World Cup 2018

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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,592
    Brazil yet again failing to live up to the hype that always surrounds them. I can hardly recall a World Cup when they have lived up to expectations. Only European teams left now.
  • crumbschief
    crumbschief Posts: 3,399
    Pross wrote:
    Brazil yet again failing to live up to the hype that always surrounds them. I can hardly recall a World Cup when they have lived up to expectations. Only European teams left now.

    Cracking nuts though.
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Looks like my prediction for Poland to do well was bllx. But my other for Belgium is holding up. Belgie!!
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • Matthewfalle
    Matthewfalle Posts: 17,380
    PP vs Belgium.

    you heard it here first.....
    Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am

    De Sisti wrote:
    This is one of the silliest threads I've come across. :lol:

    Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour :D
    smithy21 wrote:

    He's right you know.
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    Pross wrote:
    Brazil yet again failing to live up to the hype that always surrounds them. I can hardly recall a World Cup when they have lived up to expectations. Only European teams left now.

    1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002? They might have added 1998 to that list if Ronaldo hadn't had a fit just before the final. But yes, I do get the feeling that Brazilian football might have gone into long-term decline.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    finchy wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Brazil yet again failing to live up to the hype that always surrounds them. I can hardly recall a World Cup when they have lived up to expectations. Only European teams left now.

    1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002? They might have added 1998 to that list if Ronaldo hadn't had a fit just before the final. But yes, I do get the feeling that Brazilian football might have gone into long-term decline.

    As you highlight inadvertently, 2002 was 16 years ago. Add to that how they failed so spectacularly on home turf four years ago I was a little surprised how elevated their status was coming into this tournament, it was like it was completely forgotten. Don't get me wrong, they've still got some very good players going forward but nowhere near enough quality at the back, despite shedding the clown David Luiz, and most significantly for me they never look anything like a team.

    I'm on the verge of having a man crush on De Bruyne, I could watch him play all day and I haven't felt that way since the likes of Zindane and before that Bergkamp. He plays the game in such a simple no nonsense way but to such a high standard that it becomes exceptional.
  • Ben6899
    Ben6899 Posts: 9,686
    verylonglegs wrote:
    ...De Bruyne, I could watch him play all day...

    Best player in the Premier League.
    Ben

    Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,592
    finchy wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Brazil yet again failing to live up to the hype that always surrounds them. I can hardly recall a World Cup when they have lived up to expectations. Only European teams left now.

    1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002? They might have added 1998 to that list if Ronaldo hadn't had a fit just before the final. But yes, I do get the feeling that Brazilian football might have gone into long-term decline.

    Only twice in my lifetime then! They have great individual flair players but don't really pull together as a team, despite being the number 2 team in the world I'm never sure why they default to being one of the main favourites.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,484
    Pross wrote:
    ...despite being the number 2 team in the world I'm never sure why they default to being one of the main favourites.
    There is a clue in the same sentence. :wink:
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    I was hoping there would be an experienced European ref for the game this afternoon and it's turned out that way, the Dutchman Kuipers. Just think it will help the game a bit having someone familiar with the teams. Hope I haven't cursed him into having a bad game now!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,592
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    ...despite being the number 2 team in the world I'm never sure why they default to being one of the main favourites.
    There is a clue in the same sentence. :wink:

    Not really, that's just symptomatic of the rubbish way football rankings work. The best teams rarely meet each other out of international finals and there's not a huge amount of competition in the South American qualifiers.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Brazil's last dry spell was 24 years (1970-1994) so it isn't exactly unprecedented for them to struggle to win the largest prize in the sport - they've still done it 5 times, more than anyone else.

    They've won it more recently than any other team left in the tournament (France, 20 years, England, 52 years....) and they took their solitary wins with home advantage.

    Which is all to say that Brazil deserve great respect as a football nation even if they aren't performing at the very highest level now.

    They put me in mind of the English so called 'Golden Generation' last night, not able to cope with the weight of expectation - very few can.

    On that note, Brazil are the only WC winners since 1994 not to go out in the group stage of the following WC.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,458
    England have this.
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,867
    TailWindHome wrote:
    England have this.

    Sweden are so bad that Sterling could get a game for them
  • crispybug2
    crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    I cannot remember England winning such an important game with a degree of comfort like this!!
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I cannot remember England winning such an important game with a degree of comfort like this!!


    It’s not over yet.
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    Man united 1999, UEFA champions league final. Just saying.
  • crispybug2
    crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    Milemuncher1 wrote:
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I cannot remember England winning such an important game with a degree of comfort like this!!


    It’s not over yet.

    It is now!!
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    Thank jeebus for that. I can breathe again. I’ll miss some of the Swedish fans though.
  • crispybug2
    crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,801
    Swedes mashed.

    Next !
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,801
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
    Not all of them. Just the provincial bellend/anyone but England brigade :wink:
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • coopster_the_1st
    coopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    Swedes mashed.

    Next !

    A bit of Russian spice?
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
    Not all of them. Just the provincial bellend/anyone but England brigade :wink:

    They forget there are more of us than them.
    Sadly I fear I am descended from barley sowing Angles than rip roaring Saxons , lock flowing Danes or vicious Vikings.
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,269
    You know, MF's Putin's Pups vs Belgium final prediction is looking more and more likely. Is he the Paul the Octopus de nos jours?
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 13,269
    JGSI wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
    Not all of them. Just the provincial bellend/anyone but England brigade :wink:

    They forget there are more of us Brexit voters than them.
    Sadly I fear I am descended from barley sowing Angles than rip roaring Saxons , lock flowing Danes or vicious Vikings.
    FTFY
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    orraloon wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
    Not all of them. Just the provincial bellend/anyone but England brigade :wink:

    They forget there are more of us Brexit voters than them.
    Sadly I fear I am descended from barley sowing Angles than rip roaring Saxons , lock flowing Danes or vicious Vikings.
    FTFY
    :D The England team and Treeza storm into Donald Tusk’s office, fling down our two-paragraph document* on leaving the EU, laugh in his face, turn around and leave in Spitfires. Land in Blighty and go to Wetherspoons.
    * this consists of saying “up yours, Johnny Foreigner”, twice.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • crispybug2
    crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    BelgianBeerGeek wrote:
    orraloon wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
    Not all of them. Just the provincial bellend/anyone but England brigade :wink:

    They forget there are more of us Brexit voters than them.
    Sadly I fear I am descended from barley sowing Angles than rip roaring Saxons , lock flowing Danes or vicious Vikings.
    FTFY
    :D The England team and Treeza storm into Donald Tusk’s office, fling down our two-paragraph document* on leaving the EU, laugh in his face, turn around and leave in Spitfires. Land in Blighty and go to Wetherspoons.
    * this consists of saying “up yours, Johnny Foreigner”, twice.


    There was a phone-in on 5 live before the World Cup started entitled “would you prefer England to be knocked out early to save us the misery” or something along those lines and one caller said that she hoped England were knocked out because the people that supported the team were the kind of people who had voted Brexit!!

    Honestly!!

    I’m not making this up, I imagine that right know she’s stewing in her juices and hating every second of the tournament.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,801
    crispybug2 wrote:
    BelgianBeerGeek wrote:
    orraloon wrote:
    JGSI wrote:
    Stevo 666 wrote:
    crispybug2 wrote:
    I think that the sound we just heard was an enormous collective “OH F*CK!!” from the population of Wales, Scotland and Ireland!!
    Not all of them. Just the provincial bellend/anyone but England brigade :wink:

    They forget there are more of us Brexit voters than them.
    Sadly I fear I am descended from barley sowing Angles than rip roaring Saxons , lock flowing Danes or vicious Vikings.
    FTFY
    :D The England team and Treeza storm into Donald Tusk’s office, fling down our two-paragraph document* on leaving the EU, laugh in his face, turn around and leave in Spitfires. Land in Blighty and go to Wetherspoons.
    * this consists of saying “up yours, Johnny Foreigner”, twice.


    There was a phone-in on 5 live before the World Cup started entitled “would you prefer England to be knocked out early to save us the misery” or something along those lines and one caller said that she hoped England were knocked out because the people that supported the team were the kind of people who had voted Brexit!!

    Honestly!!

    I’m not making this up, I imagine that right know she’s stewing in her juices and hating every second of the tournament.
    :D

    Just shows, you don't need to be provincial to be a bellend.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • milemuncher1
    milemuncher1 Posts: 1,472
    1. Find a pub with ‘provincial’ types in it

    2. ( To the tune of, She’ll be coming round the mountain when she comes ) start singing, England are in Russia scoring goals, the Welsh are in Llandudno playing bowls, Scotland have gone fishing, the Ulster men are missing, England’s still in Russia scoring goals.

    3.laugh.

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