Goooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[Brad]

France have started to play and when they do, they are the best team. 

They are causing a lot of havoc. 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Brad

[mjazzg]

France have definitely woken up at last. Lovely goal,made and scored by Pogba

[Brad]

You are seeing real quality now. Croatia is no match for them. 

Deschamps must have lit into them at halftime. 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Brad

[mjazzg]

Lloris seems to want to even things up a bit or join in the fancy football

[mjazzg]

Really enjoyed that. Fifteen minutes of absolute magic from France sealed it for them. Croatia tried their hearts out but that French defence is very, very good.

Feel sorry for Modric who would grace any team

[Brad]

I agree about the 15 minutes; they really turned it in and showed their brilliance. After that they seemed to lose their edge. 

La Vanguardia in Barcelona called their victory an “efficient thrashing.”

What a shame this WC is over but all good things must come to an end. 

Congrats, Brownie 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Brad

[mjazzg]

Yes, all over now. Very enjoyable competition.

Thanks Brad for all your very informed posts through the competition. I've enjoyed this thread (mostly) for its enthusiasm, insights and fair-handedness (mostly).

Now I can go and concentrate on a real summer sport...Test cricket. Anyone fancy a new thread?  deafening silence ensues

[brownie]

Glad it's over... It was close.

It's celebration time all over France!

[uli]

[EKE BBB]

3 hours ago, brownie said:

Glad it's over... It was close.

It's celebration time all over France!

Congrats, brownie.

Well deserved title. No doubt France is currently the best team, by far.

Deschamps was a bit mean in his strategy, though. France played only by gusts... the rest was insurmountable defence.

[Brad]

4 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Yes, all over now. Very enjoyable competition.

Thanks Brad for all your very informed posts through the competition. I've enjoyed this thread (mostly) for its enthusiasm, insights and fair-handedness (mostly).

Now I can go and concentrate on a real summer sport...Test cricket. Anyone fancy a new thread?  deafening silence ensues

It was a lot of fun, watching the matches and discussing them. 

When I lived in Trinidad (when I was 10) I used to play cricket but darned if I can remember anything about it. However, I do know it’s extremely popular, almost as much as football. 

[sidewinder]

7 hours ago, mjazzg said:

Now I can go and concentrate on a real summer sport...Test cricket. Anyone fancy a new thread?  deafening silence ensues

Why not? The Dutch-Anglo fan club member #1 on this thread will surely contribute..

https://youtu.be/E_6d3JBBo4s

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by sidewinder

[Dmitry]

Congratulations to France. They scored two goals and won 4:2. Croats scored 3 goals and lost 2:4. What a superb Croatian team [sans the weak keeper, who lost the WC for them]! This has been a great WC!

Oh, and the bad luck...it does exist.

Also, I disagree with the Golden Ball going to Modric. It belongs to Griezmann. Without a doubt.

[Brad]

I can't agree about the keeper. If it hadn't been for him, they might not have won those shootouts. 

I can't recall seeing this before but I was impressed with the Croatian president congratulating the French (as well as the Croatian) players.  

Maybe you're right about Griezemann but Modric deserved something for the Cup he had. 

Moving on, I see Chelsea has said Hazard is not for sale and Mbappe says he wants to stay at PSG. Madrid could be in real trouble. 

[erwbol]

7 hours ago, sidewinder said:

Why not? The Dutch-Anglo fan club member #1 on this thread will surely contribute..

https://youtu.be/E_6d3JBBo4s

 

 

 

[Dmitry]

8 hours ago, Brad said:

I can't agree about the keeper. If it hadn't been for him, they might not have won those shootouts. 

I was specific about yesterday. He had a total of three, maybe 4 decent shots on him the whole game. Imho he let them down bigly.   

[Brad]

Maybe the Pogba one. I'm not sure I agree about the others. 

I read this article yesterday,

France, a World Champion that Stood Above It All

Normally, I like his writing but what was he watching? As you pointed out, Croatia handed them two goals, they were unimpressive against Belgium and they played an undermanned Uruguay team. I haven't even mentioned the group stage.  Yesterday, they had a good 15-20 stretch but that was it.  Perhaps if it's 1-1 at half, it's a more interesting match. 

[Dmitry]

I've read a couple of his football pieces in the Times. I don't like his over the top, little susbtance style, and I don't walk away after reading him, thinking to myself,hmm, why didn't I think of that... I will wager he never played the game himself. At least someone in the NYT is writing about the WC. As we say in Russian, "where there's no fish, a crayfish is a fish".

I do think the Croats played with a lot more style and confidence than the French, but they just weren't lucky yesterday. Plus Vida couldn't keep up with Mbappe. And the keeper didn't step it up, when they relied on him. That Pogba goal...not world class keeping. With the new keeper, Croats are in the final of the UEFA Cup in 2 years. 

[Brad]

The coverage in the Times was pretty good, no complaints. I used to like their former principal writer, Hughes. 

They were definitely unlucky.  When the French want to play, they’re heads above most teams.  2020 might be the last chance for Croatia as Modric and Mandzukic will be around 34-35, not to mention teams like Belgium, Germany, Spain, etc. will be better and France will want to make their mark.  

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Brad

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

not to mention teams like Belgium, Germany, Spain, etc.

surely you've missed one team off that list, Brad? 

[Brad]

Yes, England for sure, maybe even Holland 

[mandrill]

4 hours ago, Dmitry said:

I've read a couple of his football pieces in the Times. I don't like his over the top, little susbtance style, and I don't walk away after reading him, thinking to myself,hmm, why didn't I think of that... I will wager he never played the game himself. At least someone in the NYT is writing about the WC. As we say in Russian, "where there's no fish, a crayfish is a fish".

I do think the Croats played with a lot more style and confidence than the French, but they just weren't lucky yesterday. Plus Vida couldn't keep up with Mbappe. And the keeper didn't step it up, when they relied on him. That Pogba goal...not world class keeping. With the new keeper, Croats are in the final of the UEFA Cup in 2 years. 

I wish Croats all the best, but it might as well be a high point that would take them a while (if ever) to surpass. Remember that they weren't even the top in their qualification group (Iceland was). The keeper seemed like he wasn't feeling well, maybe his injury in 1/4 final with Russia finally got to him. If so, it was a big gamble for Dalić to let him play. He could have clearly tried to save the last two- yet he was standing still as the ball whizzed by.

[soulpope]

18 minutes ago, mandrill said:

The keeper seemed like he wasn't feeling well, maybe his injury in 1/4 final with Russia finally got to him. If so, it was a big gamble for Dalić to let him play. He could have clearly tried to save the last two- yet he was standing still as the ball whizzed by.

Spot on ....

[erwbol]

3 hours ago, Brad said:

Yes, England for sure, maybe even Holland 

We will probably still be crap four years from now.

[uli]