You can take them out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of them.
Only 2 deaths and 800 destroyed cars this time:
You can take them out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of them.
Only 2 deaths and 800 destroyed cars this time:
Scorpion_runner wrote:
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.
In the Round of 8 France played against Uruguay w/ Suarez. Croatia was barely surviving mighty Russia. Who was on that team?
France beat Argentina w/ Messi. Who was Croatia playing at that stage?
France beat Belgium with Hazzard, Lukaku, etc. And they beat Croatia w/ their full squad.
The score matters. Who wins matters. The Cavs didn't beat the Warriors. The Pats didn't beat the Eagles. Merritt is not the 400m Olympic champion, WVN is, Centro is the 1500m Oly champ, not Kipdope, and Kipchoge beat whomever was running against him.
End of story.
a great podcast and breakdown on everything....the same breakdown that I have been given throughout this entire thread.
" france went very defensive against the better teams to catch them on the counter, because the coach didn't want to expose them." Basically, they didn't want to play straight up football in fear of losing.
I'm done with it. Peace.
Scorpion_runner wrote:
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=24107158a great podcast and breakdown on everything....the same breakdown that I have been given throughout this entire thread.
" france went very defensive against the better teams to catch them on the counter, because the coach didn't want to expose them." Basically, they didn't want to play straight up football in fear of losing.
I'm done with it. Peace.
Dude, please.
Background, lifelong Arsenal fan, had a season ticket since our first year at the Emirates, went to my first game in 1991.
Ok, the penalty. I'm genuinely shocked that a lot of pundits seem to think it wasn't a foul. To me there was a clear and deliberate moment towards the ball. His arm wasn't falling at a consistent speed, it jerked towards the ball. Was it probably subconscious? Yes, but that's immaterial. He jerked his arm towards the ball and hit it, altered it's path. End of story.
Did Griezmann dive for the free kick? Yup. It happens. It's the worst part of the game and I wish it wasn't so. No team is innocent however, but Croatia got a bad break there. Still no excuse for such shocking positioning for the free kick itself. They were way too deep.
Style of play - frankly who gives a damn. If you don't like counter attacking football then go live in a dream land. Managers are paid to win. Anyone (looking at you Belgium) who claims they'd prefer to lose gloriously than win in a workmanlike fashion is lying. If you believe them you're a fool. That's if you're thick skulled enough to believe that France weren't playing a stylish game. Limited talent pool, limited time together, play to your strengths. Strongest, most hardworking midfield on the planet and electrifying pace attackers, especially out wide. Use it. How did throwing on every attacker work for Argentina? Germany?
Know who else sets up a brilliant, tough, crafty midfield and relies on a physical specimen of an attacker with pace out wide? Real Madrid. Casemiro = Kante. Kroos and Modric = Pogba and Matuidi, albeit with more craft and less physicality to account for the fact they often have to break down extremely defensive La Liga teams (not something France had to contend with). Big, physical French striker to link play and hold the ball up? Check and check. Asensio =Griezmann. Then the superstars. See a lot of similarities there, even the slightly lopsided back line (Pavard pushing forward, Marcelo being the more aggressive for RM).
Path to the final - Croatia's was cupcake. No denying it. Anyone who said they were the best team of the tournament....no. Beat a shambolic Argentina (so did France), a hugely overrated England and then huffed and puffed to extremely workmanlike PK wins over Russia and Denmark. RUSSIA AND DENMARK!!! France had to beat a high quality Belgium and a really tough, solid Uruguay team, albeit without one of their better players. Oh, and then beat Croatia themselves. France played better teams and beat them in open play.
Everyone loves an underdog, I get it. But Croatia didn't deserve anymore than they got. I personally don't think they would've been in the final had James been fit.
tony the tiger wrote:
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
Drumpf, in Helsinki, just congratulated Putin on successfully hosting the World Cup and announced he watched the entire final. It must've killed him to see all those black Africans in French shirts and I bet he had some choice words.
El Keniano wrote:
tony the tiger wrote:
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
Drumpf, in Helsinki, just congratulated Putin on successfully hosting the World Cup and announced he watched the entire final. It must've killed him to see all those black Africans in French shirts and I bet he had some choice words.
No way, he watched the final, he doesn't have the attention span to watch a soccer game.
Too many people are of the belief that a hand ball needs to be intentional to warrant a PK.
Regardless, France was the better team and produced better chances. Clear victors.
Pigs will be pigs the world over! Look at them open fire on their fellow citizens! I wonder if they kill as many as US cops.
ezrer wrote:
You can take them out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of them.
What's your explanation for the hordes of white, Euro soccer thugs?
trollism wrote:
Looksly wrote:
One questionable (wrong) decision. The handball was 100% correct.
No, it was an awful decision.
That was not a handball. Now THIS is a handball (go to 2 mins 23 secs):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Wk11KAnuIMurderDub wrote:
ezrer wrote:
You can take them out of Africa, but you can't take Africa out of them.
What's your explanation for the hordes of white, Euro soccer thugs?
Racists don't have good explanations for their beliefs, except that they need to feel superior over another for some arbitrary characteristic while the rest of their personality is generally garbage.
1966 semi final England versus Portugal wrote:
trollism wrote:
No, it was an awful decision.
That was not a handball. Now THIS is a handball (go to 2 mins 23 secs):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Wk11KAnuI
It was a handball. As another poster pointed out, it doesn't need to be intentional.
El Keniano wrote:
tony the tiger wrote:
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
Drumpf, in Helsinki, just congratulated Putin on successfully hosting the World Cup and announced he watched the entire final. It must've killed him to see all those black Africans in French shirts and I bet he had some choice words.
Yeah, I bet Trump is jealous that the boats full of Kenyan "refugees" aren't coming to the US. All those scientists, engineers, doctors, elite soccer players...
This video should close once and for all the debate about the penalty :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyQbKgipS9Y
If it is not a handball, then what it is ? Intentional or not, hand off the body in the penalty box will yield a penalty.
HHH Runner wrote:
Scorpion_runner wrote:
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=24107158a great podcast and breakdown on everything....the same breakdown that I have been given throughout this entire thread.
" france went very defensive against the better teams to catch them on the counter, because the coach didn't want to expose them." Basically, they didn't want to play straight up football in fear of losing.
I'm done with it. Peace.
Dude, please.
Background, lifelong Arsenal fan, had a season ticket since our first year at the Emirates, went to my first game in 1991.
Ok, the penalty. I'm genuinely shocked that a lot of pundits seem to think it wasn't a foul. To me there was a clear and deliberate moment towards the ball. His arm wasn't falling at a consistent speed, it jerked towards the ball. Was it probably subconscious? Yes, but that's immaterial. He jerked his arm towards the ball and hit it, altered it's path. End of story.
Did Griezmann dive for the free kick? Yup. It happens. It's the worst part of the game and I wish it wasn't so. No team is innocent however, but Croatia got a bad break there. Still no excuse for such shocking positioning for the free kick itself. They were way too deep.
Style of play - frankly who gives a damn. If you don't like counter attacking football then go live in a dream land. Managers are paid to win. Anyone (looking at you Belgium) who claims they'd prefer to lose gloriously than win in a workmanlike fashion is lying. If you believe them you're a fool. That's if you're thick skulled enough to believe that France weren't playing a stylish game. Limited talent pool, limited time together, play to your strengths. Strongest, most hardworking midfield on the planet and electrifying pace attackers, especially out wide. Use it. How did throwing on every attacker work for Argentina? Germany?
Know who else sets up a brilliant, tough, crafty midfield and relies on a physical specimen of an attacker with pace out wide? Real Madrid. Casemiro = Kante. Kroos and Modric = Pogba and Matuidi, albeit with more craft and less physicality to account for the fact they often have to break down extremely defensive La Liga teams (not something France had to contend with). Big, physical French striker to link play and hold the ball up? Check and check. Asensio =Griezmann. Then the superstars. See a lot of similarities there, even the slightly lopsided back line (Pavard pushing forward, Marcelo being the more aggressive for RM).
Path to the final - Croatia's was cupcake. No denying it. Anyone who said they were the best team of the tournament....no. Beat a shambolic Argentina (so did France), a hugely overrated England and then huffed and puffed to extremely workmanlike PK wins over Russia and Denmark. RUSSIA AND DENMARK!!! France had to beat a high quality Belgium and a really tough, solid Uruguay team, albeit without one of their better players. Oh, and then beat Croatia themselves. France played better teams and beat them in open play.
Everyone loves an underdog, I get it. But Croatia didn't deserve anymore than they got. I personally don't think they would've been in the final had James been fit.
Are you a complete moron?? In most eyes, France was the underdog here. With their style of play either Russia or Denmark would have beat France. Uruguay win was a joke without their star. Belgium was ridiculous. The worst soccer I've ever seen. Argentina? Croatia beat Argentina 3-0. France beat Argentina 4-3. That should tell you everything.
France, by design of FIFA won the only way they can--by cheating.
Well France outplayed and outscored Croatia, so it is hard for me to buy into your fantasy of them being the underdog.
end of discussion wrote:
This video should close once and for all the debate about the penalty :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyQbKgipS9YIf it is not a handball, then what it is ? Intentional or not, hand off the body in the penalty box will yield a penalty.
The underlying problem is that handball rule is so ambiguous that every ref will interpret it differently, especially with the aid of VAR and the pyschology that goes into being called to review the play. Tackles in the box are less ambiguous because you can easily see if the defender made a play on the ball. What qualifies as intentional and unnatural hand position while jumping? Your guess is as good as mine
Cooster wrote:
Well France outplayed and outscored Croatia, so it is hard for me to buy into your fantasy of them being the underdog.
Lol. France outplayed Croatia? Now that is a good one.
clown award wrote:
Cooster wrote:
Well France outplayed and outscored Croatia, so it is hard for me to buy into your fantasy of them being the underdog.
Lol. France outplayed Croatia? Now that is a good one.
Absolutely they did?
vivalarepublica wrote:
end of discussion wrote:
This video should close once and for all the debate about the penalty :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyQbKgipS9YIf it is not a handball, then what it is ? Intentional or not, hand off the body in the penalty box will yield a penalty.
The underlying problem is that handball rule is so ambiguous that every ref will interpret it differently, especially with the aid of VAR and the pyschology that goes into being called to review the play. Tackles in the box are less ambiguous because you can easily see if the defender made a play on the ball. What qualifies as intentional and unnatural hand position while jumping? Your guess is as good as mine
I agree that the rule is ambiguous. I would, however, be interested to hear how it is that you can see those replays and argue that it is not a handball.
Is there a rule against attaching a helium balloon to yourself while running a road race?
How rare is it to run a sub 5 minute mile AND bench press 225?
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has a 1989 Ferrari 348 GTB and he's just put in paperwork to upgrade it
Am I living in the twilight zone? The Boston Marathon weather was terrible!
Move over Mark Coogan, Rojo and John Kellogg share their 3 favorite mile workouts
Mark Coogan says that if you could only do 3 workouts as a 1500m runner you should do these