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The FIFA Football World Cup 2018

Oh gawd, that breakaway PK the MLS had was awful.

I’m not certain why the “golden goal” didn’t catch other than the ridiculous name.
As I recall two reasons. First, it caused teams to retreat into defensive shells. Second, it seemed unfair to end an OT when a goal was scored.

This article has a bit more about it
https://www.thesun.co.uk/world-cup-2018/6696791/golden-goal-rule-world-cup-extra-time/
Yeah, right... I suppose that was obvious. A golden goal with PKs means Extra Time will always be followed by PKs.

Golden goal without PKs could be different.
 
Oh gawd, that breakaway PK the MLS had was awful.

I’m not certain why the “golden goal” didn’t catch other than the ridiculous name.
As I recall two reasons. First, it caused teams to retreat into defensive shells. Second, it seemed unfair to end an OT when a goal was scored.

This article has a bit more about it
https://www.thesun.co.uk/world-cup-2018/6696791/golden-goal-rule-world-cup-extra-time/
Yeah, right... I suppose that was obvious. A golden goal with PKs means Extra Time will always be followed by PKs.

Golden goal without PKs could be different.
Yes, the OTs might drag on for a long time. Given the tradition of few substitutions, that could mean someone(s) could go down after 120+ minutes.
 
Croatia was definitely the aggressor in that match. Pickford kept England in the game with 5 saves and Croatia helped with missing a couple off the post and over an empty goal. England had one shot on goal in the game and scored on it, then had nothing else the rest of the match. It's hard to win a game if you never shoot at the goal.

Croatia looked better then I thought they would given it was their 3rd ET match in a row. France might have a harder time sitting on the ball if Croatia is aggressive.
 
Croatia was definitely the aggressor in that match.
Maybe half of the match. Kane had a chance to make it 2-0 with a tough tight open net opportunity. England had plenty of chances to up the lead, but didn't. In the second half Croatia started having success.

Indeed, Pickford had an incredible World Cup. Poor former, presumably, Stoke City keeper Jack Butland.

Really hard for this one. I'm happy for Croatia, but was really pushing for England.

So France v Croatia.

France beat Argentina (5), Uruguay (14, but without Cavini), and Belgium (3) in the knockout round.
Croatia beat Denmark (12), Russia (70), and England (also 12).

Smart money is on France, but Croatia has at least earned a shot to be taken seriously here.
 
It's an interesting match up for the final. Croatia must be exhausted after their previous games, France have an extra day to recover, could be telling. I think France will edge it.
 
Based on athletic ability alone, I'd go with France. Based on toughness, I'd go with Croatia. It was fun to watch them get stronger towards the end of their 3rd ET game in a row.

Of course they have guys on their team that lived through the Balkan War, so they are accustomed to a little adversity. I pointed out Luka Modric to my kids and they said he looked more like a meth addict then a soccer star. :D The girls follow women's soccer, because girls. That's the nice thing about soccer (and basketball) versus other men's only sports like American Football. A guy like me can relate to his girls who play and follow the same thing. The kids play for clubs and school, and referee games.
 
Croatia has played 2 games in a row with extra time and penalty kicks. I see them struggling towards the later part of the game with England due to fatigue.

Well, well, well, apparently, something didn't turn out as predicted by the pundits. :rolleyes:

I would guess it was the sheer gutsy determination, the fighter spirit, the desperado mindset. It was hard, obviously, but they did it. And they're athletic, I guess.

Dok je srca, bit će i Kroacije.

As long as there is heart, there will be Croatia... :D



Anyway, it doesn't matter. What matters is that the best team should win and they did.
EB
 
France seems to be good at creating turnovers, but are just a tad slow at driving the ball down the field after a turnover.

I've always seen France's teams do that, at least when I did watch the matches a long time ago. I can only guess they prefer to control the game and spare the expense of energy for their star players, in particular given there's still a final to play. And Didier Deschamps, the French manager, won the 1998 cup, as a player with France, twenty years ago. There has to be "cultural" continuity in that.
EB

Or maybe they just don't have flashy pirouetting dribblers like the South Americans, nor maniacal I-only-run-in-straight-lines speed demons like Klinsmann. ;)

It would have been nice to see Belgium win given that they've never been to the finals, but since this is only France's 3rd trip to the finals, I still think of them as underdogs rather than a major soccer power.

France vs Croatia would be kind of cool, but France vs England would be epic, and I mean "make homemade hot wings to watch the game" epic.

The four semifinalists are all very good teams but I think the results are in order. The difference is small but the two best teams won. Maybe Belgium deserved to go up to the final more than Croatia but apparently it was Croatia that France wanted to avoid in the first place.

Now they have to show they're really the best because Croatia will definitely fight its final. Should be interesting to watch. I say no finessing now. All out.
EB
 
There seems to be a lot of shootouts in this world cup. I'm not a fan of settling things by that method. Maybe they'd be better off just forcing teams to continue play until someone scores in a sudden death. It would force open a team like Russia that was packing the box on defense and hoping the game went to penalties. It might also open the game up during regular play because unlimited extra time would all but mean you'd be defeated in the next round if you didn't take the risks needed to end it.

That wouldn't stop a team up 1-0 from going into a defensive shell, but it might encourage them to try to get a second goal so they don't risk ending up tied at the end with a late goal that pushes them into a long match.

I doubt we'll see a rule change of that level anytime soon. Especially one based on my personal opinion. :D

At least in the first rounds some teams take extra offensive risks because goal differentials can be a deciding factor in getting through.

Not a chance.

Because, precisely, "unlimited extra time".
EB

- - - Updated - - -

Hot wings are off. Hat's off to Croatia.

Once again, England managed to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.

They're rehearsing for the Brexit.

Can't blame them.
EB
 
But as things stand, we're not going to play England. :rolleyes:

Or England would need to beat either Switzerland or Sweden, and then either Russia, Spain, Croatia or Denmark! You know! Nah.
EB

I guess I predicted England's fate just right.

Shows you don't even have to watch the matches or know anything much about football to be able to foretell the winner. :rolleyes:
EB
 
There seems to be a lot of shootouts in this world cup. I'm not a fan of settling things by that method. Maybe they'd be better off just forcing teams to continue play until someone scores in a sudden death. It would force open a team like Russia that was packing the box on defense and hoping the game went to penalties. It might also open the game up during regular play because unlimited extra time would all but mean you'd be defeated in the next round if you didn't take the risks needed to end it.

That wouldn't stop a team up 1-0 from going into a defensive shell, but it might encourage them to try to get a second goal so they don't risk ending up tied at the end with a late goal that pushes them into a long match.

I doubt we'll see a rule change of that level anytime soon. Especially one based on my personal opinion. :D

At least in the first rounds some teams take extra offensive risks because goal differentials can be a deciding factor in getting through.

Not a chance.

Because, precisely, "unlimited extra time".
EB

- - - Updated - - -

Hot wings are off. Hat's off to Croatia.

Once again, England managed to pull defeat from the jaws of victory.

They're rehearsing for the Brexit.

Can't blame them.
EB
The England performance is a good metaphor for Brexit; Lots of super patriotic hope and bluster, completely undone because they disregarded the fact the the rest of Europe also gets a say in what happens.
 
Sports are filled with jingoism and idiocy everywhere. You could drive yourself crazy taking the politics of the players and teams too seriously.
 
For now certainly, all the goals have been scored by the Croats. All in 25 minutes.
EB
 
They're rehearsing for the Brexit.

Can't blame them.
EB
The England performance is a good metaphor for Brexit; Lots of super patriotic hope and bluster, completely undone because they disregarded the fact the the rest of Europe also gets a say in what happens.

But that's precisely why they wanted to get out in the first place, too much power to "Brussels". For some reason, Islanders seem to be more jealous of their independence than other people. Never easy but you can't blame them. Perhaps it was sold to them as easy pie so they've been somewhat duped but you can't blame them. (2-1 after the penalty, so still something like a Croat's own goal...)

Maybe the Brexiters within the British establishment have convinced themselves they will be able to squeeze more value from workers around the world once outside Europe. And that may well be true but I suspect only for a while. I doubt the West could beat China at this game in the long run. Except Britain is sort of specialised now in the services industry and they should keep their advantage for some time. But will that be enough to make a living on your own? A leaving, apparently yes, but a living?

Ah, I'm talking about things I know nothing about and not even drunk. Surely they know what they're doing. They seem to have managed Trump rather well, after all. Europe can't be much more difficult than that.

The thing is, it's just boring to death now to listen to the BBC. The Brexit inside out at every our of the day as if it was a Royal baby coming out. Is it a girl? Is it a boy? My, oh my. Seems like the best time ever to die.
EB
 
Sports are filled with jingoism and idiocy everywhere. You could drive yourself crazy taking the politics of the players and teams too seriously.

???

In a deterministic universe there's nothing we can do about that. No use to complain. :D

(The French side is still waiting for the Croats to tire a bit before they start to press for a goal.)
EB
 
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