Goooooooooooooooooooooooooool

[Dmitry]

Brazil did more than most in their position would have done. They just weren't lucky.  

[Brad]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

A very, very, very, very long time from where I'm sitting

The 66 World Cup is the first one I remember seeing.  I was 15 then. We lived in Brasil when they won in 1962 but I have no recollections at all of that.  

[erwbol]

There is always an element of luck involved, but Brazil were outclassed tonight.

[uli]

Good game. Both teams played well imho. idon't think Brazil was outclassed but Belgium's win was not undeserved.apropos var, Kompany is my man but i saw a penalty.

[erwbol]

The Brazil player whom Kompany tackled had already pushed the ball across the back line at the moment Kompany made contact. Therefore he was not robbed of an opportunity to score since play was on hold, so no penalty.

[mjazzg]

9 hours ago, Brad said:

The 66 World Cup is the first one I remember seeing.  I was 15 then. We lived in Brasil when they won in 1962 but I have no recollections at all of that.  

I was just too young for 66. It's the heartbreak of Mexico 70 that's my first WC memory. I can still see Muller's winner...scarred for life.

[sidewinder]

I remember watching the ‘66 final on the TV with family and then having a football kickeround afterwards. Good times. 

Also remember for the ‘70 finals collecting those Esso World Cup coins at service stations. Had the full set ! Abiding memory of those finals is Bobby Moore being ‘set up’.

Edited July 7, 2018 by sidewinder

[erwbol]

The first end tournament I remember watching start to finish is Euro '88. Obviously everything that came after was ultimately a disappointment.

12 hours ago, soulpope said:

Finally Brasil`s diving contest is over ....

[mjazzg]

32 minutes ago, sidewinder said:

I remember watching the ‘66 final on the TV with family and then having a football kickeround afterwards. Good times. 

Also remember for the ‘70 finals collecting those Esso World Cup coins at service stations. Had the full set ! Abiding memory of those finals is Bobby Moore being ‘set up’.

My kickaround after the 70 defeat, I went straight into the garden when Germany scored, was not nearly as celebratory. 

Loved those coins. I had the set too as my father did lots of driving for his job. There was also shoulder/head figurines. A different petrol company perhaps.

St. Bobby Moore. Now, there was a footballer

[soulpope]

26 minutes ago, erwbol said:

The first end tournament I remember watching start to finish is Euro '88. Obviously everything that came after was ultimately a disappointment.

😁 .... telling photography ....

[Dmitry]

11 hours ago, erwbol said:

There is always an element of luck involved, but Brazil were outclassed tonight.

I don't think we watched the same match.

Brazil took 9 shots on target, Belgium only three. Brazil 27 shots overall, Belgium nine. Brazil 8 corners, Belgium 4.

If that's not bad luck, I don't know what to call it, but definitely not outclassed.

[sidewinder]

I thought Belgium looked much more solid all round. They deserved the win.

[erwbol]

31 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

I don't think we watched the same match.

Brazil took 9 shots on target, Belgium only three. Brazil 27 shots overall, Belgium nine. Brazil 8 corners, Belgium 4.

If that's not bad luck, I don't know what to call it, but definitely not outclassed.

Outclassed was a bit too strong, I admit.

[mjazzg]

36 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

I don't think we watched the same match.

Brazil took 9 shots on target, Belgium only three. Brazil 27 shots overall, Belgium nine. Brazil 8 corners, Belgium 4.

If that's not bad luck, I don't know what to call it, but definitely not outclassed.

but for all those shots and corners they didn't score enough which was down to some very good Belgian defending and goalkeeping. That's not luck that's performance. I agree, I don't think Brazil were unlucky - what example of bad luck can you give? An unfortunate deflection, hitting the post or bar with the goalkeeper beaten, goal-line clearance? I can't remember any of those

Belgium were better all round.they tore Brazil away on the break and then with a very organised defence kept Brazil at bay as your statistics prove.Brazil weren't good enough to find away to win and for once there was a referee who was suitably dismissive of Neymar's attempts to cheat an advantage. Maybe that's where Brazil's bad luck came in? 

Edited July 7, 2018 by mjazzg

[Dmitry]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

but for all those shots and corners they didn't score enough which was down to some very good Belgian defending and goalkeeping. That's not luck that's performance. I agree, I don't think Brazil were unlucky - what example of bad luck can you give? 

An unfortunate deflection, hitting the post or bar with the goalkeeper beaten, goal-line clearance? I can't remember any of those.

First goal- ball bounces off Fernandino's shoulder. Hello?!  Dude...seriously?

 

Edited July 7, 2018 by Dmitry

[soulpope]

1 hour ago, mjazzg said:

Belgium were better all round.they tore Brazil away on the break and then with a very organised defence kept Brazil at bay as your statistics prove.Brazil weren't good enough to find away to win and for once there was a referee who was suitably dismissive of Neymar's attempts to cheat an advantage. Maybe that's where Brazil's bad luck came in? 

I watched the same game  ....

[Brad]

I think the first half clearly belonged to Belgium; Brasil was probably in shock.  The second half started the same way but probably midway through, as things became desperate for them, Brasil took control and, save for a few attempts to keep Brasil honest, Belgium was under constant assault.  Belgium can thank Courtois for surviving. Neymar’s history of diving came to haunt them. Maybe they will learn a lesson but I doubt it. 

Sonetimes possession can be deceiving. Portugal won the statistical battle against Uruguay but lost the war, the only statistical battle that counts. 

Edited July 7, 2018 by Brad

[mjazzg]

20 minutes ago, Dmitry said:

First goal- ball bounces off Fernandino's shoulder. Hello?! 

 

But would have been headed in by the Belgian forward if not, just that Fernandino got there first

[mjazzg]

1 hour ago, Dmitry said:

I don't think we watched the same match.

Brazil took 9 shots on target, Belgium only three. Brazil 27 shots overall, Belgium nine. Brazil 8 corners, Belgium 4.

If that's not bad luck, I don't know what to call it, but definitely not outclassed.

and anyway, my response was to this post where you were trying to explain away Brazil's inability to convert shots and corners into goals as bad luck. No mention of the Belgian first goal here that I see...hello? 

Edited July 7, 2018 by mjazzg

[sidewinder]

I have no alegiances either way to Brazil or Belgium but I thought Belgium looked more solid in defence (especially) and midfield and that for much of the game they were in control. There was a Brazil onslaught towards the end but their defence - and especially the goalie - had it covered. Good game !

[Brad]

This is worth a read why Europe now seems to dominate, As Brazil Crashes Out, the Magic Appears to be Gone, too

These are the salient points:

“It is not a coincidence that all four of this year’s World Cup semifinalists, whatever happens in the second set of quarterfinals, are from Europe. This is, increasingly, a European competition. All four of the most recent world champions have been European. Since 1990, what might be broadly termed soccer’s modern era, there have been eight World Cups. Brazil has won two. Europe will have picked up the rest.

At least one manager here has confided privately that Europe’s power — in terms of finance, influence, and physicality — has become almost impossible to compete with, certainly for Africa, Asia and North America, and increasingly for South America, the game’s other traditional stronghold.

The major nations of the Old World have industrialized youth development so effectively that France, Germany and Spain can now rival Brazil and Argentina as a source of players. Its smaller countries have such easy access to best practices that their size is no longer an issue. Their players and coaches can be exported easily to the best leagues in the world. The latest developments in coaching, sports science, nutrition and the rest can be imported rapidly. It is that process that allowed Iceland to draw with Argentina, and be a little disappointed it did not win. It is that process that has left Belgium in the World Cup semifinals, and Croatia and Sweden with hopes of joining them.”

The Latin American nations will need to follow suit. I recently read another article in the New York Times showing that is what Mexico is now doing. 

[Dmitry]

16 minutes ago, Brad said:

 Belgium can thank Courtois for surviving. 

IMHO Keeper and Lukaku were the co-mvps yesterday.

It's probably my memory playing tricks, butI don't remember another WC where so many goalkeepers made so many game-deciding mistakes.

[EKE BBB]

Zzzzzzzz... soporific match.

[mjazzg]

Fine by me. Just like a mid Premier League match

[Brad]

Sweden have to count themselves very lucky right now.