Jump to content
N-Europe

Recommended Posts

Posted
7 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

Yup I was going nuts. :D 

I gasped when the player was brought down for the penalty, and then I gasped when Schmeichel saved it! We both gasped! Hands on our mouths and everything.

Posted

Crazy that either Croatia or Russia will be playing in the semi final of World Cup. 

I hope Japan and Mexico can cause an upset tomorrow, goals galore on the first day of the knockout stages and tense penalty shootouts on the second, what drama will tomorrow bring?

Posted
4 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I had the game on the radio while driving home from work. Sounds like a cracking match. I'm now back home and ready for the second half.

Cracking is a little much, in my opinion. It's good but nothing extraordinary.

Posted
Just now, drahkon said:

Cracking is a little much, in my opinion. It's good but nothing extraordinary.

The commentators on the radio were hyping it up saying it was end to end stuff. 

Posted (edited)

Brazil have been asking a lot of questions of Mexico since the 30 minute mark. 

I have to wonder if their display against Germany showed their hand a bit too much: an opening 30 minutes or so at a breakneck pace, before quickly tapering off from lethargy thereafter, defending deep and in numbers. The two games that they’ve won at this World Cup had them score in that period. They just haven’t adapted their style of play since then, and that’s not the sort of tactic you really want to be adopting outside of games where facilitating a change would be necessary (i.e. a game against a “bigger” team, or a must-win game).

Edited by Julius Caesar
Posted (edited)

Can't wait for the NFL to start again...
Last season Carson Wentz tore his ACL and ran four more plays (resulting in a touchdown) before getting off the field.

And then you have Neymar...gets bitten by a mosquito and cries like a baby. :nono: I hope this is something VAR will check in the future, too...(not talking about booking the mosquito :p)

Edited by drahkon
  • Haha 1
Posted (edited)

Agree with both of you, @drahkon and @Hero-of-Time. Looked like he was having a fit or had had his leg broken. It looked painful (and like a booking), but that reaction was unnecessary. Just imagining the irony if he gets sent off for simulation in the event that Brazil does make the final...

Neymar really should have gone to a more physical league (i.e. Premier League, Bundesliga or Serie A) after leaving Barça, in my opinion. A lot of his flaws — simulation, overplaying and showboating, etc. — really remind me of Ronaldo’s during his first few seasons in England. He had that kicked out of him for the most part, and was/is a much better player for it. 

Edited by Julius Caesar
  • Haha 1
Posted

Layun was an idiot for standing on him and probably should have got a yellow card but on ITV they were saying he should have been sent off for violent conduct which is nonsense. He very lightly rested his studs on Neymar's ankle, if it had been a stamp then I could see the argument but it was such a nothing moment that Neymar took full advantage of.

Shame for Mexico, they were the better team in the opening stages and Brazil never looked that convincing but I guess their quality showed through in the result. I hope Belgium v Japan is more of an entertaining game, would be nice for Japan to win a tight match but if Belgium win it as they should then I hope they turn on the style and knock a few in.

Obviously none for Lukaku though so Kane can continue to lead the race for the golden boot.

Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, killthenet said:

Layun was an idiot for standing on him and probably should have got a yellow card but on ITV they were saying he should have been sent off for violent conduct which is nonsense. 

To be fair, they made it clear that they were relaying that Mark Clattenburg, the referee (who they’ve got in to give his opinions on calls and potential VAR stuff such as this during the World Cup), saw it as violent conduct and a sending off. The two commentators were themselves calling it pretty much the same as everyone else: a yellow card, and probably a bit of a talking to. 

The refs have been quite lenient so far in the World Cup, though. Maybe it’s because he referees in the Premier League that he has a different position on it?

Edited by Julius Caesar
Posted (edited)

I think someone must have lost the script on the way to Rostov tonight...

Hazard hitting the post looks like it was probably the turning point. If that had gone in, this could have been completely different.

What formation are Belgium playing in exactly? Because whatever it is...their shape just doesn’t look good. 

Edited by Julius Caesar
Posted

What the fuck, Belgium? Witsel is a dogshit player and I can't believe that he still manages to play centre-mid for the country. Crap defending from him for the second goal and shit play from Vertonghen for the first. As good as Japan have been, this Belgium team deserve enormous criticism if they don't win this game.

Posted
3 minutes ago, Fierce_LiNk said:

What the fuck, Belgium? Witsel is a dogshit player and I can't believe that he still manages to play centre-mid for the country. Crap defending from him for the second goal and shit play from Vertonghen for the first. As good as Japan have been, this Belgium team deserve enormous criticism if they don't win this game.

So does Martinez. They’re completely outnumbered in midfield — it looks like they’re playing a 3-4-3? — and thus their most creative player, De Bruyne, either isn’t getting the ball enough, or hasn’t got the options to pass it off. 

Posted

I don't think Martinez knows what he's doing at all. To leave one of the most accomplished midfielders in the Premier League on the bench in favour of playing Axel Witsel is just absurd. And Carrasco and Januzaj made the squad but Naingolan was judged to not be good enough? Ridiculous decisions.

That being said Japan have been fantastic, Sugoi!

×
×
  • Create New...