The official FIFA World Cup 2018 thread

[dmash]

On a serious note, that’s truly sad to me. Two of the greatest footballers of modern time. Out in the first round. Now we have Neymar to look forward to. I’m sure he’ll roll up something special

On a serious note 2, how in the world do they utilize all those cameras but they can’t card Suarez for his absolutely absurd antics? Idk who’s worse, him or Neymar.

[Wcdhtwn]

Uruguay over Portugal... that's why I NEVER bet on sports.

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by dmash

On a serious note though, that’s truly sad to me. Two of the greatest footballers of modern time. Out in the first round. Alas

Now we have Neymar to look forward to. I’m sure he’ll roll up something special

This is where it shows that one megastar doesn't win a World Cup. You need quality players with synergy at nearly every position. This World Cup more than ever.

I think Neymar is being carried by a strong squad, and if he was in Messi's or Ronaldo's shoes (with that kind of team), he'd have been out in group or 1st also.

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

Uruguay over Portugal... that's why I NEVER bet on sports.

I predicted the matchup and the result before game 3 of the group stage. (Post #566 in this thread)

That said, I never bet on sports either because you never know.

[Rondineli]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

This is where it shows that one megastar doesn't win a World Cup. You need quality players with synergy at nearly every position. This World Cup more than ever.

I think Neymar is being carried by a strong squad, and if he was in Messi's or Ronaldo's shoes (with that kind of team), he'd have been out in group or 1st also.

Yes, thats true. Neymar is actually not playing well, and I believe that if Firmino was in instead of Neymar Brazil would be playing better.

Unfortunatly, the rest of the Portugal team was really not that good at this level of competition. The second Uruguai goal was basically handed over because of a very weak defense...

[AK797]

Wow, Uruguay look very strong, they have the best defence and the hardest working team, even Suarez, who often looks exhausted, works hard. Cavani is my player of the tournament so far, works tirelessly and scored two beauties today, he and Suarez are devastating up front, think the game with France will be much tougher than against Portugal.

[dmash]

Originally Posted by AK797

Wow, Uruguay look very strong, they have the best defence and the hardest working team, even Suarez, who often looks exhausted, works hard. Cavani is my player of the tournament so far, works tirelessly and scored two beauties today, he and Suarez are devastating up front, think the game with France will be much tougher than against Portugal.

Works hard at what, faking fouls?

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Rondineli

Yes, thats true. Neymar is actually not playing well, and I believe that if Firmino was in instead of Neymar Brazil would be playing better.

Unfortunatly, the rest of the Portugal team was really not that good at this level of competition. The second Uruguai goal, was basically handed over because of a very weak defense...

Neymar is playing well considering he is not match fit yet, and Willian is the real weakness, Firmino should be playing instead, and Coutinho should be running the show with Neymar as a great decoy that you can also use.

[benlee]

End of the day, football is a team sport. Put a star player in a good team and he will shine. Put the same player in a shit team and they will stick sucks, esp against a good team.

Actually, team with one star player always risk playing worst because the team becomes dependent and everyone else will just give him the ball and hope he do a miracle rather working hard themselves.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by dmash

Works hard at what, faking fouls?

He does that, but he chases down and hassles, and can hold up play and has great awareness and passes, as well as finishing. He fits into that side well and they are the best strike pair in the game.

Good thing is refs are getting wise to him and others like Ronaldo who are always looking to get easy free kicks for just trying to dribble a bit.

[Rondineli]

Originally Posted by AK797

Neymar is playing well considering he is not match fit yet, and Willian is the real weakness, Firmino should be playing instead, and Coutinho should be running the show with Neymar as a great decoy that you can also use.

Good comments. As a Brazilian,I get irritated that Neymar tries to drible 3 or 4 oponents virtually everytime he has the ball. But, yes, the second goal on the last match he had a perfect corner kick to the Thiago Silva. And, yes, I would like to see Firmino in, he has been playing really well at club level.

[AK797]

Originally Posted by Rondineli

Good comments. As a Brazilian,I get irritated that Neymar tries to drible 3 or 4 oponents virtually everytime he has the ball. But, yes, the second goal on the last match he had a perfect corner kick to the Thiago Silva. And, yes, I would like to see Firmino in, he has been playing really well at club level.

Yes, if you watch Liverpool, you have to have Firmino start, they had the best strikeforce in Europe. Plus your defence and defensive midfield look good this time so Brazil could go very far, actually you are quite similar to Uruguay but with more flair.

[Halothane]

Someone say Firmino??? These were my seats for the Brazil - Serbia game. Get to see Spain- Russia tomorrow.

[Rondineli]

Originally Posted by AK797

Yes, if you watch Liverpool, you have to have Firmino start, they had the best strikeforce in Europe. Plus your defence and defensive midfield look good this time so Brazil could go very far, actually you are quite similar to Uruguay but with more flair.

Yes, agree totally with you. Mid-field and Brazilian defense are very good this time around - at par with the 1994 squad. Lets see how it goes, Mexico is always a tough opponent.

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by tomalf123

Someone say Firmino??? These were my seats for the Brazil - Serbia game. Get to see Spain- Russia tomorrow.

Oh I hate you a little bit. I was thinking of going to the Spain-Morocco match as I have a friend in Kaliningrad who I went to school with. But in the end, it was a bit out of reach. Enjoy it and post some pics during the match and make me even more jealous.

[Zakalwe]

I genuinely think Brazil might be better off without Neymar, even though he is skill-wise their best player.

Good as Germany were in 2014, it was clear from the bizarre actions of the Brazil players (holding a Neymar shirt for the anthems like it was the Turin Shroud wtf?!) that they were utterly spooked by his absence and that led to the team being completely shell shocked and subsequently getting a proper shellacking. It seems, at least from this distance that the squad reveres him in a way that may not be ideal for the team as a whole. On the other hand Neymar’s mere presence draws opposition defenders to him and that has allowed Coutinho the space he has needed to run the show in their games so far.

I still think they’ll win it. Good GK, beastly centre-halves, solid centre-midfield, quality full-backs and world class forwards. Few weaknesses unless they go mental (which did happen in ‘98 as well as 2014).

[Gentleman8]

Originally Posted by Wcdhtwn

Uruguay over Portugal... that's why I NEVER bet on sports.

Here's what Homer Simpson had to say about Uruguay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4paLVu0gNcQ

[Rondineli]

Originally Posted by Zakalwe

I genuinely think Brazil might be better off without Neymar, even though he is skill-wise their best player. This is what said above in #815

Good as Germany were in 2014, it was clear from the bizarre actions of the Brazil players (holding a Neymar shirt for the anthems like it was the Turin Shroud wtf?!) that they were utterly spooked by his absence and that led to the team being completely shell shocked and subsequently getting a proper shellacking. It seems, at least from this distance that the squad reveres him in a way that may not be ideal for the team as a whole. On the other hand Neymar’s mere presence draws opposition defenders to him and that has allowed Coutinho the space he has needed to run the show in their games so far.

I still think they’ll win it. Good GK, beastly centre-halves, solid centre-midfield, quality full-backs and world class forwards. Few weaknesses unless they go mental (which did happen in ‘98 as well as 2014).

Totally agree with the red statement above. But, it was exacerbated in 2014, because the rest of the team was clearly a step or two below him (much like Portugal today and CR7).

Hera are my thougths regarding the Br 1x7 Ger game in 2014. Yes Brazil lost badly, and we have to thank the German players for not getting the score even higher than 7 - that was good fair play. But, they understood, having lost to Italy also at home, not that far back, right? But, anyway, it was just one game were the players nerves gave away, and the desire to tie or come back from behind, completely dismantled the team. The truth is Brazil beat Germany in the final in 2002, and the overall record is 13 - 5 - 5 (meaning Brazil has 13 victories, vs 5 ties and 5 losses). So, I see that game as a mental state (as you said) due to the extreme pressure the players were exposed due to playing at home. I have lived in Texas for the last 28 years, so, my soccer-brain-wash has been erased, but unless you live in Brazil for a minimum of two years, it is almost impossible to grasp the imagined importance that the majority of the population puts on the sport. One would think that soccer for Brazilians is a matter of national security.

[SpeakWithMichael]

Originally Posted by Rondineli

unless you live in Brazil for a minimum of two years, it is almost impossible to grasp the imagined importance that the majority of the population puts on the sport. One would think that soccer for Brazilians is a matter of national security.

There's just less to choose from, so the percentage is so heavy for one sport. Unlike the U.S. which has NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, NHL, golf, NASCAR, and then, somewhere after women's basketball, beer pong, and e-sports, is MLS ("soccer").

Even the population that normally doesn't follow football here in Spain, when it's the World Cup, they follow football. Serious national pride. We in Spain have football and Rafael Nadal, and a distant 3rd and 4th, a little bit of basketball and motorsports.

[SpeakWithMichael]

1-1

Where is everyone? Let's go, fans.

[Rondineli]

Originally Posted by SpeakWithMichael

1-0 !! Viva España

I’m cheering for Spain.


Nadal is my favorite tennis player...



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[AK797]

Spain need Iniesta, no penetration or guile, just too sideways.

[dmash]

Wow, Spain looks so so different compared to the past couple of World Cups. Russia is legitimately hanging with them.

[GerardoG]

Started early today. A BIG day for Mexico: elections. Tonight, we will have a new president elect as well as a lot of majors, congress, etc.

Now, watching a (Fill in the blank....still looking for the right words) SPA-RUS

[KBM]

Worst game of the WC so far, hands down. This is the Spain some elected as one of the candidates for the title?!

[Scapegoat]

Horrid game.

Spain has no plan “B”.

[GerardoG]

Germany and Portugal out. Spain playing...well...just being there. A unique World Cup!

[KBM]

Originally Posted by GerardoG

Started early today. A BIG day for Mexico: elections. Tonight, we will have a new president elect as well as a lot of majors, congress, etc.

Now, watching a (Fill in the blank....still looking for the right words) SPA-RUS

Hey G!

I thought it very interesting that the Mexican elections are held amidst the World Cup. Here in Brazil the Presidential, State Governor and congressional elections also coincide with the Cup year, but they're always held after the tournament.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by GerardoG

Started early today. A BIG day for Mexico: elections. Tonight, we will have a new president elect as well as a lot of majors, congress, etc.

Now, watching a (Fill in the blank....still looking for the right words) SPA-RUS

Tedious is the word you're looking for.

[Scapegoat]

What is the point of 1000 over passes? Isco is the only spanish player with guts to do something different.