Goooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[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]

[Brad]

8 minutes ago, uli said:

A disgrace. 

3 hours ago, erwbol said:

We will probably still be crap four years from now.

Hopefully not.  There is something about the Orange that is special. 

[mjazzg]

10 hours ago, uli said:

That just makes my flesh crawl. Deserve each other but sadly neither of the countries that they "represent" deserve them.

In all the football mania of the WC I for one was guilty of taking my eye off the huge propaganda coup it has been for Putin. 

[Brad]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

That just makes my flesh crawl. Deserve each other but sadly neither of the countries that they "represent" deserve them.

In all the football mania of the WC I for one was guilty of taking my eye off the huge propaganda coup it has been for Putin. 

I was glad that Pussy Riot tried to bring some of it back. 

The Moral Clarity Of Pussy Riot’s Protest

 

[mjazzg]

40 minutes ago, Brad said:

I was glad that Pussy Riot tried to bring some of it back. 

The Moral Clarity Of Pussy Riot’s Protest

 

Me too. Once I heard it was them rather than some drunken fans I applauded the action from afar

[mandrill]

2 hours ago, mjazzg said:

That just makes my flesh crawl. Deserve each other but sadly neither of the countries that they "represent" deserve them. 

 

Alas, Joseph de Maistre's "Every nation gets the government it deserves" rings true for both countries.

Edited July 17, 2018 by mandrill

[Dmitry]

 

I'm really looking forward to the start of the La Liga and Serie A seasons, especially Juventus.

A bit of trivia - Which club was represented by the most players in the WC 2018 final two teams? Try exercising your memory before consulting the Internets.

Also, dawned on me a few days ago - I may be wrong, but imho not a single English team footballer plays outside England. Talk about the lack of international experience...

Edited July 18, 2018 by Dmitry

[Brad]

56 minutes ago, mandrill said:

 

Alas, Joseph de Maistre's "Every nation gets the government it deserves" rings true for both countries.

This was a lesson my father drilled into my head years ago.  

I am also reminded of what Benjamin Franklin said. We have a republic if we can keep it. 

[mjazzg]

29 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

A bit of trivia - Which club was represented by the most players in the WC 2018 final two teams? Try exercising your memory before consulting the Internets.

I don't know about the final (my brain gave up) but the 3rd place play off was like a Spurs training match there were so many of them on the pitch

 

29 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

Also, dawned on me a few days ago - I may be wrong, but imho not a single English team footballer plays outside England. Talk about the lack of international experience...

This has long been a bugbear of mine for ages. The inability for English players to see beyond the Channel. I'm convinced our national team would have performed so much better over the years if more had exposed themselves to other cultures, footballing or otherwise. There really hasn't been any notable exports since the days of Lineker, Gascoigne, Waddle etc that I can think of

However, only yesterday I was reading an encouraging article that listed at least six players from recent England age-group winning squads that are now playing in Europe, perhaps most notably Ademola Lookman at RB Liepzig. With opportunities for first team match time so limited at most Premiership squads I'm hoping this becomes a greater trend and that we see the the positive outcomes in the national team as soon as possible. I'm confident that Southgate's a manager who would encourage such development.

Edited July 17, 2018 by mjazzg

[Brad]

42 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

A bit of trivia - Which club was represented by the most players in the WC 2018 final two teams? Try exercising your memory before consulting the Internets.

I don't know the answer but I know Real had three (if you count subs). 

If you broaden it to countries, Spain had five that I can think of. 

Edited July 17, 2018 by Brad

[Dmitry]

31 minutes ago, mjazzg said:

 

 

This has long been a bugbear of mine for ages. The inability for English players to see beyond the Channel. I'm convinced our national team would have performed so much better over the years if more had exposed themselves to other cultures, footballing or otherwise. There really hasn't been any notable exports since the days of Lineker, Gascoigne, Waddle etc that I can think of

 

Maybe their services are not needed elsewhere, or the salaries they draw in the PL and CL are higher than what they would get in foreign lands...

 

 

15 minutes ago, Brad said:

I don't know the answer but I know Real had three (if you count subs). 

If you broaden it to countries, Spain had five that I can think of. 

 

Yes, counting the subs. That's where it gets trickier, since every squad has about  23 players.

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

I don't know the answer but I know Real had three (if you count subs). 

If you broaden it to countries, Spain had five that I can think of. 

It was surprisingly diverse club-wise wasn't it? You'd expect RM, Barca, PSG, Bayern (and maybe Atletico or Man City) to have more representatives in a WC final. Probably the Croatia effect, not so many of their players at the top rank clubs

[Dmitry]

It's Atletico Madrid - they had 4 players in the WC Final.

[Brad]

I count Griezmann, Hernandez and Sime Vrsaljko. Who’s the fourth?

[Dmitry]

Thomas Lemar

[Dmitry]

Football isn't over for the summer yet. The International Champions Cup starts in a couple of days. We went to several matches last summer, and even though it was obvious that some weren't playing at 100% strength, it was still quite enjoyable to watch. Decided to skip it this year, tickets are quite expensive. Will be watching on tv instead. I wonder if Ronaldo will play against Real ... that'll be something.

https://www.google.com/search?q=international+champions+cup&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS767US767&oq=international+champions+cup&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.5156j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#sie=lg;/g/11hcnjgfmy;2;/m/0_s0sq4;mt;fp;1

[Brad]

I don’t know if that really constitutes football. They're not even friendlies, just exhibitions. Like spring training for football.   

[Dmitry]

Hazard is joining Real. So is Courtois.

[Brad]

1 hour ago, Dmitry said:

Hazard is joining Real. So is Courtois.

Despite reports to the contrary the Hazard transfer fee may not have been agreed on. Chelsea doesn't want to transfer Courtois until they have a new keeper in place. In addition, I wonder if the size of Allison's transfer fee will complicate matters. 

[Dmitry]

I had no idea that Uruguay's population is only 3.5 million. That puts the performance of their national team on a whole new level for me...remarkable!

[Alexander Hawkins]

1 hour ago, Brad said:

Despite reports to the contrary the Hazard transfer fee may not have been agreed on. Chelsea doesn't want to transfer Courtois until they have a new keeper in place. In addition, I wonder if the size of Allison's transfer fee will complicate matters. 

Yes...the Hazard rumours have maybe quietened down just a *little* bit over here in the last couple of days...I guess with both him and Courtois much will depend on how they react to Sarri's appointment as manager. FWIW however, there was talk this morning in the press of Chelsea being linked with Donnarumma should Courtois move on...