Scorpion_runner wrote:
MUSA is flying like an eagle!!
Nigeria!!!!!
They're beating part timers. Good job.
You figured out goal difference yet?
Scorpion_runner wrote:
MUSA is flying like an eagle!!
Nigeria!!!!!
They're beating part timers. Good job.
You figured out goal difference yet?
good. I hate iceland, no soccer playing arses.
Force them out of parking the bus, and they get destroyed!
This team looks nothing like the first half team. Superb!
Scorpion_runner wrote:
good. I hate iceland, no soccer playing arses.
Force them out of parking the bus, and they get destroyed!
It's a team of part timers, second division players and Gylfi.
They're punching well above their weight to even be here, it's ridiculous to get all smug just because a team of highly paid players from a large country is beating them.
France is winning this whole thing
Missed PK by a mile. Poor guy.
Nigerian GK is playing like a stud. Kid has no fear.
He is going to need play that way heading up against Argentina.
XY wrote:
France is winning this whole thing
Or maybe Croatia
They are jamming in Lagos!!
FELA!!
Damn. I'm happy.
Scorpion_runner wrote:
They are jamming in Lagos!!
FELA!!
Damn. I'm happy.
Yup, Quilox will be popping tonight!
So Nigeria hand Argentina another lifeline. Exciting to have three teams play for the other spot. Will Croatia rest players against Iceland? The plot thickens.
I understand that every game is different, but if Nigeria plays the way they did today and how bad Argentina has looked this entire tournament, I would put my money on Nigeria. As Scorpion_runner said, their speed and athleticism is going to cause problems. That being said, they definitely don't have the strong central midfield that Croatia does, which could generate more good chances for Messi to both get forward with the ball and to distribute/create. Going to be a VERY interesting game.
Basically, with the exception of Croatia, the other 3 teams HAVE to win to advance. Only Nigeria can still tie and technically advance (and even then, they have to wait on goal differential if Iceland wins)
SB runner. wrote:
Argentina have Aguero and DeMaria, but that is it. Dead midfield, terrible defense and no plan. I find it amazing that minnows like Iran show superb defensive shape and discipline but a traditional powerhouse like Argentina look like a JV team.
Looks like 0-0 at halftime. Nigeria look lazy in both attack and defense. They are shaping up to lose.
Di Maria is a shell of his former self. He just can't create like he used to. Mascherano might be the best midfielder so far for Argentina, and he's basically in semi-retirement.
With the Nigeria win against Iceland, Argentina is in the driver's seat now. All they have to do is beat Nigeria, because Croatia should have no trouble with Iceland, even if they don't put forth a full effort. Starting Dybala might be a good idea, because he is looking pretty sharp right now and would take some pressure off Messi to create all the chances.
MeHereYouWhere?! wrote:
I understand that every game is different, but if Nigeria plays the way they did today and how bad Argentina has looked this entire tournament, I would put my money on Nigeria. As Scorpion_runner said, their speed and athleticism is going to cause problems. That being said, they definitely don't have the strong central midfield that Croatia does, which could generate more good chances for Messi to both get forward with the ball and to distribute/create. Going to be a VERY interesting game.
Basically, with the exception of Croatia, the other 3 teams HAVE to win to advance. Only Nigeria can still tie and technically advance (and even then, they have to wait on goal differential if Iceland wins)
Nigeria has a good chance because Argentina will inevitably do something stupid with the ball and Nigeria will take advantage in the counter attack. Argentina could easily dominate possession against a less skilled Nigeria team, but if nobody but Messi creates chances and they fall behind, they could very well bonk out against a feisty Nigeria team.
Croatia pretty much has goal differential for 1st place wrapped up if Nigeria beats Argentina, so Croatia doesn't have much to play for against Iceland. The final match day for this group should be pretty exciting.
This thread doesn't have enough videos. I thought the Rebić goal was the most badass!
trollism wrote:
Scorpion_runner wrote:
good. I hate iceland, no soccer playing arses.
Force them out of parking the bus, and they get destroyed!
It's a team of part timers, second division players and Gylfi.
They're punching well above their weight to even be here, it's ridiculous to get all smug just because a team of highly paid players from a large country is beating them.
Icelandic players are NOT part timers, every single one of them is a professional player. You do not end up topping an UEFA qualification group with part timers. They qualified winning their group in front of Croatia, Ukraine, Turkey and Greece.
Sure, they don't play for Real, Barcelona or Bayern but they mostly play in top division (only one of them, play in a 2nd div club). The large majority of teams in World Cups does not have players which plays for top-5 clubs. They are a normal World Cup team in that matter
In fact, Iceland make me think that British might be poor football players overall, despite a large history and decent infrastructure, and that the myth that Brits don't perform well in track because football has taken over might be a myth.
Scotland who has been playing football since the 1870s, has qualified 7 times for the World Cup without ever passing a round, they have the record of first round elimination (100% with 7 appearances) . Scotland has about the same population size than Denmark, Croatia or Uruguay (countries where football came much later) .
Wales has not made it to the World cup since 1958, they failed again this year despite having the best player in their history.
I am not going to speak about N. Ireland. These two home nations have cities bigger than Iceland.
As for England, yes they won it in 1966, but it was because they hosted it . FIFA's chairman in 66 was a rather chauvinistic englishman ,sir Stanley Rous. made sure that would happen : giving Carte Blanche to hack England's opponents (Pelé threatened to stop his career after being brutally fouled during the whole tournament under the eyes of the various refs), England also played all its matches in the same stadium (the only tournament it happened) , plus referees calls going for them.
Looking at England WC results in the decade just before and just after their WC success makes me believe that it was a fluke.
Why do a bunch of grown masculine men grab each other?
What's even worse in American football.
Why do grown men ben over in front of other masculine men?
Oh the humanity!
England acts like they have some sort of entitlement to doing well in international tournaments. Outside of the times they hosted the World Cup and Euros, England's best result is the semis at the 1990 World Cup and 1968 Euros. Hardly convincing of a great football nation.
They would not even be considered in the top tier of European footballing nations. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Czechoslovakia and its successors, Yugoslavia and its successors, all could be considered to have better footballing history than England.
Belgium is looking incredible and it looked like a runaway until Tunisia just scored that goal off a free kick. 3 goals in the first 20 minutes. Now it's just a match devoid of defense. They won't be able to keep up this pace, but it sure is exciting now!
Some serious Tunisian babes in the stands. Wowzers.