-1 England

after extra-time



England took an early lead in the 5th minute. Kieran Trippier placing a free-kick over the Croatian wall into the right hand side of the net. Harry Kane saw a glorious chance from 6 yards out saved and then he hit the rebound against the post. England looked in control for most of the first half.

That grip loosened immediately in the second half. Croatia carved out a number of chances as Jordan Pickford and a goalpost conspired to keep any equalizer at bay. But Ivan Persic forced the game into extra-time with his 68th minute goal. Super Mario Mandzukic caught John Stones day dreaming with 10 minutes to go and it was 2-1 Croatia.


Two more games to come and then we can all look forward to football in the desert at World Cup 2022 - Qatar.

Saturday 14th July
-----------------------
3rd Place Match

Belgium v England

Sunday 15th July
-----------------------

World Cup Final

Croatia v France

Gutted.
England should have had it sewn up by half time, knew them missed chances would cost us.

We were the best team in the first half but Croatia re-grouped, and were by far the better team overall.

On Sunday I will be Croatian!

I stick by what I said at the beginning of the tournament; we lack creativity in the middle and up front.
But, and its a massive but, this group of players can do nothing but improve. We have some decent youngsters coming through and a handful of players who were injured or have not yet reached their potential.
I think we have the potential to be a massive threat in the Euro's 2020 and The World Cup in 2022, (lets hope common sense prevails and Qatar gets stripped of hosting it).

And I've got to say Southgate has proven me wrong and done an absolutely brilliant job.

The French have looked the best team through out this World Cup....but the best team doesn't always win.

Good luck to both teams and their supporters, lets hope its a game befitting the great tournament its been......just wish we were there.

a reply to: Freeborn

I honestly expected very little from this England team as there are no real World Class players in the squad. Harry Kane, the top scorer in the World Cup, has had a couple of shots in open play. He looked off the pace last night despite some excellent hold up play and if we are honest hasn't been bang on form. Raheem Sterling, lauded by ex-pros in the media for the work he does off the ball didn't really do a lot with it did he? The defence of Walker, Stones and Maguire all had a mistake a game in them that they need to shake off. The reality is also that we were one penalty kick away from disappointment against Colombia.

Those are all the negatives of course and we shouldn't dwell on them. Because this team can certainly improve and this tournament will have given many of them confidence to kick on. Kieran Trippier has been a revelation. Jordan Pickford's stock has certainly risen in this World Cup. The other Jordan (Henderson) performed well throughout until panic set in last night. Lallana and Oxlade-Chamberlain will be back. Other players will push their way into the squad before the next tournament.

I think Southgate deserves a lot of credit. Once the qualifying was done and dusted he came up with a plan. Unlike his predecessors he chose to gamble on a youthful squad after easing out a redundant Rooney and Joe Hart. He set the way of playing, certainly did a lot of work on set pieces, (including that penalty shootout) and more than anything has acted with a humble dignity that many football managers lack. His revival of the waistcoat as a fashion item may have single handedly saved Marks and Spencers too.

Maybe we didn't beat anybody of any quality in the end. But how many England teams have choked against nations of limited quality recently? This England team gave us hope and put a smile on the faces of the nation for a month (or a scowl on the faces of the Scots, Welsh and Irish!). The sun shone brightly every day during this World Cup. England more than exceeded expectations. They reached the last four. There is always that feeling of what might have been that will linger. But I think we can also wonder what still may be to come from this team.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: InhaleExhale

The best team won , enjoy the final mate.
Hope Croatia go on to lift the World Cup.

You guys should been 3-0 up at half if not 4

by 90 min it should have been either 3-3 or 4-4. chances, real good chances for both sides, England the 1st, Croatia the 2nd.

WOW, real change of tide from 1st to 2nd half.


Trippier's Goal was just majestic,

I think I saw it go in about 7 seconds before he took the kick just like he would have.

The camera angle was from behind, Subasic was too far to the left to obviously see through the wall, that right top corner was just tooo tasty to pass up.

Hats off to the young fella, I really feel for him going down with ..was it cramps just before the end, He would have been heart broken just that extra touch than the rest of your guys.


Perisic I thought put on the after burners in the 2nd, even in extra time he was pressing when you guys had the ball back in your half.





Great final 4 teams.


No massive superstars in any side just great talented players that work well together.