Russia 2018

[Galfon]

Big call by Hierro not playing Iniesta.
Poor defending by Rus yielding, then defending free kick.
..own goal.
Rus 0 - 1 Esp after 12 min.

[rowan]

Big call by Hierro not playing Iniesta.
Poor defending by Rus yielding, then defending free kick.
..own goal.
Rus 0 - 1 Esp after 12 min.

It's a cunning ploy not to field their best team and gamble on results elsewhere

Yes, slightly unfortunate own goal under pressure at a corner. Russia looking a tad outclassed. The writing was on the wall with the hammering they received from Uruguay. Heart says Russia cos it's their tournament and they've never won it. But head says Spain, obviously.

[Galfon]

It's a cunning ploy not to field their best team and gamble on results elsewhere

more stunt than ploy if done in a knock-out match, obviously.
Sure he'll be on to strangle them later, unless carrying a knock.

[Galfon]

Pique wavy-tree impression results in pen.
1 - 1 after 41 min.
Game on !....home support driving them on.

[rowan]

Just kidding, obviously, hence the icon...

Russia equalized! Clear penalty. Spanish protested and tried to get the ref to go to the video replay - which I think should be an offense in itself. 1-1. Don't think it'll stay that way for long, but nice to see the home fans with something to cheer about.

[rowan]

Well, well. It did stay that way. First extra time of the tournament to be played. Strangely subdued performance from the Spanish in the second half. They don't appear to be in the same class as France, while I think even Uruguay would beat them at present. I still think Spain will take it, but it's no foregone conclusion, evidently, and it could even go to penalties at this rate...

[rowan]

Spain showed more resolve, but they haven't scored now for more than 90 minutes. 2nd half of extra time coming up. I think the Russians will be happy to defend it out and get to penalties - always a bit of a lottery...

Looks like pretty heavy rain has set in. That may have had something to do with the Spanish performance in the 2nd half.
& so we appeared headed for the shootout

[Galfon]

It's like Hereford v Newcastle all over again...that's the drama of the err..World Cup.

[rowan]

It's going to be a real shame to see one of these teams go out this way; Russia because they're the host nation; Spain because they played the better football and are clearly a technically superior team. Anyway, here we go: The first shoot-out of the tournament. Heart still says Russia. Head isn't sure anymore...

[Galfon]

oops..

[rowan]

Stunning! Spain out. They made a hash of the shootout. Best team lost. Bravo, Russia!

I just thought to myself this isn't the way for Spain to win. They should've put it away in regulation time with another goal or two.

Anyway, the Russians won't go much further, but there'll be vast quantities of vodka consumed tonight, I imagine...

[Galfon]

encore...
Rus 1 - 1 Esp
( 4 - 3 pens. ) 2 saves by Rus goalie, none by de Gea.
Spain off to sunny Spain for a holiday..

[rowan]

I think that means England is the only team left on their side of the draw which has ever played in a final. So we could see a new finalist this year for the first time since way back in . . . oh, wait, Spain was a new finalist in 2010, right? Ok, a new finalist for just the second time since way back in . . . 74, when Holland appeared in the first of their 3. Am I right? My money would be on Croatia or the winner of the Colombia-England clash. I'd love it to be Colombia. The European teams have become so dominant at the business end of the tournament since 2002. France - Colombia would be a brilliant final.

[rowan]

Danes scored in the second minute. 1-0 over Croatia.

Croatia scored in the 4th minute. 1-1

Keep this up and it's going to finish about 25-25

[rowan]

But 85 minutes later and no addition to that score. Seems we're headed for extra time again. This has been a really disappointing affair, and Croatia in particular have shown little resemblance to the team that stormed through the group stages. The finishing in this game has been really poor. Yesterday was so much more fun.

Extra time it is. Not sure who to pick now. The Danes seemed to grow into the game and appeared slightly the more poised and confident toward the end - notwithstanding the fact that they were as inept in front of goal as their opponents...

[Galfon]

Got to get goals when you're dominating...but Den
concede penalty with 5 min left...!
Modric places it poorly & Schmeichel jnr. pounces on it.
You'd fancy the big noisy Dane to save a few in a shoot-out now...

[rowan]

Croatia finish strongly and a player is blatantly brought down from behind right in front of an empty net, having dribbled around the keeper. Yellow card. How is that not a red? Incredible! & the penalty is saved! This is Uruguay-Ghana 2010 all over again

So it's another shootout. I'll have to back Croatia after that blatant act of cheating by the Danes.

[Galfon]

It's just a blatant foul..an attempt to get the ball means no red now..
There's no need to substitute 'cheat' for 'foul' I would say unless they're trying to deceive or hoodwink officials like Maradona's hand of god, Henri's hand vs.Ireland or feigning injury to get players sent-off.

[Galfon]

Danes must be related to the English..oh I forgot, they are.. 3 fluffed...
and Croatia sneak it 3 - 2 on pens.

[rowan]

The Croatian player was clean through. Nothing could stop him - except being brought down from behind. To me that's the very worst thing a player can do in a game of football, especially near the end of a tied game, and is certainly one of the most blatant acts of cheating imaginable. So if it's not a red, they might as well not have reds at all.

Anyway, justice has been served. Denmark out and we have ourselves an Eastern Europe quarter-final between the hosts and Croats. Russia in with an even chance on the basis of today's performances. I'm not a fan of Croatia and they didn't play well at all today. I was starting to hope the Danes would put them out of their misery, in fact, but not after that appalling incident referred to in my previous paragraph.

Shoot-outs seem to be my thing. Both went the way I hoped they'd go today. But it was a pretty dreadful day of football overall

[Adder]

Croatia is central European

Danes must be related to the English..oh I forgot, they are.. 3 fluffed...
and Croatia sneak it 3 - 2 on pens.

The Croatian player was clean through. Nothing could stop him - except being brought down from behind. To me that's the very worst thing a player can do in a game of football, especially near the end of a tied game, and is certainly one of the most blatant acts of cheating imaginable. So if it's not a red, they might as well not have reds at all.

Anyway, justice has been served. Denmark out and we have ourselves an Eastern Europe quarter-final between the hosts and Croats. Russia in with an even chance on the basis of today's performances. I'm not a fan of Croatia and they didn't play well at all today. I was starting to hope the Danes would put them out of their misery, in fact, but not after that appalling incident referred to in my previous paragraph.

Shoot-outs seem to be my thing. Both went the way I hoped they'd go today. But it was a pretty dreadful day of football overall

Sent from my Moto G (5S) using Tapatalk

[rowan]

Geographically, perhaps. But I think the term generally refers to former members of the Eastern Bloc, or else to countries with predominantly Slavic populations.

[rowan]

So 2 of the quarter-finalists so far have smaller populations than New Zealand - Uruguay 3 million, Croatia 4 million. Uruguay won the tournament in 1930 & 1950, while Croatia finished 3rd on debut in 1998 - but had not progressed beyond the group stages again till this year.

& when the 2022 World Cup kicks off Italy will still only have won one game at the tournament since lifting the trophy for the 4th time in 2006.

[Galfon]

Don't forget wee Switzerland on 8.5 , Sweden 10 & Belgium 11.5.
All counter-balanced of course by the big Brazil 208, Russia 144, Mexico 127.5, Japan 127,France 67, England 53 and Colombia 49.
Some disparate numbers there.

[rowan]

It's all very simple, Hapless:

You said they rested players, and at one point referred to it as a second string team. That in itself is to claim they gambled on the other result, which would have been incredibly reckless to the point of utter stupidity. But I don't think the Japanese are incredibly reckless or stupid. I think they fielded what they believed was the best team not to lose and it backfired. They got lucky with the other result, then tried to present their miscalculation and narrow escape as part of some cool and calculated strategy.

I'm not disagreeing with you about what happened during the latter stages of their loss to Poland. That's an argument you're having entirely with yourself, convoluting it as much as you can with irrelevant details and imaginary conversations in an attempt to confuse the issue and smokescreen your own clownish gullibility.

Hapless is as hapless does