**** 2018 WORLD CUP THREAD ***

Someone ACTUALLY said Kane had a good world cup?! Are you insane?

Good first game - excellent instinctive finishes. From then, 3 penalties and a flukey deflection. Should've scored at least one in the semi. Looked exhausted. Off the pace, lacking sharpness, kept dropping deep for almost no reason. Played nowhere near his actual level.

Did Croatia really dominate the game? I don't think so... Possession isn't domination, and they posed no threat around the goal; France was in complete control.

galenruppisgod wrote:

Did Croatia really dominate the game? I don't think so... Possession isn't domination, and they posed no threat around the goal; France was in complete control.

For portions of the game, France looked atrocious

HHH Runner wrote:

Someone ACTUALLY said Kane had a good world cup?! Are you insane?

Good first game - excellent instinctive finishes. From then, 3 penalties and a flukey deflection. Should've scored at least one in the semi. Looked exhausted. Off the pace, lacking sharpness, kept dropping deep for almost no reason. Played nowhere near his actual level.

That knob rash put him in the top 5 players.

Only had one shot on target in the knockout stages and that was the penalty against Colombia.

Don't listen to Scorpion, it took about 2 weeks into the tournament before he understood what goal difference meant.

galenruppisgod wrote:

Did Croatia really dominate the game? I don't think so... Possession isn't domination, and they posed no threat around the goal; France was in complete control.

You are correct.

Joking but still talking about it!!....LOL

Nice to see you know how to read history books ...Were you there ?...Did you fight the WW2? doubt it so until then STFU...

Once again talking about stuff you don't understand!

But keep changing subject ....on a soccer thread ....you reasonable man that you are!!

One thing is sure ....We certainely didn't need your help to win this WORLD CUP!!!

See YOU!

Hardloper wrote:

galenruppisgod wrote:

Did Croatia really dominate the game? I don't think so... Possession isn't domination, and they posed no threat around the goal; France was in complete control.

For portions of the game, France looked atrocious

I had money on a France future, and Croatia definitely pressed heavy early on but I felt no fear. France played for the counter-attack but I don't think that makes them less deserving of the win. Overall, it felt like an easy win but maybe I need to re-watch the match, which I won't.

Is this the first time an African team wins the WC?

Factoidz wrote:

Just Saying... wrote:

Fact:

France scored 11 goals in 4 games in the 2nd phase of the WC.( the most crucial phase where champions know how to turn it on)

Not bad for a team that "Park the bus"...

Not really the usual let's take a one score lead and hope for PK if we can't make it!

I LOVE IT!!!

Hadn't really seen anything good from France. This last game was a farce. Are they the worst team ever to win a World Cup?

I do think the winner out of this is Putin. The World Cup went smoothly by design and the Russian team went farther than anyone thought.

I Guess you missed the 11 goals....Sorry can't help the blinds see yet!...working on it.

If they are the worst team....what does that say about Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium and Croatia...then

Scorpion imposter????

dfde wrote:

Is this the first time an African team wins the WC?

I don't think bigot Trump is happy about this

These shitty African countries are producing world class soccer players then actually winning the world cup

Italy would be considered a "park the bus" team, not France. Deschamps coached them well. They were balanced, enterprising when they had to be and dour when necessary. All rounded off by quality passing and a disciplined back four. Well done France!

After further review France should have two less goals. 2-2, but Croatia got a lucky goal when the France keeper got sloppy-France deserves it more given the possibility of an intentional handball and lucky Croatian second goal.

Pretty clear that Griezmann slipped and was not fouled and therefore a free kick shouldn't have been awarded, which was offside anyway.

Arguably there shouldn't have been a penalty shot for the handball, as it was likely unintentional and the ball was curling towards a Croatian defender ready to head it.

galenruppisgod wrote:

After further review France should have two less goals. 2-2, but Croatia got a lucky goal when the France keeper got sloppy-France deserves it more given the possibility of an intentional handball and lucky Croatian second goal.

Pretty clear that Griezmann slipped and was not fouled and therefore a free kick shouldn't have been awarded, which was offside anyway.

Arguably there shouldn't have been a penalty shot for the handball, as it was likely unintentional and the ball was curling towards a Croatian defender ready to head it.

Never mind! Griezmann was doing an A-skip type thing and the Croatian made contact with him before Griezmann's foot touched the ground for push off and slipped. Now Griezmann might have slipped anyway but you got to give the benefit of the doubt to Antoine.

All is right with the world! Vive la France!

Good discussion of the handball decision:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=24106748

vivalarepublica wrote:

Good discussion of the handball decision:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=24106748

Good job by Craig Burnley to break it down. No way was that a hand ball, and the ref wasn't really convinced, which is

why he went back to the monitor. He looked at the monitor, and was about to make the call, then he went back to the monitor? Not quality refereeing. The player's hand wasn't that far from his body, and it was in its natural position based on him jumping. His hand wasn't over his head, and it was extended out from the body. His action wasn't intentional, so no handball should have been called. Even other professional refs are saying that was a bad, bad call, especially in a WC.

That called changed the energy of the game for Croatia. They were dominating and having their way with France all over the pitch. And once france got that gimmie goal, they defended deeper in their half. Croatia was forced to really press forward, leaving themselves exposed on the counter.

People will be talking about this for ages, plus the dive by Greizmann to get a free kick. He should have been carded for simulation.

In 2014, it was clear that Germany won the WC. In 2010, it was clear that Spain won the world cup, even though they played a boring tiki-taka style of football. I just don't feel the same way about France. It was more of a gift than a win.

Factoidz wrote:

Just Saying... wrote:

Fact:

France scored 11 goals in 4 games in the 2nd phase of the WC.( the most crucial phase where champions know how to turn it on)

Not bad for a team that "Park the bus"...

Not really the usual let's take a one score lead and hope for PK if we can't make it!

I LOVE IT!!!

Hadn't really seen anything good from France. This last game was a farce. Are they the worst team ever to win a World Cup?

I do think the winner out of this is Putin. The World Cup went smoothly by design and the Russian team went farther than anyone thought.

You guys are too funny. France easily won almost every game it played, usually by multiple goals, clearly had more talent than almost every other team in the tournament, and did what they had to do in every situation presented. No other team did this. It was obvious that France was the best team throughout the knockout stages.

If the object is to score the most goals and all these other teams were in such control, why couldn't they control the damn scoreboard? France played a FAR MORE DIFFICULT series of teams than did Croatia. They won their games more convincingly, by more goals, and were never really in danger of losing a game outside of a few minutes when they were down against Argentina.

Just give it up. You've been trashing France for 24 hours straight. Just stop it. Croatia struggled through a much weaker bracket than France. France beat, in succession, Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium and Croatia. They won all but one of these games by multiple goals. France was the best team in the World Cup because they scored more goals than the teams that they played.

Has it occurred to you that France simply played as well as they needed to in each given situation to win each game? If the handball call hadn't been given to them, the likelihood is that they would have turned up the heat and scored another goal or two, as they did against Argentina and Uruguay.

MurderDub wrote:

Just give it up. You've been trashing France for 24 hours straight. Just stop it. Croatia struggled through a much weaker bracket than France. France beat, in succession, Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium and Croatia. They won all but one of these games by multiple goals. France was the best team in the World Cup because they scored more goals than the teams that they played.

Has it occurred to you that France simply played as well as they needed to in each given situation to win each game? If the handball call hadn't been given to them, the likelihood is that they would have turned up the heat and scored another goal or two, as they did against Argentina and Uruguay.

France played against Uruguay without EDISON CAVANI( tore his calf) who was having an outstanding WC. - Break Number 1

---- That would be like Croatia playing without Modric, or Belgium playing without Hazard. ---

Didn't score in open play against Belgium, scored on a set piece by Umtiti that appeared to take a slight deflection off of Fellani . From that point on, all players dropped back, except for Mbappe, to defend. That was around the 51st minute of the game! basically, an entire half left, but France went anti-football, looking to catch belgium on the break, and they almost did.

Against Croatia, Greizmann clearly dove from the slightest of contact to get a free kick. JAPAN and BELGIUM STAYED ON THEIR FEET. He should have been booked for simulation ( break number 2). The horrible hand ball call, when Croatia had their foot on france's throat ( break number 3). And the flood gates just opened from there.

Their last three games were not convincing. So we agree to disagree. GO RE-WATCH THOSE GAMES.

"RE: World Cup starts a week from today. 6/8/2018 4:01AM - in reply to Hoolie

Reply Return to Index Report Post

At recent world cups the team in the early rounds (pool play) that has impressed me and I have then called as favourites end up getting knocked out only to win next time, Spain in 2006, Germany 2010, France 2014, so by my warped logic France will win."

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=8854296

I called, yes I did, I was the man with foresight. ?