FIFA World Cup

@KiwiPie said in FIFA World Cup:

@canefan said in FIFA World Cup:

Is NZ playing today

1pm kick off against Egypt. Win and we are pretty certain to qualify, draw and everything goes to the final day with nothing decided. Lose and we'll need to beat Belgium on the final day.

Looking at the table this morning, and I think a draw would give us a narrow path to qualifying, but would require Iran to get thumped (by at least 3 goals), and at least 6 other pool results (including some after our final match) to go our way.

It will be a big ask to get anything vs Belgium if we can't get a point vs Egypt

nil-all snore this morning as ghana stuck 11 men in the box and dared England to shoot through them, which they couldn't. England proved they lack a true creator in the middle to unlock these teams. arguably worst game of the whole tournament.

No arguably about it

Shithouse

It's the thing that shits me about soccer. I get its a legit tactic, and Ghana will love that point, but when the England centre backs had the ball, the Gharnian strikers were 30m away from them, in their own half, and already moving backwards it's just shit to watch.

SBS had Kevin-Prince Boateng on the coverage this morning and even he struggled to be positive about what he was watching despite understanding a point is good.

I fear a lot of the round of 32 games will be like this. One team will want to take the game to extra time and penalties, the stronger team will be battering away unless they can get a goal.

a little 3-minute break at quarter time is helping too, just limits the fatigue factor.

@KiwiPie Agree, I am proud of the All Whites for not taking that approach; their games have been fantastic viewing! (ignoring that last 2nd half...)

Ghana realised that the English threats would come from runners getting in behind their defence - so they left no space for that to happen. It's hard to break down but also really hard for the defending team to counter attack. That being said, Ghana were denied a stonewall penalty.

@mariner4life said in FIFA World Cup:

nil-all snore this morning as ghana stuck 11 men in the box and dared England to shoot through them, which they couldn't. England proved they lack a true creator in the middle to unlock these teams. arguably worst game of the whole tournament.

16th 0-0 draw in the FIFA World Cup history that England have been involved in. More than any side.

A turgid watch.

@KiwiPie said in FIFA World Cup:

Ghana realised that the English threats would come from runners getting in behind their defence - so they left no space for that to happen. It's hard to break down but also really hard for the defending team to counter attack. That being said, Ghana were denied a stonewall penalty.

100%

@mariner4life said in FIFA World Cup:

nil-all snore this morning as ghana stuck 11 men in the box and dared England to shoot through them, which they couldn't. England proved they lack a true creator in the middle to unlock these teams. arguably worst game of the whole tournament.

I thought Ghana played it perfectly, and had a good chance to win it at the end.
Ghana wasn't going to win if the poms got in front.
Cos then it'd be the poms who'd shut the game down.

It's the f'n euros that are f'n boring.
The Euros can shut games down better than the rest.
Ultra organised and ultra disciplined, yaaaaawn.

Spain FFS!!!
3000 passes between goals!!!!
Now they're an effin snooze.

Fuck I hope a euro team doesn't win.

Most games have been good; canada/qatar was a dog, and Saudi/Spain, and Portugal/Uzbek; were yawns.

@westie_boy said in FIFA World Cup:

Yeah, take Messi out and they are less than ordinary.
The 10 other guys hit the jackpot by being in the same team as him.

Not really
the argentine national team has been built around messi for two decades now
and it'll stay that way while he's still doin it
and the way he's pacing himself, he might have a couple more WCs in him yet

@mariner4life said in FIFA World Cup:

a little 3-minute break at quarter time is helping too, just limits the fatigue factor.

not just the cup of tea every 20 minutes, but the fact that 5 subs are allowed, and you can swap half your team out, if they're feeling a bit "puffed"

Because of that, I think a team could do a full field defensive press for the whole 90 minutes if they wanted to.

And a good chance we see a team try it in the knock-outs.

@MiketheSnow said in FIFA World Cup:

100%

haha
if konsa laid on a tackle like that in a game of rugby he'd have been suspended for the rest of the season, at the very least

I note VAR disallowed a vinicius goal today for the slightest of touches on the ankle of a defender
maybe VAR got woken up

Ecuador deliver again

Great win over Germany

The Ecuador coach is insufferable.

ME ME ME

Equador were flying around like lunatics, really entertaining game.

The more i watch of Wirz the more i wonder what the fuck made Liverpool pay that much for him.

That closes the window for a draw for us to qualify, it's now win or go home.

Am looking forward to the Aussie Paraguay game. Heaps of Aussies there.

Hopefully they know the words to their anthem ... saw one of the guys singing ' ... we are young and free .. before their last game whereas it was changed awhile back to 'we are one and free' out of respect for Aboriginal people. Maybe it was nerves.

Turkey just beat USA! They'll rue that loss to Paraguay.

@antipodean said in FIFA World Cup:

Turkey just beat USA! They'll rue that loss to Paraguay.

A cracking match

@mohikamo said in FIFA World Cup:

@mariner4life said in FIFA World Cup:

nil-all snore this morning as ghana stuck 11 men in the box and dared England to shoot through them, which they couldn't. England proved they lack a true creator in the middle to unlock these teams. arguably worst game of the whole tournament.

I thought Ghana played it perfectly, and had a good chance to win it at the end.
Ghana wasn't going to win if the poms got in front.
Cos then it'd be the poms who'd shut the game down.

It's the f'n euros that are f'n boring.
The Euros can shut games down better than the rest.
Ultra organised and ultra disciplined, yaaaaawn.

I’ve seen people contradict themselves from post to post, but rarely so clearly in the same post…

All Whites just barely hanging on.

Embarassing goal concede by the all whites. Just awful.

We conceded from a cross vs Iran and haven't improved since then

We might be lucky if this isn't 5 - 0.

All Whites making a good case today for the World Cup to go back to 32 teams....

How the hell are we in the WC and Italy isn't? They really need to rethink the qualifying process.

Belgium comfortably the better side. The All Whites are being overrun.

Don't think it's been completely embarrassing.

Yet.

All Whites get one back!

Stoked to see us get one back.

Woohoo

Just has been the NZ player of the tournament. Deserves a move to a big Premier League or European club.