World Cup Thread 2018

Agree Wiz, I thought Mexico were excellent

 

A bit concerned with all the Papers 'bigging' up England, Southgate and Kane after Ronaldo for the Golden Boot.
God help us if Tunisia get a point or even win. They're no mugs.
Haven't followed England much recently but how long have we gone with a back 3 - are we sure Walker can play there.
Fingers crossed.

 

Quite - they'll likely be very well organised and difficult to break down, whilst also posing a threat on the counter attack. 0-0 is a very real possibility, in which case papers and 'fans' alike will bemoan England's lack of quality, unlike Germany and Argentina for example.

I'm still thinking 1-0 is the most likely score - hopefully we can score early and avoid late drama...

 

Watching Sweden vs South Korea and a penalty has correctly been given after a VAR review.

It's had some poor implementation in England at times this season, but so far at this World Cup it's been used to great effect - well done by the organisers.

 

It has to be fair but I'm still not a fan, it does slow the game down and goals aren't quite as exciting anymore. Every goal is getting the VAR treatment so you see the players celebrating but there's still the element of doubt just in case it gets retrospectively ruled out.

 

I disagree - VAR can bring its own tension and as well as the correct decision being given more often, it results in play being allowed to continue and ultimately more goals being given. Before, decisions would much less likely be given in the attacker's favour out of officials' fears of wrongfully allowing play to continue that led to a goal, which is more controversial than denying a goal that should have stood.

 

Early doors, but Panama look dreadful...

 

...Looks like the officials are maybe helping Panama out a bit...

 

Terrible officiating so far in the England match - nonsense penalty and Kane being wrestled down gets nothing. Much like the officials tried their best to help Panama, so are they helping Tunisia. They'll flop like Fish and get decisions, whereas we'll get hacked down and get nothing, or even booked!

Keep going and hopefully we can overcome even these obstacles.

 

Justice. I hope there's a review of the officials because they, particularly the referee, were abysmal, to the point that you can't help but feel there was bias, be it intentional or subconsciously.

Improvement needed, but great grit shown in the face of such adversity - Kane is genuinely a great goalscorer.

 

I THOUGHT THE REF was under pressure to stop ENGLAND winning what was that little red dot ….. . …. that was following him around ……… lol

actually reffing .. it was verrrry poor the worst of the compo so far, justice served? yes they did everything to stop us that they could get away with … then with little time left heeeee heeeeeeeeeeee heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

 

Sorry I don't think it was a nonsense penalty.
Walker isn't a natural central defender and was facing the wrong way. Ok it was soft but if you give a referee a decision to make its your own fault.
Have to say the referee turned down a much stronger case when Kane was wrestled first half.

 

Walker's penalty was debatable & possibly naive, but the challenges on Kane were far more clear cut. However you look at it, the decisions had an affect on the result - thankfully England did get the win they deserve, but it could've been a lot more confident if the decisions were fair.

 

I thought the whole point of VAR is to make the kind of decisions like the Harry Kane foul in the first half , how that wasn’t given was nothing short of criminal, I get the ref may not see it as so much going on they need eyes up there arse at times , but how the guys on VAR missed it , unbelievable. FIFA must get on top of it .

I would love to hear the views of those guys , how they’d justify it not being a pen .

We won in the end , so it didn’t matter in the end , but I hope they sort it out as the tournament progresses.

 

It still might if goal difference comes into play...

 

I take your point , but who knows , had we been given the pen and even if we’d scored it still may have ended 2-1 , we wouldn’t have been pushing at the end as we had to at 1-1.

 

Twice, Clear cut too!!...
Trippier was excellent, my man of the match..

 

I did actually watch it which is unusual for me.
This VAR thing is a lottery......We should have had 2 penalties and so should Argentina against Iceland.
We got the result in the end which is all that matters I guess.
As for Raheem Sterling............that must be the best bit of business Liverpool ever did getting shot of him. Absolutely useless.

 

Thought Sterling was great off the ball as usual, just dire on it.