World cup 2018

[Von Broad]

But I can't help feeling we might get annihilated by a proper team, like Uruguay.

Thing is, England are ranked 12 in the world at present [results don't lie], and are now into the last 8, so, on paper at least, we're already punching above our weight. Anything now is a bonus. That's a good place to be.

[Peter]

Certainly.

[Wowbagger]

I gain the impression that this time round there's far less media hype about England. Would others agree?

I just hope it doesn't start now...

Health warning: my posts are liable to get into your psyche and really piss you off. (sorry VB, couldn't resist! )

[Jaded]

Just finished watching. I had a meeting this evening.

That was good until the end of normal time. Then again when we turned into proper footballers taking penalties.

Next match? A wedding. Not going to be easy to timeshift that one...

[Peter]

Just realised that, thanks to the exigiencies of the draw, England have reached the last 5!

[Wowbagger]

My younger son was posting things in Swedish today.

Fy fan, Sverige spela fotboll liksom England c. 2006-2016 😴

Google translated this as

Holy shit, Sweden play football as well as England c. 2006-2016 😴

and

Nu England spela fotboll liksom England for helvete.

which becomes

Now England play football like England for hell.

I think he might have been bored.

[Mr Larrington]

Those of us with long memories will remember the "Swedes 2 Turnips 1" headline from Euro 92

[De Sisti]

Some times, it depends on what the injury is. Something like a dead leg or a stud to the top of the foot (someone leaving their foot in the way when you go to kick/clear the ball) can leave you writhing around on the floor.

My point was more that the severity of the injury, or amount of pain inflicted, has no direct correlation with the magnitude of the contact. Pain can also be long lasting or very short lived (such as the injuries that leave you rolling around for a short while but seemingly ok a few minutes later).

A tiny little rake down the back of the achilles is a classic example of something that is easily missed but bloody painful for a short while and is possible to 'run off' and be back playing as normal a few minutes later.

Are you referring to how you would react to the above, everyone else?

[citoyen]

Just realised that, thanks to the exigiencies of the draw, England have reached the last 5!

That's the kind of upbeat, positive thinking I like to read in football threads. 

[andyoxon]

Eng v Sweden head to head record:    https://www.11v11.com/teams/england/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Sweden/

[Samuel D]

It was interesting to compare the tone of the French TF1 television commentary with the English commentary on the BBC website. The English thought the Colombians were cheating gits who should be fined. The French thought the referee let things get out of control early on and then disproportionately punished the Colombians while letting off the English. Both countries’ commentators were delighted to point out the referee was American as if Americans couldn’t understand soccer. Dumb but I’m used to it.

The first half was pretty dire to watch. The game improved slightly as the defences got more tired and the fouls and simulation from both sides receded.

I’d like to see England at least polish off the Swedes. Surely that is to be expected now. But they’ll be taken apart by any of Brazil, France, Uruguay or Belgium unless they find a way to score goals from open play.

If England somehow managed to win the Cup, it would transform all of English sport for a decade. The defeatism that defines English football would be wiped away overnight. Whereas if Brazil win again, less would change. I’d like to see France win. They have an excellent chance now, based on the situation and how they’ve played so far.

[citoyen]

Eng v Sweden head to head record:    https://www.11v11.com/teams/england/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Sweden/

There was a memorable bit of "head to head" in this match...

https://youtu.be/LFDNcHXJoFE

[T42]

Was a bit sad for Colombia: that country has had such a hell of a time over the last 50+ years that winning the WC or even getting to the final would have been a tremendous lift for them. Penalty shoot-outs are a miserable way to end a match, too. Sudden-death would be better.

[Beardy]

Was a bit sad for Colombia: that country has had such a hell of a time over the last 50+ years that winning the WC or even getting to the final would have been a tremendous lift for them. Penalty shoot-outs are a miserable way to end a match, too. Sudden-death would be better.

but sudden death doesn't fit in with the television stations and that is after all who pays the players.

[Samuel D]

The Colombians played the best football of the match in the 15 minutes after they scored their goal. If they’d summoned up that performance for, say, one quarter of the 120 minutes of play, they’d have won without penalties.

But I suppose a lack of urgency until things are dire or euphoric is a hallmark of Latin American teams.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I’d like to see England at least polish off the Swedes. Surely that is to be expected now. But they’ll be taken apart by any of Brazil, France, Uruguay or Belgium unless they find a way to score goals from open play.

As a broad generalisation you could say that about half the teams in the competition. There are some who score goals and some who score set pieces.

[Samuel D]

And when was the last time the World Cup was won by a team that scored set pieces? (I’m not a big enough football fan to know.)

[Cudzoziemiec]

Neither am I but google tells me Italy-France went to penalties in 2006 and I'm sure I remember at least one before that.

Ed: It was also Italy, but they lost that time, against Brazil in 1994.

[Pingu]

Those of us with long memories will remember the "Swedes 2 Turnips 1" headline from Euro 92

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=105991.msg2300387#msg2300387 

[Canardly]

I don't think I have ever seen a headbutt in a football match before and the match was somewhat of a disgraceful exhibition. Whilst England go through, to my mind they never really looked convincing finishers last night. I feel that they may struggle given quality opposition unless a shift in approach is adopted for future matches.

[Peter]

I don't think I have ever seen a headbut in a football match before and the match was somewhat of a disgraceful exhibition. Whilst England go through, to my mind they never really looked convincing finishers last night. I feel that they may struggle given quality opposition although evidently good in defence, unless a shift in approach is adopted for future matches.

There was a rather famous one by Zinedine Zidane, and in a world cup, too.  But it was less in your face and more of a chest-butt, but.

[fuzzy]

We weren't great and Colombia really were unpleasant to watch at times. A very different kettle of sushi to the honourable display put on by Japan.

Being a Swindon Town fan, I get very nervous when I watch tippy tappy football twixt goalkeeper and defenders, passing the ball backwards and forwrds amongst themselves, sometimes very close to opposition attackers. Swindon used to do this a lot and, though attacks often resulted due to the creation of space, frequently a defender or the keeper would fuck up and we would conceed. Now, I know our national team are a lot more proficient than my regular team but, so are the opposition. Sooner or later, we will fuck up and conceed. Stop passing around at the back with no sign of any urgency and GET THE FUCKING BALL FORWARD!

I feel better for that.

Here we go, here we go, here we go!

[frankly frankie]

Just realised that, thanks to the exigiencies of the draw, England have reached the last 5!

That's the kind of upbeat, positive thinking I like to read in football threads. 

Last 6 surely.  On Saturday morning, England Sweden Russia Croatia plus two good sides.

[Von Broad]

We weren't great and Colombia really were unpleasant to watch at times.

It was pretty obvious that was Columbia's game plan - which was probably influenced by Rodrigeuz unable to play and the fact the referee was pants weak. They did everything they could to unsettle England - sometimes fairly and sometimes in a manner that stretched the boundaries so to speak, or as Southgate described it - 'with some typical South American tactics'.  They should have just played the ball to try and score goals - they certainly had the ability. At the end of the day those tactics tell you only one thing - they feared England more than visa-versa. They got it all wrong. Shame.

A very different kettle of sushi to the honourable display put on by Japan.

Ain't that the truth.
Was there even a referee on the pitch in that game?

[citoyen]

Just realised that, thanks to the exigiencies of the draw, England have reached the last 5!

That's the kind of upbeat, positive thinking I like to read in football threads. 

Last 6 surely.  On Saturday morning, England Sweden Russia Croatia plus two good sides.

Yep, you're right.