2018 FIFA World Cup Megathread

[The Transhuman Union]

Quite eventful first half with chances.

[Infected Mushroom]

The Belgians have a strong defensive line. However, I think the French can break through in the second half.

[Riemstagrad]

The French have a strong defensive line. However, I think the Belgians can break through in the second half.




It's all on a knife's edge. good game so far.

[Idzequitch]

Lloris and Courtois have both been absolutely solid thus far. This match may come down to which of them gets caught out of position first.

[The Transhuman Union]

Good.

[Idzequitch]

There it is. I hope Belgium can tie it back up.

[The Transhuman Union]

Mbappe just keeps missing those chances

[Basran]

France with a well fought-for lead

Allez les Bleus!!!

Mbappe just keeps missing those chances

Looks like he's only human after all, but yeah

[Idzequitch]

Eh, it's not over until it's over, but Belgium are starting to look as though they're out of their depth here.

[Idzequitch]

Belgium showing signs of life, but Pogba is playing some incredible defense today.

[Basran]

Fellaini not booked? Clear violent conduct, he can fuck off.

Mbappe is the best troll, timewasting. Belgique are getting angry.

[The Transhuman Union]

French are going to the finals.

[Idzequitch]

What a classless move by Mbappe on that throw. There's no place for those shenanigans.

[Infected Mushroom]

YES!

WHAT A GLORIOUS VICTORY!

Some of those corner dances/duels though... hilarious

[Basran]

Salty Belgique, the bandit state

It was a good game, the antics towards the end were hilarious.

ALLEZ LES BLEUS!!!

[The Archregimancy]

<expletive deleted>

[Kohr]

Croatia is our last hope for a new winner, but in honesty, it's France's to lose now.

[Idzequitch]

Well deserved win for France, but their time-wasting antics at the end irked me extremely.

[Basran]

...but their time-wasting antics at the end irked me extremely.

Name one team in the lead by 1 goal that doesn't time waste at the end of a knockout game that's hanging by a thread.

Pro tip: You can't.

Sure, time-wasting is a highly subjective and controversial tactic but at the end of the day it worked.

[Infected Mushroom]

Well deserved win for France, but their time-wasting antics at the end irked me extremely.

It was absolute tactical/strategic brilliance

this is on the same level as the implementation of Blitzkrieg by the Germans in WWII...

[The Blaatschapen]

Phew, eternal shame averted.

[Idzequitch]

...but their time-wasting antics at the end irked me extremely.

Name one team in the lead by 1 goal that doesn't time waste at the end of a knockout game that's hanging by a thread.

Pro tip: You can't.

Sure, time-wasting is a highly subjective and controversial tactic but at the end of the day it worked.

There's time wasting, and there's deliberately dribbling the ball away from the location of a throw. I get it. It makes sense to waste time. But there's a point where it's incredibly poor sportsmanship. Mbappe surely crossed that line. It's ashame that yellow card means absolutely nothing.

[Riemstagrad]

Phew, eternal shame averted.

Next time i'll cheer for Holland (whenever they're not playing Belgium..)


France did what they had to do, excellent defensive play. They kept De Bruyne and Lukaku out of the game. Belgium missed Meunier on the right (and Chadli on the left...) Moussa Dembélé played a terrible game.

Anyway, France didn't sparkle with adventurous football, but it was still an interesting game to watch. You could clearly see how changing tactics had an impact on the game.

Football comes down to playing good and having luck. France had both today. Belgium had both in the BRA-BEL game.
Can't see Croatia or England stopping this France from winning this cup. England should play their B-team tomorrow so we can finally get that ENG-BEL rematch and England can dream forever about what might have happened if they went for the win in CRO-ENG.

[Shamhnan Insir]

<expletive deleted>

With you there, that match was a total shower after 60 mins.

[Shofercia]

Viva La France!

Next up: the English make the finals, only to lose 7-1 to the French

Edit: semi political commentary in spoiler:

Also, good job Croatia: https://sputniknews.com/worldcup-2018-a ... d-cup-ban/

The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has suspended coaching assistant Ognjen Vukojevic from his duties at this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia, the federation announced on its official website on Monday. "I understand and respect the Croatian Football Federation's decision, I don't want to burden the national team ahead of the World Cup semi-finals. There was no political message in my statement. But I realize that it can be interpreted differently. I regret it and apologize to the Russian fans if they understood my statement in this way," Vukojevic said as quoted by HNS.

The HNS has since apologized for the Croatian delegation members' behavior, and Vida also expressed regret for his words... On Sunday, FIFA's Disciplinary Committee issued a warning to Vida, but did not ban the 29-year-old Besiktas player from the World Cup semi-finals.

Naturally, Ukraine's idiots decided to comment on it: https://www.thestar.com/sports/worldcup ... icial.html

The Ukraine Football Federation has offered to pay a fine imposed on a Croatia official for making a pro-Ukraine video at the World Cup. Soccer’s international governing body has fined Ognjen Vukojevic 15,000 Swiss francs (US$15,150) for “unsporting behaviour” after he and Croatia defender Domagoj Vida... Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and political tensions remain high. UFF president Andriy Pavelko, wearing a Croatia shirt and scarf, tells Ukrainian broadcaster 112 that he and other members of the UFF management offered to pay the fine and help Vukojevic with legal costs if he wants to appeal the ruling. The Croatia soccer federation has already removed Vukojevic from its World Cup delegation. Vida was let off with an official warning and no match sanction, leaving him available to play in Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal against England.

The ruling was FIFA's, not Russia's. But if Ukraine wants to challenge FIFA, perhaps FIFA can give Crimea special status, and Crimea can then field it's own football team, like Taiwan does. Just saying