2018 FIFA World Cup

[english si]

*And we were surely bound to get the "Once more into the breech" speech from Henry V anyway with a captain called Harry. In fact it's odd we haven't yet!

Here's it from 2010 for when England played Germany*. Odd, given 'Fabio' (Capello - the manager then) is not 'Harry', nor does Jerry go 'ribbit'.

*don't mention the VAR! Obviously we can't have broadcasters condoning anti-Nazi sentiment when we play Germany. And the FA gets incredibly touchy - throwing out bans and all - for fans who sing WW2 songs when England play Germany (the favourite being 'Ten German Bombers' about how the 'RAF from England shot them down' in the Battle of Britain).

[HazMatt]

I don't watch soccer often so this may be the norm, but the way France kept wasting time at the end of the game today seemed very disrespectful.

[Bruce]

I don't watch soccer often so this may be the norm, but the way France kept wasting time at the end of the game today seemed very disrespectful.

It was beyond the usual in terms of time-wasting antics. Usually it's only a few small things like having the ball slowly roll over before a restart, rather than deliberately kicking it away (which warrants a yellow card, like Mbappe's).

I'm really hoping that Croatia goes through so I don't have to cheer for England. Anyone but the French, but the sheer amount of smugness from the English press and fans will be unbearable for the next four (or more) years.

[Buck87]

I don't watch soccer often so this may be the norm, but the way France kept wasting time at the end of the game today seemed very disrespectful.

Agreed....though it was certainly effective, as very little time was added beyond the original 6 minutes they tacked on 

[Bruce]

Bullet dodged. It's not coming home!

Croatia's run has been a cap for a crazy time in Croatian sport. Back at Euro 2016, fans threw flares on the pitch to protest corruption, the judicial system started rooting out people involved in money transfers and the like (even putting a high-level administrator on trial...and having Modric testify and prejury himself). Now the president, who has been seen attending and even in the dressing room, is trying to piggyback off this World Cup run for next year's election.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

My prediction: Croatia after extra time .

[nexus73]

My prediction: Croatia after extra time .

Right about now that looks to be the best prediction one could make...LOL!

Rick

[CNGL-Leudimin]

If there was to be an animal of the Final, it would definitely be the French-Croatian squid . I use this as profanity since its original Chinese name, 法克鱿 Fa Ke You, sounds like "fuck you". It's not the only creative "bad word" I use, though.

[Bruce]

Vive la France.

https://twitter.com/IndyFootball/status/1018538294446120960

[english si]

Here's to the Anti-Football World Cup champions!

And their man of the match, Néstor Pitana - he may have played in a different kit (yellow), but without his weak will, France wouldn't have had either of their first half goals. He gave into Griezeman's dive which France then scored from (or rather Croatia screwed up) the resulting free kick, and let himself be bullied by the VAR referees into giving that incredibly dodgy penalty (France's only shot in the first half).

OK, France did play some football - and excellent football too - but they played it for about 5 minutes, and mucked about for the other 85. Whether they could pull off another minute in the additional half-an-hour that should have been played is a question answered only in a parallel, fairer, universe...

[Road Hog]

France earned it. They had the tougher bracket by far and got to the final via that route. I tip my chapeau.

Look for reseeding the knockout round to become the next FIFA question.

[NWI_Irish96]

France earned it. They had the tougher bracket by far and got to the final via that route. I tip my chapeau.

Look for reseeding the knockout round to become the next FIFA question.

Not going to happen.  They need advance ticket sales so team fans need to know where their team might be playing knockout round games.  Yes, I know it differs depending on whether you finish first or second in your group but fans still buy a lot of advance tickets based on likely locations.

[english si]

France earned it. They had the tougher bracket by far and got to the final via that route. I tip my chapeau.

They beat in the knock-out rounds

• an Argentine team that Pele reckons his 1970 WC-winning team would beat. Though only 1-0 as they are in their 70s now. They let in 3 against a team that only scored three vs Iceland and Nigeria (and their goals in the Nigeria game were jammy).
  
• a Uruguay team with their key play-maker suspended and looked iffy against Egypt (the first team to go out) with the guy
  
• a Belgium team missing an important player suspended by playing uber-negative football

As Japan and Russia showed - there weren't really easy games in the knock out phases, nor easy routes. The bracket was tougher on paper, but world rankings were exposed as meaning next-to-nothing...

France are the best team in the same way that Kane was the best goal scorer - true, but only on a technicality. A couple of lucky breaks, and a lot of doing the bare minimum.

[Desert Man]

VIVE LE FRANCE! (my father's home country, I live in the USA). They won the final match vs Croatia. And Belgium defeats England in the third place (I'm sure many have posted already on the results). I expected the French or Belgians to be third place or something. It's a shame the USA never goes far in the world cup, nor Mexico who has a problem reaching "the fifth game".

[Bruce]

Grand final is purely a rugby/Aussie thing, rather than soccer.

The main reason that the U.S. struggles to advance past the Round of 16 boils down to player development. The training facilities for players (without giant fees), ability to play hard international opposition or even advance to professional clubs at an early age, and the access to good coaching controlled by the national football association are all factors.

[Desert Man]

How can I explain this mishap? Nearing 18 minutes, Croatia accidentally gives France it's first goal of the final match (thanx for clearing it up, Bruce).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWekFiufuq0

[Bruce]

Own goals are common, especially deflections on set pieces. Nothing to explain here.

But Griezmann's dive to earn that free kick is worth explaining, along with Lloris's gaffe at the end.

[NWI_Irish96]

Grand final is purely a rugby/Aussie thing, rather than soccer.

The main reason that the U.S. struggles to advance past the Round of 16 boils down to player development. The training facilities for players (without giant fees), ability to play hard international opposition or even advance to professional clubs at an early age, and the access to good coaching controlled by the national football association are all factors.

All of those are factors, along with the massive amounts of money that can be made playing football/basketball/baseball that isn't available in other countries.  Most European and South American countries get all of their best athletes playing soccer.  In the US soccer has to compete with other sports.