We Are The Reds

IMO the pressure on Ange to leave because of bad results wasn't coming from the FFA but from the media pundits (especially Fox) who were trying to whip up a frenzy and get him sacked. They were the ones who didn't believe in the Ange vision or in the players ability to play that way. I wish Ange had been able to stay the course, but can understand how he came to a point where he felt it wasn't worth the grief for him and his family.

Culturally it is our game, you dickhead.

Mitchell was quick to hit back with “culturally it’s not our game”, but that only angered the passionate fan.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/ ... 6941a33da0

If a self appointed “sporting country” cant play the biggest game on the planet is it even a sporting country ?

Shall we stick to playing sports that only impoverished countries in the commonwealth really care about and pat our selves on the back when we finally beat our little brothers across the tasman?

I think there is a large portion of aussie “sports fans” who really have no clue what football means to the rest if the world and the passion that keeps people coming back.

France 4-3 Argentina
Well that was a peach!

It was just reported on the Austrian ÖRF that the Germany Football Federation board have agreed unanimously that Jogi Löw is still the man to lead the Nationalmannschaft forward.


Surprising.
I wonder if Löw himself thinks that still.
Or the supporters or the players for that matter.

Then again stability and commonsense been the hallmarks of post-war Germany.
Carry on...

France argentina.

Will we look back on this game as a changing of the guard? Messi handing the baton to Mbappe?

it was a cracking game last night. I thought Argentina were going to nab a final goal in that last play.

Well, well, well.
Russia 1-1 Spain
Russia knock Spain out after 120min and a penalty shoot out.

And Uruguay sent Portugal on holidays last night with a 2-1 win.

Croatia do the same to Denmark. There were some long games last night!

I think Mexico can do a number on Brazil tonight. The Germans agree with me.

I think russia did very well!

They did much more then park the bus as spain couldnt even get the ball into their front third to create.

1,029 passes in 120min.
74% possession.
And only 9 shots on target.

Bye, bye Spain.

Do Spain ever get bored of their own style? At one point around 70 minutes the entire team camped in the Russian half and simply pushed the ball backward and forward across the pitch, taking time out but taking nothing out of Russia, with no attempt to run into space beyond the space they already held.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rd-heroism

1,029 passes in 120min.
74% possession.
And only 9 shots on target.

Bye, bye Spain.

Do Spain ever get bored of their own style? At one point around 70 minutes the entire team camped in the Russian half and simply pushed the ball backward and forward across the pitch, taking time out but taking nothing out of Russia, with no attempt to run into space beyond the space they already held.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... rd-heroism

Spain is all about passing their opponents to death and their super progressive style has worked for them.

However its as if they have gone full circle and become the new “long ball” of todays game, super predictable and easy to defend against.

Goes to show how fast football evolves and finds answers to counter winning formulas.

Im sure Craig Fosters hair has fallen out.

IMO the trend in football since the last world cup is teams are learning to control games without the ball yet not totally park the bus. I think Russia did this well

So japan choked...

To say it was a galant or honourable defeat shows a lack of respect for japan as a footballing nation.

They went for the win int he final seconds when throwing a couple back was more prudent. I can't help but wonder if they were worried about the 30 extra minutes of extra time given that Belgium had rested their entire starting XI bar the goal keeper against England.

Japan should/could have played short and gone for extra time but no, they thought they could still win it and they put the ball and men into the box for that one last corner.
The keeper caught it and rather than playing the game out he also looked to play out quickly and that was that.
The Belgians produced that last perfect, sweeping counter attack and they caught Japan out.

And Martinez made two very good substitutions before.
Chaldi and Fellaini.

The Japan team played excellently and it's a bummer they lost but I would not say they choked, rather Belgium did what we all knew they could.
It was a great football match.

Another great thing about Japan last night was after going in front by two goals they did not waste time, nor feign injury, etc.,etc..
Plus I don't think Japan could have produced two great games like that in a row and Belgium has what it takes to take on Brazil, eye to eye, toe to toe.

Kudos to Japan for an amazing match. They play the game with passion and dignity. The result sets up a potentially great game between Brazil and Belgium. If both play as they can it'll be one for the ages. I'd like to see Lukaku get one up on Neymar.

Kudos to Japan for an amazing match. They play the game with passion and dignity. The result sets up a potentially great game between Brazil and Belgium. If both play as they can it'll be one for the ages. I'd like to see Lukaku get one up on Neymar.

Concur with that thought; best game of the tournament thus far. The Japanese really flew the flag for Asian football.

I hope Belgium do a number on Brazil; Neymar's antics drive me to distraction. I guess by Saturday morning we will know.