The World Cup 2018

[Saveloy]

I keep hearing this is a great world cup. Reality is I've never seen so few matches before. Games start before I'm ready to watch. When I'm ready at 9 to watch tv it's all over.

Yep, same for me. Really disappointing. The only full matches I've seen are the last two England ones and I've only managed to catch about 2.hrs of live football spread over the other matches.

[Tee]

This has been one of the best World Cups for me as I have been luck enough to watch almost every single game. Football could be of a higher quality but there have been great games, moments and drama that will live long in the memory. Gonna miss it when it’s over

[Assassin]

To date, I have not seen any games in the last 2 World cups and the current World cup. No interest whatsoever. Just thinking whist typing this....I dont even know who the current holders are

[Exiled_red]

I've watched more than ever and I think the spirit of the tournament and upsets are making it look even better. In the most part the football has been average

It's been really exciting so far though

I think that it has been exciting but the standard of football (in general) hasn't been that high.

I think that the upsets have largely come about because of what many might have considered the lesser teams playing as a unit and getting their tactics right. To a certain extent that has limited the ability of star players to shine. I don't think that we have seen any of the stars set the world cup alight.

[Buzzo]

This has been one of the best World Cups for me as I have been luck enough to watch almost every single game. Football could be of a higher quality but there have been great games, moments and drama that will live long in the memory. Gonna miss it when it’s over

It’s been ok. There’s been a decent game out of every 4 or 5 and they’ve been spread out quite well.

It helps for those who have a country competing so the fact England have this clear run to the final is obviously helping

I look at the England team and I see a lot of unproven mediocrity, Pickford, Maguire, Trippier, Stones, Walker as CB. I look at the performances and I see a team that has dealt well with some utter ****e. I don’t see any foundation for the hype at all so will watch on with interest.

[Shaggy]

Amazed some think it's been rubbish or ok. After a meh first week it's been ****ing fantastic - no standout side has made for a more exciting tournament, with lots of thrilling and unpredictable games.

Pretty sure it will be regarded as one of the best.

[Shaggy]

This has been one of the best World Cups for me as I have been luck enough to watch almost every single game. Football could be of a higher quality but there have been great games, moments and drama that will live long in the memory. Gonna miss it when it’s over

I've watched every game too. In the knockouts alone - we're still in the last 16 ffs - we've had the World Cup's first ever 90 minute 4-3 including two incredible goals, Uruguay's brilliant win over Portugal with two wonderful goals, Belgium coming from 2-0 down to beat Japan 3-2 with the last kick of the game, Spain going out to the hosts...

And before that Germany finishing bottom of their group, Argentina scraping through, England winning 6-1, the Spain Portugal classic, all the VAR drama. I mean ****ing hell. As if anyone can remember 3 or 4 great moments from 2014. This has been the best in my adult life, by a mile.

[RedReet]

Martinez management -

'Go on there Chadli and win us this game'

Chalk that up beside the Ronaldo one.




(Prays McD is cheering for England tonight)

[Exiled_red]

It’s been ok. There’s been a decent game out of every 4 or 5 and they’ve been spread out quite well.

It helps for those who have a country competing so the fact England have this clear run to the final is obviously helping

I look at the England team and I see a lot of unproven mediocrity, Pickford, Maguire, Trippier, Stones, Walker as CB. I look at the performances and I see a team that has dealt well with some utter ****e. I don’t see any foundation for the hype at all so will watch on with interest.

The English media doing what it does best. But for me England have had one decent performance (Tunisia) where they struggled to get the win and a good half against Panama (ok the game was won by half time so understandably the performance dropped 2nd half. The Belgium game was meaningless so can't judge on that. I feel that in the knockout stages they will have to play better than they have so far or at least as well as they did for that half against Panama, but Colombia (and anyone else they might face if they get through) are much better than Panama.

I'm not saying England don't have a chance, looking at the teams in their half of the draw there is no one that you would really fear, but equally I don't see any reason for those sides to fear England. I think that that side of the draw is quite evenly matched and any of the sides in there could make the final.

For me it comes down to how well they play and how mentally tough they are. For me they haven't had to play well for a sustained period or display that toughness yet, so we don't really know if they have it.

[Rigadon]

Belgium won in ninjary time

[Shaggy]

Blimey

[ame]https://twitter.com/OliverKayTimes/status/1014074414030311424[/ame]

[McDermotX]

Chalk that up beside the Ronaldo one.




(Prays McD is cheering for England tonight)

Clearly we've underestimated his managerial powers........I think the real shame here is not the exit of the Japanese, or yet another example of a so-called lesser side's lack of game management coming back to bite them, but surely that we've missed out on such gift-from-God managerial skills.

[Kenneth]

It’s been ok. There’s been a decent game out of every 4 or 5 and they’ve been spread out quite well.

It helps for those who have a country competing so the fact England have this clear run to the final is obviously helping

I look at the England team and I see a lot of unproven mediocrity, Pickford, Maguire, Trippier, Stones, Walker as CB. I look at the performances and I see a team that has dealt well with some utter ****e. I don’t see any foundation for the hype at all so will watch on with interest.

The keeper and defense is utter wank, but there is an assumption that England can be successful at the other end. Kane will put away chances so it's the Sterling, Ali, Lingard trio that England's progress rests on. In PL fantasy football terms that would be a high point scoring set up but it's not clicked for England. Ok, Ali's had an injury but he's not had the greatest season, Lingard is a willing runner but not consistent and sterling is a sack of ****. Let's call them all inconsistent, if they all have good games then they could probably score against any defense in the tournament (none have been great), but that is unlikely on form.

[Buzzo]

The keeper and defense is utter wank, but there is an assumption that England can be successful at the other end. Kane will put away chances so it's the Sterling, Ali, Lingard trio that England's progress rests on. In PL fantasy football terms that would be a high point scoring set up but it's not clicked for England. Ok, Ali's had an injury but he's not had the greatest season, Lingard is a willing runner but not consistent and sterling is a sack of ****. Let's call them all inconsistent, if they all have good games then they could probably score against any defense in the tournament (none have been great), but that is unlikely on form.

I also wonder if that line up might struggle against a decent well balanced midfield. Effectively you have only got Henderson putting his foot in.

What has been amusing has been watching the media go from, 'lets just see what this team can do, no pressure' to 'England will never have a better chance of getting to a final' during which the first team haven't kicked a ball in about 9 days and that was against Panama!

England are an unknown quantity, and I wouldn't be surprised to watch it all go tits up tonight.

Kane is the X factor though. He scores goals, and seems to have a decent amount of luck, allied to the right time, right place ability, which is very similar to Gary Lineker in his pomp. 5 goals constituting 2 pens, a fluke and 2 yard out finishes in classic Lineker - but is a priceless commodity.

[labourRed]

I'm hoping England go out tonight, it'd be hilarious to watch the media backtrack. Although there's also a part of me would like to see Henderson do well so it's a win/win.

I think Rodriguez will be a big loss to Columbia and Falcao didn't look too wonderful against Senegal so he might be carrying something, and i don't mean the whole team, but he might have to do just that if Columbia win.