Football World Cup - Russia 2018

[Reynard]

The winner of the Belgium-Brazil quarter-final will go on to win overall. And that is going to be one hell of a match (cue Mexico and Japan going through instead).

Or at least they'll have a good shout at it. Certainly the Belgians have the mix of skill and physicality that will prove troublesome for Brazil.

The top half of the draw is definitely the tougher half by far (well, on paper at least), and there is the potential that the team getting to the final from that half may find the final that game too far.

Based on what I've seen so far, I'm sticking to Croatia.

 

[Dayvo]

Based on what I've seen so far, I'm sticking to Croatia.

I bet 10 quid on Belgium at 12-1 in April, but Croatia are looking good and, like you, I fancy them.

 

[perplexed]

I can't help in all seriousness that who goes through might not come down to the referee's ability to see beyond some of the team's players flinging themselves to the floor every time a Welsh hill farmer farts...

 

[AndyRM]

Here you go, antics haters!

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/diving-in-fitba.236336/

 

[nickyboy]

Pity this wasn't the first group match: it would have been a completely different game.

This was the point II made upthread

Scheduling the group games in a way that results in the best two.sides playing the third game.results in more dead rubbers

 

[Bollo]

more dead rubbers

Quiet night. Sorry.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan in Moscow.

Games Score Lawro's prediction
Saturday, 30 June
France v Argentina x-x 2-1
Uruguay v Portugal x-x 1-0

Any of you agree with this? I'm going for the Arg to beat France 3-2 after extra time and Portugal to win on a penalty shoot out. Providing we're having extra-time and penalty shoot outs.

 

[PaulB]

Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan in Moscow.

Games Score Lawro's prediction
Saturday, 30 June
France v Argentina x-x 2-1
Uruguay v Portugal x-x 1-0

Any of you agree with this? I'm going for the Arg to beat France 3-2 after extra time and Portugal to win on a penalty shoot out. Providing we're having extra-time and penalty shoot outs.

I don't think I'm being particularly controversial when I say that Mark Lawrenson is EXACTLY the sort of person capital punishment should be brought back for.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I don't think I'm being particularly controversial when I say that Mark Lawrenson is EXACTLY the sort of person capital punishment should be brought back for.

A tad harsh but I'm in agreement with your low opinion of his abilities. Dull as dishwater and if he keeps banging on about how bad VAR is then I'll scrweam and scweam and scweam...

I think many ex pro-footballer pundits are a waste of space. Some have very little on-screen (and on-speaker for radio fans) presence. Some are clearly inarticulate. And some look terminally bored as they pass 'Go' and pick up another small fortune for doing very little.

I also think the relevant show's editor ought to push them harder to share their technical insight more (which I'm sure they have) instead of trotting out the same old banal cliches.

Even Frank Lampard (very bright guy) seems to trot out the Beeb's various biased mantras - he clearly wants to be seen to be onside and continue to pick up his pay cheque. I think many are just playing the 'career game' for want of a better description and are keen to avoid controversy.

 

[PaulB]

A tad harsh but I'm in agreement with your low opinion of his abilities. Dull as dishwater and if he keeps banging on about how bad VAR is then I'll scrweam and scweam and scweam...

I think many ex pro-footballer pundits are a waste of space. Some have very little on-screen (and on-speaker for radio fans) presence. Some are clearly inarticulate. And some look terminally bored as they pass 'Go' and pick up another small fortune for doing very little.

I also think the relevant show's editor ought to push them harder to share their technical insight more (which I'm sure they have) instead of trotting out the same old banal cliches.

Even Frank Lampard (very bright guy) seems to trot out the Beeb's various biased mantras - he clearly wants to be seen to be onside and continue to pick up his pay cheque. I think many are just playing the 'career game' for want of a better description and are keen to avoid controversy.

You're right. If they're going to employ ex-pros to give us their insight into what we're watching - marking our cards as it were - then they should do just that instead of being wishy-washy, toe-the-line, you're-lucky-to-have-me, vacuous wastes of space. My particular gripe with Lawrenson dates back to May 2001. As undeniably good he was as a defender - and he was very good - he's the exact opposite as a pundit and has no passion or knowledge for the game he's paid too much to dispense his wisdom about. He was seated in a glass box along with his former on-field partner Alan Hansen, right behind us at the Westfallenstadion, Dortmund for the EUFA cup final between their former club, Liverpool and Spanish side, Alaves. There were lots of goals (finished 5-4) and someone said to me, next time Liverpool score. look around and see the difference between Hansen and Lawrenson, so I did. Hansen was on his knees banging the glass panel in front of the commentary team in sheer delight while Lawrenson sat there applauding politely! Disliked him since then.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

In a rather strange BBC news snippet: ''Fabien Delph has returned home for the birth of his first child. Gareth Southgate is expected.......''

Ok, so the commentator went on, but it seemed like a peculiar juxtaposition of words to me.

 

[Levo-Lon]

A tad harsh but I'm in agreement with your low opinion of his abilities. Dull as dishwater and if he keeps banging on about how bad VAR is then I'll scrweam and scweam and scweam...

I think many ex pro-footballer pundits are a waste of space. Some have very little on-screen (and on-speaker for radio fans) presence. Some are clearly inarticulate. And some look terminally bored as they pass 'Go' and pick up another small fortune for doing very little.

I also think the relevant show's editor ought to push them harder to share their technical insight more (which I'm sure they have) instead of trotting out the same old banal cliches.

Even Frank Lampard (very bright guy) seems to trot out the Beeb's various biased mantras - he clearly wants to be seen to be onside and continue to pick up his pay cheque. I think many are just playing the 'career game' for want of a better description and are keen to avoid controversy.

their mostly ex footballers ,there is a big clue there..
still over paid and still mostly crap
Now if it were Rugby pundits

 

[Reynard]

France v Argentina.

I see this as being the pick of the last 16 ties - will be interesting to see how this one pans out.

I'm still waiting to see who nabs pole in Austria.

 

[Hitchington]

It's difficult. I don't know which team I want to lose the most.

 

[Reynard]

*BOINGGGGGG*

Off the bar from Griezmann.