Gary Neville, Ian Wright, Lee Dixon and Roy Keane saying it how it is in the after-match reflection.
Good points about the tournament nature, Stones switching off (again) and the young players rushing things in the face of experienced Croatian pressure and also missing chances.
You did your country proud lads though. Come on England!
You, along with some here, maybe hankering after a game of beauty, displayed for the entertainment of the assembled masses. Some nations for, whatever reason, do offer such beauty. It appears, in general, to be from southern European, South American and to some extent budding Asian teams. Whilst ever, players of all teams, are allowed to manhandle, chop down and disrupt the beautiful game that style will wither unfortunately. With the now introduced AVR system, the decision for the on-pitch referee and linesmen to act or not act according to their own observations, has been in practice, removed.
More games are being decided by the ability of a team to win a penalty, a free kick within scoring distance or a corner kick. Subsequent rugby style manhandling can never be observed accurately, 360 degrees by the referee. Hence many winning teams adopting style of play and it becoming being coming prominent.
Others here are too wrapped in their bigotry or more likely, just want to argue the toss with their personal enemies. That, is the way of fora.
I suggest any stations that show Spanish, Italian or South American leagues. There are still amazing games to be enjoyed by all, including the less knowledgable.
Last edited by OhOh; 12-07-2018 at 02:10 PM.
A tray full of GOLD is not worth a moment in time.
Que?
I'm not sure where to begin with this absolute nonsense after a fine World Cup largely free of the theatrics you speak so disparagingly of, and which have mostly been displayed by the South Americans primadonnas such as Neymar, but I'd suggest here:
The best, most entertaining teams have clearly been European (in a very entertaining tournament). What the fuck are you wittering on about?!?!?!?
Last edited by hallelujah; 12-07-2018 at 02:34 PM.
Lots of entertainment by as you say mostly European teams.
So we got to the semis, way beyond expectations, and Southgate was indeed mocked when he took the job and since with a young and inexperienced squad, and yes loads of potential with room for massive improvement.
But these are consolations not valid excuses for an embarrassing performance with the country's very best players. Bit of luck being untested by the draw, no real hard games, no traditional quality team to overcome, no Germany, Brazil, Argy, Spain or even Belgium since that match was better lost regardless of whether we tried to win, and the first decent team we met became the last. A great set piece to lead in minutes, a couple of free rolls botched in the first half, Salcott Rovers in the second half and for more than an hour looking weak in possession and frightened and vulnerable when not.
So kudos for reaching the semis by slaughtering nondescript teams, played well enough though not outstanding to despatch Sweden and hail to the future of a young team with great potential, but for the here and now they were nowhere near WC quality, overwhelmed by the presence of class and did not deserve to win under Southgate or any any other coach.
9 of the 12 from set pieces.
6 of those 12 against just one joke team.
They should be ashamed.
4th best team in the world. Proud of the lads.
Where were Germany, Portugal, Spain, Brazil and Argentina having been sent packing by the likes of South Korea, Uruguay and Russia?
At home on the beach watching us on TV.
So.... the semi-finalists in a knock-out competition are the 4 best teams in that confederation?
You could do stand-up.
Neo will be happy. Southampton are one of the best 4 teams in England after their FA Cup semi final three months ago according to Hal.
Liverpool are one of the 2 best teams in Europe.
Seriously bud, the world of comedy awaits you.
Last edited by Luigi; 12-07-2018 at 03:28 PM.
From someone without a dog in the fight ...
---
England used its weapons and used them well
In the early stages of the match, England kept doing all the things that had got it this far in the first place; the players
in white ran like demons, they harried the Croatians, they set off on quicksilver quick raids and they looked dangerous
at free-kicks.
Their chances were given a huge shot in the arm when Kieran Trippier fired in a superb free kick in the fifth minute.
Having the high ground in a game like this is a glorious advantage, and England made it count for the entire first half.
Croatia looked flustered as it attempted to instil its passing style on the game. England was bustling and buzzing and
would not let its opponents settle.
Southgate's side has not played the most beautiful football in Russia, but its speed, vigour and brilliantly executed
set pieces have been refreshing to watch.
Had Harry Kane taken his chance from close range to make it 2-0, it would have likely been too much for an
exhausted Croatia to come back from.
Harry Kane missed a golden opportunity to put the match to bed in the first half.
In a reflection of England's overall performance, Kane too made hay against weak opposition in the group stage before
failing to really impose himself on the rest of the tournament.
He is a good striker who now looks likely to end up as the World Cup's top scorer by virtue of his three penalties, two
tap-ins and a close-range header, but reports of him being an elite striker have been greatly exaggerated.
---
Croatia's talent proved too much
Slowly, steadily, Croatia began to take control. After half-time, Dalic switched his wingers Perisic and Ante Rebic and
both showed more accuracy and industry.
The midfield dream team of Ivan Rakitic and Luka Modric began to hum, with Modric especially casting his mesmeric
spell over the game.
The Real Madrid man should win the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, and probably the Ballon D'Or as the
best player in the world in the last year as well.
Ivan Perisic showcased an exquisite finish to level the match in the second half of regulation time.
Like many great athletes, he seems to conjure more out of his slight frame than should be possible.
He often looked tired, crumbling even, in the latter stages of the match.
Then moments later he would spray a 50-yard pass with such perfection it might as well have been a relaxed training session.
Mario Mandzukic is almost the opposite; a huge, powerful player who usually looks ungainly. He is capable of moments of his
own, though, and it was his goal that sealed Croatia's spot in the final.
The strike in extra time was a product of pressure, if not brilliant build-up play. Perisic won a header on the edge of the box
and Mandzukic simply reacted quicker than his marker, John Stones.
It had been a long game and a long tournament, and Stones switched off for a fraction of a second.
And that was enough for the Juventus forward to shimmer past him like a wraith and lash the ball into the back of the net.
It's moments like these that decide World Cup semi-finals.
Modric's post-game comments indicated his side had used some of the England hype as inspiration.
"English journalists, pundits from television, they underestimated Croatia tonight and that was a huge mistake.
All these words from them we take, we were reading and we were saying, 'OK, today we will see who will be tired'."
Forget Liverpool. They didn't go through 2 years of qualifying and that's not what we're discussing, so don't switch the goalposts because you're on such shaky ground.
Are France the best team in the world if they win the World Cup this Sunday?
You must be a TEFLER as otherwise you would understand shooting is a real word... as in 'the ball went shooting over the bar'.. unlike shooted which is not a real word but could be used in ' hallelujah, he so dumb, he gone shooted himself in the foot again'
so TD special
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
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