WC 2018

[Bruv119]

Knockout Round My Prediction:

Uruguay v Portugal: Portugal

France v Argentina: France

Brasil v Mexico: Brasil

Belgium v Japan: Belgium

Spain v Russia: Spain

Croatia v Denmark: Croatia

Sweden v Switzerland: Switzerland

Colombia v England: England


Let's see everyone's.

Agree with perd's predictions except I'd go for Sweden over the Swiss.   

[Spikes]

Wow Russia...hell of a game. They deserve it.

[Zimme83]

So: One of this teams will be in the final..

Russia
Croatia
Denmark
Sweden
Switzerland
England
Colombia

Thats pretty crazy. With the Spanish debacle today there are no top team left on that half of the playoff tree...
My bet is that Croatia takes the spot and that they will meet France in the final.

[John Galt]

I think the fake soccer injuries should be viable performances for Oscar consideration.   I am sorry when your sport has a tactic based around fake injuries.  Give me rugby or American football where the injuries are real.

[MiloMorai]

Not all American football injuries are real.

[Bruv119]

cant believe Spain have gone out against russia.  Russia had a plan from the outset (to defend and go for pens) and Spain just couldn't find a way through.   Glad ramos is gone because he has made ronaldo look saintly recently.  in the 115th minute Pique gets wrestled to the floor and after conceding a VAR penalty in the first half gets denied one. 

How can VAR work if the guys reviewing the footage choose to ignore hard evidence and then let it go just for the hosts/bribes/ lack of cojones!   

Annoyed at both teams for making me sit through that boring game.   Least Croatia and Denmark had a better game.  Very fun penalty shoot out for the neutrals, super human stuff from schmeichal (< spelling) shame his guys couldnt take a decent penalty. 

Now for todays games.   Brazil to win by a slim one goal margin,  Wont be surprised if Mexico come up with something this WC has been pretty mad.

Belgium have to beat Japan as they looked so good and Japan very fortunate to get through their group.   

[Bruv119]

So: One of this teams will be in the final..

Russia
Croatia
Denmark
Sweden
Switzerland
England
Colombia

Thats pretty crazy. With the Spanish debacle today there are no top team left on that half of the playoff tree...
My bet is that Croatia takes the spot and that they will meet France in the final.

Only one of those teams has lifted the cup before.   Remember this is a new England they are young, quick and all play with superstars.  The media pre-tournament have been working with the players and not hyping everything up.  The way all the big teams keep getting knocked out is probably not helping that because we expect so much more of them now which will be there un-doing.

[fd ski]

russia vs spain game was tedious. Shame on both teams, russia for ugliest and most boring football in history, spain for underestimating an opponent and being pretentious salamanders. I was cheering for spain cause they usually play some beautiful football, but after watching that, russia winning is fine. 

[Greebo]

Only teams that have impressed me as potential winners so far are Belgium or France and I'd expect one or the other to make the final. England's half of the draw is a lottery really. The extra rest the team have had may well tell in the second half against Columbia but the matches against Sweden or Switzerland and then probably Croatia could go either way.

[MiloMorai]

How can VAR work if the guys reviewing the footage choose to ignore hard evidence and then let it go just for the hosts/bribes/ lack of cojones!

The whole world could see the foul. Makes one question why it wasn't called.

The talking bobbleheads here, not that I recall, even mentioned the infraction.


The Danish goal was the fastest goal in WC history and then Croatia comes right back and scores. The game got rather boring after that (imho).

[TyFoo]

Glad to see Belgium finally show up for the game around the 69th minute.

[SysError]

russia vs spain game was tedious. Shame on both teams, russia for ugliest and most boring football in history, spain for underestimating an opponent and being pretentious salamanders. I was cheering for spain cause they usually play some beautiful football, but after watching that, russia winning is fine.

Spain would have done great if the game was Marco Polo.

Even with all of Russia's issues, at least they played football so in my book they deserved to move forward for that reason alone.   

[SysError]

Glad to see Belgium finally show up for the game around the 69th minute.

I was impressed with Japan.  Their 2 goals were great.  Too bad they went up against Belgium on this round. 

And you are right, it was almost as if an alarm clock went off about half way through the second half.  They called it "... an absolutely unbelievable header."

https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/video/1268536387586   

[guncrasher]

Japan have was awesome so the way to the end.


semp

[Bruv119]

lukaku missed 2 easy headers fellaini 1,  with the height disadvantage Belgium should have kept floating the ball into the box they would have scored 10.  For some reason after the equaliser they stopped doing it.   

Credit to Japan for pushing for the winner which cost them on their own corner it deserved to go extra time just for the amount of effort they put in.  Belgium seemed very complacent up to the point where they got their fluke of a 1st goal, that's when they started to believe they could get back into it.   

Brazil next so should be some game.  Belgium will have to give it all in that match. 

For today Sweden to edge the Swiss out by one goal. 

England to win by 2 but we will take anything as long as we go through.