world cup bits

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  • June 18, 2018 at 11:23 am #87429
    Avatar photozn
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    June 18, 2018 at 2:27 pm #87432
    Avatar photoZooey
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    Love it.

    June 20, 2018 at 7:44 am #87471
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    June 20, 2018 at 7:47 am #87472
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    June 20, 2018 at 11:22 am #87485
    JackPMiller
    Participant

    I’m rooting for Senegal, in case you are wondering. That is Cameroon is not there. I like the name of that country. I like the way it feels coming off my tongue. Still, I want an African country to shock the world and win the Damn Cup.

    June 20, 2018 at 12:43 pm #87490
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    Portugal 1
    Morocco Nil

    Morocco played very well, but the Portuguese goalie was clutch today…….

    “”””It was heartbreak for Morocco as Portugal held on to secure a 1-0 victory courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo goal. The North Africans can now no longer qualify from the group.””””

    June 20, 2018 at 7:33 pm #87495
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    Spagnulos 1
    Persians Nil

    Iran had their chances, and a very questionable nullified goal….but Spain is great at ball control

    https://youtu.be/irzJZ8yggrM

    June 21, 2018 at 12:21 am #87506
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    June 21, 2018 at 12:25 am #87507
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    June 21, 2018 at 3:44 am #87515
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    Iran loses to Spain, but Iranian women celebrate landmark moment
    Matias Grez

    link: https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/football/iran-spain-world-cup-russia-2018-spt-intl/index.html

    Iranian women allowed to enter stadium in Tehran

    (CNN)Iran may have suffered defeat in their second World Cup game at Russia 2018, but the occasion could yet prove to be a huge victory for thousands of Iranian women back home.

    The Iranian national team’s official Twitter page posted a photo of a female football fan in the stands of the Azadi Stadium in Tehran, holding a flag as she watched her team play Spain via a broadcast. Iran lost a closely-fought game 1-0.

    Other pictures from photo agencies showed Iranian football fans — both men and women — arriving at the Azadi Stadium dressed in their national team’s colours.
    The photos showed Iranian women blowing vuvuzelas, while others posed for a selfie to record the moment.

    In a statement sent to CNN when Iran played their first World Cup game against Morocco on Saturday, FIFA said President Gianni Infantino had been reassured by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during a March visit that the ban on women would eventually be lifted, though no time frame was provided.
    The Center for Human Rights in Iran also posted photos of women inside the Azadi Stadium, saying: “All they are asking for is to be treated as EQUALS.” The Center is not in Iran, but was posting other people’s photos.

    According to the Twitter account of Tara Sepehri Far — quoting Iranian news sources — at one point the screening had been canceled.
    “But the doors are now open and screening will happen. Just unnecessary drama, anger and inconvenience for the fans who had bought tickets,” tweeted Sepehri Far, who works as a Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher.

    Now, the Interior Minister is saying they will go ahead with the screening. This screening alone can explain a lot about the state of affairs in today’s Iran.

    HRW has criticized the ban on women, which also runs counter to the FIFA statues, which prohibit gender discrimination. Article Four says discrimination of any kind is “punishable by suspension or expulsion.”

    Spain took a big step towards reaching the knockout stages with their hard-fought win over Iran on Wednesday.

    After a stale first 45 minutes, which Spain dominated but rarely threatened, Diego Costa broke the deadlock less than 10 minutes into the second half, albeit with a huge slice of good fortune.

    Iran thought they had found the equalizer soon after, but another feather in the cap for the Video Assistant Referee saw the goal correctly ruled out for offside.
    Spain’s struggles against Iran continued the trend of the big nations struggling in Russia.
    Brazil, Argentina and Germany all failed to win their opening games, while France, England and Portugal — in their second game — all labored to secure three points against lower-ranked opposition.
    Of the top eight favorites to win the World Cup, only Belgium recorded a convincing result, comfortably beating Panama 3-0.
    As the first half wore on, Spain were just beginning to show signs of frustration; Isco first contriving to get in David Silva’s way in the box, before Jordi Alba slammed his fist into his palm after Sergio Busquets’ over hit pass.
    The opening half an hour felt more like a training exercise — 11 attackers against 11 defenders — and Spain, for the first time, were starting to find holes in the resolute Iranian defense.

    Isco was at the heart of it, exchanging neat passes with Andres Iniesta, twisting and turning away from his markers and eventually forcing a corner.
    Both Spain’s central defenders came up for it, with Gerard Pique getting his head onto the cross and Sergio Ramos flicking the ball across goal for David Silva, but the Manchester City midfielder’s acrobatic effort flashed over the crossbar.
    Spain’s passing was as accurate and relentless as ever but seemed lethargic and lacking in purpose.
    Clearly frustrated by what they perceived as Iranian timewasting, they began the second half at a much higher tempo.
    Isco wasted two good chances in front of goal after some brilliant team buildup, but it now felt like a matter of when, not if, Spain would break the deadlock.
    Minutes later, the opening finally came. Costa, scorer of two goals in the opening game against Portugal, spun on the ball in the box, before a huge slice of good fortune saw the ball ricochet off Hosseini’s leg, back onto Costa and into the back of the net.

    But it wouldn’t be long before Iran shocked the former world champions and drew level — or so they thought.
    After a huge goalmouth scramble, Saeid Ezatolahi drove the ball through David de Gea’s legs and wheeled away in celebration, soon being joined by his teammates and the entire bench.
    It wasn’t long, however, before referee Andres Cunha, his hand to his earpiece, had the goal analyzed by VAR and subsequently disallowed it.
    A tough decision for Iran, but the correct one.
    Despite the defeat, Iran still have plenty to play for. They sit just a point behind the top two and victory against Portugal in their final group game would guarantee them a place in the last 16.

    Mexico fined

    Meanwhile FIFA hss fined the Mexican Football Association 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000) for homophobic chants heard during their World Cup fixture against Germany.
    It comes two years after FIFA fined Mexico $30,000 for homophobic chants by supporters on five occasions since November 2015.

    June 21, 2018 at 10:31 am #87526
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    Costa, scorer of two goals in the opening game against Portugal, spun on the ball in the box, before a huge slice of good fortune saw the ball ricochet off Hosseini’s leg, back onto Costa and into the back of the net.

    This guy is fun to watch……

    Mexico fined

    Meanwhile FIFA hss fined the Mexican Football Association 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,000) for homophobic chants heard during their World Cup fixture against Germany.
    It comes two years after FIFA fined Mexico $30,000 for homophobic chants by supporters on five occasions since November 2015.

    No Bueno

    June 22, 2018 at 4:05 pm #87557
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    Serbs serve Swiss Cheese defense in the 90th minute…. remarkable……

    SWISS 2
    Serbia 1

    Kronke’s man from Arsenal tied the game for Swiss Miss..

    URL = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/sports/world-cup/switzerland-vs-serbia.html

    For the second time this World Cup, Switzerland responded well to going down early, and defeated Serbia 2-1 in Kaliningrad. They were put in the hole by a fifth minute Aleksandar Mitrovic header, and for the first 20 minutes the Swiss midfield was absolutely overrun.

    But slowly they regained control of the game, and the second half belonged to Switzerland. Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka equalized just seven minutes into the second half with a beautiful belted curler from outside of the box, and Xherdan Shaqiri got the breakaway winner in the 90th minute after some shambolic Serbian defending

      .

      With the victory, Switzerland joins Brazil at the top of the group, and will advance to the round of 16 with win or draw against already-eliminated Costa Rica. Serbia has the tougher challenge of likely needing to defeat Brazil.

      lead.

      For the second time this World Cup, Switzerland responded well to going down early, and defeated Serbia 2-1 in Kaliningrad. They were put in the hole by a fifth minute Aleksandar Mitrovic header, and for the first 20 minutes the Swiss midfield was absolutely overrun.

      But slowly they regained control of the game, and the second half belonged to Switzerland. Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka equalized just seven minutes into the second half with a beautiful belted curler from outside of the box, and Xherdan Shaqiri got the breakaway winner in the 90th minute after some shambolic Serbian defending.

      With the victory, Switzerland joins Brazil at the top of the group, and will advance to the round of 16 with win or draw against already-eliminated Costa Rica. Serbia has the tougher challenge of likely needing to defeat Brazil.

      lead.

    • This reply was modified 6 years, 5 months ago by Avatar photojoemad.
    June 22, 2018 at 5:11 pm #87559
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    June 23, 2018 at 7:47 pm #87598
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    June 24, 2018 at 5:33 pm #87616
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    Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
    Just catching up with today’s World Cup action. Wow was Mexico lucky today. South Korea should have had a PK early. Mexico second came off an obvious foul that wasnt called. Unlucky South Korea.

    ==

    June 25, 2018 at 2:11 am #87623
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    What do Costa Rica, Panama early exits say about U.S. soccer?

    http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/ct-spt-world-cup-us-soccer-20180624-story.html

    Costa Rica and Panama were overwhelmed at the World Cup, both going two and out.

    What does that say about the United States, which didn’t even make it to soccer’s showcase?

    “It’s an extra twist of the knife,” said former U.S. forward Taylor Twellman, now ESPN’s lead soccer analyst. “It’s another reminder that the failure to qualify is an absolute debacle.”

    Beaten 3-0 by Belgium in its opener, Panama gave up five goals in the first half Sunday in a 6-1 loss to England. Costa Rica was defeated 1-0 by Serbia and 2-0 by Brazil.

    Mexico is in good position to advance to the round of 16 after victories over defending champion Germany and South Korea. While the North and Central American and Caribbean region had three nations in the knockout rounds four years ago, this will be CONCACAF’s first World Cup since 2006 with fewer than two.

    “Mexico is a good, solid team. So is Costa Rica. Panama is an inferior team in the competition,” former U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. “I feel strongly that we should have been the third team, but we have no one to blame but ourselves.”

    The U.S. qualified for seven straight World Cups and advanced to the knockout round four times during that streak before missing this year’s tournament.

    Costa Rica defeated the U.S. twice in qualifying, a 4-0 home rout in November 2016 that caused the U.S. Soccer Federation to fire coach Jurgen Klinsmann and bring back Arena, and a 2-0 win in New Jersey last September.

    Panama rallied with a late first-half goal to tie the U.S. at home in March 2017, and the Americans won 4-0 in Florida last October. The U.S. then lost 2-1 at Trinidad and Tobago, when only a tie was needed to qualify. The Americans finished fifth in the six-nation final round, falling below Honduras, which lost a playoff to Australia.

    “If the United States had qualified, we would have done much better than Costa Rica and Panama,” said Steve Sampson, the U.S. coach from 1995-98. “I know that Panama finished ahead of the United States in the qualification phase, but with all the previous experience the United States would have, I’ve got to believe and I do believe that they would have done much better than Costa Rica and Panama in this World Cup.”

    Former U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller said the failure of the U.S. to qualify for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics was a sign of trouble to come.

    “Our under-23s over an eight-year, 10-year period have not been as good as the rest of CONCACAF, and that’s eventually going to filter up to your national team, and it doesn’t surprise me that we had this struggle,” he said before adding: “Are we better than Panama? Of course we are.”

    If Mexico moves on to the knockout rounds, which is likely, 13 of 24 CONCACAF teams (54 percent) will have reached the round of 16 since 1990: Mexico seven times, the U.S. four and Costa Rica twice.

    “I think we have a long way to go,” CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani said. “We still rank behind only UEFA on CONMEBOL in terms of points per game in World Cups historically, but obviously now our fate in terms of a run is in the hands of Mexico.”

    Arena said poor officiating in CONCACAF holds back the region and cited Egyptian referee Gehad Grisha’s decisions to award penalty kicks when Fidel Escobar and Roman Torres knocked over Jesse Lingard, and when Anibal Godoy wrestled Harry Kane to the ground. That led to a pair of successful spot kicks by Kane as England built a 5-0 lead.

    “The things that happened today with Panama were typical of CONCACAF competition, but they’re never punished for it. In my view, the officiating hurts the progress of the region,” Arena said. “You’d have to be hit over the head with a sledgehammer for them to call a penalty kick in CONCACAF.”

    Montagliani took Arena’s criticism in stride.

    “That’s a bit of hyperbole from Bruce,” he said. “We’re always trying to improve refereeing. I think in this last qualifying, it’s the best I’ve seen it in a long time in CONCACAF. Obviously, spoken like a true coach, Bruce has always been griping about referees.”

    June 25, 2018 at 10:20 am #87629
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    June 25, 2018 at 11:36 am #87630
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    what needs to happen to advance to “Round of 16”

    URL = https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/25/sports/world-cup/how-teams-can-advance.html

    Monday: Groups A and B

    The group stage of the World Cup is almost over: All 32 teams have completed their second of three games of group play. Now is the time many serious fans start to do the math to determine what their teams must do to ensure a place in the knockout stage of the competition.

    The Group A matches both start at 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the Group B matches will begin at 2 p.m.

    Group A

    Russia 2 0 0 8 1 +7 6
    Uruguay 2 0 0 2 0 +2 6
    Egypt 0 2 0 1 4 -3 0
    Saudi Arabia 0 2 0 0 6 -6 0

    Russia has exceeded expectations by clinching a berth in the next round, with eight goals in its two wins. It can win the group with a draw or win against Uruguay.

    Uruguay has also advanced, with two 1-0 wins over Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It needs to beat Russia to win the group.

    Egypt is out but we’ll be talking about how Mohamed Salah was drawn into a political controversy during his team’s stay in Chechnya during the tournament.

    Saudi Arabia is out.

    Group B

    Spain 1 0 1 4 3 +1 4
    Portugal 1 0 1 4 3 +1 4
    Iran 1 1 0 1 1 0 3
    Morocco 0 2 0 0 2 -2 0

    Portugal advances with a win or draw against Iran. It can win the group with a better performance than Spain in the final game.

    Spain advances with a win or draw against winless Morocco. It could also get through with a loss if Portugal beats Iran, or if it loses by one goal and Portugal draws with Iran in a low-scoring game. Spain can win the group with a better performance than Portugal in the final game.

    Iran can advance with a win over Portugal. If it draws, it could sneak through if Spain loses to Morocco by more than one goal.

    Morocco is out.

    Group C

    France 2 0 0 3 1 +2 6
    Denmark 1 0 1 2 1 +1 4
    Australia 0 1 1 2 3 -1 1
    Peru 0 2 0 0 2 -2 0

    France has clinched a spot in the next round and can win the group with a victory or draw against Denmark.

    Denmark can win the group with a victory over France. It advances with a draw. If it loses, it could be eliminated, but only if Australia beats Peru.

    Australia is out if it loses to Peru or draws. If it wins and Denmark loses, it will almost certainly advance, although Denmark could still get through with a few odd score combinations, such as Denmark losing by one in a high-scoring game and Australia winning by one in a low-scoring affair.

    Peru is out, but its fans have made the most of Peru’s first World Cup appearance since 1982.

    Group D
    Croatia 2 0 0 5 0 +5 6
    Nigeria 1 1 0 2 2 0 3
    Iceland 0 1 1 1 3 -2 1
    Argentina 0 1 1 1 4 -3 1

    Croatia has advanced. It will win the group unless it loses to Iceland and Nigeria beats Argentina, and the combined margin is five goals or more.

    Nigeria advances with a win over Argentina. If it draws, Iceland could catch it with a big enough victory, say two or three goals for Iceland (the exact number depends on how many goals are scored in the Nigeria draw).

    Argentina must defeat Nigeria. Even then, it could be knocked out if Iceland beats Croatia by the same margin or better.

    Iceland must defeat Croatia, and hope for one of two results in the other game: Argentina winning against Nigeria, but not by a larger margin than Iceland’s win; or Nigeria drawing Argentina, as long as Iceland wins by two goals or more (again, the exact number depends on how many goals are scored in the draw between Nigeria and Argentina).

    Group E

    Brazil 1 0 1 3 1 +2 4
    Switzerland 1 0 1 3 2 +1 4
    Serbia 1 1 0 2 2 0 3
    Costa Rica 0 2 0 0 3 -3 0

    Brazil advances with a win or draw against Serbia. If it loses, it could still back in, but only if Switzerland also loses, and not by fewer goals. To win the group, Brazil needs to win by at least the same margin as Switzerland does.

    Switzerland advances with a win or draw against Costa Rica. If it loses, it would still get in if Brazil beats Serbia. If Brazil and Serbia draw in that scenario, Switzerland might sneak in if it loses by only one goal.

    Serbia would advance with a win over Brazil. If it draws, it is out, unless Costa Rica beats Switzerland, preferably by two goals or more. If it loses, it is out.

    Costa Rica is out.

    Group F

    Mexico 2 0 0 3 1 +2 6
    Germany 1 1 0 2 2 0 3
    Sweden 1 1 0 2 2 0 3
    South Korea 0 2 0 1 3 -2 0

    Mexico has very nearly clinched its advancement. It just needs a win or draw against Sweden. If it loses, it would still advance if Germany doesn’t beat South Korea, or if Germany wins but finishes with a smaller goal differential.

    Germany probably advances with a win over South Korea, but could still be out even then if Sweden wins and the scores fall just right: if Germany wins 1-0 and Sweden wins 2-1, for example. Germany would also advance with a draw if Mexico beats Sweden. If both matches end in draws, it would come down to which team, Germany or Sweden, scored more goals in their final group games, with Germany winning if the scores are equal. Germany could even advance if it loses in some scoring scenarios, as long as Mexico wins.

    Sweden would advance if it wins and Germany does not. If both win, it will come down to the goal difference between Germany, Sweden and Mexico. If Sweden draws, it must hope Germany loses or draws scoring fewer goals. If Sweden loses, it could back in only if it loses by one goal in a higher scoring game, like 3-2, and South Korea beats Germany narrowly.

    South Korea must beat Germany by two goals or, preferably, more. And it would also need Sweden to lose against Mexico.

    Group G
    England 2 0 0 8 2 +6 6
    Belgium 2 0 0 8 2 +6 6
    Tunisia 0 2 0 3 7 -4 0
    Panama 0 2 0 1 9 -8 0

    Belgium has advanced. It will win the group if it beats England.

    England has advanced. It will win the group if it beats Belgium. If the teams draw, the group winner will be decided by the sixth tiebreaker: their disciplinary records. England currently has two yellow cards to Belgium’s three.

    Tunisia is out.

    Panama is out.

    Group H
    Japan 1 0 1 4 3 +1 4
    Senegal 1 0 1 4 3 +1 4
    Colombia 1 1 0 4 2 +2 3
    Poland 0 2 0 1 5 -4 0

    Japan advances with a win or draw against Poland. If it loses, it would still advance unless Colombia beats Senegal by a smaller margin, or Senegal and Colombia draw.

    Senegal advances with a win or draw against Colombia. If it loses, it can get in if Japan loses to Poland by a larger margin.

    Colombia advances with a win over Senegal. If it draws, it can continue if Japan loses.

    Poland is out.

    June 25, 2018 at 12:09 pm #87631
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    joemad wrote:

    what needs to happen to advance to “Round of 16”

    Do you follow this Joe?

    What are your insights, preferences, opinions?

    June 25, 2018 at 1:58 pm #87636
    Avatar photoZooey
    Moderator

    In this final round, I’m looking forward to Argentina/Nigeria. Argentina’s debacle has been of interest. I am also going to watch England/Belgium even though both teams are going to advance regardless of the outcome. I learned to like soccer while I went to university in England, and I’m a bit of an Anglophile anyway, so I like them. They look good this year.

    I’m also pulling for Mexico. Loved Mexico’s defeat of Germany. That was awesome.

    I have a Brazilian friend who watches literally every match, and he likes England’s chances. He thinks they match up well against Belgium in some way. He tried to explain it to me in a way that exceeds my knowledge of soccer. He watches all the qualifying matches as well, so he isn’t surprised by Argentina’s fade. He says they have been playing poorly all along, and barely qualified.

    June 25, 2018 at 3:17 pm #87638
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant
    zn wrote:
    joemad wrote:

    what needs to happen to advance to “Round of 16”

    Do you follow this Joe?

    What are your insights, preferences, opinions?

    My parents immigrated to California from Portugal… my dad loved soccer as does and my oldest brother…… In addition, I grew up and still live in an area where we have a decent sized Portuguese community that is very passionate about the sport, but personally I only follow the World Cup and Euro Cup tournaments.

    After beating Sweden, I think Germany is destined to win…. either them or the French / Maybe Belgium….. those players are just too big for the Iberian cousins (Spain and Port) to compete with….

    I get into it for the World Cup and would love to see Portugal advance, but my passion is Rams football.

    BTW, did you know that Cristiano Ronaldo was named after……Ronald Reagan…..

    June 26, 2018 at 12:44 am #87658
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    https://www.newyorker.com/sporting-scene/replay/world-cup-2018-iran-vs-portugal-and-the-excruciating-thrill-of-technologically-enabled-meta-bewilderment

    World Cup 2018: Iran vs. Portugal and the Excruciating Thrill of Technologically Enabled Meta-Bewilderment
    By Brian PhillipsJune 25, 2018

    Cristiano Ronaldo, of Portugal, and Ramin Rezaian, of Iran, on a combative final match day for Group B, at the World Cup, on Monday.Photograph by Mladen Antonov / AFP / Getty

    Soccer makes very little sense at the best of times, and on Monday, in the dying moments of Iran’s World Cup match against Portugal, it made no sense at all. The game had been combative. It was the third and final match day in Group B, and both teams had a chance to advance to the knockout stage; both teams also knew that a bad result could send them home. Elbows flew on every contested header. Bodies strained in ways that made you think of the word “sinew,” possibly for the first time all year. Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese star, winced so hard after bashing a free kick into the Iranian wall that his neck briefly looked like the Rock’s neck.
    Both teams had chances to score. Ronaldo even took a penalty, in the fifty-third minute, but it was saved by the Iranian goalkeeper, Alireza Beiranvand. Both had spent shrill minutes shrieking at and pleading with the referee, who had, from the perspective of the players, committed several of the most unfathomable injustices ever perpetrated by a human being. By the same token, he had also graced the world with many of the fairest and most far-seeing judgments that anyone had ever encountered. They were the same decisions; it only depended from which side you were looking at them. Heading into stoppage time, Portugal led 1–0 thanks to a screaming party trick of a shot by Ricardo Quaresma (also known as “a Ricardo Quaresma shot”). If the results from this match and Spain’s simultaneous game against Morocco held up, Portugal and Spain would advance from Group B.
    Now, however, in the ninety-first minute, the referee, Enrique Cáceres, stood huddled under the visor of the video-replay unit on the sideline. He was checking to see whether Portugal’s Cédric Soares had committed a handball in the area, an infraction that would lead to an Iranian penalty. This World Cup is the first to use fifa’s new video-assistant referee system, and this was the first moment in World Cup history when an entire group seemed likely to be decided based on a referee’s encounter with a television. Cáceres stood there for a long time, watching. Universes rose and fell while the footage looped. If Iran could steal a goal here, and Morocco could somehow beat Spain, then it would be Spain, one of the favorites, that would be bumped from the tournament; Iran would advance. Incredibly, Morocco was winning. Everything hung on Cáceres’s decision. Diadems dropped and doges surrendered. Ronaldo unhinged and rehinged his jaw, like a deadly python that loves to wear aviators on a yacht for some reason.
    Cáceres watched. And watched. And watched. He stood there for so long I started to wonder if the replay unit got Netflix. Had a new season of “Terrace House” dropped? I am against video replay in soccer, partly because I find it naïve to imagine that television footage could forestall crises of interpretation in a sport whose rulebook often forces the referee to assess other human beings’ inner thoughts (Did he intend to pong the ball away with his fist, or did it just, like, happen to get ponged?), and partly because it is boring to watch the referee watch the match you are watching. I had to admit, however, that there was something fascinating about this moment. A new kind of drama had entered the World Cup: the excruciating thrill of technologically enabled meta-bewilderment. My Twitter timeline filled up with variants of the message “I have no idea what’s going on right now.” I was bored, yet my heart was racing. Welcome to sports in 2018! Finally, Cáceres turned away from the monitor, strode back onto the pitch, and, having taken plenty of time to come to the correct decision, confidently announced what appeared to be a highly incorrect one. Soares’s handball had looked accidental, and in any case it wasn’t entirely clear that the ball had touched his hand. Penalty for Iran!
    Karim Ansarifard, a substitute who had entered the match in the seventy-sixth minute, converted the shot. Iran was alive! The World Cup was happening! Fibre-optic cables were carrying “Game of Thrones” under the sea! Mehdi Taremi nearly scored a second for Iran, in the ninety-fifth minute, a result that would have upended civilization on several continents, but the ball whanged into the side of the net and civilization continued its sad march.

    June 26, 2018 at 2:51 am #87661
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    July 2, 2018 at 4:30 pm #87797
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    ==

    July 3, 2018 at 12:48 pm #87806
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    Japan Belgium indeed……

    July 3, 2018 at 2:33 pm #87810
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    Japan’s football team proved to be one of the classiest at the World Cup after the players bowed to the fans and meticulously cleaned out the locker room following their heartbreaking defeat to Belgium.

    https://www.rt.com/sport/431586-japan-world-cup-fans/

    The Japanese squad were eliminated from the World Cup tournament in a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Belgium on Monday.

    Japan jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but it wasn’t enough, as they conceded three consecutive goals – with the decisive third goal occurring in the final seconds of the match.

    Despite the heartache, the Japanese footballers rose to the occasion and respectfully bowed to the fans, who fiercely supported them during the match.

    Confirming their status of the most disciplined and well-mannered team, the Japanese cleaned out their locker room at Rostov Arena, leaving it impeccably spotless. They also left a thank-you note in Russian on the table for the hosts of the event that they enjoyed for more than two weeks.

    Japanese fans, who were devastated by the loss, also didn’t leave until they cleaned up after themselves. Wiping away the tears, they helped the stadium workers pick up trash in the stands.

    After their stunning comeback against Japan, Belgium will now face Brazil in the World Cup quarterfinals 6 in Kazan.

    July 6, 2018 at 11:02 pm #87904
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    JamesJM

    That was quite a show. Here’s my impressions:

    All along Belgium has been showing me that they are, not even debatable to me, the best ball handlers in the tournament. Brazil, on the other hand, is better in nearly every other aspect, except perhaps at goal tending. Ball handling did the trick today.

    And note: “Ball handling” does not equate to possession time which Brazil easily won today, (I think, haven’t looked at the stats).

    Using speed and brute force Brazil was relentless… using ball handling and setting up quality attempts was Belgium’s strategy… Belgium wins.

    France beating Uruguay was no surprise to me, I fully expected it……. Belgium beating Brazil was ‘mildly’ surprising to me, I thought Brazil would win but that it would be close.

    Going to give the nod to Belgium vs France BUT readily admit some ‘bias’ comes into play here…. I like Belgium, France not so much.

    —

    Brazil vs. Belgium | 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Highlights

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWO6hpFc-Q

    ==

    Uruguay vs. France | 2018 FIFA World Cup™ Highlights

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvZpj-cFw-0

    July 7, 2018 at 4:59 pm #87914
    Avatar photojoemad
    Participant

    Putin gonna annex Croatia, after he executes his penalty kickers….

    Another incredible match in this World Cup.

    Even if you don’t give a shit about soccer this tournament has been great

    Croatia advances to semi’s vs England

    July 7, 2018 at 8:23 pm #87921
    Avatar photoInvaderRam
    Moderator

    belgium over england in the finals.

    i’d like to see croatia in the finals, but my head says england advances.

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