The World Cup 2018 general pub chat thread.

[gryffron]

Luckily, James current single provides us with the perfect new footie song!

They won't be coming home either way. As tonight's losers have the joy of the 3rd/4th playoff on Saturday.

I wonder whether Skinner and Baddiel get royalties every time someone sings "Football's coming home" on TV news?

Gryff

[swill453]

@Swill, re: Berlin WC venues.
Another option is watching it outdoors on a screen. There is a very pleasant beer-garden right on the north east side of the Berlin zoo, in the Tiergarten, called Cafe am Neuen See. It's well away from roads/traffic, and IIRC it backs onto a lake where people can hire rowing boats and so on. Imagine a beer-garden on the banks of the Serpentine in Hyde Park. The food is pretty good there too. It was the ideal kind of place to take friends visiting us, for a glimpse into relaxed outdoor F+B Berlin-style

Went there this morning for a coffee, looked fine. But thunderstorms forecast for this evening so bottled it. Currently in a bar with a big screen near Alexanderplatz, atmosphere is good.

Scott.

[nimnarb]

Living dangerously.............what a "trip" though. Just have to put another one away early in the second half. Sterling needs to produce..lots of action from him but need completion.

[poundcoin]

Bit worried about Young in the left back position he seems to be losing his man or the ball too often .
Wonder if Danny Rose will get a shout ?

[nimnarb]

We sat back and got what we deserved......at least Rashford is on. The tension is palpable. Is this time different? Who wants this more? In the second half it was Croatia as they should have been 2-1 up. Just hope I am cheering in about 30-40 minutes time.

aaaaarrrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhh. Have a right headache.

[melonfool]

Too loose in the second half, Croatia looked like they had more players - we look tired.

First half of extra time, more chances for us.....hopefully lead to something. I cannot live through another penalty shootout, I really can't!

Mel

[nimnarb]

My headache is now full blown.

[Leothebear]

Good effort by Southgate''s team.
We'd have lost to France anyway....just like Croatia will.

[Ashfordian]

We were not good enough and that was the result the performance deserved.

We should have put the game out of sight in the first half but we've been wasteful all the way through the tournament and we paid for that tonight

[scotia]

hard luck England - but from the start of the second half, Croatia looked like the more dangerous team.
I'm disappointed - even although the moderator has pointed out that Scotland isn't playing. At least my son, now in the south of France with his family and French in-laws will be saved the problem of watching France play England in the final.

[poundcoin]

Oh dear , we never really looked like scoring apart from set pieces .
Kane looked jaded much like Kevin De Bruyne did for Belgium the other night .
Ali and Lingard didn't really get a grip on midfield against those tough Croat defenders .

[Leothebear]

OK Snorvey, you can come out now.

Leo

[nimnarb]

Listening to most, they all think its a simple matter of France just turning up to win this thing.. On paper yes. But nothing mostly has worked out on paper for this WC. I'm not so sure. These Croatian's just refuse to give up and are the underdogs and have nothing to lose by simply going out there full pelt. They said that the Croatian's were tired from their Quarter final match and yet its turned out that we were the ones who looked exhausted. Are we going to see a B team 3rd place play off in order to give others a go? Or have the same team for pride of coming third?

[Dod101]

As a neutral Scot I was sorry to see England lose out last evening but after the first half (where once again they failed to convert good opportunities in front of goal) they played the second just the same and Croatia were sharper and faster and by the beginning of extra time they were more incisive and much more responsive. They played a hard but fair game I thought. England lacked an on pitch leader to galvanise them. What happened to Harry? He was hardly even apparent.

If they were tired last evening (and they looked it) what chance Saturday?

Pity but at least they can hold their heads high having made it to the semis. No mean feat.

Dod

[gryffron]

In EVERY game (ignoring the Belgium friendly) England have played superb for the first 30 minutes. Incisive forward passing to players running into space. Arguably converted too few chances, but played really well regardless. Best team in the competition for that period.

And then...

After 30 mins they revert to England of old. Pass backwards, pass backwards, pass backwards, goalie hoofs it up field and gives away possession. You can't do that in international football. The other teams are just too good if you keep giving them the ball.

If they could just stick to what they are good at for >30 mins they'd be laughing.

Still great achievement by Gareth. Well done for getting that far boys.

Gryff

[redsturgeon]

In EVERY game (ignoring the Belgium friendly) England have played superb for the first 30 minutes. Incisive forward passing to players running into space. Arguably converted too few chances, but played really well regardless. Best team in the competition for that period.

And then...

After 30 mins they revert to England of old. Pass backwards, pass backwards, pass backwards, goalie hoofs it up field and gives away possession. You can't do that in international football. The other teams are just too good if you keep giving them the ball.

If they could just stick to what they are good at for >30 mins they'd be laughing.

Still great achievement by Gareth. Well done for getting that far boys.

Gryff

Thanks Gryff

I was going to write something very similar...you saved me the bother.

John

[scotia]

Still great achievement by Gareth

Agreed - and his behaviour won over a lot of Scots from neutral/hostile to supporters

[zico]

We were much better in the first half against a nervous Croatia who were rattled by our early goal. Can't believe Kane didn't find the goal from two yards away, and we just didn't get the second goal that we needed which would have killed the game. Second half, it was back to England of yesteryear, hoof the ball long, lose it, defend an attack, then hoof it away again. Once Croatia scored, they looked far more confident. In the end they just ran England ragged, and our players ran out of legs.

Still, a weak-looking England team has surprised us all, and both players and manager were much more likeable than previous England teams.

[Clitheroekid]

So now the dream is over does it mean it'll start raining again?

[PinkDalek]

So now the dream is over does it mean it'll start raining again?

Apparently so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZUE4_PtOk0